Steve,
IMO, not just amoral Western Zenists but ALL humans are intrinsically amoral. Some thirty-five years ago, it was brought to my attention that many, most or ALL humans misuse the tit-bits of psychological and/or spiritual knowledge they acquire to judge and analyze others in a one-upmanship game, or to rationalize away their own behaviors and wild conceptions, or to justify their own violent emotionality. A short time later I noticed that I was doing the same myself! This is the human condition; this is human nature as it really is. Spiritual and or psychological attainments are illusory. With millions of years of evolutionary wisdom behind it, the 'ego' is impossible to eradicate on a permanent basis. It only gets more subtle and cunning as one's psychological and/or spiritual growth 'advance'. Welcome to the real world - the stage on which real live humans act out their ego-driven parts. --ED --- In [email protected], "SteveW" <eugnostos2000@...> wrote: > > Maria, perhaps I misconstrue what you are saying, in which case I am sorry. But your words represent all that is deplorable about this amoral Westernized Zen, imo. You treat TNH's teaching on simple goodness with contempt when you compare it to "Walt Disney World". > I think that you have just given up. Simply to be fully present as you hurt others is not enlightenment. This Westernized Zen is just nihilistic existentialism, imo. Sarte said that it really didn't matter whether you helped an old lady across the street, or else hit her over the head and stole her purse, as long as you were being "authentic". This has nothing whatsoever to do with the enlightened teachings of the Buddha,imo. > Again, if I simply misunderstand you, then I apologize. > Steve
