Mel; Thank you for your encouraging sharing. It sounds great this combination of daily work, Tai Chi and sitting down and healthy reading.
Mayka --- On Wed, 11/5/11, Mel <[email protected]> wrote: From: Mel <[email protected]> Subject: [Zen] Zen with no concepts To: [email protected] Date: Wednesday, 11 May, 2011, 10:18 I started Taichi last night. Karate was my first love and will always be, but it has become too destructive for me over the years. However, I have been fortunate not to have suffered the sort of horrid injuries that I have witnessed from others over the years Anyway, I went there. Despite the difference in martial style, my head was pretty clear. I was tired but it was amazing that my head was well and clear throughout the entire period. I saw everything, and I didn't miss a thing. What has this to do with Zen? Well, it's all about the experience. As I said, tired as I was after a day's work..well..my head was pretty clear. I constantly repeated the same basic movements and listened to all the instructions..... (especially with the so-called flow...as opposed to the hard and explosive movements of the Shotokan school of Karate) ....and I was not bored at all (Shunryu)Suzuki-sensei spoke of doing everything in such a manner of if burning oneself to ashes. The mind-heart is concentrated for one purpose. There were no other thoughts lingering about as if shadows. When there are such shadows, then the mind-heart has lost its purity. At work and other places, they usually refer to this rubbish as..well...multi-tasking..hmmmm.... Deshimaru-sensei had also mentioned something similar about doing things in such a way as if your hair is on fire. No shadows...no lingering thoughts. Purity in thought..this moment..and the next...and the next...and so on... Ladies and gents, NO concepts here as you can see. It's all about experience of daily life. No mention of.... - noble virtues(or something like that) - the endless cycle of karma - special Buddhist terms such as Vipassana, Theravada...and so on ...and so on. No mysteries, no secrets..and nothing overwhelming at all. In fact, just daily life. Wasn't that exactly which interested the old fella back then? I also yet have to find historical/archaelogical proof that he... - wished for his words/teachings to be recorded by scribes in some special temple/place of worship somewhere - taught special rituals, or ceremonies that makes one officially a Buddhist I bought a second-hand copy of a book calledTHE BUDDHA AND HIS TEACHINGS earlier this evening. Judging from what I had seen of the work so far, it seemed to be quite a huge body of knowledge to acquire. So, how do I handle this? Simple...I just read the material. I'm not going to be tested on it by some temple representative, or similar. I'll sink into my whole being what I can, but the important thing is not scripture. Life's experiences. That's what counts Buddha be praised Mel
