I had the same 9-hole score as Tiger Woods about a week ago - 42! ...Bill!
--- In [email protected], Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> wrote: > > Siska, >  > Talking about sampajana, wild fox zen, tantric sex, Tiger Wood etc are all > acceptable as long as you contribute $0.02 per post to be split between Bill > and Edgar. >  > Anthony > > --- On Sat, 21/5/11, siska_cen@... <siska_cen@...> wrote: > > > From: siska_cen@... <siska_cen@...> > Subject: Re: [Zen] Response to Ed > To: [email protected] > Date: Saturday, 21 May, 2011, 7:30 PM > > >  > > > > Hello Daniel, > > Glad to see your posts in this forum, which give totally different 'flavour' > and style from the rest. > > Some of the suttas you quoted below were my favourites. These suttas provide > guidance to our practice. When it comes to awareness that is referred to as > buddha nature here in this forum, I think Bahiya Sutta and Mulapariyaya Sutta > have more similar descriptions. > > If I don't mis-understand from your few posts, you practised under Burmese > tradition. From what I know, this tradition does not emphasise jhana, if not > looking at it more as a hindrance. But you seem to understand it at > experience level. Would you mind telling more about your practice? > > I'm also interested to know more about sampajanna (clear understanding), > which I suppose would not have anything to do with thinking or perceiving the > experience one has in moment of mindfulness (sati)? When one experiences > insight (nyana), what is the mental factor, if any, at that moment? > > I apologise to all other forum members if this deviates too far from zen. I > am too curious today. Let me know if this is not acceptable in this forum. > > siska > > > From: "empty0grace" <empty0grace@...> > Sender: [email protected] > Date: Thu, 19 May 2011 17:13:39 -0000 > To: <[email protected]> > ReplyTo: [email protected] > Subject: [Zen] Response to Ed > >  > > > Hi Ed, >  > You asked me to post something about the essential Theravada teaching. Let me > say that I don't consider myself quite able to do this in a full, succinct or > balanced way, but here at least is an effort I made. For the record, I am not > especially interested in persuading anyone. I do this because you asked me > to, and because there is no one else here to speak for the Theravada. >  > In the Pali canon, the Buddha refers to his teaching as the sadhamma, or the > good law, often simple the Dhamma for short, or Dharma in Sanskrit. He also > clearly states that the measure of any teaching that can be considered to be > from him, and authentic, would be the presence of the Four Noble Truths at > the core of that teaching. These are, as I am sure you know: > > The Noble Truth of Suffering > The Noble Truth of the cause of suffering > The Noble Truth of the End of Suffering > The Noble Truth of the Eightfold path that leads to the end of suffering > He himself would often state: "Four things, and four things only do I teach: > suffering, its cause, its ending and the way." >  > The eightfold path, as I am sure you already know is: Right understanding, > right intentions, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right > effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. Traditionally these can be > divided into three groups: Sila, samadhi and pañña or virtue, concentration > and wisdom. The proper cultivation of this path leads the destruction of the > three unwholesome roots that are the cause of suffering: greed, hatred and > delusion. This is what Theravada, or the Way of the Elders is about, no more > and less. >  > I would say that in contrast to Japanese Zen, which seems to have a strongly > anti-intellectual style to it, the Buddha's teaching as recorded in the Pali > Canon, and practicse in the Way of the Elders, emphasizes having a clear > understanding of the teaching as being an essential part of the guidance > process. This would be called mundane or unverified right understanding. This > includes all of the basics of the teaching: the five aggregates, the three > signs of being (anicca, anatta and dukkha), the six sense spheres with their > six objects, the reality of the Unconditioned, and co-dependent origination > etc. Each limb of the eightfold path is to be understood, so they too are > included in right understanding. With time mundane unverified > right-understanding become mundane verified right-understanding as insight > (vipassana) and understanding (pañña) are developed. Eventually, when the > Unconditione is realized, mundane right-understanding become, lokutara or > supermundane right-understanding of the Deathless, Nibbana. >  > The Buddha also describes, in the Pali cannon, another way of talking about > right understanding as the four aspects of clear comprehension: clear > comprehension of the Dhamma, clear comprehension of purpose, clear > comprehension of suitability, and clear comprehension of the meditation > subject. Clear comprehension is something greatly emphasized by the Buddha in > this body of teaching, so much so that he often conjoined it into one word > with mindfulness: sati-sampajanna. Sati-sampajanna is translated as > mindfulness and clear comprehension. Right mindfulness according to this body > of teaching is not just awareness of the object, but awareness accompanied by > clear comprehension. >  > The Buddha's teachings on mindfulness are often repeated in the Pali suttas, > but the two most comprehensive suttas on this subject are the Satipatthana > Sutta, and the Mahasatipatthana Sutta. Both of these are easily locatable on > the web if anyone wishes to read them. Also in this category is the > Kayagasati Sutta, Discourse on Mindfulness of the Body â" "Without > mindfulness of the body, I say O Bhikkhus, there is no enlightenment." and > the Anapanasati sutta, or Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing, which is one > form of mindfulness of the body, a summary of which is at the beginning of > the Satiptthana and Mahasatipatthana sutta. An important part of the basic > teaching is also the recognition and ability to work with the five jhana > factors, the five controlling faculties and the seven factors of > enlightenment. >  > As to samma-samadhi, or right concentration, the Buddha defined this as the > cultivation of the four jhanas. He gives two standard descriptions of these. > One is by means of mental factors present, and the other is by means of > poetic metaphor. >  > On the subject of effort and energy, the Buddha defined right effort as the > "four great efforts: "The effort to diminish those unwholesome states > presently arisen; to keep from arising those unwholesome states not arisen; > to cause to arise those wholesome states not yet arisen, and to strengthen > and increase those wholesome states now arisen." I personally love this one > very much because of how open and inclusive it is. >  > Maybe I should let the Buddha speak for himself. Here are a few quotes that I > garnered from some of the chapters in my book: > _________ >  > 4. "Breathing in long, he understands `I breath in long' or breathing out > long, he understands `I breathe out long...' > 6. "Again, bhikkhus, when walking, a bhikkhu understands; `I am walking'; > when standing, he understands; `I am standing'; when sitting, he understands: > `I am sitting'' when lying down, he understands: `I am lying down'⦠> 32. "And how does a bhikkhu abide contemplating feelings as feelings? Here > when feeling a pleasant feeling, a bhikkhu understands; "I feel a pleasant > feeling' when feeling a painful feeling he understands: `I feel a painful > feeling.' > 36. "Here, there being sensual desire in him, a bhikkhu understands: `There > is sensual desire in me'⦠> 42. "Here, there being the enlightenment factor of mindfulness in him, he > understand: "there is the enlightenment factor of mindfulness in meâ¦" > 44. "And how does a bhikkhu abide contemplating mind objects as mind objects > in terms of the Four Noble Truths? Here a bhikkhu understands as it actually > is: `this is suffering'; he understands as it actually is: `this is the > origin of suffering; he understands as it actually is: `this is the cessation > of sufferingâ¦'; he understands as it actually is: `this is the path that > leads to the end of suffering." > Satipathana Sutta Majjhima Nikaya 10 >  > ____________ >  > "With insight let him see, each presently arisen state. > Let him know that and be sure of it, invincibly, unshakably." MN 131:3 >  > ____________ >  > " Dependent on the eye and form, eye-consciousness arises; the meeting of the > three is contact; with contact as condition there is feeling; with feeling as > condition there is craving. Dependent on the ear and sounds, ear- > consciousness arises; the meeting of the three is contact; with contact as > condition there is feeling; with feeling as condition there is craving. > Dependent on the nose and odors, nose- consciousness arises; the meeting of > the three is contact; with conÂtact as condition there is feeling; with > feeling as condition there is craving. Dependent on the tongue and flavors, > tongue-consciousness arises; the meeting of the three is contact; with > contact as condition there is feeling; with feeling as condition there is > craving. Dependent on the body and tangibles, body-consciousness arises; the > meeting of the three is contact; with contact as condition there is feeling; > with feeling as condition there is craving. Dependent on the mind and > mind-objects, mind-consciousness arises; the meeting of three is contact; > with contact as condition there is feeling; with feeling as condition there > is craving. ...." > Chachaka Sutta: Six Sets of Six; MN 148:8 >  > ______________ >  > "...Now this had been said by the Blessed One: `One who sees dependent > origination sees the Dhamma; one whose sees the Dhamma sees dependent > origination...' > Mahahatthipdopama Sutta: The Greater Discourse on the Elephant's Footprint; > MN 28:28; > ______________ >  > "Bhikkhus, what do you think? Is material form permanent or impermanent?" - > "ImpermaÂnent, venerable sir." - "Is what is impermanent suffering or > happiness?" - "Suffering, venerable sir." - "Is what is impermanent, > suffering, and subject to change, fit to be regarded thus: "This is mine, > this I am, this is my self?" - "No, venerable sir." > "Bhikkhus, what do you think? Is feeling...Is perception...Are mental > formations.... Is consciousÂness permanent or impermanent?" - "Impermanent, > venerable sir." - "Is what is impermanent sufÂfering or happiness?" - > "Suffering, venerable sir." - "Is what is impermanent, suffering, and subject > to change, fit to be regarded thus: "This is mine, this I am, this is my > self?" - "No, venerÂable sir." > Alagadduupama Sutta: The Simile of the Snake; MN 22:26-29; pp.232-233 > _____________ >  > This one is very famous. It is called the fire sermon. >  > "Bhikkhus, all is burning. And what, bhikkhus, is the all that is burning? > The eye is burning, forms are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, > eye-contact is burning, and whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as > condition â" whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful â"nor-pleasant > â" that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, > with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; burning with birth, > ageing, and death, with sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, > I say. > "The ear is burning ... The nose is burning ... the tongue is burning ... the > body is burning ... The mind is burning ... and whatever feeling arises with > mind-contact as condition â" whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful > nor â"pleasant that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire > of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; burning with > ageing and death, with sorrow, lamentation. pain, displeasure, and despair, I > say." Samyutta Nikaya 35.28 > ____________ >  > 10."...Friend Saariputta, it is through seeing cessation, through directly > knowing cessation in the eye, in eye-consciousness, and in things cognizable > through eye-consciousness, that I regard them thus: `This is not mine, this I > am not this is not myself.' It is through seeing cessation, through directly > knowing cessation in the ear...in the nose...in the tongue...in the body...in > the mind, in mind-consciousness, and in things cognizable through > mind-consciousness, that I regard them thus; `this is not mine, this I am > not, this is not my self.'" > Channovaada Sutta: Advice to Channa; MN 114: 10; p. 115 >  > ___________ >  > 7. "Suppose, Magandiya, there was a leper with sores and blisters on his > limbs, being devoured by worms, scratching the scabs off the openings of his > wounds with his nails, cauterizing his body over a burning charcoal pit; the > more he scratches the scabs and cauterizes his body, the fouler, more evil > smelling and more infected the openings of his wounds would become, yet he > would find a certain measure of satisfaction and enjoyment in scratching the > openings of his wounds. So too, Magandiya, beings who are not free form lust > for sensual pleasures, who are devoured by craving for sensual pleasures, who > burn with fever for sensual pleasures, still indulge in sensual pleasures; > the more such beings indulge in sensual pleasures, the more their craving for > sensual pleasures increases and the more they are burned by their fever for > sensual pleasure; yet they find a certain measure of satisfaction and > enjoyment in dependence on the five cords of sensual > pleaÂsure... > 21. "...And although this body, Magandiya, is a disease, a tumor, a dart, a > calamity, and an afflicÂtion referring to this body you say: "This is that > health, Master Gotama, this is that Nibbana.' Magandiya, you do not have that > noble vision by means of which you might know health and see Nibbana." > Magandiya Sutta MN 75 > ____________ >  > "And what bhikkhus, is the Dhamma for abandoning all through direct knowledge > and full understanding? The eye is to be abandoned through direct knowledge > and full understanding, forms are to be so abandoned, eye-consciousness is to > be so abandoned, eye-contact is to be so abandoned, and whatever feeling > arises with eye-contact as a condition-whether pleasant or painful or > neither-painful-nor-pleasant â" that too is to be abandoned through direct > knowledge and full understanding. > "The ear is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full > understanding.... The mind is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and > full understanding; mental phenomena are to be so abandoned; > mind-consciousness is to so abandoned; mind-contact is to be so abandoned, > and whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition â"whether > pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that too is to be > abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding." > Samyutta Nikaya 35.25 > _____________ >  > "Whatever exists therein of material form, feeling, perception, mental > formations, and consciousness, he sees those states as impermanent, as > suffering, as a disease, as a tumor, as a barb, as a calamity, a an > affliction, as alien, as disintegrating, as void, and as not self. He turns > his mind away from those states, and directs it toward the deathless element > thus: `This is the peaceful, this is subÂlime, that is, the stilling of all > formations, the relinquishing of all attachments, the destruction of craving, > dispassion, cessation, Nibbana..." >  Mahamalunkyaputta Sutta: The Greater Discourse to Malunkya; MN 64:9 > _________________ >  > I will close this with something my teacher Taungpulu Sayadaw used to say: >  > Two things must be fully penetrated: mentality and materiality. > Two things must be fully developed: mindfulness and concentration. > Two things must be fully abandoned: ignorance and craving. >  > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! 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