I like this part The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil did have fruit, but it wasn't just the Fruit of Knowledge. It was the Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which is necessarily laced with the hallucinagenic toxin of dualism. I believe, as you've indicated below, that this story/myth describes the birth of human reasoning, but that was at the cost of obscuring Buddha Nature;
I am afraid that you underestimate the depth of truth so lightly concealed by this scripture. I believe it was this acqusition of dualistic thinking which creates the illusion of self/other, or in this case humans/God, that caused us to be expelled from the Garden - not that this act was a 'sin', a act that was disobedient to God More it is that it places us in conflict with ourselves so that we must work at life. In this way people must leave behind the child like illusion of innocence and lust for life. --- In [email protected], "Bill!" <BillSmart@...> wrote: > > Rewisk, > > To continue with the analogy from my perspective... > > The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil did have fruit, but it wasn't just > the Fruit of Knowledge. It was the Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil > which is necessarily laced with the hallucinagenic toxin of dualism. I > believe, as you've indicated below, that this story/myth describes the birth > of human reasoning, but that was at the cost of obscuring Buddha Nature; just > as the myth states the result of the acquisition of the Knowledge of Good and > Evil was the expulsion from the Garden of Eden (where humans lived in direct > contact with God). > > I believe it was this acqusition of dualistic thinking which creates the > illusion of self/other, or in this case humans/God, that caused us to be > expelled from the Garden - not that this act was a 'sin', a act that was > disobedient to God. > > ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], "rewrisk" <rewrisk@> wrote: > > > > People seem to think that our ancestors were morons and all of a sudden > > people just woke up. But the knowledge that drove the industrial revolution > > and still drives science today with evolving theories and even drove the > > awakening of people like the Buddha, Yahushua bar Yoseph and others has > > been accumulating so long as sentient life has existed. That knowledge > > began reaching it's critical mass and people started getting their stuff > > together. The tree of knowledge bore fruit and we ate of it. > > > > It is far more than a discriminating mind. > > > > --- In [email protected], "Bill!" <BillSmart@> wrote: > > > > > > Rewisk, > > > > > > I've often also used the mythology of 'eating of the fruit of the Tree of > > > the Knowledge of Good and Evil' as a metaphor for the rise of the > > > discriminting mind and self which tends to obscure Buddha Nature (which I > > > refer to as Just THIS!) > > > > > > ...Bill! > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "rewrisk" <rewrisk@> wrote: > > > > > > > > I have followed the teachings of Yahshua bar Yoseph but I am no > > > > christian. > > > > Christmas Humphries described Zen as if it were the essence of > > > > Buddhism. I do not agree with the Buddha's conclusions but have found > > > > much of the budhist way to be beneficial to my search for truth. > > > > > > > > It seems to me that when people were making up God's to personify the > > > > forces of nature that they felt were important someone realised that it > > > > was creative endeavour that was paramount. Therefore the only true God > > > > could be the Creator. And if the conscious control of our evolution is > > > > viewed as the highest goal, then the conscious creation of life, the > > > > Creator of life is the most high. > > > > > > > > Much of biblical scripture is simple ruse. > > > > Like Zen Koan they are meant to focus the mind on the fact. > > > > > > > > Man is made to be like god = Creative endeavour is the evolutionary > > > > directive. > > > > > > > > The son of man is god = A creator being, a being that exists by > > > > creative endeavour will evolve from man. > > > > > > > > If you eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you will > > > > surely die = a creature that see's beyond it's instincts will misuse > > > > the power that comes from such knowedge acting instinctively. > > > > > > > > Prepare yea the way for the coming of the Lord = Transition from > > > > instinctively driven animal to autonomous creator. > > > > > > > > According to Hollywood we will be cloning races of slaves to do our > > > > labour for us but the world is overflowing with people to do labour. > > > > What people need is leadership. > > > > Leadership that can be trusted. > > > > No person driven by instinct can be trusted. > > > > A person devoid of instinct will still be selfish, but they wont fight > > > > without cause, take more than they need, or discriminate atrbitrarily. > > > > > > > > Could such a person be trusted? > > > > Are social skills really unselfish or a smarter way of being selfish? > > > > > > > > Creative endeavour has markedly improved the lives of people. > > > > From the first rudimentry tools this was so. > > > > The creator was our saviour. > > > > Today some people blame science for problems that they see. > > > > Clearly it is misuse of knowledge by ignorant people that is the > > > > problem. > > > > > > > > Can creative endeavour save us from ourselves. > > > > Can a Creator save us. > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
