What other people? You and I may perceive and speak of other people, but
compassion does not discriminate this way.
Compassion is not concerned with how things may appear. Compassion
operates with/as what is - effortlessly - instantaneously - not even
needing to arise as there is no lack. Unseen, as thoughts of it can only
arise in response - as afterthought. What appears as cultivation of
future compassion, is the imagination compassionately creating this
appearance as an aspect of present awareness.
Compassion, is the cause and result of compassion. So long as thoughts
are tied to apparent cause/effect - there will continue to be attempts
at cultivating this, seeking attainment, without realizing this.
All such appearnces/efforts are aspects of this, arising as pointers to
this, not paths leading to something separate. The self strings these
imaginary points into imaginary lines it call its path. There are no
points, only pointing. No path, only pathing. No-self, only selfing....
No compassion being realized, only compassionate realization.
Without beginning, without end.
K
On 6/13/2012 6:20 PM, Anthony Wu wrote:
Joe/K,
'In lay terms' means in general, from a general perspective, including
the point of view of a senior zenist, and that from an idiot like me.
What are the results of the compassion, whether it is cultivated, or
developed spontaneously? Of suddenly compassion arrives 'just this'?
None of us live isolatedly. How do other people see your compassion?
Anthony
*From:* Kristopher Grey <[email protected]>
*To:* [email protected]
*Sent:* Wednesday, 13 June 2012, 23:00
*Subject:* Re: [Zen] Re: The Self Illusion
Where does this 'practice' begin and end?
If an answer appears, if there are reasons and results, such practice
is too full of itself.
K
On 6/13/2012 10:00 AM, Joe wrote:
Now, when you say "lay" terms, do you mean terms that have nothing to
do with zen practice and its results? If so, this may not be the best
forum to post such a question.
I am a lay practitioner, by the way, and not a monastic.
In a person who is not awakened, say, a killer-for-hire, true
compassion and wisdom are simply covered up.
In EVERY person who does not practice, true compassion is also
covered. This true compassion is the "zen-"compassion we've
mentioned. Such a non-practicing person may still seem to extend
compassion at times, but as we've noted, even an idiot will sometimes
do this.
Now, it's not guaranteed that a practitioner will have true
compassion and wisdom just because they practice: a practitioner must
also AWAKEN (even as the Buddha did).
In summary, and to reiterate, my claim is that compassion is covered
up, in the killer, ...just as in any other ordinary person.
That's why we practice.
(If you like, tell us your answer to where you think compassion is,
in such a person, ordinary, or killer).
--Joe
> Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> <mailto:wuasg@...> wrote:
> I am talking about compassion in lay terms. I don't think it is
automatic. For example, when a mafia member kills, loots and rapes,
where is the compassion?
