Compassion is not a gift, or a choice.
K
On 6/13/2012 8:01 PM, mike brown wrote:
K,
Ultimately there is no seeking - there is just action without doing
(wu-wei). Others can label this action 'compassion', or not, but the
action still stands. The person who benefits from such action cares
not if it is the hand of an enlightened Zen master or the hand of the
lowest sewerage worker. We practice compassion for other sentient
beings and not for an indication of our own spiritual progress. I can
only speak for myself, but compasssion for the CEO of a multi-national
insurance company is an on-going work in progress and is not something
that comes - like a set of steak - knives with satori.
Mike
--- On *Thu, 14/6/12, Kristopher Grey /<[email protected]>/* wrote:
From: Kristopher Grey <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: The Self Illusion
To: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, 14 June, 2012, 9:20
Yes, that was the point (pointless though it may be).
What you share here is as good a discourse as can be offered -
such practice as you describe as good a practice as can be
practiced - though seeking anything (good/bad or otherwise
appearing other than this) via such actions just hands us that
same priceless/worthless coin...
Some leave it lie, some pick it up, some tuck it away for
'someday', some polish it regularly, some toss it into the
fountain of awareness and watch the ripples...
Whatever happens, It's just change.
K
On 6/13/2012 2:33 PM, mike brown wrote:
K,
The prescription/description of compassion you mentioned are just
2 sides of the same coin. The coin itself is essentially being
not blind to suffering. I don't know what enlightenment means for
you, but for me it is awakening to the seemless unfolding of
moment into moment without anything being added to it (Especially
discursive). In an instant we can be 'blind' to this just as
easily as we can be to compassion. That's why I practice and
practice and practice.
Mike
--- On *Thu, 14/6/12, Kristopher Grey /<[email protected]>
</mc/[email protected]>/* wrote:
From: Kristopher Grey <[email protected]>
</mc/[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: The Self Illusion
To: [email protected]
</mc/[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, 14 June, 2012, 4:06
In defending your points, you miss the point. My comments
were not a critique, but a simple pointing that may offer a
means of resolution of any apparent differences regarding
'cultivation'.
But since you bring it up, can you not see that this claim
that you are unenlightened proves only that your seeking for
proof either way fills both eyes to the point you can't see?
K
On 6/13/2012 1:49 PM, mike brown wrote:
k,
I'm not arrogant enough to claim that my world view is
entirely my own, all dreamt up on my ownsome, and so I
acknowledge that there are teachers and teachings that have
nudged this world view along. I can, however, differentiate
for myself what compasssion in action is and what is merely
navel gazing as to the nature of compassion. I'm not
enlightened, and from what I can tell, no one on this forum
is. Please feel free to tell me otherwise. So, to describe
compassion as the action of a Buddha is all very well, but
how do you know? Read it somewhere? Personally, until I'm
fully enlightened, I'll admit to having to work on
cultivating compassion in the same way as bringing my
concentration back to the moment cultivates my mindfullness.
Mike
--- On *Thu, 14/6/12, Kristopher Grey /<[email protected]>/* wrote:
From: Kristopher Grey <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: The Self Illusion
To: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, 14 June, 2012, 2:44
This argument you make, is it your own or one someone
else once made to you you have adopted? Is this teaching
simply a prescription for action from some respected
dharma doctor, or a description of the nature of such
action - an expression of dharma?
In other words:
Do you cultivate compassion through your actions, or is
the cultivation itself compassion in action?
Compassionately waiting for you to effortlessly realize
this was never not so....
K
On 6/13/2012 11:52 AM, mike brown wrote:
ED,
Maybe everyone on this forum intuitively understands
what compassion is, but I would argue that it is still
something that can be cultivated. When we begin
practicing metta meditation, we usually start with
those closest to us and then work towards people we
don't know and then even include our enemies. Doesn't
this indicate the difficulty of having compassion for
all sentient beings? It's easy to say that we do, but
much more difficult in practice. Feeling compassion for
orphans in a war is a lot easier than feeling
compassion for a serial rapist. I agree with Bill that
tabeling it as such isn't necessary, but I'd argue
further that compassion is cultivated thru practice.
Mike
--- On *Thu, 14/6/12, ED /<[email protected]>/*
wrote:
From: ED <[email protected]>
Subject: [Zen] Re: The Self Illusion
To: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, 14 June, 2012, 1:34
Mike -
I do - as does everyone else in this forum, IMO. I
think that Bill in his message below has answered
the question as to what a zenist should 'do' about
compassion.
--ED
--- In [email protected], mike brown
<uerusuboyo@...> wrote:
>
> ED,
>
Again, if you don't intuitively understand what
compassion is then asking isn't going to get you
closer to it. .
>
> Mike
--- In [email protected]
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/post?postID=sfslbhEk49qPa2Kczups9HUnAa-3VYdpOEcB_7hHVObxzM1nLFXVFKz5Nc4dKencAmiFeiiohPJm7wGMZcS1cT8>,
"Bill!" <BillSmart@...> wrote:
>
> ED,
>
> 'Compassion' is not something you need to think
about, much less
strive to cultivate - any more than you have to
strive to be hungry.
>
> ...Bill!
