thank you joe.. merle Hi, Merle. Back on line, here. At least vis-a-vis the internet. ;-)
I like what you say about Trust. I'd say that Trust is personal, and informed by experience, and presumably it concerns a person close to us in a way that's important. People are usually more "entrusted" than, say, ...the Weather. (by the way, I love Robert Heinlein's line, "Climate is what you expect; Weather is what you GET". It's accurate and succinct, scientifically. Besides, it can also be seen to apply in other, if not all, areas of life. Pretty pithy and compact. Not a Haiku, but worth a Haiku's weight in gold!, all odd-number of syllables). "Hope", on the other hand, is less informed (about others), and has more to do with ourselves. I don't deny this. ;-) In a zen discussion, "ourselves" and "others" may raise eyebrows. But eyebrows should always remain relaxed. '-) I talk for the moment -- and maybe forever -- as an ordinary Joe. But I can switch to that other mode of typing. It's true, too, that in the state of Ch'an (zen), there's no such thing arising as Hope (nor does anything else, to speak of). But here, in a type-written forum, we are not participating if we don't speak of things. Still, 99 percent (?) of brethren and sisters will understand what we mean by Trust and Hope. Even once-enlightened, or even true zen people will, too, but they'll compassionately admonish us that these things are fictions. Well, "compassionately" if they're RIGHT to tell us this at the time. You have to "be there". (Another thing, sometimes noted: Compassion is not necessarily something you FEEL, but it simply operates; and, to say the least, it is not always "sweetness-and-light"). Sure, we all know about "tough-love"; but real compassion is spontaneous and wise, not calculated or intended. I think the important thing is that we treat these things -- Hope, Trust -- in a way that's true to our actual state of mind (TODAY), and not to pretend anything different. Zen people or Lonely Ghosts may still throw darts, but at least we are being true to our self. Now, who is that self, and what is its true nature? That's the matter we try to realize by practice. All we have to do is to begin and to continue. There's not just zazen, but, as has been noted, there's gardening. Painting, too. And Archery. Prostrations to the ground, and getting up again. Slow walking. Chanting. Eating. So, so many practices. We are blessed to have such a tradition. But zazen is a key, if not the key. Maybe the key. You be the judge. For me it is the key. And for all our sangha. Maybe you've been over this ground before. We don't need to be sold zazen here, I don't guess! ;-) I trust; I hope. ;-) With Friendly Greetings, --Joe > Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> wrote: > i prefer the concept trust..hope is too airy fairy > Â merle
