K, Half dozen steps back No one to travel North with North, South, East, West meet.
But this is only half the story (That our true nature is already pure and enlightened). I share Huineneg's student Shen Hui's view: "All those who want to learn the Tao (Way) must achieve Sudden Enlightenment to be followed by Gradual Cultivation. It is like child-birth, which is a sudden affair, but the child will require a long process of nurture and education before he attains his full bodily and intellectual growth." Mike --- On Fri, 15/6/12, Kristopher Grey <[email protected]> wrote: From: Kristopher Grey <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: The Self Illusion To: [email protected] Date: Friday, 15 June, 2012, 14:37 The 6th patriarch Hui-Neng is referring to an old story. Take a half dozen steps back, and see what the red bearded barbarian who came from the west had to say to Emperor Wu of Han - known at that time as 'The Emperor Bodhisattva' - before heading north. Aloha K On 6/14/2012 8:18 PM, mike brown wrote: K, Wasn't it Huineng who said something like people exist as northerners and southerners, but there is no difference in Buddha Nature between the barbarian and from the north and the holyman from the south. The people I'm concerned with are the barbarians from the north who aren't awakened like the holyman. In the main, the barbarian needs to cultivate compassion thru practice if he is to go from shrinking his enemies head to caring for his enemies sick. Pointing out that - in truth - there is no difference in their Buddha Nature just might not be enough.. With metta Mike the Barbarian --- On Fri, 15/6/12, Kristopher Grey <[email protected]> wrote: From: Kristopher Grey <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: The Self Illusion To: [email protected] Date: Friday, 15 June, 2012, 4:45 What's to like? ;) Why attach this one point, if not to ignore the rest? Assuming a position of I like/dislike, a condition identified with more/less.... is mind's attachment to mind. Thank you for so clearly illustrating my feeble pointing! *L* Sure, these thoughts and feelings arise - and preferences for this or that are not automatically problems when just aspects of this expressing as personality - but seeking is always seeking either more, or less - to feed, or starve the hungry ghosts of self-like, or self-hate - not realizing self as "more or less" (essentially) empty - an interdependency without independent origination - thus lacking nothing. K On 6/14/2012 2:07 PM, mike brown wrote: K, >Compassion does not require you understand, like, condone, or otherwise be "OK" with people who do terrible things< You've just defined 'compassion' out of existence. I like that even more. Mike
