joe male . female, bisexual, heterosexual, homosexual transexual asexual..( the best by far..one thing less to get yourself into a gigorian knot about... sticks..imaginary or real?
a psychological stick? who is the teacher and who is the student....? we are all in the loop together visca no teacher worth his weight in gold would presume they are above a student teachers learn from students..students from teachers the expansion the growing, the evolving and only come when we all work as a team zen is instant zen is quick..zen is zen is zen a stick maybe time to throw that "tool" into space..... reminding me of space odessey 2001 kubrick beginning of the film...before we became humans..remember? merle It shouldn't, Merle. Hope you're in better health, now. Of course, the person involved might be addressed either "he" or "she": it's more than a social nicety, I think; but, we don't know. I think anyway that a teacher treats people equally, in the sense of using the function of compassion honestly, truly, and authentically (not caging it up, nor raging it up), but he/she tunes treatment to the time, place, situation, and accords with other causes and conditions, too. Have you experienced this in (zen) practice? Perhaps you have no teacher, as I think you said. Well, maybe some time in the past? Hard to remember bygone lifetimes, maybe. In the Dharma, there is no male or female, I think. Just in the social and family customs of everyday life. ;-) What would you say? I say it, only to show the equality of meting-out needed blows. Some women on sesshin ask for more application of the stick than many men. The stick is used skilfully, but only, ONLY, on request, in some sanghas. In others, only the teacher wields it, and you just never know as well as the teacher if you need it or not; but you may still ask for it, and receive it (always with benefit). Others in the Buddha Hall benefit, too, even when it's just you who receives it. Obvious and minute points; but some may not know? Have some not "Been there, Done that"? But I state the obvious anyway. Long answer to a short well-asked question. If I answered anything, among the above musings. Your question may have been rhetorical. But, as a philosopher (in my first career), I developed a policy of answering all rhetorical questions. Except when it would be too maddening. ;-) --Joe > Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> wrote: > > does this matter joe..female or male?..merle
