Joe, Nothing on this planet makes me laugh more heartily than people who profess to know what, and how, I should think. Is there really anything more amusing?
Mike ________________________________ From: Joe <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, 4 August 2012, 18:09 Subject: Re: [Zen] samatha and vipassana meditation Kris, "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." -- Groucho Marx said that. Somebody wrote something about "outside of a temple"... . Your "Not-knowing" -- or was that Mike's? -- is *different* from not experiencing, not Realizing. And if you work with a teacher, then you'd better well be able to EXPRESS, too. The "Don't-Know-MIND" is not a pass for truancy, and should NOT be transformed into a MENTALITY. Get thee to a Nunnery! (err-r, monastery; or, cave of a Master teacher). A zendo. It's the only safe place to practice intensively. Danger; Danger! Kris, we know you have the fundamentals, whether you claim to know them or not. But I wonder about the intensive practice, which enables Realization. I think not, but you can tell us. This human endowment of ours is extremely rich, but some jewels are deeply covered and worth everything to expose to the light of the great sky again. I don't think you are neglecting this project, really, but I'd say that intensive work will enable the thick skin to exfoliate faster than it inevitably regrows. There's a time-tempo in this which must be struck, and only we ourselves can find it. Just a note, now! I know you'll reject and rationalize these concerns of mine and do so skilfully, but understand that these are the concerns and utterances of a friend, bitten by Impermanence, blessed with good luck, and shared reluctantly and sparingly. --J PS For Mike, by the way, who looked for religious teachings that are humorous, well, I know of collections of Jewish stories, and collections of Sufi stories. They all show Wisdom, as well as gut-busting belly-laugh potential. Also, try Groucho Marx. ;-) > Kristopher Grey <kris@...> wrote: > > "Don't know" - is to me perhaps the essence of Zen teaching - and it > permeates all I read and hear. Advaita says 'Neti, neti...' Neither are > negations. > > > Mike Brown wrote: > > > > It's difficult, if not impossible, to find religious work that can > > actually make you burst out laughing (Not including the American > > Christian Right - but for all the wrong reasons).
