Kris,
>[Me]Not "reform", but refine >>[Kris]AKA - Gilding the cage Nice technique. AKA - 'mine quoting': taking part of a quote, or statement, and taking it out of context to make a point. A more truthful reading of my post would see that I used the word 'refine' as part of an ongoing, reflective process, to the point where reality is "experienced directly". I'm surprised to see you stoop to the tactics used by the Creationist brigade. What I actually wrote was: "The sutras start with a conceptual understanding of emptiness and thru meditation we gradually refine our understandinguntil we have a direct experience of emptiness." >Seeing meditation as better than not meditating Who does? Me? You? I know I said that the mind in meditation should be taken in to everyday life 24/7. You're the one one creating dualism where none existed. >>attaining samadhi better than not attaining samadhi, How many times have I written that attaining the jhanas/samadhi is supportive of insight wisdom, but not essential? I've written literally thousands of words on this, have the balls to tackle the things I've actually said. You're being disingenuous at best. This from my previous post: "In fact, just so that I'm clear on this, the jhanas are not essential to liberation ... but they do support insight meditation by calming the mind and holding at bay the 5 Hindrances.." >>Doing or not doing, both point out the attachment to doer-ship Considering I said... "I don't see meditation as something we 'do' at specific times or divorced from our everyday life"... and ..."This sense of an 'I' who experiences these insights also arises and passes from moment to moment. How unsatisfying to try to attach to a solid, permanent 'I'! This 'I' is an illusion, empty. There is only non-self.. ... Only you would try to make a straw man out of this. >>When this sort of relation can no longer be sustained, the appearances may or >>may not change. No shit, Sherlock?! Maybe you're starting to get it now? It's exactly thru those medatitive qualities in vipassana of questioning abd reflecting, amongst others means, that we can realise the belief of a self who 'experiences' cannot be sustained. It's one path of many to liberation. Are you going to argue that the great ball of doubt required in Zen Buddhism practice is also wrong practice because it employs, in part, reflective thinking? Realisation often flowers because the employment of reasoning is seen into. It would be shere hypo-kris-y, or denial, to argue that use of reasoning/discursive thinking is used as a tool against itself in Zem Remember 'upaya' - skilful means? Doesn't it all boil down to a flower being held aloft? Only one monk in a thousand could smile at that moment, yet all were students of Buddha's teachings and methods. Bad teaching? Mike
