On 8/9/2012 2:50 PM, mike brown wrote:
O Wise One,
>>With your present understanding,
Well, I can understand enough to see that the Wisdom you've awakened
to hasn't prevented you from being a completely smug wanker.
A nice example of what I have said about any wisdom or foolishness you
see being a reflection. One you smugly ignore. You are in good company.
You're great with poems and woo-woo language. How about plain English?
Clearly, you are great at separation, attachment, and rejection.
There are 3 stages of Buddhist education
Perhaps, in your Buddhist zeal, you forget I do not identify myself so.
Still, the teachings are good pointers, so let's see where you think
this points...
:
The first one is reading books, hearing talks, having discussions etc
The second one is putting what you've learnt in to practice. All that
reading etc might give you good intellectual understanding, but it
doesn't have much transformative power. It may be interesting and
useful in some situations but it is limited and has little to do with
the reason the words were spoken in the first place.
The third is penetration -
What does this "third' reveal of the 'first' and 'second'. What is
penetrated if not the delusion these are separate or some means to any end?
a deep seeing into yourself(Who am I). The seeing is what brings
suffering to an end, which was the whole purpose of the Buddha's
teaching. He wasn't trying to be philosophical. He was eminentlypractical.
Stopping takes effort, yields nothing. That can take a long time to see
your way out of, if ever.
Cessation is timeless/effortless realization. Suchness.
If you take this teaching as a call to action, you'll see any suggestion
this is not the teaching as promotion of inaction. Both the same error.
Not coincidentally, the same message of the quatrain you smugly cut in
twain and offered as some half-assed and unnecessary defense of practices.
All the forms of practice - sitting in silence; going on retreats etc.
are just elaborate methods of allowing you to be with yourself, to
stop doing, stop trying to become something: just sit still and be as
you are. It takes sincere application and often unfolds over a long
period of time. But it can eventually bear fruit.
This is the common belief. This makes too much of things (elaboration,
as you say - but more than just the way you said it), makes everything
appearing as path into imagined obstacles and attainments. Ordinary mind.
If it appears that the the self "allows", there is no recognition of
no-self. If mind is stopped, mind is stuck in nothing, there is no
realization.
It takes no time to realize, it appears to take time for delusions to
clear. If it takes time, the fruit has been left to rot (delusion). From
this rotten fruit make wine now! Drink!
No time/no place/no one to liberate boundlessness... (Bodhisattva, an
endless yet infinitely easy 'way').
If that's not plainly enough said, take comfort in again knowing you are
in good company.
I've said repeatedly that this is not the way, buta way. Yes, it
resonates. Only a spiritually proud peacock would call it "fool's
gold", but then again, you would wouldn't you because we're not all
perfect, are we?
"Way" too much. Let me speak more plainly: I could give a crap about all
this is and isn't business. I am neither attacking nor defending your
valued positions. I have none to do so from, beyond briefly borrowed
words with which to point.
Held positions/beliefs are all "woo-woo".
I repeatedly only ask you to simply look. To do what you keep saying
your practice does, yet keep avoiding by attaching significance
to/seeking attainment via these very practices.
Whenever your thoughts seem to know, ask yourself one of the simplest of
Zen's questions: 'Is that so?' It brings a smile, as it has no answer.
You always seem to have one - to reject others - and still seek another...
Mara loves you! Mara loves all sentient beings! Mara's children, all so
familiar.
KG
PS -'Self' is woo-woo too.
