brilliant..merle
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.
