Merle,
Reminds me of a story I once read somewhere. It goes along the lines of a Zen roshi giving a talk to some advanced students who'd been practicing for some years and had attained some degree of awakening. The roshi used a parable of a farmer (Bohdisattava) helping some cows (the not yet fully awakened) out of a muddy ditch (samsara/duality). One of the most advanced students of the group asked the roshi what they could do to help 'the cows'. The roshi replied, "Oh, you don't understand - you are the cows." Mike ________________________________ From: Merle Lester <[email protected]> To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, 11 August 2012, 22:11 Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: Joko Beck quote And sometimes we don't all practise what we preach and fall by the way site.."needing a little help from our friends"...to climb to up..merle Easier said than done, but then that's why we're all here and on the email list. Bill Find what makes your heart sing…and do it! ________________________________ From: Edgar Owen <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sat, August 11, 2012 12:57:17 PM Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: Joko Beck quote ED, Big deal. It's impossible to NOT be right here in the moment. Everyone is already enlightened. It's just a matter of realizing you are already enlightened. Edgar On Aug 11, 2012, at 12:25 PM, ED wrote: > > > >"Her second book, Nothing Special, is, as Maezumi himself once remarked, very >special. >In it Joko expresses what is the original essence of Zen—unencumbered by some >of the formal practices and activities we've come to associate with Zen >practice over the years. >For Joko, Zen is simply being right here in the moment, with nothing extra. >Zen practice will yield us nothing other than this moment. >In the book she answers her students questions and helps highlight, again, >what Zen practice is really about. She says, "Practice has to be a process of >endless disappointment. We have to see that everything we demand (and even >get) eventually disappoints us. This discovery is our teacher."" >Source: >http://sweepingzen.com/charlotte-joko-beck-dies-at-94-american-zen-pioneer > > >--- In [email protected], Chris Austin-Lane <chris@...> wrote: >> >> I saw this quote on Facebok and though of our lengthly debate between our >> variously awoken folks who cannot stop annoying and being annoyed by each >> others garbage. May all be well. >> >> Perhaps we can understand sometimes people like Vipassana and sometimes >> people like a pathless cessation? >> >> Though it has been very interesting to read it all. >> >> Life always gives us >> exactly the teacher we need >> at every moment. >> This includes every mosquito, >> every misfortune, >> every red light, >> every traffic jam, >> every obnoxious supervisor (or employee), >> every illness, every loss, >> every moment of joy or depression, >> every addiction, >> every piece of garbage, >> every breath. >> Every moment is the guru. >> Charlotte Joko Beck >> >> (also sent from a phone, gratefully) > > > >
