Kristopher, Well yes and no... Maybe... Everyone certainly models reality differently each in their own internal simulations of it. But in a deeper sense there is no reality except as it is experienced by some observer or other.... This is a complex subject that requires a deep understanding and more time than I have right now...
Kristopher is obviously someone who has endured much pain and suffering in his life and made considerable strides in transcending that by approaching Zen.... However, if I may respectfully say so, I detect a hint of a particular attitude towards Zen characterized by a sort of Nihilism, hopelessness and a feeling of meaninglessness in everything which really isn't Zen. Please don't take this as a criticism, God knows none of us is perfect, but my feeling is that since we are all on the path we do each other a favor by pointing out how we might each do better and that we should all be free and open in exchanging and receiving such insights. Merle especially seems open to this. She's a great example for us all in that respect and we should all take her lead on this.. Zen is not meaningless, hopeless, or Nihilistic. On the contrary by directly realizing and experiencing the ultimate absolute reality of all things really really here right now in the present moment it can be said to reveal the ultimate MEANINGFULNESS of things, and thus of the seeker... Edgar On Sep 4, 2012, at 10:26 AM, Kristopher Grey wrote: > > OK. Then there is no Bill! standing apart from Buddha nature. Not the Bill! > who posts here, and not the Bill! who lives as a logical construct in your > head. If you think these Bill!s are the same, you will logically think Bill! > to be illogical. You will see what you think is Bill!'s error. If you think > them apart, you make the same error for him. > > It's only easy to be right about the image you have of him, no other can be > known. There is no difference. > > Same goes for 'Zen' > > KG > > > > On 9/4/2012 8:56 AM, Edgar Owen wrote: >> >> Bill!, >> >> Bill! claims logic is NOT Zen... >> >> Bill! says he uses logic in his daily life... >> >> Therefore Bill must believe he CANNOT have Zen in his daily life... >> >> This is a serious error... >> >> Zen is 24/7 whether one is using logic or sitting mindlessly. >> >> It is a fundamental error to believe only mindless sitting is Zen. That's >> mistaking a particular meditative state for Zen. >> >> There is no part of reality that is not Buddha Nature. Illusion is part of >> reality and thus is a manifestation of Buddha Nature. >> >> Realization is seeing the illusion that is part of reality as illusion >> rather than the fake reality it pretends to be.... >> >> When Bill! understands that logic is part of reality and thus like >> everything else is a form manifesting Buddha Nature rather than something >> contrary to and apart from Buddha Nature, then and only then >> will Bill! allow himself to completely realize Zen in his daily life as well >> as when he is sitting mindlessly... >> >> This is the crux of Bill!'s misunderstanding.... At the most fundamental >> level he dualistically divides reality into illusion and Buddha nature >> without realizing that even illusion is a manifestation of Buddha Nature >> because there is nothing that is not Buddha Nature... The world of forms >> does NOT stand apart from Buddha Nature. The world of forms is a direct >> manifestation OF Buddha Nature. >> >> Zen does not try to dismiss the world of forms; Zen is seeing the Buddha >> Nature that is manifested in the world of forms... It is seeing the world of >> forms AS Buddha Nature... >> >> Only when this becomes clear can realization occur.... >> >> Edgar > > >
