Edgar, The Facebook Zen Forum is doing fine. It's much different than this one.
We have 100 members now. The posts are mainly visual, like a couple of my recent posts which I posted on both sites. Some posts like these generate 'Likes' and some generate Comments. Every one in a while we'll get a thread with many Comments, but usually not. It's much less interactive and dare I say less 'combative' than this site. A lot more 'oohs' and 'ahs' and not many 'what the fuck did you say?' ...Bill! --- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@...> wrote: > > Bill, > > How is the Facebook group doing? Compared to this one? > > Edgar > > > On Sep 8, 2012, at 1:35 AM, Bill! wrote: > > > Merle, > > > > Edgar and I are Co-Moderators. A guy named Al is the 'Owner' of the Yahoo! > > Zen Forum. He doesn't participate here much now and basically handed it all > > over to Edgar and me. > > > > Al and I also have created and Co-Moderate the Zen Forum on Facebook. > > > > ...Bill! > > > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > >  bill you are the moderator or edgar?..merle > > >  > > > Everyone, > > > > > > I just wanted everyone to know that we have many members on this form > > > from all over the world. I live in Thailand. Merle lives in Australia and > > > Anthony lives in Singapore (I think). Most of you do live in the USA. > > > > > > The good part about all this is we get a GREAT cross-section of topics > > > and discussions. The bad part is some of the replies are delayed as Bill > > > complains about below. > > > > > > I don't know anyway to fix this. We'll just have to learn to live with it. > > > > > > ...Bill! > > > > > > --- In [email protected], William Rintala <brintala@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Merle: > > > > > > > > I'm not sure why you areàasking that.àOne ofàmy biggest > > > > problemsàwith this > > > > email groupàis the time delayàbetween posts and responses.à> > > > > > > > My original question was :àà"is madness a precursor to > > > > enlightenment?" > > > > > > > > To which Bill! responded :àThat depends on how you define 'madness'. > > > > > > > > So I needed the time to research the original scenerios that prompted > > > > my > > > > question. Rereading the sections of the bookà" Be Love Now" thatà> > > > told tales of > > > > these Hindu saints took me some time.àThe behavior seemed so > > > > bizarre that I > > > > felt if similar scenes were acted out here in the United States these > > > > people > > > > would have been heavily medicated.àEpilepsy, Anorexia, > > > > Psychosis/Schizophrenia, > > > > Pica... . These peopleàare revered as realized beings, of having > > > > done what we > > > > are speaking about, albeit, not in a Zen fashion. The author goes on to > > > > say that > > > > "Indians put up with such behavior within the context of divine > > > > madness, the > > > > unpredictable nature of someone beyond body consciousness.". > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > àBill > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Find what makes your heart singââ¬Â¦and do it! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > From: Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> > > > > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > > > > Sent: Fri, September 7, 2012 6:01:18 PM > > > > Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: Be Love Now > > > > > > > > à> > > > > > > > > > > > àand killing people for a cause is not madness...????? merle > > > > à> > > > Madness:à> > > > > > > > Anandamayi Ma - would be found rolling around on the floor of her > > > > kitchen while > > > > the food she was preparing burned. For a long time she only ate 9 > > > > grains of rice > > > > a day. > > > > > > > > Ramana Maharshi - became so oblivious of his body theàhe didn't > > > > wash, his hair > > > > grew matted, his finger nails curled over and he only ate if someone > > > > put food in > > > > his hands.à> > > > > > > > Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa - became obsessed with the Godess Kali > > > > andàwould not > > > > eat or sleep.àHe had a vision that took over his normalàwaking > > > > consciousness. > > > > Uncertain whether he was living in a hallucination.àHe felt burning > > > > sensations > > > > all over his body and his health began to fail. > > > > > > > > > > > > Bhagawan Nityananda - was seen following a cow and as the cow defecated > > > > he would > > > > catchàthe poopàand eat it. > > > > > > > > I'm just saying that these behaviors would get you locked up or > > > > hospitalizedàhere in the States.à> > > > > > > > àBill > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Find what makes your heart singââ¬Â¦and do it! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > From: Bill! <BillSmart@> > > > > To: [email protected] > > > > Sent: Wed, September 5, 2012 10:16:42 PM > > > > Subject: [Zen] Re: Be Love Now > > > > > > > > à> > > > Bill, > > > > > > > > That depends on how you define 'madness'. > > > > > > > > Severing your attachment to logic/reason/rationality is a precursor to > > > > experiencing Buddha Nature, and I think it is also a requirement. > > > > > > > > ...and that's what I've been saying for the past 30 or so posts! > > > > > > > > ...Bill! > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], William Rintala <brintala@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > I've read, all that I have been able to find, everything written by > > > > > Ram Dass > > > > > (born, Richard Alpert), from "Be Here Now" through "The Only > > > > > DanceÃâàThere Is" > > > > >to > > > > > > > > > > his most recent book "Be Love Now".ÃâàHis workÃâà"Be > > > > > Here Now", 40 years > > > > >ago,Ãâàwas > > > > > > > > > > my starting pointÃâàon the journey that has lead me to this > > > > > forum.ÃâàHis new > > > > >book > > > > > > > > > > rehashes a lot of stuff that was in his earlier works. What's new > > > > > isÃâàthe last > > > > > > > > > section where he presents the lives of several Hindu Saints. In each > > > > > case the > > > > > SaintÃâàdisplayed behavior that I think would get most of us > > > > > locked up in a > > > > >padded > > > > > > > > > > cell or admitted to an ICU and put on heavy doses of > > > > > medications.ÃâàIt seems, > > > > > however, that this crisis was essential for the Saint to > > > > > becomeÃâàfully > > > > >realized.Ãâà> > > > > > > > > > In reading about them I am remindedÃâàof the story ofÃâà> > > > > Eckhart Tolle's biography > > > > > > > > > > where "ÃâàFor the best part of two years in the early 1980s a > > > > > man in his mid-30s > > > > > > > > > > would sit on a park bench in Russell Square, central London, and in a > > > > > state of > > > > > > > > > deep bliss watch the world go by."ÃâàDescriptions sound almost > > > > > as if he had had > > > > >a > > > > > > > > > > schizophrenic break.Ãâà> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > My question to the Forum is "is madness a precursor to enlightenment?" > > > > > > > > > > Bill not Bill! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Find what makes your heart singâââ¬Ã¦and do it! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! 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