Some strip down, some dress up. The middle way realizes this. Your
practice, a direct expression of 'truth', as is all that presents,
whatever the form.
KG
On 9/9/2012 10:46 AM, mike brown wrote:
Kris,
>But as you say, so what? Buddha had no interest in Buddhism.
Indeed. I thinks it's really exciting tho that we live in a time where
the Dharma is now being taught as a secular practice rather than with
all the rituals and sectarianism of schools like Tibetan and Mahayana
Buddhism. 'Buddhism' stripped of such metaphysical claims such as
karma, re-birth, deities etc. makes it easier for me, and many of our
contemporaries, to practice. I think even getting hung up on terms
such as 'emptiness' distracts us from the reality of our world of
day-to-day experience. I don't practice (for want of a better word) to
understand the truth or illusion of reality, but to just cope happier
in a world that is too often fraught with difficulty and suffering and
can end in the blink of an eye.
Mike
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* Kristopher Grey <[email protected]>
*To:* [email protected]
*Sent:* Saturday, 8 September 2012, 20:51
*Subject:* Re: [Zen] Re: THE BASIC TEACHING OF BUDDHA
On 9/8/2012 2:36 PM, mike brown wrote:
Belief has nothing to do with it. Whether Jesus or Buddha was a
historical person,or not, makes no difference - the Buddhist
teachings speak to me because they correspond to my experiences time
after time. Christianity doesn't. Neither does Wicca or Scientology.
That doesn't bother me. Does it bother you?
Nope.
Biblical lingo does not ring to many contemporary ears (particulary
thise who think it does and "believe"), as we are not raised with oral
traditions and metaphors the refer to yet older metaphors. I certain
wasn't - but wasn't raised Neo-Christian fundamentalist either. Pretty
atheist environment, very minimal church exposure - handful of visits
in a lifetime, most weddings/funerals, only a few services with
friends, and that was mixed denominations.
I other words, I get where you coming from, and probably has less
history with such shit. No dog in that fight, I can simply now see the
same core is there, just a very different expression. I'm still
working on Islam - Sufis help - but I suspect they were around before
Islam and just changed the sign on the door (many Muslims also suspect
this and persecute them accordingly).
Buddhism IMWO / TMSE (in my worthless opinion/to my simple ears) has
done a better job of adjusting it's voice - a tradition of Upaya along
with a reformation/back to basics split every few centuries or so
helps - but contemporary particularly Western ears still read the
teaching too scientifically/literally.
But as you say, so what? Buddha had no interest in Buddhism.
KG
