JM and Merle, Reminds me of an old Japanese movie I saw long ago where the master made the disciple shiver all night up to his neck in the muck in a pond.
When the sun rose a lotus flower opened and at that so did the disciple's mind.. Edgar On Sep 21, 2012, at 5:28 PM, 覺妙精明 （JMJM） wrote: > Well Merle. Nicely said. Also sounds simple and wunderbar. For a lotus to > blossom however, lots of mud is needed. If we pick and choose in the mud, > there will be insufficient nutrients. :-) > > > On 9/21/2012 2:18 PM, Merle Lester wrote: >> >> >> JM...yes yes yes open the heart and the lotus will be there....... merle >> >> >> Indeed, KG. Thank you. >> >> We use the following instructions -- "Focus and not focus. Observe all and >> every." Then you see the wisdom in all. >> >> Even during chakra focusing, it is not a mental focusing. We need to relax >> the mind, in order to sense with our heart. Heart is where our spirit >> reside. Pure heart means pure awareness. >> >> Again, a few people, such as Anthony or Bill may "disagree" as usual. :-) >> It's actually an experience and not a dogma. >> >> Newest translation of an old saying(probably version 7), of this phrase from >> Buddha, "Cast not in words. Transmit beyond teaching." >> >> BTW, my team is working on translating "Practice and Witness Diamond Sutra" >> from our Shifu. I know. I know. It's courageous. If there is any online >> version of Diamond Sutra you sync with, please share with me. Much obliged. >> >> jm >> >> On 9/21/2012 9:18 AM, Kristopher Grey wrote: >>> >>> >>> When we think of 'mindfulness', we may think of not being distracted, but >>> distraction fills the mind just as effectively. Silence, is the ultimate >>> distraction. >>> >>> Concentration or distraction, different in form only. Both are moments of >>> attention to this and not that, in that moment, then gone. Effort applied >>> to cultivate mindfulness is often merely a distraction from distractions. >>> Mindfulness presents formlessly in all forms. Attempts to be mindful, to >>> wrest it from the rest, naturally will fail to grasp this. >>> >>> Concentration cannot free the mind, distraction cannot hold it. Thoughts >>> come and go effortlessly. This is not a problem. Following them or ignoring >>> them, grasping and rejecting them - in relation to self - reveals ordinary >>> mind's habitual ignorance of Original mind. >>> >>> Mindfulness allows dis-tractions to serve as reminders not to seek traction. >>> >>> KG >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On 9/21/2012 1:51 AM, Anthony Wu wrote: >>>> >>>> Bill!, >>>> >>>> Some guests are stubborn. You can tell them you are busy or write down >>>> what they want, they still insist on sitting on your sofa and making tea >>>> out of your teapot. Master Seung Sahn has a koan where a burly man keeps >>>> dropping ash on a Buddha image, and nothing can dissuage them. He >>>> is also strong that there is no way you or >>>> your family can beat him. What should you do? I have not had the answer to >>>> this koan. >>>> >>>> Anthony >>>> >>>> From: Bill! <[email protected]> >>>> To: [email protected] >>>> Sent: Friday, 21 September 2012, 9:40 >>>> Subject: Re: [Zen] invasion >>>> >>>> >>>> Anthony, >>>> >>>> I was always told to just let the thoughts 'flow through you', acknowledge >>>> them but then let them go. The teaching analogy that went with this is >>>> 'when you're busy working in your house and someone comes and knocks on >>>> your door, acknowledge them but tell them you're busy and ask them to come >>>> back later. Don't invite them in for tea and a conversation.' >>>> >>>> Some zen practitioners I know suggest keeping a notebook and pen/pencil >>>> near you when you meditate. That way if a thought comes that you just >>>> cannot get rid of you can write it down, and then can go back to >>>> meditating with the assurance you will attend to the thought later. >>>> >>>> I've never done that nor felt the need to do that, but it might be worth a >>>> try if these thoughts/questions are keeping you from meditating. >>>> >>>> ...Bill! >>>> >>>> --- In mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com, Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> wrote: >>>> > >>>> > KG, >>>> > Â >>>> > Some say you should not suppress questions when you meditate, but let >>>> > them come and go. Well they come here to stay. It takes time and effort >>>> > to make them disappear. >>>> > Â >>>> > Anthony >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > ________________________________ >>>> > From: Kristopher Grey <kris@...> >>>> > To: mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com >>>> > Sent: Thursday, 20 September 2012, 9:38 >>>> > Subject: Re: [Zen] invasion >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > Â >>>> > Same problem is created by attachment to thinking "well" applies to >>>> > meditation! *L* >>>> > >>>> > Your "tip", perhaps pointier than it may appear! ;) >>>> > >>>> > KG >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > On 9/19/2012 6:09 PM, Anthony Wu wrote: >>>> > >>>> > Â >>>> > >Merle, >>>> > >Â >>>> > >I give yo a tip. If you always want questions to be answered, you can >>>> > >never meditate well. >>>> > >Â >>>> > >Anthony >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>> > >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >> >> >> > > >
