Merle, Yes...You have to have heard the zen story that goes along with this:
"The first Zen patriarch Bodhidharma brought Zen to China from India in the sixth century. According to his biography recorded in the year 1004 by the Chinese teacher Dogen after nine years in China Bodhidharma wished to go home and gathered his disciples about him to test their apperception. Dofuku said: 'In my opinion truth is beyond affirmation or negation, for this is the way it moves.' Bodhidharma replied: `You have my skin.' The nun Soji said: `In my view, it is like Ananda's sight of the Buddha-land seen once and for ever.' Bodhidharma answered: `You have my flesh.' Dofuku said: `The four elements of light, airiness, fluidity, and solidity are empty (i.e. inclusive) and the five skandas are No-things. In my opinion, No-thing (i.e. spirit) is reality.' Bodhidharma commented: 'You have my bones' Finally Eka bowed before the master - and remained silent. Bodhidharma said: 'you have my marrow.'" - Source www.buddhasangha.com ...Bill! --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> wrote: > > > >  >  what marrow?...bone marrow?..merle >  > Merle, > > If on the closest of examinations you find these statements make no sense you > have the marrow! > > ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: > > > > > > > > ài thought yes that makes sense. > > ..however on reflection. > > ..these statements are all assumption and can be disputed. > > .and on closer examination make absolutely no sense at all. > > .merle > > à> > à> > --- In [email protected], "Bill!" <BillSmart@> wrote: > > > > > > Time is illusory...Bill! > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester merlewiitpom@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Ãâàtime is timeless... merle > > > > > > > > > > > > Ãâà> > > > Or 13,700 Million.Ãâà> > > > > > > > It's not a British Billion yet, still a few orders of magnitude to go. > > > > Not sure why I switched the 3 to a 4. ÃâàPerils of the continuous > > > > advance of knowledge after one leaves school.Ãâà> > > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > Chris Austin-Lane > > > > Sent from a cell phone > > > > > > > > On Sep 24, 2012, at 12:52, Edgar Owen edgarowen@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Chris, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >The correct age of the universe is 13.7 BILLION years... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Edgar > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >On Sep 24, 2012, at 2:16 PM, Chris Austin-Lane wrote: > > > > > > > > > >Ãâà> > > > >>Slight nit pick: Ãâà> > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >>The universe has only lasted about 14,700 million years; not million > > > > >>million years yet. Ãâà> > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >>Thanks, > > > > >> > > > > >>--Chris > > > > >>chris@ > > > > >>+1-301-270-6524 > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >>On Mon, Sep 24, 2012 at 11:07 AM, William Rintala brintala@ wrote: > > > > >> > > > > >>sics.ÃâàIn geology we speak of hundreds of millions of years, > > > > >>just as JoeÃâàmight speak in terms ofÃâàbillions or > > > > >>million millions of years and even those chunks of time are but an > > > > >>instant in eternity.ÃâàLife on earth beganÃâà600 million > > > > >>years ago,ÃâàtheÃâàreign of the dinosaurs lasted less > > > > >>that 150 million years.ÃâàHumanity's earliest ancestors didn't > > > > >>show up until less that 5 million years ago.ÃâàThe last Ice Age > > > > >>ended 12,000 years ago.ÃâàThe first domesticated animals, > > > > >>10,000 years ago. The first evidence of writing 4,000 years > > > > >>ago.ÃâàEach human life lasts but 100 years, that's > > > > >>0.00000017th the span of all life, 0.000000005th the span of the age > > > > >>of the known universe.ÃâàWe live on a planet which seems > > > > >>significant yet 1,300,000ÃâàEarths could fit inside of our Sun > > > > >>and that Sun is only a medium sized star in a universe of uncountable > > > > >>stars (billions and billions > according to Carl Sagan).ÃâàFrom the furthestÃâàknown reaches of > > known space our sunÃâàcould not be > > > > seen.Ãâà> > > > >>> > > > > >>>This is my perspectiveÃâàregardingÃâàZen.ÃâàFirst > > > > >>>the concept of Infinite Time and Space.ÃâàHuge, beyond > > > > >>>imaging. An infinite Infinity of Infinities is still nothing. It is > > > > >>>no time or space at all. Given thatÃâàinfinite space and > > > > >>>infinite time and given the demonstratedÃâàsize and length of > > > > >>>our physical existence and percieving myself as th > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
