Yes, of course. We don't know what Bankei meant, and wouldn't even if the words were translated exactly, because words are inadequate to fully describe consciousness.
In some of the world's traditions, there is a theory that all times exist simultaneously, and we just think me are moving through time. If that is true, then when enlightened, we would have a NOW which included all the past and all the future, seen all at once forever. I can't say whether or not that theory is true. I don't know whether the real NOW moves through time, so the past really is gone and the future really hasn't happened, or the real NOW forever includes all moments of time. If we could find out, it would affect our judgment of when we are seeing accurately. For example, if NOW spreads eternally, and we see a NOW which is only a short moment, we would know that we aren't actually seeing the real NOW yet. On the other hand, if the real NOW is only a short moment, then we would know that we either are seeing the real NOW, or we are close. But since I am unable to tell you which theory is true, I couldn't decide whether or not your experience is true, even if I could directly detect what is in your consciousness. Jim --- In [email protected], "billsmart" <BillSmart@...> wrote: > > Jim, > > Bankei did mean something profound. He was doing his best to describe the > raw, unfiltered, holistic (non-dualistic) experience Zen Buddhists call > Buddha Nature. He did this in the context of hearing a bell. He did not try > to explain it. He tried to describe it. > > He used some terms that are very important. Now these terms have been > translated into English so we don't really know EXACTLY what he said, but if > the translation was close then he's using terms in a way that we don't use > them in everyday English. ------------------------------------ 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/
