Chris, You're correct on the 'sacred' stuff. Stuff's stuff.
You say "...asking for something specific is not the major sort - asking to be a more helpful or courageous friend is just as useful." Ask whom? Yourself? If so, why ask? Why not just be? ...Bill! --- In [email protected], Chris Austin-Lane <chris@...> wrote: > > When nothing is sacred, then everything is sacred > > Also, praying for others is like donating ten bucks to a campaign - it > allows you to be ready for more substantive action later and allows you to > tell people you prayed for.X. > > There are many sorts of prayer, asking for something specific is not the > major sort - asking to be a more helpful or courageous friend is just as > useful > On Oct 31, 2012 1:01 AM, "Bill!" <BillSmart@...> wrote: > > > Merle, > > > > My responses are as usual embedded in your post below: > > > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: > > > > > à billlllllllllll...you sound like you do not like edgar? > > > > What I've said reveals nothing about my feelings for Edgar. > > > > > à why not pray? > > > > It's a useless activity, except perhaps to either make the one who's > > praying feel better. > > > > > à what does pray mean to you? > > > > 'Pray' to me means to ask for something from someone who you think can > > give whatever you're asking for. > > > > > what do you mean to whom? > > > > I mean 'to whom would you pray'? To God? To Jehovah? To Allah? To > > Vishnu? To Buddha? To Edgar? To Sally? To FEMA? To whom? > > > > > à pray is pray is pray > > > > I can't argue with that. > > > > > sacred > > > > What do you mean 'sacred'? There is nothing that's 'sacred'. There's > > Just THIS! > > > > > i careà > > > > Okay. I care too. > > > > > à i pray > > > > I don't. > > > > > à that is that and again i ask why not? > > > > I don't pray. I don't do a lot of things. Like, I also don't cut the > > heads off of chickens, smear my body with their blood, drink some > > intoxicant, stick pins in a doll and dance until I pass out hoping that > > will bring about something I want. > > > > > compassion à universal love and understanding is that not pray? > > > > No Merle, compassion and universal love and understanding is not prayer. > > At least I don't equate these. > > > > And one last thing...if you're going to pray, why just pray for Edgar? Or > > for all those on the East Coast of the USA? Or for all those in danger? > > Why not just pray for EVERYBODY, EVERYWHERE? Including yourself? > > > > How about something like the first line of the 4 Bodhisattva vows: > > > > Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them [all] - not just > > Edgar... > > > > Now THAT'S compassion and universal love - but I'm not sure about > > universal understanding. That's out of my scope. > > > > ...Bill! > > > > > > > merle > > > à > > > Merle, > > > > > > Why pray for Edgar? And to whom? > > > > > > ...Bill! > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Ãâà we must pray for edgar... > > > > Ãâà merle > > > > > > > > > > > > Ãâà > > > > >... wind-damage. > > > > > > > > From Hurricane Sandy or Edgar? ; ) > > > > > > > > Ps You know we love you, Edgar! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > From: Joe <desert_woodworker@> > > > > To: [email protected] > > > > Sent: Tuesday, 30 October 2012, 22:07 > > > > Subject: Re: [Zen] Edgar! Watch Out!!! > > > > > > > > > > > > Ãâà > > > > Edgar, > > > > > > > > You LOOK ok. Is that YOU, wading ashore? Good. I feel that all is > > right with the Whirled, then. Now. > > > > > > > > --Joe > > > > > > > > PS Group: Unless he has a gasoline powered generator, he may be off > > line for a bit. And the Internet providers there will have their problems, > > too, for a few days, as may the phone companies, if Edgar has DSL. But, > > hopes that our co-Moderator is safe!, and that his antiquities collection > > did not experience flooding nor wind-damage. I could have warned about > > this a week ago when Edgar avowed that it was not cloudy in New Jersey: > > We're clear-eyed in the Desert... when sand does not make us blink. We did > > not blink. Be safe, stay safe. > > > > > > > > > Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > are you ok edgar?..merle > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are > > reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! 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