the cult of the individual as supreme being began in the renaissance..
.now we see the cult of the individual rising to fanatical heights..we hero worship, film and television sports personalities, etc.. any "egg head" who makes it to the top of the food chain or has "one billion u tube hits".... is hero worshipped little is known of the good works of scientists, writers, poets, and others of that ilk... the masses of human beings are bombarded daily with foxtel news and tabloids on trivia which becomes more real that reality. .hence most folk live in "shadowland"..... totally unaware of the true nature of living and as edgar puts it so beautifully: reality! AND billllllllllll while i am here...productivity.. .i ask the question again...productivity for what?.. . much of what is produced...as in terms of material goods is useless junk. .do we really need it or are we "forced fed" into wanting it to keep the wheels of the capitalist machine in motion?.. the perpetual growth syndrome ..i direct you to watch the silent film..."metropolis..." merle Donna, Yes, welcome, and please don't be put off by the often combative tone of posts here. It's all done in good will and the desire to improve our realization, at least on my part... Best, Edgar co-moderator On Nov 18, 2012, at 8:22 PM, Bill! wrote: >Donna, > >This is the crux of zen practice, to dissolve your 'ego' which we usually >refer to as 'self' - the illusory concept that YOU are have an individual self >which is separate and apart from other things. > >Welcome to the Zen Forum. > >...Bill! > >--- In [email protected], "donna99004" <donna99004@...> wrote: >> >> Gee guys, sometimes I let my ego get in the way of my Buddha nature. >> >> >> --- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@> wrote: >> > >> > Edgar, >> > >> > If by 'Socratic gadfly' you mean 'one who annoys by only answering >> > selectively', then yes, that would be you. >> > >> > Mike >> > >> > >> > >> > ________________________________ >> > From: Edgar Owen <edgarowen@> >> > To: [email protected] >> > Sent: Sunday, 18 November 2012, 12:29 >> > Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: blame game >> > >> > >> > Â >> > Joe, >> > >> > You a Socratic gadfly? Come on Joe, that's the role I play here. You on >> > the other hand represent conformity and acceptance of the Zen orthodoxy... >> > >> > Edgar >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > On Nov 17, 2012, at 10:34 PM, Joe wrote: >> > >> > Â >> > >Merle, >> > > >> > >Well, I used to be a Carpenter. >> > > >> > >Just a list of my thoughts while considering Bill!'s reply to you. Not >> > >really well thought-through, but a list of what came up during brief >> > >pondering. >> > > >> > >And maybe I posed some Socratic questions (another previous profession). >> > >;-) >> > > >> > >--Joe >> > > >> > >> Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: >> > >> >> > >> you have hit it on the nail joe.. >> > > >> > > >> > >> > >
