Brother Suresh,
Mind is a funny thing. Sometimes we can convince ourselves that, "Now I've
seen everything!", and be happy. But a teacher might say we have not entered
the door, yet.
A book cannot interact with us in this way, because the "content" of the book
is only open to our interpretation, and out interpretation can be hundreds of
miles OFF.
And if the Intellect does the judging, you are already wrong.
If you read the Zen literature and accounts of the masters, you will see many
stories of monks stepping forward, claiming to be "enlightened" after reading
many Sutras, etc., but the master hits them with a stick and chases them back
to the meditation hall to "Work harder!, you faker!"
Words are GOADS, but cannot give you an examination. Only the Doctor can.
A book can teach you some methods and attitudes, but it CANNOT test you on
whether you have truly shed your skin or not. Another individual who is AWAKE
must do this, or you may in fact be hundreds of miles off-course, and all hands
will be lost.
You need GPS! Dead-reckoning too often results in wrecks.
--Joe
> SURESH JAGADEESAN <varamtha@...> wrote:
>
> Joe: A teacher is needed to help us persist the right way(s).
>
> Suresh: Do you mean a teacher in living body form? Why not a teacher
> be a book? Or why not it is nature? or why not it is a situation?
------------------------------------
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/
