Bill, Exactly, Zen 'masters' asking to get paid by selling water by the river.
Edgar On Nov 20, 2012, at 7:54 PM, Bill! wrote: > Selling water by the river? ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@...> wrote: > > > > Merle, > > > > Excellent question. There is guru after guru claiming HE is the only one > > who is enlightened and can pass that enlightenment on - but first you have > > to pay! > > > > Edgar > > > > > > > > On Nov 20, 2012, at 5:28 PM, Merle Lester wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > how can we be so sure that the master is truly awake, joe?.... merle > > > > > > > > > > > > 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? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
