Mike, Sure, of course. It's quite believable he retired and lived on a simple diet for 6 years.
It's the myth of yam leaves and rice that is the obvious delusion and that sullies his legacy.... Note also "he studied Chan extensively, including ... at a university." So he was obviously using HIS INTELLECT AND MIND to study Zen which is an agreement with my position that this is a necessary aspect of the way contrary to the position some on this group take... And thanks for this calm and informative post with no name calling! :-) EDgar On Nov 22, 2012, at 9:21 AM, mike brown wrote: > > Edgar, > > I've just done some research on Sheng-Yen and found some interesting points. > He studied Chan extensively, including a degree at a Japanese university in > order to spread the Dharma around the world. Near death, he declined a kidney > transplant stating that it should go to some one younger. After his death, > there were no monuments etc. erected as per his wishes, settling instead for > a simple Buddhist ceremony. I also found many articles stating that he did a > 6 year solitary retreat, but not one of them mentions that he survived solely > on yam leaves and rice. If there was a chapter on them in his autobiography, > as Joe states, then I would surmise that his point is about simplicity of > diet as a metaphor for living life and *not* some claim to super-normal > powers. It's not difficult for anyone without an agenda to deduce what kind > of man Sheng-Yen was. > You should take a 'leaf' out his teachings. > > Mike > > From: Edgar Owen <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Thursday, 22 November 2012, 13:53 > Subject: Re: [Zen] the zen spirit > > > Mike, > > And if he didn't but claimed he did? > > Edgar > > > On Nov 22, 2012, at 8:44 AM, mike brown wrote: > >> >> >> Edgar, >> >> Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. I'm more concerned with other things - like >> how his students conduct themselves. >> >> From: Edgar Owen <[email protected]> >> To: [email protected] >> Sent: Thursday, 22 November 2012, 13:35 >> Subject: Re: [Zen] the zen spirit >> >> >> Mike, >> >> What's your answer and why are you afraid to tell us? >> >> EDgar >> >> >> >> On Nov 22, 2012, at 8:34 AM, mike brown wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> >Do you believe any human being could subsist only on yam leaves and rice >>> >for 6 years or do you agree with me it's simply impossible? >>> >>> And the new Donald Trump.. >>> >>> >>> From: Edgar Owen <[email protected]> >>> To: [email protected] >>> Sent: Thursday, 22 November 2012, 13:07 >>> Subject: Re: [Zen] the zen spirit >>> >>> >>> Merle, >>> >>> OK, please answer a simple question and we will see. :-) >>> >>> Do you believe any human being could subsist only on yam leaves and rice >>> for 6 years or do you agree with me it's simply impossible? >>> >>> The fate of your immortal soul and entry into the Buddhahood realm rests on >>> a correct and honest answer to this simple question! >>> :-) >>> >>> I challenge everyone on this group who is at all interested in the truth >>> and who understands that belief in falsehood is illusion and thus that >>> truth is essential to realization to give us THEIR answer to this question. >>> >>> >>> >>> Edgar >>> >>> >>> >>> On Nov 22, 2012, at 1:44 AM, Merle Lester wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> edgar..what do you take me for?..a fool..merle >>>> >>>> >>>> Merle, >>>> >>>> Get real and use your brain Merle! It's not the number of calories but the >>>> necessary nutrients for life are missing. >>>> >>>> Hot water? Well I like that myself (I usually add several spices and >>>> sometimes lemon juice) but I hope you don't think anyone can subsist on it? >>>> >>>> Edgar >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Nov 20, 2012, at 5:22 PM, Merle Lester wrote: >>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> because he did no heavy labour all day he needed less food... >>>>> how long did he live?... >>>>> plain hot water is great!... >>>>> does not believe in the principles of nutrition and you just ran with >>>>> that joe?.. >>>>> what?... >>>>> where is your zen spirit?. >>>>> .merle >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Anyone who tries to convince you he lived on wild yam leaves and rice for >>>>> 6 years begins to sound like the oriental typical guru putting one over >>>>> on gullible disciples. >>>>> >>>>> How much did you pay him total for 'enlightening' you? >>>>> >>>>> Edgar >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Nov 20, 2012, at 1:45 PM, Joe wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Edgar, >>>>>> >>>>>> Negative. >>>>>> >>>>>> I suggest a reading of Ch'an Master Sheng's autobiography. >>>>>> >>>>>> When he taught us, he would often urge us to eat "properly" in our daily >>>>>> lives as we practice. But he added that he "does not believe in the >>>>>> principles of nutrition". That was always very interesting to me, but I >>>>>> never questioned him in detail about what he believed (or followed) >>>>>> instead. I was already a vegetarian before I met him. >>>>>> >>>>>> On the veracity of his story of his cultivating the "Taiwan wild >>>>>> mountain potato", I had no reason to doubt him. He mentioned that this >>>>>> potato is different from what we call potatoes in the West. And I >>>>>> suspect it is not related to our Solanaceous plants, which I think are >>>>>> only indigenous to S. Amer., and not Asia. So the leaves of his plants >>>>>> may have been differently nutritious, indeed!, compared with those of >>>>>> our Deadly Nightshades. >>>>>> >>>>>> In fact, it is a type of Yam. >>>>>> >>>>>> I must assume that he also had Tea; maybe he did not mention it because >>>>>> it's like an Englishman taking tea "for granted" as a commodity, except >>>>>> more so!, for a Chinese! ;-) >>>>>> >>>>>> But, ...he taught us on Retreat to drink plain hot water, and we had >>>>>> urns of it: I personally called this "Sheng Yen Tea". So, maybe he did >>>>>> not have any tea at all during his 6-year retreat. It's possible that he >>>>>> may have found Ginseng root on the mountain, however, too. >>>>>> >>>>>> He mentions the Yam potato leaves several times in his auto-bio, and in >>>>>> fact, there is an entire chapter (Chapt. 11) there, called "Wild Potato >>>>>> Leaves"... . >>>>>> >>>>>> For your reading, here is the reference to Sheng Yen's best-known >>>>>> autobiography in English. The book is quite clear about his diet on the >>>>>> mountain: >>>>>> >>>>>> Sheng Yen; FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW; THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A CHINESE >>>>>> BUDDHIST MONK, 2008, Doubleday. >>>>>> >>>>>> You can also see the Amazon page: >>>>>> >>>>>> http://www.amazon.com/Footprints-Snow-Autobiography-Chinese-Buddhist/dp/B003JTHRT6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1353436592&sr=8-3&keywords=footprints+in+the+snow >>>>>> >>>>>> Best, >>>>>> >>>>>> --Joe >>>>>> >>>>>> > Edgar Owen <edgarowen@...> wrote: >>>>>> > >>>>>> > I suggest you use the same investigative intelligence you used to >>>>>> > debunk the hurricane Sandy photos to debunk your teacher's story. >>>>>> > >>>>>> > No human being could live on only wild potato leaves and rice for 6 >>>>>> > years. That's quite obvious. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> >> > > > > >
