Edgar, Sorry, didn`t realise you were ever at a Zendo long enough to know what the monks were thinking... Besides, if Zen monks don`t see the humour in farting, then what do you make of the story about Su Dongpu. Seems as tho you`ve been blown across the river, too. Mike
--- On Mon, 3/12/12, Edgar Owen <[email protected]> wrote: From: Edgar Owen <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Zen] truth is beauty To: [email protected] Date: Monday, 3 December, 2012, 3:45 Mike, Yes, birds of a feather flock together.... Interesting how you disrespect the whole Zendo full of Zen monks I was sitting with... Did you learn your Zen from those construction workers I take it?:-) Edgar On Dec 2, 2012, at 8:59 AM, mike brown wrote: Edgar, Jeez, what a boring bunch of pompous old farts you must be hanging out with then. Give me a bunch of construction workers or soldiers to hang out any day of the week. Mike --- On Sun, 2/12/12, Edgar Owen <[email protected]> wrote: From: Edgar Owen <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Zen] truth is beauty To: [email protected] Date: Sunday, 2 December, 2012, 23:45 Mike, Grown ups don't 'snigger at farts'. Only those stuck in schoolboy mentality do. Only those who aren't comfortable with natural bodily functions. When I was sitting someone would occasionally pass gas and no one ever gave it a passing thought.. It's a perfectly natural part of being a biological human... Edgar On Dec 1, 2012, at 8:56 PM, mike brown wrote: Joe, Typical! I make a fart gag and you turn it into something deep and meaningful. I can see we`re (flag) poles apart! Still, on a more serious EP note, ; I wonder what epoch it was when primitive man first began sniggering at farts and what effect this had on the development of our consciousness? Tai chi, eh? I`ve always been more involved with the hard styles (karate, Muay Thai, boxing), but I did join in with the old geezers once when I was living in Yangzhou. It`s truly amazing how masters of something can make their art look so easy and effortless... until you try it! Mike --- On Sun, 2/12/12, Joe <[email protected]> wrote: From: Joe <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Zen] truth is beauty To: [email protected] Date: Sunday, 2 December, 2012, 2:05 Mike, My old tai chi teacher Da Liu (1902-2000) always began each class with his doing the form. He'd say, "I *DO*, you WATCH." It was a nice organic phrase, and could as well have been one word, in some language. We came to understand it as such. During his playing of the form, Da Liu BELCHED. Loudly. Always. He taught us that this is from the stomach being massaged by the form and the breathing, and from the movement of Chi. In my first meetings with him, I was startled, and, yes, sniggered, maybe. When I looked around at the senior class members, they were not laughing. They were deeply into their part of, "I *DO*, you WATCH." And then we would fall in behind Da Liu, and he would lead us in the form. Still lots of belching. All through class. He always came to class dressed in blue pyjamas with white piping, and always seemed supremely relaxed. I don't remember now if he passed gas. I *do* know what his diet was, because he often fed me at his apartment when I did housekeeping chores for him, to earn tuition and private teaching. He also loved company, and was an amateur Historian, and loved to chat in brief intense sessions about some historical topic he'd bring up, or some Taoist teachings. Then it was back to working, with me while he went off to another room to do his writing. His diet did not seem the kind that would produce much methane and mercaptan in the gut. Eating with him made me a little healthier, I think. So did his art. --Joe > mike brown <uerusuboyo@...> wrote: > > I agree, It is a powerful image and one that feels instinctively so familiar. > I can also visualise a cave scene, such as the one mentioned, where one of > the members lets one rip and you can just hear the muffled sniggers of the > others. I guess that says a lot about me. > Mike
