Bill!,
> It would be like being a Christian but not believing Jesus was the Son of
> God.
You raise a point that's long been *very* interesting to me.
I wonder about the case of someone who takes the whole Christian/Jewish story
as metaphor. Can such a person be a good Christian? Or, does *everyone* take
the Christian story as metaphor?
I suppose that such a person will -- or can -- be good, in all ways. And I
suspect that such a person believes that the real story, the true picture of
reality in its depth and heights, is not and cannot be encapsulated in any
story, person, historical event, or even metaphor, nor via any conceivable
thread of reasoning, nor science or philosophy. This leaves the picture open
to appreciation as a "mystery", which is a pretty good state of affairs, I
think.
The metaphor 'just' gives a structure by which to approach the reality, because
there's no other way to preserve or make available the lived tradition, other
than to encapsulate it, *SOMEHOW*, for transmission to each generation. That's
a big "just"! In other words, the metaphor serves as a vehicle for
transmission of certain clues and cues for the practitioner, which themselves
serve as a Yoga or a ladder for the practitioner.
I like to think that the truest Christians -- the Christians most intimate with
Christian truths -- are the ones who accept the tradition as metaphor.
But I believe this is heresy in my (previous) Church!
Yet, it may simply be "Secret". For example: the tradition is taught as
literal truth, but practitioners must simply come to their own understanding of
it, as metaphor, a metaphor for them which impinges on the reality of life and
opens windows upon Human nature and relationships, and upon all of Nature. No
one tells you that you must do this. And this is, therefore, the only way that
such implausible stories can actually be useful to a person, spiritually and
intellectually: one builds one's life and behavior in the light of the
metaphor, and in appreciation of the metaphor. The tradition gracefully allows
one to do this. It only forces down one's throat the implausible literal
stories, and allows you to do the real work of understanding and incorporation
after you find that you must vomit them up. It becomes *entirely* personal!
What better religion than that, especially if you share it with others. While
keeping the secret of the metaphoric nature of the teachings, that is;
wink-wink.
Well, simple notions, still in a puppy-stage, here, and left that way for
decades, but re-visited occasionally.
You may also gather a hint of the state and extent of pollution of my
"Christianity" by my Zen practice, and experience.
I've heard other folks express that they had first to become a good Zen
Buddhist practitioner before they could ever have become a good Christian.
Any, err-r, thoughts? ;-)
--Joe
> "Bill!" <BillSmart@...> wrote:
>
> Joe,
>
> I'm mostly interested in how someone puts what they call 'zen' into practice
> than how they acquired it. Of course in this medium the only evidence we see
> is written communication - a very limited medium for demonstrating Buddha
> Nature.
>
> But I do agree with you that for me zazen (zen meditation) is a cornerstone
> of all zen teachings. I can't conceive of anyone practicing zen and
> excluding zazen - but I guess it's possible. It would be like being a
> Christian but not believing Jesus was the Son of God. You could call
> yourself a Christian and could in fact be a very good and upright person, but
> I don't think the majority of your fellow-parishioners would accept you as
> one of them.
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