joe...lighten up...
the diamond is the diamond found in the heart... you are taking life too seriously..constantly analysing... sifting through the waters so to speak to find that "grain of truth".. when "the grain" just happens not to need analysing but to be a resting in the heart enjoying the moment, relaxing and realising that we have all, we are all, all is complete... the diamond is the diamond of the heart and diamond cuts diamond take it easy even practising can bring a hot sweat to the brow relax and breathe easy... merle Iain, Merle, In Science, negative results are important. Although negative results do not prove the non-existence or non-presence of something, they at least indicate that higher sensitivity in the detector, or lower noise, or both, or a wider range of coverage, is needed in the search. Knowing the properties of the detector, and the thoroughness of coverage (space, and time, or population) of our search so far, we may also put upper-limit estimates upon the number, concentration, or prevalence of the signal or substance sought. So, a negative result really does (can...) tell us something quantitative, more than just "Zero, zilch!". ;-) This does not apply to Zen practice, though. When we practice, we are not seeking. Maybe our intention to begin seeking, and our vows to succeed in, say, attaining the Buddha-way, were/are due to an intense or luke-warm desire to seek or to realize; but when we practice, we just practice, without a gaining idea at the time, as we sit, or sweep, clean the windows, prepare breakfast, or wash and dry the dishes. And so we go on, no matter what. Well, some perspectives this morning of a Zen scientist, who has rather a list of negative results credited to his name. ;-) I'll just say in closing that, if you've swallowed no diamonds, you're unlikely to issue any. They form deep in the earth, or can be made synthetically by various lab processes. Often, after saints or great practitioners are cremated, some jewel-like mineral crusts are created by chemical reactions in the fire, and remain after cooling. These are called ...I forget! ... and are sometimes preserved as relics in Buddhist places. I suspect that they form when any animal or human is burned, but the legend persists that great practitioners have more impressive such remains than others. No, not just gold teeth or titanium ball-and-socket hip joints, although those metal remains are highly prized by the crematoria operators. ;-) --Joe > "iain" wrote: > > Merle, are you saying the diamond has been in my pocket all along and i've > gotten shitty fingers for nothing? Maybe Joe is right about optimists. Then > again if you search through your own shit and find no diamond then at least > you can find out that you already have the diamond experientially.
