Joe, I intend to stay here in Adelaide for at least another couple of months, but as ever I never know. If I do move again, it will only to be to go as far as Perth, where there is another Diamond Sangha anyway.
Do you know much about Vipassana? Mike --- In [email protected], "Joe" wrote: > > Mike, > > Wonderful! > > Wish I were there. > > I feel at home just hearing about it all. Lucky man. > > If the Tanto is good, you won't see WHAT kind of stick is angling your way, > but you'll feel it crisply. Only if you ask for it, as you know. ;-) > > Will you be settling there, Mike? Wishing you well! > > --Joe > > > "mike" wrote: > > > > Joe, > > > > Yeh, had dokusan with Bob Roshi. We get along really well. I think he > > respects that I've largely followed a slightly different path (Vipassana), > > but that we're not really that different in practice. I'm still working on > > Mu because I think he wants me to get into a Zen mindset (how ironic is > > that??) while I'm there. It's funny that my Zen brothers and sisters see > > Zen as something stripped down to the core and True because of/in its > > simplicity, especially compared to Therevada Buddhism. I completely > > disagree. Mahayana Buddhism is full of imagery, statues, chanting, > > wonderful stories, gods etc, whereas Vipassana is stripped right down to > > nothing but the breath and noting impermanence, lack of a substantial ego > > and hence dukha (the 3 characteristics leading toinsight wisdom). No > > images. No chanting. No gods and Bodhisattavas. No heavenly/hellish realms. > > > > The real irony tho is that Buddhism died in its birthplace (India) because > > of the way it became speculative and metaphysical. Mahayana is much closer > > to this later development than the original Buddhism that Vipassana seems > > to be. What I really love about Zen tho (using a very clumsy woodworking > > analogy), is that whilst Vipassana uses insights as working 'tools' towards > > chiselling-out Liberation, Zen says that working with the tools and > > Liberation are the same. Anyway, they're both a workable synthesis for me > > without watering down any of either's teachings. > > > > I'll note what kind of kyosaku I see next week and report back to you! > > > > Whack! > > > > Mike > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
