Joe, Wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong. Nearly every point you make.
Edgar On Mar 5, 2013, at 12:54 PM, Joe wrote: > Suresh, > > It's not important, but I want to mention that I disagree about "stupid > rituals". Not stupid. > > Rituals are simply a way of making visible the invisible. > > In the Zen tradition as it is practiced formally and in lineages (not as > Rajneesh carries it out), rituals are very important, as PRACTICE. This/they > include chanting, and certain respectful behavior, including bowing and > prostrations, which affect us physically. > > I myself tend nowadays not to practice in a particularly religious way, but I > understand from experience and can appreciate the importance and "place" of > ritual in the several religions I have practiced in. > > Those who don't appreciate religion usually will not appreciate ritual, and I > think that is natural. > > Unfortunately, religion requires Imagination. > > That's where a lot of people fall down, I think. They may consider themselves > "Realists", or something like that, and in so doing, immediately limit > themselves. That, too, is not the Zen way. > > If you don't go to a play, and consider all that play-acting "stupid", well, > YOU MISS THE WHOLE STORY, and YOU MISS ANY CATHARSIS POSSIBLE THROUGH IT (see > Aristotle on that last bit). > > Suresh, what are your views on the out-of-context tidbits you quote > voluminously? > > --Joe > > > SURESH JAGADEESAN wrote: > > > > The small word `zen' contains the whole evolution of religious > > consciousness. > >
