Jeff,
Welcome! Good to meet you here.
I'd say that when the inner voice stops completely, that is the best.
And we find at that time also that our OUTER voice is best then.
I don't know if my cats -- or, dogs of the neighborhood -- are into "Zen", in
any sense. I think they live pretty close to their Buddha Nature though, even
if they don't realize it (though I don't know if they have realized it or not,
or if animals ever do; some teachers tell us that realization is a uniquely
Human potential: I don't know! And I don't think the teachers can know. I
believe the claim is "just" pedagogical, a "goad", and a valuable one, made out
of compassion, to help us make the most of the opportunity to practice and to
awaken).
Of course, pets are polluted or infected by some Human psychopathies or
neuroses, since they are domesticated and live in close proximity and in
dependence on Humans, and are affected by Humans' schedules, but animals seem
to me nonetheless to live more naturally than many humans do, and seem to be
able to accept their lives gracefully.
As for us Humans... I think it's good to have no fixed idea about whether we
are "living Zen", or not, but just to find a way of practice to begin and to
continue with, changing it perhaps as we need to, as time goes on.
And, in any case, we don't really know what Zen is until we've had occasion to
practice a good long while, and perhaps to awaken. We may look backward then
and say, "But we've always been like this!, and that might be true, but I think
only people who have awakened get to say that affirmatively, because only they
are clear about it. Others parrot the words we've all read or heard; but, we
parrot them with a busy mind, not a silent one, and they are not OUR words.
A lot of discussion about "Zen", particularly in defining it, is talk about
rather indefinite things, or an indefinite "something". There have been
various discussions here between members trying to define "Zen", and they've
been good to see! Some discussions never die, and I think it's good to express
what Zen is for us, ourselves, anyway. But we may find, too, that, like
practice, it keeps changing. Or, there may nonetheless be something that
remains notable even as the years and decades turn.
But now I lapse into the indefinite, lest I plant any provocation to discuss
anything in particular: it's never any use, anyway. People come in at all
angles and from all sides of any issue, and usually bring their own concerns.
We can count on that.
I just want to say welcome!, and howdy, and I wish you strong practice.
--Joe
> jeff <linuxasm@...> wrote:
>
> I've been lurking for awhile and should say something. The dog and I
> wander around a small forest and think we are living ZEN. Probably one
> of us is delusional and only the dog is into ZEN. This list is the only
> contact we have with others attempting ZEN practice. It has been a
> pleasant experience. Thanks to everyone.
>
> Regarding "talk": Possibly the desired level of talk may be found
> somewhere in the fuzzy concept of "middle way" Without any talk we do
> not have a list. Too much talk and we loose contact with our inner voice.
>
> Jeff
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