Edgar,

I have absolutely no idea what this last post of yours means.  Please spell it 
out for me.  What is it that you have been suggesting 'forever' that I have 
been disagreeing with, but now you have found out I say I actually do?

...Bill!

--- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@...> wrote:
>
> Bill,
> 
> If so then you are doing what I've been suggesting forever, at least some of 
> the time. Why then do you disagree with what I say?
> 
> Edgar
> 
> 
> 
> On Apr 1, 2013, at 9:38 AM, Bill! wrote:
> 
> > Edgar,
> > 
> > As usual you've misunderstood and are subsequently misreporting what I said.
> > 
> > I do sit 20 mins x 2 at a time 3 or 4 times a week. No misunderstanding 
> > there.
> > 
> > I never said I experience Buddha Nature only while sitting. I did say I 
> > first experienced Buddha Nature while sitting and it was when my intellect 
> > ceased generating illusions. This is called 'kensho' in Japanese and in my 
> > case was prompted by working on the koan Mu.
> > 
> > Shortly after kensho, and I mean within several minutes - an hour at the 
> > most, my intellect re-engaged and began generating illusions again. Going 
> > through that experience allowed me to see illusions for what they are - 
> > illusions. They do continually appear and operate in the foreground, but I 
> > am almost always aware of Buddha Nature in the background. I say 'almost 
> > always' because there have been some times when I lose the realization of 
> > Buddha Nature altogether and it is again completely obscured by illusions; 
> > but through contining practice (zazen) these times occur less and less and 
> > the illusions become more and more transparent. 
> > 
> > Sitting regularly (shikantaza) brings me back to a pure, holistic Buddha 
> > Nature state that is completely devoid of illusions.
> > 
> > ...Bill! 
> > 
> > --- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Bill,
> > > 
> > > You yourself told us you only sit 22 minutes at a time in double sessions 
> > > 3 times a week. That comes out to less than 3 hours a week.
> > > 
> > > You also tell us that for you Zen mind is experienced is only when you 
> > > are sitting and your mind can stop generating the illusory world of forms.
> > > 
> > > Conclusion, you experience Zen mind at best less than 3 hours a week....
> > > 
> > > Of course if you understood how to realize Buddha Nature IN the world of 
> > > forms AS a manifestation of it you could make that 24/7...
> > > 
> > > That's my continual point....
> > > 
> > > Edgar
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > On Mar 31, 2013, at 10:27 PM, Bill! wrote:
> > > 
> > > > Edgar,
> > > > 
> > > > My mind perceives it as trash, so for me it's trash.
> > > > 
> > > > And who told you I only 'realize zen' (which I'll take to mean 
> > > > 'experience Buddha Nature')3 hours a week?
> > > > 
> > > > ...Bill!
> > > > 
> > > > --- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Bill,
> > > > > 
> > > > > It's rubbish only because you trash it in your mind.
> > > > > 
> > > > > It's a tremendous shame you aren't able to receive this teaching. If 
> > > > > you could you'd realize Zen mind 24/7 instead of the only 3 hours a 
> > > > > week you say you do now...
> > > > > 
> > > > > Edgar
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > On Mar 31, 2013, at 10:43 AM, Bill! wrote:
> > > > > 
> > > > > > Edgar,
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Rubbish, all rubbish no matter how many times you post it...Bill!
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > --- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@> wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Bill,
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > The world of forms is the manifestation of the reality of Buddha 
> > > > > > > Nature.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > The mind creates an additional set of forms which is an internal 
> > > > > > > MODEL of the external world of forms.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > One needs to clearly understand which forms are in the mind (our 
> > > > > > > cognitive model of the world) and which in the external world 
> > > > > > > (eg. are intrinsic laws of nature)
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > The Zen picture is realizing these are both part of a single 
> > > > > > > reality that models itself.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Zen mind is realizing these forms are all manifestations of their 
> > > > > > > underlying Buddha Nature and existing within them as an 
> > > > > > > expression of that Buddha Nature...
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Edgar
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > On Mar 31, 2013, at 4:49 AM, Bill! wrote:
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > Joe,
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > IMO all concepts (like cause-and-effect) are illusory. The 
> > > > > > > > 'exist' in the same way all illusions 'exist'. The are created 
> > > > > > > > by us (humans, and maybe other rational beings too)and 
> > > > > > > > superimposed on experience. I assume we do this because it 
> > > > > > > > gives us a sense of order and therefore control over what is 
> > > > > > > > undoubtedly pure chaos.
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > When I use the phrase in single parenthesis 'out there', I mean 
> > > > > > > > the dualistic illusion that there is an 'out there'. I know 
> > > > > > > > many/most of you really believe there are what you call 
> > > > > > > > 'principals' or 'laws of nature' (and now I have to add) 'out 
> > > > > > > > there'. You believe these principals or laws exist independent 
> > > > > > > > of you and that you, the smart fellow that you are, have the 
> > > > > > > > ability to observe, recognize, separate out, classify and 
> > > > > > > > document these principals. I don't believe that. I believe we 
> > > > > > > > create them, or at least some of us who are really, really 
> > > > > > > > smart create them and then teach them to the rest of us, which 
> > > > > > > > of course we all believe on faith. That faith is bolstered by 
> > > > > > > > our ability to observe the same principals or laws at work in 
> > > > > > > > our own dualisitic and rationalized perception of our 
> > > > > > > > experience.
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > Kapeesh?
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > ...Bill!
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Joe" <desert_woodworker@> 
> > > > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Bill!,
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > I've seen you put it like this several times before, and I 
> > > > > > > > > think you are being a little amiss in how you're saying one 
> > > > > > > > > small part of this.
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > I don't think you mean the "concept" doesn't exist "out 
> > > > > > > > > there". 
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > I think you mean a kind of functioning that results in what 
> > > > > > > > > looks to us like cause and effect does not exist out there. 
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > By contrast, of course the concept exists: it exists in us, 
> > > > > > > > > as a concept. Otherwise it would not be a concept for us. 
> > > > > > > > > Concepts exist nowhere else but in us, so of course we won't 
> > > > > > > > > find it "out there".
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > But, what about the "functioning" I refer to above? ...the 
> > > > > > > > > functioning that results in our ascribing cause and effect. I 
> > > > > > > > > would not say it exists out there as a concept (as I think 
> > > > > > > > > you would not). I would not say it exists out there as a 
> > > > > > > > > Principle. I would not say it exists out there as a Law. I 
> > > > > > > > > think all we can say is that there is a functioning, and that 
> > > > > > > > > functioning is a VERB, not a noun. It functions. But we do 
> > > > > > > > > not see "something" functioning, or the mechanics and gears 
> > > > > > > > > of the functioning. We see instead manifestations or 
> > > > > > > > > consequences. Consequences of WHAT? When we ask that, 
> > > > > > > > > "WHAT?", and ANSWER it, this is where we start drawing up 
> > > > > > > > > phantoms. And we attach to them, if we are not awake. They 
> > > > > > > > > become our models. It's OK to use the phantoms for our 
> > > > > > > > > purposes, and emploit them in our skilful means. But 
> > > > > > > > > attachment to them as something "out there" is the root of 
> > > > > > > > > suffering. The concept or idea of a self is one of these 
> > > > > > > > > "things", I know everyone here agrees.
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > --Joe
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > "Bill!" <BillSmart@> wrote:
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Mike,
> > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > I'm not denying that cause-and-effect seems to provide 
> > > > > > > > > > independent conditioning in the world of forms (illusions), 
> > > > > > > > > > I'm saying like the world of forms the concept of 
> > > > > > > > > > cause-and-effect is just a projection of our rational mind. 
> > > > > > > > > > It's not something that exists 'out there' independent of 
> > > > > > > > > > intellect.
> > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > This is a good example of the question: "If a tree falls in 
> > > > > > > > > > the forest and no one (human) is there, is there a sound?" 
> > > > > > > > > > No, there isn't.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > 
> > > >
> > >
> > 
> >
>




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