bob... indeed compassion and emotions are different..
yes we can get our emotions out of control..and we need a balance... however the stiff upper lip is no answer either... i am reminded of the wonderful film "zorba the greek".. one of my all time favourites.. you see the stiff upper lip broken through laughter..the absurdity of life.. is revealed... this opens the heart..opens it to fully bloom like the lotus as for the antics of those who cry at the drop of a hat, who whine about life's paths..there are lessons to be learnt... we know such folk have a great deal of realisations to make and we are no different.. here we need to apply our love and compassion to others and ourselves.. it is a sad story to see the confusion in our society however that is the way of the human journey... will they wake up?... have we woken up? have we heard the lotus speaking to us? what is it saying that we do not understand as yet? merle Merle - I think compassion and emotion differ. Therefore, a Zen master can advise a starving villager to sit in meditation for a week and then ask for payment for his advice to feed his wife and children. My complaint about emotion is to do with our monkey nature, we never arrive at a balance, we just swing from branch to branch. There was validity in the 60's complaint that stoicism was stifling emotions and a 'stiff upper lip' or 'just get on with it' meant you could not talk to my parents generation about emotions. Now we have almost nothing but emotions, we have mothers out here in the western parts of Sydney that buy their kids heaps of toys but they do not fed or keep them clean. The media seems to positively glow when some idiot starts crying on the TV and the appeals of the guilty are always in some emotional manner, 'I was a single parent child', 'My father never understood me', 'I have a drug problem due to XXX' and so it goes ad nauseum. The emotions need to be kept in check but not suppressed. The meditations of Marcus Aurelius describe the ideal, when his daughter died he could barely carry on he was so grief stricken, but no one knew about his pain EXCEPT his wife, family and close friends. Bob --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> wrote: > >  bob....emotions are required for empathy surely?..merle > > >  > Bill - I sometimes wonder in this world where emotions are king (at the > moment) that a return to real stoicism might have a place. Emotions are very > wide in their range but not very deep, and anyone diving into them will break > their nose. They are best controlled like a dog and if not let them drift off > as we do in meditation. > > Without the rational in our daily lives chaos reins supreme, therefore we try > to tame the wild Ox rather than keep a watch over it. > > Bob > > --- In [email protected], "Bill!" <BillSmart@> wrote: > > > > Edgar, > > > > Every human action is not a combination of many actions. Fixing dinner may > > be, but cutting carrots is not. Peeling potatoes is not. And even if the > > complete act of fixing dinner does require a number of coordinated efforts > > it does not require, and in fact is weakened by, thinking about what you > > want to do after you eat. > > > > Zen is not "...using the rational mind to accomplish this by recognizing > > the true nature of the world of forms one is working with.....". That is > > problem-solving. That is rationality. That is not zen which is the > > experience of Buddha Nature. > > > > I'm sorry you put so much emphasis on rationality. Although I am sure it > > must be very comforting it is also very confining. But then that might be > > okay for you living in a world which you fill completely up with illusory > > nails. > > > > ...Bill! > > > > --- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@> wrote: > > > > > > Bill, > > > > > > The 'only one thing at a time delusion' is a common misunderstanding of > > > Zen. > > > > > > In actuality EVERY human action is a combination of many actions. Fixing > > > dinner is NOT just a single action called fixing dinner, it's a complex > > > sequence of multiple actions that MUST be in the correct logical sequence > > > to succeed. > > > > > > The correct understanding is not allowing mind to engage with unnecessary > > > or irrelevant thoughts as they may arise but to concentrate on the > > > logical multiplex of actions at hand to achieve the end... > > > > > > This all has to do with how Zen works in the world of forms. It REQUIRES > > > INTELLECT to function effectively. > > > > > > Cooking dinner is NOT a single activity as comic book Zen supposes. It is > > > a complex sequence of rationally oriented events including shopping for > > > ingredients, planning what is to be cooked, cutting and chopping, mixing, > > > cooking but only until done, serving the correct portions to the correct > > > number of people etc. etc. etc. > > > > > > Zen is using the rational mind to accomplish this by recognizing the true > > > nature of the world of forms one is working with..... > > > > > > If one does not use the rational mind during cooking one will fail. That > > > is NOT Zen, that is incompetence! > > > > > > Edgar > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Apr 20, 2013, at 5:45 AM, Bill! wrote: > > > > > > > Merle, > > > > > > > > This is a very common occurrence. Zen literature refers to this as the > > > > 'monkey mind' because it seems to just go on and on without end and > > > > out-of-control. > > > > > > > > Zazen (and other zen teaching techniques) specifically target 'monkey > > > > mind' and try to calm it down until it eventually ceases all activity. > > > > Then you can have a direct experience of reality (Buddha Nature). > > > > > > > > When you do things like weeding or probably painting you may focus your > > > > whole being on just weeding or just painting. If you do this it is just > > > > like zazen in which you may start by concentrating on your breath. This > > > > single-mindedness concentration is what is meant by the zen saying, > > > > "When sit, just sit. When walking, just walk. Above all don't wobble." > > > > That means when your doing anything, just do that. Don't try to do many > > > > things at once, and especially don't do something while thinking about > > > > something else. Like painting while thinking about what you're going to > > > > fix for dinner. Or when fixing dinner not thinking about what you're > > > > going to paint after eating. When painting, just paint. When fixing > > > > dinner, just fix dinner. > > > > > > > > And yes, it's much easier said than done... > > > > > > > > ...Bill! > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >  > > > > >  bill..yes i understand..thank you..yes i agree with you..the > > > > > intellect chatter..that is constant with me and i find it so tiring > > > > > to the point where i get a headache..i go out and do weeding to > > > > > freshen my brain.. i am constantly asking questions mostly ones one > > > > > cannot answer anyway..round and round in circles i go... chewing it > > > > > over and over... i am a bit of a problem solver..that's what happens > > > > > at night and i cannot turn my mind off so i can't sleep..yes and then > > > > > there is the emotions rocking me around like a boat...i need to go > > > > > watch a show on telly now..back later..thank you bill!..i appreciate > > > > > this post..merle > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >  > > > > > Merle, > > > > > > > > > > You are definitely on the right track. > > > > > > > > > > You can't just turn these things off. Daido talked about that. You > > > > > just let them come and go. The zen story about that (there's a zen > > > > > story about everything) is it is like when you are busy doing > > > > > something and someone comes to your door. You can answer the door, > > > > > tell them you'r busy right now and that they can come back later. > > > > > What you don't do is invite them in for tea and a lengthy chat. > > > > > > > > > > You can begin to quiet your mind down by doing what Daido said (or by > > > > > chanting or bowing or koan study, etc...), and when you do reach the > > > > > point to where all these thoughts have been turned off (I use the > > > > > word 'quiesce' or 'paused' or 'temporarily halted') THEN you will > > > > > experience Buddha Nature - which is the direct experience of reality > > > > > WITHOUT all the intellectual and emotional chatter going on. > > > > > > > > > > And basically that's it! Then it's just a matter of 'practicing' so > > > > > you can keep all that chatter at an absolute minimum - not cease it > > > > > permanently but only use it (your intellect/your rationality) when > > > > > it's appropriate. Your intellect (logic/rationality) is just one of > > > > > the many tools you have in your human tool bag and you shouldn't > > > > > treat it like it is the only one. Like I've reminded people on this > > > > > forum of the old saying which I apply to the intellect, "When all one > > > > > has is a hammer, everything looks like a nail". > > > > > > > > > > I call all this intellectual chatter 'illusion' and I call only the > > > > > direct experience of reality (Buddha Nature) 'real' - and that's > > > > > where the major difference of opinion (or at least terminology) > > > > > between Edgar and me - at least IMO. > > > > > > > > > > Enjoy...Bill! > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >  bill! yes i know the scoreboard..sometimes it's hard to > > > > > > turn off the mind and experience non thought..and basically it's > > > > > > feelings that get me into a knot...i get so many different feelings > > > > > > flooding me..from joy to utter despair...all bubbling away like a > > > > > > volcano... this is what i find difficult to turn that switch > > > > > > off..however i note in my study..i just let them pass as they come > > > > > > and then they go like a log floating down a stream..am i on the > > > > > > right track?..merle > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >  > > > > > > Merle, > > > > > > > > > > > > I agree with what Mike says below and would reinforce that in the > > > > > > statement you quoted, 'you are your best teacher'... > > > > > > > > > > > > If 'you' means your self, your ego, your intellect, your dualistic, > > > > > > rational mind - then it is definitely not your best teacher (for > > > > > > zen). > > > > > > > > > > > > But if 'you' means experience, Buddha Nature, the absence of ego, > > > > > > itellect, dualism, etc... - then it is definitely your best teacher > > > > > > (for zen). > > > > > > > > > > > > ...Bill! > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], uerusuboyo@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Merle,<br/><br/>Depends what you mean by "you". If 'you' means > > > > > > > your ego, then absolutely not because the mind will colour things > > > > > > > to suit itself. If by 'you' you mean reality, then absolutely > > > > > > > yes! And by reality I mean the immediacy of direct experience. > > > > > > > Buddha said, "Be a lamp unto yourself". Only you will know if the > > > > > > > tea is hot or cold (remember that topic!). A teacher is only a > > > > > > > guide and friend. Ultimately only you can workout your own > > > > > > > salvation. <br/><br/>Mike<br/><br/><br/>Sent from Yahoo! Mail for > > > > > > > iPhone > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
