Merle, I have not read that book, and if I must read it before I die I think I'll put it way down at the bottom of my list.
Just try to carry some of what you experience in meditation over into your daily life. You can meditate anywhere, any time and for any length of time. For example if you have a few minutes waiting on water to boil or something like that you can do some quick meditation. Also if you're on the bus or waiting in line or...whatever! ...Bill! --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> wrote: > > > >  hi bill... > > yes thank you for this story.. > > indeed certainly points the way to the now... > >  have you  read.."if this is a man"?... primo levi...italian jew trained as > a chemist > > a must read before you die... > >  account of levi's experience in auschwitz > > brilliant insight! > > i am dong my meditation practise and finding it somewhat..(hey i don't want > to leave this "nice space" in my head..) > > how can i gently ease myself back into the everyday? > > merle > > > Merle, > > Oh, I see now..."waiting in line at Auschwitz". > > Yeah, it would be very, very difficult at that time to just be 'in the > moment' and not surrender to suffering, but I think not impossible as is > depicted in the recent story I related about a zen master being threatened by > a samurai and expressed very well by the excellent zen story about the tiger, > the cliff, the mice and the berries: > > "A Zen Master who, while out walking one day, is confronted by a ferocious, > man-eating tiger. He slowly backs away from the animal, only to find that he > is trapped at the edge of a high cliff; the tiger snarls with hunger, and > pursues the Master. His only hope of escape is to suspend himself over the > abyss by holding onto a vine that grows at its edge. > > As the Master dangles from the cliff, two mice â" one white and one black > â" begin to gnaw on the vine he is clutching on. If he climbs back up, the > tiger will surely devour him, if he stays then there is the certain death of > a long fall onto the jagged rocks. The slender vine begins to give way, and > death is imminent. > > Just then the precariously suspended Zen Master notices a lovely ripe wild > strawberry growing along the cliff's edge. He plucks the succulent berry and > pops it into his mouth. He is heard to say: "This lovely strawberry, how > sweet it tastes." - Source endofthegame.net > > Now THAT'S only living in the moment! > > ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: > > > > > > > > àbill!!!!! hear is the entire content and if you read all...you will > > realise why i have called the post auschwitz...merle > > > > hi group. > > > > i thought you might be interested in this discussion i had with a friend .. > > > > you will have to read his email first so begin at the bottom... > > > > àany thoughts?... am i on track? > > à> > àmerle > > > > > > > > (my reply)..centrelink is the name for i government welfare agency in > > australia > > > > > > > > > > > >àwe will have to agree to disagree.. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >while you" wait in line".......huffing and puffing and" hating every > > >moment" of so called "wasted" time .. > > > > > > > > >you are not experiencing the moment...you are longing to be somewhere > > >else...an illusion..... > > > > > > > > >it is not zen what you are referring to...à> > > > > > > > >you'd get on great guns with edgar on zen group..he is forever trying to > > >convince the group his special little brand of zen...whereas mike, bill > > >àjoe àdisagree... > > > > > > > > >these guys are not fools by any means... they have all spent time back in > > >the youth àwith zen masters..some in japan... so i have a great deal of > > >respect for what they are saying.. > > > > > > > > >joe's favourite mantra is "strong practise"... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >the great spirit is not confined to a mango tree... > > > > > > > > >it is in every corner and every cranny of life...à> > > > > > > > >you will find it at centrelink.. > > > > > > > > >i have had long discussions with the zen group with my "zen in the > > >supermarket", and "dancing with daffodils"...à> > > > > > > > >once you make the realisation you will see it's as simple as this.. > > > > > > > > >your statements here contradict each other.. > > > > > > > > >you say zen is everywhere...no special time... then you hanker for the > > >"mango tree" experience.. > > > > > > > > >àto become an "expert " at archery you have to practise.. > > > > > > > > >everything in life requires practise.....and so with zen... > > > > > > > > >àif you feel you don't need to or more likely don't want to well that's > > >your business however i note a taste of sarcasm and cynicism in your > > >wording..this certainly is not zen > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >ài trust the day will bring some fruit in terms of your work cover etc > > >à> > >àand be a little bit grateful you are perhaps not "waiting in line" to > > >enter the gas chambers at auschwitz .. > > > > > > > > >then you'd well and truly savour ever single breath you have and taste the > > >moment as it is... > > > > > > > > >àbeautiful autumn day unfolds at 8:30am > > > > > > > > >àtake it easy..and as joe says "strong practise" > > > > > > > > >àwith love merle > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Is the birdies, oooh hoooh, they go, oooh hoooh, is daytime. > > >>à> > >>Yes, but.àThis is the socially tricky way of saying no, and no is > > what I mean. > > >>à> > >>When one is one, one IS zen.àThen we donââ¬â¢t practise zen, we be > > >>zen, > > we are zen.àThere is no special time for this.àPractise?àKnow > > zen, and then practise of it makes no sense.àThe zen archer > > doesnââ¬â¢t > > practise archery.àThe zen archer simply hits the target.àSurely you > > should know this. > > >>à> > >>So hereââ¬â¢s the big secret.àIf I have to wait in a line for any > > extended period of time, I resent it.àItââ¬â¢s an unpleasant > > situation.à> > Thereââ¬â¢s no less zen and no more zen about it.àOk, itââ¬â¢s an > > opportunity to > > do some deep breathing, inhaling the contagion of the other creatures in > > line.àI resent it, because itââ¬â¢s time I could otherwise have > > spent being > > closer to the great spirit that lives in my mango tree ...àand closer > > to > > the birdies ... oooh hoooh, they go, oooh hoooh, is daytime. > > >>à> > >>Love > > >>John > > >>à> > >> > > >> > > >>Subject: Fwd: RSA Animate - The Secret Powers of Time - > > YouTube > > >>à> > >>practise > > your zen when you are waiting in a line..you'd be surprised..".the secret > > of > > line waiting" will be revealed .. > > >>à> > >>and ya never know àit would make a great song > > >>à> > >>with love merle > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >>> > > >>>Subject: RSA Animate - The Secret Powers of Time - YouTube > > >>> > > >>> > > >>>àhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3oIiH7BLmg > > >>>à> > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>>à> > >>à> > > > > > ------------------------------------ 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/
