Edgar, No, but Merle evidently does...Bill!
--- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@...> wrote: > > Bill, > > I agree. > > Do you disagree with that? > > Edgar > > > > On May 2, 2013, at 2:50 AM, Bill! wrote: > > > Merle, > > > > Suffering can be entirely eliminated and William is right that this is the > > promise of Buddhism. > > > > This is Buddhism 101: > > > > - Life is suffering > > - Suffering is caused by attachments > > - Attachments are caused by/enabled by identification with your self > > - The self is illusory > > > > So, like a big house of cards when you dissolve the illusion of self you > > take away the anchor for attachments causing them to fall away which > > eliminates suffering. > > > > And how do you come to recognize the self as illusory? My suggestion is you > > do zazen (zen meditation) staring with counting your breaths. When you stop > > your intellect from producing illusions (and most especially the illusion > > of self) you experience Buddha Nature. > > > > And then Voila! Just This! > > > > ...Bill! > > > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > my understanding is suffering cannot be eliminated..how the hell can that > > > come about..the very nature of life is suffering... > > > point to me who does not what does not..be it animal mineral or > > > vegetable.. > > > the notion of happy happy is absurd.. > > > we can come to terms with suffering > > >  we can embrace and realise that compassion and eternal universal love > > > can lift us from suffering and soar us high above the treetops to the > > > heavens above just as the eagle flies we too can fly.. > > > > > > merle > > > > > >  some strawberries are sour i have noted in my many years of eating > > > strawberries...this i refer to as the "chop suey" of life...sweet and > > > sour... > > > > > > > > >  > > > And yet you are the one who started this conversation. It has been my > > > understanding that the primary message of Buddhism was addressing > > > suffering. What it is and how to stop it. The Buddha was not searching > > > or teaching ways to survive crises but to end suffering. I can agree > > > that survivability might be enhanced by being fully in the moment but I > > > see no certainty of it. In my readings of Zen the moment of Death is > > > often addressed with an awareness and often a smile. The strawberry is so > > > sweet. suey > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > From: Joe <desert_woodworker@> > > > To: [email protected] > > > Sent: Wed, May 1, 2013 4:27:50 PM > > > Subject: [Zen] Re: Someone Else's Opinion on What is Real and What is > > > Not... > > > > > >  > > > Hi, William, > > > > > > The crisis is and was the one you raised earlier, about killing some > > > beast or other. Thought and pondering at that scene would be inexcusable, > > > while acting in accord with need, informed by your intimacy and full > > > presence and awareness of conditions, would give you an opening to hunt > > > another day. > > > > > > Coming back to practice, practice enables habits to drop, so we can be > > > present fully. You can still use what you've learned, but you won't be > > > bound by it. That is all. > > > > > > And that is the point. I won't engage in useless historicizing, not in a > > > Zen discussion forum, anyway. If we're not already clear about how > > > practice works, then the next step is clear: practice. There may be > > > pointers on it here at the Forum. A real teacher face to face is the best > > > teacher though, many here would agree. > > > > > > --Joe > > > > > > > Email <brintala@> wrote: > > > > > > > > You've modified your original position from a statement of our genetic > > > inheritance to surviving a crisis. That quite a bit different. However > > > from your current position are you saying that the people who died from > > > the bombings in Boston were "burdened and unable to act spontaneously" > > > while those who survived were "acting spontaneously and were unburdened"? > > > Or is there some other type if crisis? > > > > If two people, one who was unburdened and acting spontaneously and had > > > > never encountered a tiger in the wild and the other who hunted tigers > > > > daily, were to suddenly be faced with one, who would survive this > > > > crisis? > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ 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/
