Merle, I have 11 more but Batman's the cutest, and the smallest (except for 4 puppies we just found that were also abandoned - but this time they weren't tied up in a sack, just probably dumped out on the highway)...Bill!
--- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> wrote: > > > >  bill!..i love dogs...batman is so cute... thank you for your story..merle >  > Merle, > > I have have been practicing for about 47 years, sometimes intensely and > sometimes not.  I have not yet been able to eliminate all ignorance and all > craving but I have been able to reduce them both in number and in intensity > quite a bit. > > MY PERSONAL STORY > About two years ago I discovered very young puppies tied up in a burlap bag > and tossed out onto the highway near my mountain home.  The bag had been run > over by a car and was soaked in blood.  When I opened the bag I found 2 dead > puppies, 1 with a broken back and a completely flattened pelvis area with > intestines oozing out and one was not hurt.  I killed the one with the > broken back with my neighbors shotgun by shooting it in the head and buried > it and the 2 dead puppies in the jungle. > > I kept the surviving puppy and named it Batman because of it's long ears and > pug nose. > > > ...Bill! > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester wrote: > > > > > > > > àbill!..thank you... > > > > have you been able to eliminate all ignorance and all craving? > > > > àcan you share a personal story àwith the group? > > > > merle > > > > > > à> > Merle, > > > > Sorry, but that's the God-awful truth. àBuddhism is all about the relief > > of suffering. > > > > Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Buddhism: > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhismà> > > > > > Buddhismàis aàreligionàindigenous to theàIndian subcontinentà> > that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices largely > > based on teachings attributed toàSiddhartha Gautama, who is commonly > > known as the Buddha, meaning "the awakened one". The Buddha lived and > > taught in the eastern part of theàIndian subcontinentàsometime > > between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE.[1]àHe is recognized by Buddhists > > as anàawakenedàor enlightened teacher who shared his insights to > > helpàsentient beingsàend their suffering (dukkha) through the > > elimination of ignorance (avidyÃâ) by way of understanding and the > > seeing of dependent origination (pratÃâëtyasamutpÃâda) and the > > elimination of craving (taáùââ¬Â¡hÃâ), and thus the attainment > > of the cessation of all suffering, known as the sublime state ofà> > nirvÃâÃâ¦Ã¢â¬Â a.[2] > > > > I've highlighted the parts to which I want to draw your attention that > > pertain to the question at hand. > > > > And before someone jumps all over me on this I want to point out that this > > is BUDDHISM, not zen. > > > > ...Bill! > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Ãâàrubbish..you can dissolve into the now.. > > > > > > life is suffering..nothing to do with attachments.. > > > > > > like to see you bill when you have a physical aliment.. > > > > > > sure you can whisk it away for a moment or two..try mental > > > suffering...that cannot be dissolvedÃâà> > > > > > the promise of buddhism is release from suffering.. > > > > > > right..maybe > > > > > > yes it is a way of viewing suffering however you cannot escape it.. > > > > > > rather you accept it > > > > > > so how come buddhist monks are the first to set fire to themselves when > > > they see injustices done? > > > > > > Ãâàthat would be mega suffering and don't tell me they don't suffer > > > as the flames engulf them > > > > > > have you ever truly suffered bill?.. or seen loved ones suffering? > > > > > > Ãâàas you eat your stir fried chicken do you not realise the > > > suffering that was impose on this creature that you might live and live > > > to suffer? > > > > > > acceptance is the key word in my books > > > > > > Ãâàacceptance, Ãâàcompassion and universal love > > > > > > Ãâàif that is not buddhism then well i'll be blown over by a stick > > > > > > Ãâàmerle > > > > > > > > > Ãâà> > > 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...ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâà> > > > 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 > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâàwe 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 > > > > > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâàsome 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... > > > > > > > > > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâà> > > > And yet you are the one who started this > > > > conversation.ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡ÃâàIt has been my understanding that the > > > > primaryÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâàmessage of Buddhism was addressing > > > > suffering.ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡ÃâàWhat it is and how to stop it. The > > > > Buddha was not searching or teaching ways to survive crises but to end > > > > suffering.ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡ÃâàI 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.ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâàsuey > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > 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... > > > > > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâà> > > > 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 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! 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