Bill, The actual lesson here is that compassion is not to be done for any reward....
That's the lesson the little bitting Buddha doggie teaches.... Edgar On May 3, 2013, at 5:42 AM, Bill! wrote: > Edgar, > > Just remember the old adage...'no good deed goes unpunished'...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@...> wrote: > > > > Bill, et al, > > > > This reminds me of when I was living in Japan. One day I was walking along > > a drainage canal and saw a small white dog drowning in it. The canal had > > high concrete walls and it couldn't climb out. I jumped in and saved it and > > as soon as I got it out it bit me! > > > > Funniest thing was that the day it happened was Buddha's birthday! > > > > Kind of reminds me of Joe's and Bill's response for all I do for them! > > :-) > > > > Edgar > > > > > > > > > > On May 2, 2013, at 9:08 AM, Bill! wrote: > > > > > > > > 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: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >  bill!..thank you... > > > > > > > > have you been able to eliminate all ignorance and all craving? > > > > > > > >  can you share a personal story  with the group? > > > > > > > > merle > > > > > > > > > > > >  > > > > Merle, > > > > > > > > Sorry, but that's the God-awful truth.  Buddhism is all about the > > > > relief of suffering. > > > > > > > > Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Buddhism: > > > > > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism > > > > > > > > > > > > Buddhism is a religion indigenous to the Indian subcontinent that > > > > encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices largely > > > > based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly > > > > known as the Buddha, meaning "the awakened one". The Buddha lived and > > > > taught in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent sometime > > > > between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE.[1] He is recognized by > > > > Buddhists as an awakened or enlightened teacher who shared his > > > > insights to help sentient beings end their suffering (dukkha) through > > > > the elimination of ignorance (avidyÄ) by way of understanding and the > > > > seeing of dependent origination (pratÄ«tyasamutpÄda) and the > > > > elimination of craving (taṇhÄ), and thus the attainment of the > > > > cessation of all suffering, known as the sublime state of nirvÄņ> > > > 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: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >  rubbish..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 dissolved > > > > > > > > > > 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? > > > > > > > > > >  that 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? > > > > > > > > > >  as 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 > > > > > > > > > >  acceptance,  compassion and universal love > > > > > > > > > >  if that is not buddhism then well i'll be blown over by a stick > > > > > > > > > >  merle > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >  > > > > > 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 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? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
