Merle, I don't have any photos of these new puppies right now but will post one when I do.
...Bill! --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> wrote: > > > >  bill!...send me a pic of the dogs...merle > > >  > 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: > > > > > > > > àbill!..i love dogs...batman is so cute... thank you for your > > story..merle > > à> > Merle, > > > > I have have been practicing for about 47 years, sometimes intensely and > > sometimes not. àI 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. àThe bag had been > > run over by a car and was soaked in blood. àWhen 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. àI 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: > > > > > > > > > > > > Ãâàbill!..thank you... > > > > > > have you been able to eliminate all ignorance and all craving? > > > > > > Ãâàcan you share a personal story Ãâàwith the group? > > > > > > merle > > > > > > > > > Ãâà> > > Merle, > > > > > > Sorry, but that's the God-awful truth. ÃâàBuddhism is all about the > > > relief of suffering. > > > > > > Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Buddhism: > > > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BuddhismÃâà> > > > > > > > > BuddhismÃâàis aÃâàreligionÃâàindigenous to theÃâà> > > Indian subcontinentÃâàthat encompasses a variety of traditions, > > > beliefs and practices largely based on teachings attributed toÃâà> > > Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly known as the Buddha, meaning "the > > > awakened one". The Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of > > > theÃâàIndian subcontinentÃâàsometime between the 6th and 4th > > > centuries BCE.[1]ÃâàHe is recognized by Buddhists as anÃâà> > > awakenedÃâàor enlightened teacher who shared his insights to > > > helpÃâàsentient beingsÃâàend their suffering (dukkha) through > > > the elimination of ignorance (avidyÃÆ'ââ¬Å¾) by way of understanding > > > and the seeing of dependent origination > > > (pratÃÆ'ââ¬Å¾ÃâëtyasamutpÃÆ'ââ¬Å¾da) and the elimination of > > > craving (taÃÆ'áÃâùâââ¬Ã¡hÃÆ'ââ¬Å¾), and thus the > > > attainment of the cessation of all suffering, known as the sublime state > ofÃâànirvÃÆ'ââ¬Å¾ÃÆ'ââ¬Â¦Ã¢ââ¬Ã 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: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡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 dissolvedÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâà> > > > > > > > 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? > > > > > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡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? > > > > > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡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 > > > > > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâàacceptance, ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâàcompassion and > > > > universal love > > > > > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâàif that is not buddhism then well i'll be blown > > > > over by a stick > > > > > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâàmerle > > > > > > > > > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡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'Ã'âââ¬à ¡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'Ã'âââ¬à ¡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'Ã'âââ¬à ¡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'Ã'âââ¬à ¡ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâà> > > > > And yet you are the one who started this > > > > > conversation.ÃÆ'Ã'âââ¬à ¡ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡ÃâàIt has been > > > > > my understanding that the primaryÃÆ'Ã'ââ∠> > > > > ¡ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâàmessage of Buddhism was addressing > > > > > suffering.ÃÆ'Ã'âââ¬à ¡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'Ã'ââ∠> > > > > ¡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'Ã'âââ¬à ¡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'Ã'âââ¬à ¡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! 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/
