Bill, I grasp your meaning but its wrong... Either that or you are expressing it improperly...
Edgar On May 19, 2013, at 8:01 AM, Bill! wrote: > Edgar, > > Your feigned inability to grasp the meaning of stories or parables is > unbecoming. At least I HOPE it's just a feigned inability because if you > really can't make the leap from a story, parable or myth to it's sometimes > multi-level meanings you're really missing out on a lot of wonderful > literature and learning opportunities. > > What you doing below would be like you showing me the mathematical symbol > 'pi' and telling me it represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to > its diameter, and then me pointing out that it couldn't be because it doesn't > even look like a circle but like a little table with one bent leg. > > How you got from drinking water on a moonless night to stepping out in front > of a bus I'll never know - and frankly don't want to know. > > ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@...> wrote: > > > > Bill, > > > > A very funny and dangerous view of reality. > > > > Go step in front of a bus. It won't be a mistake. It will only be an > > experience, and therefore good Zen in your strange world... > > > > Edgar > > > > > > > > On May 19, 2013, at 4:01 AM, Bill! wrote: > > > > > Edgar, > > > > > > Au contraire mon ami... > > > > > > When Won Hyo experienced drinking water that night there was no mistake. > > > > > > The next morning when Won Hyo learned he drank from a skull it was then > > > he perceived a mistake. His intellect created the judgement of mistake at > > > that time. > > > > > > There are no mistakes in experience or Buddha Nature. There are only > > > mistakes in perception and the intellect. This is because 'mistake' is a > > > rational concept. > > > > > > Capisce? > > > > > > ...Bill! > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Bill, > > > > > > > > No, it points to the fact that if one doesn't use his rational mind his > > > > direct experience makes mistakes (mistaking the skull for a cup). > > > > > > > > Making mistakes one doesn't realize the true nature of reality. > > > > > > > > Therefore the rational mind is necessary to recognize the true nature > > > > of reality. > > > > > > > > Therefore using the rational mind is an essential part of Zen.. > > > > > > > > Edgar > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On May 18, 2013, at 6:50 AM, Bill! wrote: > > > > > > > > > Edgar, > > > > > > > > > > That might be true if the man from whose skull he drank had died of > > > > > some communicable disease, but as you well know that's not the point > > > > > of the story. > > > > > > > > > > The point of the story is that when Won Hyo was not able to > > > > > completely engage his rational mind (because of the lack of > > > > > information caused by the darkness) the experience of the water was > > > > > refreshing. In the morning when he was able to fully engage his > > > > > rational mind the perception of his having drank from the skull was > > > > > nauseating. > > > > > > > > > > The story points out the difference between experience and > > > > > perception, the difference between Buddha Nature (experience) and > > > > > rationalization (thought). Won Hyo's conclusion was: "Ah, he said to > > > > > himself, thinking makes good and bad, life and death. And without > > > > > thinking these is no universe, no Buddha, no Dharma. All is one, and > > > > > this one is empty." > > > > > > > > > > ...Bill! > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Bill, > > > > > > > > > > > > LOL! And then Won Hyo died of whatever had killed the guy who's > > > > > > skull he drank out of. > > > > > > > > > > > > Why? Because he was a comic book Zennist who didn't have enough > > > > > > sense to use his RATIONAL MIND! > > > > > > > > > > > > Edgar > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On May 18, 2013, at 12:39 AM, Bill! wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mike, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And what I am saying (and IMO) is perception should NOT be used > > > > > > > to illustrate Buddha Nature. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Perceptions are creations of the intellect (Human Nature). > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [The awareness of sensual]experience is Buddha Nature. (The > > > > > > > qualifiers in [brackets] should be unnecessary but I know many do > > > > > > > not share my definition of 'experience'.) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Here is another zen story that I think I posted just recently > > > > > > > that perhaps better illustrates my point: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "This is a story about Won Hyo, who is a famous Korean monk. He > > > > > > > wanted to travel to China to meet a master that would teach him > > > > > > > Buddhism. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > One evening as Won Hyo was crossing the desert, he stopped at a > > > > > > > small patch of green, where there were a few trees and some > > > > > > > water, and went to sleep. Towards midnight he awoke, thirsty--it > > > > > > > was pitch-dark. He groped along on all fours, searching for > > > > > > > water. At last his hand touched a cup on the ground. He picked it > > > > > > > up and drank. Ah, how delicious! Then he bowed deeply, in > > > > > > > gratitude, to the Buddha for the gift of water. The next morning, > > > > > > > Won Hyo woke up and saw besides him what he had taken for a cup > > > > > > > (during the night). It was a shattered skull, blood-caked and > > > > > > > with shreds of flesh still stuck to the cheek-bones. Strange > > > > > > > insects crawled or floated on the surface of the filthy rainwater > > > > > > > inside it. Won Hyo looked at the skull and felt a great wave of > > > > > > > nausea. He opened his mouth. As soon as the vomit poured out, his > > > > > > > mind opened and he understood. Last night, since he hadn't seen > > > > > > > and hadn't thought, the water was delicious. This morning, seeing > > > > > > > and thinking had made him vomit. Ah, he said to himself, thinking > > > > > > > makes good and bad, life and death. And without thinking these is > > > > > > > no universe, no Buddha, no Dharma. All is one, and this one is > > > > > > > empty. There was no need now to find a master. Won Hyo already > > > > > > > understood life and death. What more was there to learn? So he > > > > > > > turned and started back across the desert to Korea." > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -From the book entitled, "Thousand Peaks" by Mu Soeng Sunim > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Now, IMO Buddha Nature is pure experience, like Won Hyo's > > > > > > > experience of drinking the water. It would be like the 'Ah!' I > > > > > > > recommended in the strawberry story. Both his initial perception > > > > > > > of 'delicious' and his later perception which caused him to be > > > > > > > nauseous is like the 'sweet' exclamation in the strawberry story. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > So unless you want to interpret 'sweet' to just be a spontaneous, > > > > > > > non-judgmental exclamation IMO it is not an appropriate > > > > > > > representation of Buddha Nature. I'd also think that is shown by > > > > > > > all the confusion and dialog it has caused on just this thread. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > But, as usual, all this is CAVEAT EMPTOR and IMO only...Bill! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], uerusuboyo@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Bill!,<br/><br/>You could well be correct about the story not > > > > > > > > being used as a recognised koan. But I'm sure I've come across > > > > > > > > it being used as such a couple of times. <br/><br/>I can see > > > > > > > > how "Ah!" could be used as you say, but it isn't. The point I'm > > > > > > > > arguing here is that in the story - a Zen teaching 'device'- a > > > > > > > > perception was used by the man to illustrate Buddha Nature. The > > > > > > > > man didn't just say "Sweet!" as a passive description - he > > > > > > > > exclaimed his perception > > > > > > > > positively.<br/><br/>Mike<br/><br/><br/>Sent from Yahoo! Mail > > > > > > > > for iPad > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
