jm...
i am keen on chan..
what do you mean by reincarnate?..don't you mean recycle?...
ashes to ashes dust to dust..hence dust to soup then the cycle begins again...?
this reincarnation "theory" has me bamboozled...
is it not just another mind game?
how can you be free with spirit soaring when there is so much suffering in the
world caused by the greed of others?
merle
Hi Bill,
Thank you for asking.. Below are my comments for your reference..
I have read this article awhile back..
Chan by definition is One and ALL. Meaning it is the absolute
dharma applicable to ALL things - body, mind and spirit. As well as
it can answer every question written in the sutra and bible. In
other words, with a simplest practice, it can rejuvenate our body,
clear our mind and let our spirit shine by eliminating all karma.
And at the end of it all, our spirit will stop reincarnating. We
will be in heaven.
Most of the Chan teachings by an unenlightened master, stops at the
mind level, because they don't have the spiritual power to help
people to eliminate their karma. This article ends at the mind
level. For most of the people, if one can achieve ego-less, it
would already deserve celebration, because the world will be a
better place. This is what we call "Chan Living", or everyday Chan.
Living by fulfilling each moment. But you still reincarnate.
Most of the Chan teachings does not cover the spiritual practice,
because it deals with lights, chi and abstract phenomena. Yet, once
you experience consistent phenomena with lights and chi, you will
know they are the actual causes of everything. The world is really
run by energy. In other worlds, the spiritual practice is the
practice dictating our body and mind. Fundamental Chan practice is
a spiritual practice. If you recall, seven or eight years ago, when
I first join the forum, I asked, "is there spirituality in Zen?"
BTW, how do we know whether a person is enlightened or not? The
proof is in his dead body. If he dies at his preferred time without
sickness, and there are relics after he was cremated, then he is
enlightened.
My Shifu said, "the parents of all my disciple, even though they do
not practice, they still will have relics when they die." I have
witnessed that every time.
In short, I like to suggest to the forum, instead of using your mind
to judge whether you wanted to try our way of meditation or not,
just try it diligently for six months, then you shall experience.
There is nothing worth any of us to hang on too, or to hold them
with our life. Chan is taught beyond words and through
transmission.
Chan is about direct experience of ALL things. Using our mind to
filter or discriminate only narrows our scope resulting in practice
with our mind and not our spirit. Let our spirit soar and be free.
Thank you for the opportunity to share,
jm
On 5/22/2013 1:19 AM, Bill! wrote:
>Mike and JMJM,
>
>Mike, Thanks for this link. I pulled up the article will
wait to read it until JMJM says he thinks it's worthwhile
doing so. I don't want to have 3 or 4 versions of Ch'an
rolling around in my head. The mix we get here on the Zen
Forum about zen is confusion enough, and I trust JMJM's
insight and knowledge on Ch'an.
>
>JMJM, If you would please read the article cited below and
tell me what you think of it. It's looks pretty thorough.
It's by Ch'an Master Sheng-yen (1977) if that helps you
make that determination without reading it.
>
>Thanks...Bill!
>
>--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, uerusuboyo@... wrote:
>>
>> Joe,<br/><br/>http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/C%20-%20Zen/Modern%20Teachers/Sheng%20Yen/What%20is%20Ch%27an/What%20is%20Ch%27an%20-%20Master%20Sheng-yen.htm<br/><br/>Found
>> this online and thought you might be interested. It was originally written
>> as a pamphlet to be handed out, but was then lost. Someone found one of
>> these old pamphlets and thought it was so good it should be shared. Even if
>> you've read it before.. Enjoy!<br/><br/>Mike<br/><br/><br/>Sent from Yahoo!
>> Mail for iPad
>>
>
>
