Dear Siska,
Well, no "titles", please, however informal! I am very touched by your
consideration of such a thing, however, and this is the first time this has
happened -- or almost happened -- to me! So, my face is a little red. And
this is in addition to the usual Arizona desert "tan" that I told Bill! about
the other day.
You are VERY kind.
I am impressed and intrigued by the way you so intimately and technically know
the states attained and passed through in Vipassana practice. As you know, in
Ch'an, there is not much discussion of these things, except perhaps privately
with the teacher. Or, maybe it's the same in the formal Vipassana way of
practice, as well, I don't know; I have never yet approached practicing
Vipassana.
Ch'an has been my way since 1979, when I met Master Sheng Yen in New York in
Feb. of that year and formally became his lay student. My first 7-day Ch'an
retreat was with him at a borrowed estate property outside the City on Long
Island, May 25-31, 1979, called "Bodhi House", in East Setauket, Long Island,
then owned by the Head of the American Buddhist Association, Dr. C. T. Shen.
Siska, don't wait for the Yan generation. If you take the Bodhisattva Precepts
with Guo Jun Fashi, or another of Sheng Yen's successors, your first name could
be "Chang". ;-)
Thank you; you've made me blush. And if I can EVER be ShiXiong, in any way,
and be so just informally, please let me know. But I will still be "Joe".
Nothing special! But of course very happy to be among good friends and
practitioners.
If you need to know about Stars, etc., well, I am an Astronomer. But lately I
make a lot of sawdust, not star-dust, making wood things for Zen Buddhist
temples and practice centers, teachers, and practitioners. It's a part of my
practice, and a little remunerative (enough to support my wood-working hobby).
Well, greetings from our warm desert. We did NOT reach 100 degrees F the other
day: only 99!
--Joe
> siska_cen@... wrote:
>
> Hi Joe,
>
> I was about to call you Guo Xiang ShiXiong, but was not sure if I could call
> you shixiong. I'd probably be a Yan (or after) generation :D
>
> Sorry, I don't know where he is now. Last time he came was perhaps 2 years
> ago. Hope someone in your Sangha can find out his whereabouts.
>
> Thanks for the link, will check it out...
>
> Siska
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