Mike, 'Dharma' does have many meanings. I looked it up at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma and one of the meaning in Buddhist Phenomenology is what you've said, however the most common meaning in Buddhism is Buddha's teachings.
Desire is attachment. The bottom line is you are attached to some thought - some illusion. It doesn't matter if that thought is a thought of a 'real' woman, a drawing or an outright fantasy. The OBJECT of the attachment is not really the problem. It the SUBJECT of the attachment which is the problem and that is your illusory self. If you dissolve the illusion of self, the SUBJECT of the dualistic illusion, there is no longer any OBJECT nor relationship between them. Now all I've said is an attempt at a logical explanation of what I believe happens based on logical models (forms) and terms we both share. But as has been said over and over on this forum explanations do not really have a lot of authority in zen practice. The only real authority or source you can depend on is experience. ...Bill! --- In [email protected], uerusuboyo@... wrote: > > Bill!,<br/><br/>I agree with most of what you say, but I think you give a > limited account of what 'dharma' means. The Dharma is, of course, the main > body of Buddha's teaching as well as universal law. But 'dharmas' also have > another meaning related to how reality manifests (in this case - thoughts). > There are many dharma gates we have to master and seeing thoughts as illusory > is only part of the picture. We don't avoid attachment to thoughts just > because they are illusory, but because of the craving/aversion they create. > Desiring a beautiful woman that you've painted on a piece of paper doesn't > make the desire unreal even though the woman is an > illusion.<br/><br/>Mike<br/><br/><br/>Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad > ------------------------------------ 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/
