human beings have a tendency to trivialise and make simplistic one liners in much human activity... that is the nature of the beast.. some one liners hit the spot beautifully... others are just dribble from the minds of fools... a fool will easily fool another fool... and so it goes.. merle
What is more trivial than selling water by the river? Maybe hoping that reason can save one? Perhaps rather than the word trivial, I should have said the language taken from Japan and ancient India and China lead Westerners to assume that zazen is about some quick fix, pulling down some low hanging fruit, yet another texture to add to the quilt of multiculturalism. Here's my chanting CD, here's my saree, here's an elephant statur, here's my guru's (that I met once in Central Park) picture, here's my zafu. Oh Yeah, I see Buddha nature in the Whole Foods produce section after I mindfully buy some MSC fish. Using language from our tradition, seeing the face of God, perhaps will slow people down a bit, so when Bill speaks of no thoughts, they are prepared to listen, and to appreciate why he might find that a turning point in his life. Thanks, --Chris 301-270-6524 On Jun 18, 2013 1:42 AM, "Bill!" <[email protected]> wrote: Chris, Merle, Joe, et al... > >Could you get anymore trivial and any more true than the saying which is also >the title of a book: "selling water by the river"? > >What is more trivial than water? What is more precious than water? > >...Bill! > >--- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> wrote: >> >> >> >>  yes chris..you are on the correct path to this trivial...i think edgar >> calls it comic book zen...merle >> >> >>  >> http://www.thesatoriteacompany.com/ >> >> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IK735YHVtA >> >> >> http://zenhabits.net/ >> >> >> I believe you must simply be failing to understand my words here.  You've >> never seen US culture trivialize zen? >> >> >> >> http://cherrycrime26.hubpages.com/hub/Meditation-Techniques-To-Manifest-Money >> >> >> http://www.zenprofits.com/ >> >> >> http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Centered-Transform-Your-Weeks-Meditation/dp/1401935869 >> >> >> Oh well, >> >> Chris >> >> >> >> >> Thanks, >> >> --Chris >> chris@... >> +1-301-270-6524 >> >> >> On Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 4:59 PM, Joe <desert_woodworker@...> wrote: >> >> Chris, >> > >> >I never heard such stuff.  Dunno where you may be coming from. >> > >> >It may be just a geographic or cultural proclivity, or merely and >> >importantly personal. >> > >> >I hope you and your chosen teacher will take these things up, if they are >> >important in (Zen) practice. >> > >> >Best, >> > >> > >> >--Joe >> > >> >> Chris Austin-Lane <chris@> wrote: >> >> >> > >> >> I wasn't really referring to the case when people with a lot of aware >> >> experiences of buddha nature trivialize it - that seems like a non-problem >> >> to me. >> >> >> >> I was referring to the tendency of [my, i.e. US] culture to trivialize >> >> everything, especially stuff from other traditions, e.g. >> >> http://zeninamoment.com/  or http://www.kenwilber.com/blog/list/1 >> >> http://bigmind.org/genpo-roshi >> >> >> >> People want to think that there is some simple fix that they can acquire, >> >> rather than that there is no problem, and nothing to fix but their own >> >> tendencies to blindness, irritation and wanting stuff, which is extremely >> >> non-trivial to lay down, and that the process of laying down these >> >> tendencies is so profoundly satisfying that one can't find it trivial; it >> >> is as trivial as singing in the rain while feeling happy. >> >> >> >> In my experience, people in the US are apt to paper over the most profound >> >> moments with silly thin ideas, turning away from the suchness we have a >> >> chance to share in and turning towards some paper-thing abstraction. >> >> >> >> Do I think that substituting "seeing God" or "seeing the face of God" >> >> might >> >> help someone understand "Just This!" or "experience Buddha nature"?  I >> >> find >> >> it likely enough to be worth discussing. >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> >------------------------------------ >> > >> >Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are >> >reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > >------------------------------------ > >Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are >reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links > > > >
