Alex Bunard wrote:
"My only tiny bone to pick with this orientation, as proposed by fudo, is that I can imagine young Shakyamuni Buddha receiving pretty much identical sermon from one of his contemporaries. I can see him listening to some sanyasin admonishing him: "What are you trying to claim? What are you trying to discover? You're still very green. Don't you know that this land has been claimed thousands of years ago? Don't you know that the entire infrastructure has already been built? Haven't you read the Vedas, the Upanishads? All you have to do is join the crew!" Dear Alex, Of course, unlike Gautama we already have someone who did the Skakyamuni thing better than any one of us could hope to do. Who was the second person to discover Yellowstone? Who was the second person to discover the Northwest Passage? Who ever they were they were not long remembered because they really did not discover anything new. Shakyamuni already did the other shore thing originally. It has been done. I am not much impressed with being the latest person to figure out how to get to Old Faithful. It really is not much to brag about any longer. Sorry Alex, just like me you are too little too late. Karma is a terrible thing. I would recommend that those who are sincerely seeking a way across the river, that they take the ferry. It is true that one can set out without a map and wander about till they find the river, cut some reeds, and build a raft....test the raft, and then hope the thing hangs together long enough to make it across the river. Some have no other choice than to do things the hard way. For me, I will just take the bus. It is much easier and I am lazy....and after all, I am going nowhere thousands have not been before. I just do not need to make a big production out of getting to work each day on the ferry. It is my job. It is nothing special, nothing thousands have not done before. There is no great merit in being the 10,000th person to pilot a ferry. I could wax poetic, or write volumes about the trip to work in the morning, but most would just be bored by my morning coffee, and my description of the smell of a bus. I might appear a bit eccentric for making such a big deal out of how I got somewhere all by myself when they know all I must do is take a bus, or call a cab....especially to those who already take the bus every day. Personally I do not care if the ferry you choose is new or old,or blue or green, or if you wish to test the river in your home built raft. It is your trip. I like the ferry I crew on just fine. The captain is amiable, and the task comes easily to my hand. It might not be the newest boat, or the flashiest. It might not get the highest fare possible from each traveler. It might not even be the fastest craft on the river. It is comfortable and having watched ten thousand others leave the craft safely on the other shore, its familiarity is comfortable. I will not jump ship for the latest flash in the pan crew on some shiny new boat. When it becomes my time to turn over the wheel to the next one to step up in my place, I will hand the boat over well cared for, with all lines neatly stowed. I will know the pilot knows the river. I will leave it in good hands. It is just the way I was taught. I see absolutely no need to go where no one has gone before. I am not even sure that is possible. What the old Shakya dude discovered is satisfying enough for me. Be Well Fudo ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, Right Livelihood Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZenForum/ <*> 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/
