The first noble truth is that to live is to experience Dukkha, which is somewhat more complex than suffering. It is not that life is suffering, which is a common mistranslation that can lead to misunderstanding. In regards to Zen dealing directly with awakening, practice for strictly utilitarian reasons and practice in order to awaken, some Zen teachers don't have a problem with those coming to practice because they want to do something about say their anger or their shitty relationships but, bearing in mind that zazen will not add anything to you, that there is nothing to get out of it, good teachers seek to point students towards things as they are right now, as opposed to creating an expectation about an idealised future state. It isn't that it is wrong to want to do zazen because you have high blood pressure or whatever, indeed that has a valid place in some circumstances, but practicing 'in order to' produce some future result can reinforce the very tendencies that contribute to our suffering in the first place, such as the resistance to being present with things as they are, our proclivity to beating ourselves up because we don't measure up to some standard created in our heads of what and how we 'should' be and also the habit of seeing the practice as being a collection of strategies and tools, when in fact practice and awakening are inseperable.
Genryu ----- Original Message ----- From: "e7carlos" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 11:59 AM Subject: Re: [Zen] attachment > I thought that Buddhism show the path to awakening so one can > understand the world around us and the fake world that we create in > our mind as well as what happen to us when ego and body dies. > Iterestingly the first noble truth say that life is suffering, the > second noble truth tell the reason of suffering, the third noble truth > say that trere is a way out of suffering and the four noble truth show > the way we have to live this life (now,the present)in order to get > awakened, one can say that Zen is different because it goes directly > to awakening before reflecting on one actions but since awakening is > not Buddahood one has to go continuing purifying ones mind for a long > time before complete enlightment ,so it is not so different. > Maybe I am totally mistaken about what I am going to say and please if > somebody could explain it better please do it. > If the therapist adjust the world that a person has created (fix ego > of some neurotic pattern so that this person can funtion better > (according to some predetermined standard))Would not that be to > reinforce dualistic living and the dellusion of I? 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/
