Dear Diana, Yes, I entirely agree with you, you can use your practice either to shut down or open up. In either case, your practice makes a difference. But I'd say that we could say it is 'working' only in the case when we open up. In other words, if we use our practice to shut down, then it's not 'working.'
Wouldn't you agree? Now, Loori's assertion that you've quoted talks indiscriminately about the practice working only if it's making a differnce. I only objected that it was poorly articulated. Alex --- Diana <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dear Alex and all, > > I don't think practice "makes" people irritable or > edgy, it just helps us face what is already there. > Your temperament is already known to those around > you > whether you realize it or not. If someone retreats > in > order to avoid seriously harming others and work on > the mind, yes, it could be said that the practice is > making a difference. The crux of the matter is the > same for all of us; do we use our practice to shut > down or open up? > > Thanks, > Diana > > --- Alex Bunard <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > --- Diana <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > "Maintaining a household, raising a child, > driving > > a > > > car, having relationships - these are the > > activities > > > that we spend most of our daily lives engaged > in. > > > If > > > our practice is not making a difference in these > > > areas, then it's not really working." > > > > > > John Daido Loori > > > > He should've been more specific. Yes, maybe my > > practice is making a difference in those areas, > but > > can I really say that it is working, merely on > > account > > of doing that? What if my ptractice makes me more > > edgy, more irritable, makes me want to burn > bridges > > and hurt others so that I could retreat to the > > mountains, away from the gossip land? > > > > Can we say that, by making such a difference, my > > practice is working? > > > > Yes, it is obviously working, but not towards > > freedom. > > > > Alex > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ===== > > No karma was produced during the composition of > this > > letter > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam > > protection around > > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam > protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > ===== No karma was produced during the composition of this letter __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - now with 250MB free storage. Learn more. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Would you Help a Child in need? It is easier than you think. Click Here to meet a Child you can help. http://us.click.yahoo.com/O2aXmA/I_qJAA/i1hLAA/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/
