Dear Alex and all, I took the quote from a teaching that is several pages of text, and that's really not proper. It's difficult to see what it means in context with the entirety of the teaching. It's a bad habit I have, I hone in on the words that ring a bell.
Thanks, Diana --- Alex Bunard <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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 > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/maildemo ------------------------ 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/
