---Great responses all, i'm still trying to fully wrap my brain
around these concepts. Ahhhh, learning. Alex, if I understand you
correctly, you're saying that it's possible to practice zen without
it affecting your life. Theoretically I understand, but in life I
don't. Hojo Soun once said that a man reveales his innermost self in
a single word. It seems to me that if you really believe/practice
something it will ooze through the subconscious. Am I missing
something?
Also, on the matter of opening up or shutting down. When I said
yesterday that I understand why monks occasionally retreat from
society, I meant it more as a statement on self preservation rather
than to keep oneself from hurting others, although that's a good
reason too. Kind of what you said about the elephant and the rabbit,
and what I added about being careful in the presence of them.
Ignorance can be a very dangerous thing, even if it's not our
ignorance. I hope this isn't too vague, but i'm trying to avoid
dumping personal problems here.
On lesser matters; yes, Alex, my name is really Guy. It was the
Sixties, my parents smoked a lot of pot, what do you want me to
do?:p Peace, Guy
In [email protected], 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
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > =====
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> > this
> > > letter
> > >
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