Just as well I don't consider myself a teacher then. Nor am I yet transmitted and authorized as a Zen teacher. The only explicit authorization I have is to work with the basics of sitting and practice. So for me it comes down to sharing my practice with others - that's it. As for it not being Upaya - if someone else, with little or no knowledge of the Suttas and Sutras at all had asked me the same question, I may well have advised them to pay more attention to something like the Bahiya Sutta. Interestingly enough, when it comes to sitting and paying attention, not getting caught up in what's going on in the head but really allowing ourselves to keep returning to the physical reality of what we are doing with our bodies and minds here and now - the Buddha it seems had an answer that wouldn't fulfil your idea of Upaya either Alex:
"A third time, Bahiya said to the Blessed One: "But it is hard to know for sure what dangers there may be for the Blessed One's life, or what dangers there may be for mine. Teach me the Dhamma, O Blessed One! Teach me the Dhamma, O One-Well-Gone, that will be for my long-term welfare and bliss." "Then, Bahiya, thus should you train yourself: In the seen, let there be only the seen. In the heard, let there be only the heard. In the sensed, let there be only the sensed. In the cognized, let there be only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself. When for you there is only the seen in the seen, only the heard in the heard, only the sensed in the sensed, only the cognized in the cognized, then, Bahiya, you will not be reckoned by it. When you are not reckoned by it, you will not be in it. When you are not in it, you will be neither 'here' nor 'there' nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of suffering." It appears that either way, one still ends up at the same place - just sitting, just seeing, just listening. Genryu ----- Original Message ----- From: Alex Bunard To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 1:09 PM Subject: Re: [Zen] Suggestions for reading? It is our duty as teachers to offer expedient, skillful means to our students, so that they can really ease into this practice. Just giving them lofty goals, and then, once they fall flat on their faces, tell them to try harder, is not very skillful (in my opinion). Alex [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> What would our lives be like without music, dance, and theater? Donate or volunteer in the arts today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/WwRTUD/SOnJAA/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/
