Rod, Why is it always about me? Why can't you move past that point? What's so special about me that you can't look further, and comment on the message instead?
As I've explained to all of you many times already, nothing I say here is my own idea. I have no idea of my own, nor do I personally have anything to offer. I'm a complete idiot, a perfect example of a witless moron who can only repeat the Buddha's words, like a parrot. My practice consists in following the Buddha's instructions. So, I took the vows and now I'm on the path. Why is that fact so disturbing to you? My vows compel me to gently remind practitioners when they have slipped on their path. And I'm not doing that from my own views, I'm just aligning everything according to the Buddha's provisory teachings. So, next time, please focus on the message, and tell me what is it in the message that you find unpalatable. And, please, please, please, try to remember that it's NOT MY MESSAGE! I'm just a dumb relay mechanism. But, if you need further clarification on the meaning of the message, then I'm obliged to supply it to you. Again, the elaboration will *not be* my view; I'll just parrot other Masters' words. Alex --- Rod Scholl <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Alex writes: > > "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, I appreicate your efforts on this forum, and > with your 'school' of students as well. I hope you > know that it can only be seen as well intended. (I > don't think you put up with my poking just for your > own benefit). > > Do you see that being a teacher is also a burden? > It is your greatest attachment, I think. I(perhaps > mine too). It carried you to this forum, and shakes > you about like a rag doll. When the human race and > all its knowledge becomes extinct, what will be your > legacy? > > And I supsect if you put 1/10th the time into > finding a teacher as you put into trying to recruit > students, you would have much more to teach, and > perhaps a different view on what is skillful based > on 'personal experience' rather than from across the > divide of the teacher/student chasm. The only > skillful means I know, are the one's that work on > me. The rest is conjecture. To become more > skillful means I need to be TAUGHT more. This is > why the lamp is passed, and not reignited in every > hovel. > > I don't think anyone argues that you have drawn > value from the sutras; or that you have penetrated > each one of them to some extent, even a great extent > if you prefer. The point is when will you have the > courage to learn from more direct and expedient > methods? > > Rod Scholl > > -----Original Message----- > From: Alex Bunard [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 7:10 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Zen] Suggestions for reading? > > > > Thanks, this is very generous of you. You still > haven't explained what did you mean by the term > 'projection'? > > The kind of instructions you've given us below > ('forget what you think you know' etc.) is, of > course, > absolutely correct. The only problem I'm having with > your approach is that it is not very skillful. It is > true, it is correct, but not upaya (i.e. 'expedient > means'). > > You see, it is very easy to say 'forget what you > think > you know' and so on. And true enough, anyone who > follows this instruction successfully will indeed > penetrate very deeply. But the real issue is that > pretty much no one could ever follow these > simplistic > instructions. > > Yes, a student can make a decision to 'forget what > he > thinks he knows' etc. But his Will cannot triumph > over > the countless ages of habituation. > > 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 > > --- "Rev. Genryu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Forget the Suttas for now, forget what you think > you > > know. Just pay attention to what ever you are > doing > > now, sit, listen, learn to hear with your eyes, > > question everything. > > > > Genryu > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Alex Bunard > > To: [email protected] > > Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 4:29 PM > > Subject: Re: [Zen] Suggestions for reading? > > > > > > No. Teach me, please. > > > > Alex > > > > --- "Rev. Genryu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > > Alex, ever heard the term projection? ;o) > > Practice > > > has nothing to do with how many Suttas you > know > > nor > > > how clever you think you are. > > > > > > Genryu > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > > removed] > > > > > > > ===== > No karma was produced during the composition of this > letter > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! 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