Re; authority It might be helpful to distinguish bet. responsibility and expertise. Often we want to evade responsibility for accepting or rejecting feedback, interpretation, etc. by turning it over to another: The Zen Master, God, Buddha, The Sutras, Fred next store as the Absolute authority. In the end of course it is we who decide to grant or withhold authority. No matter how we twist and turn repsonsibility always comes back to our own lap. And yet---there is also the issue of engaging feedback--really working with it. This is learning how to be a true student--not just some self proclaimed fount of wisdom. Without the availability to feedback, in fact really taking it to heart and struggling with it the teaching situation doesn't work. This is a pragmatic level and a learning to be open, not fixed on MY WISDOM, yet be intelligent and evaluative. If you don't take feedback to heart you are close hearted and isolated---ie. deluded. Man I hate it when a teacher or senior monk tells me my practice is off. Can I listen? Can I learn? Can I disagree? Teaching situations, however, are not just pragmatic---getting knowledge, enlightenment--but are part of Buddha activity in the world----dharma at work. To fall back on some out of context jive that we are IT banishes us from the teaching transmission, not just what is transmitted but the actualization of the flow itself. No my friend its foolish egotistical people who refuse to pay for water the wise who enjoy the compassionate game of exchange and play at and honor the teacher/ student dance. If you can't bow, you can't practice, if you can't practice your Buddhism is bullshit.
--- mackkup <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], Alex Bunard > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- mackkup <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > But why can't you realize that the Buddha > taught that > > there is no higher authority? You yourself are the > > higher authority, is what the Buddha was saying > all > > along. > > ok, if thats what you believe thats fine. Mack > > > > That being the case, I really don't understand > what do > > you mean by saying "while helping yourself a > higher > > authority will help if you honestly ask for it"? > Who > > is that higher authority? If you say it is some > Zen > > Master, haven't you heard that Zen Masters > denounce > > themselves as "selling water by the river"? Only > > foolish people will pay for the water that they > > themselves can drink straight from the river. > > no i dont believe its a zen master, by no means is > it a human being. > > > > > im sorry but i didnt understand what the hell > you > > > were getting at > > > here. you cannot distort truth. truth is truth. > if > > > you are aware of > > > your surroundings(which you should be) than you > > > would know what > > > misery is taking place. im not saying its up to > you > > > to change it > > > cause you cannot, you can only change yourself. > All > > > the strife thats > > > going on in the world is not an example of > people > > > that are happy. > > > > There are two truths. The Buddha said that all > objects > > can be seen in two lights: in the correct, > unimpeded > > light, and in a dimmed, distorted and distorting > > light. The correct light is what is seen by the > > unimpaired wisdom of the ones who have left their > > intellectual conceptualizations behind. > > > > Now, the worldly consensus perceives things in a > > certain way, and this consensus calls that > perception > > 'the truth'. And the Buddha said: "People may > argue > > with me, but I don't argue with them." Which means > > that the Buddha never disputed the validity of the > > consensual truth. > > > > However, what the Buddha taught is that there is > also > > another truth, and that truth is what is seen by > the > > immaculate mind. And that truth does not > necessarily > > coincide with the consensual truth (i.e. the truth > > that most people with healthy senses agree upon). > > > > So, everyday consensus clearly perceives that > there is > > suffering, there is misery, there are people > torturing > > other people, mutilating them, being cruel to > them. No > > one disputes that (at the everyday consensus > level). > > > > However, at the prajna level, the Buddha disputed > > that. The Buddha said that, while the perception > of > > someone being tortured undoubtedly arises before > us, > > in truth nothing arises. All phenomena are unborn, > > peaceful, completely incapable of any suffering, > any > > pain. > > > > We, as Buddhist practitioners, are obliged to > > ourselves to penetrate this secret. We must get to > the > > point where we are able to perceive what the > Buddha > > had perceived. Anything short of that is not > really > > going to cut it, I'm afraid. > > > > Alex > > wow, thats alot to digest. i dont know what world > you live in but as > long as your having a good time....thats all that > matters. Mack > > > > > > ===== > > No karma was produced during the composition of > this letter > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > > Do you Yahoo!? > > All your favorites on one personal page � Try My > Yahoo! > > http://my.yahoo.com > > > > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The all-new My Yahoo! - Get yours free! http://my.yahoo.com ------------------------ 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/
