It would appear that you are missing the point of practicing Zen in the first place. "If it feels good, do it" is not zen. It may be PC, but it has nothing to do with Zen - period.
People who are getting uptight because of the postings of Fudo and others need to look at themselves, not those who are making the so-called offensive posts. The fact of the matter is that if one is getting offended, then they are the ones who are failing in their practice. Zen is not huggy feely feel good crap like so many want to pretend that it is. It is not about a bunch of smiling old bald guys being nice to their students. It is not about being cordial and fake to others just because someone's feelings may get unnecessarily ruffled. It is about reality and dealing with things that we are confronted with. Fudo's posts give everyone the opportunity to learn and to check how well their own practice is going. If you find your gut getting twisted in a ball because of something he wrote, it is you who needs more practice or time on your Zafu. It certainly does not mean that you should try and emulate him as everyone has a different way of seeing and dealing with existence. His is more in your face and others are more subdued. Neither is right or wrong and neither should be muzzled because of someone's false sense of right and wrong. I certainly hope that Fudo has not been banned or chased off just because a few people on here can't deal with reality and the fact that everything is not all rosy in this world. The history and stories of the old Zen masters are filled with gruff men who were quite unpleasant and who were quite enlightened. Unless you simply wish to erase these facts and ignore the reality of Zen, everyone needs to lighten up a bit and accept that there are those who, while appearing gruff, are sincere and honest practitioners who should also be listened to. It is up to the listener to discern what is of value in the message, but the message should certainly not be hidden under the blanket or locked away like some unwanted stepchild. I know that I certainly want nothing to do with a world filled with false smiles and fake appearances. That is not Zen. That is an abomination. If you want that perhaps one is better of going to a Tibetan monastery where everyone is happily smiling away and no one dares speak the truth if it has any unpleasant undertones. --- In [email protected], "spider" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: "Rod Scholl" In what way do you recommend we approach this forum? > > > > In a constructive and positive manner. If if feels good, do it. I am not > interested in putting up with verbal abuse from anybody. If a miss is as > good as a mile, then some guy in training to be a monk is as close to being > a Zen Master as a monkey in the jungle. We all have access to Zen books, and > some of us actually have access to Zen Centers or even Zen Senseis. I think > we should realize that there are many ways to improve ourselves, and that is > what we are mostly interested in. > > If you can share some actual experiences from a sesshin or other interaction > with a Zen sensei, that is great. If you can share personal insights from > your own zazen, that is great. > > Some of it may help others. Some may not. We can give constructive > suggestions without putting down the character of anyone else. We can > understand that there is no right answer, regardless of what any half-baked > monk might believe. > > We should not expect to agree on anything. We should be happy if we read the > e-mails and learn one positive thing without having to wade through any > mean-spirited, spiteful, sarcastic, or pedantic harangues. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! http://us.click.yahoo.com/UwRTUD/UOnJAA/i1hLAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Current Book Discussion: Appreciate Your Life by Taizan Maezumi Roshi. New or used at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1570622280/ref=ase_actionheroesc-20/002-4507763-9442460?v=glance&s=books> 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/
