>Dear Ian, > > > You obviously have no difficulty thinking, and thinking clearly. Your > > writing is clear and lucid. Were you having this frustrating experience > > right when you were writing this email? > >LOL, touche... I know, I know, and yet... > >Is it possible to LIVE in that state, relaxed and free (even if free to be >frustrated, angry, and so on)... or is "satori" doomed to fleeting moments >of magic? > >I realize a well-placed Koan (verbal or otherwise) can spark it, as can >forcing the issue through extreme activity (I like driving cars for >instance, where I can melt into the experience of Just Driving). > >But sooner or later, the laughter fades, or someone cuts me off, and I'm >back in the Real World again, full of conflict, doubts, second-guessing, >self-reflecting, and so on. Satori seems to be a temporary fiction (as is >the self), supported by a fragile delusion of grandeur or grace, which >collapses at the first hint of conflict. Melting into the experience is >one thing when meditating in a peaceful meadow... and quite another in >rush-hour traffic. > >So I'm asking: can satori be sustained in the modern world of daily life?
I don't know if "sustained satori" is quite the right Zen terminology. Satori is usually a word applied to enlightenment experiences, I believe. I know what you mean though. I would say that any peace and freedom of mind that depends on concentration is going to break down rather quickly in modern life. But concentration-dependent peace is not what Zen is shooting for. Seeing the emptiness of body and mind allows for letting go, for non-grasping. This kind of peace and freedom can't be lost because it doesn't depend on things being this way or that way. In this sense that we can talk about a transformation. Ian ------------------------ 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 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/
