Just go straight on and deal with any issues as they arise. There is no such creature as "the ego" to chip away at. What we are talking about here is self-grasping mental states and the letting go thereof. Clinging to the I concept is misery and conceit. There is no joy in it. Not grasping an I concept is freedom.
Just to provide my perspective. Ian -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Eugene Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2005 5:18 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Zen] Re: Zen a path of paradox Mack, The "i" concept is indeed the root of a lot of a lot of evil, but also the root of a lot of joy and happiness. It's like dynamite; can be used good and bad (if life was that simple...) The "i" concept is since birth the centre of the universe - that is: my I is the centre of my universe, your I is the centre of your universe and someone else's I the centre of his universe. The earth or Sun is not the centre of the universe - the "I" is. Zen (and other training) can 'modify' that. Zen training can lead to a diminishing ego, a possibility to see life more "objective", not only from the viewpoint of the "i". If objectivity means truth, I agree with you that > if we chip away at the ego > all that will be left is truth. But: why search for something like truth and objectivity? Is that what you try to find with Zen? Chipping away at the ego, as you so nicely describe it, can be very useful and perhaps enlightning but also very dangerous - since it is a so important concept. It has to be done carefully and with the right objectives I think, not merely to find truth and objectivity. Eugene --- In [email protected], "mackkup" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > since birth we are taught the "i" concept which i feel is the root of > all evil. the ego grows and grows and doesnt allow us to see life the > way it should be seen. little by little if we chip away at the ego > all that will be left is truth. Mack > > > > > > Well... since we were > > originally sharing on the beauty and significance of > > relaxation,expansion of our life experience,melting,letting > go...and > > how difficult it is for all of us. When i noticed how unable ive > > always been to simply let go into the way things really > > are,accidentally i came across the very obstacle that was closing > my > > way...It was an idea,an idea i haddent yet understood,considered in > > the light of awareness,an idea i haddent been corageous enough to > > contemplate face to face. It was the idea "I".Ever since that > > experience this "I" idea have been melting away and instead a new > > understanding has started to grow,develop by itself,or simply has > > started to unfold by itself.The crucial tactic here is to consider > > this malconstructed "idea of I",being fully honest inside.Courage > to > > see inner reality is a rewarding asset. Current Book Discussion: Appreciate Your Life by Taizan Maezumi Roshi Yahoo! Groups Links 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/
