Dear Neutral Milk, That looks like a very complicated why of saying "I don't know, the problem is to complex to solve by e-mail". That's all right, I understand, but why not just say it? Now you praise Buddha to the skies to hide the fact you don't have an answer. Why abuse Buddha for that?
Spider brought up some interesting questions, straight from normal, real life. Doing shopping, paying at a toll booth, what to do. Some people responded to it, from their experience, thoughts, and perhaps study. Very interesting, very inspiring. This posting is meant to be a positive posting. Let's not kill our thoughts with religion, albeit Buddha, Christ or the pope. I see it too much. Thinking and discussing about what to do in real life should not be stopped by saying "regurgitate the Dharma is a daunting task". Eus --- In [email protected], Neutral Milk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On 7/14/05, mackkup <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > so then what would Dharma as our guiding principle tell us to do? Mack > > You'd like me to regurgitate the Dharma for you? That's a daunting > task. The Buddha spent at least 45 years of his life teaching the > Dharma, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year (according to the Buddhist > lore, he only took seven days sabbatical once, when he left the Sangha > to supposedly teach his Mother the system of the matrices of reality; > but even then, he would return at night and teach Shariputra the > 'digest' version, which Shariputra used later on to formulate the > Abhidharma system). > > It's like a doctor who advises us to use the accumulated medical > knowledge in order to diagonse and treat a patient. And then the > doctor is asked: "So then what would the medical teaching as our > guiding principle tell us to do?" Well, it depends, but it goes > without saying that you'd FIRST and foremost have to master the > medical teaching and practice. > > If I may be so bold, I'll give you the 'foot in a door' here. There is > a famous Buddhist saying: > > "Buddhist practitioners do not fear the results, they fear the causes." > > From there, go into contemplating why is being in the present moment > so important. > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Neutral Milk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > You need the Dharma as your guiding principle. Just winging it is > > not > > > recommended. Gut feel, common sense, 'feel it out' and other nuggets > > > of wisdom from the folklore are to be avoided at all costs. > > > > > > Why do I say that? Because the Buddha had warned us that common > > sense > > > people are heading in a ruinous direction. They take what's > > > detrimental and treat it as if it's something beneficial. They take > > > what's beneficial, and treat it as if it is something detrimental. > > > > > > Sources? You need sources to corroborate this? Here is one: > > > > > > "So long as an evil deed has not ripened, the fool thinks it as > > sweet > > > as honey. But when the evil deed ripens, the fool comes to grief. " > > > Dhammapada v.69 > > > > > > On 7/13/05, woof puppy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Focus on the present. Tearing at yourself for how you > > > > SHOULD have behaved is pointless. Even if you come up > > > > with the perfect way of handling the situation, > > > > tomorrow is another day, and the exact circumstances > > > > you encountered are not likely to repeat themselves. > > > > (Even if Lizard Guy gives you the cold shoulder again, > > > > it won't be second-for-second the same scene, and in > > > > dealing with people, timing is everything). That's > > > > why if you walk into a room expecting your plan to > > > > read like a script, you're going to walk away > > > > disappointed, and at a disadvantage to those who were > > > > winging it. > > > > > > > > The only thing to do in a situation like you describe > > > > is to feel it out. If your thoughts got muddied at > > > > the time, and you're no good at feeling it out, no > > > > ammount of dissecting it in hindsight is going to help > > > > you. The only thing you can do is to get better at > > > > "feeling it out." The best way to practice that is to > > > > stay in the moment, as best you can, for as long as > > > > you can. > > > > > > > > Lingering on past failures or shortcomings is not > > > > going to help you. > > > > > > > > > > > > SPROCKET > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As I drove away from the store, I felt pretty > > > > > pissed off. > > > > > > > > > > > > My questions are: A) Should I have just left the > > > > > >store after it was apparent the employee had an > > > > > >attitude? B) Should I have continued talking to > > > > > >him after he was not responding? C) Should I have > > > > > >just visualized some peaceful Zen saying and stood > > > > > >there pleasantly asking over and over again for > > > > some > > > > > > help? D) Should I have complained to the manager > > > > > >(on Monday)? E) Should I have assumed the Lotus > > > > > >position in the middle of the aisle and begun > > > > > > chanting sutras (or singing Kumbaya)? > > > > > > > > > > > > What do you do? What would you do? > > > > > > > > > > > > No flames please. > > > > > > > > > > > > Thank you. > > > > > > > > > > > > Al > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > > > Do You Yahoo!? > > > > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > > > > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > > > > > > > > > > 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 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 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/
