--- In [email protected], Ian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > So, in other words, if one sees a flag moving in the wind, don't confuse > the experience by engaging in idle metaphysical speculation. > > Ian > [This might be a duplicate post. My communications link went down while I was trying to post this before and I don't know if it went through or not]
Ian That's right - I guess. You don't have to add anything to the experience to appreciate it. There's nothing wrong, however, with engaging in metaphysical speculation. It's fun! Just don't mistake metaphysical speculation or any other intellectual pursuits for `understanding' Buddha Nature. They are not needed. But I think we got way off track here. We were initially discussing whether Buddha Nature changes or is constant. That led to a discussion about change itself, and that led to a discussion about consciousness. I wrote something in an earlier post about consciousness I would like to take back or at least clarify. It's something I think is a central issue (maybe The Central Issue) in zen. I still define the term `consciousness' as `having self-awareness', or `being aware of self', but I want to attempt to differentiate `consciousness' from `awareness'. The act of creating the self is the very act that creates dualism. When you create the self you create the `other' (not-self). From that split all other dualist splits are derived. You cannot have a self and not have a not-self. From my experience the very heart of zen is to cease creating the self. The self is not only the source of all dualism; it is the basis for all attachments. The self attracts attachments like a magnet and then clings to them like some kind of physic Velcro. The self is also the basis for all karma (cause and effect). Without the self you are freed from the never- ending `wheel of karma'. Christians would say `all your sins are forgiven'. In zen-language the `self' is sometimes referred to as the `Little I'. Buddha Nature is then referred to as the `Big I'. It is this Big I that has AWARENESS. This is not the simplistic, limiting, dualistic self-awareness of consciousness, but an all- encompassing, non-dualistic, holistic awareness. An example would be that a sound appears but it does not appear apart from you. There is no you, there is ONLY sound, only smell, only sight, etc.. I cannot explain it any better than that right now. Anyway, I wanted to re-address that consciousness remark I made some posts back about the flag moving. GasshoÂ…Bill! ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Stop an Abortion Today. Give Women Options for Life. You can help change a heart http://us.click.yahoo.com/nfct9A/sp3LAA/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/
