--- In [email protected], "Rod" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Rod,
Your question [next paragraph] which came at least in part as a response to my previous posting is a good example of how using words to express Buddhist and zen teaching concepts is problematic at best. They do not travel well, especially when applied to other types of situations. As you know in general zen teaching avoids using words whenever possible; and when they are used they are best used in a personal, one-to-one context, and applied to a very narrow set of circumstances. An internet forum is a text-based medium so words, and worse yet written words, are unavoidable. The only choices I see are to keep trying to use words or give up. To keep trying might seem to some like an endless exercise in wordsmithing, but I don't know any other way. Your question: <..snip..when presented with the classic "starving child in Africa" <image, how do you attempt to justify to others that "there is no <suffering" without appearing to be totally lacking in compassion or <demonstrating appalling psycho-emotional arrogance? My zen response: When you are tired, sleep. When the bell rings, get up. When you are hungry, eat. My Zen Forum wordsmithing response: >. . .how do you attempt to justify to others. . . You shouldn't feel you have to `justify' anything to anyone, except yourself. If you do feel you have to justify things you say or do to others, I'd say you should ask yourself why - and work on that. It might be that YOU can't justify whatever you've said or done to YOURSELF. That's a different story, and if that's the case then you should work on WHY you're doing things that you don't feel justified in doing. If you're asking me how I justify things to others, I don't try to justify although I might try to explain if I thought I've been misunderstood. (I know this phrase that you've used was just rhetoric and just a prelude to your real question, but I thought I'd put in my two-cents anyway just to get warmed up.) >. . . that "there is no suffering". . . I did not say `there is no suffering' as you stated. That phrase could easily be taken to mean that you are asserting there are not conditions that require (or deserve) a response. I said "Suffering exists only in your mind." It's the `suffering' part that is samsara, not the condition/response part. Also when I said "Everything is perfect just as it is", that doesn't just refer to conditions; it also refers to processes like condition/response or cause/effect (karma). `Everything is perfect' does not mean that you will not encounter conditions to which you will respond; and in responding you may change those conditions. In that context I mean that the very fact that you have this capability to experience, respond and change circumstances already exists. You do not need to cultivate it, or think about it. All this is perfect just as it is. If you accidentally put your hand on a red-hot surface, like the burner on a stove, you immediately pull it away and maybe yell `ooowww!'. You have directly experienced the hot surface and have reacted appropriately. This direct experience and response happens before your discriminating mind kicks in and forms the concepts of `pain' or `hot' or `stupid' or `clumsy' or `cold water' or `aloe vera' or `who the hell left the burner on?' or. . .`suffering'. The same is true for all experience/response no matter how complex the sets of experiences or the chain of responses are. Responses also include analysis, research, planning, organizing and other activities requiring the intellect. Human intellect is not forbidden fruit in zen as many believe. It is a natural human attribute and should not be demonized. It is not useful (in fact may be detrimental)if used inappropriately, such as when sitting, working on koans or appreciating a sunset. It is very useful (mandatory in fact) if your activities include engineering a space shuttle or something even more complicated. . .feeding the hungry children in Africa. As far as addressing the hunger in Africa, you can do this in any combination of an infinite number of ways - both simple and complex. Generally there are two approaches: personal and political. Personally, a very simple response is turn off CNN or BBC so you won't see it. ;>) - or better yet to conduct yourself in a manner that is as supportive as possible of other people and the environment. A complex personal response would be to dedicate yourself to actively teaching others to do the same, perhaps even going to Africa to extend that teaching there. Politically, a very simple response would be to lobby your government or established aid agencies to develop programs to address the issue; and then to contribute money and even personal time (a blending of personal and political efforts) to those causes. A complex political approach would be to actively seek and obtain political power (run for office or create an aid agency) to set in motion an almost incomprehensible set of complex activities that include international politics, economics, engineering, logistics, organization, science and perhaps even armed conflict. How much does the knowledge of starving children affect you? What are you doing NOW? I suggest you save all sentient beings. End all desires. Master all dharmas. Attain the Buddha-way. Sleep when you're tired. Get up when the bell rings. Eat when you're hungry. Send a donation to the Red Cross. Run for office. Feed the starving children in Africa. These are all different ways to describe the same thing and the only important thing what you are doing NOW. Gassho. . .Bill! ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/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/
