All this talk of Christianity and Buddhism reminds me of a Zen story I've drawn inspiration from in the past...
A university student while visiting Gasan asked him: "Have you ever read the Christian Bible?" "No, read it to me," said Gasan. The student opened the Bible and read from St. Matthew: "And why take ye thought for rainment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these... Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself." Gasan said: "Whoever uttered those words I consider an enlightened man." The student continued reading: "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened." Gasan remarked: "That is excellent. Whoever said that is not far from Buddhahood." As for the theology, one could argue that the Holy Spirit is one's own Buddha Nature. Buddha nature, like the Holy Spirit is present in all things. The real trick is learning to see it. SPROCKET > > Ian and Al, > > [The following post is my non-authoritative > opinion only! Caveat > Emptor!] > > > > First point: > > 'God' refers to a separate, external deity. You > can establish a > > relationship with God, but cannot become God. > [Jesus is of course > one of > > the three facets of God in Christianity; along > with God the Father > and the > > Holy Spirit. I think it would be a great topic to > discuss the > Christian > > Trinity vis-à-vis Buddhism to discover analogies, > or not - but not > in this > > posting.] > > > > 'Buddha' refers to an integral, internal state of > awareness. You > can awaken > > this state of awareness and allow it to subsume > your self. You can > become > > Buddha. (Actually you already ARE Buddha - but > not in this > posting.) > > > > Second Point: > > Sometimes my postings 'talk about zen'. Sometimes > my postings > are 'zen > > talk'. Saying 'You create your own reality.' is > 'talk about zen', > (or maybe > > about something else). Saying 'Mind is Buddha.' > is 'zen talk'. > > > > Third Point: > > Saying 'I am Buddha' is zen talk directed > specifically to the > > comment/question Al posed to me, which was: >>You > are your own > god. Nothing > > above you, everything is below you?<< > > My response was first a positive one: 'I am > Buddha', meaning I am > aware > > that Buddha is my before-thought mind; and > continued to address Al's > > question about 'above' and 'below', to point out > their dualistic, > non-zen > > nature: 'Above and Below - where are they?' The > object was to have > Al (or > > any reader) to become aware of the dualism in this > question, to > think about > > where 'above/below' comes from, to realize it > comes from his > dualistic, > > after-thought mind, and to JUST STOP IT!, ...and > become Buddha too, > ( - but > > not in this posting.) > > > > >Does every religion has the same archetypes? > Fanatics, skeptics, > > true-believers, etc.?? > > > > Of course. Haven't you ever heard of Tookie > Williams? (Oh, I > forgot, > > Tookie is discussed in another thread, but - not > in this posting.) > > > > Gassho...Bill! > > > > > > > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > ________________________________________________________________________ > > Message: 2 > Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2005 22:21:58 -0000 > From: "Andrew Macnab" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: Heideggar, Wittgenstein, who cares? > > Jonathan, > You might find constructive discussion here; > <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NonDualPhil/> > > AAM > > > > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > ________________________________________________________________________ > > Message: 3 > Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 17:38:04 +0700 > From: "Bill Smart" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: RE: Should Rich People be Happy? > > >On Wednesday, December 14 DC Posted: > >Surely not already? > >I was rather hoping the party had just begun . > >DC > >>>On Monday, December 12 Rod posted: > >>>...snip lots and lots...> > >>>...I now believe that I actually create that > world. > >>On Tuesday, December 11 Bill! posted: > >>Bingo! Game, set, match! > >>Well done DC! It is good to live Dangerously, > even if you are balancing > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/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/
