• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

zen

attention

I don't know as much as teachers but I feel that sitting makes sense as we are too occupied to observe ourselves very careully daily.
 
AlBell said:
Isn't the answer "everyone"?
Click to expand...
There are many answers and none of them are wrong. My favourite is "YOURSELF".

ETA - I lie (actually I forgot). "KNOWLEDGE" is my favourite.

There is no absolute "true". It's a silly question as are many asked by people claiming to be "enlightened".
 
Last edited:
nowornever said:
I don't know as much as teachers but I feel that sitting makes sense as we are too occupied to observe ourselves very careully daily.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't it make even more sense to get up and travel around and experience life rather than merely observe it? It's possible to develope over-observation blindness (stare-crazy).
 
Last edited:
nowornever said:
I am not enlightened. I am a zen student. My real name is Tomek Wolodzko. You can check that I am in Kwan Um but I don't know anything. I just like koans(the present which I cannot solve is WHO IS YOUR TRUE TEACHER?) very much as they help me a lot. And I met many zen teachers, also at home(theirs) e.g. today I talked face to face with Andrzej Piotrowski sensei who was given inga(authority to teach, zen seal of great awakaning) by Zen Master Wu Bong(student of Seung Sahn).
Click to expand...


I have a cat curled up on my lap, purring.

That trumps everything.
 
Complexity said:
I have a cat curled up on my lap, purring.

That trumps everything.
Click to expand...
it doesn't need to be any more complicated than that.

I've often thought that a pillow that made the sound of a cat purring would be a good therapeutic product. Just found from Google (the true god) that they exist - http://www.purlow.com/

Now if they could just get the pillow to catch mice.
 
Last edited:
ynot said:
it doesn't need to be any more complicated than that.

I've often thought that a pillow that made the sound of a cat purring would be a good therapeutic product. Just found from Google (the true god) that they exist - http://www.purlow.com/

Now if they could just get the pillow to catch mice.
Click to expand...

See, right now I'm sipping a Pinot Noir watching and listening to Elaine Elias perform on piano.

It's the shizzle. No zen necessary.
 
nowornever said:
The story entitled "Thirty birds"

Once upon a time there were 100 birds who wanted to find out what the truth is. They heard about a sage living on the peak of a mountain who knew what life was about. They flew. On the way 7o of them saw interesting things (a beautiful partner, a beautiful place, a beautiful job, a beautiful forum etc. etc.) and stayed there. The remaining 30 eventually got to the mountain peak and saw...but instead of seeing the sage to tell them what the truth was, they saw a big mirror in which they saw the thirty birds, themselves.
Click to expand...

Great story. Wasn't that on Kung Fu Panda?
 
nowornever said:
I don't know as much as teachers but I feel that sitting makes sense as we are too occupied to observe ourselves very careully daily.
Click to expand...

And sitting there observing yourself is a much easier way out than getting out and accomplishing anything.
 
ynot said:
it doesn't need to be any more complicated than that.

I've often thought that a pillow that made the sound of a cat purring would be a good therapeutic product. Just found from Google (the true god) that they exist - http://www.purlow.com/

Now if they could just get the pillow to catch mice.
Click to expand...

Stuff it with traps and smear peanut butter on it.
 
hello now.or.never, welcome

Your idea of zen is quite a bit more systemitized than I'm familiar with.

nowornever said:
Understanding yourself and help others.

What do you think about zen?
Click to expand...

If we understand ourselves, does that understanding of self change us? If not, have we stagnated, and if so, doesn't it mean that understanding ourselves represents something new to understand? All we might learn is that at the end, is a beginning.

The question of helping others is perhaps one we could agree with, but what is it we should do to rightly help? Do we fish or teach to fish, or something inbetween?

But I look at Zen, especially 'American Zen', and I see things like this:
Sedona's most comprehensive and true Full Service Retreat to rent for seminars, yoga, spiritual workshop groups, meetings and conferences. Surrounded by the dramatic Red Rocks of sacred Indian lands and ruins, on 160 acres pristine land amidst lush Coconino National Forest, we have 126 comfortable casitas and suites, 10 meeting/yoga rooms of varying sizes, advanced audio-visual equipment, meditation garden and lake, waterfalls, outdoor pool and jacuzzi with Red Rock views, starry nights, daily full course buffet style fresh vegetarian meals including fish, organic garden, hiking, horseback meditation, in-house daily Qigong classes, holistic healing and exercise programs.
If you are planning on holding your workshop or seminar in Sedona, we have all you would love to have in your meetings.

...Energy Vortexes

12 small vortexes forming one large vortex that heals your body, mind, and spirit holistically...
Click to expand...

(Just an example, one of many and not an attempt at strawmanship.)

Meditation and new agey stuff is marketed to what is largely a consumer driven society does not seem all that attractive. To learn a set of koans and then achieve a prescribed outcome seems like a type of consumerization.

And to your hanging man. My answer would probably be to answer with a smile. After all, why not greet adversity with cheerfulness.
 
Question: What is the sound of one hand clapping?

Answer: Depends. Clapping against what?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom