Mystique Enigma
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Everything posted by Mystique Enigma
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Su Dongpo was an avid student of Buddhist teachings, and often discussed them with his good friend, the Zen master Foyin. The two lived across the river from one another - Su Dongpo's residence on the north side and Foyin's Gold Mountain Temple on the south side. One day, Su Dongpo felt inspired and wrote the following poem: I bow my head to the heaven within heaven Hairline rays illuminating the universe The eight winds cannot move me Sitting still upon the purple golden lotus Impressed by himself, Su Dongpo dispatched a servant to hand-carry this poem to Foyin. He felt certain that his friend would be just as impressed. When Foyin read the poem, he immediately saw that it was both a tribute to the Buddha and a declaration of spiritual refinement. The "eight winds" in the poem referred to praise, ridicule, honor, disgrace, gain, loss, pleasure and misery - interpersonal forces of the material world that drove and influenced the hearts of men. Su Dongpo was saying that he had attained a higher level of spirituality, where these forces no longer affected him. Smiling, the Zen master wrote "fart" on the manuscript and had it returned to Su Dongpo. Su Dongpo had been expecting compliments and a seal of approval, so he was shocked when he saw what the Zen master had written. He hit the roof: "How dare he insult me like this? Why that lousy old monk! He's got a lot of explaining to do!" Full of indignation, Su Dongpo ordered a boat to ferry him to the other shore as quickly as possible. Once there, he jumped off and charged into the temple. He wanted to find Foyin and demand an apology. He found Foyin's door closed. On the door was a piece of paper, with the following two lines: The eight winds cannot move me One fart blows me across the river This stopped Su Dongpo cold. Foyin had anticipated this hotheaded visit. Su Dongpo's anger suddenly drained away as he understood his friend's meaning. If he really was a man of spiritual refinement, completely unaffected by the eight winds, then how could he be so easily provoked? With a few strokes of the pen and minimal effort, Foyin showed that Su Dongpo was in fact not as spiritually advanced as he claimed to be. Ashamed but wiser, Su Dongpo departed quietly.
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On another note thought a wise one once said ...... Teaching takes place when learning does and Learning takes place when one teaches ones self something. i truely doubt there is any one who can teach you anything Bows
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Heck, who is here to learn ??? am here to air my ignorance
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A student once asked his teacher, "Master, what is enlightenment?" The master replied, "When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep."
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Can we practice/meditate/do significant energy work while working on other things?
Mystique Enigma replied to Brother_Thelonious's topic in Welcome
When the breath fades In Autumn shades Does one sit silent To admire the blaze? When the sun light shines And darkness fades Is it the mind that sleeps Or life that awakes ? Is it butterflies one’s chase Or the life one desires Forgetting to realize The breath’s on fire ? When emotions play And the mind goes astray Does the moment fade Or is it a life that’s erased ? May be the questions Are irrelevant to mind Cause ones life is curtailed To a ‘self’ righteous mind And so the wind blows Undaunted and Free As one stands silent The mind is set free -
How can you tell if you are getting the real deal / indoor teachings?
Mystique Enigma replied to BaguaKicksAss's topic in Daoist Discussion
A young man caught a small bird, and held it behind his back. He then asked, "Master, is the bird I hold in my hands alive or dead." The boy thought this was a grand opportunity to play a trick on the old man. If the master answered "dead", it would be let loose into the air. If the master answered "alive", he would simply wring its neck. The master spoke, "The answer is in your hands". -
‘I’ the Mind 'I' create ... 'I' the mind 'I' am the self 'I' am the life If 'I' was no more 'I'' would not be Life would be empty In silence 'I'd sleep Keeping a balance 'I' create my self The illusion of life An image of self It is 'I' who lives It is 'I' who forgets The image of a God The definition of a 'self' As the journey began So will it end Neither the ocean Nor the fish one appends
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When a Child is a Child When the child was a child, it walked with its arms swinging. It wanted the stream to be a river, the river a torrent, and this puddle to be a sea. When the child was a child, it didn’t know it was a child. Everything was full of life, and all life was one. When the child was a child, it had no opinions about anything. It had no habits. It sat cross-legged, took off running, hand a cow lick in its hair, and didn’t make a picture when photographed. When the child was a child, it was the time of these questions: Why am I me, and why not you ? Why am I here, and why not there ? When did time begin and where does space end ? Isn’t life under the sun just a dream ? Isn’t what I see, hear and smell only the illusion of a world before the world ? Does evil actually exist ? And are there people who are really evil ? How can it be that I, who am I, didn’t exist before I came to be ? And that someday the one who I am will no longer be the me I am ? When the child was a child, rice and dal were enough for it, and it is still that way. When the child was a child, raindrops fell into its hands as only raindrops do, and they still do. Fresh cashew nuts made its tongue raw, and they still do now. One very mountain top, it had a longing for a yet higher mountain, and in every city it had a longing for a yet bigger city. And it is still that way. It reached for guavas in the treetop with the elation it still feels today. It was shy with all strangers, and it still is. It awaited the first rain of the season, and it is still this way. When the child was a child, it threw a stick into a tree like a lance and it still quivers there today.
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A marvelous lesson appeared for me just now as I was exiting thru the garage, to come to this little playplace they call an office. As I opened the garage door, I startled a large moth, which, upon spreading it's wings, displayed a bright red "tail" hidden by the motley brown wings, more a "butterfly" than a moth. It flew immediately to its perceived escape, the circle-topped window where it frantically tried to exit thru the invisible wall of closed glass. I raised the third-car garage door in hopes of aiding it's escape. That caused it to fly higher and higher and become entangled in a spider web. Fearful that it would remain entangled in the web, I selected a long-handled broom to assist him escaping the tangled threads. At this, he returned to furiously pumping his wings and banging into the glass, which was, in his perspective, the pathway of escape, but remained his cage. By simply turning his focus to one side, he would have easily exited his prison. Rather, due to his intent on one direction, he remained confined, captive.
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Once, there was a fish who lived in the great ocean, and because the water was transparent, and always conveniently out of the way of his nose when he moved along, he didn't know he was in the ocean. Well, one day the fish did a very dangerous thing for a fish. He began to think: "Surely I am a most remarkable being, since I can move around like this in the middle of empty space." Then the fish became confused because of thinking about moving and swimming, and he suddenly had an anxiety paroxysm, and thought that he had forgotten how. At that moment he looked down and saw the yawning chasm of the ocean depths, and he was terrified that he would drop. Then he thought: "If I could catch hold of my tail in my mouth, I could hold myself up." And so he curled himself up and snapped at his tail. Unfortunately, his spine wasn't quite supple enough, so he missed. As he went on trying to catch hold of his tail, the yawning black abyss below became ever more terrible, and he was brought to the edge of a total nervous breakdown. The fish was about to give up, when the ocean, which had been watching with mixed feelings of pity and amusement, said, "What are you doing?" "Oh," said the fish, "I'm terrified of falling into the deep dark abyss, and I'm trying to catch hold of my tail in my mouth to hold myself up." So the ocean said, "Well, you've been trying that for a long time now, and you still haven't fallen down. How come?" "Oh, of course, I haven't fallen down yet," said the fish, "Because, because -- I'm swimming!" "Well," came the reply, "I am the Great Ocean, in which you live and move and are able to be a fish, and I have given all of myself to you in which to swim, and I support you all the time you swim. But here you, instead of exploring the length, breadth, depth, and height of my expanse, are wasting your time pursuing your own end." From then on, the fish put his own end behind him (where it belonged) and set out to explore the Great Ocean.
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There is this wise story....... In keeping with his doctrine that nothing be taken too seriously, not even his own teachings, the Master loved to tell this story on himself:"My very first disciple was so weak that the exercises killed him. My second disciple drove himself crazy from his earnest practice of the exercises I gave him. My third disciple dulled his intellect through too much contemplation. But the fourth managed to keep his sanity.""Why was that?" someone would invariably ask. "Possibly because he was the only one who refused to do the exercises." The Master's words would be drowned in howls of laughter.
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People Come, People go All they seek Is what they already know Their life seems so centered Around them self’s they live Never do they stop for a moment On & on they go Seeking the light of Wisdom Closing their eyes to the world They always portray an image Of what they think of the world Were they to stop & listen To the silence within them self’s The world would open in abundance To the Universe that exist in their heads An illusion of their life would reveal The greatest truth of the mind A breath taken in awareness A breath taken divine
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How does one 'choose' a religion, spiritual path, etc?
Mystique Enigma replied to qvrmy11vz's topic in General Discussion
Dear qvrmy11vz When at loss of which way to go, toss a coin in the air and then go with what ever side you hope the coin falls on irrespective of which side it falls on. If you un satisfied, you can always toss another coin Bows -
Three travelers on a long and exhausting journey had become companions, and shared the same pleasures and sorrows, pooling all their resources. After many days they realized that all they had between them was a piece of bread and a mouthful of water in a flask. They fell to quarrelling as to who should have all the food. Making no progress on this score, they tried to divide the bread and water. Still they could not arrive at a conclusion. As dusk was falling, one finally suggested that they should sleep. When they awoke, the person who had had the most remarkable dream would decide what should be done. The next morning the three rose as the sun came up and the first traveler said, "This is my dream: I was carried away to places such as cannot be described, so wonderful and serene were they. I met a wise man who said to me, 'You deserve the food, for your past and future life are worthy and suitable subjects for admiration.'" "How strange," said the second traveler. "For in my dream, I actually saw all my past and my future. In my future I saw a man of great knowledge, who said, 'You deserve the bread more than your friends, for you are more learned and patient. You must be well-nurtured, for you are destined to lead men,'" The third traveler said, "In my dream I saw nothing, heard nothing, said nothing. I felt a compelling presence which forced me to get up, find the bread and water, and consume them then and there. And this is what I did." The two companions were very angry and demanded to know why they were not called when the mysterious power compelled him to consume the bread. "But you were far from here! One of you was carried away to far places and the other to another time! How could you hear my calling?" he replied.
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I would like to know how to hypnotize myself...
Mystique Enigma replied to DreamBliss's topic in The Rabbit Hole
first you have to start by un hypnotizing your self with all that you have learned so far ..... -
once walked this space ..... Mesmerized As I sit & silently ponder How my life has come to past Seeking what was never there Desires of my mind & heart Unforeseen the moment springs Some of the greatest life it brings Caterpillars to Butterflies Me unto a paradise Looking at what is not there Listening to what is not heard Reflections of a bird in flight A fish swimming, a beat of a heart A rose in all its beauty blooms Neither thorns nor wind, can mar its blush Radiant in its heavenly glow Standing still, yet it did grow A smile that lit a poor mans face A helping hand, a peaceful place A look around, as children play Walking at a slowly pace Sounds of silence in music flows At traffic signals, at malls or home The gap that blossoms whilst moving or still The eyes that muse in beauty streams The gentle wind that blows unseen The river calm, nature serene Bustling life, so full and free Who am I, a no body
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How the Buddha Became Enlightened.
Mystique Enigma replied to Tibetan_Ice's topic in Buddhist Discussion
There is another story of Buddha's student ..... Ananda was the Buddha's personal attendent for the last 20 plus years of the Buddha's life. Besides attending to the Buddha's personal needs, his other duties included representing Buddha on occasions, memorizing the Buddha's speeches, repeating the Buddha's speeches in his absence, and being messager for the Buddha. So, he really had a very busy job! He was so busy that he didn't even have time for his own practice. [Ed - Even without any spiritual cultivation, Ananda was said to be the kindest and most loving of all Buddha's disciples. I suspect he didn't have any time for himself partly coz he spent his free time helping other people]. So by the time the Buddha died, Ananda had still not attained Enlightenment. When the Buddha was dying, Ananda cried. In contrast, enlightened monks accepted it with calmness. Anyway, only after the Buddha died did Ananda find time for his own practice. At that time, the Arahat Maha Kassapa, another one of Buddha's main disciples, was organizing the First Buddhist Council, a gathering of all Buddhist monks to organize and consolidate all of Buddha's teachings. Ananda was determined that he wanted to be Enlightened by the time of the Council. So everyday, he meditated very hard. As the day of the Council was drawing closer and closer, Ananda still seem nowhere near Enlightenment. The night before the Council, Ananda tried very very hard. But still, he was getting nowhere. It was getting late. Finally, he decided, "Maybe I'll relax and work for Enlightenment after the Council. There is no need to hurry now". Thinking so, he laid down to rest. It was said that the moment his head touched the pillow, he attained Enlightenment. -
Reminds me of a poem once written ..... The Creator It’s a pity people don’t understand What you’re trying to say or do They are mostly locked up in a guilt cage In a world of an illusion so true They rumble on a lifetime Marvel at a world astray Mostly talk about nothing in particular Never in a moment they stay Given the slightest of instance Memories would bring on some words Lost in a futile madness A life so blind to this world Their eyes see but a perspective Imbedded in their minds are thoughts Their love so superficial They’d rather live an illusion not real Going around in circles Lives limited to a well so deep Ignorant to the ocean that surrounds them A deep slumber they doth sleep Awaken oh ignorant imbeciles The world need not be this well Listen to the music of nature There is a Universe up ahead Filled with awesome beauty Amazing is each grain of sand The wind it blows undaunted The trees that for ages stand Reach out & look at your madness The insanity of it all You are not what the Maker maketh You are the Creator of it all
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I doubt i have any good advise to give you but perhaps you may enjoy a story ........... A Fish Story Once, there was a fish who lived in the great ocean, and because the water was transparent, and always conveniently out of the way of his nose when he moved along, he didn't know he was in the ocean. Well, one day the fish did a very dangerous thing for a fish. He began to think: "Surely I am a most remarkable being, since I can move around like this in the middle of empty space." Then the fish became confused because of thinking about moving and swimming, and he suddenly had an anxiety paroxysm, and thought that he had forgotten how. At that moment he looked down and saw the yawning chasm of the ocean depths, and he was terrified that he would drop. Then he thought: "If I could catch hold of my tail in my mouth, I could hold myself up." And so he curled himself up and snapped at his tail. Unfortunately, his spine wasn't quite supple enough, so he missed. As he went on trying to catch hold of his tail, the yawning black abyss below became ever more terrible, and he was brought to the edge of a total nervous breakdown. The fish was about to give up, when the ocean, which had been watching with mixed feelings of pity and amusement, said, "What are you doing?" "Oh," said the fish, "I'm terrified of falling into the deep dark abyss, and I'm trying to catch hold of my tail in my mouth to hold myself up." So the ocean said, "Well, you've been trying that for a long time now, and you still haven't fallen down. How come?" "Oh, of course, I haven't fallen down yet," said the fish, "Because, because -- I'm swimming!" "Well," came the reply, "I am the Great Ocean, in which you live and move and are able to be a fish, and I have given all of myself to you in which to swim, and I support you all the time you swim. But here you, instead of exploring the length, breadth, depth, and height of my expanse, are wasting your time pursuing your own end." From then on, the fish put his own end behind him (where it belonged) and set out to explore the Great Ocean. Bows
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Taiosim is mostly about this, that, you, not about you, etc etc Mostly it is about nothing but one could feel it is all about ones self. Sometimes though it is about others There is this interesting story ... A priest was in charge of the garden within a famous Zen temple. He had been given the job because he loved the flowers, shrubs, and trees. Next to the temple there was another, smaller temple where there lived a very old Zen master. One day, when the priest was expecting some special guests, he took extra care in tending to the garden. He pulled the weeds, trimmed the shrubs, combed the moss, and spent a long time meticulously raking up and carefully arranging all the dry autumn leaves. As he worked, the old master watched him with interest from across the wall that separated the temples. When he had finished, the priest stood back to admire his work. "Isn't it beautiful," he called out to the old master. "Yes," replied the old man, "but there is something missing. Help me over this wall and I'll put it right for you." After hesitating, the priest lifted the old fellow over and set him down. Slowly, the master walked to the tree near the center of the garden, grabbed it by the trunk, and shook it. Leaves showered down all over the garden. "There," said the old man, "you can put me back now." Bows
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When ever people see me they say HI ME and i ponder why the heck are they saying hi to them self
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Tao Bums Study House: any interest?
Mystique Enigma replied to Sahaj Nath's topic in General Discussion
Why in the world would you want to teach or change anyone ?????