Tommy

No problem. But, that did sound a bit harsh?? If it was meant to be in jest or humor then I got to say I missed it. Sorry.

It is difficult to hear the intonation of a statement communicated thru text or typing. So, can not tell if it was in humor or just rough times. I just wanted everyone to be kind. Oh, happy Halloween.

Wow, what a severe attitude towards someone you may or may not know. It doesn't mean one is humble but rather that the opinion is humble. The opinion isn't one of a statement that is the be all and end all but humble as to suggest another opinion. IMHO.. LOL.

Welcome to the forum, I have recently joined the forum. Nice bunch (like bananas) of people. If you have any questions or just want to talk then you have got the right place for it. See you around. Tommy

Sorry to say, no possible jinx. I am not looking for life changing experiences. The reasoning is the old saying, Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water So life doesn't change. Only the outlook on life changes. I agree that the Three Pillars Of Zen did seems to promise Kensho if there was enough effort put forth. And, many Zen places do have retreats and Sesshin. I have always thought about going to such retreats to solve this mystery about the truth of life. Sit for hours and become a better person with wisdom and compassion. But, I know that isn't me ( I have no wisdom nor compassion). And I know there is no guarantee. I guess if the author doesn't dangle the carrot then there would be a lesser number of people inclined to seek Kensho which is what I believe was the purpose of his book. To allow people to learn about Zen and then go on its path.

If one is reading about Kensho then it isn't Kensho. And I have had one acid experience. I know it isn't Kensho because the self is still there. All acid seemed to do is to allow this self to understand that there are different states of awareness. If one is in a good place then the world seems fantastic. If one is in a dark place then the horrors comes out. For me, it isn't what I seek. And nothing from drugs or alcohol will last forever. It is a dead end. As for me, I would never claim to have experienced Kensho or anything like it regardless of what I have experienced. Too much like claiming to know the future when the future can change before your vision of it would come to pass. All things will change. Not even one's memories will stay the same as one ages. As the saying goes, if you want to know why we are here then look at your past. If you want to know the future then look at the present. Attention, actions and intent are just some of the deciding factors of one's life.

Kensho is not religious conversion nor North Korean brainwashing nor trance possession. As mentioned before, Kensho is the opening of the mind's awareness. There is no different belief system that will relieve the stress. The stress, in the case of Kensho, is self induced. And not forced upon one. Being self induced it can be relieved by the self at any time. When someone deprives you of food, that is forced upon you and can not be stopped by you. When you choose to fast, that is your choice and can be stopped at any time you want. The two outwardly appear to be the same. A person in starvation or being hungry. But, inwardly, vastly different. I am sorry that you do not see the difference. It is quite right to express your opinion. I am sorry that I made it out as being too negative. I just do not want to see someone discouraged from seeking Kensho because it was called brainwashing. Personally, I do wish for you to experience Kensho and know for yourself its true meaning. Thanks for reading.

No, I believe each word has a different character. But, you can put fire in front of the other words and it changes the meaning or becomes another word(?). My parents are originally from Tai Shan China, moved to Hong Kong and then to New York. When I went to visit Tai Shan, I experienced the different languages due to locality. This made it quite an experience not knowing any Chinese or associated dialects. Met my wife there. She made things easier. Wished I had also visited Taiwan while I was in the area. @Master Logray, that is a very interesting way to look at the culture thru the books and temples. Thanks.

If you have not experienced real Kensho then I would suggest not disparaging Kensho as brainwashing. Not everyone sees it as you do. For me it is an opening of the mind to another awareness and not induced by brainwashing. Although you may feel it is not another stage in the progress of liberation from suffering, I see it as a milestone to opening oneself to entering the stream. Much like crossing the barrier to learning the truth of oneself. I see that you have turned your ideas into a little pdf. That to me is much like what happens in other religions. Someone thinks they know more and starts to pass their knowledge on as truth. I am not discouraging your efforts. As in everything, we are encouraged to verify for ourselves the truth passed on by others. Personally, I do not know anything but have experienced other who claim to have known all. For instance, one person claimed that he could become more like Buddha thru debates about Buddhism. The more debates he wins then the closer he is to Buddha. Another person on a defunct forum (Zen forum international), came to the forum to establish that he knew everything about enlightenment. And to follow his instructions. Of course there was another person who have had more experience with formal instructions, he would argue with the other person which turned the forum into a toxic place. All I want is to have a place for discussions. Not a place for negativity. So, as for your PDF, thank you. Will look into it. If it turn out right then will be most grateful. If not then I will not say anything else. After all, this is a journey. Some go left and other goes right. I like to take a step back and look forward. Please do not discourage others from Kensho. Thanks.

Yeah, this is pretty much the reply I got when I mentioned it to my teacher at the time. Not a big deal. Just continue with the practice. And so, I just dropped off the map. But, kept my interest.

Sorry, I wasn't really expecting this to turn into a political discussion. "Why China believes Taiwan belongs to them" is more about history. And "why it might spark world war three" was just a prediction of the future. @Cobie Thanks for the advice.

What would you like to know? May be about why China believes it belongs to them? Why it might be the cause for world war three?

Sometimes it is suffering that brings one to seek a way not to suffer. So, Buddhism starts with understanding suffering and ways to freedom from suffering. Notice, one is not avoiding anything. One is looking for freedom from suffering. Of course suffering is unavoidable. If you live then you will suffer. It is this suffering that sometimes drives one to seek relief from such things. Do we avoid it? No, we experience life as it is and strive to survive or flourish in this life. But, also do not run into things just to experience suffering. It is a way of living that is balanced. To understand Buddhism then one should practice. Learn the Dharma and practice living a good life. Sit in meditation. Read and interact with others on the path. Good luck to you.

I agree. There may be 88 thousand different ways to reach Nirvana. There is only one liberation. If mine was different from yours then it can not be liberation. It can not be the truth in that case. In lies, there are many. In truth, there is only one.

Thank you for your reply. You seem to have a grasp of the way to proceed. And,, I hope it has been something that I have tried. Sometimes the question comes up with "Am I doing this right?" Sure, I welcome any replies. As I have said, my practice is on and off. Mostly off. At the time when I had a teacher, we practiced a couple of hours everyday Monday thru Friday. And on a weekend, when I did not expect anything, there was a shift where everything went silent in my head. Kind of difficult to explain. But, that shift was so sudden that all I wanted was to shift back to normal. And since, I have not had any such experiences. So, I think I have prevented myself from moving forward. Make a little progress and then stop to remain myself. Then, I will start again for a while. Doing as much as I can. Then stop again. So I just live a normal life. Thanks for the reply. So, not enough time and not enough effort. Just don't want to waste anyone's time.