Apech

Shiver mi timbers, avast, avast ye, avast behind (that's pirate for does my bottom look big in this).

the appearances things that come and go alright? light ghosts and darkness.

man might say: "woman" what kind of address is that to a real goddess?

A Taoist Sage, a Buddha and a Taobum walk into a Motel and ask for a room, Jesus is at the reception: Taobum: Can we have a room for the night? Jesus: In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. Buddha: Everything is empty it seems! Sage: To make a room, you have to cut doors and windows; without openings, a place isn't livable. To make use of what is here, you must make use of what is not.

I thought it was a play on words ... fool as in lemon fool because of custard. My mistake I thought a sense of humour had emerged.

I doubt if there was a neon sign outside saying "Arachnid Motel - rooms from 40$ a night, en suite facilities and your own spider" ...

just a little creme brulee

I knew custard would not be the last word after all.

The last word is 'custard'.

Comparing is useful because otherwise you might fall into the idea that the different traditions are talking about completely different things. For instance you might think that Christianity leads to a Christian heaven, or Buddhism to a Buddhist Nirvana or perhaps that the Dao is specifically Chinese. In other words you might think that the system of thought defines or determines the goal. But the systems while being internally self consistent are actually formally different. For instance the western four elements compared to Chinese five. This can get confusing if you get the correspondences slightly wrong. If you are involved in any energy work/cultivation then it can be disastrous. When you get to the 'beings' involved, like Bodhisattvas or Jesus for instance then I feel that you must deal with them as different persons - because they are - even if they embody eternal truths the expression is different. Having said all this I still think its useful to study different ways - it makes you more flexible and open - but in the end you have to go with that which draws you most and to which you have the most connection.

what you really are? well wouldn't you lie to know but it's a secret.

I agree with you - although if we are careful comparisons can be made. We are not discussing these things so I am not going to reply - except I don't agree with some of what you say here - but please take it to the Buddhist/Vedanta sub fora. Yes paraclete sometimes translated as 'comforter'.

In Christian Mysticism how do we deal with (or perhaps how do we express) the distinction between 'oneness with all beings' and the not-twoness of the Father and the Son. It is the latter to me that is the equivalent (breaking my own rules here) of the inseparability of Emptiness and Luminosity in Buddhist thinking.

Haiku to live for Clean dirt from a needless phrase In [the] space: open doors In space: open doors A clean phrase from needless dirt Haiku to live for Haiku to live for Six syllables in last line Basho's corpse shudders Basho's corpse shudders as a feline presence comes white cat impedes flow white cat impedes flow: "6 syllables in last line" yet offered no more... Yet offered no more Cats are just like that sometimes Some offer too much Some offer too much and others take too much time to finish the line. (phew)

6 syllables in last line.

Is there any chance we could start a separate thread on Gurdieff/Ouspensky ?

No idea not interested really. What do you think?

This si Gurdieff I believe.

I wonder if its about eliminating all fears or just not giving in to them ... not sure ... they say a truly brave person is also a bit afraid (e.g. heros in battle).

I think turtle shell is right about this. All the way through this conversation I was feeling kind of uncomfortable about the seiza idea but I couldn't work out why. It seems right to say you should be able to take your stool tot he meeting and so on ... but for some reason it didn't feel right. When Turtle shell posted I realised that he had identified clearly what to me was just a feeling ... obviously its your call and you could try both and see what happens of course ... but I tend to think you should follow his advice.

3bob, I think all your points are well made and I agree with two of them. I think that the heavenly light subtle realm is not the same as the non-dual. I agree that the arguments about who has a better system of thought is completely fruitless and messy. Every system/religion portrays itself as the holder of a 'superior' view form time to time but actually it is the personal connection to the tradition which counts. So it is fruitless to argue apart from as an exercise in intellectual muscle toning perhaps. I have been taught specifically that 'I and my father are one' and the Trinity are non-dual teachings (I can explain this if you wish). I think perhaps that the problem can be that in eastern teachings these things are explicitly stated while in the west they are hidden in parable and symbolic significance.

Unpredictable. shot an arrow in the air lands I know not where. (nowhere near a deer by the way)

I was serious ... you are right.

Brilliant!

You are a Physics God Brian.