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Everything posted by forestofclarity
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Soto Zen Buddhism and The Afterllife
forestofclarity replied to secularfuture's topic in General Discussion
Neither. -
It's easy to accept the magical, uplifting, wonderful states. It's hard to accept the ordinary, mundane, day-to-day boring states. Yet the point is to accept, right?
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What do the bums think about this guys Taoist "principles"?
forestofclarity replied to SarahMoriko's topic in General Discussion
Red Pine in his Taoteching compares straw dogs to Christmas trees. I must admit, it gives a different color to the passage. -
So I've been looking at Chinese translations lately, and am seeing that classical Chinese is much deeper than the English presupposes, especially how characters build on one another. Are there any good resources on Classical Chinese? I'm not interested in speaking or writing so much as seeing and translating. I'm not interested in boring, formal learning, but curious, playful exploring. Also, anyone have any experience with this? http://www.clavisinica.com/home.html
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I'm continually puzzled that, being on a Taoist forum, there are so many one-sided solutions. Because people tend to over think, some therefore assume we shouldn't think at all. This is especially funny related to Vipassana, because many Vipassana masters are Tipitka masters as well! When some one tells me not to think, I wonder what it is they're after that they don't want me to think about.
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I would say, it is what's there before form. When a person is innocent, it is because of what they didn't do rather than what they did.
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Like curing a headache by cutting off a hand.
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Meditation Postures...Is the straight spine vital to effective meditation?
forestofclarity replied to Sundragon's topic in General Discussion
Depends on who you're talking to. Each person requires something different. I've seen many people who go nowhere because they try to do nothing, rather than try to learn some concentration or non-attachment. -
I couldn't have said it better myself! Or could I?
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Meditation Postures...Is the straight spine vital to effective meditation?
forestofclarity replied to Sundragon's topic in General Discussion
Out of all the teachers, books, messages, etc. I've come across, in all traditions, a straight back is universally recommended. Now this is a hard thing to accomplish. There is a difference between feeling straight and being straight. It may be, sundragon, that what you think is straight is not straight at all. If you have some one take a long ruler (at least a meter or a yard), they should connect three points: the lower back, the middle of the shoulders, and the back of the skull. The first time I started doing this, I felt like I was tipping backward, which is not uncommon. Also, a lot of meditation teachers allow some people to reinforce their backs with pillows and cushions. -
Why the Taobums Can't Get Along
forestofclarity replied to forestofclarity's topic in General Discussion
These strike me as the wrong questions. The question is whether so and so wrote a certain book. The question is whether the teachings, as applied, work as promised. And they do. How do I know? Because I use them and see the results. Suttas and sutras are only living in so much as they are experienced and lived, not as they sit on blank pieces of paper. When you say the ancient teachings may be irrelevant, I have to smile, for to me, it is like saying there is no such thing as sunshine. If the Buddhist teachings make you crabby, then by all means, set them aside. Luckily, there are many paths available. -
I came across the 100 Character Stele the other day, which I found quite interesting. Instead of visualizations, chakra spinnings, tai chi, qi gong, and the rest, it seems to provide a rather simple formula to attain heaven's ladder. My questions have to do with the Chinese. For one, could the experts please tell me which characters are being used in the translated version, versus the reproduced stele at the bottom? And for translating "forget speech keeping," some translators interpret this to mean discursive thought, which sounds reasonable. I was wondering about other interpretations. http://gator.dt.uh.edu/~chong/CPoetry/luyan1.htm
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Lu Dongbin's 100 Character Stele
forestofclarity replied to forestofclarity's topic in General Discussion
Ha ha! I read it differently. Not surprising, given our different predispositions. I read it along the lines of not focusing on any particular phenomenon, but by being calm and focused, allowing the energies to arise on their own. -
Soto Zen Buddhism and The Afterllife
forestofclarity replied to secularfuture's topic in General Discussion
Some do, some don't. Gudo Nishijima and his students deny life after death. Others accept it. Ajahn Brahm says that it is not something to be believed, but to be found out for oneself. Zen, in my opinion, is not about trading in one set of beliefs for another, rather it is a way to transform yourself. Whether you believe in reincarnation or not is besides the issue. -
What do the bums think about this guys Taoist "principles"?
forestofclarity replied to SarahMoriko's topic in General Discussion
It would seem odd to me that if this were true, than Lao Tzu wouldn't have chosen a better way to express it, such as "ducks" and "flowers" or "trees" and "horses" rather than choose the two life forms that happen to stand for something very specific (i.e. the sacrificial straw dogs). In fact, if I had to randomly choose a color and animal to describe interpretation, I would call it a "red herring". -
Why the Taobums Can't Get Along
forestofclarity replied to forestofclarity's topic in General Discussion
Wu wei and non-attachment: Like all spiritual terms, they appear to be simple and easy, and they are. They are also infinitely deep and profound. This depth can only be experienced through ongoing practice. Attachment is what prevents we wei from arising. In a Chan/Zen context, there are seemingly paradoxical expressions such as the "mind of no mind," "speaking without speaking," "thinking no-thought." These are the same as wu wei. According to the Buddha, the problem is in the clinging, grasping, attaching, identifying, resisting, craving--- whatever word you choose. In Taoist language, you might call this "interference." Becoming free of this, one can allow all things to arise naturally and spontaneously. Our Buddha nature is our natural state. Ignorance and delusion are added to this. Accordingly, practice is about losing this excess, rather than gaining something new. As Lao Tzu said: Pursue knowledge, daily gain Pursue Tao, daily loss Loss and more loss Until one reaches unattached action With unattached action, there is nothing one cannot do Take the world by constantly applying non-interference The one who interferes is not qualified to take the world -
The Secret Lives of Monks?!
forestofclarity replied to Martial Development's topic in General Discussion
This is not an economic or "Asian" problem. Google Stuart Lachs to find the scandals and problems in American Zen. No one should lose their common sense on the spiritual path, no matter what their route. -
What do the bums think about this guys Taoist "principles"?
forestofclarity replied to SarahMoriko's topic in General Discussion
I think it really is straw dogs. Red Pine interprets it this way, too. For a good explanation, the sometimes Taobum allan blogged about this: http://atouchofancientszhouyi.blogspot.com...ch?q=straw+dogs -
Why the Taobums Can't Get Along
forestofclarity replied to forestofclarity's topic in General Discussion
Non-attachment. -
Why the Taobums Can't Get Along
forestofclarity replied to forestofclarity's topic in General Discussion
I would not say that this is wrong. Rather, like all truths, it is incomplete. Looking from outside to in, tuna and cows looks very different. But if you were to look from the inside out, then you would see how they are the same. -
So when it rains, you don't get wet? Very sensible.
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CowTao, I agree with you completely on this. In fact, I've made the same distinction on this forum. I actually cringed a little when typing out the quote--- I think non-attachment is much better. http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=10338&st=0
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I wonder if the Taoist pope hangs out with the Buddhist pope!
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According to Sheng Yen, when Buddhism came to China, it could no longer afford to be the forest-dwelling tradition it was in India. In India, there was a strong tradition of lay people supporting the monks, but when Buddhism came to China, there was no such cultural heritage in place. The pragmatic spirit of China affected Buddhism in the flowering of Zen (Chan). Now, it was time to cultivate in life, not away from it. "A day without work is a day without food," according to Hui Hai. This was driven home for me when I found this quote by Hui Neng: Yet this is just an extension of the three marks of existence. Having thought is a state. Accordingly, it is impermanent, not self, and unsatisfying. Having no thoughts is a state. Accordingly, it is impermanent, not self, and unsatisfying. Why cultivate the impermanent, the not self, and the unsatisfying? On the other hand, if we don't, then how do we learn it is empty?