GrandmasterP

A day without learning is a day wasted - young man. You think on and remember that now. It'll serve you well in later life.

Sounds like an advert. Time will tell.

+1 on your... "I'm just making this up as we go along really... This is called arcane knowledge." I could not agree more.

"Smithers release the hounds." This new puppy would do for Dawkins. She has teeth like little needles. Almost ( unintentionally) had my thumb of yesterday she did.

Eremitic quietism would be 'the' big picture for a hermit. Still a few of those around in China and elsewhere. These Russian lads would be more convincing if they weren't so fractious. Can't be much of a teacher who lets her or his students rattle on as some on here do. All it serves is to discredit the 'school'. As I said elsewhere, it's a new young school ( in the scheme of things) hence needs to advertise for custom but triumphalism only defeats their cause long term.

Well that Richard Dawkins still won't be welcome. Awful man.

Those 'anti-sceptic' qualities could be handy for warding off some unwanted visitors.

It'll be a very sedate dojo. Just me and the dogs. No jumping allowed. That lime wash issue is a puzzler. I suspect we'll have to do some patch tests. It all depends on how it has been mixed apparently. If any rubs off on contact then the solution was too high and it will all have to come off prior to repainting. If none comes off then a sealer-primer before regular emulsion is said to do the trick. It is a 'blast from the past' for me dealing with limewash. When I was a kid we used to limewash inside the outdoor privy twice a year.

"So, a peaceful demeanour and an heremitic quietism doesn't seem to correspond with the big picture." You got that right buddy. In your own case at least. Is fractiousness a set subject in your school or did you just take to it naturally?

Dropped Auntie Vera off at Tibshelf Motorway services on Friday up the M1 meeting her son who was to take her the rest of the way home. Hot day and we had to wait as he was delayed so ( stupidly) bought and part-consumed a cup of Fanta Orange 'juice' from a burger concession. That filthy chemical taste is still with me two days later. Agree with Rara on this one..... Sometimes we just do his stuff and then suffer the consequences afterwards.

I have grand plans for one of the three net sheds at the new place. It's 8 by 5 yards and seven foot from ( flagstone) floor to the rafters. Fancy a Japanese themed deck porch with a zen sand 'garden' to the side. Inside a mini dojo all insulated then lined out in planking with tatami mats on the floor. We're having chain link fencing all round the inside perimeter to keep our pets in and local wildlife out. Chain link being the quickest, cheapest and most viable option. It'll not show as it will be the inside of tall hedges. I intend to let the hedge grow through the fencing then clip back level to the chain link.

You can take the born again out of the church but you can never take the church out of the born again.

This calls for a poll. I don't know how to set one of those up. Anybody? Prediction.... Most on here will be 'water' signs.

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As you have discovered. It depends upon who you read and which 'explanation' you choose to accept. There is no concensus. That holds for most dogma. Take your 'finger-element' pick.. They're all equally valid ( for what purpose they serve).

Enjoy..... http://zentalks.blogspot.co.uk/2008/04/zen-sickness.html

Which presumes cultivation ( Position 2). That said most people just get bored and give up cultivating hence Position 1 is a grand excuse for doing so or for not even starting to cultivate in the first place. It does smack of Nihilism that Position 1 IMO. Nothing at all wrong with nihilism for those nihilists as 'don't' like it.

Hi Ken, If you are serious about... " Something that will take me to a whole new level of being and allow me to break free from death and rebirth. " .... You could maybe do worse than check out Pure Land ( PL) Buddhism. They major in that whole ' breaking free from death and rebirth' stuff. PL has historical and lineaged 'legs' plus it's a pretty simple cultivation. PL Resources list here and you can find some nice YouTubes about it via Google... http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=4317

Or a rabbit with its ears flat.

Deci seems to be flirting with nihilism here. Maybe not, but if cultivation is unnecessary then why bother doing it? Or doing anything else for that matter such as the reasoning process involved in arriving at any conclusion and then arguing one's position from the stance attained via said reasoning process. IMO cultivation is important insofar as to apprehend it's unimportance one needs to do it daily, for a very long time indeed. OK one could say, as Deci seems to do; that doing feck all is as valid because it leads to the same place. Apprehension of the ultimate meaningless of cultivation. I reckon not though as those are two different places to be. 1: Deci's ' Cultivation is unimportant so don't bother.' ( if I have that right if not, sorry Deci). 2: That 'is-ness' attained via diligent disciplined cultivation over a long period of time. Fair enough those taking position 1 might argue that by dint of their thesis position 2 is devoid of meaning. However those taking position 2 know what they mean and argue from experience that our position 1 people have not shared. That is not to claim that position 2 is better than 1, it isn't , it just stems from a different place, mindset and praxis.

For sure the full moon has an effect. Hospital A&E shifts on full moon are always busier than usual and we had some interesting full moon night shifts back when I was psychy nursing.

Dan Harris the US TV News Anchor who wrote the book '10% Happier' ... http://www.amazon.co.uk/10%25-Happier-Reduced-Self-help-Actually/dp/1444799045/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407619081&sr=1-1&keywords=10+happier ...interviewed on Buddha at the Gas Pump. Here... Outstanding book about the benefits and limitations of meditation and an interesting interview. Enjoy.

The only non-human 'saint' ever. He was a greyhound. Here he is.....

Auntie Vera (87) staying with us this past week and she helped Mrs GMP pack lots of ornaments, delicates and glassware. Finally a sensible quote from a Removal Company £600, less than the first company that quoted us and still a BAR registered concern so fully insured and guaranteed. It has paid to shop around for quotes. Bit of a hiatus right now. The bulk of our life laundry has gone to the tip or charity shop. There's an old double bed still to go and I'll sort that on Monday. We've decided to buy a new one at the other end. Been looking at the artwork and planning what I fancy and where in 'my' part of the new house. So far only 'Sunday Match' which is a bowls match watercolour and the icon of St Guinefort ( look him up - he was a greyhound) has made the cut. He's been with us for many years and I'd not be without him, you never ever get snake problems with a St Guinefort icon in the home.

One forum I go on is pretty far out every week but at full moon it goes bat shit crazy on there and that's just the Mods.