GrandmasterP

Will there be a handout or should we take notes? All due respect bro but that all could only ever work as a really long Koan.

A TV interviewer once quizzed Harold Wilson ( former PM)... "Why do you always respond to a question with one of your own - Prime Minister?" To which the wily PM replied... " What makes you say that?"

That was me and it was a euphemism as in... " Ouch! I have Milarepa'd my finger on this rose thorn."

Chinese New Year. Very big in Manchester close by where we used to live. Fabulous day out for all the family. Not festivals as such but have been to some Taoist 'services' in Taiwan. Those are quite fun and kinda noisy too.

"Reify" is maybe more useful than 'Reality'. We each 'make meaning' in our several and separate ways. No two peoples' reifications are ever quite the same.

Most everyone gets that koan wrong. In the original Japanese it goes........ Q: " If a tree falls in the forest. And there is no one there to witness it. Do all the other trees giggle?" A: " Mu."

Wow! You sure catch on quick. The 'big dipper' is massively symbolic, it kinda reifies what it is that we are 'doing' ( or hoping to do) when we cultivate for one. There's more to it than that too.

It's all Tao so they can't 'merge' as such but in cultivation, when it works well; there is equipoise sometimes. Equipoise can sometimes be experienced in that space between breaths.

Not whilst doing the weekly grocery shop presumably?

That's maybe cos you're a bit 'Yin'.

But you're already 'here' Dorian.

Just back from Milton Keynes dropping off my poorly bike at cycleEzee the Ezee Bike UK national dealership. It's a guy working out of a double wide garage next to his ( rather spiffy) home. Nice chap too. My battery was knackered, he put a new one in and that seemed to do the trick so I've left the bike with him for a full service and new inner tubes. That Milton Keynes sure has some roundabouts, every half mile or so there's another roundabout to negotiate but they all have prominently displayed names so it's quite easy to navigate.

Seems that there are about five or so of us posters on TTb and everyone else is MPG or his cronies. Hence. If you can't beat 'em , join 'em.

Well you can take the monkey out of the jungle but.......... ((((Dons Tinfoil Hat))))

Caption..... " Santa Claus my arse. Bring our feckin' clothes back you beardy pervert!"

Bumper sticker spotted in Montana... " Jesus is coming again soon. And this time he's ANGRY."

So basically this thread is spam and chiefly consists of MPG just talking to himself. Boy, is my face red! I'm gone.

No problem. Apology unnecessary but, nevertheless; graciously accepted. You have fun there.

Ya can't beat those Japanese for reliable. We have a Toyota van, never any problems and sips diesel. Our other vehicle is a Chevy Matiz car ( Made in Korea) and that's a year younger with a lot less mileage on it than the van but it's a thirsty crock.

From Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen site earlier today. Q: What do you call a drummer who has split up with his girlfriend? A: Homeless.

Good gracious! I bet those sermons get lots of online hits. How seedy. We must be doing something right here on TTB given the apparent numbers of people seeking to sneak back in.

Aye and that's where the hereditary principle falls down because you can end up with some right ding bats as teachers just because a delegation of lamas decided that they were the reincarnation of the previous incumbent. Committees seldom get everything right. Look at poor old Trungpa. Never was a guy less suited to an hereditary job than that partay guy.

Up to a point but, according to the New Testament Book of Revelation that NT God is due to get pretty pissed off with some people at a date -to be fixed - in the future.

We've some buds on our one surviving trumpet vine. Should be open soon.

Ours is a hermit lineage ( Chen Xi Yi) but we're quite a sociable crew. To some extent a retreat can deepen cultivation but only for as long as one is on retreat. After that it's back to the 'real' world and all its issues. Those folks who live in communiies have as many, if not more; stressors as us householders do. It's not easy living with any group of people over time hence communities 'churn' membership with only a hard core sticking to it. The Chinese hermits ( there are still some of those) welcome visitors and come down the montain for supplies and to take tea in the village tea shop. By and large buddy this 'now' we're in 'now' is as good as it gets for any us; cultivation-wise. Hence we need to make the best of it here and now rather than anticipate some utopian 'future' that'll never be anything other than imagined. Hope that helps.