1/18 - The Significance of Buddhist Practice p.3

[Lynn]

After all, dinner has to be on the table by 6:00.

WOOT!! What are we having? P.S. Can we have ice cream for dessert??

In Gassho~
*Lynn[/b]

[Gregor]

I liked what was said in the beginning of this chapter, about how Buddhism or Buddhist practice is primarily concerned with how we decide to live our lives regardless of whether we choose to be "Buddhists", we're all humans first I suppose ---


I've been inspired by many a "non-Buddhist".

I think Buddhism is a wonderful way to live, and it has a tremendously rich and true philosophy . . . and I appreciate how there is no sense of superiority or division between "Buddhists" and "Non Buddhists" or "saved" versus the "damned"; we're all a bit of both I suppose. Destined to die, the act of life itself contains pain and suffering, but also great joy and peace. We live this life, it does matter deeply, what happens next? Nothing to worry about, especially if we do what we can to utilize the full potential of this life.

[John]

Hi Jundo and others,

I just realised I misunderstood the directions for these posts - I thought the 1/18 meant chapter 1 to page 18 - sorry!

The discussion reminds me of the koan 'Alive or Dead?' The start of this author's explanation - "I am not part of the Whole; I am the Whole" is what, perhaps, you are trying to get through to me:

“Alive or dead?

Introduction

“Quiet and secret, entirely One-- unimpeded action, immediate perception, everything manifests awakening. Like a dash of sparks, a flash of lightning, cutting through all confusion. Sitting on the tigers head, seizing its tail he is like cliff a thousand feet high. Can one help people by teaching a single way or not? To test, I cite this. Look!

Case

Dogo and Zen-gen went to a house to show sympathy. Zen-gen hit the coffin and asked, "Alive or dead?" Dogen replied, "I won't say alive, I won't say dead……"

“.......Quiet and secret, entirely One.

I am not part of the Whole; I am the Whole, the One. Most people find this so difficult. They believe things surround them and so think that they also are things among things. Then they generalize and believe further that all these things collectively make up a whole of which they are now a part. Such beliefs involve a separation, a dualism. They imply "me" and "it," "me and the world," "me and the Whole," "me and Cosmic consciousness" and so on. We must let go of this opposition, this separation if we want to see into this koan. This is why Engo starts right off saying, "quiet and secret, entirely One." This is it!…..”

http://www.zenmontreal.ca/en/teacher/aliveordead.htm

Gassho,
John

[CinnamonGal]

Re: 1/18 - The Significance of Buddhist Practice p.3

I finally got the book and hope this time I am posting to the right thread :lol: .

Uchiyama identifies three attitudes (persuit of material happeness, of Asolute or of some sort of permanent phylosophical Truth (p. 4) (body-spirit-mind?) and doesn't say on what grounds he makes this categorisation. It is not that it is a known fact, really.

I did not take philosophy classes but from what I know about for example ancient Greeks they could believe in God(s) and engage in deep phylosophical discussions around a table fool of food and wine in a company of lovely young boys, after which many of them would return to their wives and nice homes, no controversy there! Even closer to our times may seekers of the truth could combine the three approaches, so to speak. To me what he is talking about is not so evident and when he then asks the question which of the three ways of life Buddhism fits in I cannot really say anything about the answer (none of them, according to Uchiyama) because I am not really aware of this division to start with.

Also, I find the use of "we" in the text somewhat confusing: at one point Uchiyama writes "most people" (about those who look for happeness in material posessions or health) and in the next sentences uses "we" (speaking about those who look for God or some idea), identifying himself with the second and third groups rather than with the first one. I wonder who those "we" are? :?

It is a fascinating reading, though and I look forward to reading the next chapter and the comments in the thread.

Gassho,

Irina




What I liked about Buddhism from the start was that the Buddha encouraged people to go find out for themselves (and this is what Uchiyama did, staring on his own quest of searching for the truth "

that was undeniably real

.


What throws me off a little is a way of presenting opinions as if they were facts (having been through a Westen educationla system I am used to ask: Says who?.