A man comes into a bar

[will]

A man "comes" into a bar. He doesn't walk. He just kind of goes in there.

In the bar there are 4 men.

The one man is strict. He makes sure that everyone is doing thier job. I think they might call him the manager.

The man sits on the stool and says "could be useful".

Another man is prostrating on the floor. He has a shrine that he carries with him when he goes travelling.

The man looks at him, saying vows, and repeating oaths, and says

"Could be be useful."

Another man is washing the table. Picking up the cups. Straightening the chairs.

Of course, the man looks at him and says...

Another is just standing. He doesn't have much to say, or much to do. He just kind of stands there patiently waiting for his friend to arrive.

The man says " Could be useful."

Gassho

[ghop]

Re: A man comes into a bar

Fire can be useful to a cook...

or harmful to an arsonist...

useful...what does this mean?

nursing homes are full of useless people...

yet the faces are beautiful, wrinkled, and full of precious stories...

when we value only that which produces

then we have lost the Way...

vegetables or machine guns...

you decide which is more valuable...


petting zoo

father and daugher

hand in hand


gassho
Greg

[will]

Re: A man comes into a bar

The same man walks into a health food store and is greeted by a smiling cashier. He sees much healthy food.

He says. "It could be useful."

Then he sees some people doing exercise. One is doing weights, the other is doing yoga.

He hears the one doing weights say "Man I'm pumped. I can lift 5000 pounds with one arm."

Then he hears the woman saying "I can stand on my head for 9 hours every day."

The man says...mmmm... not so useful.

Then he quietly watches them and says "could be useful."



Gassho

[will]

Re: A man comes into a bar

What are the 3 essential things for practice?

Food, shelter, and clothing (the last one depending on climate). Keizan Zenji recommends that you don't sit in cold places where drafts can get in, otherwise you could get sick.

Sunryu Suzuki recommends that we "do religion", bowing, giving offerings and so on because "we" are not dogs and cats. We are rather selfish sometimes. Religion puts us on a good road. Less selfish I guess.

Today we have to work. We have to go to work. Perhaps you are a janitor, or a manager, or a bus boy. Work = shelter = food = E =mc2

Why did Bodhidharma teach Gong fu at Shaolin temple? It wasn't to have kick ass competitions. It was because the monks were becoming unhealthy from hours of sitting (or so they say), so excercise is good too, to keep body and mind healthy, so you can practice.

Essential to the whole is Zazen, kinhin, oryoki, and so on.

I am not the best person at keeping all this stuff organized, but I think some things I will endeavour to do better.

Then of course, there's all the poetry and blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada.

The man sitting quietly is patience. He is Zazen. But he must join the show eventually. Perhaps when his friend arrives.

Gassho

Will

[will]

Re: A man comes into a bar

I must say that some of my stuff is over the top. Don't take it too seriously. Mostly here I'm just saying that excercise and stuff is good. A lot of my rambling come from an unbalanced practice sitting infront of a computer all day. As soon as something arises, I have the tendancy to post it.

Thanks

Gassho

W

[will]

Re: A man comes into a bar

If anyone is wondering where some of those things come from you can find them here (I believe). It's been a while since I've studied Zen.

http://www.cuke.com/Cucumber%20Project/ ... cture.html

Keizan quote is from Denkoroku I think or the other one he wrote.

The BodhiDharma quote came from an article I read a long time ago. It sounded kind of logical, instead of the alternative theory of protecting the monastery.

Food, shelter, clothing and "water", are just everyday knowledge It think, but can be found in some Buddhist teachings.

Gassho

w

[Shokai]

Re: A man comes into a bar

_/_ Thank you Will; It's all good