What's a name?

[Stephanie]

Emperor's new clothes.

[will]

Gassho

[Kent]

whats a name

Is there a "Will" if there is no "Way"?

[Jun]

Is there a Way if we have no will?

[Jundo]

Hey Guys,

I am so glad everybody here has enough of a sense of humor, and the very good sense, so that this thread did not become one of those silly "Dharma Combats" that hits every "Zen" site on the web.

You know what I mean by "Dharma Combat": Where folks try to imitate the spontaneous insights of those old Koan stories ... I have absolutely no time today to go into the topic in detail, so I will just borrow this that somebody else wrote on the net:

I was recently reminded of a memory some time ago when I was studying Zen/Chan Buddhism with great earnest. At the time I used to frequent perhaps one of the most fruitful bulletin boards on the internet, 'E-sangha.' What I realized was that most Zen pracititioners lack a rigorous understanding of Madhyamikan philosophy, and tended to hide their answers with one liner quips that were intended to be taken as insightful, or knowledgeable, when in fact it seemed to be a display of their pretentiousness and lack of understanding. ... It seemed as these Zen students seemed to have been reading their Blue Cliff Records a little too much, or attending a lecture by Seung Sahn. The typical scenario goes like this:

Person with sincere Question asks: How do you define Buddhism?

Trite Zen student says: Three Pounds of Flax!

Pedestrian Zen guy chimes in : KATZ!!!

Zen Master Wannabe takes the cake with: ::holds up one finger::

And of course the person with the sincere question is left out to dry. Sometimes they feel like they're just stupid and they don't get it, or they realize that the people who responded just don't get it. ...In Zen buddhism, there are limits to human knowledge, and there is a limit to what one can explain through human language......but one must not take the cop out....one must still try to help those that don't understand by writing to the best of their ability. They may not grasp it all, but at least one has given them a stronger foundation that they can work from.

So, what is Buddhism?

::closes eyes::

;-) :lol:

[Kent]

whats a name

Jundo, sorry, no combat intended Gassho Kent Cooper

[will]

:lol: This is one of the funnest post yet. I think there's actually a "Will in the way"

Thanks for that quote Jundo. The description was funny "THREE　ＰＯＵＮＤＳ　OF　ＦＬＡＸ" :lol: Don't know what it means, but funny.

Of course my question was also somewhat earnest "to test the zenites" :wink: see what they'd say. Thanks guys.

Gassho Will

[Kelly M.]

Re: whats a name

Jundo, sorry, no combat intended Gassho Kent Cooper

Haha same here: I just like to smile

I see the humour in such a question; especially when asked by Will (where I know he's pullin' my leg). As such, I do have a desire to provide the corny answer that I feel he's fishing for.

[Lynn]

Of course my question was also somewhat earnest "to test the zenites" :wink: see what they'd say.

Is this what you feel is a helpful contribution to the group, Will? I've noticed this to be a pattern with you and I'm not sure what your intention is when you do this kind of thing? Who do you suppose you are in relation to the group to "test the zenites?" Sounds a little pretentious as if you have "the answers" to your little "tests" and you're trying to make others look foolish somehow.

But, if you feel this is something you must do, well....

[Jun]

Testing, testing; one, two, three..........

[will]

Is this what you feel is a helpful contribution to the group, Will? I've noticed this to be a pattern with you and I'm not sure what your intention is when you do this kind of thing? Who do you suppose you are in relation to the group to "test the zenites?" Sounds a little pretentious as if you have "the answers" to your little "tests" and you're trying to make others look foolish somehow.

But, if you feel this is something you must do, well....

Now Lynn. Calm down. I understand. My question was in earnest.

How I contribute to the group? I can't say.

No harm done. It is a interesting question no? Now time has past. What was a moment ago.

There is no foolish answer. It's what it is.

Are you a zenite? Please say you are. For I will be very very sad if your not. I'm a zenite. We are all zenites. Or not.

We can learn from all kinds of questions.

Ok. Funs over. Pack it up. Move it out everyone. Yeah, Yeah, that's right. Party's over.

(Just so you know, every gassho written by me is a gassho. unfortunately, we have to write it)

Gassho Will ops:

[will]

deleted

[will]

As to the question I posted weeks ago. Well, that was pretentious, and I apologized for it. However, this is not what it was, and yet it is.


Wish you well
Gassho
Will

[Ankai]

Oh, man,guys... could we not do this? It's a fun and thought provoking conversation. Who cares about the rest?

[will]

Lynn

I should have said I was "interested" in what everyone would say. Please forgive that.

Gassho

No harm done Kvon.