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Wherever there is a disciple, there will be a master. Wherever there is a master, there will be a disciple. Wherever there is no master nor a disciple, what do remains?
Every inhale is life, every exhale is death. Life and death a dance of being, one cannot exist without the other. Thus ever changing and impermanent but just is, as we are just is, here and now, sitting in the loving wrap of the void. It is now when life and death are one.
How do people die? Simple answer: they just stop living. Easy.
All "good" things "die", and all "bad" things "die"....that is, things transition from one state to another. If you really want to get deep and philosophical, consider that since we really don't know for sure what happens when we die, we don't really know if we are the "dead" state or the "alive" state. For example, suppose that when we "die", we actually do become enlightened beings (like the luminous jedi in Star Wars. ).....in that case, perhaps the enlightened state is really being "alive", and we are "dead" when we are in the physical state. If we leave the enlightened state and get a physical body, maybe that is the true "death", until we return (get "reborn") to the enlightened state.
But I don't know, so I can't say. I don't know what it's like to be dead anymore than I know what it's like to be a dog, or a flower, or a river.
I also have to bring up a point from the founder of Kenpo Karate, Ed Parker. He used to point out that belt ranks weren't necessarily "all that". He would argue against people saying they were better than someone else due to higher rank with something along the lines of "But what happens after you die? What rank of death are you? Does it matter?".
Living, dying.....we do both all the time, don't we?
And by the way, thanks guys....now I have to go look up more on Ikkyu. Sounds like a total character....like the Brad Warner of his day.
Dammit jishin my friend, you made me snort tea all over the table. Thank you!
If it helps, my first bud o only had white,green,brown then black belt. Belts were awarded in class by sensei based on effort and ffectivness. There was no formal grading until fith Dan, and that was a teachers license.
I boxer for many years too, we have only one belt and everyone fights for it Lol
The Talk during this week's special Zazenkai for "Nehan-e" (Buddha's Parinirvana Day) will be with Master Dogen's Shobogenzo-Shōji (Life and Death), all right on to the Great Matter ... Be there, a matter of life and death!
READINGS FOR TODAY'S DHARMA TALK ARE BELOW IN THIS THREAD.
WELCOME to our Memorial & Celebration of NEHAN-E, (Pari-Nirvana) the traditional day to mark the historical Buddha's death and passing from this visible world. This is also a day for each of us to remember in our homes those family and friends who have gone
More information here as well on our "At Home" Parinirvana memorial ...
Dear All,
A few years back, some of our Sangha members requested a day to remember those who had passed from this world among family and friends ...
February is a time of Memorial & Celebration for NEHAN-E (Parinirvana Gathering), the traditional day to mark the historical Buddha's death and passing from this visible
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