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Wednesday, November 22


SANDEEP

Q: Why don't Buddhists vacuum in the corners?
A: Because they have no attachments.

Q: What is the name of the best Zen teacher?
A: M.T. Ness

Q: How many Zen Buddhists does it take to change a light
bulb?
A: None, they are the light bulb.

Q: How many Zen buddhists does it take to change a light
bulb?
A: Three -- one to change it, one to not-change it and one to
both change- and not-change it.

Q: How many Zen buddhists does it take to change a light
bulb?
A: Tree falling in the forest.

Q: What happens when a Buddhist becomes totally absorbed with
the computer he is working with?
A: He enters Nerdvana.

Q: What did one Zen practitioner give to another for his/her
birthday?
A: Nothing.
Q: What did the birthday boy/girl respond in return?
A: You are thoughtless for giving me this meaningless gift.
To which the giver replied, "Thank you."

Disciple: "Master, why did Bodhidharma come from the West?"
Master: "Ask that post over there."
Disciple: "I don't understand"
Master: "Neither do I."

___________________________________________________________________

OMKARA AND DAN

OMKARA:
Yes, but a "desire to help" manifesting as compassion was
also evident (and apparently teachings were given, although
whether really given by the Buddha or later by priests is
unknown).

Compassion manifests only when a *wordless knowing* of
suffering is present. Whether or not this was beyond the
level of mental knowledge is unknown here.

Whether there really was a historical Buddha (or Jesus, for
that matter) is also unknown here and of little concern! Here
and Now, communication occurs between "Dan" and "Tim,"
seemingly between "two people," really Awareness attending to
itself or Love loving Love.

I believe I do understand what you said though, about
"knowing about it." No knowledge, nobody to know. "Awakeness"
as a state or quality is not something "owned" by anybody in
particular (nor is it really a state or quality).


DAN:

Yes, that's what I'm getting at.

And the "desire to help" and
the "I am awake" are the
same thing.
The desire to help isn't
from an outside position,
as one being would help
another being who inspires
a feeling or thought to
help.

The "desire to help" is actually
the natural response of "mind"
or "infinity"
to the attempt of a belief to
persist, a belief that constricts
awareness around a "me" that only
can continue to appear as belief
if belief can be sustained (and
all the emotions and associations
that go along with this -- fear,
desire, identity)

So the Buddha's desire to help is
only natural response of awareness
without a position to the attempt
to maintain a fixed position with
all the suffering this entails.

Love loving love
goes out and returns -
never having left at all ...

_____________________________________________________________

ANDREW MACNAB

Sometimes it just hits you over the head. This evening I was
sitting thinking about how what happens in 'the world out
there' is influenced by what goes on in 'my mind in here',
and following from that, letting various worries and concerns
rise up flower and die, as they do if you let them. I glanced
out the window and saw a meteor burn across the eastern sky,
bright and blue as a welder's flame, trailing yellow sparks,
it burned out just above the horizon.

--------------

MARCIA PAUL

Andrew,

I know just what you mean. This is what I was trying to
describe the other day when I was describing the emotional
reactions I observe much as the changing seasons. I feel
cold, and lonely and destitute (winter) and then the thaw
begins and so forth. No need to try and do anything or to try
and force myself to feel differently. Not only no need but
trying is contrary to nature. One can't make winter into
spring. When it is winter it is winter and when it is spring
it is spring.

Happy Thanksgiving.

______________________________________________________________

WHITE WOLF

christiana and white wolfe attended Mass at St. Dominic's in
San Francisco sunday just past...after a friendship
discovered in cyberspace it was a rare meeting of kindred
souls... deep gratitude for you the opportunity to share my
gratitude to her with you who know her...^^~~~


further up and further in,

white wolfe


The Beloved Shows a New Face

(For Christiana)


how do i find new words…



when the language i use is old

wrinkled, faded, dingy, pale

dingy and colorless, worn thin

worn out and grey, beyond time

like an old hag, or perhaps better,

like a luminous and silent sage,

beyond space, retaining merely

the shadow of form, of beauty,

the hints of the first rainbow,

over-arching the fresh earth

after the first ever rainfall

drifting cobalt blue, beyond time



how do old words find in me…

a novel arrangement,

an undiscovered sequence,

a still unsung, unheard melody



they find me in your eyes



they find me in the embrace

the timeless integral embrace



of two hands,

two Mystic Minds

two Sacred Hearts



kneeling in a Holy Sanctuary

celebrating an Ancient Ritual

as two, distinctly two who are…



Always, Now and Forever Will Be

One, One Mindful and Mystic Mind

One Compassionate and Sacred Heart




now,

with this incantation

as prelude, as introduction

i can simply say,

i love you in me

as your sparkling and deep eyes

told me…,

you love me in you



Hail Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Hail Holy Gem within the Coral Rose…



Mark Christopher Valentine

(November 22, 2000)

___________________________________________________________

MATTHEW AND MICHAEL

MICHAEL: Isn't this non-duality tricky stuff? If there is only one
conciousness, where does all the contention in the world come
from?

MATTHEW: no, not really. The nondual nature of
everything is just so tacitly obvious, there is no paradox,
there are no questions about it, no confusion in regards to
what it is. If i were to try and answer the types of
questions you pose here(or worse yet, try to come up with
questions like these myself),that would be a tricky thing. My
mind just doesn't work this way. In fact mind doesn't come in
to play at all in the recognition of nonduality.

______________________________________________________________

GENE AND MICHAEL

Gene Poole wrote:

If no 'no', no is not 'yes'. Ergo, no yes or no, and yes, no
yes or no; yes nor no. Yo!

Straightening Boolean forks, (eat your heart out, Geller!)


Michael Read wrote:

Fork it! Mandelbrot!

Actually Gene, the contrary content of non-contention is rhetorically
realization.

Life is good!

Life exists because it wants to.
Life wants to because it exists.
The camera is always rolling.

No one got the reference in "Dramatic ain't it?"

Like the cartoon characters who are chasing each other about, stop,
turn to the 'camera', shrug thier shoulders, and then resume the
chase - life goes on!

HAHAHAH and HOHOHO!
Peace - Michael

____________________________________________

OMKARA DATTA

Awakening does not occur to anyone... rather, when the right
atmosphere is present (compare it to a fruit tree laden with
ripe fruit, and suddenly a strong breeze hits), awakening
occurs...

The tree cannot drop the fruit. Nor can the fruit decide to
drop. It *could* be said that we can assist by creating the
right atmosphere for the fruit to ripen. By making sure the
tree gets plenty of water and sunshine and fresh air.

The "me" drops. The "me" cannot drop itself (that's where
nonvolition comes in). It simply drops. Then there is
Awakening, nothing but Awakening.

The ego or "me" hides Awakening. Awakening always is, but
could be said to be hidden by our presence. Where "I" am not,
Awakening is. Where "I" am, Awakening is not (or is not
perceived).

_______________________________________________________

MARK OTTER

Hi Folks,

I wish you a lovely holiday weekend (even those of you who don't partake
of the American tradition of Thanksgiving, an odd little reminder of the
slaughter of native Americans by our ancestors...) oh hey, I don't mean
to spoil the mood. Thanksgiving is a nice holiday where many do in fact
stop awhile to give thanks. I hereby give thanks that you are all in my
life, and I wish you a nice weekend. I'm outta here for a few days.

________________________________________________________

JAN AND MELODY

JAN: ....awareness isn't some kind of an abstraction but
potentially, entails a force as well (Shakti). That is why
"karma interpreted as fate" is such a sad, self-fulfilling
BS. Awareness has the potential to change anything and as the
"fabric of life" is an interdependent fabric, the outcome is
essentially unpredictable, reminding of nonlinear dynamics
(chaos theory, the classical example being a Chinese
butterfly causing a hurricane in Texas). It is THE reason why
"one's first and foremost duty in life" could be called "WAKE
UP!!"

MELODY: I would really enjoy listening to a discussion
perhaps by you and Sandeep ( as well as interested others),
on how the statement above reconciles with the concept of
"nonvolition".

Could it be that any desire or effort to WAKE UP (or lack of
desire or interest in awakening) ....as well as the issues
and challenges one may encounter in that effort....

is part of an individual's natural unfolding of
consciousness.... or as some may say, 'written in the sky' (
or call it fate, if you will)?

I'm seeing that even when I find myself struggling.... over
whether to 'row, row, row', or to just let the river carry
me...

this confusion and struggle...this inner divisivenesss... can
very much be part of 'what is written' for this body-mind.

__________________________________________________________

TIM GERCHMEZ

...the music came pouring in, note upon note, layers of
sound, playing me and playing itself for me. Sight and sound
descended upon me in a dazzling crescendo, carrying me with
it to new realms beyond imagination. Smells appeared in a
dazzling array... I could smell fat, blossoming yellow
flowers in Guatemala and the sharp reek of cow dung in India.
I could taste the rich, sweet flavor of pastries being eaten
by a man in a cafe in Turkey. I could hear the march of
soldiers in China and the gentle breathing of sleeping
shepherds in the Himalayas. I could feel the beat of a
camel's heart in Egypt, and see forest fires raging in South
America. The smoke carried me away.

Light, movement, sound and smell joined together in gorgeous
synergy, a symphony of perfection. At that very moment, I
lifted my wings and spread myself across the sky

_________________________________________________________________

COLETTE

Love courses through everything,
No, love is everything.
How can you say there is no love
When nothing but love exists?
All that you see has appeared because of Love.
All shines from Love,
All pulses with Love,
All flows from Love ~
No, once again, all is Love!

~Araqi~

Hello everyone. I have a post for Marcia which I will post
later (the one re feeling form a bit in front of formless
abiding).

I have to run now.

Love to All

It's All your self anyhow.

No need to shoot your own hand or foot.

Why attack your Self?

Love,

Col

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