The Current State of Zen in Europe
Here is a photo of me in Amsterdam lamenting that reality is based on space and time.
Or is it... ?
I recovered from the recent hospital stuff and now my European tour 2011 is well and truly on. The first date is in Nijmegen, Netherlands (where I am writing this) tomorrow at 7 pm. The info for tomorrow's date is at this link.
The next stop will be Bonn, Germany on Saturday at the San Bo Dojo. That will be a day-long zazen thing. This will be followed by another day-long zazen thing on Sunday (the next day) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Info for that and for the talk I'm giving in Rotterdam the following day (Monday) is at this link.
Find out about the rest of the tour by clicking here.
This is the second European Zen tour I've done. I'm gradually becoming familiar with how Zen is perceived over here. It's a bit newer to Europe than it is to the United States. That is to say, Zen literature got to both places around the same time. But it seems like the establishment of actual practice centers lagged a little behind the US.
The largest Zen organization in Europe appears to be AZI, which stands for Association Zen Internationale. This was established in France by a Japanese monk named Deshimaru. Deshimaru and my teacher Nishijima Roshi were friends. Even so, I've never been invited to speak at an AZI center. I think they're very particular about having only people from their lineage speak at their places. Fair enough.
Noah Levine has authorized a few teachers to start Against The Stream groups over here. And I'm speaking at a couple of their places in The Netherlands. Noah isn't a Zen teacher. But he's "Zen friendly." I've spoken at a number of the places he established in the US, Canada and now Europe.
Over in Poland and Finland, where I spoke last year, Philip Kapleau established a few centers that are still active. Kapleau was the author of the highly influential book Three Pillars of Zen.
The San Francisco Zen Center has a couple things over here, I think. But they run their organization pretty loosely. When a teacher from SFZC leaves, she or he usually establishes a place that has no official ties to San Francisco. However, the centers they establish all seem to network quite closely with each other. The only place I've been to in Europe that was started by an SFZC teacher is the Black Mountain Zen Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
There are a number of other teachers over here on the continent. One of those I met last year was a Dutch guy named Ton Lathouwers. He was a fun and funny guy. He studied with Masao Abe.
All of the foregoing doesn't tell you much about the overall state of Zen in Europe. And it's hard to say with any authority what that is. I've encountered a number of very sincere practitioners working hard at making Zen available. It's not all good news, though. Genpo Roshi is quite active here in The Netherlands. But his influenced has waned considerably lately. It's hard to tell if that's just because of the very highly publicized and largely meaningless sex scandal or because people realized what a joke the whole Big Mind® thing was.
New Age stuff is as much a booming business in Europe as it is in America. This stuff always has a kind of run-off effect upon Zen. New Age book shops usually stock a few Zen books. Which is good in that it gets the written part of Zen out there. But one wonders if purchasers just combine all that stuff in their minds into one big eastern spirituality blob the way Americans tend to.
I'll be seeing a lot more Zen in Europe over the coming six weeks. I'll let you know what I find.
Posts
191 comments:
Welcome to the Commercially United States of Europe!
An ambivalent god called The Markets rules over here now... don't upset The Markets with that Zen stuff whatever you do.
Bon Tour!
Regards,
Harry.
oh yeah....1! (I was almost over that).
Noah Levine has authorized a few teachers to start Against The Stream groups over here.
That's a bit odd to me. Nothing against the guy personally; it just seems a bit unusual for a 40 year old guy to be "authorizng teachers," especially ones geographically separated by substantial distance.
But good to see Genpo Merzel is on the wane.
You don't have to call him "Roshi" you know.
I think you mean sunday in Amsterdam, not Rotterdam. At least that's the one i signed up for ;)
If this is Sunday, this must be Amsterdam.
Why do Belge drive with the windshield wipers on the inside of their cars?
enjoy your tour!
Sex is not the scandal --- it is the manipulation and lying that creates the scandal
Kwan Um School has quite a few centers and groups around Europe but I can't attest as to how active they are.
Space-time is not the problem. It's regrettable that "reality" is based on human misconceptions.
Noah Levine has a teacher
training course he operates
which is the "authorization"
process. It is based in the
Theravadan tradition or "Thai"
lineage.
I think he has permission to
train teachers in his brand
of meditation which is loosely
based in Vipasana, called
"Insight meditation".
I was part of a sangha here
in Philly that was organized
by Doug Achtert. He trained
with Noah for several years
before being authorized to
teach.
So my point is that Noah is
part of an established lineage
and seems to have the respect
of the monastics in from the
tradition he is attached to.
Ashvaghosha:
" When one is
rising, standing, walking, doing
something, stopping one should
constantly concentrate one's mind
on the act and the doing of it."
When conscious it is possible to do
vipassana the entire day even when
drunk or fornicating.
Brad, is vipassana present in Zen
practice?
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
"Brad, is vipassana present in Zen
practice?"
I can answer that. I'm pretty much running this place anyway.
In zazen you keep your eyes open. In vipassana you don't. That's the only difference.
Brad doesn't have enough experience outside of his small little fiefdom to comment on anything other than his small, strange brand of shikantaza.
Many
of
you
cannot
see
the forrest
for
the trees.
Which
is
why
you need
me.
i think the thing about brad warner is he validates some treacherous dangerous people like jundo cohen
he's
not
particularly
dangerous himself
but
why
he
gives
the
time
of
day
to
these
treacherous
other
teachers
i
don't
know
except
he's
a
twit !
You're right. It's Amsterdam on Sunday!
Brad, is vipassana present in Zen
practice?
"Tangential and circumstantial speech, and marked verbosity.
Speech may convey a sense of incoherence.
the conversational style often includes monologues about topics that bore the listener, fails to provide context for comments, .
The speaker's conclusion or point may never be made, and attempts by the listener to elaborate on the speech's content or logic, or to shift to related topics, are often unsuccessful."
The initial impetus for developing a classification of mental disorders in the United States was the need to collect statistical information. The first official attempt was the 1840 census which used a single category, "idiocy/insanity". In 1917, a Committee on Statistics from what is now known as the American Psychiatric Association (APA), together with the National Commission on Mental Hygiene, developed a new guide for mental hospitals called the "Statistical Manual for the Use of Institutions for the Insane", which included 22 diagnoses. This was subsequently revised several times by APA over the years. APA, along with the New York Academy of Medicine, also provided the psychiatric nomenclature subsection of the US medical guide, the Standard Classified Nomenclature of Disease, referred to as the "Standard".
"idiocy/insanity"
Of course the granularity has been greatly refined so that we now have
(IQ based)
50-69, Moron.
20-49, Imbecile.
Below 20, Idiot.
And insanity classified in a variety of definitions: Classification of Insanity as Adopted by the State Lunacy Commission in Force Since July 1, 1908. Many of these previously insane behaviors are now considered personality disorders or republicanism.
301.92 Authoritarian Personality Disorder: A pervasive pattern of power abuse marked by the compulsion to control others and nullify their civil rights while glorifying one's own imagined societal role, usually indicated by at least nine (or more) of the following behavior traits: MORE
Once in a great while, someone is born normal, raised with skilled parenting, and reaches maturity without all the baggage associated in the modern world (e.g. a Pacific Islander).
"Sex is not the scandal --- it is the manipulation and lying that creates the scandal."
Thank You!!! You've nailed very neatly and concisely what it is I've been saying for years (it seems so simple now, I almost feel like an imbecile [IQ of, say, 25) for not articulating it sooner).
I don't have a problem with sex. People--even "Zen Masters" or other spiritual leaders--can have all the sex they want, as far as I'm concerned, and doesn't reflect negatively on their teachings or morals...as long as they're honest and open and not taking advantage of their position. Ikkyu fucked all the damned time, and he seems like a pretty admirable dude, besides that. But he never denied being a horn dog, and he didn't go around manipulating others or his situation to get his nookie.
Is the "State of Zen" in Europe a member of the European Union?
I don't think Genpo ever hid the fact that he was a "horn dog."
Is there evidence that he manipulated the unwary into fornicating with him? Testimony to that fact?
Sex is an act between two consenting parties, whether or not they are married, or whatever, is irrelevant.
I know nothing at all about "Big Mind" -but I know quite abit about witch hunting.
Noah Levine and Brad Warner - two rad dudes!
"I think they're very particular about having only people from their lineage speak at their places. Fair enough."
thats not zen, thats the usual religious closed minded, what do they think they are doing?
the
problem
zen
has
is
eckhart
tolle
and
neo
advaita
have
gutted
it
and
it's
a
permanent change
Sex is like sneezing, for christ's sakes!
It happens to be a biological function that is sometimes easier to suppress than at other times.
Remember when poor Bill Clinton was entrapped into his perjury? "I did not have sex with that woman." (Depends on how you define sex) It wasn't the oral sex, it was the perjury.
Republicans think sex - is BAD (but only if you are a democrat).
We need to get over this colonial thinking.
noah levine, this is what it's really about
breeding !
pretty tattoos, but the heavy metals in the ink screw the brain and he sure shows signs of that !
"Poor Bill Clinton" took a suck job and came in that chick's face/mouth. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.
Let's face it: he facefucked her.
Reports at the time were that his dick was very, very crooked when erect. Nevertheless, he got it in her mouth.
Read
up
on it
if
you
don't
believe me.
His
penis
was bent
in
a
big
way.
what
neo
advaita
has
done
is
because
it
allows
anyone
to
set
themselves
up
and
teach
independently
is
there's
no
quality
teachers
in
zen
anymore
and
that's
what
genpo
merzel
is
showing
a
rat
leaving
a
sinking
ship
brad
warner
is
unusual
because
he's
the
old
style
misfit
not the over socialized
patsies
that
zen
is
bloated
with
these
days !
"Poor Bill Clinton" took a suck job"
well his wife wouldn't sleep with him
if you notice the lack of an orange "B" next to the post this is replying to, it's the usual anonymous areshole trying to forge my identity
I
for one
am
very
proud
of
Bill
Clinton
for
facefucking
that
young
girl.
She
now has the memory of
a
lifetime.
I'm
very
proud of
her.
Why
can't
you
simple
Zen
types
see
that?
She
will
someday
tell
her
grandkids
that
she
sucked
one
of
the
greatest
US
presidents
of
the
20th
century.
I
don't
know
about
you
but
that's
a
pretty
nice
memory.
She
wasn't
a
victim
she
was
a
willing
adult
participant.
Villify
Clinton
if
it
makes
you
feel
better
you
arseholes.
But
I
think
we
all
know
better.
Would you suck my crooked weenie, Andrew?
Typical
zen
hater.
If
you
don't
believe
that
Clinton's
cock
is
severely
bent
then
go
look
it
up
yourself.
It's
a
historical
fact.
Well, you would know, crooked cock sucker.
Proof
of
Clinton's
cockshaft
crookedness.
Only you would find that interesting, wanker.
I
might
mention
that
I
would
gladly
do
what
Lewinski
did.
now that lewinski post is not me, you can tell by clicking the link and the link is broken
you can tell anyway cause my posts are intelligent and i'm not american, not really forgable
Big
and
crooked
is
how
I
like
them.
Do
you
stupid
Americans
understand?
Can
I
make
it
more
simple
than
that?
So
sick
of
dealing
with
Americans
and
having
to
break
things
down
to
their
level.
Utterly
incapable
of
understanding
straightforward
language.
Time
to
start
concentrating
my
efforts
on
educating
you
simpletons.
A few weeks ago, I made the decision that I am no longer going to be watching MMA (or football, or boxing, or kickboxing).
It was very difficult for me to come to this decision, because MMA has not just been my favorite sport for as long as I can remember; it has also been my biggest interest and passion in life for as long as I can remember. The sport of MMA has been what I often go to bed thinking about, it has been what I've written about for years, it has given me something to look forward to during many tough times, and it has been the sport that I've defended to any of my friends or family who oppose it. I know that no longer watching MMA is going to leave a void in my life, and that no longer watching football, boxing, or kickboxing is going to be easy by comparison.
Very few days have gone by over these many years during which I haven't either read about, or written about, or watched MMA, and for good reason: The technique involved in MMA, the fact that a fighter can employ dozens of different strategies and try to go about winning in so many different ways, the fact that all of those strategies have counter-strategies (and those counters have counters), the fact that there are so many different ways to win... These are the things that have always made me feel that MMA is the most exciting sport in the world to watch.
At the same time, I know that I can't watch it anymore, and I'd like to explain what led to my decision to no longer watch the sport that I've loved so much for so many years.
I recently watched a segment on an episode of the HBO newsmagazine "Real Sports" that I had saved on Tivo. The segment was about a peer-reviewed scientific study that links brain injuries such as concussions to ALS (and to syndromes like ALS), which is probably the single worst way for a human being to (slowly and painfully) die.
After watching this segment, I went online and started reading. And reading. And reading. I read about concussions for hours and hours, then for the better part of a couple days. (One of the many, many articles that I found was one on Sherdog.com, written by Dr. Matt Pitt on the subject of brain injuries in MMA)
While of course everyone has known for years that concussions are "bad for you" in general, the scientific community has only begun to fully understand the wide scope of the long-term consequences of concussions in the past few years. Studies have recently been conducted on the brains of dead football players, boxers, and pro wrestlers. Many of these athletes lived long enough to finish their careers, but nowhere near a normal life expectancy, and the alarming trend in the studies of these athletes' brains is that they had brain damage that was far worse than anyone suspected or could have imagined.
Specifically, they had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
Big
and
crooked
as
infinity
is
my
guide
Well
you
can
still
buy
some
copper
bullets
and
shoot
some
wallabies.
Their
brains
are
delicious.
so forging has become an issue, you really only can tell by clicking on the poster identity and checking it goes to the right profile.
in my experience this always happens unless you force registration and identities and disallow anonymous posting
in
actual
fact
i
quite
like
the
semi -
destructed
nature
of
this
board
it
breaks
any
illusion
of
meaning
and
significance
A few notes before we get into the salaries for UFC 44:
-Fighters are generally paid a certain amount of money to step in the cage/ring and fight, and a certain amount of money as a "win bonus" if they are victorious. These two amounts are usually the same (example: $4,000 to fight and $4,000 more if you win), but not always.
-Fighters who are drug-tested before an event (which includes all fighters who compete in championship bouts) are only paid 90% of their purse until the results of their drug tests are in. At that point, they are sent the remaining 10% of their purse, assuming that they passed the drug tests.
-If any given fighter has not had MRI and MRA tests on their brain within the past five years, they have to get those tests done at their own expense, with the price usually being $425.
-All of the salaries below are before taxes are taken by the government, and these taxes are much higher if you are not a US citizen.
For each of the three events listed below, we will list the salaries for each fighter (including their "show money" and "win money"), followed by some analysis on the salaries of each event.
UFC 44 Fighter Salaries
-Randy Couture: $175,000 ($105,000 for fighting; $70,000 win bonus)
-Tito Ortiz: $125,000 ($125,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $50,000)
-Tim Sylvia: $60,000 ($30,000 for fighting; $30,000 win bonus)
-Andrei Arlovski: $18,000 ($6,000 for fighting; $12,000 win bonus)
-Caol Uno: $17,500 ($17,500 for fighting; win bonus would have been $17,500)
-Gan McGee: $13,000 ($13,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $13,000)
-Vladimir Matyushenko: $10,000 ($10,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $10,000)
-Rich Franklin: $10,000 ($5,000 for fighting; $5,000 win bonus)
-Hermes Franca: $8,000 ($4,000 for fighting; $4,000 win bonus)
-Jorge Rivera: $6,000 ($3,000 for fighting; $3,000 win bonus)
-David Loiseau: $4,000 ($4,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $4,000)
-Karo Parisyan: $4,000 ($2,000 for fighting; $2,000 win bonus)
-Nick Diaz: $4,000 ($2,000 for fighting; $2,000 win bonus)
-Josh Thomson: $4,000 ($2,000 for fighting; $2,000 win bonus)
-Dave Strasser: $3,000 ($3,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $3,000)
-Edwin Dewees: $2,000 ($2,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $2,000)
-Jeremy Jackson: $2,000 ($2,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $2,000)
-Gerald Strebendt: $2,000 ($2,000 for fighting; win bonus would have been $2,000)
-Total Fighter Payroll: $467,500
Fighters
with
concussion
should
eat
wallaby
brains.
Works
for
me.
With all the fuss surrounding Amazon's new tablet, The Kindle Fire it is good news to find that the company are still putting their weight behind the eInk Kindle reader. Jeff Brazos, Amazon CEO, stated that it is still day one for the dedicated eReaders of which the Kindle leads the field and that the eReader will continue to be updated alongside the Kindle Fire - the latter device is more of an all round tablet computer while the Kindle is a dedicated reader and there is room for both.
The excellent Kindle Chronicles Podcast this week carried a great and informative report from Amazon's press conferance held in New York this past week, and is essential listening for anyone interested in the future of reading.
I
rather
approve
of
this
blog
comments
section.
It
reveals
the
bland
idiocy
of
brad's
acolytes.
You
people
need
me
whether
you
realize
it
or
not.
And
so
I
shall
remain,
to
guide
and
comfort
you.
crooked
cocks
just
seeem
more
satisfying
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah health officials are investigating a suspected botulism outbreak in 12 inmates who may have contracted the disease after drinking alcohol homebrewed inside a prison cell.
Salt Lake Valley Health Department spokesman Nicholas Rupp says eight men were hospitalized, three of which are in critical condition Wednesday. Four inmates also are being treated at the prison.
Department of Corrections officials say the inmates drank the home-brewed alcohol over the weekend. The first of the inmates became ill on Sunday.
Health officials say foodborne botulism is a rare, but serious illness that can cause paralysis. It's caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by bacteria.
Rupp says the eight hospitalized inmates have been treated for the disease with an anti-toxin obtained from the Centers for Disease Control.
As I heard the story, a biology doctoral student was meeting with his dissertation committee when one of his professors asked him this question: “How can you tell if something is alive?” The doctoral student, as is the practice when going through that tortuous process, gave a long and technical answer. The professor said, “Well, yeah, but that’s not what I’m looking for.” Undaunted, the student gave an even longer and more technical answer, to which the professor replied, “You’re not wrong, but you’re not right either.” The student paused for a bit before giving the most dazzling technical answer that he could, and the professor just frowned and shook her head. “I’m sorry,” said the exasperated student, “just what answer are you looking for?” She smiled at her overly hard working student and said, “You can tell something is alive because it grows.” The student proceeded to smack himself in the forehead, “D’oh!”
Let’s extrapolate that story a bit.
Q: How can you tell you are on the Buddhist Path?
A: Because you grow on it. Just as it is the essential nature of a living being to grow, so to is it our essential nature to move toward our inherent Buddha nature by following the Path marked by our vows and precepts. Essentially, then, the Path is a one-way street moving only in the direction of a non-destination. Thus at any point on the Path you should be able to look back and see from where you have come. The distance between (non)there and (non)here is how much you have grown.
Let’s extrapolate a little further.
Q: Is Treeleaf alive?
A: Yes, because it is growing. Growth in this case can be the number of people joining the sangha and/or increasing complexity within the sangha. I don’t know what the membership numbers are, or even how we might want to measure them (those admitted or those that post or whatever), but certainly more and more people find out about it, and the forum has become much more complex in all its sub-forums over the years. Having been here for a few years now, it is easy to see where we were and compare it to where we are now, to see how we’ve grown.
Now let’s take one more extrapolation and jump to the idea that, since Treeleaf is a sort of living being that is on the Path, then we might also be able to consider it as a collective mind. Taking this view of Treeleaf-mind, us individuals could be seen as separate brain cells or areas of this mind, each with our own function, each cooperating (sometimes messily) with the others in order to function as a unit. Evidence supporting this analogy can be seen all through the forum. This place works! But just as our brain (or life) works, it can be chaotic and even dysfunctional at times. Change happens, growth is inevitable, and sometimes that makes us feel awkward and gets us off balance, but equilibrium always returns.
Let me see how far I can push this. Just as it is the nature of an individual’s brain to generate a thought that inevitably leads to more thoughts and then thoughts on top of those thoughts, so to does Treeleaf-mind generate threads consisting of posts upon posts upon forum posts. As individuals, we learn to watch that process and let it go during zazen, so can we learn to do the same as a collective mind? When a thread ends, does that mean Treeleaf-mind goes back to collective zazen? Can we as Treeleaf-mind develop a collective “self” awareness that exists from moment to moment? Is Treeleaf-mind moving toward some sort of collective realization of our perfect Buddha nature? Is Treeleaf even conscious of its own existence as “mind”? And so on to other questions that might arise and pile up from the one thought that I started with.
I get exasperated with this place from time to time and need to get away from it. I get critical and think that we are too attached to our Treeleaf-mind “thoughts” to let them go so that we can move on to see the bigger picture that Zen teaches us about. Again, just read through the forum for evidence of this. But I’ve just realized that when I criticize Treeleaf I am also criticizing myself, because I am part of this living/growing organism. Maybe my aggravations with Treeleaf are really just displaced aggravations with my “self.” I could leave, I suppose, but what would that mean? Since I am part of Treeleaf-mind (btw, Treeleafer, so are you), where could I go? How can I escape my own mind, Treeleaf or otherwise? Why would I? At best, I can just step back and let go for a time. What about you? Can you let go of Treeleaf, of Treeleaf-mind? The true sangha is immeasurably bigger than Treeleaf, you know.
I’d like to say DON’T think about any of this, that nothing good can come from any more thinking about this convolution I have presented here, but it is the nature of this collective mind we call Treeleaf to think and post those thoughts. So, instead, let me just ask you to let go of your posts, here or anywhere, now and always, as you/me/us/we move forward on this living/growing Path. I am going to do my part in this by smacking myself in the forehead and saying “D’oh!” as soon as I submit this my 1000th post.
orange blob an3drew, why do you care sooo little about us as to hurt our eyes and brains with those endless one word/line posts?
This is probably the greatest comment thread I've ever seen on Bradley's blog...
"This is an interesting spin," said Stern reading from the article on Wednesday. "‘Conan’s ratings are down, but he’s huge online. Turner’s New Pitch to Advertisers Touts Late Night Host’s Web Popularity.’ That means he’s probably about three months away from being fired…This sounds like a Hail Mary last ditch attempt. There’s no hope…It just reminds me of when we were at NBC and Soupy [Sales] had his show and Soupy would get on and go ‘We’re number one in the cars!’…Like, maybe some guy at NBC said to him: ‘Don’t worry Soupy! You’re number one in the cars!’ trying to give him a pep talk or something—and then they cancelled him. They fired him.”
I have been a serious lay practioner of Zen for not quite two years -- not very long, I grant you. I originally got into it around the time of other profound changes -- moving out of an unsatisfactory marriage after 13 years, quitting the habit of abusing alcohol, feeling absolutely marvelous for the first time in years. I had long had the vague idea that some sort of meditation practice would be beneficial, so I visited a zendo of the Soto/Rinzai lineage, and adhered to it immediately. I attend the zendo regularly, and meet with my teacher privately every week -- daisan, as it's called. I study koans. I sit every day, and participate in extended sittings several times a year -- i.e., doing little other than meditating all day, all weekend, or all week. This is what serious practitioners do.
Why do this? I don't know. There is much that I find appealing in Buddhist thought generally, and in Zen Buddhism in particular. The basic ideas -- such as impermanence, the ubiquity of human suffering and its causes -- make sense to my rational mind. And I am convinced -- as it is well established -- that meditation itself provides meaningful benefits to mental and physical health.
On a more intuitive, visceral level, I am powerfully drawn to the idea that all the wisdom you will ever need is already within you. You have only to still what Master Lin-chi calls the ceaselessly seeking mind -- methodically, patiently, relentlessly -- to come to an understanding of nothing less than the essential nature of reality. If you think about it -- no, if you contemplate it -- you have to say, of course! How can it be otherwise?
Wait -- says who? Mister Buddha, the dude credited with launching the whole program? A multi-thousand year succession of masters and disciples and adherents? So? What if they are nuts? What if they are full of shit? Can anyone prove this stuff to be true in any credible, objective way? No, I think not. This is where the F-word comes into play: faith. Some call it trust. Whatever you call it, I sometimes have a big problem with it
This is an example of what they call Great Doubt and it is very much part of the program, according to what I have been taught. Doubt is encouraged. Doubt is your friend. The Buddha said, don't take my word for it. See for yourself. But it's still doubt and can be disconcerting, disquieting, distressing -- all kinds of dis-words.
Do you say, you are crashing and burning because you trying to approach rationally something that works below the level of rational mind? Maybe so. But rational mind is something we need to carry around with us to function and survive, and for the most part it's a good and helpful thing. Common sense -- prudence, if you will -- urges caution before investing decades of your life and incalculable amounts of energy and sacrifice in something this weird. Sometimes when I listen to one of the teachers speaking about such things as Zen and Reality and the One Absolute Truth, my inner voice tells me I might as well be listening to the demented ramblings of a lunatic. One of these teachers has said that Zen is and always will be a minority practice because it is such hard work. Gee, could it be that it's a minority practice because it's crazy, and most ordinary unenlightened dumbass people are too sensible for it?
In my great arrogance and psychospiritual immaturity, I have other problems with this Zen stuff. I am about as unspiritual as a person can be. You might even say anti-spiritual. For this devout atheist, the very word spiritual often sounds uncomfortably like agnostic code for religious. I'm all for bowing to people, but I think bowing to statues is silly, and do it only to go along with the crowd.
At a weekend sesshin just the other day my samu task was to clean the bathroom. As I was dilligently wiping the mirror my unmindful mind suddenly noticed something absurd. Here we are, a group of some 40 more or less privileged, educated white people from New York City, and we are paying to sweep floors, wash dishes and take out the garbage. What do you suppose people who actually clean bathrooms for a living would think? It is a ridiculously pretentious and comical affectation.
Sometimes I wonder what the hell I am doing here, and entertain fantasies of rising from the mat in the middle of a sitting period and walking out of the zendo, never to return.
But I don't. Instead I sit when it's time to sit, walk when it's time to walk, chant when it's time to chant, eat when it's time to eat. And when Sensei gave a talk this past weekend about how we were at sesshin to realize Nothing, the tears started coming out of my eyes and would not stop. Go figure.
Actually, I just went back and read all of the posts and it's probably the worst comment thread I've ever seen on Bradley's blog...
"I was part of a sangha here
in Philly that was organized
by Doug Achtert. He trained
with Noah for several years
before being authorized to
teach."
i had a vision in which the sixth patriarch authorised me to teach !
so i'm the seventh patriarch
i
really
am
wish
he
hadn't
done
that
btw
caught
me
unawares !
made a blog since the inauthentic are trying to crowd me out here
i
really
am
wish
he
hadn't
done
that
btw
caught
me
unawares !
Realize
nothing
american
idiots
infinity
licks
my
balls
Those caring for him at a Hindu monastery in Wales say he symbolizes the sanctity of all life and is an inspiration to templegoers. Officials say he could have a contagious disease and should be put down.
Now the fate of Shambo, the sacred bull, is in the hands of Welsh justice.
The 6-year-old Friesian bull tested positive for bovine tuberculosis in April. Under British law, animals suspected of carrying the disease must be slaughtered. But Shambo's caretakers at Skanda Vale Hindu monastery near Carmarthen, in southwest Wales, backed by worldwide supporters, say Shambo is not sick and have been fighting to save him.
The temple brought its case before the Cardiff Civil Justice Center on Thursday, arguing that their religious rights were being violated. Judge Gary Hickinbottom said he would rule on Shambo's case on Monday.
After a notice in early May that regional authorities intended to have Shambo slaughtered, the bull was isolated in a hay-filled shrine in the monastery's main temple. An Internet petition was launched, and the temple created a blog listing Shambo's daily thoughts, paired with a live Web cam dubbed "Moo Tube."
Shambo is one of a herd of cows at a 115-acre estate belonging to the monastery, also known as the Community of the Many Names of God.
The monastery has fiercely defended the animal, arguing that the tuberculosis test was inconclusive and that, even if Shambo were sick, he could be treated rather than killed.
The Welsh rural development minister, Jane Davidson, argued that the tuberculosis tests were accurate in 99.9 percent of all cases and that even healthy looking cattle might be sick or even contagious.
"I have ... considered extremely carefully whether the rights of the community to manifest their religion should override the duty on me to protect animal and human health," she said in a letter to the Welsh Assembly last month. "In the light of the veterinary, medical and legal assessments, I am minded to conclude that they should not."
The monastery said in a Web statement that its members would be "willing to defend his life with our own."
Another Hindu leader urged understanding on both sides.
"If there is good evidence of a genuine case of tuberculosis, which is then a danger to others, ... then you have to let go," said Anil Bhanot, the general secretary of Hindu Council UK. "It is the body that is dying, not the atma (soul) - that is not perishable."
The Mantrayana. The word mantrayana means sacred recitation vehicle. The school's major centers are in the Himalayan regions, in Mongolia, and in Japan. The Japanese call it Shingon. Mantrayana Buddhism accepts most Mahayanan doctrines. But it also emphasizes a close relationship between a spiritual leader, sometimes called a guru, and a small group of disciples. The disciples spend much time reciting spells called mantras, performing sacred dances and gestures, and meditating. Some branches of the school, particularly in Tibet, stress sexual symbolism and believe that sex should be used for holy purposes. Many followers of Mantrayana Buddhism believe in terrifying devils, goblins, and other deities. Attempts to visualize these deities, and the use of magic, play a large part in the school's teachings and rituals.
i
a
great
poet
am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p3NZW9CJL4
Note: Buddhism denies that Jesus Christ is the truth.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
The Noble Eightfold Path consists of (1) knowledge of the truth; (2) the intention to resist evil; (3) saying nothing to hurt others; (4) respecting life, morality, and property; (5) holding a job that does not injure others; (6) striving to free one's mind of evil; (7) controlling one's feelings and thoughts; and (8) practicing proper forms of concentration.
Note: Buddhism has never produced much good in the world.
John 15:5-8 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
Note: Only disciples of Jesus Christ produce lasting good in the world.
Ugh... An3drew the ass burger is dominating the comments again, riding the choppy surf of the Grandeur Seas...
Those fuckwad twats aren't
me.
but mere copies.
wishing they
were me
possessing
my
keen
insight
and
profound
concentration.
Sounds like I'm joking but Im not.
Live
long and prosper.
I
offer
readers
here
a
view
of
a
better
way.
yeah i really like that poem, shows dogen up !
anonymous you are really a fan of me, you just don't see it do you?
Given the current range of shows starring on Broadway, it's a shame that more people can't tune in by some means such as cable TV or the Internet. This has always been one of Broadway's best and worst features. Its limitations of being in a single city and on a single stage keep it special in the sense that only so many people get to witness some of the best shows on the planet. However, this is also, obviously, a bit unfortunate, as so many millions of people are missing out on these stunning performances. However, this issue has come into sharper focus in the past season particularly for fans of the hit comedy central animated series South Park.
South Park is, and has for years now been one of TV's most popular shows, to the point that those who follow it often do so almost religiously. As a result of this, many of these fans are actually also fans of Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who created the show and have also had a number of other creative endeavors over the years (such as the movies BASEketball and Team America: World Police). In fact, despite their tendency to be rather inappropriate and offensive, it is almost difficult not to be drawn to the satirical genius of these two men if you ever give their shows or movies a shot. However, many of their biggest fans have been frustrated over the course of the last six months, because Matt and Trey now have a hit Broadway musical‚ The Book Of Mormon‚ which a lot of people are unable to see.
Best description
of Buddhism
I've yet seen
OR
heard!
i
really
am
the
7th
zen
patriarch
the
poem
proves
it
funny
you
should
mention
that
i
put
stevia
on
my
wallaby
brains!
we're
all
you
andrew
why
are
you
american
morons
bothering
me?
let
me
guess:
you people are mixed breeds
most
likely
half
mexican
and
half
black
who cares an3drew...?
its not like anyone reads your
posts
like
this
anyways
anymore...?
I reckon most everyone else just scrolls past your posts in order to look for a post from someone who isn't trolling too.
*sniffs*
smells like there's a monkey throwing poop at the walls again
Zen in Europe: A Survey of the Territory
By Alioune Koné
Doctoral Candidate
Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris)
aliounek@fais-ihs.org
http://www.globalbuddhism.org/2/kone011.html
Perhaps we could just leave this blog with Andr3w and Mysterion and go somewhere else?
just have added a photo, want to see if it comes up
yeah, i quite like it!
must travel out more this summer!
that's the sort of thing you should be doing too anonymous, relax your contracted existance so you can handle more open-ness in your life and not throw spaz attacks everytime you come across something that forcibly contradicts your mistaken views of which apprently there is no shortage !
full page pic
wasn't
any
accident
those
monks
lived
in
the
mountains
Please, Brad, get us rid of An3drew...
The AZI is rather cultist in its functionning. They constantly refer to Sawaki Kodo in their writings and speeches but always carefully avoid to do what he did. Or rather, carefully do what he was opposed to.
As for Deshimaru, he is now a "dead master" to whom one can attribute whatsoever opinion one should want in order to reinforce their power.
Hi Brad!
I think european zen differs a bit from american zen (or better: the surroundings of zen may differ). The only talks i know are kusen during zazen or teisho, a special kind of talk hold by the lineage teacher concerning a sutra or a buddhist text. Perhaps you don't get invited for talks to the AZI or other zen organisations in europe because the tradition of holding talks is not very widespread in european zen organisations. Perhaps this is a more american thing or something for zen groups without direct teacher?
Beside the AZI there is also the Zen-Vereinigung Deutschland e.V. ( www.zazen.de ), teaching in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The main teacher of the Zen-Vereinigung is Ludger Tenryu Tenbreul, a disciple of Taisen Deshimaru Roshi and Narita Shuyu Roshi, both students of Sawaki Kodo Roshi.
Deshimaru Roshi who brought zen practice to europe is some kind of european Shunryu Suzuki.
Gassho,
Mortimer
prolux michel
"Please, Brad, get us rid of Andrew..."
what a hypocrite you are, talking about kodo sawaki as an example in one breath and then seeking my removal in another
he would know what i am talking about !
but
you
you
just shrivel
like
poked
slug
when your inconsistencies are pointed out !
michel proulx a quote from kodo sawaki
"Buddhism means no self, nothing to gain. You must be one with the universe and all living beings'
now
answer
me
this
what
do
you
gain
by
my
removal
from
this
blog?
the
monk
had
no
reply
as
usual !
An3drew, there is no pith to your
posts, there is mere denigration
and contradiction without the
painting of a picture.
Use your skills and insight to
flesh out a concept, like turning
the light inwards.
I'm sure it would be a more pleasant comments section for most readers, An3drew, if you stopped posting so much like this, went away, or were removed. But you know this.
Are you able to express your reasons for posting like this, and back them up with arguments of substance?
As your claims lack any cogent argument or poetic force, I'm assuming that Zen people piss you off and you just want to throw a spanner in the works.
I hope if you respond, you could do it without being abusive.
Would you guys/guy get off an3drew's back? Who cares how many times he posts or what he writes about.. The guy is a breath of non-poisoness air in my opinion. He writes well and isn't constantly telling us what we already know or whose fault it is with Wiki links provided. There are worse things in the world than An3drew.
way to have another pop at Mysterion, Anonymous, Anonymous
riding An3drew to do it's kinda hypocritical & sorta seedy
lost yr cred
maybe you confused the fake an3drews for the good writing
his writing hits (a low) max when wildy goading
& who can't play that game
base level at best
An3drews got problems
Over and above his condition
Don't encourage him!
Blogger proulx michel said...
"As for Deshimaru, he is now a "dead master" to whom one can attribute whatsoever opinion one should want in order to reinforce their power."
Power? In Buddhism?
Power? in Zen?
They really don't "get it" if this is the limitation of their thinking.
Hi Brad,
regarding the State of Zen in Europe and in particular in Greece (I live in Athens):
Foreign films are shown in Greece with their titles translated - sometimes- into Greek or more usually with a completely different Greek title.
Last week the new 3D soft porn film "EXTREME ECSTASY", was came to the cinemas in Athens.
The Greek title was (exactly as I write it, in english characters) "SEX AND ZEN 3D".!!!!!
:) :) :) :)
have a pleasant tour
next time plan a visit in Athens as well, please
iannis
i think that was implied there already Mystie
long day?
Has anyone seen my cred? I was told I had it when I got here but now it seems to be missing..
my heart/health rehab starts at 6 a.m. with 'vital signs.'
BP, heart rate, temp., weight...
My dutiful, obedient Japanese wife goes "by the book" and if the book sez vitals @ 6 a.m. ...
munching 5 grain cereal and awaiting the beginning of a webinar*.
*Short for Web-based seminar, a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web.
A key feature of a Webinar is its interactive elements -- the ability to give, receive and discuss information. Contrast with Webcast, in which the data transmission is one way and does not allow interaction between the presenter and the audience.
CAPCHA = dingsho
RIP Steve Jobs.
Kobun Chino was Job's zen teacher at the Los Altos Zen Center in the 1970s. He is credited for telling Steve to start Apple rather than becoming a Zen monk. Good Advice. He married Steve and his wife Laurene in 1991.
Advice from An3drew on how to deal with him (from his own website)
"there's too many half baked men and women floating about on the net, unless you have a way of filtering these types they latch onto anything of quality and home in to destroy it with their inanity and stupidity
unless you have some way of filtering these out, and actually i have to say the obverse usually occurs, these people are encouraged to dominate most message boards
and whats more, once they have reduced a message board to their level, they get tired of the board and their own ongoing ill health and scout further afield for fresh pasture on which to spread their toxic manure"
....
"if i get banned or prevented from posting then the moderators/owner are only doing me a favour because i post too much anyway and censored boards get very distorted, carrying the board participants into a maelstrom of maladaptiveness"
Funfinity: The reason why an3drew understands parasitic spammers is because he recognizes those qualities in himself. His writing is all self-description. That is why it is so negatively critical. He has something he needs to tell himself. No one should take any of what he says personally. It's not about you.
anonymous anonymous: The reason why mysterion understands parasitic spammers is because he recognizes those qualities in himself. His writing is all self-description. That is why it is so negatively critical. He has something he needs to tell himself. No one should take any of what he says personally. It's not about you.
A little joke.
An3drews autistic. Let's Take it into consideration without treating him like an alien.
an3drew....
Nobody cares what you have to say anymore.
Everyone can smell your buji-zen game from a mile away.
You post in an annoying to read format, troll the shit out of this place until you provoke a reaction, then finger-wag folks for not being "zen" enough.
However, pointing this out to you is exactly what you desire, and only provides you with fuel for you to fan the flames.
Such are trolls...
I'm not going to feed you.
Your buji... and you are boring.
The current state of Zen in America:
http://video.answers.com/dennis-genpo-merzel-on-zen-healing-291041049
yeah...
shambhala sun space
"An3drews autistic. Let's Take it into consideration without treating him like an alien."
Yes, but can someone with Aspergers
or some other type of autism
spectrum exceptionalism, learn to
use their talents to turn the light
inward.
If you are manic and rambling at
1000 words a minute, you will be
told to shut it.
Thanks Anon
"It is very important to experience the complete negation of yourself, which brings you to the other side of nothing. People experience that in many ways. You go to the other side of nothing, and you are held by the hand of the absolute. You see yourself as part of the absolute, so you have no more insistence of self as yourself. You can speak of self as no-self upon the absolute. Only real existence is absolute."
Genpo3fornicator wrote:
"If you are manic and rambling at
1000 words a minute, you will be
told to shut it."
That's roughly what my point was in replying to aa's post above mine (there was a context to what you quoted):
ie just because he's got autism doesn't mean you shouldn't respond to the guy. Doesn't mean you should either. Don't mean anything's gonna make a hoot of a difference either.
aa was getting all over-huggy imo (and why not!)
I think anonymous anonymous might've been under the impression that An3drew's posts from 5:59 - 6:14 were his own writing and not cut n paste jobs from other blogs and forums.
Hey, get your An3drews straightened
out anon-anon. Infinity's looking
over your shoulder, and the other
side of nothing wants to meet
itself.
@proulx
You wrote They constantly refer to Sawaki Kodo in their writings and speeches but always carefully avoid to do what he did. Or rather, carefully do what he was opposed to.
If you refered to Deshimaru then I'd agreed. But you mention Kodo. What do you mean?
You're just chewing on your own foot. Don't ask me who I'm talking to. You know who you are..
"You're just chewing on your own foot. Don't ask me who I'm talking to. You know who you are.."
Yes,
Chodo.
Does anyone who reads and/or writes on this blog know anything about Zen?
...Zazen?
...Buddhism
...Buddha Dharma?
...Buddhist practice?
...Zazen? - sitting illusion to drop the illusions
...Buddhism - an illusion for generating money
...Buddha Dharma? - ism
...Buddhist practice? - something that takes " you " to the other side of nothing.
Blogger Uncle Willie said...
Does anyone who reads and/or writes on this blog know anything about Zen?
...Zazen? HERE
...Buddhism HERE
...Buddha Dharma? HERE
...Buddhist practice? WIKI
Perspective... it's perspective.
I'm late...
back to webinar
You're not comparing the monster with an3drew are you?
Perspective... have some perspective.
I
sit
and
laugh
and
gobshites
pissing
in
the
wind
and
wanking
each
other.
To
think
you
can
get
me
banned
is
to
reveal
your
own
stupidity.
Go
worry
about
yourself
and
let
Brad
and
me
worry
about
me.
any
problem
with
me
reveals
your
own
inner
idiocy
once
again
i
must
ask:
now
answer
me
this
what
do
you
gain
by
my
removal
from
this
blog?
the
monk
had
no
reply
as
usual !
Infinity's looking over
your
shoulder
and
the
other
side
of
nothing
wants
to
meet
itself.
well i was hoping that putting a pic up would not be forgable, but apparently the guy who is obsessively spamming took the trouble to capture the pic and attach it somehow to a void profile !
the only way to tell for sure is to click on the name and see that it's a valid profile !
michel, read the old zen stories, are you real or one of these flakey "No REPLY" monks ?
there is just one main anonymous poster, the one with the extreme spam and forgery, he's going to a lot of trouble with me,i should feel flattered i guess that i write so well that he feels obliged to go to so much trouble to spoil it !
he actually seems quite taken with what i'm writing and maybe it's sinking in a tiny bit and this obstructive spamming is a form of processing by him
oppositional defiant ?
i did set up my own blogs because i can't see the situation changing here so should move across to it i guess
i actually think someone like michel proulx is much more of a cotcase than the spammer because of the complete intellectual dishonesty !
ok the anonymous spammer posted this
"Infinity's looking over
your
shoulder
and
the
other
side
of
nothing
wants
to
meet
itself."
now thats actually wrong, you can imitate but the result is bizarre !
what is "the other side of nothing"?
there's no such thing and to write like that speaks an alienated condition, however i can see by your references you are reading a bit of my writing and i guess for you this is your way of processing so i don't grudge it, you are certainly making progress
understanding is not instant, literally a life time of serious work, but you need what makes it worthwhile, that seeing and being of infinity and buddha which is really just a case of recognizing it and valuing it !
I don't know what could possess a person to harrass me like this. Anonymous has made it his life mission to ruin mine. I have done nothing to deserve this.
michel proulx is worse than the anonymous spammer actually. proulx is mentally sick and actively besmirching my name. and he acts so pious as he does so.
for shame. you are but a hungry ghost.
mysterion
"munching 5 grain cereal and awaiting the beginning of a webinar."
try looking at dr. william davis's views on grains, especially wheat
you have biofilm issues and the compendium will be useful to you !
wheat belly is real. track your plaque and get a calcium score.
look it up. it is real. it is so much more than gluten. listen to dr. davis on robb wolf's podcast.
i'm asking everyone here to avoid wheat. even those who oppose me and make it their mission to put me down.
this says it all. avoid wheat.
those last two forged posts, i really like that, almost real !
: o )
in actual fact being a "hungry ghost" is our condition, it's not like you can't or shouldn't be like that !
life is this bizarre universe of hungry ghosts pretending they aren't hungry ghosts !
can wheat cause poop to show up in your blood?
here is your chance to get off the grains and clear your mind. start living.
An3drew, the other side of
nothing is where the Self meets
Itself. Emptiness is form and
form is emptiness.
why are all grains unhealthy?
why are all grains unhealthy?
attention
faker:
i
am
making
strong
points
about
diet
and
health.
calm
down
for
a
minute
while
i
help
you
learn
to
eat
properly.
ever
heard
of
art
devany?
just a couple of comments on the "forged andrew" health posts
1. that uvb/vitamin D link is interesting, i built myself a uvb lamp and use it
my write up on vitamin D
2. yeah poop does show up in the blood, what happens is the gut is leaky and biofilm gets through into the blood in severe cases
3. if you look carefully through the old zen stories you see all the behavior and health issues !
4. grains are a major dietary source of strontium, if you give up grains you need to supplement strontium otherwise you will have sleep problems !
magnesium is actually something that you should focus on, rather than stontium. don't trust my forger. he has some limited information on paleo dieting but is a twat overall. i recommend magnesium citrate. 400 mg/day oughta do.
you will sleep well.
Tell us about your vision when you
became the 7th Zen Patriarch.
fuck
off
faker
you
twat.
tell
us
about
your
experiences
wanking
to
your
Wham!
CDs
the forged andrew is wrong about magnesium citrate !
he's obviously taking it and his behavior on this board is very characeristic of someone afloat on biofilm toxins !
magnesium is good , but the citrate forms feed the gut bugs first which then upset the digestion and make a lot of toxins
my recommendation on magnesium!
the douglas labs magnesium taurate doen't feed gut bugs so much and really helps heart and circulation health !
magensium chelate would be better than citrate, but it also has biofilm feeding issues
biofilm is just the mix of bacteria, fungi/yeast, viruses and parasites in any gut, it's an intelligent and often malign entity !
and everyone on here needs to take a good K2 supplement. even my faker should take it. does good things with calcium. removes it from your blood. puts it in your bones.
i wholeheartedly recommend this blogger's recommendations.
my fakers here would do well to heed this man's advice.
leave this fake 'zen master' brad warner and look into something real.
“Tell us about your vision when you became the 7th Zen Patriarch.”
good question, i have thought about what i am going to say and really it's one of those things, you won't understand until you have had a real vision so i am not going to talk about it
you also need to understand what a vision is which is a direct communcation by infinity or buddha to you so it's an exceptional event to exceptional people, i.e. those few who can see and accept their own crucifixion for infinity : o )
it
happened
in
1990
and has
taken
21
years
to
make
sense
of
it !
the trouble with zen is it uses exactly the same mechanisms as falling in love !
i haven't had any involvement with zen since about 1992, but it is only now i can see them for what they are, deluded and self deluded schizophrenic nutters !
it's
basically
a
one
way
trap !
one thing i have learnt is that you need to pay attention to your health because there's no justice and he who lives longest laughs loudest and last !
what i told mike cross:
if you want to see what anonymous posting does to a blog , brad warners “harcore zen” comments section is the best example i can think of !
basically it turns a blog into a war zone !
the anonymous posters coat-tail on the efforts of the blog owner !
that aside hiding and concealment reveal a certain mindset which strongly tallies with the specious nonsense that comes forth in these contexts !
most people have some ability to cobble together superficially fine sounding words, the consistency with which we live them is a different matter altogether
impermanence is neither real nor an abstraction but pure voynichese !
at the end of the day losers are losers and that blog is full of them !
hi to the "forged andrew"
you write
"i wholeheartedly recommend this blogger's recommendations."
is that you ? well he/you are doing it ALL wrong, no wonder you are behaving like you are !
all that stuff is biofilm feeding or has other toxicities
my compendium program and biofilm carbohydrate diet resolve these problems
you just need to think about gut bugs and not feeding them, supplements can be superchartged feritlizer to them !
one more word to the "forged andrew"
your efforts only make me stronger. your attacks only show my power over you.
when you forge my name i grow.
when brad has others attack and forge my name i gain in ways you can't understand.
of course if this were zen they would make pretend fruit and i wish i could say "pretend" eat it, but they probably really eat the "pretend" fruit
i think you are at the stage of discovering it's all pretend!
1. You must think yourself lean and thin, and strong and healthy...to a proper regulation of hunger and satiation. There is no prescription or proscription that will necessarily work for you. You must write your own "diet and fitness book" from your own trial and error experience.
2. Thinking and principles rule. Applications must be tested and critically evaluated. One-size-fits-all plans and roadmaps are doomed to mediocrity, at best. Your best has to come from you.
3. Humans are animals. Moreover, the same sorts of physiology, biology, climatology, geology and sociology that holds sway over the life, death and prosperity of the entirety of the animal world applies just as soundly to humans.
4. Humans, unlike other animals, can consciously act against their own best interest. They can also command nature and their environment to a degree other animals can't and don't. Think fire breaks, dams, roads, cities, suburbs, airports, skyscrapers, division of labor and trade.
5. Human ill health, unhappiness, sexlessness, sleeplessness, stress, slavery, drudgery, suicide, and disease are adverse manifestations of the human ability to work against his own interest: his ability to produce, and his ability to command nature taken to irrational levels.
6. The ability of humans to work against themselves and their own nature so effectively is the root cause of all human-created problems. The ability to "create reality" by marvelous human minds exacerbates the downside on many levels when the creation of "reality" it taken beyond the pleasure of fantasy.
7. Disease, obesity, failed relationships, and other adverse human conditions are fundamentally a result of dishonesty.
8. Dishonesty is fundamentally a failure to properly perceive and integrate data from the senses into a reasonable and logical framework or hierarchy of values to pursue, hold, promote, or celebrate.
9. Humans are the only animals with the ability to be dishonest with respect to reality and thus, dishonesty with self and others is the fundamental root cause of all disease, inability to flourish and early, unnatural death.
10. Non-human animals exist in various environmental niches they have evolved within to exploit, within a balance. Human animals migrated out of Africa to populate the Earth from equator to arctic and antarctic circle, and sea level to 16,000 feet of elevation, and everything in-between. Thus, human animals evolved to migrate over eons of time to exploit the environment available and along the way.
11. Each human individual has encoded within his genes the ability to survive and thrive on a wide range of food sources from terrestrial, to sea, to tree, to subterranean.
12. Non human animals don't typically become obese (unless by nature, such as in advance of hibernation) or die unnaturally. Humans become obese. Pets become obese. Zoo animals can become obese when zookeepers stray from a naturally appropriate diet.
13. Human animals should not have any difficulty eating a mix of the right natural foods suitable to them, when available, maintaining and enjoying natural health and longevity as a result. Good health is natural. It's not something that needs to be man made, industrialized or drugged.
14. Human animals have developed complex social structures to the extent that a few dominate all the rest, to a level of welcome cheerleading and hand-clapping, such that the few can cleverly and parasitically sustain an unearned livelihood through implicit or explicit threat of force, or more elegantly: promise of reward.
15. Modern human animals developed the propensity to believe they have power through a Neolithic device known as a democratic vote. It actually gives them about equal odds in terms of effective power to buying a lottery ticket. Conversely, we know ancient humans were individually and socially powerful, because they survived on their own. We have the anthropology and we're here. It happened. Nobody voted on it.
16. A domesticated animal can exhibit guilt and shame, but not to the extent that they can possibly sacrifice their well being over it. Human animals invented guilt and shame, and they went on to make a place for it being unbridled and unearned. They invented religion; they conjured "reality" and got everyone to buy onto it and teach it to their offspring. They laid the seeds for control.
17. The guilt and shame works hand in hand with religious fantasies that most notably involve fear. Guilt and shame, combined with irrational fear, to make a malleable human animal who will do his part to see to the livelihood of the parasites. Anciently, it was the parasites of church and now, the parasites of State. The former is voluntary and the latter, compulsory undef threat of prosecution.
18. All humans have within themselves the ability to change everything on a dime.
19. Of self-destruction, of guilt, of shame, of fear: the worst of these is fear. While fear is natural, that's the rub. The Neolithic, above all else, has been a massive story -- fundamentally -- about how to use it to advantage. The Neolithic is above all, a story about how our natural tendencies have been used against us in just about every conceivable way.
now the "forged andrew" is going through my web writings and posting parts of them with his own comments added in
i guess it's publicity ; o )
he doesn't undertsand it but he's actually learning in the only way he can but my experience is that he needs to the get the diet and supplements right or it's hopeless !
If voynichese is like pretend or
made up, couldn't you say that
about everything? What is really
real is infinity.
keep
copying
and
pasting
my
work
and
i'll
be
famous
in
no
time
:o
its really quite flattering the trouble this "forged andrew" is going to obscure what i write !
We long, long ago -- probably not long after the ink had dried on the Declaration of Independence -- got over the silly idea that there is any such thing as "unalienable rights;" and of course, the US Constitution, by including a "Bill of Rights," forever set in stone the principle that the State is the grantor and the final arbiter of any notion of "rights."
"Rights" are what the various levels of government say they are, nothing more. Not anymore.
Killing and murder happens.
Always has, and always will. You can take any number of positions on all of that and it will still happen. There will always be very bad people, and psychopaths. People will still kill people and your choice is to live in bedtime story fantasy about it for comfort's sake, or confront the reality of it.
There will always be killing and murder. Those who propose solutions that involve eradication are deluded, or worse, scamming you. Have you paid them anything or donated?
I have a modest proposal: if you want someone dead, then just kill them yourself.
You see, it's very difficult for me to assume that many people don't want one whole fuck of a lot of people dead. Isn't that part of the reason why so many agitate, then stand in line at a voting booth, to vote death by proxy, "support the troops," and all thayt? Do they go home and wash their hands?
If you want someone dead -- and I'm certainly not saying there's not valid reasons for that -- then kill them yourself.
Just kill them yourself.
to the "forged andrew"
you write "If voynichese is like pretend or made up, couldn't you say that about everything? What is really real is infinity."
no voynichese is also of infinity, just the usual story of distortion !
infinity is both real and unreal
try
reading
"the
hunting
of
the
snark" !
What type of bullets should you use
, the copper or the lead ones. The
lead ones are bad for the
environment. You wouldn't want to
mess up the environment when
you are killing people. It's
quite rude.
i literally HATE you right now "forged andrew"
sick of your shit to be honest
the "forged andrew" writes
"i literally HATE you right now "forged andrew"
sick of your shit to be honest"
nup
you
are
good
for
me !
: o )
thank you again "forged andrew"
you
are
good for me. :)
this
blog
feels
like
home.
think
i'll
stay
a
bit.
george
harrison
understood
meditation
nice
non
sequitur
"fake andrew"
trying
to
spin
me
as
a
lunatic.
very
nice.
plain
and
simple.
very
nice.
"fake andrew" is trying to double troll this board. "fake andrew" calling me "fake andrew"?
ha
ha
ha !
lovely.
life imitates life !
michel, you want to be a real monk or a fake monk?
then
reply
to
me
plenty
of
room
for
cowards
in
that
sort
of
life
i
notice !
michel = chicken
so
scared
to
discuss.
so
scared
to
explore.
What I tell you three times is true
I see where the 3 comes from,
An3drew.
the "forged andrew" writes
"trying
to
spin
me
as
a
lunatic.
very
nice."
i don't think you are a lunatic at all, quite sane actually
just autistic with bad biofilm issues a compatriot in life long crucifixion : o )
you
are
already
at
one
with
all
the
zen
patriarchs !
piss off
"forged andrew"
tired
of
toying
with
you
just
came
in
my
hand
"forged andrew" writes: 'just came in my hand'
you
should
enjoy
life
concern
yourself
about
biofilm
i have actually worked with people before
what
happens
is
they
see
something
and
then
kick
you
in
the
face !
it's
better
they
kick
you
in
the
face
to
start
with
then
you
are
under
no
illusions
: o )
michel
proulx
is
worse
than
the
anonymous
spammer
actually.
proulx is mentally sick and actively besmirching my name. and he acts so pious as he does so.
for shame.
you
are
but
a
hungry
ghost.
let me save you the effort "forged andrew" :
the
problem
zen
has
is
eckhart
tolle
and
neo
advaita
have
gutted
it
and
it's
a
permanent change
OK folks, that's it for tonight.
Tune in tomorrow night for another
episode of An3drew.
Tonights show was brought to you by
BigMindTM. When you're in the mood
for Kensho think BigMind. We
deliver, or you can drop by for
a quick treat at our retreat.
an3drew said:
"fake andrew" is trying to double troll this board. "fake andrew" calling me "fake andrew"?
Soooooo then are you the troll the "fake andrew" is copying...?
Of course you are.;)
Hey (the "real") Andrew, how old are you? You have written extensively on health issues, and admit to having had age/liver spots on your face, so I am guessing you are 60 or so?
There's no "real" or "fake" An3drew, it's the same troll all the way down, basking, no, luxuriating, in the sea of rampant egomania.
All comments that comment on this auto-fellatio that An3drew is performing for his own benefit only, just like this very one you are reading, just get his flaccid crank twitching more...
the "forged andrew" asks
"Hey (the "real") Andrew, how old are you? You have written extensively on health issues, and admit to having had age/liver spots on your face, so I am guessing you are 60 or so?"
i was driving with my girlfriend and we got pulled up in a random check and the policeman though we had stolen the car we looked 10 years younger than the ages on our licenses !
the
compendium
really
works !
Why don't you come to Czech Republic? Right here is many dojos of Kaisen Soto Zen. Kaisen was disciple of Taisen Deshimaru. Cheers, Tom
I am honestly curious how long an3drew will be able to keep on doing what he does.
unforged anonymous writes
"I am honestly curious how long andrew will be able to keep on doing what he does."
if you are going to talk to me civilly that's probably a sign that the involvement is going to tail off
burst of energy for what? where is it going? where has it gone, was it a total waste of time?
i
don't
know !
How do you support yourself financially, Andrew?
Financially? He's the 7th Zen
Patriarch. The money pours in.
blind
normals
on
Brad's
message
board
looking
for
infinity
Hekiganroku case 39
"If you want to know about Buddha Nature, you must pay attention to time and causation."
What Time Is It? May 21, 2010 Famed screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and theoretical physicist Brian Greene dissect time as we know it. What is the smallest unit of time, and what does it look like? For starters, you should stop looking at the clock, and start looking at the universe.
http://www.nyas.org/WhatWeDo/SciencetheCity.aspx
23. Heidegger's Being and Time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPoBsJkuYR8
Thanks for those links, 5.06am!
This should take folks straight to the Charlie Kaufman/Brian Greene podcast:
http://www.nyas.org/Publications/Media/PodcastDetail.aspx?cid=f3f02313-c697-49da-b298-9b00f2e3d541
Hold on.. you're going to an AZI dojo in your tour in Bonn - yet you say you've never been invited to one.. ??
Remember that MOST of the AZI is non-english speaking and doesn't know your books and stuff from adam.
And whenever you're in the SE of england, you hang out with the Dogen Sangha.
For the record, the London Zen Group has recently hosted Taigen Dan Leighton for a talk - so the 'own lineage' thing, not entirely accurate :-)
What's probably closer to the truth is, we spend so much bloody time on our zafus that we don't notice when the many zen teachers of the western world are on tour ;-)
You forgot Kwan Um! We're all over the place in Europe, especially eastern Europe.
http://www.kwanumzen.org/zen-centers-and-groups/
Richard Baker's Dharma Sangha has a retreat center, Johanneshoff in the Black Forest. Students of his have a sitting group in Berlin, one in Munich, and he does workshops in various places every year. I was their guest two years ago and had a great time. I also met with several Tibetan Buddhism groups.Lot's of Sogyul Rimpoche students there though he's based in France. Vanja Palmers has the zendo in the Alps above Lucern, Felsentor, and a place somewhere in Austria. And there's more I can't remember and don't know.
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