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SteveS55

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SteveS55 last won the day on September 26 2019

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  1. I have a suspicion "mind"is very much like "self"....non-existent. Just a bit of my own musing! Steve
  2. Agreed,Paul. As you say, it's a small matter to have generated such discussion. Steve
  3. It's kind of a head scratcher, for sure Paul. But, I suppose there has to be a first and I'm sure there have been others who didn't bother to share what they had realized. The Buddha was apparently the only one willing and able at that time and place to teach a system he thought would lead to awakening.
  4. I am told that for one to commit to the Buddhist path, it is necessary to find a qualified teacher, or guru. The Western understanding of that term may not be quite correct, since it means more like something along the lines of a spiritual friend or companion. It has something to do with connecting to a particular lineage which was generally an oral tradition carried on from one generation to another within that lineage. In any case it has been the tradition for centuries. At some point the student will be ready for the "pointing out instructions" from the guru, or master. I believe that is the main reason for a teacher. It isn't some sort of mommy/daddy relationship where the student projects all of their neurotic needs onto the teacher. As for "enlightenment" whatever that might be, I don't think there are any guarantees one way or the other. Steve
  5. "not a fat and happy Californian with the time and money for books." I object, Burl. I'm a Californian and I'm neither fat nor happy! Steve
  6. Looks like Milarepa's cave!
  7. Nice job on the site, Joseph. I like it...not as busy looking...a bit more sedate I think. It's a thankless job but we are all appreciative! Steve
  8. Thanks for posting the essay, Tariki. It was a bit dense but I was able to slog through it retaining a portion of it. I kind of don't think Mahayana Christology is going to catch on anytime soon....too much doctrinal water under the bridge by now. And, thinking about that, it's a shame that we tie things up in such knots that it just becomes too much trouble to unwind them or start over.
  9. The quote is contained in Sermon #87, Burl, although it may be a different number in some texts. Rather than take it completely out of context, I'm including a few more paragraphs from that Sermon below: "While I yet stood in my first cause, I had no God and was my own cause: then I wanted nothing and desired nothing, for I was bare being and the knower of myself in the enjoyment of truth. Then I wanted myself and wanted no other thing: what I wanted I was and what I was I wanted, and thus I was free of God and all things. But when I left my free will behind and received my created being, then I had a God. For before there were creatures, God was not 'God': He was That which He was. But when creatures came into existence and received their created being, then God was not 'God' in Himself - He was 'God' in creatures. Now we say that God, inasmuch as He is 'God', is not the supreme goal of creatures, for the same lofty status is possessed by the least of creatures in God. And if it were the case that a fly had reason and could intellectually plumb the eternal abysm of God's being out of which it came, we would have to say that God with all that makes Him 'God' would be unable to fulfill and satisfy that fly! Therefore let us pray to God that we may be free of God that we may gain the truth and enjoy it eternally, there where the highest angel, the fly and the soul are equal, there where I stood and wanted what I was, and was what I wanted." Steve
  10. I have often puzzled over this, Soma. My own experience of this is rather anecdotal, because I only know of a few people who actually have "swapped" one for the other, or shared traditions. Thomas Merton comes to mind, as well as Alan Watts. I happen to be another (Christian to Buddhist), but I have no real credibility. The only thing I can come up with is that Christianity and Buddhism both share a contemplative tradition, and doctrinal differences are of little concern. Both are experiential, which is somewhat suspect to a lot of Christians. But, beyond the experiential, or perhaps fulfilling the experiential is the non-conceptual - an understanding, intuition or realization of the way things are without the possibility or even the necessity for verbal/written expression. This is why I believe "practice" in all of its manifestations among both traditions is of such importance. Just rambling a bit! Steve
  11. I think many people end up deleting "God" from their minds, if not their vocabulary, Paul. Some of the great Christian mystics ended up befuddled from trying to comprehend what "God" even meant so they just gave up trying. At some point the concept must, for many people, just be abandoned! "Pray to God that you may be free of 'God'"- Meister Eckhart.
  12. I liked what fatherman had to say about this. Every now and then it’s probably good to blow out the carburetor (assuming anyone remembers what that is!) and continue the journey. We all want to have things the way we want to have them, and the forum is no different. It’s too much of this and not enough of that, that person is arrogant, annoying, preachy, snarky or whatever. It is a smallish, slightly odd group of fat frogs on this lily pad for sure! But, you kind of have to love them anyway! Steve
  13. FYI.....Jordan's hang time was clocked at .93 seconds compared to the average of .53. I don't think it's an illusion if it can be objectively measured. Personally I think basketball is the most beautiful of sports, and Michael Jordan was probably the best (no offense to Kobe Bryant fans). Actually, Pele is a close second!
  14. I agree,Soma. No sense in arguing about peoples' beliefs, which are generally set in stone. It's probably best not to get too excited about the good things and not too upset about the bad things. Enjoy the ride or not as one sees fit.
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