> It seems to me that you often use the word illusion to describe
thoughts, conceptualizations, judgements, dualistic mentation of all
sorts.
I perceive the above to be one of Bill's basic premises. Bill appears to
assert that this is a fundamental premise of Zen.
--ED
-- In [email protected], Chris Austin-Lane <chris@...> wrote:
>
> I have a quibble about your language here.
> It seems to me that you often use the word illusion to describe
thoughts, conceptualizations,
judgements, dualistic mentation of all sorts. > To me that implies
some
pushing away of them, rather than seeing them as they are. To me
illusion seems to connote something which is not there. Certainly the
thought that someone is bad is really there is my brain. The badness
is an illusion, but the thought is just a thought. I know for myself,
having tried both ways, that I do better when I can stand to be aware
of my own dualistic thoughts than when I am not aware of them. Being
aware of my own thoughts as thoughts is actually what allows me to
know that the goodness is an illusion, and be free(er) from that
illusion, able to act as needed at the time.
Cheers, --Chris
On Friday, May 20, 2011, Bill! <BillSmart@...
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/post?postID=80S1_q3TMSRgaaaHPn5\
akNHiTGIYLPu7sRwhKYctP-2OAcI1tKIh4z-Iv1wQvmWwxcpYbanu5FHEvJcFYw> >
wrote:
> My discriminating mind also invents categories such as these to try to
rationalize
>my experiences and create an order that I can better deal with -
perhaps to
>allow me to believe I have control over things. Â I'm in fact very
good at this.
>I use these analytical skills in my profession and in other aspects of
my daily life
> But all these are illusions and should not be given any special
significance -like they
> represent 'truth' or 'reality'. These are like any categorizations or
divisions. They are invented for a purpose, but outside of that purpose
they have no
meaning.
Bill!
