Bill are you telling us you aren't a vegetarian? If so how do you justify taking the lives of sentient creatures to eat?
Edgar On Jul 24, 2011, at 9:38 PM, Bill! wrote: > DP, > > My take on this is: > > 'Right Action' is part of Buddhist dogma. So is vegatarianism. So would be > any dietary restrictions. > > Zen practice is just eating what the cook prepares. > > ...Bill! > > --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, "D P" <wookielifeday@...> wrote: > > > > > > I think I can see that. > > > > > > Let me put it this way: > > > > I have OCD about contracting horrible diseases. Part of my response to my > > OCD is to accept the fact that I may in fact be exposing myself to these > > horrible diseases just through regular day-by-day activities. > > > > But in that case, what is Right Action? By accepting that I am endangering > > myself just by living, am I abdicating my duty to Right Action? > > > > PArt of my anxiety is also that certain products may or may not have animal > > products. The OCD initial response is to check all labels for animal > > products. But 1) that's impossible, and 2) that's feeding my OCD. > > > > But is it Right Action not to check? > > > > --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Mark Perew <mperew@> wrote: > > > > > > DP > > > > > > Living in the moment, mindfulness, is very different from living for the > > > moment. Can you spot the difference? How might those be different in your > > > practice? > > > On Jul 21, 2011 1:16 PM, "D P" <wookielifeday@> wrote: > > > > > > > > I fear nothingness because I associate it with the western view of > > > nihlism. I also am put off with the idea of living for the moment, > > > because I > > > associate it with a western hedonism that I find distasteful. > > > > > > > > > > > > Yes, what happened before us is gone, but we have touchstones to know > > > > that > > > it did exist. And the past can certainly affect us now. > > > > > > > > > > > > But the "living right" is also scary because then my OCD kicks in that I > > > am somehow not doing it right! > > > > > > > > I want to forgive myself for mistakes, and accept things without > > > > dwelling > > > in depression. > > > > > > > > --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Edgar Owen <edgarowen@> wrote: > > > >> > > > >> All this was gone before you were born. Do you fear that? Every moment > > > >> of > > > the past is now gone. Do you fear that? Yesterday and your yesterday self > > > are now gone. Do you fear that? The previous second is now gone and your > > > existence then with it. Do you fear that? No, of course not. These are all > > > imaginary times that exist only in your mind as memories. Your future > > > death > > > does not exist except as an identical imagination in your mind. So why > > > fear > > > these imaginary moments after you won't be here that your mind makes up? > > > They exist only in your fears, as thoughts and not in reality. The only > > > reality is the present moment and you are here alive in it. And you can > > > choose to infect this present moment with fear or to release it and > > > directly > > > experience total life and pure consciousness within it. > > > >> > > > >> Personal death is an illusion because it will never be experienced. > > > >> Only > > > life is ever experienced. Only life can be experienced. Death can never be > > > experienced so there is nothing to worry about. Thus use the freedom you > > > have to optimize your life in the present moment since your life in the > > > present moment is all that exists and all that ever will exist. Thus you > > > must purify your consciousness in the present moment by paying no > > > attention > > > to and not dwelling on your fear of death. That will maximize life which > > > is > > > what the fear of death is really about - not being present maximally and > > > totally in the present which is all that exists, which is the only place > > > life can and does exist. > > > >> > > > >> Worrying about death won't make any difference about whether you will > > > >> die > > > or not so it's a waste of time that diminishes your real life right now. > > > It's also about bravery. Remember the samurai Zen ethic - the ultimate > > > bravery is to recognize and accept the possibility of your death as ever > > > present and all around you and everywhere and facing it squarely to live > > > every moment totally in the moment. In spite of that recognition choose to > > > live totally and completely in the moment! Live every moment as your last. > > > Worrying about death and letting it drain the reality of your life is for > > > wimps who are not truly alive. Worrying about death is not the Zen way... > > > >> > > > >> Edgar > > > >> http://EdgarLOwen.info > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> On Jul 20, 2011, at 9:39 PM, D P wrote: > > > >> > > > >> > But this will all be gone. All of it. That's what I fear. And it > > > >> > feels > > > like a real fear. > > > >> > > > > >> > --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Edgar Owen <edgarowen@> wrote: > > > >> > > > > > >> > > Why on earth would anyone be worried about death? After all you > > > >> > > won't > > > be around or conscious to experience it! Remember you were dead before you > > > were born. Do you worry about not being alive before you were born? Of > > > course not. Then why worry about being dead after you're dead? Same thing > > > exactly. You'll be in exactly the same state, or rather no state at all. > > > Death is entirely an illusion and an illusory fear. > > > >> > > > > > >> > > And even if you are still worried about death the best answer to > > > >> > > that > > > is simply to immerse yourself completely in the present moment and enjoy > > > it > > > and forget death. After all death doesn't exist. That is your death will > > > never exist for you. All that will ever exist for you is life! > > > >> > > > > > >> > > Edgar > > > >> > > > > > >> > > On Jul 20, 2011, at 2:50 PM, D P wrote: > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > Hi, > > > >> > > > I am sorry hthat I haven't been on here more, but I do need some > > > help right now. > > > >> > > > > > > >> > > > I just can't get over my fear of death. I know that in some ways > > > it's not really an issue in zen, but it still bothers me. I can't seem to > > > get into the idea of living the moment. > > > >> > > > > > > >> > > > Does anybody have any advice, koans, or books/essays to read? > > > >> > > > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are > > > reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
