Rewrisk, thank you for your reply. Your considerate words are encouraging and
wise. As far as my technique, I am fortunate enough to live fairly close by to
a Zen meditation center of the Soto lineage. So, at home and at the center in
my Zazen, the only object of my meditation is the breath. I have become quite
familiar with several walls and love them dearly. :) Well, it is actually time
to sit for the night, so again, thank you, and have a pleasant evening/day.
--- In [email protected], "rewrisk" <rewrisk@...> wrote:
>
> Yes.
> I misread your; 'the "great matter of birth and death."'
> I am heartened that you do not believe in reincarnation or life after death.
> I apologise to you, clearly I mistook my audience.
>
> You say 'I should hope I don't ever feel that I have reached a "place" in my
> understanding'. And I am minded that I have found many a "place" in my
> understanding but none I could rest on my laurels in. I took rest as I had to
> and while I may have tried to superimpose meaning on that I found meaning
> despite doing so.
>
> If you should wish to discuss meditative technique?
> I myself have found a reflective awareness the most usefull.
>
>
> --- In [email protected], "mattmodrow" <fourforsure@> wrote:
> >
> > With all respect to you, rewisk, you have made a lot of assumptions about
> > me without knowing me. I do not believe in reincarnation, or life after
> > death. These are things I cannot know, because I have not died. And as
> > far as how long it "should" take for a practitioner to "attain" anything,
> > who is to say? I should hope I don't ever feel that I have reached a
> > "place" in my understanding, I wish to just experience my life in the
> > present moment with the growing of my understanding of Emptiness.
> >
> > --- In [email protected], "rewrisk" <rewrisk@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Sorry to have to tell you this Matt but you will not survive your death.
> > > Some people seem to think that life could only be fair if we are
> > > reincarnated but they fail to recognise that if life was fair you would
> > > have to pay for your advantages and not just your sins. If life is fair
> > > then it can't be a gift.
> > > Six years huh?
> > > It only took me three and less than a year after I got serious about it.
> > > I do not say this to boast only I wonder about you meditative technique?
> > > I suppose if I include the time of my initial curiosity maybe four or so.
> > > I felt great need though, likely this is the difference.
> > > Still I would expect any person who regularly practised an effective form
> > > of meditation to atleast have attained a sense of thier personal illusion.
> > >
> > > --- In [email protected], "mattmodrow" <fourforsure@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Myself, I do not feel that it is a matter of salvation. The matter, is
> > > > the "great matter of birth and death." One of my favorite authors,
> > > > Stephen Batchelor, in his book -Alone with others- says that the "aim"
> > > > is for "the optimum mode of being." To me what this says is, that the
> > > > aim of life would be living in awareness, as you grow and age through
> > > > the years, hopefully you will become wiser. I recently had Dokusan
> > > > with one of my teachers, and she said that Zen practice and
> > > > enlightenment is kind of like in those old cartoons, when someone is
> > > > about to receive a gift and they are told NOT to look. In the
> > > > cartoons, we always see them peeking with one eye at the gift before it
> > > > is given to them. So, I have been practicing since 2006, I have never
> > > > had an "awakening experience," and that is fine with me. Zazen has
> > > > taught me many things, and I know not to "peek," or in other words, to
> > > > conceptualize what I think enlightenment is and then strive for it.
> > > > Rather, I just live my daily life, always, constantly coming back to
> > > > direct experience.
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
------------------------------------
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