Enigma One, hey - no problem. Whatever "approach" one takes to see beyond the illusory self will reveal the same vision. Sometimes in the zen approach, the master will strike a student with a stick to get the student to drop the mind, sometimes he will give a koan, and sometimes he will do nothing but point to a flower and smile. There are no hard and fast "rules" to zen.
poppers
JoinedPosts by poppers
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58
What is Zen
by Enigma One inafter dumping the dub's i was against all religion of any kind.
slowly but surely i started to embrace a belief system that matched my own internal one.
part of my job takes me to asia.
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What is Zen
by Enigma One inafter dumping the dub's i was against all religion of any kind.
slowly but surely i started to embrace a belief system that matched my own internal one.
part of my job takes me to asia.
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poppers
"JT's experience and teachings are....well.....self centered IMHO. JT....please no offense meant."
I am sure that JT will take no offense. If I may be so bold, I will comment for him. What is discovered is that there is no self-center. This is where zen leads. JT's words point to that.
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Why do so many people NEED to believe in a greater purpose?
by gringojj ini am an atheist.
i believe that this is the only life we have, there is nothing more.
i have no greater purpose.
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poppers
As soon as you find yourself separate from all that is you will seek wholeness. Seeking wholeness takes many forms: in relationship with another, in livelihood, power over others, possessions, and for those who have discovered the futility in finding wholeness is those things, they seek wholeness and purpose in philosophies, religion, and god.
Inevitably of course, all forms of seeking wholeness will fail. They will fail because you already ARE whole and complete, but you don't know it. It is the search that keeps wholeness hidden, and that search is based on a BELIEF that you are not yet whole.
To relinquish all forms of seeking is the beginning of the rediscovery of your inherent wholeness. When that is found, there is no "purpose" that needs to be pursued. The extraordrinary ordinariness of everyday life is enough, the present moment is full and complete, and you are one with it because you are everything. -
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*Serious Question* ...Do you ever HATE yourself by times?
by Legolas in.
if you do, how does one shut off that feeling?.......
anyone got any suggestions?
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poppers
Observe those thoughts as if you were looking at anything else. They are just thoughts and have no substantiality, so therefore, they cannot harm you. The thoughts will come and go, but "something" else will remain that is watching it all happen. That "something" else is more real than transitory thought, because that "something" else is always here - it's what you really are.
Do not judge yourself for those kind of thoughts appearing in awareness, just watch them. To judge yourself is to keep a "story" going in your mind about it all. Just because they are thoughts is there any need to believe them? Treat those thoughts as though they are words being uttered by a known liar - ignore them. When you are talking to a known liar can you take anything they say seriously? In the same way, treat those thoughts as though every one of them is a lie, which they are. Ignoring thought as being a lie undercuts any storyline that had been created concerning the situation. Without a story to indulge in, the mind will get quiet on its own.
Sit with any sensations that are "uncomfortable" and watch those too. Doing this gives them "permission" to exist for a while, and then they will fade away on their own. To resist the sensations is to keep them trapped within your body. To accept them allows them to spend their energetic charge and so end their "lifespan" within your body.
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DFed, more positive or negative?
by Sheepish injust musing.... from the vantage point of being "out", it seems to me that being dfed would be really, really painful, but ultimately a good thing.
(i was shunned by my family when i finally left though, so i know a little of what a dfed person goes through, although i didn't put myself through going back to meetings and being shunned) .
i was publicly reproved, and was not allowed to answer in meetings, but i was not shunned.
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poppers
"Disfellowshipping is discipline not punishment."
Call it whatever you want, but if the effects upon an individual are destructive in any way it is punishment in the direct experience of how life is lived by the one dfed. Calling it "discipline" is like putting paint over something rusting in the belief that the paint will make it what it used to be.
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Howdy
by serendipity inhi, newbie here.
i'm a "liberal" jw (please don't hold that against me .
peace and love to all..... ~ serendipity ~
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poppers
Hello Serendipity, and welcome. Love the name - have you seen the movie? It is a nice metaphor for your own journey back to what is real and valid.
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The final and correct interpretation of John 1.1
by Hellrider inyup, i finally did it.
i solved the problem.
this is the final and correct interpretation of john 1.1. it came to me after reading a quote by origen: "if anyone would say that the word of god or the wisdom of god had a beginning, let him beware lest he direct his impiety rather against the unbegotten father, since he denies that he was always father, and that he has always begotten the word.
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poppers
"And what`s more: There IS no ME without my thoughts (words)!!"
This statement reveals a great truth. There is no "me" without words. So "what" are you when thoughts and words aren't arising?
What you take yourself to be is nothing but a collection of thoughts/words that are clung to. However, there is "something" in which those thoughts and words are appearing in, "something" which is prior to thoughts and words, and which remains after all thoughts and words have faded. When there are no words or thoughts arising there is still consciousness here - each of you knows this, for this consciousness is "knowingness" itself. Consciousness is Self-evident and is always here. Could it be that it is this "ground of consciousness" to which all scripture is trying (quite unsucessfully, it is evident) to point? -
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Of Late Many Here Seem To Be Preaching Aethiesm..
by Qcmbr inwhen i first came here a while back there was plenty of discussion around and about jw topics and general chit chat but of late i've felt quite a sharp increase in posts that are: .
1/ preaching aethism (as opposed to putting it forward in a respectful way as an alternate viewpoint.
2/ vitriolic attacks on those who dare have another view ('damn those stupid heretical believers') .
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poppers
Gumby,
Read the words of JamesThomas without attempting to understand them mentally - feel the resonance of their truth at the level of your Being. His words are coming from a place which is also yours in reality. They are coming from the complete simplicity of Being, filtered and given shape by his mind, and directed to the Being which lies at your core - he is not speaking to "Gumby" but to Himself (Being) disguised as "Gumby". The "Gumby" character is getting in the way of hearing his words - that's where your confusion is coming from. -
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Remember when I said I................................
by defd inonly post at work because i am not on line at home?
that is true.
however, i am getting a new computer this week from dell and i will be getting online at home now.
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poppers
"I bought the Inspiron 2500 years ago with a 5 year warranty."
anewme, my goodness! A 2500 year old computer - the warranty expired 2495 years ago. Maybe it's time to upgrade. -
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poppers
"Maybe from the practice of holding it while waiting for Armageddon?"
Nope, I've never done that. I've discovered the wisdom of not waiting for anything - life is now, all there is now, there is no need to wait for it.