I'm curious as to what "...examples of enlightenment..." might be, as
referred to in the previous e-mail. But I can think of a few that, IMHO,
definitely qualify.....
1. Moses up on the mountain was enlightened (and not just his hair color).
:o)
2. Saul of Tarsus (who was later named Paul) was definitely enlightened on
the road to Damascus. Big time enlightenment.
3. Thomas, the doubter, was absolutely enlightened. His doubt was destroyed
when he was enlightened.
The list of these "....examples of enlightenment..." is without end, and it
is ongoing. There are examples of enlightenment occurring right now, in
places all over this planet.
And last, but not least, is my own personal 'example' of enlightenment.
Through it I learned, personally and spiritually, the value of what it means
to acquire more than knowledge, or wisdom. Through my example of
enlightenment, I gained the greatest understanding I can ever hope to know.
1 John 5:20
Selah.
--Tim Cassler Toolbox Studios, Inc. 454 Soledad, Suite 100 San Antonio, TX 78205
210.225.8269 x111 fax.225.8200
> From: Karl Young <kyoung@SLAC.Stanford.EDU> > Reply-To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu > Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2003 13:08:28 -0800 > To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu > Subject: Re: shakuhachi V1 #288 > > > Just curious as to how you come to the conclusion that "So much Zen, so > little enlightenment" is an anomalous situation in the US - is that as > opposed to the enlightenment/practitioner ratio in modern Japan, warring > states China, medieval Korea,... and how did you determine those ratios > as per your conclusion ? > >> Windsor, >> >> >> >>> I conjecture that the spiritual sensations brought on by shakuhachi playing >>> are >>> mostly due to repeatedly taking deep breaths and then exhaling slowly and >>> with >>> fine control through a tiny opening between pursed lips: changes blood-gas >>> levels. (Compare the various methods of breathing used to allay anxiety or >>> to >>> assist exertion in childbirth.) >>> >>> >> >> Apparently not a popular view. >> >> Ostensibly, the purpose of the practice of Zen is to achieve something >> called enlightenment. While enlightenment remains undefined it is portrayed >> as something qualitative rather than quantitative--rather like pregnancy. >> And the most noticeable attribute of the practice of Zen is the manipulation >> of personal physiology through the assumption of specified physical postures >> and the control of breathing and other autonomic processes. If playing the >> shakuhachi is advantageous to the practice of Zen, it's likely contributing >> factors are development of discipline and management of physiology. >> >> It's curious that in the robust and growing American Zen community there are >> so few (if any) examples of enlightenment. >> >> So much Zen, so little enlightenment. Something's wrong somewhere. >> >> Nelson >> >> > >
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