bracket bracket by Paul Smedberg
. . . Tao is the flowing course of nature and the universe; li is its principle of order which . . . we can best translate as "organic pattern"; and water is its eloquent metaphor. Alan Watts |
Living | Learning | Contradicting |
The vast flood rolls onward, But yield yourself And it floats you upon it. Ikkyu
The man who is united with the Divine and knows the truth thinks "I do nothing at all" for in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting, walking, sleeping, breathing; in speaking emitting, grasping, opening and closing the eyes he holds that only the senses are occupied with the objects of the senses.
Poverty is not the absence of goods, but rather the overabundance of
desire.
A drunken man who falls out of a cart, though he may suffer, does not die. His bones are the same as other people's; but he meets the accident in a different way. His spirit is in a condition of security. He is not conscious of riding in the cart; neither is he conscious of falling out of it. Ideas of life, death, and fear cannot penetrate his breast; and so he does not suffer from contact with objective existences. And if such security is to be got from wine, how much more is it to be got from Spontaneity.
The flowering of man's spiritual nature is as natural and as strict a
process of evolution as the opening of a rose or a morning glory. But
there is this difference: While the plant must have a congenial environment
. . . the human flowering often takes place amid the most adverse surroundings
. . .
Each of us literally chooses, by his way of attending to things, what
sort of a universe he shall appear to himself to inhabit.
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Forgetfulness of self is remembrance of God.
When the senses and thought are annihilated, all the passages to Mind
are blocked, and no entrance then becomes possible. The original mind
is to be recognized along with the working of the senses and thoughts,
only it does not belong to them, nor is it independent of them. Do not
build up your views on your senses and thoughts . . . but at the same
time do not seek the Mind away from your senses and thoughts.
One of the basic tenents of meditation is the notion that passive awareness
is a natural, elementary, and direct form of experience that is ordinarily
overwhelmed and obscured by the activity of the mind. The purpose of meditation,
therefore, is to allow the mind to become quiet and thereby uncover the
capacity for this experience.
Words convey ideas. When ideas have been absorbed
words cease . . . The fishing net is used to catch fish; let us have the
fish and forget the net. The snare is used to catch rabbits; let us have
the rabbit and forget the snare. Words are used to convey ideas; let us
have the ideas and forget the words.
Where is One?
| The past and future Buddhas, both are his servants. Who is he? If you realize clearly who he is, it is as if you met your own father on a busy street. There is not need to ask anyone whether or not your recognition is true.
Do not fight with another's bow and arrow.
The greater the doubt, the greater the awakening; the smaller the doubt,
the smaller the awakening. No doubt, no awakening.
Everyone is in the best seat.
The less effort, the faster and more powerful
you will be.
In this non-dual world
In this unmeasurable truth
The past and future Buddhas, both are his servants.
Who is he? If you realize clearly who he is, it is as if you met your own
father on a busy street. There is not need to ask anyone whether or not
your recognition is true. Do not fight with another's bot and arrow. Do
not ride another's horse. Do not discuss another's faults. Do not interfere
with another's work.
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[Bracket Bracket] is Paul Smedberg's irregular ezine. Earlier issues (and coming soon: later issues) may be dredged up in the [bracket bracket] archive -- and boy are they a treat! You can subscribe to [bracket bracket] by typing your e-mail address in the box below. You will receive a surreal yet informative message whenever a new issue appears. This happens every few weeks or months or so. It would be in bad taste to sell or give your address to someone else. But, we won't do it anyway.
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