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Teaching is a giving profession. If we are teaching for rewards, including gratitude, we are teaching for the wrong reason. Teaching is similar to being a parent, personal sacrifice is part of the...

Float like a butterfly,
sting like a bee!

Let’s keep in mind that the concept of Fire Chi unifying with Water Chi is also a practice Taoists used to bring themselves into accommodation with Tao. When Fire Chi is harmoniously unified with...

Hi Kenzan,

I too appreciate your participation in our discussion.



There is nothing wrong with duality. Duality exists. Perhaps it has always existed. It isn’t that we ignore duality,...

Hi Kenzan,

I don’t see the mind as an enemy though. The mind just IS! The teachings of Taoism and Zen state that it is ignorance and erroneous thinking that is the cause of obstructed perception,...

Hi Kenzan,

Think of it this way:

A wave is a function/process of the ocean. It is not separate from the ocean. It is something the ocean does. It is the same with ego. It is not separate from...

Hi Kenzan,

I agree with much of what you have said. Our experience of reality is determined by the perspective from which we view it. We use language to communicate our experiences of phenomena...

Hi Ben,

I apologize if it appeared I was criticizing the practice of Zazen. It was not my intention. I meditate myself. I intended, rather, to offer an authoritative perspective that is not...

Hui-Neng, the sixth patriarch of Ch’an/Zen in direct lineage from Bodhidharma and considered THE pivotal character in the development of Ch’an thought, taught that meditation is essentially a state,...

Hi Bruce,

Thank you for your kind words. I too have enjoyed and benefited from our conversation.

While perhaps I am not as skeptical as you concerning enlightenment I do tend towards a...

Hi Bruce,

Your point is very well made! The comments from Wikipedia are thought provoking as well! It seems either view discussed could be valid according to how one defines reality! Fictional...

Hi Bruce,

The only way to demonstrate Enlightenment experience is to have the direct experience. As I have previously mentioned it is similar to proving the taste of an orange to another. I...

Hi Fred,

I see! I am not sure I agree with that, but I am not well versed in Prasangika Madhyamika.

I consider the comment that my argument is reducto ad absurdum as a means of discarding...

Hi Fred,

I am not sure what you mean exactly since it seems that there are a few different interpretations of Prasangika Madhyamika. If you mean the principle that is and is-not do not exist then...

Touche! ;)

Addendum:

When the young woman is finally perceived no change occurs within the picture, yet the "experience" of the the picture changes! Reality changes due to a change in perception. Reality did...

Hi Bruce,

My comment is not reducto ad absurdum. It is unproductive and fallacious to cherry pick a few lines from an entire argument, take them out of the context of the entire argument, and...

Hi Bruce,

My argument does not breakdown just because I am using physical system examples to demonstrate that principles of rational thinking apply to metaphysical knowledge. I am trying to point...

Hi Bruce,

There may be some misunderstanding here. I am not attempting to give descriptions of how Enlightenment experience may be demonstrated using empirical scientific protocol. My last post...

Hi Bruce,

I agree with you the evidenced that confirms Enlightenment experience is subjective evidence and subjective evidence may “at times” be considered scientifically unreliable for various...

Hi Bruce,

Thank you for sharing your comments as well! Following are few more comments regarding your last post:

The Enlightenment experience is subject to the same demonstration of proof that...

Hi Brian,

Thank you for your comments. You have made your point very well in my opinion. But then I have an understanding of the principles you are referring to be begin with, LOL!
_____

Hi...

Hi Jim,

Your comments are very thought provoking!

Since rational argument is of the dualistic system we will “appear” to arrive at logical paradox when utilizing reason to demonstrate or...

Hi Bruce,

Thank you for your stimulating comments.

The reason the problem of describing the condition of Enlightenment is a problem of language is because language is inherently dualistic....

Hello Gentlemen,

This is a nice civil discussion! I have some thoughts I would like to share:

I agree that enlightenment/nirvana is a state or condition of being or perhaps we could also say a...