tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37983535.post116831303370968297..comments2023-10-22T01:48:29.378-07:00Comments on SlowZen... Again: The Four noble Truths (again)SlowZenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10589294912054724123noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37983535.post-1168918700664330732007-01-15T19:38:00.000-08:002007-01-15T19:38:00.000-08:00Hey Jordan,$66 for a good copy of the Avatamsaka S...Hey Jordan,<BR/><BR/>$66 for a good copy of the Avatamsaka Sutra is a pretty good deal. It is a massive book (a collection of books, actually). I highly recommend it. It is definitely one of the top 5 (at least) most important Sutras of Mahayana.<BR/><BR/>Oxeye,<BR/>Beauty is in the ox-eye of the beholder. Thanks for your comments. <BR/><BR/>"Beauty is not so much about a painting as it is about the viewer." Now if I can just get a grasp on who my true "viewer" is, maybe I will be enlightened. Ha!<BR/><BR/>Gassho, TedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37983535.post-1168550139911762082007-01-11T13:15:00.000-08:002007-01-11T13:15:00.000-08:00jordan, it makes perfect sense. much more than i ...jordan, it makes perfect sense. much more than i make.. hehAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37983535.post-1168548148265716472007-01-11T12:42:00.000-08:002007-01-11T12:42:00.000-08:00Ted,I have only been able to find a few parts of t...Ted,<BR/><BR/>I have only been able to find a few parts of the Avatamsaka Sutra online. Thomas Cleary’s translation is selling for $66.00 on Amazon, So much for the Dharma being free. <BR/><BR/>Ted & Oxeye,<BR/>As for the opposing views caused by dualism: I am of a mind that there is something difficult to express beyond the dualistic thinking of beautiful and ugly, good and bad, Wholesome and unwholesome, right and wrong, light and dark etc. This is often suggested when trying to work with Koans.<BR/><BR/>But I suggest that we look at the expressions as being exactly what they are without the concept of opposites. For the sake of my expression using the dualistic term of beauty, this is what I was going for. I hope that makes good sense, if it doesn’t, sorry, I'm still slow.<BR/><BR/>Be well and happy!<BR/>Gassho,<BR/>JordanSlowZenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10589294912054724123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37983535.post-1168534737887944352007-01-11T08:58:00.000-08:002007-01-11T08:58:00.000-08:00Ted - The Buddha was a man and I am sure that thin...Ted - The Buddha was a man and I am sure that things would seem very beautiful to him at times. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We can place concepts like beautiful and ugly on to things that can be both or neither depending on whether it is you or me that is looking at them. Some people will think that a Van Gogh painting is incredibly beautiful. Some people will think that it is butt ugly. Both of those statements are true. The painting is both beautiful and ugly and not beautiful and not ugly. Beauty is not so much about a painting as it is about the viewer. It is like that for all things I think.<BR/><BR/>The Buddha might have looked at the morning star and thought it was both wonderful and awful. Wonderful can infer total confusion and awful can mean solemnly impressive. As it is for words so it is for concepts. <BR/><BR/>And of course, Everyday is a bad day for someone somewhere. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37983535.post-1168505798088666292007-01-11T00:56:00.000-08:002007-01-11T00:56:00.000-08:00Jordan, Thank you for the post. Have you ever read...Jordan, <BR/><BR/>Thank you for the post. <BR/>Have you ever read the Avatamsaka Sutra? The eighth book gives an awesome explication of the four noble truths from a vast array of perspectives. Check it out sometime...<BR/><BR/>As for the notion that:<BR/><BR/>“all things are both beautiful and ugly.”<BR/><BR/>I don't know if I can go along with that. When Shakyamuni Buddha saw the morning star and awakened, he said, "How wonderful! How wonderful! All beings are the Tathagata!" Did he think it was both "wonderful" and "awful"? I don't think so.<BR/><BR/>And how about Case 6 of the Blue Cliff Record:<BR/><BR/>Ummon said, "I don't ask about before the fifteenth day; try to make a statement about after the fifteenth day."<BR/><BR/>He himself replied, "Every day is a good day."<BR/>(Secrets of the Blue Cliff Record, Thomas Cleary)<BR/><BR/>Do you think Ummon could just have easily said, "Every day is a bad day?" I don't think so. But then again, who am I? Ha!<BR/><BR/>Take care man.<BR/><BR/>Gassho, TedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37983535.post-1168465789208171622007-01-10T13:49:00.000-08:002007-01-10T13:49:00.000-08:00Oxeye,On your first comment, perspective, perspect...Oxeye,<BR/>On your first comment, perspective, perspective, perspective.<BR/><BR/>On your second: yes, in Right Thought and in Right Mindfulness.<BR/>“all things are both beautiful and ugly.” Ajahn Brahm' gave a great Dharma talk about <A HREF="http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=9,3352,0,0,1,0" REL="nofollow">Two bad bricks</A><BR/>I try to look at thing in my life, weather fortunate or unfortunate as just being features, of course some of these features are more enjoyable than others, Ha!<BR/><BR/>Grist, this may be my next blog heading!<BR/><BR/>Thank you for your comments!<BR/>Be well and happy<BR/>Gassho,<BR/>JordanSlowZenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10589294912054724123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37983535.post-1168453960878451582007-01-10T10:32:00.000-08:002007-01-10T10:32:00.000-08:00jordan -You mentioned beauty twice in your post. I...jordan -<BR/><BR/>You mentioned beauty twice in your post. It can be easy to get hung up on beauty but we shouldn't imagine it to be something that it is not. beauty is not the flip side of ugliness. all things are both beautiful and ugly. <BR/><BR/>just grist for your blog.. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37983535.post-1168451581998881412007-01-10T09:53:00.000-08:002007-01-10T09:53:00.000-08:00"Don't sell drugs, be a thief, or make a living of..."Don't sell drugs, be a thief, or make a living off of causing suffering to others."<BR/><BR/>that pretty much eliminates 99% of modern work.. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com