Conceptual bondage

"Thus the 'bondage to our conceptual universe' is the interhuman relationship based upon the separation between subject and object, which itself is based on the sense of personal doership. When this sense of personal doership is removed with the apperception that all action is a happening (according to God's Will or the Cosmic Law) and not something done by anyone, this bondage disappears... .

...The result of this healing between the subject and the object, between the "me" and the "you" is that there is an immediate acceptance of whatever is in the moment, without judging any action, without attaching any blame (or credit) to any "one" for any action. Nothing then seems really to "matter": there is no "one"to whom anything can matter. Life becomes an entertainment."

(Advaita, the Buddha and the unbroken whole  by Ramesh S. Balsekar.

Edited by Susan Waterman)

Sex, Love and the World

"Sex without love is like a bowel movement, but the world is in the belly, anyway."

(Hughes on intellect without emotion)

The cream story

" There is this woman who comes to me for readings and she wants to know how to make creams: day creams, night creams, body and face creams. She wants the ingredients, so I tell her: put a a little of this, add a little water and stir it.

She has a company of her own now. How on earth would I know all this? 

This is speaking symbolese, or the symbol language."

Hughes and his Mayan tongue

TIME AND SPACE

"- Why does it take time? 

- Because if it all happened instantly, I would have nothing to live for.

- How does it feel, on the other hand? 

- You feel a little powerless and a little fearful."

The Teacher on Consciousness and its discontent

The Five Varieties of Zen

 The first of these types we call Bompu or "'ordinary"' Zen.

Bompu Zen, being free from any philosophic or religious content, is for anybody and everybody. It is a Zen practiced purely in the belief that it can improve both physical and mental health. Through the practice of Bompu Zen you learn to concentrate and control your mind.

 The second of the five kinds of Zen is called Gedo. Gedo means literally "an outside way" and so implies, from the Buddhist point of view, teachings other than Buddhist. Here we have a Zen related to religion and philosophy but not yet a Buddhist Zen. Hindu yoga, the quietist sitting of Confuciucianism, contemplation practices in Christianity, all these belong to the category of Gedo Zen.

 The third type of Zen is Shojo, literaly meaning "small vehicle". This is the vehicle or teaching that is to take you from one state of mind [delusion] to another [enlightenment]. This small vehicle is so named because it is designed to accommodate only one's self.

 The fourth classification is called Daijo, great vehicle Zen, and this is truly Buddhist Zen, for it has as its central purpose kensho-godo, that is, seeing into your essential nature and realizing the Way in your daily life. Zen Buddhism is essentially a religion of enlightenment. So it can be said that a Zen which ignores or denies or belittles enlightenment is not true Daijo Buddhist Zen.

 Saijojo Zen, the last of the five types, is the highest vehicle, the culmination and crown of Buddhist Zen. This Zen was practiced by all the Buddhas of the past-namely, Shakyamuni and Amida-and is the expression of Absolute Life, life in its purest form. It involves no struggle for satori or any other object, we call it shikan-taza.

(THE  THREE  PILLARS  OF  ZEN, Tea ching, Practice and Enlightenment by roshi Philip Kapleau)

IVAN THE TERRIBLE

I finally united the country in a Symbol.