Zen Alwayss Makes Me Feel Better

[leftyladyfrommo]

This is so beautiful.

If only I could share it:

The soft sound of snow

Falling late at night

From the trees

At this old temple.

Hakun 1686-1768

[glitch]

1. Thank you for this. Plus you reminded me to listen to Alan Watts on

http://www.kpfk.org/ at 8:30 pacific time. His voice is very like snow falling.

[leftyladyfrommo]

2. I have never heard Alan Watts.

I don't think I have even read a book.

One has to be wary of people who talk about Zen.

[glitch]

3. I like him, but it's up to you whether you want to risk listening. nt

[Angry Girl]

6. But the risk of any severe, long-lasting trauma is minimal

I think he died in the '70's. A good egg.

This from his web site:

The Alan Watts Story

He held a Master's Degree in Theology from Sudbury-Western Theological Seminary and an Honorary DD from the University of Vermont in recognition of his work in the field of comparative religions.

For more than forty years, Alan Watts earned a reputation as a foremost interpreter of Eastern philosophies for the West. Beginning at age sixteen, when he wrote essay for the journal of the Buddhist Lodge in London, he developed an audience of millions who were enriched through his books, tape recordings, radio, television, and public lectures. In all, Watts wrote more than twenty-five books and recorded hundreds of lectures and seminars, all building toward a personal philosophy that he shared in complete candor and joy with his readers and listeners throughout the world. His overall works have presented a model of individuality and self-expression that can be matched by few philosophers.

His life and work reflects an astonishing adventure: he was an editor, Anglican priest, graduate dean, broadcaster, author, lecturer, and entertainer. He had fascinations for archery, calligraphy, cooking, chanting, and dancing, and still was completely comfortable hiking alone in the wilderness.

He held fellowships from Harvard University and the Bollingen Foundation, and was Episcopal Chaplain at Northwestern University during the Second World War. He became professor and dean of the American Academy of Asian Studies in San Francisco, made the television series "Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life" for National Educational Television, and served as a visiting consultant for psychiatric institutions and hospitals, and for the United States Air Force. In the mid-sixties he traveled widely with his students in Japan, and visited Burma, Ceylon, and India.

http://www.alanwatts.com/aw_story.html

[Bellamia]

4. Wary about Zen?

Well, you are in control of your mind, you can reject or accept anything that enters it. I've read Alan Watts, listened to his tapes.I don't "buy" all that he's selling. But there is a bit of wisdom in what he says.That I'll "buy".

[greyl]

8. No, about people who "talk" about Zen.

Get it? ;)

[Warpy]

5. He was my Sunday morning listening in Boston

for a whole lot of years. It's nice to know he's out there on the web, still. I've bookmarked that site for use when I get back home to my shabby casita and my DSL.

He and Bertrand Russell introduced me to a life without gods when I was very young. I will always be grateful to them, clay feet and all.

[Angry Girl]

7. My philosophy of science teacher intriduced me to Bertrand Russell

His short collection of essays _Why I Am Not a Christian_ was absolutely amazing. So simple. So clear. If only the religious extremists (of any bent) would crack open the book....

[onager]

13. Russell's essay influenced me too.

I think he wrote it as a rebuttal to C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity." For years, people recommended Lewis' book as the absolute trump card in the deck of the Christian religion. It was a real disappointment, when I read it, to see nothing but the same tired old premises spewed by any American televangelist, only dressed up in slightly better language.

While looking for something else, I just ran across a story about Russell attending a party in honor of his 90th birthday.

One of the guests asked him the usual question: as an atheist, what would happen if he were wrong, and found himself a few seconds after death facing a God Of The Universe proving that It existed?

Russell smiled and said: "I would say--you gave us insufficient evidence."

(Interesting that the story called Russell an atheist. I believe he always referred to himself as an agnostic, though I am certainly not an expert on him. Just a fan.)

[Arianrhod]

14. Russell, I believe, was the first philosopher

to use the term "agnostic" in its modern sense--ie, as someone who "does not know" whether gods exist or not.

The original use of the Greek term was as a counter to the Gnostic movement at the turn of the First Millennium. The Gnostics claimed access to "special knowledge" that allowed them to understand the secrets of the Universe, and so agnosticism posited that no such special knowledge existed.

As to Mere Christianity, I had to shake my head at Lewis' comment about sexuality. He claimed that the proliferation of pornography and other sexual materials was somehow "proof" of the deviant nature of such interest. He asserted that, while eating was just as strong a drive as sex, "one did not find pictures of food hung up on the walls" of people's houses. Obviously, Lewis had never ventured into a country home, or even gazed upon a still life. . . .

Lewis was an amusing writer, but he knew nothing of genuine human nature, let alone true morality. In short, he was a Fundamentalist, through and through.

[Goldensilence]

9. ever tried

to write haiku? :)

[Arianrhod]

10. It seems easy

because the rules are simple.

But to reach the depth of profundity and beauty that marks true haiku is very difficult to accomplish.

[Goldensilence]

11. one i wrote

A cold wind blowing
stoking the fire inside me
feeling alive now

has been a while since i have written though this one is a bit old.

[Arianrhod]

12. haiku

A twig across the
Moon, soft lamp that lights the way,
A finger pointing

On a slightly more humorous note, have you ever read the book Catku? Collected Haiku from the perspective of the cat. :)

"Am I in your way?
You seem to have it backward.
This pillow's taken."

The Message Boards at The New York Times used to have a Forum devoted to Urban Haiku. I used to peruse it on occasion, but I haven't been there for a long time.

[Goldensilence]

15. nice

it has been a while since i have read or tried to write much haiku. Actually I used to write quite often, but don't really anymore sadly. Starting to wonder if the coming months will provide any time to do so. A shadow seems to be sweeping across the land rapidly.

[Arianrhod]

16. All the more reason to write.

Creativity is a powerful force, even if only practised in solitude. Historically, tyrants have almost always set about destroying the art and literature of the people they conquered, because they knew that such self-expression is dangerous to those who seek domination over others.

By all means, find a few moments to write down your thoughts. I think it's important we do so.

[Goldensilence]

17. i thought this haiku summed up my state of mind lately

help me bridge this gap
between the way things are and
the way they could be

[Arianrhod]

18. Yes, nice. Or if I may, a variation:

help me bridge this gap
between the way things are and
the way I see them

[Goldensilence]

19. just as good...

but i am in the mindset thst i am not the only one seeing this gap and how if it is going to change it is by all means going to be a collective effort :)

[Arianrhod]

20. I agree with your mindset,

but I don't think I can change any mind but my own. Not sure I can even do that. (See some of my other discussions in this Forum, on consciousness.) And on a really deep level, I'm not even certain that there are minds to change. . . .

:)

[Goldensilence]

21. hmm

i'll have to give some of your past discussions a recourse. I agree though that the only minds that can be changed are our own...we can introduced knowledge and ideas the rest is up the the observer within.

I've always said mankind seems out of his collective mind.