Path: shell.portal.com!shell.portal.com!not-for-mail From: nagasiva@yronwode.com (nagasiva) Newsgroups: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.philosophy.zen,alt.religion.buddhism,talk.religion.buddhism,alt.religion.christian,alt.christnet Subject: JHarkness: Zen Study in conflict with christianity? Date: 27 Jan 1996 20:45:39 -0800 Organization: Portal Communications (shell) Lines: 40 Sender: tyagi@shell.portal.com Message-ID: <4eev1j$buq@jobe.shell.portal.com> References: <4dklmq$fqm@linet02.li.net> <4dtuus$edf@news.jhu.edu> Reply-To: Joe Harkness NNTP-Posting-Host: jobe.shell.portal.com Xref: shell.portal.com alt.magick.tyagi:6471 alt.philosophy.zen:5871 alt.religion.buddhism:182 talk.religion.buddhism:15789 alt.religion.christian:88218 alt.christnet:78156 [from alt.zen: Joe Harkness ] jmc@newshost.li.net (Jason Case) wrote: > > It is a simple problem(All problems are simple, right?). There is > conflict within. Is there conflict between the study of Zen by a > Christian? No. Many have done so, including a number of nuns, priests, and monks with the blessings of their superiors. >If so, can it be overcome without having to `give up' one or > the other. Yes. Zen practice can only serve to deepen your faith. Chogyam Trungpa (deceased Tibetan teacher) says the main difference is that Christianity starts with God and works back to the person, while Buddhism does the opposite. In other words, Zen is primarily a method and a practice, not a belief-system. The common ground between Zen and Christianity is that both of them call for the renunciation of the ego in order to find the ultimate ground on which we stand. > _______________________________________________________________________ > |"Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is| > | peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel potatoes. ...Zen | > | is a way of liberation concened not with discovering what is good or | > | what is bad or what is advantagous, but what is." - A.W. Watts | > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Close, but no cigar. Correct, Zen spirituality is just to peel potatoes, but the reason for this is that when just peeling potatoes is *just peeling potatoes* and nothing else, then just peeling potatoes is God (ie the Buddhadharma for you zen-heads). Look at it this way: if all of God is not precisely expressed in just peeling potatoes, where else can you look? -- To ensure my response CC all public replies to email (READ alt.magick.tyagi) (emailed replies may be posted) * http://www.hollyfeld.org/~tyagi/nagasiva.html INTENTIONAL .SIG PROTEST: FUCK SHIT PISS COCKSUCKER MOTHERFUCKER TITS CUNT