Taishi Ichiban

[Kristopher]

~

There is a saying in Zen, “Taishi ichiban,” which mean rebirth. In this case, death refers to the death of the self which has been afflicted by delusion, to killing the self which has been living in delusion. To kill one’s self means to make the self into nothing. Herein lies the philosophy of nothingness.

[Gonzo]

Is there a bit of leg pulling here? Ichiban means number one, or best, as I recall...and looking up taishi, that translates to "ambition". So how does "primary or best ambition" relate to the death (actual or otherwise) of the evil "self"?

Eat when hungry - sleep when tired.

There is nothing in the self, so do not seek falsely; what is attained by false seeking is not real attainment. You just have nothing in your mind and no mind in things; then you will be empty and spiritual, tranquil and sublime.

[Kristopher]

Is there a bit of leg pulling here? Ichiban means number one, or best, as I recall...and looking up taishi, that translates to "ambition". So how does "primary or best ambition" relate to the death (actual or otherwise) of the evil "self"?

Eat when hungry - sleep when tired.

There is nothing in the self, so do not seek falsely; what is attained by false seeking is not real attainment. You just have nothing in your mind and no mind in things; then you will be empty and spiritual, tranquil and sublime.

~

Leg pulling - Perhaps. Culture, thought, meaning and translations from Japanese to English. Words. As to your quote, yes! What I don't understand is that you quote comments in regards to no-mind, yet when it's posted in another comment here-or-there, you question it as if you don't understand it. What rings true to you in the quote, above?

[Gonzo]

Leg pulling - Perhaps. Culture, thought, meaning and translations from Japanese to English. Words. As to your quote, yes! What I don't understand is that you quote comments in regards to no-mind, yet when it's posted in another comment here-or-there, you question it as if you don't understand it. What rings true to you in the quote, above?

GI slang in the Far East used "Ichiban" all the time.

Here's the difference: your comment or quote like others on this topic I object to, talks about the death of the ego/self...what I quoted talks about the self being in charge of, in control of the ego such that the self may have no mind in things, and the self may have no things in mind. There is no mention of death or being rid of anything.

[Kristopher]

Leg pulling - Perhaps. Culture, thought, meaning and translations from Japanese to English. Words. As to your quote, yes! What I don't understand is that you quote comments in regards to no-mind, yet when it's posted in another comment here-or-there, you question it as if you don't understand it. What rings true to you in the quote, above?

GI slang in the Far East used "Ichiban" all the time.

Here's the difference: your comment or quote like others on this topic I object to, talks about the death of the ego/self...what I quoted talks about the self being in charge of, in control of the ego such that the self may have no mind in things, and the self may have no things in mind. There is no mention of death or being rid of anything.

Ah, right. I should have seen this coming. My bad.

Life is good, no mind in things, no things in mind...lalalala.

How's that working for you? Oh, you are dissapointed. Some-thing is in 'mind' to be dissapointed.

If I remember correctly, you also enjoyed Jed's work as well as Zen. Do a quick word search in the first two .pdf books for death and rebirth...if you want to, that is...

[Kristopher]

~

Perhaps, again, if you want to, contact TPN and work with her on the teflon warrior gig. Seems the same to me.

On second thought, please don't, I do enjoy your company. I'd hate to see you run off in a tiff, or fake a brain tumor, or begin lying habitually, or become dis-eased with diabetes, or faking everything as 'unconcern.'

Sorry G, that was just insulting to you.

I love you, man.

[Gonzo]

About disappointment and sadness and other human indulgences - a GOAL worth striving towards, imo, is within "no things in mind, no mind in things" - since it is a goal, that implies it has yet to be achieved, at least on a permanent basis.

I've come to suspect "englightenment" itself is similar, in that it is not a constant but a sometime state of being. Therefore, at times, when having things in mind, mind in things (i.e. not enlightened) one can still recall the admonition and work towards re-attaining that state.

An ordinary man is Buddha: desire and passion is enlightenment. One thought of folly makes a man an ordinary man; the next enlightened thought and he is a Buddha.

Jed, at least in his books, appears constantly to be in the enlightened state, however, there's a chance when he was writing the books, that he may have "fallen out of grace" and done something stupidly human. Perhaps his editors ensured that got deleted.

I don't have his books any longer in any format, so I can't look up what you suggested. What came to mind, however, in regard death and rebirth is more along the lines of Buddhist theology in regard reincarnation, not a state of enlightened being.

[Kristopher]

I don't have his books any longer in any format, so I can't look up what you suggested. What came to mind, however, in regard death and rebirth is more along the lines of Buddhist theology in regard reincarnation, not a state of enlightened being.

I can E-mail them to you if you choose.

[Gonzo]

Sure...send them along...then we can continue to compare notes.

[Affinity]

There are no enlightened people, only enlightened actions.