Essential Zen

[Zamurito]

~

Let me first say that I'm not attempting to convince you of anything. Just some comments....

Gonz: "The nagual is not me. It is something I can access, something I can be aware of, something I can experience, but it is not me."

Zam:

This comment of yours touches on the very base of what it is we're discussing. "The nagual is not me." Who are you? What are you? If you knew this I doubt you'd be commenting here. So, if you don't know who you are, how can you state that something is not you?

Gonz: "I am a being of thought."

Zam:

Thought is a part of who you are, IMHO.

Gonz: The nagual is whatever it is, and in all of Castaneda it is defined as a thing external to us, a force of sorts, and in my estimation, having nothing to do with enlightenment.

Zam: External, internal, is there a difference? This is another key point. What IS 'out there?' What about the Universe as a mirror? One says internal. Internal where? Your body? Your brain? Your MIND? (This was a huge teaching of Juanito that was missed.)


So CC described something 'external.' (I don't see it that way, but whatever.) If you can't experience either the nagual or enlightenment, how do you know they are not related? Yes, I will go out on the limb and state you have not experienced either.

Gonz: "It's possible to surrender to the nagual, but that is not enlightenment. Enlightenment to me is something quite personal...it is something I do, for me, not for anyone or any thing else."

Zam:

Surrender to the nagual. <chuckles> More belief structure. You are the 'thinking guy,' aren't you? Personal? You're damned right it's personal. What isn't?

Experiencing either Nagual or Enlightenment is different than understanding it. Understanding comes after the experience. You've got the cart before the horse my friend. Become and experience enlightenment or the nagual, then come tell us of your understanding.

Or not.

We can just discuss it.

Discussion is good. Words are words. They can be Power itself, or nothing at all.

Or not.

Thinking is a marvelous tool. Have you used thinking in recappitulation and autolysis to actually experience enlightenment?

...or are we just going to discuss 'what we think' enlightenment is?

K

[Gonzo]

I can't seem to get these essays written, so the hell with it. Instead, here are my notes, about things I wanted to write.

Poetry...the use of words to express the unexpressible...Haiku, ancedotes...Dust in the Monastery...Is That So?...West of my dwelling place - No such thing as awakening

realization that the essence is within the poetry...and since Zen states it is a transmission outside the scriptures, and the anecdotes within TBCR could be considered poetry in a way...let's get the definition of poetry...sorta too much BS on Wikipedia...somewhere there was a great one liner that nailed it...will play hell finding it. Regardless, the notion is essential Zen is within the poetry/anecdotes. The meditation and other structured actions are more related to Buddhism, even though the meaning of Zen is sitting meditation...it's not the meaning as far as I'm concerned.

and the transmission...supposedly must come from an enlightened master to his chosen top student, and if one is functioning within the confines of a monastery and other structures, .in the case of Essential Zen, the transmission is within the poetry. Understand Dust in the Monastery, and the other koans, and the transmission has occurred. H

The goal is enlightenment, still, but that depends entirely upon the notion of enlightenment...the true goal is self-acceptance, achieving the totality of oneself, getting to the point of complete spontaneous being, without constraint...purified, naked, and perfectly at ease. And what is purified? purified is completing recapitulation, ordering all the items of the tonal on the table, repairing all the holes in the leaky hose so that all the energies at ones command are expressed smoothly and without regret, and without fretting.

Essential Zen points to that accomplishment. The means are up to the individual.

The Goal - that's the critical element - be like Jesus? be like Buddha? - be like Mohammed? - be like Moses? are they prototypes? You can't be like them...however...you can approach the totality of self, and realize that self is absolutely unique in the entire universe.

Genuine contentment...the essence is exhibited in the behaviors of the adepts, conveyed via the anecdotes. How did they get there? Meditation? how does one get there via essential Zen? by thinking about it. What about the assistance from Michael? What about the assistance from...from who? indirectly through books...

What did McKenna do? He thought about it, and used writing to put his thoughts out, calling the process spiritual autolysis. Did he meditate? formally meditate> What IS meditation? a thought form, basically. Cogito ergo sum.

Essential Zen may potentially make use of Koans, as well as all the other Buddhist information available. The Wanderling has compiled a staggering amount of this data, none of which I found particularly useful, nor did I find studying things like the Diamond Sutra of any assistance. When I discovered Haiku and especially The Blue Cliff Record, I struck gold.

the necessity for recapping, obtaining the guidance of a guru,

the realization is that each person's definition of enlightenment is different, and I suspect, no two are the same. Perhaps it means different things to different people...not even perhaps...is it anything more than achieving the totality of self? of getting to that place where essence is trusted impliciity to react properly to everything?

what is the goal and why do you have it? discontent...not good enough - bad person - self-hatred - why get better? what is improvement? acceptance - leaky hose - backpack full of rocks up the mountain - higher self

What is the purpose of Zen?

The only way to enjoy winning is to lose.

The goal of the organism is survival: the goal of the essence is ecstasy.

What is The Work, and what does it accomplish? what is The Work in CC? What is The Work in Zen? in Aikido?

[Gonzo]

Here's the key thing....it is simple...it is self-acceptance. Complete self-acceptance. When you can do that, however you manage to do that, then you understand we are the otters of the universe, and we can play...and nothing else really matters.

[Gonzo]

Essential Zen is the guts, it is not the trappings. The guts are the relevance of The Information to everyday, moment to moment existence. As to the purpose of life, the finest that can be said is of Bodhidharma, the Blue Eyed Barbarian, of whom it was said, "I only allow he knows; I don't allow that he understands." The "knowing" is the guts. How to arrive at the "knowing" is purely up to the individual, including how long it may take to arrive there.

The guts of The Information are transmitted in the vignettes, the commentaries, and the koans, most notably and most remarkably primarily contained in one collection in three volumes: "The Blue Cliff Record". The recommended translation is by Thomas and J.C. Cleary, published by Shambala.

The second most notable transmission is in Japanese Haiku, the best of which provide vivid snapshots of momentary visceral existence.