reply to post by IandEye
there is a zen story that goes like this: 2 monks are walking in a forest and the senior monk falls into a hole. he cries "help me! help me!". so
the junior monks jumps down into the hole and the senior monk climbs out and says "thank you".
What is there to figure out and answer? The answer itself is a direct experience of the Absolute/Satori. I've had those various glimpses through
various koans and seen the ineffable, therefore the answer itself remains in the realm of language, logic, reason and therefor is not the answer.
One time Buddha showed up to a speech and instead of speaking, held up a single rose. 1 guy in the crowd that day, got it.
You want the answer? Here you go:
"The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao"
Jesus and/or the desert in comparison to your experience is really kind of funny, like a kid with a cowboy hat saying he's John Wayne or something.
That's my hero, teacher, master, mystic, someone who's principles I tested and they resulted in direct experiences of the divine, best friend,
brother .....and inspiration for going into the woods. I got 40 days in Utah planned later this year so we'll see how that goes. I know the desert is
more hard core and ruthless, yet in the same vein of Christ's 40 days in the Desert, came after him various mystics, saints, monks, and hermits who
only had access to forests and repeated their solitude there and got to Union/Enlightenment/Satori/Illumination ...so ultimately, it's the intention
and frame of mind that matters.
you can fast in society too- ive done it for weeks at a time while working as a carpenter at Habitat For Humanity. give it a try sometime if you think
you can handle being weak in front of strangers.
I've done that, but never in the wilderness. This was my first time there. I've done 2-3 weeks fasts whle working and only fluids, teas and
water.
and no, I'm not comparing myself to Jesus. I think he's the Mickey Mouse of the religious world, with stories built upon stories.
I think he's one of the greatest..... his principles are testable and produce results.
wasn't the New Testament written 100 years after Jesus died, with the apostles names given to the books to give them credence? as I understand it
from my BA in Religious Studies, the books of the NT do not contain a single eye witness account to the life of Jesus.
Don't matter, there are various religious texts around the world that were delayed by a century or two and spread by word of mouth or literal
memorization. It's the testing of the principles that counts. The NT is like a set of blueprints, instructions, koans that if followed genuinely,
result in various graces, third eye open, activations, transcendence, detachment, and Infinite Love.
So realistically, the whole delay in the NT books doesn't really mean much. There is so many various sources, parties, books that all reference the
existence of Christ, the shroud of turin, the fact of Crucifixion as punishment those days, and also historic witnesses such as Josephus. The majority
of scholars all agree to the existence of a Historic Christ, and there is a very tiny fractional, maybe 2-3 people who argue that there never was a
Jesus and they're arguments are week.
Regardless it's all about the blueprints. If someone gives me a 2000 year old manuscript that says "If you maintain awareness of your breath for
8-12 hours a day, eventually A, B, C, and D will happen followed by E, F, G and H" then these are testable principles that I can see for myself if
they are true using my own consciousness as the laboratory.
IN similar fashion, Jesus' teachings can also be tested and there are various experiences and mystical changes that take place when you follow his
blueprints, all of which is supposed to lead to ego death and Enlightenment. Of course there are traps along the way!!!! ...but that's in all paths
