text:
Back to Great Doubt for a moment. I have been thinking. I think there is Great Doubt in many religions and philosophies. And again, thinking in resonse to Stephanie's post, I think this Great Doubt may come from the fact that there doesn't ever appear to be a final and once-and-for-all-eternity Answer. For example, in Christianity, even Christ, even at death, questioned: "Why has Thou forsaken me?"
I once asked Dosho if he thought that, if you ever actually became enlightened, you could lose that enlightenment? His answer quoted another teacher who said, "Try it and see."
I think maybe in Zen, we re-create the Answer every time we sit, so, thus, there is also always the Great Doubt--as a two sided coin, to borrow one of Jundo's similes. Gassho, Grace.
Speaking to the enlightenment question, Hagen likened an enlightened person to a pedestrian. When a person gets into a car or sits down, where did the 'pedestrian' go? That is: Enlightenment is really enlightenment activity (or non-activity).
And yet, the Buddha talked about stream-entry, so surely that must reference an aspect of "I guess I'm well and truly fucked now, better try to get to the other shore!"
Well, this is what I get for dropping a "bomb" like that post and not being able to come back to it for a week!
First, I want to clarify a few key points:
1) I do not feel like I have "got it" or like I am more spiritually advanced than others, etc. Far from it! One thing I yearn for is to find others with whom I can share my journey as it is still ongoing, and I find that there is a certain point where I cannot relate even with other Zen Buddhists, depending on their approach to practice. And that is okay! I truly do not believe there is "one true way" for everyone. But I do feel like there is an essential difference between my experience of practice and the one that is expressed by the majority here, and my first post in this thread is how I have learned to articulate that difference. The point is I actually do respect that people are sincerely practicing here - and I like the people here, for the most part. I just don't "fit" into the way of practice here. Again, I see that as okay. The way I see the rivalry between Soto and Rinzai is as a friendly rivalry (whether it was always truly friendly), a pushing back and forth that can benefit people on either side of the rivalry, as no one view or approach could ever completely exhaust or capture "it," whatever "it" is. This brings us to Point #2:
2) I do not identify as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist, nor do I do formal koan practice. Chet hit the nail on the head with his first reply to this thread, that I am trying to drive at something deeper than a particular practice, an attitude or orientation that can infuse either. I find my practice, no matter what I experiment with, always comes back to shikantaza.
3) I tried but do not believe I did an adequate job in my post of delineating between what I see as my own personality quirks and/or weaknesses and the attitude of The Question. Yes, I can obsess, and get angsty; a deep depressive streak has come down to me through the generations. And though I believe that a depressive disposition can lend itself to expressing The Question more freely, and while I embrace who I am without shame, I don't see this personality of mine as in any way essential to this matter. There is no need to be preoccupied with darkness for those who do not feel a natural calling to such. It is just one way of being in a world where there are many ways of being that are not better or worse than each other.
Was I depressed at the time of my heaviest involvement here? I cannot say I was not. Was I in the danger Jundo feared? Not at all, and I would fault Jundo for assuming professional knowledge he does not have as far as all that went, but it is a gentle fault, a presumption with what I suspect was a mix of well-meaning and genuine fear behind it.
But all that is past. What I would emphasize here is the distinction between the dark heart of the depressive in the midst of a depression and the uneasy fire of one consumed by The Question. At the time in question, I was both. And I do believe there is a relationship there, but not an essential one. You can be consumed by a question without any depressed quality to it at all. But there is... an uneasiness. And that is what I find a natural resistance to at Treeleaf - letting uneasiness sit with you for too long. Because, well, it's uncomfortable! But I do think there are virtues in doing so. One is the quality of aliveness, the opposite of "the Soto Zen mellow." While that mellow can be nice, it can also contribute to "blahs" or doldrums. The attitude of The Question is the attitude of the warrior - being invigorated by being in uneasy circumstances. It's like an ignition key.
And I would say from experience that The Question is more of a feeling than anything else. It is not a thought or particular question. So yes, the mind can churn out a lot of garbage while the Question is active. I would never try to claim that every angsty thought that I expressed was profound or true. What I would distinguish is the attitude that carried me forth into my life circumstances, the big oppressive city I found myself in, the losses, the loneliness, the depression - the willingness to turn into all of this, to use it, instead of push it all away. The Question that can ask, "What is all of this?" and sit with it rather than come to a snap judgment that it is good or bad to be in such a place or state. Without the Question, we may flee from the forces amassed on the horizon, rather than charge ahead with our battle cry.
For is that not the fundamental teaching here at Treeleaf - one I embrace and respect - that the field of practice is the field of our entire life and world, that the realm of sambhogakaya Buddhas is the same as the dirty streets of a city full of suffering? New York - and the mind and life circumstances that brought me there - challenged what I wanted to believe about life, people, and the world. It shook my spiritual convictions to the core, and I was left with the ashes of everything I once turned to for reassurance and comfort. And I am grateful I turned into it, looked deeply at it, sat with it, pushed none of it away. Again, the point is - you don't have to go to New York, geographically or metaphorically; what I am encouraging is this turning toward rather than turning away, with the attitude of pushing deeper into the jungles of The Question in whatever form it takes.
4) Finally, I would encourage this turning toward rather than turning away not just in one's own life, but in regard to others. I do not blame people for taking a critical post and responding to it with criticism of me, and I can take the heat. But by pathologizing me, you are also pathologizing anyone else who finds him or herself in a similar place. And just as you are right to remind me I am not better than you, nor are you better or wiser than the person who is depressed or in darkness. We can all learn from each other, and I think we should be wary of judging others who may be in more difficult circumstances than us - internally, externally, or both - as being less than us, flawed, deserving of their circumstances because we see them as having brought those circumstances on themselves. I have to struggle with this almost every day as my job brings me in contact with people I almost instinctively judge - addicts still in the midst of their addiction, people who refuse to take responsibility for themselves, people who are violent, people who use others, and so on. And lately I am realizing - the problem isn't any particular kind of person, it's the human nature we all share. In every person who presents himself or herself in front of us, we see the presentation of something that is in us too. So we can either look more deeply at ourselves, or define what we see as "Other," seeing it as something to be fixed or thrown away. But you can't fix Reality. You can only turn toward it, or away from it.
Thanks Stephanie. Very eloquent. One reason I participate with TreeLeaf is that it is a continuous learning experience from people like yourself. Like you said there is an uneasiness, something missing and we need to face it head on.
無 (MU, Emptiness) and 氷 (HYO, Ice) ... Emptiness Ice ...
I may be wrong and not knowing is acceptable
Its seems the Great Doubt or The Question is nothing more then, something blown out of proportion by the small mind of an ego creation. It only seems real if we buy into this illusion all filled up with delusion. Seemingly its a lot about nothing, and nothing to great either. If there can be some softening of the arrogance and pettiness of our ego, giving more voice to the intuition, what question can exist...? it just Is. it may be dramatics, attention getting, for the need to control.
Can't everything be great, esp when capitalized, and 100,000 words follow to make it so? It could be the call for sitting on it, and not any explanation needed. Great Doubt, The Question, The Drama, the unending chasing of the tail !?
Last edited by galen; 09-15-2012 at 10:58 PM.
Nothing Special
Great post, Stephanie. I apologize for my tone in my last post. In haste, I forgot that we all have built in tendencies that determine much of the way we communicate. My wishing that your posts be something other than what they are is my issue, not yours. I'm truly sorry for my attitude. It is rare for me to get huffy about posts, but I had a terrible day at work . . . Not an excuse, but an honest factor.
My best to you.
Eika (Bill)
Sent from tapatalk
[size=150:m8cet5u6]??[/size:m8cet5u6] We are involved in a life that passes understanding and our highest business is our daily life---John Cage
Hellos to all posting here!
I have been occupied with too many other things, and time constraints do not permit even a moderate/light participation. But I thought I'd drop by for a visit with long time friends in this practice. I came upon this post and it felt like I'd never left!
One teacher of mine, Rev. Bob McNeil (Matsuoka Roshi, Soto Lineage) used to tell us that 'when the question goes away it is just as satisfying as getting an answer.'
In my limited experience I have found this to be a wise observation. I have shoveled answers at questions, my own and others...it will only stave off the insatiable hunger of the question, the doubt, whatever we want to call it--for so long.
On the other hand, this practice of sitting allows all that stuff percolating in the brain pan, and all that stuff bound in muscular tensions in various parts of the body to settle out somewhat, to settle down. Zazen allows me to 'put my burden down', even if, while sitting, I give it a few more Herculean hefty lifts.
When sitting I observe my body, my mind. I relax the tense body parts as I come across them. I watch the thoughts and try to let the 'thought train' run on through, without 'getting on board the thought train.' Each time I sit there are varying degrees of success at this. Practice after all does mean 'practice.'
Of all human activities I think zazen is a human being's closest cousin to a cat's purr.
'At this very moment, what more need we seek? For this very land is the Land of Lotuses, and this very body is the Body of the Buddha'
I usually just stop at the part of the quote 'At this very moment, what more need I seek?'
Already that says it all to me.
When my mind is unsettled, and won't settle, then it's a loud and jostling train I'm on--and even then, I still can ask 'at this very moment, what more need I seek?'
Up in the threads somewhere Grace asked about enlightenment...I believe it was something to the effect 'does an enlightened person know they're enlightened?
Another teacher (can't remember who just now) explained to us that the first casualty of 'enlightenment' is 'enlightenment' itself! (Now if that don't beat all...)
Liberation, no self, emptiness, no attachment...we use a whole lotta words because we think we are on the outside looking in. My nose pressed against this glass I have handblown and installed myself--I see what look like ordinary people sweeping, taking out trash, hanging up laundry, drinking tea and washing their bowls.
Indeed, when I am engaged in similar activities of daily life, I have joined them...has the questioner or the question disappeared? These two hands fish a wandering spider out of the sink with the dish towel and return from a green leafy world to the world of soap and water, white porcelain and Formica...these two hands rejoin the soapy water ...
I am very grateful to have this practice in my life and to have sangha to share it with and senior practioners and teachers and newcomers. I don't know what I would have done without it, it is for life, for the rest of my life...
Only my practice is my practice, no one else can do it for me...
my practice suits me perfectly: it is tailor made for me--like my very own skin.
Another teacher would say--'knowing is intimate, not knowing--more intimate still.'
These days I am full of gratitude and my eyes find themselves full of tear, but not sad ones...
I am ready to leave buddhism, to leave the rakusu, the mala, and all, but I cannot, others who are seeking blindly for something and finding this practice need these traces of things and other some such and so I assist weekly with a Ch'an meditation group, and that's where I've been spending my time....
I like to keep answers short--25 words, double that maybe, but I am endulging myself and making up for lost time...as I can see here everyone is well and thriving--bueno! and gassho!
In gratitude to all teachers past, present and future,
Last edited by Keishin; 09-15-2012 at 11:57 PM.
Keishin, it is always good to hear from you.
As a priest in training, please take everything I say with a pinch of salt
Meido Shugen
明道 修眼
Galen, before you dismiss Great Doubt, you may want to read more about the three pillars of Zen: great doubt, great faith, great determination.
The best way to honour the women of the Prairies who won the right to vote a hundred years ago isn't a monument. It's you going out to vote.
Stephanie - it was good to read your post. I may not necessarily agree with everything
you write but thoughts that make me reflect are always welcome.
I would also agree that there is from time to time here a 'mixed' message regarding the degree of faith/doubt involved in practice.
I still haven't worked out if this is specific to Soto Zen.
I am learning and challenging my views on this all the time.
And sometimes it's just good to 'sit' with all there is and not challenge at all.
Last edited by willow; 09-16-2012 at 09:30 AM.
I'm not trying to pathologize you, but I do believe that the reason for your feeling uneasy/uncomfortable is to be found inside your own mind, more than externally, as an inherent quality of Treeleaf. Like most things, Treeleaf is perfectly imperfect. So instead of finding faults with Treeleaf, I would look inside and ask myself where this feeling is coming from. In the part I quoted above you say ask, "What is all of this?" and sit with it rather than come to a snap judgment that it is good or bad to be in such a place or state. I wholeheartedly agree. Sometimes we may ride the jade elephant backwards, confidently adapting to life as it evolves.
There are some practices at Treeleaf that don't particularly ring my bell and there have been things said and done that have sometimes disappointed me, but I honestly don't feel that uneasiness you're describing. It's your feeling, an emotion that should be taken seriously, but not a fact. I love this place, its teachers, members and the approach to practice. I'm very comfortable here and there's no place I'd rather be.
I also don't think it's necessary to be consumed by the Question at all times, feeling as if your hair is on fire, like you have a red hot iron ball in your throat that you can't swallow or spit out. That's warrior Zen and I'm a farmer at heart!
A simple awareness/mindfulness/unyielding curiosity of the Question is just as OK (and would probably lead to less stomach ulcers!) It doesn't mean you are taking practice less seriously. It could mean you take your self less seriously...
Last edited by Omoi Otoshi; 09-16-2012 at 11:42 AM.
In a spring outside time, flowers bloom on a withered tree;
you ride a jade elephant backwards, chasing the winged dragon-deer;
now as you hide far beyond innumerable peaks--
the white moon, a cool breeze, the dawn of a fortunate day
Pontus, not only are you deflecting, but you're doing it very passive aggressively. No one is taking themselves so un-seriously as to refrain from comment, but your comments are as consumed with self-importance as any other thus far. Pretending otherwise seems curiously unconscious. Such unconsciousness, cute as it may sound in your head, disqualifies your comments from being seen in a genuine light. It's not that you don't have a legitimate point, it's the inability to drop that very legitimate point for long enough to consider another.
All the most powerful lessons I've learned on this path have come when I've taken criticism to heart and have had to acknowledge those parts of it that I'd rather not see. I don't know if that's universal, but I know it makes it very hard for me to relate to your post.
I think that a more proper description of what this Great Doubt looks like in practice might go further toward bridging the gap.
Last edited by disastermouse; 09-16-2012 at 02:15 PM.
In a spring outside time, flowers bloom on a withered tree;
you ride a jade elephant backwards, chasing the winged dragon-deer;
now as you hide far beyond innumerable peaks--
the white moon, a cool breeze, the dawn of a fortunate day
A couple of weeks before starting my job in anesthesiology and intensive care, I was sitting around a table with some of my old colleages and the wife of one of the anesthesiology guys. I told her I was going to work with her husband and she said: "So you're going to work with that cocky bastard (her husband) and the rest of the cocky bastards!". "Yes, so it's a good thing I'm not so cocky." I said. *silence* "I'm not, am I..?" I said and looked at my former colleages. *silence* (moment of insight).
In a spring outside time, flowers bloom on a withered tree;
you ride a jade elephant backwards, chasing the winged dragon-deer;
now as you hide far beyond innumerable peaks--
the white moon, a cool breeze, the dawn of a fortunate day
In a spring outside time, flowers bloom on a withered tree;
you ride a jade elephant backwards, chasing the winged dragon-deer;
now as you hide far beyond innumerable peaks--
the white moon, a cool breeze, the dawn of a fortunate day
I found doing this questioning from the mind of what Pontus calls the "Zen Farmer" and not the "Zen Warrior" ... this worked great as it allowed me not to be so SERIOUS, to see that I am perfectly imperfect and consistently inconsistent when it comes to the game of golf. Now with the game of golf, I can just be with my brother and enjoy the time ... as it it.
倫道 真現
As a trainee priest, please take any commentary by me on matters of the Dharma with a pinch of salt.
If you are referring to the book entitled "Three Pillars of Zen", I have written a few times that I do not particularly recommend it for us "Zen Farmers", although it might be good for the "warriors" . Here's what I usually say about the book ...
The book presented a view of "Kensho or Bust" that was very much present in corners of western Zen at one time, and has since come in for a large measure of criticism in many parts of the Zen world. I was recently reading a good book on the subject, and the culture surrounding the book in the 1960's. Here is a review of that other book, called "Zen Teaching, Zen Practice: Philip Kapleau and The Three Pillars of Zen" edited by Kenneth Kraft, a long time student of Kapleau Roshi ...
------------------------Kraft points out that Kapleau's book is "in large measure a book about kensho" (p.14) which in itself is problematic as for many, including some of the authors of the essays, this led to "inflated expectations… [and] [t]he discrepancy between anticipatory visions of enlightenment and actual experiences of insight". (p.15) This disjuncture between what Kapleau wrote and the actual experiences of Zen students has led to some criticisms of The Three Pillars of Zen as a book that gives an unrealistic picture of what to expect from zazen. ...
While this emphasis on and almost inevitability of kensho is, I think, a fair criticism of The Three Pillars of Zen, there is little doubt that Kapleau's book brought many people to the study and practice of Zen Buddhism and for that we should be grateful. It is also necessary that we understand where and how Kapleau learned his Zen practice to better understand why he wrote and taught the way he did.
I am not being critical, and it is simply that our Soto way is different (same ... but different). I primarily provide this information because folks should know that there are very different approaches to Zen and Zazen, and not all "Zen" is of the same flavor (different ... but the same). Thus, folks go to the book store and pick up a "Zen" book, or listen to a talk, and wonder why the contents seem so different sometimes (same ... but different ) The following is an good background ...
---------------------As I have mentioned a few times, there is a relatively recent line that popped up within Soto-shu that actually is a hybrid with Rinzai Zen (their priests are also Rinzai priests) and, more importantly, largely split off from both to form an organization called Sanbokyodan. Those within the lineage that did not split from Soto are rather a breed all their own within it. That line is much much more influential outside Japan than in Japan, because it happens to be the source of such lineages as the Diamond Sangha (Aitken Roshi), Rochester Zen Center (Kapleau Roshi) and the White Plum (Maezumi Roshi). While the Sanbokyodan portion left Soto-shu, some of their people stayed within Soto-shu in name (including the priest who established the two temples you mention (Toshoji and Kannonji).
The Sanbôkyôdan (Three Treasures Association) is a contemporary Zen movement that was founded by Yasutani Hakuun (1885-1973) in 1954. The style of Zen propagated by Sanbôkyôdan teachers, noteworthy for its single-minded emphasis on the experience of kenshô, diverges markedly from more traditional models found in Sôtô, Rinzai, or Oobaku training halls. ... There is little in Kapleau's book to suggest that his teachers were anything but respected members of orthodox Zen monastic orders. Yet such was not the case, for in 1954 Yasutani Hakuun (1885-1973), the Zen priest whose teachings are featured in The Three Pillars of Zen, severed his formal ties to the Sôtô school in order to establish an independent Zen organization called the Sanbôkyôdan, or "Three Treasures Association." The influence exerted by this contemporary lay reform movement on American Zen is out of proportion to its relatively marginal status in Japan: modern Rinzai and Sôtô monks are generally unaware of, or indifferent to, the polemical attacks that Yasutani and his followers direct against the Zen priesthood. Orthodox priests are similarly unmoved by claims to the effect that the Sanbôkyôdan alone preserves the authentic teachings of Zen. ...
The only acceptable "solution" to the mu kôan in the Sanbôkyôdan is a credible report of a kenshô experience, and beginning students are subject to intense pressure during sesshin -- including the generous application of the "warning stick" (kyôsaku or keisaku) -- in order to expedite this experience. The unrelenting emphasis on kenshô and the vigorous tactics used to bring it about constitute the single most distinctive (and controversial) feature of the Sanbôkyôdan method. Eido Shimano, recalling Yasutani's first sesshin in Hawaii in 1962, writes:
The night before sesshin started, Yasutani Roshi said to the participants, "To experience kensho is crucial, but we are so lazy. Therefore, during sesshin we have to set up a special atmosphere so that all participants can go straight ahead toward the goal. First, absolute silence should be observed. Second, you must not look around. Third, forget about the usual courtesies and etiquette" . . . He also told the participants, and later told me privately as well, of the need for frequent use of the keisaku. That five-day sesshin was as hysterical as it was historical. It ended with what Yasutani Roshi considered five kenshô experiences.
(Nyogen et al. 1976, pp. 184-85)[28]
While Yasutani's successors are considerably more reserved in their use of the kyôsaku, the emphasis on kenshô has not diminished, prompting one student of Yamada to refer to the San'un Zendô as a "kenshô machine" (Levine 1992, p. 72).
Students who do succeed in passing mu, along with a number of kôans used specifically to test the veracity of the experience (such as the "sound of one hand"), are publicly recognized
The rôshi will remind the student, both in private interviews and in public talks, that kenshô is only the first small step along the path to full awakening. Be that as it may, the Sanbôkyôdan treats kenshô as a significant achievement. Upon attaining kenshô students are publicly lauded in the jahai ceremony, and encouraged to write a report of their experience for publication in Kyôshô. The names of post-kenshô students are clearly marked with a circle on sesshin seating plans, and as mentioned above, a second zendô may be provided allowing the post-kenshô group to practice apart from the others. Finally, pre- and post-kenshô students are often listed separately in the sesshin reports that appear in Kyôshô. (Note that each of these practices are Sanbôkyôdan innovations -- there are no public rites of passage marking the attainment of kenshô in Sôtô or Rinzai monasteries.)
Following the teacher's authentication of kenshô, Sanbôkyôdan students move through a program of 600 to 700 kôans following a format set by Harada based in part on traditional Rinzai models. The practitioner first tackles the "miscellaneous kôans," which consist of approximately twenty-two kôans in fifty-seven parts. He or she then moves through the Mumonkan, Hekiganroku, Shôyôroku, and Denkôroku [?MÆ] kôans, followed by Tôzan's five ranks (Tôzan goi), and three sets of precepts.[30]
Whereas passage through mu requires nothing short of kenshô, passage through the remaining kôans is relatively straightforward. After formally approaching and bowing to the rôshi the Sanbôkyôdan student recites his or her kôan, and then presents (or "demonstrates") his or her understanding. If the answer is deemed satisfactory, the teacher himself may supply a more "traditional" response. All of this is more-or-less typical of Rinzai practice today. However, Sanbôkyôdan teachers do not use jakugo (capping phrases) -- set phrases culled from classical Chinese literature used to test and refine a monk's understanding of a kôan.[31] Moreover, unlike Rinzai monks, Sanbôkyôdan practitioners are not required to compose written expositions of the kôans in the latter stages of their training.[32] The Sanbôkyôdan has, in short, sharply curtailed the explicitly "literary" aspects of kôan training.
As a result, once they have passed mu Sanbôkyôdan students tend to move through the remaining kôans at a relatively rapid pace, often completing one kôan per interview. With regular access to a teacher and frequent participation in sesshin, a practitioner can complete the entire course of post-kenshô kôans in approximately five years. At the same time, if the rôshi feels that there are inadequacies in the student's training, he may reassign certain kôans in dokusan (including mu), and Yamada led periodic study groups (kenshukai) for advanced students in which he reviewed the kôans in a more seminar-like setting.
Once the kôans are complete, students proceed through a series of higher certifications that allow them to teach and may eventually result in Dharma transmission. There is considerable ambiguity in this regard, however, in part because the Sanbôkyôdan draws simultaneously from Sôtô and Rinzai conceptions of transmission -- conceptions that are not always compatible with one another. This is responsible in part for the controversy over the teaching authority of Yamada's senior disciples that emerged following his death, an issue to which I will return below.
Since the 1960's, I have the feeling (as an outsider) that they have generally softened or moved on from the "Kensho or Bust" and hard approach of the Harada-Yasutani tradition somewhat.
In fact, for all traditions ... Soto, Rinzai and the hybrids ... awakening and "seeing one's True Nature" are vital, but all one aspect of an ongoing practice of polishing the timeless jewel that needs no polishing (i.e., it is not "Kensho and that's the end" ... rather, all is always just the beginning). In all traditions, no matter how much they emphasize or deemphasize the "push" for "timeless Kensho moments", the bottom line is ... See one's True Nature (Kensho), and move on.
Last edited by Jundo; 09-16-2012 at 04:46 PM.
On Kapleau, a local newspaper did an article about his center (Rochester Zen Center) which is near to where I live. It was mostly case studies of local buddhists and in the almost all of them the person had started at RZC and ended up moving to different type of practice after a few years. That isn't meant to indite Kapleau or his center, but the fact that RZC folks had spread out into the other buddhist centers and temples was interesting. It definitely wasn't the flavor for me and I was glad to find the approach he at Treeleaf which, obviously, resonates with me. Different roads up the mountain indeed.
If I am posting, I have sat today.
Jundo.... I thought before I had joined these forums to post, I was just observing at the time, that I had read something to this idea you did not approve of this book. I had been visiting the site www.zenguide.com (I no longer visit, Chon Tri has been gone for quite some time, last I checked, and it seems a little weird now) at the time, and even though I read much Buddhism over the years, was all of a sudden interested in Zen. So at the time I had asked Chon Tri on that site, what books would he recommend and he said ZMBM by Suzuki and TPZ by Kaplin. So when I had seen you post this none approval, I had not actually read TPZ yet, was just finishing ZMBM, but was some what taken back. So I sat on that for a while and then thought, well I will read it for myself and decide what it had for me. I have read many depth books over 40 some years, and maybe the timing hit me just right as Zen beginner, but it knocked my socks off, blew me away. I loved its historical sense of the two main Japanese Zen sects. It mentions Dogen a lot, Shikantaza throughout, but most of all I really enjoyed 'real' writing exchanges between Westerner Zen students and Yasutani-Roshi. And also the real letters exchanged between students and Bassui, and the enlightenment path of a long exchange by a bed ridden young women and Yaeko Iwasaki, brilliant!
So after reading it and thinking it was pretty profound, and was confused why any student of Zen would not read it, esp if they were from the West, I could only come to one conclusion why this site is against such, and I think there is only a couple paragraphs that warn of newer Zen teachings and not to trust all Priests. But that did not stop me from being even more interested in Treeleaf instead of less, or any lesser of you or Taigu. I realize here you are making the case for its different case studies for Kensho and the more forceful way to enlightenment, as I like to characterize it, the path to enlightenment, or Kensho, done on steroids (its real cool for those who choose this very robust path, and cool to read and witness as a reader). But still do not get some of your fear about that for new students. You guys do a great job here, even if I have contested some, on making your case for this Dogenized Soto Zen. I feel that to take such a hard line against this book, when not leaving it to the reader as just a historical look on Zen tradition, and not letting things fall as they may, is an injustice, and still do not get your paranoia around this very insightful read, other then those couple paragraphs that could relate to you and this site of the chance of some charlatanism. If what you bring to fore stands up on its own to feet, then so be it. Your stance kind of reminds of the take Mormonism takes on their teachers, and thus students, at BYU; if read, write books and transcripts or stand for something outside their doctrine (no opens minds in this church, don't go there) you are excommunicated or treated very harshly in public. That is fear and paranoia on steroids, and why many look at it as shallow cult.
I apologize to all in this forum and this site, for my on going poor phrasing and sometimes poor spelling. My old shoolism. just missed most the english part !
Last edited by galen; 09-16-2012 at 09:33 PM.
Nothing Special
Tricky thread.
The whole subject of Great Doubt and Kensho, has changed a lot for me. I understood it as cornering your self absolutely, completely, until trapped in impossibility, you die, .....and that has happened on the cushion.. but then ...presto!, born again. Maybe that is not "great death" but I have yet to meet another human being who is not always being born again.
Another way of looking at doubt involved realizing that the problem was not a fundamental existential question, or mystery.... "mystery" is a mcguffin. The problem is the basic feeling of incompleteness holding sway. Existential doubt and mystery are just a mental production of that basic feeling, and that is basically the First, Second and Third Noble Truths. Looking at Doubt means looking at the feeling, the very basic sense of incompleteness, being it unconditionally. Then the feeling , the doubt, the question, the answer, the mystery,... all of it .....is resolved. Not answered, just resolved, like a knot, in just sitting. Doubt is done...when reaching is done.
Also , the "kapow!" one time Big Enlightenement idea is I believe a matter of framing. Practice has no end, and no final state, that much is clear to me. Practice goes on, and there are plenty of "Ah" moments, some big some small.
This is my honest experience and view.
Last edited by Daizan; 09-16-2012 at 08:06 PM.
As a trainee I ask that all comments by me on matters of Dharma be taken with "a grain of salt".
In a spring outside time, flowers bloom on a withered tree;
you ride a jade elephant backwards, chasing the winged dragon-deer;
now as you hide far beyond innumerable peaks--
the white moon, a cool breeze, the dawn of a fortunate day
"Once there were brook trout in the streams in the mountains. You could see them standing in the amber current where the white edges of their fins wimpled softly in the flow. They smelled of moss in your hand. Polished and muscular and torsional. On their backs were vermiculate patterns that were maps of the world in its becoming. Maps and mazes. Of a thing which could not be put back. Not be made right again. In the deep glens where they lived all things were older than man and they hummed of mystery."
After searching 3PZ that Nindo referenced for `the question or great doubt, i went to their index, and their vocabulary and Buddhist doctrine section (which is very good) and all i could come up with (i am sure it appears else where, as Stephanie can point out) was The Great Question, referred to a priest student who was having trouble with kensho in using koan MO. As it appears here `the great question is used to get away from MO (when that is not working for the student) to a different context of asking the question Who am I, What am I, or What is it that hears (or who). It seems all these `great this and that, point to the Great Way or the Way of the Buddha..... or in easier and simpler terms, our true nature. It seems they wanted the student to stay totally in that realm in zazen 24/7 until this could be more resolved. I used some of these for some period of time and they are helpful keeping present and asking, who is present here (small mind or Big Mind), but most significant while sitting, and not, and sitting again and again..... It was helpful through out my day to keep me reminded where and who I `really Am, but i realize here that Jundo and Taigo would look at this as a goal and unnecessary and i can also understand that more and more.
As Kojip seems to point to, its not some existential outer thing (of course) or some metaphysical concept needing to be grasped, its just our true nature/Buddha nature. So simple, but we seem to make it so hard with all the brain farts and letting the ego do its thing in its small mindedness that keeps us all stuck.
Last edited by galen; 09-16-2012 at 10:04 PM.
Nothing Special
Who said anything about doubt as a means to an end - spiritual TNT for permanently blasting something apart?
And are there only the extremes of pressured, tense, explosive doubt and relaxed, mellow abiding?
There is a difference between a steady fire and a sudden, passing combustion.
Great Doubt has manifested in my life not in the form of some choreographed practice, but as a kind of energy, a humming wire, an unresolved chord... it is not an unpleasant angst, or a self-willed contraction. Quite the opposite... it is enlivening, a creative tension that keeps my practice going. Far from something that can be mastered, it, like love, is something that comes unbidden when the world has gone dark, when the trail has gone cold, to show me the way.
If anything, I have less of it now than I did before, and I want it to come back as I look for renewed inspiration in my practice. The problem for me is that, precisely as some folks here have described, many of my old questions have been answered or have simply faded away. And I have realized: I cannot manufacture new questions. I cannot manufacture the buzzing energy that sent me along my way in my college years. But I can connect to the embers still smoldering in my heart. I can ask, What is this? I can even ask, What is the question? The point is that questions that capture the energy of this Doubt cannot be answered or resolved. They change your attention, they invigorate the drowsy mind, they quiet the noise in the mind of that which is not keyed in to the very heart of this existence. They are like a musical phrase that at once seems to indicate exactly what is going on and to make everything more unfamiliar and mysterious.
Love and The Question connect me with what cannot die or be lost when the changes and losses of life leave a cold void in their wake. Just when I feel like my spirit has become frozen in ice, a Question comes along, or Love throws a line, and something stirs. When the path seems to have stopped, suddenly two trees appear with a gap between them, and there is a way to keep following.
In the Soto way, in Dogen's way, there is no end point to practice, not even temporarily. The blue mountains are walking. How can you get to the top of a mountain that is moving? You can try to hold on, I suppose; try not to get swept away in the river of loss, try to shield the tree from the autumn wind so the leaves will not fall. Yes, there is a stillness that pervades even the most chaotic environment, but we cannot stay in it. Even if we could find a perfectly still, unchanging environment to sit in, our bodies would age and die right out from under us.
So we must find a way to walk with the mountains and fall with the leaves, and it is not stillness. It is dynamic connection with and response to the world. We must keep walking down the path. And the question is, where do we walk? Do we walk where someone else has told us to walk? Or do we find our own way? And how do we do that? How do I trust myself, when I know how easily I can be fooled and swayed by the world, and my own thinking? It comes to light when a question comes, a real question, one that cannot be answered and won't go away, but that requires me to follow its contour and rhythm.
This well-known quote from Rilke comes to mind:
I would like to beg you dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Dont search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.
But.. this is talk from a painter after a good studio session, rather than a humble Buddhist student. So please don't take it too seriously.
As a trainee I ask that all comments by me on matters of Dharma be taken with "a grain of salt".
I did underline in my posting ...
I do not particularly recommend it for us "Zen Farmers", although it might be good for the "warriors" ...
I am not being critical, and it is simply that our Soto way is different (same ... but different). I primarily provide this information because folks should know that there are very different approaches to Zen and Zazen, and not all "Zen" is of the same flavor (different ... but the same).
If wishing to master Aikido, one should not set out to do so by learning and practicing Karate ... nor someone's invented hybrid "Airate". One may learn about Karate a bit as another great way ... but realize that it is not Aikido if one wishes to learn Aikido. That does not mean, however, that Aikido is the best way for all people, nor that Karate and Airate are not also wonderful for people mastering those. I know they are, and many paths up the non-mountain mountain.
I haven't looked at the book for a couple of years, and will try to read it again.
Kapleau Roshi/TPZ is further discussed in these threads ...
SPECIAL READING - ONCE BORN TWICE BORN ZEN (Part 1)
Gassho, J
Last edited by Jundo; 09-17-2012 at 11:26 AM.
Ah, I have a very different sense of what the word "mystery" refers to, kojip. For me, "mystery" is a quality in things or situations I encounter that points to something that my left brain could never define, but that connects with some quality of knowing that occurs in a different modality. I mean, sure, there is the "mystery" of a detective story that is an answer waiting to be found; but then there is the mystery of a David Lynch movie, full of "clues" that are empty signifiers, pointing to some dark reality that you can feel but can't fully explain. "The owls are not what they seem..."
If that feels right for you, then do that. You are the best and ultimate judge as to whether some way of being is fruitful or a dead end. Like a doctor prescribing medicines, if one cure does not work ... try a different medicine. If a dosage works, drink that.And the question is, where do we walk? Do we walk where someone else has told us to walk? Or do we find our own way? And how do we do that? How do I trust myself, when I know how easily I can be fooled and swayed by the world, and my own thinking? It comes to light when a question comes, a real question, one that cannot be answered and won't go away, but that requires me to follow its contour and rhythm.
Gassho, J
Last edited by Jundo; 09-17-2012 at 11:26 AM.
This is such an interesting conversation! Pontus proves me completely wrong and finally there's a clarification that Great Doubt isn't the same as 'Kensho or Bust' pressure cooker sitting. I think of the proper attitude a bit like 'leaning into' the practice. Too much driving is suspicious. Too much relaxing is also suspicious.
And this thread shows how great this community is!
Clarification: I'm hardly an expert or anything. When I say 'the proper attitude', I'm speaking only of my own practice.
[The Buddha said], "Sona, you were a musician and you used to play the lute. Tell me, Sona, did you produce good music when the lute string was well tuned, neither too tight nor too loose?"
"I was able to produce good music, Lord," replied Sona.
"What happened when the strings were too tightly wound up?"
"I could not produce any music, Lord," said Sona.
"What happened when the strings were too slack?"
"I could not produce any music at all, Lord," replied Sona
"Sona ... You have been straining too hard in your meditation. Do it in a relaxed way, but without being slack. Try it again and you will experience the good result."
Gassho, J
Brilliant thread - thanks for starting this discussion Stephanie.
I should have put a disclaimer on my post - I was NOT referring to the Kapleau book, although I was aware that it has that title. I thought that other teachers have also used the expression of "pillars", although now I am not 100% sure. The first time I understood the 3 pillars was in Master Sheng-yen's "Getting the Buddha Mind", which is on the ZMM reading list.
(There is a story of a Japanese master who understood the English words to be "pillows of zen" and gave a whole talk about it, I think it was Suzuki Roshi.)
I totally agree that "Great Doubt isn't the same as 'Kensho or Bust' pressure cooker sitting". Again, Stephanie has expressed it beautifully. In my words it's when all your belief systems start to have holes or even completely collapse, and you want to find a quick answer that mends it all, but you know there isn't one, and you don't try to escape from that place.
The best way to honour the women of the Prairies who won the right to vote a hundred years ago isn't a monument. It's you going out to vote.
In a spring outside time, flowers bloom on a withered tree;
you ride a jade elephant backwards, chasing the winged dragon-deer;
now as you hide far beyond innumerable peaks--
the white moon, a cool breeze, the dawn of a fortunate day


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Kraus KHU102-33-KPF2110-SD20 33 inch Undermount Double Bowl Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink with Kitchen Faucet and Soap Dispenser
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About The Kraus KHU102-33-KPF2110-SD20 33 inch Undermount Double Bowl Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink with Kitchen Faucet and Soap Dispenser
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Crank Brothers on Competitive Cyclist
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The purpose of screening is early diagnosis and treatment. Screening tests are administered to people without current symptoms, but who may be at high risk for certain diseases or conditions.
Screening Tests
A hematocrit or a hemoglobin test can detect anemia. These tests are part of a complete blood count, which is often done when you go to the doctor for an annual physical exam, or as part of your prenatal exams. A hematocrit is done every time you give blood. Infants and children are often screened for iron deficiency anemia as part of a well child evaluation.
The percentage of your blood that is red cells. This is easily done by filling a tiny glass tube with a drop of blood from your finger and spinning it down in a centrifuge so that all the cells settle to the bottom. Normal adult values are 42%-52% in men and 37%-48% in women.
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The above values plus a count of red cells, white cells, and platelets can be done automatically by a machine. These values plus calculations derived from them constitute the CBC, which is a routine blood test.
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- Non-pregnant women at 5-10 year intervals (more often for those at risk of iron-deficiency because of heavy menstrual blood loss or poor iron intake)
- Pregnant women at the first prenatal visit
The USPSTF does not have recommendations for screening men or postmenopausal women.
For children, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening at one year. Some children, like those who were born prematurely, may need to be screened more frequently.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Marcin Chwistek, MD
- Review Date: 09/2016 -
- Update Date: 09/17/2014 -


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Bemis 1200SLOWT 302Bemis Toilet Seat, Slow-Close Elongated Closed Front Plastic w/Easy-2-Clean Hinges - Classic Gray
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hey thanks! i entered this for fun lol. never actually thought id win xD haha
Congratz ppl~!
yay!!! second XD
Now for the winners!!^^
First Place goes to....DinoLovesdolly
Second Place goes to....animeninjayaya
And Third place goes to.....*Goulish*
A round of applause for the winners!!^^ and another round of applause for those who have entered! i shall tend to the prizes when time allows, got carried away cuz i wanted people to join. But not only that i love yall so much im going to dedicated a draw for all me contestants!^w^ itll be awhile though but hope yud like it whenever tis fini! Well, thus concludes this comp. Thank You and have a good day!^^
The competition is finally closed. I shall get back to ya with the winners. Thanks to all who joined this comp!^^ itll be awhile to determine the winners, all entries were great such nice creativity and style! with that said ill be announcing the winners when i can. Thank you all again!^^
Thanks for the gran entries! this comp is closing soon, Friday August 13th. Enjoyed looking at all the greatentries. Nicely done and unique as well. Those who are runnin late or so will have a couple o days. Cant wait to see the outcome!^^ and thank you all again for supporting this comp! :}
OH, never mind about my last comment
I'll enter and get started once I finish the draw I am currently working on!
ummmm... excuse me to interupt, but you mixed up my drawing with Shikachan's
i will join
this'll be muh first comp entry PP:
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And YES, using this guide you can indeed Softmod ANY Wii!
"So what the heck is this IOS, cIOS, blah blah stuff? I don't understand a word of it!" - Sound like you?
Take a look at Bluphants guide Thinking about hacking a wii? Start here! [A basic introduction to Wii hacking].
So, now that you have your Wii modded, its time to start backing up those discs!
First, please make note that your Wii will not be able to play burned discs if it was made after mid 2009.
If you have a Wii newer than that, you will only be able to load games from a USB Hard Drive or Flash Drive (we highly recommend USB loading anyways ).
Before you decide to go spend that hard earned cash on a new USB drive, be sure to take a look at our USB Compatibility List.
Now that you have a compatible drive, take a look at Pob3008's [Guide] Fat32.
It will instruct you on how to properly set up your new drive and how to put your games on it!
YAY!!! So now you have your games on your new drive!
You are playing like crazy, then you decide to play a game that you haven't played since modding.
Oh NO!!! It wont work!!!
Have no fear! BMarlo is here! And so is his Ultimate List of Troublesome Games and their Solutions!
There are many other threads and guides around the site that give a ton of useful info.
Chances are most questions you have already have been answered at some point!
Do some searching and reading to find what you are looking for. In fact we even have a guide for that! Emuhack's [GUIDE] Ultimate Searching Tool [Guide].
A few other helpful links!
Playing Gamecube Backups From Disc - only for if your Wii can read burned discs!
Dios Mios Lite - for playing Gamecube backups from SD!
Wii Modchip Users Go Here!!!
WiiHacks also has an IRC, so you can chat with members and staff! Take a look at the guide Connecting to WiiHacks IRC
A few last things: If someone helps you, it would be nice of you to click the little Thanks button below their post. Its always nice to know that giving help is appreciated! Also, if we have helped you and you are able to, please consider giving a small Donation to the site to help keep us up and running! In return we will add a donator banner under your username and also give you special access to a donator's only forum!
Again, Welcome to the best Wii modding community there is!!!


text:
Linagliptin-Metformin Tablet
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Moderate. These medicines may cause some risk when taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
When these two medicines are taken together, your kidneys may not be able to properly remove metformin from your blood.
What might happen:
The effects of metformin may increase and cause your blood sugar to become too low or may cause a serious condition called lactic acidosis.Symptoms of low blood sugar include chills, cold sweat, dizziness, drowsiness, shaking, rapid heartbeat, weakness, headache, fainting, tingling of the hands or feet, or hunger.Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak, tired, or uncomfortable, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, unusual or unexpected stomach discomfort, feeling cold, dizziness or lightheadedness, suddenly developing a slow or irregular heartbeat.
What you should do about this interaction:
Let your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking these medicines together. Your doctor may want you to check your blood sugar more often while taking them together. Your doctor may want to adjust the dosage of your metformin while you are taking cimetidine or if you stop taking cimetidine.Let your doctor know right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of lactic acidosis.Carry a source of glucose (such as glucose tablets or gel, table sugar, honey, candy, orange juice, or non-diet soda) with you to quickly raise your blood sugar level if it is too low. Let your doctor know that you are experiencing low blood sugar.Your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of this drug interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
1.Glucophage (metformin hydrochloride) US prescribing information. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company April 5, 2017.
2.Somogyi A, Stockley C, Keal J, Rolan P, Bochner F. Reduction of metformin renal tubular secretion by cimetidine in man. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1987 May;23(5):545-51.


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Shipping Info Item ships from our NC warehouse within 1-2 business days. See our Shipping Policy for further details to your shipping address.
Return Information This product is returnable under certain conditions. See our Return Policy for complete details.
Year of Release 2011
Product features: Key Ring Skeleton Climbing & Halloween Costumes
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click to Listen:"Hi my name is Michelle. I'm from Spokane Washington. I ordered from the CostumeCauldron.com. I was very happy with the service that I received. There was a problem with the order and it was taken care of immediately and I was actually given a gift card. I am very happy with the response that I was given; how fast it was done. I will definitely will shop there again. Thank you"
Michelle Ball - Spokane, WA
See all our Customer Testimonials and how to record your own!


text:
Upholstery cleaning Mascot? Welcome to Same day Couch Cleaning Services anywhere in Mascot.
Servicing All Mascot, 7 Days a Week. Call us on 1800 338 554
STOP!!… Are you aware that dirty couch can cause you skin irritation and other health problems.
- Fact… harmful germs can be hidden inside your upholstery and may become breeding ground for bacteria to grow under the layers of your lounge.
- Fact… beautiful lounge add value to your home. Dirty looking couch may leave negative impression to the visitors.
Couch Cleaning Mascot is a name known name in the cleaning industry for its exceptional, professional, dependable and affordable upholstery cleaning, lounge cleaning, sofa cleaning & couch cleaning services. We have been in the business for more than two decades now. Cleaning all kinds of upholstery with utmost customer satisfaction is our approach to better business. We fulfill your expectations at every level and make it our duty to make it absolutely simple for you to get couch cleaning services from us.
The trained cleaners at Couch Cleaning Mascot are experienced to give a complete makeover to your used and old couches. If you are thinking of replacing an old one, call us before you make a decision! We might help you restore it!
Reasons for Lounge Cleaning?
Couches are bound to get dirty on daily basis, no matter whether you use them much or not. Even if a couch is lying there without any use, it will get dirty over time. Couches and other similar upholstered furniture attract dust, allergens, carbon particles, and contaminants from the air. When you don't get them cleaned professionally, you are actually using a couch full of harmful pollutants. These pollutants could cause serious health hazards like constant sneezing, coughing, and chronic asthma etc.You and your loved ones are at risk until you get couch cleaning done. Unclean couches create unhealthy atmosphere at home and office. Bring a breath of fresh air with result-oriented couch cleaning services by Couch Cleaning Mascot today!
Benefits of Upholstery Cleaning
If you get your couches cleaned by professional couch cleaners, you can expect the following benefits:
- With professional couch cleaning, your couches will be free from not just dirt and dust but also from all kinds of contaminants hidden deep within.
- It leads to stain free couches. Even if you have a light colored couch, you don't have to worry about it being stained.
- Professional couch cleaning is different from home cleaning methods. It cleans every fiber of the couch and not just the surface.
- Regular couch cleaning saves you money from buying new couches if you feel it cannot be cleaned or repaired.
- Professional couch cleaning adds more life to your couch, so that you can use it for longer.
Our Upholstery Cleaning Process
The cleaning process for your couches at Couch Cleaning Mascot begins the moment you ring us up. With your first call, we get down to work for your couches. We plan a schedule, suit it as per your convenience, and arrange for our couch cleaners to visit your place. We provide both domestic couch cleaning and commercial couch cleaning. Once our cleaners reach your place, the following process is strictly followed step-by-step:
We have special option for 3M Scotchgard™ protector application. It is used to increase the life of the upholstered furniture and to save it from future stains. If you wish to get it done, we can use it as well.
Guaranteed Couch Cleaning Services in Mascot
At Couch Cleaning Mascot, we give you complete assurance of our couch cleaning services. As we specialist in couch cleaning. Each of our customers gets full guarantee for our couch cleaning services. If you feel a spot has been left untreated or the couch does not look as clean as it should be, call us again and we will rectify our errors. And the re-cleaning will not cost you anything additional!
Leather / Fabric Couch Cleaning Protection – Scotchgard™
Why Hire Us for Couch Cleaning Services in Mascot?
Couch Cleaning Mascot is an expert company dealing in customized couch cleaning services. We cater to all areas in Mascot, so no matter where you live in Mascot – we are just near you! Our cleaners have successfully transformed thousands of couches for our customers in past 20 years of our journey. We give you cutting-edge advantages over other couch cleaners in town and here are some of them:
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"We were in a shock when our expensive beige upholstery got stained after a party. It was in a very bad shape and we didn't know what to do with it. But thanks to Couch Cleaning Sydney for a wonderful cleaning service! All stains are gone today and the sofa looks as good as new again. What a splendid experience!"
- Rob Koch


text:
Screening is a way to evaluate people without symptoms to determine if they are at risk for cancer or have already developed cancer.
At this time, there are no official screening guidelines for stomach cancer. Testing is only recommended for people who are experiencing symptoms suggestive of this cancer. People who smoke or drink large amounts of alcohol, however, should be advised to stop and informed of their greatly increased risk of stomach cancer and other serious diseases.
However, endoscopic screening or upper gastrointestinal imaging is standard for those > 50 years old in countries of high incidence (such as Japan).
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Mohei Abouzied, MD, FACP
- Review Date: 09/2016 -
- Update Date: 09/17/2014 -


text:
By Attorney Philip E. Ruben
Special to THELAW.TV
Life is a journey through unmapped territory. Just when we think we know exactly how things will go, a twist in the road leads us to new destinations. Some of the shifts we welcome, some we dread – but we adjust to every curve as it comes.
In navigating this journey day-to-day, we may forget that many of these changes have significant implications for estate planning. Failing to keep wills and other estate planning documents up-to-date with your current life situation may prevent those you love from enjoying the full benefit of your estate. If you have never prepared a will – or have left one languishing in a file for years – now's the time to re-examine your estate planning goals.
Here are a few significant life events that should always trigger an estate planning assessment:
You've welcomed new children to your family: A will is essential to designate guardians for your children and to set parameters for how they will inherit from your estate.
You've gotten married, or divorced: Your will should reflect a new spouse's inheritance rights – and just as importantly, eliminate an ex-spouse's claim to your estate.
You've had a change in your financial status: If your income or property has increased, the use of revocable trusts and other estate planning strategies will help your estate avoid complicated and time-consuming probate procedures. You may also want to plan for charitable donations that previously would not have been an option.
You've launched a new business or partnership: Your estate plan should encompass your ownership interest in your business, addressing the issues of successorship and buyout options.
You've moved to a new state: Your estate will be governed by the laws of your new state of residence, so the terms of your old will may need adjustment.
Your children or grandchildren have changing needs: You may want to make special provisions for education, medical needs, and other conditions that were unknown at the time your children were young.
It's been a long time: It's always a good idea to review priorities every two to three years. You and your family evolve gradually, and you may be surprised to see how your feelings have changed over time.
When you're ready to give your estate plan a second (or third, or fourth) look, meet with your professional advisor for a comprehensive discussion. Be ready to address the tough questions – who are the people you trust most to care for your children? When will your heirs be ready enough to manage their own finances? How do you want your estate to be divided? Will your children or spouse want to take over your business if you're not around? Your lawyer will need clear answers to these kinds of questions in order to prepare the documents that make your wishes a reality.
Always consult a qualified estate planning attorney when composing or re-writing a will.
Copyright 2013 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
I watched this video by an interesting "non-dual" teacher named Bob Harwood that has been floating around the last couple of days at various places.
He seems like a very nice and sincere fellow, and he has had some profound experiences in meditation.
At the same time, the video also speaks of how this flavor of meditation and experience is rather unlike Shikantaza. Like but unlike.
If you watch the first 20 or 25 minutes (he really gets into the experiences after the first 10 minutes of introduction) you will hear of some of his experiences, with the emphasis on extra-ordinary arising of "cosmic consciousness", losing a sense of self identity, pure bliss, total oneness ... with an emphasis on staying that way. One must stay in a state of unity for extended periods that get us away from the ordinary experience of life. Separation and this life are an illusion we must get free from. The emphasis is on something real which lets us escape from the ordinary of this world.
In Shikantaza, we are so "non-dual" that we are totally whole, one and unbroken in times we feel "cosmic consciousness" and times we read a comic book, times when we lose our sense of self and times when we find it (and sometimes both at once), times of pure bliss and time of pure blah and times of pure blues (a Bliss that includes all bliss blues and blah ... i.e., life), total Oneness so One that it does not require us to feel "one" all the time. Rather than escape from this world, we run right into total unity with it. In Shikantaza, one is so "non-dual" that there is no "dual" or "non". Separation and this life are an illusion and thus as real as real can be ... and we are One and Whole even when feeling separate or feeling one and whole. The way to get "free" from life is to need to run no where at all. The emphasis is on something real found right in and beyond (not either/or) this very world ... thus we escape with no place in need of running.
The only thing to avoid is greed anger and ignorance (ignorance = feeling only separation and conflict and friction), because that makes a mess of suffering.
I don't know if that made things clearer ... or more of a muck.
Gassho, Jundo


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In this post from his blog, Berlin Founder Institute mentor, Ramzi Rizk, highlights the challenges startups face. Regardless of what ecosystem a founder calls home, he can be certain that others in every part of the globe will experience his triumphs and tribulations at some point or another.
Below, It Takes a Village has been republished with permission.
* * *
Being a startup founder is not the glamorous occupation outsiders make it to be.
For wide-eyed first-time founders, reality sets in very quickly. Regardless of how you get into it — because it's cool, chasing that billion dollar exit, wanting to change the world, all of the above — a few months into the job, the only driver that keeps you going is unbridled passion for what you're building. You will have to sacrifice your social life, your love life and most of your relationships, and anything but the utmost conviction in what you're doing, and the stability that comes with that conviction, makes it extremely difficult to get back up when you inevitably stumble. It's a wildly emotional roller-coaster that rarely ends well, a humbling experience to say the least, and a fast-forwarded career through a dark, twisting tunnel with only a flicker of light at the end to guide you.
There is no recipe for success, no checklist for viral growth.
95% of all startups fail. Founders know that going in, investors know that too, and manage their investments accordingly. We go in knowing the risks, and more often than not, we fail. Hopefully, we learn from those failures and do better the second, third and fourth time round. As a founder, you're not everybody's boss, you're everybody's employee. You're not your own boss either. It's the fullest full-time job there is, 7 days a week, 365 (366) days a year, and even taking the time to jot down some thoughts on your industry feels like time stolen from doing actual work.
It's not all doom and gloom.
Founding your own company is an unbelievably rewarding experience. You're shaping your own destiny and, in the case of social software, offering millions (hopefully!) of people a medium for expression and communication. The upside offsets the rarity of success. Along the way, you rely on your cofounders, and other founders, for support, commiseration and understanding.
Nowhere is that support more crucial than in a nascent ecosystem like Berlin's.
Despite technology being a great equalizer: open-source repos, code snippets and StackOverflow know no geographic borders, our relative inexperience inherently implies more mistakes and more failures (celebrate failure, yay!). The decks are stacked against us: funding and exposure are harder to come by, legislation is still behind the times, and there is a blatant lack of open environments for sharing knowledge and experiences. Our great successes are average when compared to the Valley.
Facebook's API is bloated. Tumblr wasn't able to monetize, and Snapchat's mobile clients suck. It's easier to criticize than to create. If you've never built a product, you won't understand the iterative process involved. You can't fathom the need for hype in order to rise above the noise (ps: we don't buy into the hype). If all you do is consult and mentor, without ever having been on the ride yourself, it's easy to preach from your pedestal. "Armchair founders" and social media "experts" are always lurking, ready to jump at the chance of kicking one of us when we're down, TROLLING, it's sometimes called. Is it jealousy? Arrogance? Stupidity? Regardless, that's their prerogative. They don't get it. It's easier to criticize than to create.
Innovation and failure are eternally intertwined.
WE know that. Outsiders, on the other hand, mostly hear the success stories, as well as the clichéd "we're crushing it" answer most founders give, more as an attempt to convince themselves than as an honest answer to an overly simplistic "how are things?". We can't begrudge them their misconceptions, but we as founders must never follow their lead. We all benefit from the successes, and we all learn from the failures. It falls upon us, then, as founders and entrepreneurs, to have honest and open discourse in order to positively shape our ecosystem for years to come. My cofounders and I, and numerous others understand that. We happily share our learnings (evenings and Sunday afternoons only, naturally), and happily learn from others. We do it because we understand that we have a burden of responsibility that goes beyond our own companies' interests. We do it to our own betterment.
Just to be clear, my first and foremost (and only, really) priority is EyeEm. I have no qualms about hiring away your best engineers or stealing your limelight. Beyond my own company's interests, however, the ecosystem is my extended family. We may not all necessarily like each other, or agree on the value of each other's companies, but we are still family, and family sticks together."
Click here to read more from Ramzi's blog.
Like this article?
(Image of businessman with suitcase photo by Shutterstock)


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Success continues in 'Now & Forever' campaign with upcoming dual announcementsJanuary 22, 2014
Gifts to both academics and athletics will be honored at the next celebratory bell-ringing event at Emporia State on Friday, Jan. 24.
"We're excited to kick off the spring semester by celebrating two gifts to the Now & Forever campaign, one of which benefits the School of Business and the other the Athletic Department," said DenaSue Potestio, Emporia State University Foundation president and vice president for university advancement.
"In addition to enhancing Emporia State University, the gifts will truly make a positive impact on the entire community of Emporia," Potestio added.
The festivities will include ringing Silent Joe, the bell in the stone tower southeast of Welch Stadium. Ringing the bell has become one of the campaign's audible icons of success.
"Each time we receive a sizeable gift like the one we're announcing this week, we ring Silent Joe to tell our supporters we're 'Silent No More,'" said Jennifer Denton, the Foundation's vice president for administration and stewardship, echoing the comprehensive campaign's theme.
The gifts' benefactors will be revealed during the celebration from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, at Sauder Alumni Center, 1500 Highland St., Emporia. The event is open to the public.
Check out our students' achievements and accomplishments on Emporia State's meritpages.com site


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Spring Fling Scarf
Color: please select a color
Size: please select a size
Style # SPUNS20035
Need Assistance? Contact Us Now
Vivid flowers pop from a neutral backdrop on this airy gauze scarf. Frayed edges.
Fabric: Soft gauze.
100% polyester.
Dry clean.
Imported, China.
Width: 32in / 81cm
Length: 70in / 178cm
Fabric: Soft gauze.
100% polyester.
Dry clean.
Imported, China.
Width: 32in / 81cm
Length: 70in / 178cm
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Free Shipping Worldwide: No matter where you are sending your order, we offer free express shipping across the globe. Shipping Details
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About the Designer
Designed by Cindy Freeman in Manhattan Beach, California, Spun Scarves by Subtle Luxury combines a love of antique finds with a vintage hippie flavor. Founded in 2008, the brand was named after the designer's passion for spinning mixed fiber blends using linen, cotton, rayon, and cashmere. Embracing ease, versatility, and simple shapes, each scarf can also be worn as a belt, halter top, or dress.