XPost: alt.philosophy.taoism, alt.philosophy.zen   
   From: nottony.nokingsbury@ngmail.com   
      
   On 11/10/2016 2:38 AM, {:-]))) wrote:   
   > Ummmmmmm wrote:   
   >> {:-]))) asked about a living Master:   
   >>   
   >>> Some living Master who lives within your heart?   
   >>> Like Jesus?   
   >>   
   >> Jesus is dead too. He never came back.   
   >   
   > Okay. So, if your living Master dies, that's it. She's done.   
   >   
   > No one can ever again get anything out of her words.   
   > Because, it doesn't work that way. For anyone. Ever.   
   >   
   > What your living Master said, to you, and did, for you,   
   > was for you, and for you alone. Period. End of story.   
   >   
   > If she wrote a book, it would suck.   
   > Even if you read it, it wouldn't do anything for you.   
   >   
   > And if anyone else read it, it would do nothing at all.   
   >   
   > So, forget about writing. Don't bother.   
   > Don't make up stories, in writing, to say anything.   
   >   
   > It doesn't work that way.   
   > Is that what you're writing about?   
   >   
   > The futility of you writing about anything?   
   >   
   >> When he was alive, he had the power to show people what he called "The   
   >> Kingdom of Heaven" which was within them.   
   >   
   > And, since he's dead, those words are meaningless. Right?   
   > They're just drivel. Dead words from a dead man.   
   >   
   >> He could do that because he was a living human being who had a special   
   >> gift - the gift of being able to transmit Knowledge of the self.   
   >   
   > And now, those words don't mean anything. To anyone.   
   >   
   > Those words can't mean anything. Because Jesus died.   
   >   
   > Funny thing though, if you read the story, his followers   
   > did not get the message until after he returned.   
   >   
   > That's the Christian story.   
   >   
   > You seem to take part of it as true, and dismiss the rest,   
   > of the story, as you perhaps read what you read in   
   > to and out of, the Christian story.   
   >   
   >   
   > In aother story, in your story about stories,   
   > because Lao Tzu died, assuming he even existed, his words   
   > can't impart any realizations, meanings, insights, nothing.   
   >   
   > Words can't do it.   
   > Not if they were written by someone who died.   
   > Or written after someone died.   
   >   
   > That seems to be your thesis.   
   > Based on some assumptions and presumptions you carry.   
   > That's my impression of your words.   
   >   
   >> After he died they decided he was a God, and shifted Heaven to somewhere   
   >> up above the clouds, where no-one could get at it.   
   >   
   > If that's your interpretation, then that's how you see it.   
   >   
   > But that's not how everyone else sees what was written   
   > about Jesus. Some see Heaven as being within them.   
   >   
   > Just as you said Jesus said. In your story. Above.   
   >   
   > It's easy for some people to see it.   
   > It doesn't matter if Jesus never even existed.   
   >   
   > Words can be alive, now, in the present.   
   >   
   > It doesn't matter when they were written down,   
   > nor if they are found in a science-fiction book,   
   > spoken by imaginary characters.   
   >   
   > Can't you see that?   
   >   
   > Or do you choose to ignore that?   
   >   
   > Maybe you subscribe to Tang's view, that all words   
   > on a screen are mere words and don't mean anything.   
   >   
   > They can't evoke any emotion, realization, insight   
   > and are meaningless and all the same and all point   
   > to the same emptiness, at the center, within.   
   >   
   > Oar sum Ting as th'at.   
   >   
   >>> Are you a living Master?   
   >> No   
   >>> And you are here to dispense living Knowledge?   
   >>> Right now? Here?   
   >> No   
   >>>   
   >>> Are you looking for living students?   
   >> No   
   >>>   
   >>> Are you here to recruit for someone?   
   >> No. If I was, I'd have given you the name of a master 5 years ago - &   
   >> probably a form to fill in, & the address of her website.   
   >>   
   >> I'm here to tell you that there's something better than memorising,   
   >> mish-mashing & regurgitating mis-translated ancient "Sacred Texts"   
   >   
   > You have beer?   
   >   
   >> The most sacred text in existence is the human heart. You have that.   
   >   
   > Okay.   
   >   
   >> Get   
   >> in touch with that, and you'll find that it is magical, profound,   
   >> exciting, luminous & full of fun.   
   >   
   > You appear to me to be saying that, in your opinion,   
   > since I like to write about and think about Taoism,   
   > in a Usenet Newsgroup about Taoism, that,   
   > therefore, I am not in touch with my own heart.   
   >   
   > Is that what you're saying?   
      
   No   
      
   >   
   > And you, know, this to be true,   
   > because I use a phew puns in mine sown waze?   
   >   
   > Ore t'hat enjoying an old made-up fictional category,   
   > created by China's ancient historians, is wrong somehow?   
   >   
   > If some Trekkie, who likes Star Trek, in a group about Star Trek   
   > said, Live long and prosper, would you think she was not   
   > in touch with her own heart because of that?   
   >   
   > Shirley you jest.   
   >   
   >> All that's required is a little humility - a little awareness that maybe   
   >> there is something still to learn. It's never too late.   
   >   
   > I'm a knowledge junkie, basically.   
   >   
   > I enjoy old and new stuff. History, philosophy, religion, life.   
   > Not always. As they say, dao ke dao fei chang dao.   
   >   
   > You seem to me to be a bit stuffy in ways.   
   > As if you have an axe to grind.   
      
   No, my axe is quite sharp. I don't need to grind it here.   
      
   I'm probably very stuffy.   
   My favourite spiritual hero is Po, the Kung Fu Panda.   
   He's a bit stuffy too.   
      
   >   
   >> I'm here because it's fun to be here - for a while.   
   >   
   > I like to remember Taoism, at times, here.   
   > Seeing as how it's a Taoist newsgroup.   
   >   
   > Maybe you like to ignore that.   
   > Ore prehaps you can't help yourself.   
   > Being unrefined, or too refined, to matter.   
   >   
   > Why would you go to a Star Trek group and say Spock is dead?   
   >   
   > In an alternate time-line, Spock is alive. Or was.   
   >   
   > Now, Spock is dead.   
   >   
   > Alas, poor Spock, I knew him well.   
   >   
   > Well, but there is another Spock, now, alive.   
   >   
   > Do you like Star Trek?   
   > Since you don't seem to approve of Taoism.   
   >   
   > - live long, and prosper   
   >   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)