This thread begins to sound more and more like an elaborate exercise in trolling... That is what I thought all along. But it was nice of everyone to give him the benefit of doubt. There was a tremendous amount of patience supplied by the members here dealing with his trolling comments and questions...

I don't believe this. What is the name of this so-called Zen master? What is the name of his temple? If you don` t believe, please feel free not to believe. I never for a moment believed you were proselytizing for Zen. Zen still accepts a historical person, Buddha who attained enlightenment, which ...

Matteo, I have no beef with Zen, seeing that I practice a Korean variety of it, but personally I would not study under a teacher who was positive about Nazism and condoned wars and killing. Why not? Added: what is the issue with losing the roots if you can get to Enligthenment easily? (assuming tha...

Matteo, I have no beef with Zen, seeing that I practice a Korean variety of it, but personally I would not study under a teacher who was positive about Nazism and condoned wars and killing. Why not? (he did not only "condone" the slaughter of the Jews, he in fact said Hitler was right. He...

I wonder, Matteo: setting aside knowledge in terms of intellectual knowledge and so forth, do you think you are able to look at the way you experience living, in a basic way, and describe it? I mean, suppose there was another description of someone's basic experience, do you think you could compare...

Matteo, I doubt that this will satisfy you, but if you look around, listen to reputable teachers, read the suttas and the sutras, ask in Centres and Temples, it is easy to perceive a common thread, a core. This is why many great teachers don't worry about the divisions and labels you've mentioned a...

Also useless to dream about enlightenment if we're not ready to take the many steps to get there.......... Which steps? Theravada, Mahayana, Hindu, Zen or anything else? Rinzai Zen or Soto? Nichiren? If Theravada.. Thai Theravada? Sri Lanka? Forest tradition? And under which master? Is one Master a...

And you might need a third experience to correct (or confirm) the 2nd... Ad infinitum. Exactly If one doesn't know how these two (coffee & taste) taste, than they could be meaningless words that one manipulates. Exactly. Useless to talk about Enlightenment if we do not now how to experience

I wonder if the zen master would say the same thing about sampling cyanide, or LSD, or any other number of poisinous and ruinous drugs. "This drink has the potential to addict you and completely ruin your life as well as kill you, I suggest you try it to see if you're one of the ones that will...

My example shows that experience might not be total and complete and interpretation of it can be wrong. Yes, and you need to have another experience to prove that the first one is wrong Direct experience to be meaningful needs to be interpreted, and interpretation is based upon one's beliefs. And t...

For example: we feel that earth stands still and we actually see that sun rises and sets. Our direct experience from the earth suggests that Earth doesn't move in space and that sun orbits the earth. Thus, more data is required to correctly interpret what one actually experiences. Unfortunately exp...

Until we have reached the goal, none of us can be sure of the "truth" and therefore should not be disparaging other possible spiritual paths, which may or may not lead to the "truth". However, as you have observed, we don't have time to practice all possible paths, so we do need...

You may find this of interest. Not written from a Theravadan perspective, but wisdom can be found in many places. Other places where wisdom can be found: http://www.amazon.com/I-Am-That-Nisargadatta-Maharaj/dp/0893860468 http://www.amazon.com/ESV-New-Classic-Reference-Bible/dp/1433524767/ref=sr_1_1...

Since you have no interest in following the path that everyone has followed to reach enlightenment.. Quite a bold statement! You are implying that everyone has reached enlightenment, or is in the path to do. Or maybe you are saying that people who have reached enlightenment have worked on this path...

Perhaps it would help if you would clearly elucidate what exactly you are seeking? What question do you want answered? -> Escape from fear (of death, punishment, ..), pain, boredom .. -> If there are people, possibly living today, who claim that they have reached this result and what they have sugg...