Dogen and his question

[ayar415]

Originally Posted by AbodhiSky

zen is to be here now without the attention on the conceptual realities, the thought or mind based ones, to be fully present with what is, not with what one imagines or produces as thought or ideas

Correct. Cobbler comes across as a woman in love and easily swept away by words: sweet nothings. I worry for him just as you would over a sister or a daughter when a cad come' a calling.

Spirituality is not a safe haven populated by good souls. There are as many sharks swimming in the realm beyond the 5 senses as there are wolves in Wall Street. There is need to look out for each other.

[ayar415]

Originally Posted by AbodhiSky

The body may be moving, but we are standing still. Always present. Not moving one inch! Always right here in the now.

Wow. Have you any idea how right you are? Nobody seems to be asking, "how come I am at the center of everything? From here, where I am in space, as the observer, to the edge of the universe? From now, where I am in time, to the distant past, and to the edge of eternity."

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

Originally Posted by ayar415

Correct. Cobbler comes across as a woman in love and easily swept away by words: sweet nothings. I worry for him just as you would over a sister or a daughter when a cad come' a calling.

Spirituality is not a safe haven populated by good souls. There are as many sharks swimming in the realm beyond the 5 senses as there are wolves in Wall Street. There is need to look out for each other.

We should certainly look out for each other, sharks, wolves, sheep, goats or bunny rabbits. Quite a few cads have come a calling in my life. I have coped. We all have our methods.

Yes, I do love words. Dogen loved words. It's good and enlightening to read of his words about the finger and the moon, that both are necessary and inter-relate. But words, again, James Joyce and the Wakese of Finnegans Wake (note the lack of an apostrophe) where the word plsy is stretched to the limits and beyond as Joyce seeks to express reality itself....

A selection of lines from Finnegans Wake........

"The Gracehoper was always jigging ajog, hoppy on akkant of his joyicity."

"First we feel, then we fall"

"They lived and laughed and loved and left."

"Let us leave theories there and return to here's here"

"A dream of favours, a favourable dream. They know how they believe that they believe that they know. Wherefore they wail."

Love to you all
The Cobbler

[sky]

Originally Posted by AbodhiSky

where you are going or where you have been are imagination.

Where you have been are Memories, they are building blocks for imagination .

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

Originally Posted by sky123

Where you have been are Memories, they are building blocks for imagination .

Willaim Blake, poet and mystic, was big on imagination. "To the eyes of a miser a gold coin is far more beautiful than the sun" etc etc.

Of words, in the Christian Faith God chose words to reveal the Word. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us......full of grace and truth".

The relationship between word, Word and "flesh". Dogen has much to say.

[sky]

Originally Posted by ayar415

There are as many sharks swimming in the realm beyond the 5 senses as there are wolves in Wall Street. There is need to look out for each other.

Not to forget, Buddha taught that we have 'Six' Senses

[sky]

Originally Posted by AbodhiSky

The ducks are always where they are. Neither going away or going towards, being here now with their wings moving.

It's the 'Mind' that moves so the Duckies are happy going about their lives carried by their wings

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

Thinking about it (not always a good thing I admit) regarding cads and other assorted disreputables, the base/ground must be touched first prior to diversification. (I'm beginning to get the tone of the forum now....words, loved or not, are poured over looking for signs of true insight according to one's own. It's a good game... ) All have the buddha-nature, a real self, a recondite host (call it what you will, even not-self) Seeing this, knowing this, touching base, diversification can follow. We have a chance of the "appropriate statement". If we divide and differentiate prior to touching base all hell will break loose.

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 9 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by The Cobbler's Apprentice

There was a guy in a Terry Pratchett novel who either knew where he was or where he was going but never both at the same time.

Meditative people discover that there can only be one thought in one's mind at a given moment (as well as a space between thoughts) ... like the character whom you mentioned who "either knew where he was or where he was going but never both at the same time".

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 12 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by ayar415

Nobody seems to be asking, "how come I am at the center of everything?

There is an oft-quoted statement whose source is not clear but I love it and it is consistent with what you wrote:

"God is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere."