tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296606518210633585.post4012013014617367468..comments2024-02-06T22:19:13.028-08:00Comments on Mining Aśvaghoṣa's Gold: SAUNDARANANDA 16.67: Attending to the Means-WherebyMike Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712396374023835678noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296606518210633585.post-7303701253399819052009-04-22T05:48:00.000-07:002009-04-22T05:48:00.000-07:00Sooner or later, quickly or slowly, I may accept y...Sooner or later, quickly or slowly, I may accept your invitation to investigate doing and non-doing. Until I've participated in a demonstration of those things, as F M Alexander understood them, I fear I'll always be in the dark; never being sure what you're really talking about. If I put a £1 in my piggy-bank every day...<br /><br />Soon as you find that patron, or impresario, Mike, forward my e-mail address, would you? And thanks for protecting my privacy - I'm not so net-savvy.<br /><br />Maybe when the next bunch of recordings are ready, I'll plaster directions to the band's myspace page all over the non-judgemental (!) Buddhist interblog. Thanks for the offer.Malcolm Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07695792204679760604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296606518210633585.post-25149908966278943252009-04-21T05:43:00.000-07:002009-04-21T05:43:00.000-07:00Thank you, jiblet, for the encouragement and for l...Thank you, jiblet, for the encouragement and for listening.<br /><br />Fast or slow doesn’t matter but the ability to listen -- including the willingness to have one’s assumptions challenged -- seems to me to be vital for a sitting-dhyaana practitioner. People who call themselves Buddhist, or a Buddhist this or a Buddhist that, surprisingly often do not like to listen to the voice of Buddha. In general, we all prefer the security of what we think we know, and so we fail to listen. <br /><br />To answer your first question, yes, I am saying that these three stimuli are inherent in the true practice of just sitting, as I understand it, just as blowing, dousing in water, and leaving be are all inherent in a goldsmith’s working of gold; and, yes, I am also saying that these three stimuli are related with three kinds of decision -- a decision to do, based on feeling; a decision not to do, based on thinking, and a decision to allow, which is a stimulus to action itself. The three decisions, in other words, are a decision to direct one’s energy there, a decision not to do that, and a decision to get out of the way and let nature work. <br /><br />“Shikantaza” folk, as you suggest, are prone to make only the first decision. In general, what we call “just sitting” is liable to be just doing. Even among those who, with the benefit of experience of Alexander work, pay lip service to the decision not to do, a true decision not to do is actually something quite rare -- as Alfred Tomatis thought that a true act of listening was also something quite rare. <br /><br />I have observed drily in the past that among the few people who have had ears for what I have to say, penniless musicians have been very much over-represented. Are there no hedge-fund managers out there who would like to get behind me? Even a plumber or a car mechanic or somebody else with a trade might come in handy. As regards a drummer, the (penniless) London-based drummer I know is a reader of this blog, and so if he is interested he may be in touch with you. I don’t know if he is a good drummer or not, but I would certainly vouch that he has got the makings of a good listener -- so the two of you between you might provide an exceptional rhythm section. A “Buddhist” rhythm section, maybe? I don’t think so! If you would like to provide a link to your myspace page here, please go ahead...<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />MikeMike Crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12712396374023835678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296606518210633585.post-82180320000182532612009-04-20T17:23:00.000-07:002009-04-20T17:23:00.000-07:00That was very clear, Mike. I enjoyed it. Food for ...That was very clear, Mike. I enjoyed it. Food for thought for a sitting-dhyaana practitioner. Thanks.<br /><br />I've assumed that by "nimitta" Ashvaghosha is referring to particular, purposeful, meditational "techniques" with which his audience would have been familiar. (I emailed Linda Covill on this point a few days ago - no reply yet). Are you saying that these three "stimuli" are addressed in the practice of "just sitting" in lotus, or that we are to purposefully do (something) with our minds (that "shikantaza" folk might not currently be doing)?<br />I know you've been trying to clarify this for us for some time now. Forgive me for being slow.<br /><br />Meanwhile...know any good London based drummers? I believe you may do. I play bass in a gigging, recording, currently unpaid, band looking for the next drummer. Might s/he/they be interested? We have a myspace page. Here's my email address, just in case:Malcolm Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07695792204679760604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296606518210633585.post-38254978295232098952009-04-20T06:54:00.000-07:002009-04-20T06:54:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Malcolm Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07695792204679760604noreply@blogger.com