Dear brother

Koi swims among the lotus stems
Sunlight dapples the surface of the pond
She watches
Her reflection
In the sky

Dragon (#1824)

==

Ah, the lady of dragon again spouts fire; the fire that both burns and heals. I have a question or so. Since you recognize those questions that trap, you will readily ascertain the nature of my questions.

When the root of the strong reaction is uncovered, is there a process in which that seen comes to be understood? Do you think such a process is necessary? Is there not the danger of taking that seeing as a transcending?

From Wilbro (#1828, UZ)

==

Willbro,

...and a more practical answer....

WARNING: This is not the process

Lacking true understanding, we create delusional explanations in order to maintain mental health. We can look back at our former selves' experiences and re-write the video in the light of our new understandings. As Sirius so wisely says, " Realisation... is a continuous unfolding... "

The process from suffering (where we are now) to where we are going (wherever that may be) is an act of 'work' within which 'that which is within' plays an active part (if we allow it to). As we work, we discover that our suffering is based on a delusion. This in turn is also based on a delusion, and so on. By peeling back the layers we can sometimes discover the original delusion which forms the root. Usually our progressed learning then sees the delusion - corrects it up to our current understanding - and the 'problem' is resolved.

Emotion is the symptom and side effect of this activity. Grief is a healing act and a process in itself. But, even if we were able to resolve all of the suffering of this life, how would we resolve those things we do not know, or still do not understand?

Now, of course, all this is rubbish and there are holes all over my explanation. Which is why it is so much easier to hide the holes in poetry, mystique, imagery and paradox!

Delusion.

"As a child I thought as a child..."
But after many years of learning
I still see " through a glass darkly..."
Where is my improvement?


Dragon (#1835 UZ)

==

Dear Beginner

There once was an Englishman who found himself very lost in the wild bogs of Ireland. He waited many hours at an unmarked crossroad, hoping for a passer-by. Finally, an old Irishman walked slowly towards him. When he came level, the Englishman asked him directions. After a great deal of thought, the old man took the pipe out of his mouth and said,

"Well, if I were going there, I wouldn't start from here!"

and then continued on his way.


Dragon #1874, UZ(Universe of Zen club)

==

Leave It Alone: (My Post #280 at Zenhells)

"Sorewa Soreto Shi Te" is the original Japanese phrase Daisetz used quite often. Translation in English may be: "Leave it alone." "Be that as it may." "Leave as is." or "Let it be"

I pondered on this phrase for sometime and realized that this phrase applies quite well in conducting life - according to the way. Especially when we have a fixed mind or get stuck on something, that is when this phrase is most appropriate.

A question is whether or not we catch the moment to use this phrase to see a big picture and carry on with our life. "Be that as it may." "Leave as is." "Don’t get hung up." and "Carry on."

- When we have a mental movie going on for sometime in our mind, not producing anything meaningful, then let us leave it alone.
- When we get stuck in our thinking, let the thoughts as it is and carry on by changing the point of view.
- When we have our emotion going wild, leave the subject matter alone and it will settle by itself.
- When in meditation and thoughts come up to disturb the tranquillity, leave as it is and they will dissipate.
- When we die, leave it alone. When we meet disaster, let us meet and let us go on.
- When someone is angry or out of control, suggest to leave the idea as it is and change the point of view.

If we have such a stance, we can listen to our heart more clearly, be one with the message it brings and for it to be expressed through us. It may be in the form of inspiration, compassionate sense, bliss, oneness with mission, or whatever that may be – as it is meant to be. So, let the voice from the heart to speak to us. Let our self to die. Let nature’s way to take over. Surrender… and see what happens next.

I use the phrase "So what?" often. This phrase, "Leave it alone," has similar connotation. But it has less forceful and more naturalness to go with it. If we leave everything alone, nature will take care of itself be what it may. Another phrase with similar connotation is: "For those who come, let them come. For those who leave, let them leave." So, it is about non-attachment.

==

(My post #284 to respond to another post)

In any case, I reread my post and can sense the concern you have raised. If you want to clarify your comment, it is fine. But I thought I write my response here anyway. In fact, I planned to post a note related to that post on "leave it alone", perhaps titled as: "It is OK" but "It is not OK" (may be posted in the future).

In essence, this is related to Edgar and my discussion from the very beginning of our encounter, i.e., the discussion of second floor and basement. So, if you are serious, I suggest you to read all of them (Also it is posted on my homepage).

Since I do not have much time now, here is the essence. "It is OK" is tied to the view of as-it-isness, that world, nirvana, basement, and heart. "It is not OK" is tied to the human nature of struggle, this world, overcoming the law of entropy, growth and exploration of human potential, second floor, and brain.

"Leave it alone" then may sound like "It is OK" but it is to address "It is not OK" part of human life, with the view of "It is OK."

Maybe too confusing? But this whole thing may represent a paradoxical point of Zen. Yet, I realize I am using too many symbolic expressions to add confusion to you. Good luck!
==

Honoured SuzakiCo

I was reading the earlier posts as suggested by our mis-leader and was intrigued by your posts Nos. 280 & 284 "let it be". I'm not sure that I have understood completely, would you mind discussing it further?

>> "Leave it alone" then may sound like "It is OK" but it is to address "It is not OK" part of human life, with the view of "It is OK."<<

So, if we have a part of ourselves that is problematic (not-OK), say a 'why' or some aspect of our personality or mental processes that we are seeking to change; you are suggesting ( I think) that we view it with a universal acceptance (It is-OK) and by not striving and struggling, it is resolved by some internal process.

Ok so far I hope, the problem I am having is that your list of examples seems to imply a kind of dismissal, a putting aside, "leave it alone", almost to ignore it. My understanding is to nurture with acceptance, to enfold, to "let it BE", let it be what it is with love and acceptance, even to feed it, to let it grow until it explodes. Does this make any difference?

Also, could you clarify where the process of change generates from. I am struggling to translate concepts. Would this concept equate to 'The Watcher'? and if so do you see 'the Watcher' as part of the individual mind/personality or as 'other' ?

I'm sorry if these are very ignorant questions, please don't bother answering if you don't care to.

Sue Dragon

=

Hi Sue, nice to meet you! I am happy to discuss any question you may have. Or, I may raise few questions, instead…

Instead of going into the detail to respond to your question, however, I feel like quoting your poem I found at the Universe of Zen first (Post #1824):

Koi swims among the lotus stems
Sunlight dapples the surface of the pond
She watches
Her reflection
In the sky

Dragon

Mysterious… I like this poem. Although I am not quite certain, I sense that Koi may be "The Watcher" you referred to in your post. Wilbro uses the term "Quiet Center." Or, I may use the term, X. Anyway, back to my post #280, as you say, "ignore" is not the right connotation to be conveyed. That probably was the reason "boyofthegreenbanner" felt not quite right about that post, and I tried to explain on #284 a bit more. Your expression: "My understanding is to nurture with acceptance, to enfold, to "let it BE", let it be what it is with love and acceptance, even to feed it, to let it grow until it explodes." seems to capture the point. I also appreciate the term "BE", and "love" you used in there. Thank you.

While it is a good point to stop here, I have a curiosity to explore – or clarify the "BE" and "love" in that sentence if we can. So, if I may, my question is whether or not or how we can discuss these more. Zen master may just say that when you Understand IT, IT is like a blue sky or he may just open his hands. Others may shout Kaatz, or give 30 blows of stick, etc. to get the point across because there is nothing to teach or describe anyway but with such a treatment. Other may say, if you eat, you will die. I also sense there may be those who simply shed tears. (also, perhaps, those who yawn as well.)

I may still find myself trying to "describe" the Koi, Quiet center, Rhubarb, X, or Buddha nature - the indescribable. Yet, this is to figure out for me and others to help understand the relationship between brain and heart, conscious and unconscious, second floor and basement, or reflection of Koi and Koi Itself. (Maybe, this is similar to something I did in my management consulting career, which is to bring out the core principle of management through jointly struggling to find a means of expressing/communicating it. Or, perhaps, it was a process of coming up with the creative energy for discovery. Or, can we say, to seek is not to seek, therefore it is SEEK? Or, describe is not to describe, therefore DESCRIBE?)

Here, I remember you saying, "how would we resolve those things we do not know, or still do not understand?" BE and love, and acceptance…can we clarify, or say anything about it? Artists work hard on their mission. Zen monk may be told to bring the LIVE words. Can we say anything about these and find a way to express and act upon? Somehow, I think it should be possible, and "efforts" worthwhile.

>>"let it BE", let it be what it is with love and acceptance, even to feed it, to let it grow until it explodes.

Then, is it possible or meaningful that we discuss "feed," "grow," and "explode" some way or the other? Can we do these collectively? BE and love to let it come to an insight? (Here, the Watcher sees this "me" wanting to explore and find that that efforts create confusion, self, etc. Realization here is that, to truly know "BE" and "love" is only possible if I am that. Also, that is possible only here and now – not on paper and with logic or description. So what? Just be and love...?!!)

I am fairly sure that the above comments may have raised or brought puzzling/confusing sense in you or anyone who read this post. If you may point out any insight or pick "any" point to share your view, I would appreciate it very much.

With mischievous wind and sun,
Reflection of Koi dances around on the ripples,
Jumping from here to there like children in play.
==

Dear SuzakiCo

Thank you for your response. By way of further explanation I would like to stay with the Koi metaphor.

Koi is Transported

Small pond, fish grows
Every stem and stone
A restriction.
Growth stops.

Fisherman comes in bright sunlight
Catches lazy fish
Speaks harshly, and
Gently holds.

Dawn over the lake.
Strange flowers bloom
Fish seeks the waters edge
And the taste of new food

SueDragon

I am working on an un-encrypted response! Which no doubt will have a lot more questions! Thank you for your time.

Susan
==

Suzaki san (is that right?)

I envy you your visit to Wexford. I have been to Ireland once and loved everything about it. I have some Irish ancestry which probably helped to make me feel 'at home'. The Irish humour is very zen if you can understand through the accent. Are you on holiday or speaking? I would very much like to hear you lecture. I'm afraid though that it is too far for me to travel. If you were to visit Cornwall for a few days I would be delighted and honored to meet you. There are some wonderful places nearby for a weekend away.

I have made an attempt at a response to your response and I am sending it to you direct as Willbro99 has made me conscious of not polluting Eddy's Hell. I will send it via my primary e.mail address so that you can contact me directly should you choose to.

I will try to attach the response to this message. If you have any problems let me know and I will try again.

Best Wishes

Sue Dragon

A Response to A Response

I have been allowing your response to solidify in my mind before answering (actually, I have been playing in other gardens, but don't tell). Yes, I use Koi in the poem to describe the 'watcher' and this was an immediate response to a request to describe an experience. I recognised that experience and the poem was a visual image. "She watches her reflection in the sky" is an attempt to describe the paradox.

I rely on the visual and the metaphorical because I have had no-one to discuss my experiences with and I have had to draw on many sources to find words to explain and to apply meaning in mental terms. I have had to let my spiritual life BE because it conflicted with the ideas of what was expected in those around me, I have learned to be secretive. It seems that life has taught me 'the way of zen' despite me.

My poem 'Koi is transported' is an attempt to describe the liberation of Zen and the difficulties of adapting to the new environment. I am trying to overlay my experience precisely on the net-ground of Zen (although this is probably a contradiction in terms) to see how it fits. When I recognised that experience I gained a reference point. If you read other things into the poem, they probably are there. I like to include coded readings and dual meanings.

I don't think anything is 'indescribable' - if it can be understood it can be communicated. I think the problem is in finding the right way to describe it. Words are just shadows, the truth is somewhere between the words or in the direction that they point. Added to this is the difficulty of misinterpretation between transmission and receipt. You have to agree the labels. If we both looked at the same orange, I may call it a tangerine, you may call it a Satsuma - it would not affect the colour/mass/shape/flavour/texture/nutritional value/etc etc. of the object, only of the arguments we had in agreeing the terminology and the label. Once we agree that it's an 'orange' we have a basis for dialogue.

You talk about >The relationship between brain and heart< In reading a lot of zennie posting recently I perceive a lot of confusion of the above type in this area. People seem to be unsure where their experiences are coming from (physically and spiritually) and confused about how to describe it. I am an expert at this condition as I said above, I have spent my life trying to resolve the problem and it is an unending labour. My answer is - Firstly establish which language you are speaking. Either find out what they call things and use their terminology. Or, define your terms, speak your own language and force them to adapt. Or, invent new words.

Since I don't know what your labels are (that is what prompted my origional question) I will define my own for you. If you would like to map yours out for me we will have a better understanding. I use 'heart' as the seat of love and compassion, and pain associated with these emotions. 'Brain' is the physical organ inside my skull. 'Mind' is where the words come from. Somewhere between the two is your computer model of thought. Other feelings and emotions emerge from an area in my central abdomen which probably equates to a 'chakra' but I don't know which. Somewhere near the lowest 'chakra' is something I call the 'Golden Ball' I have yet to identify this but I imagine it is something spiritual. My 'watcher' lives at the back of my mind, somewhere near the crown of my head, and draws on the rest of my mind to communicate with me. Although the voice is identifiable, direct and wise. It is both me and not me. I can locate my consciousness with the 'Watcher' and watch when I want to, but most of the time I am in my mind and the 'watcher' is supervising quietly in the background. Sometimes the 'watcher' is a channel for communications from elsewhere (here I am afraid you will think me insane). And these are often surprising and not-me.

I prefer not to use the term 'God' as it has been (for me) corrupted into smallness by narrowminded religious bigots. I use 'higher power' usually as a catch-all phrase or 'the Universe' when I want to remind myself of my smallness or of my inclusiveness, I am a part of and at one with that universality. ( In English Christianity, conversations with God are acceptable as long as you don't talk about it outside certain groups or you risk being committed to a psychiatric hospital. Especially if you claim to have got answers!) My 'watcher' is also the conduit through which I experience the spiritual, and sometimes I refer to this as the 'mirror'. I think this is because reality is reversed when I pass, like 'Alice Through The Looking Glass'. ( I don't usually talk about this for certainty of being committed).

I think that 'personality' is a group noun and that people choose to express their uniqueness through patterns of behaviour in interactions with others. This is fractionalised and people choose ( or are at the mercy of) different persona depending on the circumstances. Suedragon is an expression of myself that I show only through these zen groups. Internally there are also fractionalised personality elements through which (if unenlightened) our thinking is filtered before expression externally.

Well, I think that has my cards on the table. As you can see, I have drawn eclectically from what was useful for explanations to support my world view. It is subject to change should a better explanation emerge; or should I change and no longer fit the explanation. I am sorry, I have just remembered that you have translation difficulties and I have made no allowance for that. It is also rather long!

Best Wishes

(Sue Dragon) Susan Shand

==

<<From Me>>

It was a very nice surprise I got when I hooked my computer to the net. Until then, I thought I needed to get a new mental modem to listen to your message. Thank you for the response/response. Also, yes, Suzaki is my last name. My first name is Kio for Kiyoshi. We have a house in a village called Screen, near Wexford and every summer we spend about two months or so just doing almost nothing except cutting woods or fishing. Is your town near Plymouth? I would be most delighted if we could meet but even if that is not the case, I am already quite delighted to meet you on the net! (If we visit, it appears that we take a Ferry to Fishguard and perhaps another 5-6 hours drive from there. Correct?)

Well, here are few impressions/responses to your e-mail.

I was surprised and felt happy and encouraged when I read the following comment:

>> I don't think anything is 'indescribable' - if it can be understood it can be communicated.

Then, the notion of "expert" in the quote below indicates your confidence level!

>>. People seem to be unsure where their experiences are coming from (physically and spiritually) and confused about how to describe it. I am an expert at this condition as I said above, I have spent my life trying to resolve the problem and it is an unending labour. My answer is - Firstly establish which language you are speaking.

Actually, finding a common language was what wilbro and I did spending a long time when we met. With Eddy, we did not spend much time on the subject of the process for some reason. Reflecting on my own case/writing, I often mix things up, e.g., scientific/biological, psychological, spiritual, etc. when I try to describe things. It indicates a lack of understanding. I have read Daisetz fair amount but wilbro’s and your insight seem to help in looking at the subject from more specific/personalized views. (Wilbro sees Krishnamurti agrees with him. What, if any, are some readings/references you found fit in your case?)

BTW, on your notion of "feed", "grow," and "explode" in >>"let it BE", let it be what it is with love and acceptance, even to feed it, to let it grow until it explodes<<. Does that mean, let it self-organize (feed and grow) and let the insight/inspiration to pop up (explode)? Here, self-organize may correspond with "watch" or Hishiryo, i.e., thinking of no-thinking, or state of no mind. Also, I like the "love and acceptance" inserted up there. (But, do they correspond to compassion and/or watcher? Are they differ? What about the physical location of your sense corresponding to the steps you take in that process? If cumbersome, there is no need to explain in too detail but I am very curious, especially it appears that there are very few people who can talk about these issues.)

>> If you would like to map yours out for me we will have a better understanding.

So, this is an interesting point and ties to the last point mentioned above. Human Brain Computer (HBC) Model by Mr. Nakayama has CPU(frontal lobe-perhaps for judgment and info. processing)- word memories-image memories – imprint logic – and X as key components. But, I have not drawn a total picture yet to be posted on the net. I was thinking of adding H-value and A10(as discussed below) to this model. I discussed H-value idea with wilbro and we thought tying his Guide to it may be a good way to integrate all.

In typical process, Koi/watcher senses the disturbance on the water, e.g., notice H-value is abnormal. Look up, see the picture – the reflection, i.e., the mind movement/confusion, etc. As it observes, the picture becomes less blurred and it starts to see what is going on more clearly, i.e., emotion is separated. Then, the insight occurs. (So, such is a part of the brain-heart or HBC operating manual.)

>> I can locate my consciousness with the 'Watcher' and watch when I want to, but most of the time I am in my mind and the 'watcher' is supervising quietly in the background. Sometimes the 'watcher' is a channel for communications from elsewhere

I very much like the image of "the watcher supervising quietly." I had an image of frontal lobe connected by neuron called A10 to the root of the brain (an image of X there). This is an image of discharging wasteful energy stored up in the brain(mind) and get insight coming from X (heart) – to make it harmonious. While you seem to have gone through this "un-ending" laboring process, I see clarifying this picture with experience base may be a worthwhile endeavor.

About compassion: I wonder how the sense of oneness may be developed to the point of even tears flowing. Here, samadhi = oneness = harmony for HBC model. Then, do you think tears are representation of release, joy, inspiration, touching moment of innocent mind? How are tears related to watcher or "golden ball"? Also, what about the relationship between watcher and golden ball? Any comments? (I added brief view of the process down below.) (Also, wilbro talked about "grounding" here and there. I should ask him directly, but if you have any sense on that, can you share?) In any case, your mapping and especially "physical location" are helpful because of their specificity. I do not know much about chakra. I wonder if there is a link to belly-based breathing.

>> My 'watcher' is also the conduit through which I experience the spiritual, and sometimes I refer to this as the 'mirror'. I think this is because reality is reversed when I pass, like 'Alice Through The Looking Glass'.

Is this image of conduit to the source of spirituality what few people call "grounding"? You also mentioned, "Sometimes the 'watcher' is a channel for communications from elsewhere." I wonder if this conduit corresponds to A10 nerve as described below. "Reality is reversed"with mirror analogy – Do you mean that the objective world is seen as the reflection of self while absolute world exists right next to it or superimposed upon it?

>>I think that 'personality' is a group noun and that people choose to express their uniqueness through patterns of behaviour in interactions with others.

This corresponds with my notion of mini-brains like mini-self, each having certain focus/likes and dislikes/mission, etc. So, watcher may oversee these and shine a light of wisdom for revelation. But first, watcher needs to be able to identify the location and level of needs by scanning the brain, i.e., see the reflection of Koi. In this sense, watcher may be at the frontal lobe (or crown area of head?) to point out the location and the needs for cure. The needs are detected as a change in H-value (Hypothetical value but possibly biochemically measurable to monitor the level of Happiness/Liveliness or lack thereof) in certain area. Then, it hands the task over to the root of brain/X/Golden ball(?) through A10 neuron link to ground/dissipate the potential energy or the localized/wasteful energy of mind. This, then, prepares the ground, perhaps "feed and grow" for the insight/self-organization to occur. The primary concern for X is H-maximization, the full liveliness at "presential" level. (Yet, for human, some may override this and brings humanness into the picture, thus, causing tragedy, drama, and tears to flow.) So, if Koi is the watcher, then it appears that Golden ball, X, the source of spiritual/life energy is connected to the watcher to do the job and communicate back? ((Rather long and repetitive, but hope there is a base for communication.))

>> Internally there are also fractionalised personality elements through which (if unenlightened) our thinking is filtered before expression externally.

Your expression reminded me of the story: Daisetz was known to be "doing Suzuki" when he stopped for a few minutes closing his eyes before giving his(?) answer. When I heard about this, I felt that he was waiting for the insight to come from X. It appears to me that this is mind-watcher-(A10)-X and back process. If so, what happens to patterned responses/habitualization? Referring to his talk being repetitive at occasion, Daisetz mentioned that even if his story is the same, it is always new. He lived almost to 96 years old. He was very young when he died.

BTW, Yes, my brain and heart analogy is simplistic and meant in my green book to make a point: "Listen to your heart, but use your brain" mainly oriented for the business people. Perhaps, a very crude expression.

Rereading this, I feel like a drunkard to write this. Hope you see the picture and perhaps identify critical area for comments/discussion, if you will.

Thank you,

Kio

==

Hello Kio

I think the Mental Modem is an excellent idea, with the addition of a Universal Translator I think we could make great progress in communication!

I’m afraid you give me too much credence, I am an expert only in myself and how life and spirituality has worked for me. I am not sure that my experience is universal, only that I have observed what I describe, sought explanations that seemed to fit, and arrived at a working theory. I am an expert only at being unsure and confused; particularly when spiritual events in my life seemed to conflict entirely with the teachings.

I have attached my first ‘assignment’ (ha ha). I hope this does not over-work your holiday mind or conflict with your family quality time.

Good fishing

Sue Shand

LET IT BE

Zen, Rebirthing and the 'Golden Ball'

My background is in Christianity, as you could probably guess. I only encountered Zen in any depth about three years ago (although I had been interested whenever I encountered it since I was a teenager). I had just ended a course of Rebirthing therapy which I found very useful and life-changing. ( It was at the end of the course that I discovered the 'Golden Ball') I was experiencing a lack of spiritual stimulation in my life since the course ended and was on the look out for my next step. I was living in Lancaster, in the North West of England and there was a group at the University linked to Throssel Hole Priory in Northumberland. They call themselves "Serene Reflection Meditation" and are Soto Zen I think (they wear the same uniform as Eddy). I received instruction in sitting meditation, sat once a week for a while, devoured the meagre contents of the literature cupboard, (dharma talks from the Priory, Autobiographical stuff from the founder) attended an evening and a day seminar, and then moved to Cornwall. I have read hardly any Zen literature at all apart from that. I have studied many other subjects though, some of which drew on Eastern philosophy and techniques; Rebirthing is one of those.

LET IT BE WITH LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE

*let it BE with love and acceptance* comes largely from 'Rebirthing' which comes under the category of *Bastardised Western Zen* in many purist Zen lists. It uses eastern breathing and western visualisation techniques to resolve emotional blockages from the past which are thought to prevent connection with the 'true self'. Nothing is 'wrong' everything is accepted for what it is and allowed to BE. The 'self' is revealed to be a multiplicity of past selves and personality individuals who experienced and suppressed pain and grief. "There are no 'bad' emotions - emotions just ARE" is a fundamental rule. Problems of the emotional sort cannot always be analysed into resolution. Rebirthing teaches that they must be *experienced* emotions should not be suppressed, hidden, dismissed or ignored; they are all valid. By 'allowing' and opening the self up to exploring what is often difficult and painful, the blockage comes into focus and can be experienced and then seen, and eventually understood and analysed. A process of 'healing' occurs alongside (not within) this transition.

The technique is to focus on the pain/ problem and to emote loving and accepting feelings towards it. Visualisation and 'body-centered' foci are used to assist the process in encouraging these suppressed emotional events to emerge. It is important to stay 'in the body' and 'in the now' while watching the event mature and come to the surface. During this phase attention is directed to the smallest itch or pain in the body, tracking the sensations until some bodily focus begins to emerge as significant.

Usually, emotions and sometimes images then take centre stage. An atmosphere of loving acceptance of whatever comes up is maintained. You are encouraged to FEEL and express the feelings with acceptance getting them out into the open and working through the process whilst describing to a facilitator what images, feelings, emotions and physical discomforts you are experiencing. This centres the speaker with the 'watcher' and distances the 'self' from other 'selves' who are/were experiencing. Using breath techniques during this phase assists the process, breath holding is believed to be part of the suppression mechanism. The facilitator encourages further focusing and the track is traced backwards in time until eventually the causal event and its associated suppressed emotions are reached and released. At this point the emotions usually explode or deflate - childhood traumas are often trivial when seen through the eyes of an adult! Verbalisation and analysis is encouraged to begin by a 'report-back' technique. ' Healing' often takes hours, days, weeks... In my experience some fundamental insight or change occurred within a week and apparently 'out of the blue' requiring no further effort on my part.

As I worked through my own emotions and events that emerged during the focussed meditations it was almost as if I was clearing out a well, working my way down some internal conduit. Early in the course the physical sensations were high in my throat and chest but progressed down through stomach and abdomen. As I reached and cleared a level, often tears of release and healing emerged which were quite different from the emotions related to the event. (I have also experienced these healing tears in Christian Charismatic services). I believe that tears are part of the process of emotional healing but I will go into this in more depth another time.

Eventually, I reached the bottom of my 'well' and there was this 'Golden Ball'. Some months later when sitting in Zen meditation I was aware that this conduit was opened and that in some way a connection was made through which I received teaching. I had no idea what was expected to happen during sitting (still don't) so I just accepted (in the rebirthing manner) what occurred. I have since seen Eastern religious images which appear to depict something similar to my 'Golden Ball' but as the text was in Chinese or Japanese I had no idea what was being depicted. I have as yet no explanation and I suppose through fear and lack of supervision I don't formally 'sit'. Although, I do often go through the 'breath and settle' process as a form of 'grounding' when stressed or when I want to make a closer connection to the 'watcher'.

Because the rebirthing techniques worked for me I applied it in other areas of my life to see if it still worked - to define the boundaries of usefulness. I applied it to problem areas which were evident in more mundane areas of life. I suppose, to use a medical analogy, any problem is like an abscess or a boil which cannot be healed until it has matured and come to a point. By applying heat to the area you can speed up the maturation process. Somewhere between Rebirthing and Zen I did a Counselling course and found that by applying 'heat' to someone's' issue you could speed up the process of insight. I think this process could be usefully applied in Management, for tracing business problems or as a house-clearing exercise for instance.

In practical terms, by challenging with love and acceptance the tracks of a problem, one by one; you generally end up at a common root issue, solve the root issue and all the tracks disappear. Of course you may have more than one root issue. By experiencing the tracks of a business or personal process you can see where the weaknesses and root problems are. It is necessary however to allow the tracks just to BE until the end point is reached. If denial, rigidity, blame, shame, fear or controversy is allowed to cloud the issue a barrier emerges and you end up with a false end point. By taking on the role of 'watcher' or of 'facilitator' keyworkers can be encouraged to go through the process themselves.

Some interesting points to notice:

• When emotions are being expressed at their highest and most painful the process is working most efficiently.
• The smallest inputs often mark the beginning of a track.
• Giving time and attention to the strongest emotions encourages progress.
• Accepting without question or judgement whatever emerges allows deeper emotions to surface.
• The expression of emotion stimulates a healing process.

And a question:

Have you noticed how many of the barriers to efficient communication are rooted in unexpressed emotion?

Susan Shand

==

Hi Sue_san (Or should I call Susan?)

Thank you! You have captured a lot!! I am amazed and am still digesting the depth of your messages and figuring out the implications. While you say personalized, and I feel also the same from my point, it was a surprise to hear about "Rebirthing." The bottom line is that I see the process is in line to many of the ideas I found from my limited background and offers something that is very valuable. (I wonder if the therapy is well established or well practiced or backed up by some "theory" other than that of yours. Also, I am curious if there is anything on the web to describe this process or extent of the practice. Any insight?)

If we see the idea of Good Process and Mental Modem with Universal Translator as something to aim for, as you raised a question at the end, I wonder what the journey may be in that direction. A concern tied to your question may be that less and less time seems to be allocated for that to be processed in modern day lives. Now, if you do not mind to get into the next step or the second assignment(?!!), here are few ideas for consideration, one about tears, the other about management:

>>I believe that tears are part of the process of emotional healing but I will go into this in more depth another time.

Tied to this, here is a part of the epilogue from my green book, mini-company:

"It is OK"

Among many things we go through in our life, there are sufferings we face while causing the same to others as we live. When we go through such experiences, as we may be occupied to our own thoughts, we may be unaware of heart speaking to us. Yet, listening to "the voice" and to be aware of what is really happening is essential if we are to live a "genuine" human life.

Even though we are ultimately one with such voice, illusions get in the way. So, we need to develop a discipline of seeing our own self-nature quietly and listening to the voice. The voice may be heard in different ways. It may have characteristics of compassion, wisdom, inspiring message, or clearer understanding of our own behavior or our true nature.

One day, as I was on the hiking trail, I reflected on these points and said to my self, "I am sorry that I did not listen to you." As I reflected my life and saw how my mechanical mind took over, there was no excuse but to see myself causing such pain and suffering. So, I was playing catch with my heart reflecting some instances in my life. Even though I did not intend to cause suffering to others, or to myself, I did end up in doing so. With such confession, tears started to run. I wished I did not and would not cause suffering by not listening. Then, I heard a voice, saying "It is OK." It was the voice from deep inside my heart. More tears flowed as if they came from the same source perhaps as many other people who went through the same experience. I felt total forgiveness was given and just felt gracious.

Well, my journey continues yet to go through more trails in my life. Whatever may be waiting before me, I do not have a clue. Yet, "It is OK" was an answer to my "So what?" question. And, I will keep asking "So what?" in my journey -- perhaps to confirm that it is OK again and again. If so, it is OK. If it is not so, ultimately, it is OK as well. Also, this book is an answer to that question. The words written here may be soon dead just like a song of a bird. Once passed, they may not communicate the life. But even so, they were once alive, the best at that time - as much as everything we do in our life at each and every moment. And that is OK.

When we give up, that is when we fail. If we do not give up in our whole life, there is no failure in life. If we are truthful to our heart, and live according to the truth, we have destiny. Or, we may realize that we are the destiny itself. So, good luck in your journey! And, however tough the journey may seem like, let’s remember to listen to our heart and spare time to find little flowers blooming at their best on the roadside – as much as we are one of them after all.

* I wrote this based on my experience last December.

So, acceptance, surrender, tears, relief… Then, after let it BE, the subject may be tears????? (Golden ball and belly breathing may be the subject connected to this, perhaps.)

The other subject may be on Management:

>>I think this process could be usefully applied in Management, for tracing business problems or as a house-clearing exercise for instance.

It appears that what I practiced in my management consulting is: 1) my asking "So what?" to bring attention/focus, with the stance of 2) *let it be with love and acceptance* to bring creativity and caring in the organization. Then, I tried to summarize these in my green book. While I still wonder why it is often difficult to communicate, your explanation is very clear to me and I very much appreciate the efforts you took to explain to me, i.e., no mental modem needed. (FYI, I will post the 100 or so pages of entire green book - that may or may not be published mainly due to the lack of my communication skills - at my home page if you are interested to take a look at.) As you very positively mentioned, I also believe that there has to be a way to communicate. I will keep trying….

Thanks again,

Kio

P.S. All this morning, my 11-year-old son is playing with ATV(all terrain vehicle) that his friend brought yesterday to our house. There is no wind today and trees are standing still.

==

<<From Sue>>

KOI Explained Eventually

I vaguely remember my first year undergraduate philosophy lecturer dealing with mind/brain interface and the computer model of the brain. I’m afraid I skipped that though, in favour of Moral Philosophy or something. I would have to do some research if you wanted a serious discussion, although I would probably quite enjoy the excercise. Send me a reading list!

I quite like the children’s model "The Numskulls" which sees the body as a series of rooms populated by little characters who run around pressing buttons and transporting things in wheelbarrows! Models always have their limitations. There has been quite a bit of speculation in Science-fiction about the development of artificial intelligence but I have yet to find an example that solves the ‘spiritual’ element. Is this what you are trying to do? Since computers have been developed using a brain model in the first place aren’t you working your logic backwards?

I have read recently that sitting meditation ‘rewires the brain’ and that Zen monks have been found at post-mortem examination to have a thickened neuron somewhere. Is this your A10? ‘X’ you use as the ‘God’ factor which you see coming from the heart, is that right? I can’t quite work out what the ‘H-value’ is though.

KOI EXPLAINED

I see Koi (self/watcher) as being confined in the pond (mind) with the stems (truth logic) and the stones (dogma). The surface of the water (mirror) is disturbed (ripples) and activated (sunlight) by the wind (spirit) and the sun (light of truth - God factor). The paradox arises with Koi looking from within the water (mind) at her reflection which is fractionalised (ripples and dapples) above on the surface (mirror) whilst at the same time, having been transported through the water surface (mirror) into the sky [a flying fish, ha ha] and looking through the water surface at the fish (herself) beneath. This sets up that swinging mind motion that happens with paradox between the two views/ two selves/ two viewpoints; but the same consciousness.

This paradox is an image of what I mean by ‘reality reversed’. Koi, confined in the pond believes this to be the universe. Day to day life is normal and the only reality is within the pond. The stems point to an extra dimension since they break the surface in order to bloom but Koi has no direct access to that dimension; her very nature confines her. Her picture of any reality beyond is distorted and flattened into two dimensions on the surface of the water. Having transported through the mirror, from her position high above, she can see that the reality is so much larger and three dimentional, and that Koi’s world view and other-world view is a delusion.

I believe that this is how we live (in the pond) and that through the mirror is an other-world with an extra dimension - the spiritual. The stems point to the spiritual but unless we can transport beyond our humanity, any explanation we have of that other-world will be as distorted as Koi’s view.

I must go for now, we are going out to dinner and I have to take my rollers out!

Did you catch any fish yet?

Sue

==

Sue,

What a beautiful day it is! Somehow, when I am in Ireland, I appreciate the blue sky much more than I do in California. You must have somewhat similar weather there, I presume.

Well, fish.... I eat them when I catch. Small ones, I release. Typically, I like flyfishing in a remote location. I go to the River Slaney - ten minutes drive - for the sea trout, or white trout as it is called here. This evening, there are about five-six guys gathering at a lake nearby. Every year, Patty releases brown and rainbow trout in two of his private lakes and invite few of his friends every Monday - more like a members of a club. Just happened that I am invited. This has been going on for several years now. They are like 45-80's range in ages. Most of them wear jackets and ties. I can get by without wearing them as an ignorant "foreigner." They just accept me... as it is. My wife, Barbara, and our son, Kenji are invited. But they never went there for fishing.

The pond is nice especially in the evening with red evening sky and big oak tree in the silhouette. Many likes to joke around. Perhaps, I understand less than 50% of it. Yet, I like the characters and atmosphere. So, perhaps the next Monday, as my usual ritual, I bring a bottle of Champaign and some snacks like smoked sermon for a little feast by the pond. Then I set a beaten up table but with table cloth on it to somehow fit to the setting. Usually, there are swans - adults and their children at the lake. Last year, I brought brandy and Albert stopped fishing at a record speed by catching enough trout to bring home and started drinking to the point that he hit the car a bit on the way back. No serious thing, but this year, I may just bring light alcohol.

This evening, I may imagine the story of your Koi as I fish. When it comes to fishing and when the heat is on, it usually is a hard act to become a Bottisatva. Only oneness with fish with the tight line is the matter of importance. We shall see...

Kio

==

Dear Sue:

About computer and brain: There is no reading list except that Mr. Nakayama and I had series of discussion on HBC Model and the mechanism of inspiration. Your "Koi – reflection – Sun" image actually fits to HBC. Koi, perhaps frontal lobe, has capability to observe the mind activity with memories popping up in our consciousness. Memories that pop up change depending on the movement of the sun(X), and the activity in the frontal lobe where the manipulation of logic and memories, and judgment take place.

While I have but a conceptual knowledge about the brain, I sense that there are small selfs, you call fractionalized personality, and large self. Small selfs are like mini-brains, focused in specific field whereas large self encompasses more. Mini-brains are composed of mini-mini-brains with convoluted linkage among them, i.e., neuron linkage.

The capability of Koi to watch may vary by person. One of the question here is to broaden the view such that we do not sub-optimize our total human function/life. The effectiveness of such function may be characterized by how effectively we use all potentials in us. The H-value idea is then introduced to monitor how alive we are, or should I say how well we are utilizing our life energy and feel happy in doing so according to what is programmed by X, the law of universe, the God-factor.

I came up with the H-value idea first by trying to describe the function of "thought." Each mini-brain is like an individual organization to maximize the performance. This is the point you mentioned that I am working backwards. Correct. Yet, for most of us, it seemed easy to relate to the thought, its purpose, and its function first before getting into the "spiritual" subject. So, I took that avenue. Also, since modern day lives are so closely tied to thoughts being the main actor, I thought it is an easy entry point before going into the limitation of thought and to explore what is beyond.

Anyway, I thought we usually use our brain to manipulate what we have in the memory bank and try to come up with solution that maximizes H-value to conduct our lives. H-value could be totally deceptive in out thinking with many assumptions, however. Yet, the judgment is made according to evaluating the options available for us and H-values associated to these options. Some are long term while others are short term. But, for example, by using financial theory of discounted cash flow model with certain discount rate to come up with net present value, we can assume that such model may be used in our brain to compare and make judgment. (What I mean is that depending on estimated future H-value(s) and a person’s short or long term orientation, we can come up with some judgment criteria/process.)

However, this process may be sub-optimized at the mini-brain level if we do not see the total picture of what may be available for us. It is similar to company’s strategy development process. If we run a company, we want to come up with best scenario considering risk factors, probability of events, etc. This is tied with our thinking activity, or simulation activity. We can use this to think forward. Or, we can think backward to reflect and learn the lessons for future use. The point is that this is the part of the brain that we use quite extensively in modern day lives. (The relation to organization or company operation is summarized in the mini-company book where idea of self-management and coming up with the total optimization for the total company is proposed – with the help of "heart.")

The next question is about coming up with pragmatic understanding of the whole human/brain activity, its purpose, etc. In other words, if total maximization of H-value represents the full "alive-ness" of human, we want to find a way to achieve it and to live accordingly. As we may often find us being narrow minded, locally optimizing and not looking at the total picture, we need to ask "So what?" and try to be sincere in what we do. Then, we may find that our perceived H-value may be quite deceptive. For example, a question is "While this simulation (thinking) of H-values in the future or past is going on, what is going on to the presential H-value?"

From the point of X, future H-value is just a human invention and nothing guaranteed. The main concern is here and now – maximizing the presential H-value. It asks, for example, "If we are suffering now, what is the point of thinking of future or past? There is nothing guaranteed" Then, realizing the limitation of thought comes with the seeing of what is going on. Thus, this ties with your Koi, Golden Ball analogy or notion of the quiet center of wilbro. Then, the theory may continue with the mechanism of healing, release insight, inspiration process, etc., as supported by certain people’s personalized experiences and perhaps scientific observation. (Here, X in HBC Model may be seen as analogous to Golden Ball or Wilbro’s Quiet center/Rhubarb. It appears you have Koi and Golden Ball to correspond to Wilbro’s observation from the quiet center. Again, in HBC, it may be frontal lobe for Koi, mini-brain for fractionalized personality, and X for Golden ball. -- Boy, we certainly need the mental modem, universal translator and operating manual.)

If we look at HBC, the evolution is from "X to imprint to thinking to judgment" capability. (Frontal lobe is developed most recently in human evolution.) Your "sun/wind to ripples to pond and Koi" seem to correspond to that structure. If my theory is correct, development of A10 may correspond to your clearing the well story to get to the golden ball. In other words, A10 may help us to go back to the zero-base mind, i.e., the electricity grounding analogy, to go beyond the limit of thinking/conscious mind….and get the "teaching???!!!" And perhaps, by practice, we start to be able to close the circle to the "Rebirth" process – like in and out process. Over time, this may then correspond to widening the pond(or perhaps using the pond/mind well), growing Koi, and realize, " Realisation... is a continuous unfolding... ".

Then, the process continues – in a biological terms to keep exploring for H-maximization – of the universe. In short, mini-brain, frontal lobe, and X have its role respectively. The absolute winner is X as the answer is given before questions are asked. X operates in all. Yet, as there is no loser in the absolute term, X is not the winner, either. It is as it is. It is OK. However, looking at the tragedy coming out of this paradox, the notion of Bottisatva arises and tears may continue to flow.

* BTW, I was surprised to hear about the Zen monk’s neuron story. While I speculated this according to my theory on A10, to actually hear that story is very interesting. To confirm, could you tell me as to where I might access such an information? Perhaps, there may be other areas also affected.

Thanks,
Kio

==

A 'Rebirthing' search will bring up a lot of sites, some of which seem to be connected to business management. You could try The International Rebirthing Web Site or Http://www.rebirthingonline.com/htms/rebirth2.html (I'm sorry, I havn't tried to make links before, I hope this works.) Also a search on 'Leonard Orr' turns up some informative sites. Some of the general sites make a lot of outrageous claims and the theory has been around long enough for dogma to grow up so you may have to filter quite a lot. My analysis is based on my own experience and I tend to 'take what I like and leave the rest'. I can't stand dogma!

<<less and less time seems to be allocated for that to be processed in modern day lives>>

Yes. I think that it is fashionable in management to analyse, rationalise and categorise and I think that the human (emotional/spiritual) becomes problematic in the machinery. The 'human element' is seen as something to be minimalised and eradicated because it is unpredictable; but it is this very quality that generates creativity. In addition, human interaction in the workplace is (naturally) dependent upon those humans and their emotions/likes & dislikes/problems/emotional intelligence/ spiritual maturity/ etc etc. A holistic view would naturally want to find some inclusion of the emotional and spiritual amongst the more rational attributes. Besides, on a practical level, it is senseless to try to exclude elements that can only ever be suppressed (Ref: rebirthing) The "professional attitude/stance" is an attempt in part to do this; but individuals still need to find emotional and spiritual satisfaction in their work in order to be happy, and thus effective.

Willbro has come up with a good site Dr Laxtons Site Do you know it? I found the particle physics a bit tough and there were bells ringing around some of his arguments but it is very interesting. I have found your Management/life club but haven’t had time to read the posts yet. Perhaps I will have a clearer idea of your H-factor then. I must admit I am struggling through there being too many words that I don’t understand - also I am not that knowledgeable about how computers work internally either - although, I am an ex-nurse so I have a good understanding of the physiology of the brain. I’m sorry I can’t locate the reference to the monks’ neurone it was a post in a news group and it isn’t there anymore.

Your fishing club sounds amazing. How very Irish of them to wear ties! And to allow you not to! What a wonderful picture you paint.

Sue

==

About H-value

As posted on my home page, my white book describes the H-value in the following order under the section: Pursuit of Happiness: Our Behavior and H-Theory in Part One. (Please be reminded that this is a draft and I am working in the reverse order of creation of human brain to get to the X and to perhaps come back.)

The whole draft can be found at my home page. In the process of conversion to html, these page numbers are lost on HTML file. But if interested, you should be able to locate them in the text with little difficulty. If you have access to the briefcase with MS-Word, it is easier to locate them as you see above.

Last year, Phil-life-Mgmt club was created to write essaies like wilbro’s Doodle works but on the net with white book back in mind. So, I went back and forth between posting and writing this white book. The process is still going on. The intention is tie conscious/unconscious, spiritual, religious, scientific, psychological, and managerial issues together. It is to summarize my understanding for my use but perhaps for others as well. I do not know when or if I finish this. But the intention is there.

==

H-Value, Neuro Science, and Our Passage

A note from Laxton’s site (found from http://www.easystreet.com/~laxtonr/Strategy.htm#neuralnetwork)

"If neuron A repeatedly excites neuron B to the point of firing, A's efficiency in firing B increases ­ that is, the weight or strength of the synaptic connection, the association between the two neurons, increases (Soucek and Soucek 1988, p. 49). Repetition strengthens connections."

This ties to my A10 hypothesis. Together with H-theory (Please be reminded that this is being developed) the following may be inferred:

• Satori: Removal of hurdles creating psychological problems for living better, i.e., new neuron highway is created – this is inspiration, i.e., life in action, tools for better use for H-maximization or less waste in use of life energy to meet the purpose of X(God).
• This the same in joke, discovery, and other aha, experiences. – all connecting to find better living/alive-ness. Tear, smile… may also represent the release, healing process.
• So, for example, if Koan is solved, it has the same implication as getting a joke from the viewpoint of neuro science. It is to release from the bound situation in our conscious mind/closed circuit/fixed mind.
• There is certain pattern/learning that one can obtain by going through exercises so to speak, like learning to ride a bicycle, that such can be applied here as well. A question is related to the mechanism/practice of such training, e.g., yoga, re-birthing, zen, etc. etc. Also, a person’s certain likes and dislikes may affect the way of learning. (Wilbro says, "people may need to be tricked. So, he sets the trap, "goad," or do whatever as I did in my management consulting career.)
• Collecting various people’s spiritual experiences and find certain pattern should help study these issues.
• An expression like "Eventually, I reached the bottom of my 'well' and there was this 'Golden Ball'" may describe the development of neuron process to open the conduit, i.e., new connection. Or, the next expression implies the use of some energy field to facilitate the healing/creative process, i.e., connection of neuron; "any problem is like an abscess or a boil which cannot be healed until it has matured and come to a point. By applying heat to the area you can speed up the maturation process." Here, there may be a tie in to the change in the composition of hormone.
• Enlightening experiences, samadhi, tears, etc. should have certain relationship here. ("I have read recently that sitting meditation ‘rewires the brain’ and that Zen monks have been found at post-mortem examination to have a thickened neuron somewhere." According to Sue)

Then, tied to three identity structure of wilbro, this escape/transcendental leap implies a neuron path that should connect "Me," "I," and "Knower." which may correspond to three different areas of brain, i.e. mini-brain - frontal lobe – root of brain. Since the Knower should have access to all, it may be at the root of the brain, whatever form or wherever location that is. Then, "applying the heat" may correspond to "Scan disk" and "fixing/creating" neuron path process. So, it takes time. (It needs to self-organize to find the best connection of neuron and speed things up at synapse level. This ties to the notion of "creativity" I described in the green book.)

So when wilbro did exercising in and out or checking me-I-Knower relationship, or when Sue did clearing out the well process, that must have done the work in brain to "discover and repeat the process to strengthen the connections." Their play at Universe of Zen may help smoothen the neuron path to keep it open and use that path for H-max. Then, the energy field they apply there may help others to find their own passage – given the help of the "Knower" "Golden Ball" or X at the collective level. This has a possible tie in to (natural) leadership issue. (This is the connection of web to organization to personal analogy of organization Dr. Laxton infers. However, he does not seem to tie into spiritual dimension, yet.)

Here is another quote from Dr. Laxton’s site,

"The brain also seems to identify not by exact matching but by a 'fuzzy' recognition of some fundamental similarities between the new encounter and past stored associative encounter patterns. Further, because of Hebb's Law, an incoming pattern strengthens the associations between similar pieces of stored pattern, while those that don't match the new associations are weakened by the new neural communication. Patterns that are repeatedly activated thus develop strong connections, while those that don't get 'dampened' (Sutherland 1963). On the cognitive level, as Hofstadter says: 'The more different manifestations you observe of one phenomenon, the more deeply you understand that phenomenon ...' (1985, p.253).

So, if the connection between "Me" and "I" is established, the creation of neuron passage to connect "I," and "Knower" is viewed as the next key point. Then:

• What may be the analogy of learning to ride a bicycle here such that the dualistic world and the absolute world can be bridged, i.e., eradicate the human suffering?
• Is it to think of such as problem and let the work done by the X – so that "heat" is applied? (Any implication of image control here?)
• Is it to go through the process with great intent and try all sorts of different approaches with some kind of model/pattern in mind, e.g., HBC Model?
• Then, once such experience is learned, find the pattern so that the process may be better internalized? (How can one avoid the fixation of mind though?)
• Is there an analogy made here to have three treasures(San-Po?), i.e., Awakened one (Buddha), Dharma, and Sangha (Group of informed people sharing certain belief) as a way to facilitate the process?
• While such process is going on, should we not check and balance with conscious brain such that the connection between "Me" and "I" is also intact? Should this not help integrate the whole neuron activity in the brain with certain principle? Also, we may need to do the check and balance with other people as well.

What is interesting is to be alive means to live at the now and here as seen from the AI point as well as seen below:

"Thus, any AI simulation in the strong sense (and probably in the weak sense as well) - AS DEVELOPED BY AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMMER, OR TEAM OF PROGRAMMERS, ON A MACHINE, OR LIMITED NUMBER OF MACHINES, NO MATTER HOW PARALLEL OR POWERFUL - is impossible, not just in practice (too much to input) but also in principle, with current I/O - because each instant of experience would take infinitely long to input with any I/O less comprehensive than 'living' perceptive mechanisms. Else each new experience would be created faster than it could be absorbed. 'Feeding a life' can only take place real-time, by living it."

In other words, use of conscious brain is almost equivalent of not living fully – if we are occupied too much in such an activity. Yet, if we just use the here and now brain, we are nothing different from animals. So, we want to "apply heat" to "the cloud of unknowing," which may be found between the conscious brain and X. Then, develop the conduit. An idea here is to lead to Zenki, or use the full potential of what we have – internal and external - and tie it with H-max.(individual) and H-max. (universe). So, let’s do the scan disk operation as Buddha did in his frequent meditation practices so that the passage ahead is in line to H-max., combined with the ability we have collectively. Then, let the "heat applied" to find the answer – with the help of The Contributor/Creator, X.

* Sue: I am to post the above piece at Phil-life-mgmt club. So, other people may take a peek and possibly join the discussion. Also, with your permission, I would like to post the series of our dialogue in my home page like I did for Eddy and Wilbro. The purpose is to share the idea and to invite anyone interested to make comments and share insights. Hope it is OK. Personal stuff is eliminated from the dialogue. (BTW, as noticed, what I miss is the parables. So, may I look forward to seeing your parables popping up perhaps at your home page?)

Thanks,

Kio

==

Rewiring

Hi Kio

Thank you for the references. I will have a look at the weekend when the phone is cheaper! Although I haven’t got Word on this computer and no modem on the computer with Word so it might be difficult!

I am glad that you found Prof. Laxton’s site interesting. That quote about neurones will be useful for you I imagine.

I have no objection to you posting some of our conversations if you wish. I am not so sure about removing all the ‘parables’ though (although some of them may be a little unsophisticated). If the brain works on the ‘Fuzzy’ system of ‘What is it like?’, an example of ‘what it is like’ seems a good thing to me. There is also quite a lot of educational research which argues that this is an essential part of the learning process - to make connections with the familiar. Perhaps this is what the Professor draws on for his statements.

RESPONSE

I’m afraid this response got a bit out of order as I tried to make links of my own, I hope it is not so ‘fractionalised’ as to make no sense.

Bicycle analogy - Yes I agree here that the persistence of practice facilitates (promotes?) proficiency (ha ha this is fun). I think Wilbro’s ‘goad’ here would equate to (if you remember learning to ride a bike) the point at which the child has nearly ‘got it’ and the parent is holding the back of the seat. The child has a mental link of trust that the parent has control of the balance and can therefore concentrate on the other aspects of managing the exercise. At the crucial moment the parent lets go; but the child (thinking that the parent has the balance) continues and succeeds in riding the bike alone until realising that the parent has let go. At this point, the child either has a failure of confidence, or suddenly realises that they CAN do it and continues alone.

The act of balancing the bike cannot be done cognitively; in fact, it is better to distract the cognitive mind so that the automatic system can work without interference. It could be said that the parent letting go is the ‘trick’ - but the mental link of trust in the child is very important to this process. I can’t see how Buddhists utilise this effect without an adequate concept of God?

No. The ball was there always - I just found the route to it, that is all. And the ‘well’ (conduit) is not located in the cognitive area; it is emotional and located in the body, the whole physical body. No words come from the ‘golden ball’ only spiritual instincts. Although, it may be connected to / speaking through the watcher when the conduit is free and open and not blocked by unresolved ‘suffering’.

What is ‘samadhi’? I don’t know this word.

The Fuzzy system = "What is it Like?". So understanding what constitutes a ‘dualism’ in one circumstance means being able to recognise ‘dualism’ in other circumstances. (associative encounter patterns). This implies a steady learning process done cognitively. Actually this section does not accord with my ‘strong connections’. In my experience, an encounter with "The Numinous" (God) /enlightenment / X / whatever, cuts across these neural connections and ‘rewires the brain’. My first (enlightenment) experience as a Christian actually turned my life around and all my "What is it like?"’s were instantly changed. The neural connections were instantly connected to different neurones. This was not a cognitive event. I ’saw through different eyes’ and then had to go away and think about what had happened to me. Perhaps this would equate to a ‘download’/’up-load’ or 'reprogramming' event. Is this the same as Satori? In which case the Ahaa! Moment/ joke/ koan etc would be a mini-satori/ a mini-enlightenment. Or perhaps these are just ‘aftershocks’ where resistant or complex connections need to rewire at a later time once some settling period has passed. Or maybe lesser used connections only 'rewire' (re-programme) when they ‘come on-line’ at some time after the earthquake of the main experience.

Yes. I think it takes time to assimilate the change into everyday life and across all aspects of the personality, almost like a ‘virus’ spreading and growing exponentially.

Again in my experience, the ‘heat’ is applied By X. If you have a ‘bug’ in a programme in order to identify it you approach it from all possible angles until it is clear in which area the ‘correct’ function is blocked by the ‘bug’. You can then resolve the programming error. If there is something in your life that is not functioning ‘correctly’ then you will constantly be being presented with situations which test this function and challenge it. If you are foolish you will avoid those situations and therefore avoid the 'debug' process. If you are wise, you will welcome the (often difficult) ‘heat’ and get it over with quickly, so resolving the area of ‘suffering’ (programming error).

Certainly, I have felt physical sensations in my brain as I have adjusted to the decoding of Zen posts. Almost as though the process of searching the memory and symbolic language directory for conceptual links was ‘forcing’ the growth of the cells. This reminds me of your example of Daisetz who,

You probably recognise the difficulty and delay that occurs when you try to remember something that you haven’t used for a while. If you don’t use the connections they ‘get rusty’ or decay. That process of finding the memory information, or of tracing links, is not done consciously. The conscious mind flags up what it needs, *learning to ride a bike* and focuses on that thought. This is the point at which ‘mentation’ takes over (computation) and when the information (memory) is found it flashes up in conscious memory. This is very like a web browser isn’t it? You won’t be able to watch this particular process because we have already talked about this incident so the mentation/ connection has already been made while you were doing something else, but you could try it with, for instance

Or some other early significant but infrequently used memory event. The process becomes more complex when single words or names are required and here, significance, usefulness and frequency of use play a part. You probably, for instance, can remember well your first schoolteacher’s name and face - but not the teacher who taught you next. The first is so much more significant! (There is a large body of academic study on the cognitive psychology of memory and memory recall process.) If you include the ‘watcher’ in this process you have a spiritually directed mentation process which is infinitely superior to the physiological original - rather like a master server directing computation in a remote linked/ networked machine. The question here is how do you get linked to the network in the first place? Perhaps this is the purpose of the first sartori/ enlightenment/ spiritual experience.

Well, no. I don’t want to discourage you in your endeavour, but linking the spiritual to the scientific is rather like a pork chop at a Jewish wedding - it’s not Kosher! You open yourself to a lot of derision! The scientific stance is largely *if you can’t touch it/ measure it/ weigh it - it doesn’t exist!*. Look at the trouble that western medicine has had in accepting eastern medical techniques such as Acupuncture - despite the evidence of its’ efficacy. Once they started talking about ‘Chi’ and ‘meridians’, and couldn’t actually dissect these things out of the body, they were dismissed as deluded charlatans. It has taken extensive double/double blind clinical trials and a lot of philosophical/linguistic acrobatics to get Acupuncture accepted at all in this country and even now it is viewed with great suspicion. Of course this is a very, very good reason to go ahead!

Yes. This is applying new behaviour after some mental change event. The first time is a crisis point quite often but after that it becomes easier until the behaviour pattern is smoothly included in the individual’s resources. This is rather like printer operations from a computer I think. Your ‘fixation of mind’ would be like only ever using one printer when a range were available perhaps? This stems from lack of confidence and practice in using the alternatives.

I don’t understand where the link is here, could you explain in more detail?

This is a spiritual maturity issue. With an immature individual more checks and assimilation's will be needed. In my experience, eventually you learn to trust the experience and therefore don’t need to ‘check it out’ with other people. You also learn that it isn’t necessary to ‘understand’ what has happened in a spiritual experience and to ‘let it be’ - knowing that the life changes will happen quicker if you don’t worry at it like a dog with a bone.

Yes. I liked this too. Living in the now!

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X, energy field, connection, progress, meaning, web, organization

• Neuron connects with each other ( like an organization to form itself ) and find a state to go against the law of entropy.
• If this is not used to prove its effectiveness, it will lose the meaning to exist and lose its connection eventually.
• Connection is made when there are needs. Evolution in species, inspiration in individuals, leadership in organization, and compassion in humans are examples of such process.
• Conscious mind use the connection already established to optimize the output, i.e., H-maximization or optimization.
• In unconscious mind, the process is the same but without judgment. It is already established according to the process taken in the past.
• Creativity is to find a new connection to meet the needs. It is to find a new paradigm for progress, i.e., to go against the law of entropy. This is the meaning for all living species. H-value is a measure to see how it is progressing or regressing.
• There are certain processes that may help to go through this process. One is related to the characteristics of creativity mentioned in the green book. The other is scientific process of problem solving as practiced by scientists and spiritual people, e.g., eight noble paths.
• Both can be combined, explained, and practiced in various ways in various subject to solve problems – with a help of X. For example, Hishiryo, apply heat, read/hear – think- pray/meditate.
• Ultimately, it is X, the program of the universe, doing the job. Yet, when the connection is not found, or problems are not resolved, there are situations where H-values go down. One such case is when people suffer psychologically.
• This is a humanly created problem because our self/fixed mind/dualistic view gets in the way.
• Connection is reestablished by taking away the cloud of unknowing and disposing the unneeded to the cloud of forgetting.