[MillionPaths] re: Zen Bob's wisdom...

[Guest guest]

Thanks Brian. ZenBob is an

extraordinarily wise leader and an authentic personality. We are happy

to say that he is a long time and permanent resident of our sangha. A

few months ago I spoke to Zenbob by phone and he had us both rolling in

laughter. I will pass this message to HS so that Zenbob sees it.

Information about the H-sangha and how to join is given below.

/join

 

"Love itself is the actual form of God."

Sri Ramana

In "Letters from Sri Ramanasramam" by Suri Nagamma

Brian wrote:

Hi Zen Bob,

This is pure wisdom - as clear as anything I've ever read! Thank you

for sharing this - I

read it to my wife, who like you, exemplifies love, compassion, and

wisdom rather than

"preaching" it.

I think it was Shakespeare who said, "A robe does NOT make a monk."

Love to you and yours,

Brian

> >

> > Tony,

> >

> > I have no problem with directly discussing your issues,

> whatsoever, but you

> > have avoided answering any of my questions put to you. That

is

> avoidance,

> > too. Let me share something with you, before you also judge

me

> in your wide

> > net of generalization. I have gone to ashrams, I have been

a

> vegetarian for

> > periods of time...I desired to be so, for all of the reasons

that

> you so

> > proudly (and that is the problem here) state. I love

animals, I

> raise them for the

> > pleasure of their company -- not for slaughter...or did you

not

> bother to

> > read that reply? I have brought back a healthy wild bird

> population to this

> > area that was totally frightened away because the local

residents

> were shooting

> > at them constantly. I worked for five years ceaselessly to

> protect riparian

> > habitats for raptors and other wild birds and now, I can

say,

> that these

> > efforts have paid off, quite magnificently. My acreage is

one of

> the few areas

> > in all of the western US where Imperial woodpeckers live and

> breed

> > peacefully, and flourish. But we do have death and

slaughter

> here Tony. How and why?

> > Who could be so spiritually evil as to kill another living

> creature for

> > their food? Raccoons, opossums, coyote and even puma

frequent

> these areas and

> > kill my goats, chickens, geese and even have attacked and

killed

> neighbor dogs

> > and Llamas.

> >

> > Would you kill a puma to save a goat? To save a child? To

save

> yourself,

> > Tony? Its a difficult real world decision, but if you love

your

> flock, your

> > family and your own existence, you learn to fight to protect

> these things, and

> > sometimes you have to do terrible things and hope that the

> universe forgives

> > and understands. After all, the predator just wanted to

eat, and

> my goats,

> > birds, children and I just wanted not to be eaten. There is

no

> other ethical

> > or moral issue, no other higher spiritual nature to that

struggle.

> >

> > Finally, Tony, I found that I could not remain healthy

eating

> just a

> > vegetarian diet, I cannot digest soy products unless they

are

> ferments--many people

> > cannot. In order to maintain good muscle tone and not get

weak

> and also to

> > gain excess weight, I found that meat...fish, chicken and

some

> beef in

> > moderation gave me the best balance nutritionally. Efforts

to

> cut back or

> > substitute non-meat sources simply do not work for me. I am

> agile for a 225 pound 5

> > foot ten inch tall male, quick enough to catch goats, sheep

and

> other wild

> > animals that leaner, younger people in the area cannot do.

I can

> hold an

> > adult Emu completely still by gripping its powerful legs in

one

> hand, while

> > placing a bag over its head to calm it down, so that it can

be

> safely transported

> > without injury.

> >

> > Strength and agility are necessary when one works in ranch

type

> environment,

> > and although you think that an aspirant on a vegan diet in

an

> ashram

> > meditating and singing is far and away further along some

> spiritual path than the

> > cowboy who sits under the stars playing his guitar and

grooming

> his horse

> > ...well, I really don't know if that is true, and God Save

Me

> from ever thinking

> > that I know the answer to that.

> >

> > Our complaint here Tony is that you keep setting yourself up

as

> judge and

> > jury, when there is no judge, there is no jury, there is

only

> your own choice,

> > my own choice and to each his or her own.

> > Your comments violate the spirit of good etiquette, and

although

> we all

> > enjoy a little cage rattling from time to time, your

repeated

> comments in this

> > same attitude are wearisome and tactless. It is one thing

to

> comment on your

> > own choices in life, good or bad, and we all know that all

of us

> have made

> > mistakes and are imperfect, but you don't do this- you keep

> decrying the

> > practices of others and providing completely erroneous

analysis

> of what you believe

> > their motives and actions mean or what consequences they

lead to.

> >

> > You don't know. We don't know. Everyone should cultivate

> compassion and

> > kindness in their daily lives. No one is arguing with you

on

> this obvious

> > point. No one has called for the daily torture of innocent

> animals, plants or

> > people. No one is arguing that the torture of prisoners in

> secret US camps is

> > a fine thing, in fact, a wonderful thing that should be

expanded

> because of

> > the good it accomplishes!

> >

> > Who do you take us all for, Tony? We are not idiots, we are

not

> cruel

> > people, we are not dense, and we are not involved in this

group

> to be lectured by

> > someone such as yourself who lives in some high-minded

delusion

> of spiritual

> > superiority. We are interested in good ideas, wisdom,

elevating

> the spirit

> > through discourse, discussion and humor. We like to come

here to

> dip our cup

> > into the spiritual reservoir that is this Satsangh, to come

away

> refreshed,

> > a smile upon our faces, new clarity in our minds, and

perhaps the

> still

> > shimmering goodness of our drink to pass this cup among

others so

> that they too

> > might be refreshed and healed.

> >

> > I usually try to avoid bringing the ugly realities of the

outside

> world into

> > this place, Tony, because this is not the purpose of this

place.

> I

> > apologize for needing to express some of that in this post,

and I

> beg the forgiveness

> > and understanding of the other members.

> >

> > Peace,

> >

> > Namaste,

> >

> > Zenbob