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"The Stink of Zen"

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The title of this post is a reference to something Alan Watts wrote in his 1957 book, The Way of Zen . That is: "In studying or practicing Zen it is of no help to think about Zen. To remain caught up in ideas and words about Zen is, as the old masters say, to 'stink of Zen.'" First, another Alan Watts quote, which I would say myself at this point, but he has already said it so well that I must quote him instead: "I suppose most of you have heard of Zen. But before going on to explain any details about it, I want to make one thing absolutely clear: I am not a Zen Buddhist, I am not advocating Zen Buddhism, I am not trying to convert anyone to it. I have nothing to sell." That's the part I wanted to say at the offset here, but to continue his quote, he said: "I'm an entertainer. That is to say, in the same sense, that when you go to a concert and you listen to someone play Mozart, he has nothing to sell except the sound of the music. He d...
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The Pymander in Latin

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PIMANDER I-XIV MERCVRII TRISMEGISTI LIBER DE POTESTA TE ET SAPIENTIA DEI PER MARSILIVM FICI NUM TRADVCTVS AD COSMVM MEDICEM. Tu quicunque es: qui haec legis. siue grammaticus: siue orator: seu philosophus: aut theologus: scito. Mercurius Trismegistus sum: quem singulari mea doctrina & theologica: aegypti prius & barbari: mox Christiani antiqui theologici: ingenti stupore attoniti admirati sunt. Quare si me emes: & leges: hoc tibi erit commodi: quod paruo aere comparatus summa re legentem uoluptate: & utilitate afficiam. Cum mea doctrina cuicunque aut mediocriter erudito: aut doctissimo placeat. parce oro: si uerum dicere non pudet: nec piget. Lege modo me: & fatebere non mentitum: sed si semel leges rursum releges: & caeteris consules: ut me emant: & legant. Bene Vale. Argumentum Marsilii Ficini florentini in Librum Mercurii Trismegisti: ad Cosmum Medicem Patriae Patrem. [e]O tempore: quo Moyses natus est: floruit Athlas astrologus Promethei physici frate...
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Conversations with Andrew Da Passano: "Awareness"

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(the white bold font is Andrew, the grey italics the students at his house in Hollywood Hills that night ) Just to find out: who has something to tell me about the work of these weeks? You have something. OK. Start this way, then. Tell me. After focusing very hard on dropping the saliva into the Chi, and then bringing it up to the pineal gland, I can't sustain intense pineal gland meditation. I mean after about ten minutes of that it gets almost unbearable, yet during that time of focus, I'm able to get more and more to a point of an unwavering emphasis and focus on the pineal gland, and even though for just a few minutes when I'm done with that I have an immense feeling of satisfaction. Do not bring it back to the pineal gland. You said last week After you ... No. Leave it there. It will go by itself, when the golden light will blend with the white light. But this is far from being the moment. And it must not be pushed. This is a very delicate operation; let t...
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