Thought for the Day - Mar 27

Subject: Thought for the Day - Mar 27
From: Peter T.
Date: 27 Mar 00 - 10:33 AM

In his new book on learning how to play honkyoku (the ancient "original music") on the Japanese shakuhachi flute, Blowing Zen, Ray Brooks describes his entry into Japanese culture, the history of the flute, his teachers (including the great Katsuya Yokoyama). At one point he goes and visits an old player who has become a Zen monk in a far western monastery. In the course of their conversation, the monk is asked what is meant by a meaningful life. He replies: "First it's important to see how we are really living in our daily lives. It is more important to look and clear away what isn't true or meaningful in our lives than to spend a lifetime searching elsewhere for what is true and meaningful. This clearing away takes a great deal of energy. Then to see what you're left with when you've cleared away what isn't true and meaningful." This is a stronger, clearer, nearer road to the true and the meaningful: drawing towards those things that are true and meaningful in our lives already, and away from those that are not.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Mar 27
From: Midchuck
Date: 27 Mar 00 - 10:48 AM

But - if I cleared away what isn't true and meaningful in my daily life, I'd have no income except the couple of thousand a year I get from doing music, and I'm not ready to try and live on that! Maybe when I qualify for social security....

Peter.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Mar 27
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Mar 00 - 12:12 PM

I am finding, on the verge of another year's cylce of life, that I am eager to *distill* my life in this way, Peter. I understand, though, what Midchuck is saying, too.

It is scary to let go of the security, even though we know the stress of it is detrimental to our health. Rog and I are both determined to become more self-sufficient doing what we love to do rather than what others want to *own* us to perform.

Nice to see you back with a TFTD threads.

luvyakat

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Mar 27
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 27 Mar 00 - 02:28 PM

Well Peter, if I were to completely clear away everything that is not meaningful in my life, I would probably be down to one clean pair of underwear, and having all the people I love near by.
That amount of clearing will most likely take my entire lifetime to accomplish.

Good to see you back creating Thought To Ponder On For The Day.

Little Neo

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Mar 27
From: Amos
Date: 27 Mar 00 - 04:05 PM

Lord love you, Peter T., it's good to hear your voice again.

A