Hi Steph, Chet, Will, Everybody!
I love yous guys stuff. I love what you guys write. I find so many of the ideas fascinating. I love great conversations and "back & forth". I am from the Bronx ... I understand the verbal style, Steph. That's not really it.
I think that what I am trying to say, actually, is not so much about the tone (though there is that sometimes, let's all "make nice" and keep gentle language even when we don't want to do so) ... but more, it is about slowing up the racing mind. The ideas are fascinating, but there are too many of them for Zen practice, too many all at once and/or in sequence.
The way to practice silence and simplicity is so often silence and simplicity.
How about I make a suggestion to everybody in the Sangha (except folks who never post ... they should post more!
): Force yourself to skip two out of three postings you wish to make, and answer with silence? It is like Mushin's excellent practice of looking for the space between breaths (which I fully support ... just not during Shikantaza). We need to respond to more ideas and questions with silence and simplicity, not animated conversations. Don't stop posting and communicating (like we should not stop breathing), but be reserved ... hesitant to speak ... of few words ...
Sometimes, maybe most times, we can best talk about "Zen" ... and these topics ... with stillness, silence, a smile.
I have to go do the Saturday "live" sitting now, but I think I will post this up as its own topic later tonight.
Am I clear, or have I said too much?
Gassho, Jundo