Just something that popped up coming back from the store. I'm going to break it into 2 parts.

Humans like other mammals are given instincts. I'm not sure about other animals, but we have the ability to control our instincts (to a certain extent). Given the modern situation of society, a lot of our instincts lay dormant at most times. The grocery store takes away the hunter in us, so to speak. So, is Zen a evolution? Through not being able to act out our instincts, man has found the need to search elsewhere for contentment. Usually a male's present day hunting situation requires him to fix computers, translate text, or present marketing strategies etc. As a result there is a dissatisfaction through out their existence, and an imbalance. These instincts seem to be tools that we once used, yet now they are obsolete most of the time.

Part 2

Presumption

From our experiences throughout our life we are exposed to many situations, and results. We see our mother cutting bread with a knife and see that the result is a slice of bread, so from then on we presume that if we cut the bread with a knife it will produce a slice. Seeing a large bolder about to fall on a car, we have an understanding that the car will be crushed. So coupled with our instincts these experiences and presumptions cause us to act or react in a certain situation. Preventing this action could be said as being an inhuman act. The wisdom lies in the ability to see our presumptions of reaction/action and react to the situation in the appropriate manner understanding that the outcome is uncertain, but not hindering our instincts.

Thoughts?

Gassho