It is my true wish to see into my own true nature. and to discover the truth of life and its meaning.

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At first, in awakening, I thought I had found the truth.  As things progressed, I realized I had found *no truth*, and that nothingness is the foundation of anythingness and everythingness.

If you say you know, it surely means you dont.  And if you insist that you know, thats a good way to get banned.

I think we are all on our own path, and we have to find our own truth, because that is the only One that will work for us individually.

Once youve reached *nothingness* where do you go from there ?  That depends on the individual.  One person said here that when he got to the top of the mountain he let out a yell that shook the universe.  I can see that.  When I reached that point, I took flight because there was nowhere else to go.  I can see that too.  Someone else might tunnel into the mountain, or slide down its side.  Who knows ? 

Prepare to be yourself, or your Self, and or both.  Who knows ?

Your path is a journey of Self discovery, and of Self acceptance, that will ultimately allow you to accept yourself, the you you know as you.

Zenguide Forom has continually grown.  I cant say it has improved, because Im not sure what would constitute that, but there are a lot more people here, and the topics are more diverse.

When I got here over 10 years ago, the regulars included Shayne, Woodsman, Joe Chip, Lehish, Chontri, maybe Boymonk, and some others I dont recall.

We had a big blowout when a guy named Steve announced that since he was a professional teacher in real life, he was taking over the forum and would direct the questions from then on.  I left the forum for a while, over that, and when I looked back in later saw that Alan had stepped in and said this is a discussion forum, not a sanga, and there are no teachers here.  We still run into that from time to time.

What is relevant to Buddhism, of course, are the teachings of the Buddha, and historical figures since then in Buddhism.

What is relevant to Zen, I dont know.  What is not relevant to Zen, I dont know.

But I keep coming back, because Im killing time on the night shift, I like the people here, including those whom I have fought with, and because I find *nuggets* here that make my life better.

Quote: "I'm the wrong man, right side of the tapestry."
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in other words, 'you were born on the wrong side of the blanket'....teste moany?

its a journey of Self discovery.

Doesnt matter what you think, or what others think of what you think.

A friend of mine says she told her mom some ot the stuff I told her, and her mom thinks Im a bonefide nutcase.  I asked, *Doesnt your mom go to church every sunday?"  She said yes she does.  Then I said, "I think it is crazy to believe that God sacrificed his only son on a cross, like a pig on an altar, to pay for the sins of mankind."

It is good to take your own opinions, as well as those of others, with a grain of salt, maybe even a whole shaker of salt.  Look back on the opinions you used to have that have been replaced when knowledge or belief rendered then obsolete.  What will you think of the opinions you have now when they get to that point.

You cant be wrong until you arrive at a conclusion.  And then its just a matter of time....