If you do woodworking - because you enjoy it - you've probably
experienced
the "Zen Thing". You get into doing something this "thing" happens
where
stuff just happens and you're just part of whatever "it" is. Evertyhing
does what it's supposed to do effortlessly - just so. Ambient noise
just
disappears, time stops, things just happen - and though you're a part of
whatever this thing is - you're just that - a part of something -
somehow
linked to something unimaginably larger- and older - though relative
time, or
time itself is anything other than a human construct to mark our
individual
comparitively brief existence.

But the "Zen Thing" is like a dim star in the night's sky. If you try
and
focus on it and really try and see it - you can't. But - if you can put
it
in your field of vision - but not focus on it - it's there to see - but
not
directly.

Most of us live in a night environment filled with streetlights and
signs
and car lights, man made attempts to conquer darkness, to impose our
will on our environment. The price tag of course is that often those
lights hide the wonders of a clear "dark" night's sky - and all the
amazement of all those little points of light out there - and perhaps
the realization that what we can see is just a tiny part of an
inconceivable whole.

For me, it's when "I" get out of the way "we" tap into something that
can't be explained but only experienced. It doesn't happen very often,
but just often enough to act as a reminder that Me/Not Me, Them vs
Us keep me from being part of that Zen Thing. And that carries over
into other daily things which makes life, this manifestation of a minute
part of the whole, fun.

charlie b
taking off his robe, hanging up his meditation beads
and heading off to play WITH some wood, make a Shellac
Shake - and maybe, just maybe Get In The Zone - again.

In article , says...
If you do woodworking - because you enjoy it - you've probably
experienced
the "Zen Thing". You get into doing something this "thing" happens
where
stuff just happens and you're just part of whatever "it" is. Evertyhing
does what it's supposed to do effortlessly - just so. Ambient noise
just
disappears, time stops, things just happen - and though you're a part of
whatever this thing is - you're just that - a part of something -
somehow
linked to something unimaginably larger- and older - though relative
time, or
time itself is anything other than a human construct to mark our
individual
comparitively brief existence.

But the "Zen Thing" is like a dim star in the night's sky. If you try
and
focus on it and really try and see it - you can't. But - if you can put
it
in your field of vision - but not focus on it - it's there to see - but
not
directly.

Most of us live in a night environment filled with streetlights and
signs
and car lights, man made attempts to conquer darkness, to impose our
will on our environment. The price tag of course is that often those
lights hide the wonders of a clear "dark" night's sky - and all the
amazement of all those little points of light out there - and perhaps
the realization that what we can see is just a tiny part of an
inconceivable whole.

For me, it's when "I" get out of the way "we" tap into something that
can't be explained but only experienced. It doesn't happen very often,
but just often enough to act as a reminder that Me/Not Me, Them vs
Us keep me from being part of that Zen Thing. And that carries over
into other daily things which makes life, this manifestation of a minute
part of the whole, fun.

charlie b
taking off his robe, hanging up his meditation beads
and heading off to play WITH some wood, make a Shellac
Shake - and maybe, just maybe Get In The Zone - again.

For me, not Zen but "Flow," the state of mind described
by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mih%C3%...ntmih%C3%A1lyi

S.

charlieb wrote:


For me, it's when "I" get out of the way "we" tap into something that
can't be explained but only experienced. It doesn't happen very often,
but just often enough to act as a reminder that Me/Not Me, Them vs
Us keep me from being part of that Zen Thing. And that carries over
into other daily things which makes life, this manifestation of a minute
part of the whole, fun.

It's kind of funny that you posted this on the day I returned from a
Jack Kornfield retreat. G

On Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:55:40 -0700, charlieb
wrote:

If you do woodworking - because you enjoy it - you've probably
experienced
the "Zen Thing". You get into doing something this "thing" happens
where
stuff just happens and you're just part of whatever "it" is. Evertyhing
does what it's supposed to do effortlessly - just so. Ambient noise
just
disappears, time stops, things just happen - and though you're a part of
whatever this thing is - you're just that - a part of something -
somehow
linked to something unimaginably larger- and older - though relative
time, or
time itself is anything other than a human construct to mark our
individual
comparitively brief existence.

But the "Zen Thing" is like a dim star in the night's sky. If you try
and
focus on it and really try and see it - you can't. But - if you can put
it
in your field of vision - but not focus on it - it's there to see - but
not
directly.

Most of us live in a night environment filled with streetlights and
signs
and car lights, man made attempts to conquer darkness, to impose our
will on our environment. The price tag of course is that often those
lights hide the wonders of a clear "dark" night's sky - and all the
amazement of all those little points of light out there - and perhaps
the realization that what we can see is just a tiny part of an
inconceivable whole.

For me, it's when "I" get out of the way "we" tap into something that
can't be explained but only experienced. It doesn't happen very often,
but just often enough to act as a reminder that Me/Not Me, Them vs
Us keep me from being part of that Zen Thing. And that carries over
into other daily things which makes life, this manifestation of a minute
part of the whole, fun.

charlie b
taking off his robe, hanging up his meditation beads
and heading off to play WITH some wood, make a Shellac
Shake - and maybe, just maybe Get In The Zone - again.


CharlieB:

Check out a much studied Psych phenom called, "flow".

Not that it explains all, but there is a developed language.



Regards, Tom.

Thos. J. Watson - Cabinetmaker
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet

charlieb wrote:

If you do woodworking - because you enjoy it - you've probably
experienced
the "Zen Thing". You get into doing something this "thing" happens
where
stuff just happens and you're just part of whatever "it" is. Evertyhing
does what it's supposed to do effortlessly - just so. Ambient noise
just
disappears, time stops, things just happen - and though you're a part of
whatever this thing is - you're just that - a part of something -
somehow
linked to something unimaginably larger- and older - though relative
time, or
time itself is anything other than a human construct to mark our
individual
comparitively brief existence.

But the "Zen Thing" is like a dim star in the night's sky. If you try
and
focus on it and really try and see it - you can't. But - if you can put
it
in your field of vision - but not focus on it - it's there to see - but
not
directly.

Most of us live in a night environment filled with streetlights and
signs
and car lights, man made attempts to conquer darkness, to impose our
will on our environment. The price tag of course is that often those
lights hide the wonders of a clear "dark" night's sky - and all the
amazement of all those little points of light out there - and perhaps
the realization that what we can see is just a tiny part of an
inconceivable whole.

For me, it's when "I" get out of the way "we" tap into something that
can't be explained but only experienced. It doesn't happen very often,
but just often enough to act as a reminder that Me/Not Me, Them vs
Us keep me from being part of that Zen Thing. And that carries over
into other daily things which makes life, this manifestation of a minute
part of the whole, fun.

charlie b
taking off his robe, hanging up his meditation beads
and heading off to play WITH some wood, make a Shellac
Shake - and maybe, just maybe Get In The Zone - again.

I have tried to discuss this very phenomena with many people. It
is true of music also. When the groove happens, it is cosmic, man!

What did the Bhuddist ask the hot dog vendor?

Make me one with everything.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

In article ,
Robert Allison wrote:

What did the Bhuddist ask the hot dog vendor?

Make me one with everything.

But when the Buddhist asked about the rest of his fiver, the hot dog
vendor replied, "Change only comes from within."

And yes, flow it is, not zen. And yes, flow is a great place to be.

--
"Keep your ass behind you."

Australopithecus scobis wrote:
In article ,
Robert Allison wrote:


What did the Bhuddist ask the hot dog vendor?

Make me one with everything.


But when the Buddhist asked about the rest of his fiver, the hot dog
vendor replied, "Change only comes from within."

And yes, flow it is, not zen. And yes, flow is a great place to be.


Actually it is the Tao, not flow. And with Tao, you can't help
but be in it, you just sometimes can't see that you are in it.

As a wise man once said; The Buddhist god is so powerful that he
does not even need to exist.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

On Aug 5, 11:33*am, Robert Allison wrote:
Australopithecus scobis wrote:
In article ,
*Robert Allison wrote:

What did the Bhuddist ask the hot dog vendor?

Make me one with everything.

But when the Buddhist asked about the rest of his fiver, the hot dog
vendor replied, "Change only comes from within."

And yes, flow it is, not zen. And yes, flow is a great place to be.

Actually it is the Tao, not flow. *And with Tao, you can't help
but be in it, you just sometimes can't see that you are in it.

As a wise man once said; *The Buddhist god is so powerful that he
does not even need to exist.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

*flicking on my Allan Watts CD*

Robatoy wrote:
On Aug 5, 11:33 am, Robert Allison wrote:

Australopithecus scobis wrote:

In article ,
Robert Allison wrote:

What did the Bhuddist ask the hot dog vendor?

Make me one with everything.

But when the Buddhist asked about the rest of his fiver, the hot dog
vendor replied, "Change only comes from within."

And yes, flow it is, not zen. And yes, flow is a great place to be.

Actually it is the Tao, not flow. And with Tao, you can't help
but be in it, you just sometimes can't see that you are in it.

As a wise man once said; The Buddhist god is so powerful that he
does not even need to exist.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX


*flicking on my Allan Watts CD*

That's Alan Watts. Ain't he a hoot?

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

An answer to What is the sound of one hand clapping? is obvious
to any bald person (he said, clapping one hand on his/her forehead/
five head/six head.

A young zen buhddist monk is given a coan by his master, not
knowing that by intent, the question has no answer. It's purpose
is to wear out/wear down the ego enough to get it out of the
way of enlightenment.

The young monk meditates for an entire week - no sleep,l no food
and only a sip or two of water each day - the whole time he's really
leaning into it trying to come up with The Answer.

At the end of the week he asks his master for permission to commit
suicide, having failed so miserably and disgracing his master, his
monastary, hhis family and village. His master suggests he try
again - just for a day. If, by the morning of the second day, he still
hasn't gotten "it" he would be permitted to jump of the tall monastary
water tower - at sunrise.

The young monk returns to his cell and redoubles his effort to
answer the coan. As each hour passes he strains harder and harder,
stretching his mind and body beyond what he had thought were
their limits. Nothing.

In the cool crisp morning air the young monk begins his climb to
the top of the water tower - meditating for all he's worth trying
to come up with an answer.

Sitting on the edge of the water tower, waiting for the first
morning rays of sun to crest the mountains on the far side of
the valley from him he meditates for all he's worth - covered
in persperation and shuddering in the chilly air - grateful for
the slight breeze which cools him a little. The sounds of the
village below begin to reach him as the first cock crows,
anticipating the sunlight by moments.

The young monk tries desperately to find The Answer, realizing
what he's about to give up - to no avail.

And just as he's stepped off the tower - he got it!

- end of Zen joke -

As science explores the very small and the very large it's becoming
more and more apparent that Everything Is Everything might actually
be true - different manifestations of the whole.

So when one's ego gets sidetracked - and out of the way . . .

"charlieb" wrote in message

And just as he's stepped off the tower - he got it!

- end of Zen joke -

Let me guess ... you're not from Texas?



--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/14/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

charlieb wrote:

Snippage

And just as he's stepped off the tower - he got it!

- end of Zen joke -

As science explores the very small and the very large it's becoming
more and more apparent that Everything Is Everything might actually
be true - different manifestations of the whole.

So when one's ego gets sidetracked - and out of the way . . .

Have you ever read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"?

Your zen joke is in that book.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

On Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:48:36 -0400, Tom Watson
wrote:

CharlieB:

Check out a much studied Psych phenom called, "flow".

Not that it explains all, but there is a developed language.



Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

"In his seminal work, 'Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience',
Csíkszentmihályi outlines his theory that people are most happy when
they are in a state of flow— a state of concentration or complete
absorption with the activity at hand and the situation. The idea of
flow is identical to the feeling of being in the zone or in the
groove. The flow state is an optimal state of intrinsic motivation,
where the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing. This is
a feeling everyone has at times, characterized by a feeling of great
freedom, enjoyment, fulfillment, and skill—and during which temporal
concerns (time, food, ego-self, etc.) are typically ignored.[citation
needed]

In an interview with Wired magazine, Csíkszentmihályi described flow
as "being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego
falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows
inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being
is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost." [2]

To achieve a flow state, a balance must be struck between the
challenge of the task and the skill of the performer. If the task is
too easy or too difficult, flow cannot occur.

The flow state also implies a kind of focused attention, and indeed,
it has been noted that mindfulness meditation, yoga, and martial arts
seem to improve a person's capacity for flow. Among other benefits,
all of these activities train and improve attention.

In short; flow could be described as a state where attention,
motivation, and the situation meet, resulting in a kind of productive
harmony or feedback."



(Of course some people are just more...viscous...than others.)








Regards, Tom.

Thos. J. Watson - Cabinetmaker
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet

On Aug 5, 4:32*pm, Robert Allison wrote:
Robatoy wrote:
On Aug 5, 11:33 am, Robert Allison wrote:

Australopithecus scobis wrote:

In article ,
Robert Allison wrote:

What did the Bhuddist ask the hot dog vendor?

Make me one with everything.

But when the Buddhist asked about the rest of his fiver, the hot dog
vendor replied, "Change only comes from within."

And yes, flow it is, not zen. And yes, flow is a great place to be.

Actually it is the Tao, not flow. *And with Tao, you can't help
but be in it, you just sometimes can't see that you are in it.

As a wise man once said; *The Buddhist god is so powerful that he
does not even need to exist.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

*flicking on my Allan Watts CD*

That's Alan Watts. *Ain't he a hoot?

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

Whuh.... is there an Allan Watts? Ohhhhhhh... I get it!!!! You got me
on a typo!!!!!
Squeeze your little fist! Now you are RICH!!

Swingman wrote:

Let me guess ... you're not from Texas?



No, but I spend two or three weeks there every couple of years
working on a friend's place in the outskirts of Kyle, near Austin.
And after a couple of hours manhandling a Ditch Witch in that
concrete stuff just under the dirt my brain tends to turn to
mush. Not quite a Zen Moment - but close enough.

Also learned that there can be TWO bulls in the same pasture.
Not a good thing to discover when you're standing on the nearrow
at the top earth dam for the stock pond and notice a 1200 pound
bull on each end - staring angrily - at each other - or maybe you.
Not a Your Life Passing Before Your Eyes thing, but I sure hoped
a) that stock pond was deep and b) that these bulls weren't good
swimmers. Figure swimming with cotton mouths was better than
getting sandwich between two Someday McDonalds Burgers - with
attitudes.

Robatoy wrote:
On Aug 5, 4:32 pm, Robert Allison wrote:

Robatoy wrote:

On Aug 5, 11:33 am, Robert Allison wrote:

Australopithecus scobis wrote:

In article ,
Robert Allison wrote:

What did the Bhuddist ask the hot dog vendor?

Make me one with everything.

But when the Buddhist asked about the rest of his fiver, the hot dog
vendor replied, "Change only comes from within."

And yes, flow it is, not zen. And yes, flow is a great place to be.

Actually it is the Tao, not flow. And with Tao, you can't help
but be in it, you just sometimes can't see that you are in it.

As a wise man once said; The Buddhist god is so powerful that he
does not even need to exist.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

*flicking on my Allan Watts CD*

That's Alan Watts. Ain't he a hoot?

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX


Whuh.... is there an Allan Watts? Ohhhhhhh... I get it!!!! You got me
on a typo!!!!!
Squeeze your little fist! Now you are RICH!!

When do the checks start arriving?

I was trying to help with others that may be trying to find his
books. Start with; "The Book", also known as; "The Taboo
against knowing who you are".

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

On Aug 5, 4:59*pm, "Swingman" wrote:
"charlieb" wrote in message

And just as he's stepped off the tower - he got it!

- end of Zen joke -

Let me guess ... you're not from Texas?



One of my favourite songs:

You say you're not from Texas
Man as if I couldn't tell
You think you pull your boots on right
And wear your hat so well
So pardon me my laughter
'Cause I sure do understand
Even Moses got excited
When he saw the promised land
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
But Texas wants you anyway
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
But Texas wants you anyway
See I was born and raised in Texas
And it means so much to me
Though my girl comes from down in Georgia
We were up in Tennessee
And as we were driving down the highway
She asked me baby what's so great
How come you're always going on
About your Lone Star State
I said that's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
But Texas wants you anyway
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
But Texas wants you anyway
Oh the road it looked so lovely
As she stood there on the side
And she grew smaller in my mirror
[ Find more Lyrics at www.mp3lyrics.org/6Ogx ]
As I watched her wave goodbye
Those boys from Carolina
They sure enough could sing
But when they came on down to Texas
We all showed them how to swing
Now David's on the radio
And old Champ's still on the guitar
And Uncle Walt he's home with Heidi
Hiding in her loving arms
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
But Texas wants you anyway
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
But Texas wants you anyway
They're OK in Oklahoma
Up in Arkansas they're fair
But those old folks in Missouri
They don't even know you're there
But at a dance hall down in Texas
That's the finest place to be
The women they all look beautiful
And the men will buy your beer for free
And they'll say that's right
you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
But Texas wants you anyway
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
But Texas wants you anyway
So won't you let me help you Mister
Just pull your hat down the way I do
And buy your pants just a little longer
And next time somebody laughs at you
You just tell 'em you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
But Texas wants you anyway
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
That's right you're not from Texas
But Texas wants you anyway