Cobie

Meaning depends on context. The word "emptiness" in (Google) Soto Zen is not about nothingness. Re. the saying, “form is emptiness, emptiness is form” English dictionary: ‘emptiness’ - the state of containing nothing ‘form’ - the visible shape of something Using English definitions the saying makes no sense. (Google) Soto Zen Buddhism: ‘emptiness’ (sunyata) - impermanence and interdependence of all phenomena. ‘form’ - things of the physical world Using Zen definitions the saying seems almost superfluous to mention, obviously the case.

context decides the meaning: form is emptiness, emptiness is form.

righto, might be why we say “checkmate”

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There’s no such thing as “coincidence” for a Buddhist feline. I deduce Gato Blanco must be your sock-puppet. ‘there can be only one’ it might be @liminal_luke in Mexico! “meaningful”, oops, don’t go, will get to that. Are you interested in the Dao De Jing?

Hi Gato Blanco. Welcome to the forum. For me, I pretty much limit myself to the Dao De Jing. Peace and harmony to you too! 🙏 @Apech there’s another white cat!

Thank you for giving your perspective. My experience is different. My experience is that my natural state is to be aware. It was only by tensing my body that I could enter the lie of unawareness. So in my experience unawareness requires action.

… 敚[糸禾]， … Silent and still, 独立而不亥，it stands on its own and does not change. … 字之曰道。 … We refer to it as the Dao. (DDJ ch. 25 , Henricks)

playing hide and seek smiling was frivolous once, byzantine icons

Lol, I spoke too early. Good to see ‘steve’ back, no doubt still ‘ben way’ [or as I read it, 本道 (ben3 dao4) truth]

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the Source is 自然 (zi4 ran2) unknowable

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I don’t do philosophising. Laozi literally means the female womb. As for the literal “1, 2 and 3 ... ” see https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/56993-chapter-4/?do=findComment&comment=1057738

I think that would be @Nungali

In the DDJ, ‘nothingness’ is the empty womb. Sinologist Ellen M. Chen, “the Nothingness of Dao is the emptiness of the female womb.” (page 93, ‘In Praise of Nothing’, An exploration of Daoist Fundamental Ontology)

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No.

Lol, I fear this is going to be a very short thread indeed. When you’re right you’re right. Done and dusted.

I agree. 信 心 銘 (xin4 xin1 ming2) precious words from the heart I agree the five aggregates are not the ‘self’ definitely That’s what I notice with the DDJ too. Imo the DDJ is simple and down-to-earth, good advice for living life. But people seem to only be interested in the most bizarre and obscure translations, where they can make anything of it (e.g. that it’s a code for top secret esoteric practices).

Hi John. Welcome to the forum. @-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-

Hi Lala, welcome to the forum. @Nungali

me too. And seems Laozi too, DDJ ch. 70: [start ch 70 MWD B (DIO)] 吾 言 易 知 也 wú yán yì zhī yě - We say: change awareness, 易 行 也 yì xíng yě - change behaviour. 而 天 下 ér tiān xià - But in our society 莫 之 能 知 也 mò zhī néng zhī yě - it’s not possible to be aware, and 莫 之 能 行 也 mò zhī néng xíng yě - it’s not possible to be alright. [end ch 70 MWD B (DIO)] 是 以 圣(聖) 人 shì yǐ shèng rén - Therefore a ‘wise and moral’ person 被 褐 bèi hè - meets with the darkness 而 怀(懷) 玉 ér huái yù - and yet has a pure mind.

creating dependence