#superessential

[rayless-reblogs]

"Get to Know You Better Meme"

I got this from @runicmagitek, thank you for that.

Last song. "I Need Nothing Else" by Sophie B Hawkins. I used to listen to her Whaler album back in the 2000s, then forgot about it for years. She has a fun, headlong, early 90s style that's extremely catchy.

Favorite color. I really like deep jewel tones, teals and wine-reds, also burnt orange. There's this really great magenta-touched purple that I use in some of my art that never scans correctly. We'll go with burnt orange today.

Currently watching. The Nanny, just started season 3. I've never seen it before, but I was lured in by the clothes.

Sweet/savory/spicy. Yes to sweet and savory, no to any but the most mild spices. I have wimpy taste buds, but I'm trying to build them up some. When I crave something, it's usually sweet, though often with savory undertones -- like a banana bread or Tollhouse pie with lots of walnuts in it.

Relationship status.

Current obsession. I'm focusing hard on the Next Book right now. I'm between edits, which has me antsy because I feel like I'm being "lazy". But the truth is, I have to take these breaks or I lose perspective on what I'm doing. But this month I'm going to be working on things like the cover and blurb and just going over how I want to talk about the book and present it to people. The process has its stressful moments, but I also really love the book, so it has its own kind of pleasure, thinking about it, preparing for it.

Last thing you googled. "greek epiousion". I just saw a post talking about how the Greek word epiousion only appears in the Lord's Prayer and its definition is a bit mysterious. It's the word we translate as "daily", as in "daily bread", but it's not the word the Greeks typically used for "daily", and the definition may actually be closer to "superessential". I think it's fascinating, and a little eerie, that things can feel so omnipresent and taken for granted, even when we have these gaps in our knowledge. What prayer, at least Christian prayer, is more omnipresent than the Lord's Prayer? And yet here it is, this strange, only semi-known thing right in the middle of it.

Also, all these centuries, we could have been bandying around a word like superessential like it's nothing, why can't we have that?

No tagging, but please do this if you're so inclined!

[the-framed-maelstrom]

The end of all motion is its beginning; for it terminates at no other end save its own beginning from which begins to be moved and to which it tends ever to return, in order to cease and rest in it.

"Thus, God is called Essence, but strictly speaking He is not essence: for to being is opposed not-being. Therefore He is (hyperousios), that is, superessential. Again, He is called Goodness, but strictly speaking He is not goodness: for to goodness wickedness is opposed. Therefore (He is) (hvperagathos) that is, more-than-good, and (hyperagathotas), that is, more-than-goodness. He is called God, but He is not strictly speaking God: for to vision is opposed blindness, and to him who sees he who does not see. Therefore He is (hypertheos) that is, more-than-God-for (theos) is interpreted "He Who sees." But if you have recourse to the alternative origin of this name, so that you understand (theos), that is, God, to be derived not from the verb (theoro), that is, "I see," but from the verb (theo), that is, "I run".

John Scotus Eriugena, Periphyseon (The Division of Nature)

[donnerpartyofone]

I have been selfishly sitting in the direct path of these fans at church. Fortunately no one is fighting me for the seat; I know old people can get very cold, maybe they don't overheat as quickly for the same reasons? Anyway, now I get to watch the slow death of the lilies placed at the feet of Saint Anthony for his feast last week. I'm a big fan of him, especially as a person who chronically loses things (“Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony please come around. Something is lost and needs to be found!"), but I also like that he spoke multiple languages and was extremely eloquent and compelling. As someone with pretensions of being a writer, that's an enviable claim to fame; people tell me I'm articulate but I don't think I have ever won an argument one single time in my whole life. Imagine being so convincing that people want to do this to your jaw bone?

There's a story about him that seems to both contradict and reinforce this reputation, in which he preaches to a bunch of heretics who ignore or insult him, so he says "fuck this" and goes to preach to the creatures of the sea--who are startlingly responsive. I wish there were more great artistic renditions of this episode than I have found, but I enjoy the Böcklin one a great deal:

(I wish I could find a sharper version but oh well) On a related note, today I learned that the word "daily" that describes "bread" in the Lord's Prayer is translated from a Greek word that appears just twice in the New Testament, and again only in a 5th century Egyptian shopping list. It may have been originally coined to approximate whatever Jesus originally said in Aramaic or Hebrew, and its exact meaning remains controversial and mysterious:

Possibilities include daily as in "quotidian", or daily as in "forever" (like all of the days comprising eternity), or something more like "essential" (what is needed to sustain a day), or more likely "SUPERessential" as in either "abundant, more than necessary" or "beyond material essence and into the essence of spirit". Of course I'm being very clumsy in my own approximations but the Wikipedia article is really interesting. I like the interpretation that says "Give us today the bread of tomorrow," perhaps meaning sustenance for the afterlife.

Of course the copy-of-a-copy-of-a-copy sensation attached to the Bible is one reason why it's hard to get secular people on board with religion (including me). You are always just "taking someone's word for it", but it's hard to even say exactly whose word we are taking. And what the word really is, or was. Even the word "word" is loaded, it's like some hybrid of "concept" and "intention", as in "the Word made flesh". Today when I was looking at the statue of Saint Anthony I noticed that he has a book open--who knows what book, but he can't possibly be reading it because Jesus is stomping all over it. It's funny to think of Saint Anthony trying to read (probably) scripture that the Christ Child is completely in the way of. I guess whoever designed the statue would probably prefer that I not read too much into it.

[themotherofrevelation]

The Great Goddess is superessential mystery.

[locustheologicus]

Deification and the Spirituality of the Force

In the fourteenth century the eastern mystic Gregory Palamas wrote his famous spiritual work called "The Triads". This was a defense of the eastern contemplative monks and their spirituality, prayer life and ability to access a divine energy that would grace them (at times) with certain abilities. In it Gregory describes the difference between God's essence (which we cannot access) and the divine energy of God which he suggests that certain holy and disciplined people can access. These energies allow a monk to achieve a certain level of transcendence and become equipped with certain spiritual gifts that touch the divine energies.

In the first place, that essence is one, even though the rays are many, and are sent out in a manner appropriate to those participating in them, being multiplied according to the varying capacity of those receiving them. This is what Paul means when he speaks of "the parts of the Holy Spirit". Furthermore, the essence is superessential, and I believe no one would deny that these rays are its energies or energy, and that one may participate in them, even though the essence remains beyond participation.

I find this mystical concept exciting because it alludes to a Christian spirituality that resonates with the idea of the Force as it is presented in the Star Wars movies in relation to the Jedi (monks that are considered force wielders). Just consider the above quote with the following quote from the wisest of Jedi Masters:

This is part of a theological tradition known as deification or theosis, the way that we participate with the divine nature and transcend our limited and corrupted self. This is the part of our Christian tradition where Saints Athanasius and Augustine would say "God became human so that humans could become God". The rule of St. Benedict begins to instructs the monks by telling them: "Open our eyes to the deifying light [apertis oculis nostris ad deificum lumen]". In the liturgy the priest says the following words when mixing the water and the wine which also speak to the tradition of deification, "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity."

The Social Document by Pope Paul VI tells us that it is the mission of the Church to guide people towards the truth of who we are and who we are called to be and this mission also comes with a social responsibility.

In the social sphere, the Church has always wished to assume a double function: first to enlighten minds in order to assist them to discover the truth and to find the right path to follow amid the different teachings that call for their attention; and secondly to take part in action and to spread, with a real care for service and effectiveness, the energies of the Gospel. OA, #48

"The energies of the Gospel" is a curious phrase here. It calls to mind the language that Palamas uses to describe the vehicle that deifies us. I very much doubt that Pope Paul VI intended to use Palamas' concept of deification but what he does say suggests that the power of the Gospel emanates from God and once we access this divine truth with an "enlightened mind" then we are called to participate in the divine plan for the redemption and liberation of the world.

Going back to Gregory Palamas he went further to describe how the divine energy engages the monks who are able to access it and the power that flows from it. This again speaks to me of a Christian spirituality that connects with the Jedi movement.

Do you not understand that the men who are united to God and deified, who fix their eyes in a divine manner on Him, do not see as we do? Miraculously, they see with a sense that exceeds the senses, and with a mind that exceeds mind, for the power of the spirit penetrates their human faculties, and allows them to see things which are beyond us. In speaking of a vision through the senses, then, we must add that this transcends the senses, in order to show clearly that it is not only supernatural, but goes beyond all expression.

Deification is very much part of our early Christian spirituality and I think it is a concept worth emphasizing these days. We should recapture the idea of striving for holiness and being open to participating with the divine energy to bring about goodness and virtue in our corrupted society. Perhaps through the Star Wars universe we can recapture this aspect of our faith tradition and dare to believe that we too can participate with the divine energy and become Christian force wielders.

This may be something worth contemplating, but lets also take some time to reflect on the difference between a friar, a monk, and a jedi.

[alchameth]

"But we must begin to deal with the remaining part of our discourse, and must ask, in first explanation of the forms, why the Word of God prefers the sacred symbol of fire almost above all others. For you will find that it is used not only under the figure of fiery wheels, but also of living creatures of fire, and of men flashing like lightning who heap live coals of fire about the Heavenly Beings, and of irresistibly rushing rivers of flame. Also it says that the Thrones are of fire, and it shows from their name that the most exalted Seraphim themselves are burning with fire, assigning to them the qualities and forces of fire; and throughout, above and below, it gives the highest preference to the symbol of fire.

Therefore I think that this image of fire signifies the perfect conformity to God of the Celestial Intelligences. For the holy prophets frequently liken that which is superessential and formless to fire which (if it may lawfully be said) possesses many resemblances as in visible things to the Divine Reality. For the sensible fire is in some manner in everything, and pervades all things without mingling with them, and is exempt from all things and, although wholly bright, yet lies essentially hidden and unknown when not in contact with any substance on which it can exert its own energy. It is irresistible and invisible, having absolute rule over all things, bringing under its own power all things in which it subsists. It has transforming power, and imparts itself in some measure to everything near it. It revives all things by its revivifying heat, and illuminates them all with its resplendent brightness. It is insuperable and pure, possessing separative power, but itself changeless, uplifting, penetrative, high, not held back by servile baseness, ever-moving, selfmoved, moving other things. It comprehends, but is incomprehensible, unindigent, mysteriously increasing itself and showing forth its majesty according to the nature of the substance receiving it, powerful, mighty, invisibly present to all things. When not thought of, it seems not to exist, but suddenly enkindles its light in the way proper to its nature by friction, as though seeking to do so, uncontrollably flying upwards without diminishing its all-blessed self- giving. Thus many properties of fire may be found which symbolize through sensible images the Divine activities. Knowing this, those wise in the things of God have portrayed the Celestial Beings under the figure of fire, thus proclaiming their likeness to the Divine, and their imitation of Him in the measure of their power."

- The Celestial Hierarchy, by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite

[dailylifewithdid]

“As the moon without the Light of the sun is dark, so likewise the images produced by thought have no power unless they are strengthened by the Will; while the Will is useless unless it is guided and brought into a form by thought. If thought and will are divided, they are both ineffective; but if thought and will are in unison, they become effective; they then constitute a Unity, and this unity is called "Spirit.” ->💫 "All things are a trinity of Fire, Light, and Air. In other words, ‘Spirit,’ the ‘father,’ is a divine superessential light; the ‘son,’ the light having become manifest; the ‘holy spirit’ a divine superessential air and motion. The fire resides within the heart and sends its rays through the whole body of man, causing it to live; but No Light is born from the fire Without the presence of the spirit of Holiness. To express this in other words we may say—All things are made of thought, and exist in the Universal mind (the Astral Light), and withIN each is latent the will, by whose action they may become developed and their powers unfolded. This takes place under favourable circumstances by the slow and unconscious action of the Universal will acting in nature, and may be accomplished in a very short time by the aid of the conscious will of the alchemist; but before the will of a person can accomplish such wonders in external substances, his will MUST first become self-conscious withIN itself; the Light that shines from the centre of his own heart, Must become Living and Bright before it can act upon those substances with which the Alchemist deals." ~Franz Hartmann 👁 🧘‍♂️ 💫 ⚕⚕ ⬆️ "The spinal cord is the principal laboratory for the alchemist, and that the spinal spirit fire, generated by turning the creative force upward through the spinal canal, passing it between the pituitary body and the pineal gland in the brain, gives to man a third eye as it were wherewith to See IN the spiritual worlds. When this serpentine spirit fire has been sufficiently evolved, he may read by its Light the Wisdom of the Ages." ~Max Heindel Artist: John Stepehns https://www.instagram.com/p/CKuEa6VlALc/?igshid=1lcwks0tqxvls

[poetry-toru-karasawa]

(via superessential-blog)

Beauty of 算数

[hieromonkcharbel]

Superessential Trinity, adored in Unity, take from me the heavy yoke of sin, and in Thy compassion grant me tears of compunction.

[artmd]

What a fantastic explanation and overview of the ninefold Christian celestial hierarchy - the beings from above who govern the universe.

Roughly, there are 3 orders: those that serve directly God/Jesus and His throne, those that govern matter/creation/spirits, and those that deal more directly with human beings.

The most intriguing to me, from the second order:

Dominations or Lordships

The "Dominations"[citation needed] (lat. dominatio, plural dominationes, also translated from the Greek term kyriotētes, pl. of kyriotēs, as "Lordships") or "Dominions" are presented as the hierarchy of celestial beings "Lordships" in some English translations of the De Coelesti Hierarchia. The Dominations regulate the duties of lower angels. It is only with extreme rarity that the angelic lords make themselves physically known to humans.

The Dominations are believed to look like divinely beautiful humans with a pair of feathered wings, much like the common representation of angels, but they may be distinguished from other groups by wielding orbs of light fastened to the heads of their scepters or on the pommel of their swords.[citation needed]

Virtues or Strongholds

These angels are those through which signs and miracles are made in the world.[11]

The term appears to be linked to the attribute "might", from the Greek root dynamis (pl. dynameis) in Ephesians 1:21, which is also translated as "Virtue" or "Power". They are presented as the celestial Choir "Virtues", in the Summa Theologica.

From Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite's De Coelesti Hierarchia:

"The name of the holy Virtues signifies a certain powerful and unshakable virility welling forth into all their Godlike energies; not being weak and feeble for any reception of the divine Illuminations granted to it; mounting upwards in fullness of power to an assimilation with God; never falling away from the Divine Life through its own weakness, but ascending unwaveringly to the superessential Virtue which is the Source of virtue: fashioning itself, as far as it may, in virtue; perfectly turned towards the Source of virtue, and flowing forth providentially to those below it, abundantly filling them with virtue."[12]

[pathofregeneration]

The Dome of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque (completed 1619), Estafahan, Iran

* * *

“1. I believe that there is one first cause of all things, whose nature is so immensely transcendent, that it is even superessential; and that in consequence of this it cannot properly either be named or spoken of, or conceived by opinion, or be known, or perceived by any being. 2. I believe, however, that if it be lawful to give a name to that which is truly ineffable, the appellations of The One and The Good are of all others the most adapted to it; the former of these names indicating that it is the principle of all things, and the latter that it is the ultimate object of desire to all things.”

— Thomas Taylor, The Platonic Philosopher’s Creed

[tomasorban]

FROM LETTERS OF DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE.

Darkness  becomes  invisible  by  light,  and  specially  by  much  light.  Varied  knowledge  (αἰγνώσεις), and especially much varied knowledge, makes the Agnosia to vanish. Take this in asuperlative, but not in a defective sense, and reply with superlative truth, that the Agnosia, respecting God, escapes those who possess existing light, and knowledge of things being; and His pre-eminent darkness is both concealed by every light, and is hidden from every knowledge. And, if any one,having seen God, understood what he saw, he did not see Him, but some of His creatures that are existing and known. But He Himself, highly established above mind, and above essence, by the very  fact  of  His  being  wholly  unknown,  and  not  being,  both  is  super-essentially,  and  is  knownabove  mind.  And  the  all-perfect  Agnosia,  in  its  superior  sense,  is  a  knowledge  of  Him,  Who  is above all known things.

The Divine gloom is the unapproachable light in which God is said to dwell. And in this gloom,invisible indeed, on account of the surpassing brightness, and unapproachable on account of the excess of the superessential stream of light, enters every one deemed worthy to know and to see God, by the very fact of neither seeing nor knowing, really entering in Him, Who is above visionand knowledge, knowing this very thing, that He is after all the object of sensible and intelligent perception, and saying in the words of the Prophet, “Thy knowledge was regarded as wonderfulby me; It was confirmed; I can by no means attain unto it;” even as the Divine Paul is said to haveknown  Almighty  God,  by  having  known  Him  as  being  above  all  conception  and  knowledge.Wherefore also, he says, “His ways are past finding out and His Judgements inscrutable,” and His gifts “indescribable,” and that His peace surpasses every mind, as having found Him Who is above all, and having known this which is above conception, that, by being Cause of all, He is beyond all

[absurdreverie]

spirits in an inner world or landscape-

the leaves are starting to change and it’s getting chilly at night and i’m getting the pre-autumnal feel of where solitude feels extra sweet.

and speaking of sweet the state fair starts up in a few more weeks and i already have my short list for all the treats i want to eat- kettle corn, funnel cake, maple cotton candy :’)

and on a totally random side note Catholic mysticism is wild.

i came across this passage while reading

“as far is possible, raise thyself up in unknowing even unto union with Him Who is beyond all essence and all knowledge, for it is indeed by going out of thyself and out of all things with an irresistible leap, free and pure, that thou shalt raise thyself up to the pure and superessential ray of the divine darkness, after having abandoned all things and having liberated thyself from all... Then, delivered from all objects and from the very organs of contemplation (the contemplative) penetrates into the truly mystical Cloud of Unknowing in which he finds himself in utter intangibility.” (Dictionnaire de Spiritualite, ii, 1899)

 this made me remember how i had a ‘dark night of the soul’ some years back, and it was truly a very scary and difficult time in my life and yet i do think it eventually allowed me to grow inwardly and find a deeper appreciation & reverence for things (from silence to the trees) and feeling open to the different possibilities of the sacred without feeling crazy.

and even if in some ways i might still be a little eccentric, finding my way back to ordinary reality and having a grounding & balance in everyday life has been so important to me- so when i go to the state fair it will be fun to see the beauty & the dynamic creative world each person is a part of in such a carnival setting without feeling overwhelmed by it.

[armyhealth9-blog]

Altitude Training, Red Blood Cells & Shellfish: Are Clams The Next Big Performance Enhancing Supplement?

When it comes to nutrition benefits, clams are interesting creatures that pack an impressive nutrient-dense punch.

For example, they are well known as a source of iron. 

There are two types of iron – heme and non-heme. Heme-iron is more bioavailable, which means it is better absorbed and can be utilized by the body. Clams have both versions of iron, and a 3-ounce serving of clams can provide up to 24 mg of iron. In addition to Iron, clams are an excellent source of:

The list goes on and on…and my guest on today's show, Craig Dinkel – a supplement formulator, ultra-endurance athlete, altitude specialist and much more – has studied and managed to harness the power these superfood sea creatures. On today's show, we take a deep dive into clams, his new Altifuel supplement, and much, much more.

During our discussion, you'll learn:

-About Craig's adventure on the Hardest Hike in America (which we talked about his last time on the podcast)…4:30

Along the Sierra High route; At altitude (9-12k feet); 33 mountain passes

Takes over 3 weeks to finish

Pack ultra-light everything

Big mistake: Bought ultra-light backpack

Not designed to carry as much weight.

Excess weight caused strain on lower back and glutes

Get the weight higher up (mid-back or higher)

Decided to pull out the 3rd day – potentially dangerous situation

-Why Craig initially sought the health benefits of clams…19:20

Desiccated liver extract powder great for high-altitude events

Clams have the highest amount of iron and vitamin B12 available

Clams are a more potent version of the desiccated liver

-Concerns about the level of contaminants found in clams…23:45

Use wild, farm-raised clams

Small serving (3 oz.) of clams contain 1500% of daily iron intake

Heme vs. non-heme iron

Great source of minerals

High amount of Omega 3 and Vitamin K2

-What Craig combines clams with to get the highest level of efficacy…30:30

Cordyceps, Rhodiola, ginkgo biloba

Rhodiola crenulata vs. Rosea

Maintains sodium pulmonary transport in the body

Helps reverse altitude sickness

AMS – Acute Mountain Sickness

Cordyceps – Oxygen producing capabilities with polysaccharides

Why not add blue-green AFA to his ingredients…

Strong nootropic effect

Helps with muscle recovery

Wanted most powerful source to work with blood development; clams superior.

Have to pick and choose what you think is the best

-Best practices for taking the capsules…43:00

Find the lowest dose for highest impact

-And much more…

Resources from this episode: 

–Kifaru backpacks

–Altifuel supplement with clam option and liver option. Use code: BENA for 20% off plus free shipping.

–Biotropic Labs Code: BENA will save you 20% plus get you free shipping.

-My previous episodes with Craig Dinkel:

Shattering World Swim Records On 25-Piece Fried Chicken Buckets, Climbing Mountains While Eating Defatted, Vegan, Grass-Fed, Argentinian Liver Anhydrate & Much More.

Recovery For Aging Athletes, Cross-Patterning, A New Kind Of High Intensity Interval Training, An Oxygen Boosting Supplement Called “Oxcia” & More!

A Potent Pre-Sauna Stack, How To Cleanse Your Blood Before Bed, 700%+ Endurance Increases, The Best Supplements For Altitude Performance & Much More With Craig Dinkel of Biotropic Labs.

The Hardest Hike In America, How To Train & Eat For Altitude, Dangerous Ingredients In Supplements & More With Craig Dinkel of Biotropic Labs.

Episode Sponsors:

–Kion: The Recovery Bundle Contains Kion Flex, Kion Aminos Tablet, LivingFuel SuperEssentials® Omega 3EDA+. Use discount code: BGF10, and receive 10% off your order.

–Organifi Red: A “Tart-Sweet” Custom Brew With The HOTTEST Fat Melting And “Skin-Firming” Superfoods In The World. Use code: GREENFIELD at checkout and receive 20% off your order.

–Purathrive: Stay in ketosis, shred fat off your body, experience sustained energy throughout the day… and… break through plateaus to reach the next level that once felt out of reach.

Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Craig or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

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Source: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/podcast/supplements-podcasts/clams-health-benefits/

[the-path-of-zen]

The Bodhicitta Q and A

Q: What is meant by Bodhicitta?

A: From the standpoint of Buddhist mysticism, it is a special kind of illumination in which the adept is awakened to Mind's great power.

Q: But I thought Bodhicitta just means "enlightened thought".

A: Yes of course, but that is just the commonsense meaning-not the spiritual meaning.

Q: What is the experience of Bodhicitta?

A: As regarding its actual experience, the adept receives a kind of superessential illumination, emanating from universal Mind. Inwardly, he enjoys a spirit-like irradiation that passes completely through his body, even arousing the sense-perceptions.

Q: It sounds a lot like kundalini yoga in which a divine energy is raised through the spiritual centers in the body. Is it like that?

A: Yes, it is somewhat like kundalini, but with a difference.

Q: What is the difference?

A: Prior to Bodhicitta, the adept intuits what is called the 'archetype of the Buddha', known as the "gotra". Variously described, it is also called a "germ", a "seed", an "element", "lineage", and so on. Actually, what the word gotra is alluding to, is knowing which has become, all at once, an object of itself. At any rate, over time, the gotra turns into Bodhicitta.

Q: I don't understand. Could you give me an example?

A: In our everyday lives, we are used to seeing everything under the mode of the "object". But never once has it dawned on us to look at knowing itself, as if it too, were an object! Now, beginning with the intuition of seeing knowing itself, called the "gotra", the adept brings the gotra up in their mind's eye tens of thousands of times for many years. This activity amounts to forcing the gotra out of its latent stage into actuality, becoming eventually Bodhicitta. It is analogous to cultivating a seed, or the gestation of an embryo in a mother's womb.

Q: So far, what you have said is very interesting. But why haven't I read about this before?

A: Those who have not manifested Bodhicitta, how would they know what it is? Yet, to suggest that it doesn't exist in the canon is unwarranted. If you have read about the birth of the Bodhisattva from Queen Maya, that is Bodhicitta. The whole story of the Buddha's birth, by the way, is a drama about spiritual birth which explains the entire process of enlightenment. Those who take the birth of the Buddha in a literal way, I am afraid, miss the true teaching.

Q: I don't know quite what to say. My understanding of Bodhicitta is different. I never imagined that it is some kind of real spiritual transformation. In your explanation, everything seems more difficult.

A: I know. But whoever said the Way was easy?

Q: From the perspective of Zen, how should I conceive of this gotra, or what you call, the "Buddhaarchetype"?

A: Imagine in your mind's eye Bodhidharma walking to China. Now, conceive what, within your mind, is producing this image of him walking to China.

Q: This is a koan-right? Is this how they were really intended to be used?

A: Of course. Each koan has a secret word that you fix onto, as if to conceive of its origin, before the word popped into your brain.

Q: But I thought that koans were illogical, or irrational.

A: Try super-logical.

Q: Okay, let us say I figured out what is making Bodhidharma go to China. Then what?

A: When you experience this "whatness" prior to the mental image of Bodhidharma going to China, you will, in that instant, be transported to the family of Buddhas. That is the gotra. Yet, I should caution you, this is only the beginning of the Bodhisattva's career. Some Buddhists, however, fall into the delusion of believing that the gotra is final enlightenment. Zennists, who for example, talk about "no-thought", or say, "This is it", are only talking about the gotra. True enlightenment is far beyond that.

Q: Earlier, you mentioned that gotra can be called "lineage". Do you think this is what is meant by lineage in Zen?

A: That is a good question. It is certainly a possibility. In Zen's literature there is hardly anything mentioned about the Bodhisattva's path. Most Zen masters just brush it aside as if the Bodhisattva's path were inferior to "sudden enlightenment". My reading, however, is different. I believe that early Zen only taught the gotra which it called "sudden enlightenment". After that experience, the adept lived in the woods, so to speak, for about twenty years, mastering the Bodhisattva path.

Q: Who were some of the teachers that taught that kind of practice?

A: Right off the top of my head, Tsung Mi comes to mind. He was, I believe, the fifth patriarch of the Ho-tse School. He was a very strong advocate of the Bodhisattva path.

Q: But don't today's teachers teach the Bodhisattva path?

A: From what I have seen, I am inclined to say no. But this is only my opinion. Let me say, that if the gotra is not conceived, which is the foundation of the Bodhisattva's practice, how can the Bodhisattva's Way be accomplished? Furthermore, the Way is taught by a Buddha who is superessential, rather that a flesh and blood teacher. I think that I recall Saint Asanga flying up to Tusita heaven to learn from Maitreya! One more thing, remember that Bodhisattva's only take refuge in the Buddha.

Q: What do you mean by flying up to Tusita heaven?

A: It is just a spiritual metaphor. Call it the plane of sublime intuitions.

Q: But how can the Buddha teach a Bodhisattva since he died long ago?

A: Who ever said he died? In the Mahavastu, it says that the Buddha was born from Queen Maya as a "spiritual body". Obviously, that is not a physical body that will crap-out one day. The old coot is still around. Believe me.

Q: But the canon said that he was cremated and that his ashes were divided up.

A: That is a spiritual metaphor. In fact, everything from the Buddha's conception in Queen Maya's womb to his subsequent passing into nirvana is a spiritual fable. In actuality, the Buddha is Mind. Now, does that hit the ash heap? Does it burn? Let me tell you one important piece of information. The Buddha's birth can take place in you. You can see Queen Maya and witness her death after seven days. You will even see the four mysterious Gods which attended her birth.

Q: That is strange. But I have always wondered about the story of the Buddha's birth. It never seemed human to me. Why is it like that?

A: To lay it out to you in one bite, the Buddha's birth, represents the reversal of natural birth. The Buddha's birth is a spiritual genesis. As such, the maturation of the Bodhisattva (the young Buddha) is a progression from the physical to the spiritual.

Q: So what is gained by the reversal of natural birth?

A: Freedom from re-embodiment. The adept accomplishes the ability to distinguish between Mind's true nature which is prior to the totality of being. That is about it. If all of a sudden, you find yourself prior to your mortal body, as it were, outside of it, I think it is fair to call this disembodiment.

Q: Is that maybe what nirvana means?

A: Hey, that is pretty darn good for an amateur! You are on the right track. I strongly suspect that nirvana and disembodiment are synonymous, although some Buddhists would howl at this idea. But what is the alternative? If religion only teaches us just to cope and wait for extinction; or wait for some savior to ride a cloud down to earth and raise the dead, I am afraid we will wait a very long time for salvation. The Buddha teaches us that we can attain nirvana now, rather than later.

Text by Zenmar, the Dark Zen mystic

The Manual of Dark Zen – FREE BOOK GET YOUR COPY

[deermouth]

I saw a picture of someone with this word tattooed on them (in Greek) and went to look up what it meant, and this is wild????????????

In the identical contexts of Matthew and Luke—that is, reporting the Lord's Prayer—Jerome translated epiousios in two different ways: by morphological analysis as 'supersubstantial' (supersubstantialem) in Matthew 6:11, but retaining 'daily' (quotidianum) in Luke 11:3.

The modern Catholic Catechism holds that there are several ways of understanding epiousios, including the traditional 'daily', but most literally as 'supersubstantial' or 'superessential', based on its morphological components.

Give us this day our supersubstantial bread.