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From: jwl@mvutd.att.com (James W Lacey)
Subject: Re: Question for Zen Sitters
References: <1991Apr19.060737.4906@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: Sat, 20 Apr 91 07:36:39 GMT
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In article <1991Apr19.060737.4906@nas.nasa.gov> mva@maestro.bellcore.com (Madhav Apte) writes:
>Hi Folks	
>
>	what's going on?  Is it my site or noone has posted here
>	for a few weeks?  Maybe with the departure of Keith Evans
>	no one has any controversial stuff to talk about, eh?
>
>	Well, here's a mostly serious (but maybe slightly tongue-in-cheek)
>	question.  You've all heard the zen quote/koan that goes
>	"when hungry, eat; when tired, sleep", right?
>
>	Well, if I go to a zen monastery for a retreat or a sesshin,
>	what happens?  When I am hungry, I cannot eat.  When I am
>	sleepy, I cannot sleep.  To make things worse, I have to eat	
>	when I may not be hungry, and sleep when I may not be sleepy
>	(well, more like - get up when I may not want to).
>
>	So, is this not a contradiction?  I know what you are thinking.
>	Already, you have some answers.  Well, I can think of some
>	sleaze-outs myself (below).  But I am interested in what
>	you think. [deletions]

IMHO, buddhism generally (and probably zen as well) offers
the idea of multiple paths.  (For example, in the concept of
the Greater Vehicle.)   A contradiction would exit only if
there were "one best way" for everyone and everytime.  But 
people are different, and even the same person changes over
time.  The freedom of "eat when hungry" is one way; the
discipline of a monastery is another.

jim
my own opinions