You are all talk my friend.

Yes, you’re right. I think of my ‘self’ as a master of words. I’ve carefully cultivated my writing and argumentative style from a very early age. I can think of nothing more important than the profitable use of words. Communication is paramount to success, obviously. ...I remember in 5th grade, I crafted and assimilated a more sophisticated accent (the one I currently use) in order to distinguish myself from my classmates. Words. There’s no escaping them. If you want to live in the world and rock ass, you better damn well be proficient in their use.

And tell me Brian, if you want to talk about realization is it better to make sense or not make sense? (I believe your Zen boys are fond of not making sense)

There are innumerable paths toward short-circuiting the ego. Paradoxical Zen Koans are one of them. Marveling at a magnificent mountain is another. Listening to a tone of 100hz in the left ear and 105hz in the right ear each night for two years is one again, natural brilliance another...

Please explain or define what you mean by intellectualization because I seem to think it has more to do with our bondage than liberation.

I would say intellectualization means to understand a concept through the faculty of reason. I can intellectually understand that I shouldn’t eat ice cream, because it spikes my blood sugar. Yes, I can intellectually understand that, but to turn that understanding into experience is another matter. Again, the finger and the moon.

My point is that you have to begin somewhere. And often (not always) we begin at an intellectual understanding of the path we must walk before we walk it.

I have never claimed to be experiencing the "ultimate reality". Really, you are drawing some huge generalizations from my comments.

You intellectually described the ultimate reality. You further trashed those who use words to describe the ultimate reality. It is therefore reasonable to assume that you (or at least think that you) are living in the ultimate reality.

And what does it look like when the yinyang turns into the Zen circle?

The Yin Yang is duality. It is the contrast of Reason. We perceive, learn, identify, separate via this contrast. Erase the line inside the yin yang and what do you get? No more contrasts. Nothing and everything.

The Zen Circle is the void. Nothingness. Emptiness. --What you described. The ego, the body, what is outside of us... we no longer make those distinctions.

Can one "understand" the Tao? Is this the same Tao that can't be written about? Tell me how dude! I have absolutely no understanding of the Tao, none at all.

“The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao” is essentially a disclaimer that Lao Tzu is about to talk about something that can’t be talked about, true. But does he do after those first two lines? He goes on to talk about it for another 80 pages!!! Lol. Why does he do this? To further our intellectual understanding in the hopes that one day this intellectualization will turn into direct experience. If I hadn’t dissected this book clause by clause two years ago (and it was a great intellectual struggle), I would never have perceived the path. Those 80 pages of words by ‘the man himself’, pointed the Way for me, showed me where to walk.

I hope you take issue with some of this because I'm so damn bored!

I’m not really taking issue with what you’re saying. In fact, I agree. But I go further. I acknowledge the pragmatic usefulness of words, thoughts, and expression. I acknowledge the pragmatic benefits of alpha-consciousness. But I further realize that to make a spiritual quest our sole purpose in life is folly. Why? Because people are suffering and all is not right with the world.

How many people can we say are truly enlightened, actually living this 100%? A thousand out of 6 billion? They live in mountains and monasteries. The TRULY enlightened enlightened are the ones who come back to share their light with the world. –the Tenth and final Bull, called ‘In the World’.

I think that somewhere you have gotten lost in the intellectual notion that there are no intellectual notions. If that’s where you are, and you are NOT experiencing the ultimate reality... then honestly.....what good is it doing you?