This I agree with completely, but you must recognize the need for a stepping stone when speaking to people who are otherwise totally ignorant of Zen, and also t

This I agree with completely, but you must recognize the need for a stepping stone when speaking to people who are otherwise totally ignorant of Zen, and also the fact that with this set of ideas, surely it is not a maximization effort: even a moderate comprehension of Zen is better than nothing. Some would say that this does not exist, but I have personally experienced great benefit from the way of thinking if not fully the way of life, and I know others have a chance to as well. In other terms, it is very difficult to sell a way of life, but people readily accept one small idea in that direction. I very much respect what you have written and know it to be true, but I also believe that the intellectual part of zen, while surely not complete at all, has so many useful and real benefits that it can't be ignored, and it makes a fine introduction. Whatever the destination, the western mind needs some convincing. However, I have taken to heart what you have said and I will further my learning by going and doing. Edit: After some thought, I do want to re-iterate that I think there are two realizations (not close to enlightenment, or to Zen, per se, but related) that I think are relevant to this discussion: that reality is paradoxical, and that one of those paradoxes is that often effort in a certain direction is inversely proportional to success. We often find what we're looking for when we're not looking for it, and we often hit the target when we're least trying to. The major realization is that these are not just silly anecdotes or trivialities, but a core part of life itself and what it means to be human. They are very important, and the original article shows a manifestation of those ideas in a very clear and human way without identifying them exactly.