Taking things personally

lakes

It’s true that different people have different mind stuff to work with, but essentially there comes about a realization that the core of the feeling of suffering comes from something we all do: we take things personally. And you can’t stop doing this simply as an idea. The practice involves cessation – letting go of “self” through directly knowing “self”. This must occur by feeling out and examining some pretty well-known positions ….”I cant do it” is one of them, and the list goes on through every kind of self-view about “I’m not worthy/good enough”, “It’s not good enough for me” ” I have a lot of karma to work out”…In the course of practice, all of these self-views come and go continually until gradually the realization of their impermanence begins to sink in.

Ajahn Sucitto, The Dawn of the Dhamma

The key to balance

File:Parenting.JPG

More wisdom, this time from the Taoism tradition, on keeping our sense of self fluid:

Can you call your mind back from its wandering
and keep to its original oneness?
Can you concentrate the energy of life
and keep it supple like a newborn child?

Can you deal with the most vital matters
by letting events take their course?
Can you step back from your own mind
and in this way understand all things?

Giving birth and nourishing,
having without possessing,
acting with no expectations,
leading and not trying to control:
this is the supreme virtue.

Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, 10

photo amolnaik3k

Happiness and not judging anything

File:St Macarius the Great with Cherub.jpg

Some of the early Christian Desert Fathers saying are almost  Zen-like in their simplicity. In this example we find echoes of yesterdays post. It contains an instruction on what leads to us being content –  finding rest from our inner agitations: Turn the mind away from judgments, either about ourselves or others, keep the self fluid and in this way stop sticking labels on what is happening. Good advice for today.

Abba Poeman said to Abba Joseph, “Tell me how to become a monk”

He said, “If you want to find rest here below…in all circumstances say ‘who am I’ and do not judge anyone”

Why we get no rest

File:Bismarck-spotted.jpg

The mind never stops looking for identity and  this identity always defines itself through attributes: “the beautiful  one”, “the smart one”, “the creative one”,  “the successful one”… We are always searching for something to be.

Dzigar Kongtrul,  Light Comes Through

Sunday Quote: Deep within

File:Sherrard Point-Larch Mountain-Oregon.jpg

Keep your feet on the top of the mountain

and sound deep to that

of God in everyone

George Fox, 1624 – 1691, founder of the Society of Friends (Quakers)

With thanks to Cilla at http://www.weaversjournal.wordpress.com for the thought

photo wyldnthewoods

A middle way

File:Tabernaemontana orientalis.JPG

Our task is to find a balance, to find a middle way, to learn not to overextend ourselves with extra activities and preoccupations, but to simplify our lives more and more.

The key to finding a happy balance in modern life is simplicity

Sogyal Rimpoche, Glimpse after Glimpse

photo b traeger