. . . a generous heart, kind speech and a life of service are the things which renew humanity . . . The Buddha
dr.mike, what I learned was the importance of "equanimity" (again Jeanne has a good answer to that discussion above) and the "middle road" - acceptance of what there is, observing it and letting it go. Here is another of our Vipassana Wisdom-holder's quotes (luv ya Jeanne), which reminded me of the excellent doc. (I am going to order it): speaking of 'bolting'...
I was thinking about how often people think that 'bolting' sankara as an expression of freedom... and yet, we can see that it is actually a reaction to trying to maintain the status quo,,, it is resisting change and growth.
taking on the yoke of discipline seems to be the way toward freedom... toward liberation. whereas bolting, escaping, running away, avoiding... are all part of maintaining the chains of enslavement to ignorance.
The other day someone said they couldn't see the benefit of sitting still and not moving a muscle... the old me might have tried to explain or persuade... but with vipassana... I've come to learn that if the seed of interest is there, if the karma of that person is ready, they will respond with interest. So I simply agreed that the daily zen is life itself.
My initial reaction upon hearing about the 10 days of silence necessary to fulfill a vipassana course was "whoa! ...you people are really serious". My meditation experience prior to vipassana consisted of driving long distances through city traffic to go and sit in someone's living room, meditate, break bread and share community. It gave the worthwhile lift I sought, but only touched the surface of my wounded soul.
Vipassana cut through to the roots of the wounds... and they were able to dissolve and float away... good-bye little fears and phobias, your work is done.
Metta, ron
Ron adds:
"He who givens himself to vanity, and does not give himself to meditation, forgetting the real aim of life and grasping at pleasure, will in time envy him who has exerted himself in meditation." The Buddha
Jeanne replies:
Love that Buddha quote... I'd never heard that one before. It is so true. Reminds me of the aged meditators I see at the courses... with their beautiful posture and clear sparkling eyes. Inspiring... and something to aspire to.
it seems we are forever going back and forth...
with the either/or.
Such is the beauty of the middle path
it is receptive to both light and dark, cold and hot, male and female...
and always seeking balance.
We modern folk are not even close to a state of balance... we ingest polluted air, water, food and chaos daily. And accept conclusions based on theory... not direct experience - which we mistrust... it is without data. We are walking, talking blobs of confusion, spouting half-truths.
That said... I was long confused - about the role of the warrior in this culture. A culture that makes them both heroes and villains. ...more of the either/or. It was upon learning about Tecumseh and the Shaolin monks, that I found a middle place to balance such a controversial matter.
I'm just trying to say that right and wrong doesn't have an edge we cross, knowing we are one or the other...
but rather gradient shades of light and dark.
and circumstances.
and love to consider.
and monks don't serve familial love, but rather, a greater, grander,
more pervasive form of love
metta. Jeanne
No comments:
Post a Comment