BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 28

[Oheso]

speaking of flies in the soup-

I guess I don't get this one at all-

gomen nasai

[Myoku]

Thank you Hans and everyone contributing,
I think getting stuck is a shame, yes. But what is getting stuck ? I guess its assuming to know something. If i know it, i killed it - its not vibrant, living anymore, but a dead picture in my brain. It might be needed at times, to survive in our daily lives, e.g. to know that a knife will cut your finger badly if you not take care. But it would be a shame not to be open for the change that life is.
Gassho
Myoku

[Heisoku]

Getting stuck, being unstuck, enjoying the ride, not enjoying the ride, staying, going, standing still, do not remain there!!!!! A great lesson from Shishin Wick and Chudo Mongen! Gassho.

[Daitetsu]

Do you remember a time in your life where everything screamed pain and suffering, yet now when you look back you can see that without this episode, some current insight and/or happiness would not have arisen?

Yes, absolutely. Since this is a public area, I don't want to go into details - all I can say is that at that time I could never imagine that something like that could have a positive side.
However, much later on I realized that without this difficult time I'd probably not be the same person I am now. Everything plays its part to shape us.

Can you recall an instance where your own pride and self-satisfied view of a situation kept you from seeing what was really going on, and kept you from acting in an appropriate way?

Yes, of course - I am more prudent now though than in the past (but still stumble now and then).

Thanks for presenting this case, Hans!

Gassho,

Timo

[AlanLa]

My whole life has been a series of episodes of pain and suffering and self-satisfied views, all of which have lead to my current insight that I am right where all that stuff was supposed to take me. It would be a shame to get stuck here, though, so I move on to new expressions of pain, suffering, and self-satisfied views.

Zen allows you no place to stand (only sit ). As soon as I think I have something figured out, I can count on Jundo or Taigu to point out otherwise. I remember some time ago I was feeling really deep into the zen-zone, and I was posting some very wonderful zen comments here on the forum, and Jundo poked every single damn one of them. I emailed him and asked what's up with all this poking of my great zen? I don't remember his reply, but it may as well have been, "It's a shame."

Zen is like a spiritual version of continuous quality improvement (CQI). This business concept of CQI has infiltrated where I work, academia, and it is very frustrating. The concept of you can always get better, learn more, have more or another or further or deeper insight is fine. But the practice is hard. Becoming satisfied really is a shame. Keep moving or die.

[Heisoku]

Zen is like a spiritual version of continuous quality improvement (CQI). This business concept of CQI has infiltrated where I work, academia, and it is very frustrating. The concept of you can always get better, learn more, have more or another or further or deeper insight is fine. But the practice is hard. Becoming satisfied really is a shame. Keep moving or die.

Hi Al I understand this idea of CQI all too well...BUT...there is a new movement called marginal gains whereby we improve different aspects of our practice by 1% so that the accumulated impact is greater. I think this too can be applied to Buddhist practice.
See more at http://marginallearninggains.com/
Gassho.

[Rich]

Am I a better person than 10 years ago? Maybe. End gaining is risky business. Dogens sitting with joy and ease is really all you need. Have tasted a little of that but am still a beginner.

[Hans]

Hello Rich,

sitting with joy and ease indeed. Pain, whether emotional or physical sucks. Joy, whether the self-satisfied kind or the orgasmic variety is very nice, no doubt there. But sitting and truly acting within that borderless field that emanates and contains all of such "movements", now there is something that ain't stale.

Gosh, I remember a day almost ten years ago when my grandmother fell really ill right before Christmas and my girlfriend at that time had dumped me the same day in a very unkind and tactless way. What a horrible time I had....yet the self-pitying panorama itself back then was all down to my own doing. And that was a shame, since reaity was as vibrant and spontaneous as ever Doubting that splendid activity was a real shame.

Gassho,

Hans Chudo Mongen

[Rich]

Hans, thanks for perspective and sharing. Read something this morning about having an an attitude of play in all activity including work. Shit does happen but we don't have to sit in it or dwell in it.

[Risho]

well I just returned from vacation; what a shame!

QUESTION:

Do you remember a time in your life where everything screamed pain and suffering, yet now when you look back you can see that without this episode, some current insight and/or happiness would not have arisen?

Yes, when I was about 21 my girlfriend broke up with me. At that time it seemed horrible. It was the longest relationship I had at that point, at about just under 3 years. It was very very hard; I cried a lot, I missed a lot of work. I was completely heartbroken. But, in some ways I'm more of myself now because of that. I was so self-centered and egotistical. A lot of who I thought I was was wrapped up in superficiality, how I looked, how tough I seemed. I was a real a-hole. That experience taught me how to smile through the hard times. It taught me how to laugh at myself and not take myself or life so seriously. It taught me not to worry about stuff that didn't happen yet (even though I still struggle with it). I stopped caring so much about my physical appearance, and my life seemed to lighten a bit. I think that was when I turned from a young man to a man. At this age I was just getting into the working world from college, and that was a difficult transition for me as well. Ah, the drama of the early 20's

That time in my life is also when I really started looking into life more deeply. I think that is when the initial inklings of taking up a spiritual path began for me. So in the end, it was a very rich experience.

Can you recall an instance where your own pride and self-satisfied view of a situation kept you from seeing what was really going on, and kept you from acting in an appropriate way?

Oh yeah, just a couple of weeks ago at work, someone asked me something I didn't know, but I wanted to answer so I could feel important basically. Very dumb, but I did learn

Gassho,

Risho

[Kaishin]

QUESTION:

Do you remember a time in your life where everything screamed pain and suffering, yet now when you look back you can see that without this episode, some current insight and/or happiness would not have arisen?

My birth, although I don't remember the experience exactly, there are pictures to prove it happened. And I certainly was screaming. Very similar to any other terrible experience I've had. It happened, some time ago, and yet here I am. I am because of all those horrible things, and all those not horrible things. So I guess I'm grateful for them all, good and bad. "Maybe"

Can you recall an instance where your own pride and self-satisfied view of a situation kept you from seeing what was really going on, and kept you from acting in an appropriate way?

Funny, but for me it is usually the opposite. My own lack of self-confidence and meekness often distort my view, with the same result of inappropriate reaction. But yes this happens often and I must check this silly behavior repeatedly.

Thank you, Hans.

P.S. Sometimes the harshest winter is the loveliest winter!

[AlanLa]

I think we are conditioned to find those level areas of self-satisfaction.
We are taught to achieve such places as good job, good wife/husband, nice kids, etc...
And then we rest and smile, but we find that...
The categories of attainment can go on forever, only to discover that ....
Life is about attainment of whatever we are supposed to attain, culturally speaking, and on we go....

It is a shame when we believe in the idea that we can stop
Anywhere.
It is Zen when we realize we are attaining the unattainable way.

[Risho]

I think we are conditioned to find those level areas of self-satisfaction.
We are taught to achieve such places as good job, good wife/husband, nice kids, etc...
And then we rest and smile, but we find that...
The categories of attainment can go on forever, only to discover that ....
Life is about attainment of whatever we are supposed to attain, culturally speaking, and on we go....

It is a shame when we believe in the idea that we can stop
Anywhere.
It is Zen when we realize we are attaining the unattainable way.

Good points! Yeah, it's like we are hardwired for comfort. But I find that the more I gain, the more I'm afraid to lose.

Gassho,

Risho

[Shokai]

Hi Risho;
At least you're still gaining. I've been losing all sorts of stuff but, it's all good

gassho, Shokai

[Myoku]

... But I find that the more I gain, the more I'm afraid to lose

Same here, and its mad. Its like often we want to gain even though we know its not comforting us. How often do I need to get a bloody nose ?
_()_
Myoku