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Ego is part of who we are. We need it in order to get up every morning, to take care of our health and the health of others, to go work, to study…
The problem with the ego is that it is a most excellent narrator and loves to create stories, most of them harmful.
In my narrow view, our practice allows us to se through the narrative and realize that even though we depend on our thought to survive, we must be aware of when and how we are immersed in thought in order to let the ego go.
Hope that makes sense.
It makes a lot of sense. Thank you.
Gassho
Nick
Satlah
Hi Kenny,
Thanks for sharing your perspective; I hadn't considered it that way.
On a bit of a tangent, it's really interesting to me that you should say that about the thoughts that come up feeling like they come out of nowhere and belong to no one. The last few days I've been noticing "new" thoughts come up. I've gotten used to my thoughts popping in and out during zazen, and they've always been pretty much the same kinds of thoughts that pop up elsewhere in my daily life: "did I remember to turn the stove off?" "I need to go to the grocery store" "What am I going to get my mom for her birthday?" etc. Normal stuff. But all of a sudden, it's hard to describe, but I've had these fictional narratives pop up, almost like someone else stuck a dvd in my brain and we're watching a movie together. Sometimes they fade out quickly, sometimes a full narrative with beginning, middle, and end plays out in my head. I've been wondering where the heck they come from, since I don't have anything resembling those thoughts pop up at any other time, and I don't quite fully remember them after the bell rings. I'm not falling asleep and dreaming either; just today I sat with the windows open and noticed the noise of the construction project next door the whole time. Maybe I'm dreaming without falling asleep? Not exactly "on topic" but your commented just reminded me.
Gassho,
Nick
SATLAH
This is pretty interesting. The new narratives.
Any ideia if this is common ground for many Zazen practitioners or just you?
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