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Tony
7th June 2012, 07:31
I threw a stone, and it hit me between the eyes!

A couple of years ago I told my teacher, “I have empathy for those who are negative, and compassion for those who are positive.” By positive, I meant there was a show of happiness, but it was actually covering up wounds. He agreed.

We only heal a wound if the plaster comes off, and we have a good look. Of course, this is uncomfortable, so we usually do it bit by bit...so prolonging the pain! Having a good look is being honest, and to be honest, it's not easy being honest...

If we are really keen, a good rip is very painful, but works! I've actually had experience of this many times...it can tear your world apart. It's a shock treatment. In order for this to take place, it has to be done at the right time, in the right place, and in response to the right question. We cannot expect everyone to agree with our way, so empathy and compassion are needed when dealing with other's...pain.

If someone is defending or attacking, they are in some sort of pain and suffering. This includes most of us, doesn't it? Well, we are still sentient creatures!

Ripping into someone is not at all fair, and it leaves us open to the possibility of the same thing happening to us. If we look very closely, we are all walking around with bits of plaster (Band Aid) half on and half off, flapping in a gentle breeze. Giving these a yank as people pass by isn't helpful...alright, it's fun!!!

I believe there is an exact time and place for a connection to occur: a smile, a phrase, a acknowledgement. It may even only be a little hook, which can be built on later. Just giving someone the answer does not seem to work, as I have learnt. They have to be on the verge of the answer themselves, so that once it is clarified by an external source, it is truly seen. They know what they already know! It's not sometime new.

Precision is extremely important. When we are vague, and not quite clear about our pure being, we can banter all the time, without fear of consequences. But once we have established a certainty about pure essence – even though it is a baby realisation – any movement away from this is noticed. With this comes a power of presentation which can affect others in a strong way. So sometimes we have to be a little more careful than normal: when we have moved away and are picking holes in someone else, one is effectively picking holes in ourself, because we have caused ourselves to move away from our true essence. The only reason to move away from our essence is to express love.

All of us can find a good connection, but of course this won't happen all at once: it may take a few thousand years, but because of these karmic connections, we will meet up again, and have some sort of feeling, and wont really know why.

We have some work to do on ourselves, on our own. We begin by seeing our own faults, but without blaming ourselves (as this is just past luggage in the mind). These mistaken views are not a permanent state, and so it is possible to find some kindness towards ourselves. This will give us an inner confidence which, if we choose to, we can share with others. Our intentions are good, but it's not always easy to translate these into actions, because of our usual r e -action! There are so many times when, looking back, we feel we could have done better: some things we have said and done are upsetting.

Punching holes in someone else just leaves more wounds, which will have repercussions.
Some of us may have misguided agendas, which we have to take a closer look at, if not now then somewhere in the distant future. There are always crossroads that occur in our lives that offer us the opportunity to change: if we ignore these, things get delayed, possibly for a very long time...
we do take it for granted that after each out-breath, there will be another in-breath.

We all have the very same longing, and sometimes we forget this. Here, we cannot altogether blame ourselves as there is much distraction and pulling in different directions. Our true nature is totally at peace but disturbances distract us, and destabilise us.

Don't be destabilised by destabilising someone else!
A firm branch will not snap in the wind.
This fault-finding madness has to stop somewhere. We meet up for a time and then depart. Each moment is a priceless opportunity. When these opportunities happen, we sharpen up: this too can create its own problems, but within that there is always a solution. This is our journey. If there is a question, there is an answer.

Interestingly there where fourteen questions the buddha would not answer...we have to find the answers for ourselves.

“Such speculations are attended by fever, unease, bewilderment, and suffering, and it is by freeing oneself of them that one achieves liberation.”
Buddha

deridan
7th June 2012, 08:04
what are those 14 questions. it would make an interesting list.

i stumbled across a webpage mentioning one of the Buddha's disciples, and how the Buddha said he had attained Buddha-hood in a previous lifetime,,,that he was just along for a mission, and how sometimes the Buddha would refer querents to him as he would have a 'better energy gel with them'

by ignoring positive and negative, i assume u are talking of the neutral/natural path, and concentrate on fault finding in our soul/spirits

Tony
7th June 2012, 08:15
Certainly!


Fourteen questions.
According to their subject matter the questions can be grouped in four categories.

Questions concerning the existence of the world in time:
1. Is the world eternal?
2. ...or not?
3. ...or both?
4. ...or neither?
(Pali texts omit "both" and "neither")

Questions concerning the existence of the world in space:
5. Is the world finite?
6. ...or not?
7. ...or both?
8. ...or neither?
(Pali texts omit "both" and "neither")

Questions referring to personal experience:
9. Is the self identical with the body?
10. ...or is it different from the body?

Questions referring to life after death:
11. Does the Tathagata (Buddha) exist after death?
12. ...or not?
13. ...or both?
14. ...or neither?

The Buddha remained silent when asked these fourteen questions.
He described them as a net and refused to be drawn into such a
net of theories, speculations, and dogmas.
He said that it was because he was free of bondage to all theories
and dogmas that he had attained liberation.

deridan
7th June 2012, 09:05
...maybe unanswered because only the spirit of the person or collective spirit of the world could decide on these
(i like the both or neither options, for if something is both, it is also neither, cause the question pertains to presence on a plain {as a persons consciousness rises they gain access to more plains on which they can ask for affirmative presence or absence of a presence})

Tony
7th June 2012, 09:23
We have to discern very clearly what is going on in our own minds.

Once Essence is realised, it has to be brought into daily life, one could call the expression or continuity or love. If we cannot bring it into daily life - that means either our practise is too seriously in meditation time and we are holding it too firmly OR we are holding essence as a peaceful, bliss state and putting it in prison (that is not Essence). These both mean you are not free and open: we are blocking. Without blocking, essence becomes the background of our dance.

Not too tight and not too loose!

Tony
7th June 2012, 09:44
Do you have to wait for Essence to be totally clear, totally pure?

NO – you don't need to wait for the right clarity or anything – it can be anywhere.
The Essence is like a mirror it reflects nasty stuff and the good stuff.
You may feel really uneasy in your life, you can still find Essence – the mirror is found
and it just reflects your uneasiness. Rest like that for a while – underneath,
the feeling is transformed and the expression of that will change.

That is being kind to yourself!

CdnSirian
8th June 2012, 02:53
Thanks again.