For the last two months, I have been diligently studying In the Buddha’s Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pāli Canon, edited and introduced by Bhikkhu Bodhi, as part of my participation in a winter practice period.
“Open to the freshness of each instant.” I love that - thanks. I’m thankful that you are my study partner for this text. Your reaction to the lists helped me loosen up. Anxiety does not leave one open to any kind of freshness. I enjoyed the fruits of your reflections. Looking forward to the meeting now!
I am glad to hear that, and it reminds me of an important saying from Shunryu Suzuki Roshi: "What we are doing here is so important that we had better not take ourselves too seriously." 🙂
Oh wow!!! Judgement!! Yes!! It is the sticky residue that I slog through everyday. It’s everywhere!! My own and everybody elses. Way off in the distance is that ‘something’ trying to guide me out of the judgement swamp. That’s it man!!
Gosh, I’m glad you continued the article when you thought about ending it. Sometimes I need someone to just spell out what all the metaphorical spiritual texts are pointing at. My rational mind just judges the crap out of spiritual stuff sometimes but there are people like you that can load a ‘word’ like a missle and send it right through the intellectual fortress.
Sometimes, I feel that you and I are in the same place. The topic of judgment continues to show up in my writing and practice generally because that is what is "in the way" right now. My Guiding Teacher often says that "what gets in the way is the way" because we do not try to go around, over, or under anything in spiritual practice. We meet it directly.
And thank you for the encouraging words about the final part of the article. I will remember them in the future when I reach that point again.
“What gets in the way, is the way”…..oh man, that’s big stuff right there. The never ending paradox of the whole journey. I am starting to see the mechanics of it….it has to be frought with paradox to circumnavigate the rational ‘judging’ mind. It’s no accident that the great spiritual texts and stories are told in parables, metaphores abdolutely designed to short circuit the intellectual scalpel of the rational mind.
I agree, you and I seem to be on similar trajectories. What you write about resonates with me at almost the exact time I need to hear it….and that, as my understanding grows, is the connected-ness or related-ness of it all…🙏
“Open to the freshness of each instant.” I love that - thanks. I’m thankful that you are my study partner for this text. Your reaction to the lists helped me loosen up. Anxiety does not leave one open to any kind of freshness. I enjoyed the fruits of your reflections. Looking forward to the meeting now!
I am glad to hear that, and it reminds me of an important saying from Shunryu Suzuki Roshi: "What we are doing here is so important that we had better not take ourselves too seriously." 🙂
Oh wow!!! Judgement!! Yes!! It is the sticky residue that I slog through everyday. It’s everywhere!! My own and everybody elses. Way off in the distance is that ‘something’ trying to guide me out of the judgement swamp. That’s it man!!
Gosh, I’m glad you continued the article when you thought about ending it. Sometimes I need someone to just spell out what all the metaphorical spiritual texts are pointing at. My rational mind just judges the crap out of spiritual stuff sometimes but there are people like you that can load a ‘word’ like a missle and send it right through the intellectual fortress.
Judgement!!! That’s the biggie!!
Well done my friend!! 🙏
Well
Hey! Thank you very much, Chris!
Sometimes, I feel that you and I are in the same place. The topic of judgment continues to show up in my writing and practice generally because that is what is "in the way" right now. My Guiding Teacher often says that "what gets in the way is the way" because we do not try to go around, over, or under anything in spiritual practice. We meet it directly.
And thank you for the encouraging words about the final part of the article. I will remember them in the future when I reach that point again.
Thank you for reading! 🙏
“What gets in the way, is the way”…..oh man, that’s big stuff right there. The never ending paradox of the whole journey. I am starting to see the mechanics of it….it has to be frought with paradox to circumnavigate the rational ‘judging’ mind. It’s no accident that the great spiritual texts and stories are told in parables, metaphores abdolutely designed to short circuit the intellectual scalpel of the rational mind.
I agree, you and I seem to be on similar trajectories. What you write about resonates with me at almost the exact time I need to hear it….and that, as my understanding grows, is the connected-ness or related-ness of it all…🙏