Integration, unification...the Gestalt!

The task of all deep religions - especially Zen Buddhism - or of really good therapy is the satori, the great awakening, the coming to one's senses, waking up from one's dream - especially from one's nightmare. We can start already on this by realizing that we are playing roles in the theater of life, by understanding that we are always in a trance. We decide 'This is an enemy,' 'This is a friend,' and we play all these games until we come to our senses. When we come to our senses, we start to see, to feel, to experience our needs and satisfactions, instead of playing roles and needing such a lot of props for that - houses, motor cars, dozens and dozens of costumes ... all the millions of unnecessary ballast with which we burden ourselves, not realizing that all property is given to us only for the duration anyhow. You can't take it with you, and if we have money, then we have additional worry what to do with the money. You shouldn't lose it, or should increase it, and so on and so on - all these dreams, all these nightmares, which are so typical of our civilization. Now this idea of waking up and becoming real means to exist with what we have, the real full potential, a rich life, deep experiences, joy, anger - being real not zombies! This is the meaning of real therapy, the real maturation, the real waking up...

 
Hi Bernie!
 
I have questions also concerns with a lot of this Actually it has bothered me much in my life. The simple fact of taking care of ourselves in this world and our family's life by having a home and healthcare and good and nourishing food to eat and a holiday. These things feel like they have been put into a negative state to me. Actually I think it has created in me a negative feeling and took away a drive to provide good and nourishing activities. I think of Reiki and how part of the founders intention was to wake up heal many and the monks said good luck as some people on the streets got better but not all of them continued to work and progress in their lives. As this was a hopeful goal to them. So I am weary of this actually being a state beyond and even more spiritual as most families deal with someone being dead beat. And for me it takes away freedom...For me a good society and a evolution would be more people work and care for their own and other families and they have freedom. I think without freedom and we are actually going backwards towards slavery. In the case of roles and role playing most of the saints always take on the name Mother or Father to their names....??? Which again to me brings with it a essence of high regard and care for others...and what is not sacred in that. Look at AMMA as she travels giving hugs and blessings to others! Those who have received this say it feels like a thousand grandmothers. So how is loosing roles affective in any higher consciousness. It seems what they do is take a even deeper sense of that role to me. And keep its focus at their forefront at all times. They (saints) take a stand and choose or are spritually called to make this cause theirs and by owning it become a force for change and meaningful human actions of care for people and animals on this planet.
 
 Sometimes I wonder if it does shift people from a responsible life especially those just worn out and creates poverty in some ways. This abandon all to be enlightened. There are other theories that do not say you must abandon all and you still can have enlightenment to and are always in the process. For me it lacks the real of life by shattering the goodness of doing work and having abundance come from this work and then so many actually create foundations to support all kinds of humanities needs and help others create better lives for themselves.
 
So I am really conscious of the negativity of this theory seperated us from our duties and responsibilites as parents and citizens of any nation here on earth. How can one have dignity if freedom and happiness and justice  is being taking away.
 
I don't see cosmic consciousness as evolutionary at all it seems almost a regression. They say nothing new under the sun and I do believe this is indeed not new or revolutionary. But quite the contrary at least by my understanding. Maybe its part of the meltdown of this world even as we speak. More will be poverty and these are the men and women who want to work for a living but having hardships.
 
I am all for awakening though in my heart it expresses a deeper respect and honor of life and all that it is not some strip what is good and turn it into some other positionality and with negativitism. Like many stories of rebuking all materialism...sometimes I can appreciate its symbolisims but why on earth would we want everyone walking around in a state that does not want to create beauty and be out of poverty. To not walk in abundance and have some
cosmic consciousness say this evil just creates more issues and problems to me.
 
Sorry I have to go now....
 
I hope you can help me clear up some of my own understandings....in this particular work that as you can tell I do not believe is the rught direction for humanity...it takes away freedom and uniqueness and to me all benefits of mankinds spiiirtual evolvement.....if there really is that as some saints there is not. As it is it always will be! Not that I do not some things have seemed to ievolved at all....But spiritual balnance is always in it right place.
 

Grateful to be here!
What a gift and connection builder!
Love and Gratitude,
Love who You Are

Diane,
I'm not sure what it is that's worrying you here, but I don't see becoming enlightened (waking up) as being self-oriented or doing without anything. More, it is to live more abundantly, to care and love more. The absence of war and conflict, and the need to own more and more 'things' which leads to war and conflict. To live without fear and want. To 'wake up' is to take full responsibility for ourselves, and everything we think, say and do, and to be aware of the needs of others.
 
In the end, 'things' don't matter, just so long as we have enough for our needs. I don't see anything wrong with wealth.....it's what is done with it that's important.
 
I may have got the wrong idea entirely Diane, about what you mean.
 
With Love,
Jude

Love is the only way

For the second time
in about two weeks,
a post has returned my thoughts
to the following story.
It seems to me dear Diane,
that it might address some of your concerns
so I re-post it here
with love . . .
sparrow
 
This story is VERY long . . .
The Parable of Mushin
 
Once upon a time, in a town called Hope, there lived a young man called Joe. Joe was much into dharma studies, and so he had a Buddhist name. Joe was called Mushin.
 
Joe lived a life like anyone else. He went to work, and he had a nice wife; but, despite Joe’s interest in the dharma, Joe was a macho, know-it-all, bitter guy. In fact he was so much that way that one day, after he’d created all sorts of mayhem at work, his boss said, “I’ve had enough of you, Joe. You’re fired!” And so Joe left. No job. And then when he got home he found a letter from his wife. And she said, “I’ve had enough, Joe. I’m leaving.” So Joe had an apartment and himself and nothing else.
 
But Joe, Mushin, was not one who gave up easily. He vowed that although he didn’t have a job and wife, he was going to have the one thing in life that really mattered—enlightenment. And off he rushed to the nearest bookstore. Joe looked through the latest crop of books on how to achieve enlightenment. And there was one that he found especially interesting. It was called How to Catch the Train of Enlightenment. So he bought the book and pored through it with great care. And when he’d studied it thoroughly he went home and gave up his apartment, put all his earthly belongings in his backpack, and went off to the train station on the edge of town. The book said that if you followed all its directions—you do thin, and do that, and you do that—then when the train came you’d be able to catch it. And he thought, “Great!”
 
Joe went down to the train station, which was a deserted place, and he read the book again, memorizing the directions, and then settled down to wait. He waited and waited and waited. Two, three, four days he waited for the Train of Enlightenment to come, because the book said it was sure to come. And he had great faith in his book. Sure enough, on the fourth day, he heard this great roar in the distance, this enormous roar. And he knew this must be the Train. So he got ready. He was so excited because the Train was coming, he could hardly believe it . . . and . . . whoosh . . .  it went by! It was only a blur, it went by so fast. What had happened? He couldn’t catch it at all!
 
Joe was bewildered but not discouraged. He got out his book again and studied some more exercises, and he worked and worked and worked as he sat on the platform, putting everything he had into it. In another three or four days he once again heard a tremendous roar in the distance, and this time he was certain he would catch the Train. All of a sudden there it was . . . whoosh . . . it was gone. Well, what to do? Because obviously there was a train, it wasn’t as though there was no train. He knew that, but he could not catch it. So he studied some more, he worked and worked, and the same thing happened over and over again.
 
As time went on other people also went to the bookstore and bought the book. So Joe began to have company. First there were four or five people watching for the Train, and then there were thirty or forty people watching for the Train. The excitement was tremendous! Here was the Answer, obviously coming. They could all hear the roar as the Train went by and, although nobody ever caught it, there was great faith that somehow, some day, at least one of them would catch it. If even one person could catch it, it would inspire the rest. So the little crowd grew, and the excitement was wonderful.
 
As time went on, however, Mushin noticed that some of these people brought their little kids. And they were so absorbed in looking for the Train that, when the kids tried to get mom and dad’s attention, they were told, “Don’t bother us, just go play.” These little kids were really being neglected. Mushin, who was not such a bad guy after all, began to wonder, “Well, gee, I’d like to watch for the Train, but somebody’s got to take care of the kids.” So he began to devote some time to them. He looked in his backpack and took out his nuts and raisins and chocolate bars and passed all this stuff out to the kids. Some of them were really hungry. The parents who were watching for the Train didn’t seem to get hungry; but their kids were hungry. And they had skinned knees, so he found a few bandaids in his backpack and took care of their knees, and he read them stories from their little books.
 
And it began to be that while he still took some time for the Train, the kids were beginning to be his chief concern. There were more and more of them. In a few months there were also teenagers, and with teenagers there is a lot of wild energy .So Mushin organized the teenagers and set up a baseball team in the back of the station. He started a garden to keep them occupied. An he even encouraged some of the steadier kids to help him. And before you knew it he had a large enterprise going. He had less and less time for the Train and he was angry about it. The important stuff was happening with the adults waiting for the Train, but he had to take care of all this business with the kids, and so his anger and his bitterness were boiling. But no matter what, he knew he had to care for the kids, so he did.
 
Over time, hundreds and thousands of Train watchers arrived, with all their kids and relatives. Mushin was so harried with all the needs of the people that he had to add on to the train station. He had to make more sleeping quarters; he had to build a post office and schools and he was busy; but his anger and his resentment were also right there. “You know, I’m only interested in enlightenment. Those other people get to watch the Train and what am I doing really?” But he kept doing it.
 
And then one day he remembered that while he’d thrown out most of the books in his apartment, for some reason he had kept one small volume. So he fished it out of his backpack. The book was How to Do Zazen. So Joe had a new set of instructions to study. But these didn’t seem so bad. He settled down and learned how to do zazsen. Early in the morning before everyone else was up, he’d sit on a cushion and do this practice for a while. And over time this hectic, demanding schedule in which he had unwillingly become immersed didn’t seem so much of a strain for him. He began to think that maybe there was some connection between this zazen, this sitting, and the peace he was beginning to feel. A few others at the station were also getting a bit discouraged about he Train they couldn’t catch; so they began to sit with him. The group did zazen every morning and, at the same time, the Train-watching enterprise kept expanding. At the next train station down the tracks there was a whole new colony of train watchers. The same old problems were developing there, so sometimes his group would go there and help in straightening out their difficulties. And there was even to be a third train station . . . endless work.
 
They were really, really busy. From morning till night they were feeding the kids, doing carpentry, running the post office, setting up the new little clinic—all that a community needs to function and survive. And all this time they weren’t getting to watch for the Train. It just kept going by. They could hear the roar. And some jealousy and bitterness were still there. But still, they had to admit, it wasn’t the same anymore; it was there and it wasn’t there. The turning point for Mushin was when he tried something described in his little book as “sesshin.” He got together with his group and, in the corner of the train station, they set up a separate space and for four or five days they would steadily do zazen. Occasionally they’d hear the roar of the Train in the distance, but they ignored it and went on sitting. And they also introduced this hard practice to the other train stations.
 
Mushin was now in his fifties. He was showing the effect of the years of strain and toil. He was getting bent and weary. But by now he no longer worried about the things he used to worry about. He had forgotten the big philosophical questions that used to grip him: “Do I exist?” “Is life real?” “Is life a dream?” He was so busy sitting and working that everything faded out except for what needed to be done every day. The bitterness faded. The big questions faded. Finally there was nothing left for Mushin except what had to be done. But he no longer felt it had to be done, he just did it.
 
By now there was an enormous community of people at the train stations, working, bringing up their children, as well as those who were waiting for the Train. Some of those slowly were absorbed back into the community and others would come. Mushin finally came to love the people watching for the Train, too. He served them, helped them to watch. So it went for many years. Mushin got older and older, more and more tired. And his questions were down to zero. There were none any more. There was just Mushin and his life, doing each second what needed to be done.
 
One night, for some reason, Mushin thought, “I will sit all night. I don’t know why I want to do it. I’ll just do it.” For him sitting was no longer a question of looking for something, trying to improve, trying to be holy. All those ideas had faded years ago. For Mushin there was nothing except just sitting: Hearing a few distant cars at night. Feeling the cool night air. Enjoying the changes in his body. Mushin sat and sat through the night, and at daybreak he heard the roar of the Train. Then, very gently, the Train came to a stop exactly in front of him. He realized that from the very beginning he had been on the Train. In fact he was the Train itself. There was no need to catch the Train. Nothing to realize. Nowhere to go. Just the wholeness of life itself. All the ancient questions that were no questions answered themselves. And at last the Train evaporated, and there was just an old man sitting the night away.
 
Mushin stretched and arose from his cushion. He went and fixed morning coffee to share with those arriving for work. And the last we see of him, he’s in the carpentry shop with some of the older boys, building a swing set for the playground. That’s the story of Mushin. What was it Mushin found? I’ll leave that to you.
 
By Charlotte Joko Beck
From “Everyday Zen…Love & Work”

everything counts... ♥

I guess all of you get it...
 
Because it drives me nuts when I read certain things and it says things that makes much nonsense of just the true essence that I feel surrounds us in everyday life. I guess it is the sense of joy that runs deep...and flows outward.
It just feels like so much is villanized in one way or another. With no deep understanding of life and love and that inner feeling of a sense of deep and resonating peace too. I guess its just love of life! Why can't it be just simple?
Shun this...no do this??? I like your story...lilsparrow! And Jude I guess you would say its in the words that do not create to me the essence but create the internal conflict within. Because words have power...to me. And if it is written to impede the progress of giving personal peace with God. I just get so..hmmm.... I wish better writers were more alive and out there. Especially in places of power. So much corruption to manage and it hurts so many people.
"Its like a rock unchangeable. The TRUTH!" It lives on etrnally! So certain writings seem like they invoke the opposite of the real truth and message of what is always present! Instead it feels troubling and complicated when it is not. When I have went out to different places about getting closer to God most of it feels like the messages out there that are full of misconceptions and falsities. And the primary work is to get the "truth" because so much writing is full of falsities and misleads people. Which bugs the heck out of me. It feels liek a giant debriefing in a way...taking away what is not true more than anything else. So people can just get clearer and move towards better understanding of simplicity of the essence of God's emmerging love. If that makes any sense to you???
 
I don't agree wars are even always over materialism...I see it more as megliomanics/psychotics in power/narcissist...etc  hurting others and people have to choose and stop these people. There are bad people in power sometimes and good people have to protect each other. That is why sometimes during war there is a amazing power of love leading most to serve humanity and preserving life for those being persicuted. That's why peace comes always!
And good conquers evil. As it should always be.....and is. It is the history of our humanity. Ancient!
 
 
 
 

Grateful to be here!
What a gift and connection builder!
Love and Gratitude,
Love who You Are

A mind that is always comparing, always measuring, will always engender illusion. If I am measuring myself against you, who are clever, more intelligent, I am struggling to be like you and I am denying myself as I am, and I am creating an illusion.

 
So here goes again....
As a mom and often a teacher....
The first thing we do is get ask questions why mom?
The first thing at school is compare...math skills etc.
Teach critical thinking skills?
The best of these briliant children go on and become doctors and scientist...
As they learn to compare, contrast, get deep into there studies and go on to serve mankind.
 
Yet enlightment says all of these things create illusion of the inner self????
 
Really???
 
To do good and be smart is some how dualistic in nature and makes you unenlightened...hmmmm...nonsense!

Grateful to be here!
What a gift and connection builder!
Love and Gratitude,
Love who You Are

I really don't know how it can abolish unity...with GOD!
 
Those things! Are part of the everything aren't they?
 
Or is it people just like to create some damn barrier through there own cofusion and put on us all...like there some great illusion ...why would God want something like that created...to keep him from his children??? Or one more of man's deluded concepts that makes people feel that it complicated and just not simple and just IS!
 
Reminds me why so many are so damn confused about GOD in the first place.
 
God is NOW another one of my favorites!  no dualism in your way...or paradoxically baloney...or hidden veil keeping you or anyone else seperated from God! No you don't have your own direct line to GOD! Thank God for simple truths! Thank God when I went to Catholic school the message was quite simple!  And all bs was not there and in the way! Of just a constant connection with GOD foremost and most important.

Grateful to be here!
What a gift and connection builder!
Love and Gratitude,
Love who You Are

Peace is more than not-war; it is harmony and union between men, it is the overcoming of separateness and alienation.

 
Which, at the moment, most of us still have, unfortunately. But at least we are now aware of it.
 
Jude

Love is the only way

As it is it always will be!

 
This cannot possibly be so, as the world, our learning and understanding, all of life from the smallest cell, is changing every minute.
 
Jude

Love is the only way