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Re: The darkness within
@marcitko said:
Dear all,A more difficult topic.
Sharing with you because while I do have wise and kind people in my orbit, you are the wisest and kindest group in my orbit currently.
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” An often shared quote by Jung.
While I aspire to and train in practice (you'll have to trust me on this one) to grow in goodness and virtue, and while most people will say that I am a kind and virtuous person, I notice a core belief of being, at core, defective, no good, malicious, even evil.
I believe this belief comes from early childhood trauma and is buried deep within, not analyzed, not observed (often), not admitted, not "aired out", not processed, not released. As such, it contaminates much of my thinking and life.
Holding this (mostly sub-concious) belief, I do not think I am special or different to others, and suspect that many have it. I even saw an interview with a realized teacher who said that was one of his last "pain-baloons" that got cleared out and released.
How might we approach such a belief from a Buddhist perspective? Do you also have such a core belief / wound? If yes, how do you deal with it?
Thanks!
I believe that a drop of water is "of the ocean" and so is part of the ocean, and can be ANY part. Like the drop of water, I am of the human race. I have within me the blueprint for the greatest evil (and of course in addition to evil, also, good, wise, whimsical, artistic, etc). I have the vestigial templates for all that humans can be. So, in this life, I have choices to make . . .
Steve_B
Re: No Buddhist Quotes
“You are so accustomed to feeling yourself as a center that this habit contracts you away from your wholeness. You go away from a vast nothing in order to be a small something. You go away from your Absence to create a presence.”
— Jean Klein
Jeroen
Re: What can we do?
We can start by tending to the weeds in our own garden.
St Seraphim of Sarov said “Aquire the Spirit of Peace and a thousand souls around you will be saved.”
Silouan
Re: Healthy Habits
@FleaMarket said:
I have whiteboards on various walls at home where I can write important rememberances, instructions, inspirations, and funny stuff on. Or even just a market list and exercise routine. It's fun cuz I can erase and alter it easily and when I come across something too important for one of my never re-read notepads, I can add it to an increasingly personalized and inspirational whiteboard.
I recently got a small whiteboard and absolutely love it. It's done wonders for my organisation. I write down daily goals, larger visions, stuff that needs to be done in general, quotes that I would like to keep in mind, I test intuitions, etc.
For now, the little one is good enough, but once I get my own apartment I will invest in a huge one, hopefully the size of a school blackboard. But your idea of several medium sized ones sounds also very good.
marcitko
Re: Our personal quotes
We form groups for the desire to belong but in reality, there is only one group and there is no way to not belong.
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Yeah he’s been gone a good seven months… I believe @federica said he was taking a break from forum activities.
Jeroen
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Anyone heard from @Bunks ?
Hope all is well with him....
Shoshin1
Re: Right Speech
Good thread. As an avid talker who has many times been accused of speaking too bluntly/straight forward, I’ve always gone with the “people who love you, tell you the truth. No chaser” you can trust that. You know what you’re getting.
…of course, I try take in consideration the persons age , circumstances and things/examples they could relate to…but problem solving never happens in silence. Poor communication leads to a lot of misunderstandings and unrealistic expectations. I also think bec I’m fluent in ASL, my speech reflects that. When you have to have discussions, questions and conclusions all with your hands, you learn to leave out alot of filler and feeling words. Just trying to morris code shit, if you will. And yes, I love my cuss words for emphasis, hahaha. I like the way How put it, and I very much agree with what Aunt Fede said about truth and debate.
I will not suffer in silence. ✌🏻🤟🏻👉🏻
AFA lies….we lie to ourselves waaaay more than we lie to others.
AFA giving opinions….if you give yours, I’ll give mine…I’ve been known to give mine even when you didn’t. If you’re talking or venting, but want no feedback….I need you to tell me that bec my ego tells me I’m being compassionate by giving ideas/suggestions/help on ways to avoid that suffering. My heart wants me to support you bec I can see myself easily being in that same human situation.
That being said…. After the age of 45…I realized some people don’t want solutions to their issues and don’t give a rat’s ass how you feel or your opinions… So, I’m still learning not to talk to the wall/person who doesn’t value my speech.
Vastmind
Re: Right Speech
My opinion, FWIW is that there are those times when Right Speech requires us to be honest and sometimes "the truth hurts". You can of course sugarcoat it, but as the saying goes "you can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter"
IMO you (collectively) need to not confuse Right Speech with Idiot Compassion. We don't have to ALWAYS be 'nice' in order to practise Right Speech. Telling a little white lie to cushion the blow isn't even Right Speech when you look at it shrugs
Just my 0.02
Re: What movies are you watching?
Not a film but a BBC series. Called "The Repair Shop", members of the public bring in precious family objects, in need of (as the title would suggest) repair. Some things are simple, some are very old and extremely fragile, which gives the restorer the onerous and complicated task of reviving the object to its former glory, without necessarily obliterating its value or sentimentality.
Restorers' skills range from the technical to the artistic; clocks, mechanical toys, musical instruments, paintings, leatherware, paper objects, porcelain, soft toys and wooden items are all given to the appropriate skilled restorer, and we follow progress as they transform the poor miserable object into a thing of often wonderful beauty, once more.
Some of these people also work as restorers in our British museums, so they are highly skilled, and experts in their field.
There is no fee to pay.
But the programme does show the item being brought in, and subsequently returned to the owner, in the space of 45 minutes. In truth, some of these restorations take months...but filming is cleverly put together to bring the initial heartfelt wish, and the eventual grateful admiration, all in one programme's viewing.
I know we practise detachment; everything has a beginning, a middle, and an end; but the programme is heartwarming, gentle and delightful viewing, to know there are people who care enough about other people and their precious belongings, to want to make them happy again, for while...
federica