How to Teach?
I was going to add...
"How to teach your grandmother to suck eggs"
....but thought better of it 

Anyhow....Thus have I heard....
If one puts into practice...what one is more inclined to preach (just thinking about it)
More often than not...it's the best way to teach (actions speak louder than words)...
Shoshin1
From a parents perspective, by example. Kids don't do as we tell them, they do as we do.
"Teaching is not done by talking alone. It is done by how you live your life. My life is my teaching. My life is my message."
-Thich Nhat Hanh
@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 . . .
“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
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
@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.
We form groups for the desire to belong but in reality, there is only one group and there is no way to not belong.
Yeah he’s been gone a good seven months… I believe @federica said he was taking a break from forum activities.
Jeroen
Anyone heard from @Bunks ?
Hope all is well with him....
Shoshin1
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