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Befriending my Paleozoic Lobster

RichardHRichardH Veteran
edited March 2012 in General Banter
I recently bought a big coffee table book on evolution for my kid and me to enjoy together. It is the kind of book that has rich illustrated fold-outs showing precambrian shelfish, and tetrapods recovering from the latest mass extinction...and so forth. It got me thinking about a conversation heard recently about "moral perfection" , and keeping the precepts. I'm pretty good mostly, no extra-marital affairs, no stealing, or killing... right (ish) speech.

But along for the ride is a paleozoic lobster..... who does not understand morality ... who does not understand anything.... and who just wants to eat, and screw, and avoid dying. There is nothing I can do about this little brain stem buddy, as long as I am alive. but I can get to know it.... get to know the Tao of my inner paleozoic lobster, and in so doing gentle him.. like gentling the bull in the ox herding series...

just a thought.. :thumbup:

Comments

  • AMHAMH
    Good thought, Sometimes I take my moments of feeling like that lobster and think I just lost it all, all the progress is gone because I just want a nice dinner, a comfy house and a warm body with me (no details but ya know).

    And that is as much what we are as the enlightened thoughts, except the lobster thoughts tend to cause more pain usually in the screwing department
  • TheswingisyellowTheswingisyellow Trying to be open to existence Samsara Veteran
    edited March 2012
    Maybe a correct understanding (at least for me) is that we evolved from more primitive life. You call it your Paleozoic Lobster, it's really our reptilian brain that "just wants to eat, and screw, and avoid dying".
    What strikes me as important in understanding this, is I can understand human nature much better. Why is it we do horrible or just purely self-centered things? We are at our core animals. There is a catch though, along with our evolution we evolved the ability to think, to know that we will die and most importantly to make reasoned logical and sympathetic choices, we are not just purely driven to satisfy impulses.
    Moment by moment we are faced with choices and we are free to choose what side of our brain we want to engage.
  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
    Lobster is lobster.
    You are you.
    No difference.
  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran
    I recently bought a big coffee table book on evolution for my kid and me to enjoy together. It is the kind of book that has rich illustrated fold-outs showing precambrian shelfish, and tetrapods recovering from the latest mass extinction...and so forth. It got me thinking about a conversation heard recently about "moral perfection" , and keeping the precepts. I'm pretty good mostly, no extra-marital affairs, no stealing, or killing... right (ish) speech.

    But along for the ride is a paleozoic lobster..... who does not understand morality ... who does not understand anything.... and who just wants to eat, and screw, and avoid dying. There is nothing I can do about this little brain stem buddy, as long as I am alive. but I can get to know it.... get to know the Tao of my inner paleozoic lobster, and in so doing gentle him.. like gentling the bull in the ox herding series...

    just a thought.. :thumbup:
    Egads, I hope you're not talking about Eurypterids!

  • personperson Don't believe everything you think The liminal space Veteran
    I like the imagery. Mine feels more like a snapping turtle. :)
  • RichardHRichardH Veteran
    edited March 2012
    ......Hallucigenia :D
  • RichardHRichardH Veteran


    Egads, I hope you're not talking about Eurypterids!

    whoa...

  • lamaramadingdonglamaramadingdong Veteran
    "There is nothing in Christianity or Buddhism that quite matches the sympathetic unselfishness of an oyster. "
    H.H. Munrow
  • tbuntontbunton
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    My shrink told me that we are composed of a good lady, I think of glinda. And our torso is a Lion who has the courage to stand up to the lobster. For some people they find other outlets for that lobster. For me that is video games.

    Where does the snow come from? The cloud, but the cloud got here somehow. Water was created by plankton. Or now I see that it cannot be plankton first. :grumble: But isn't the notion of water vast? Water can be from teh tap. Or snow. It's indra's net again. The icing of water to enlightened water. Right water at the appropriate moment. Awakening caused by the clarity of Buddha. Buddhas awakened and creating the kind time dime for sentient beings.
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