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dear diary

genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
edited November 2018 in General Banter

Dear Diary -- Well, I woke up this morning with the distinct realization that I had not killed anyone ... yet.

This struck me as a step in the right direction. It's important to greet each day on a positive note, don't you think? The extremity of killing-someone may strike others as, well, extreme, but when you consider that it didn't happen, how does it vary much from waking to the notion that to the best of my knowledge, I had not attained enlightenment either.

I didn't kick the cat or break any windows or pee on the floor either ... are these not all positive indicators? Still, positive or negative, it all boils down to imagination, don't you think. And crediting one bit of imagination over another is ... uhhh ... a bit silly, don't you think?

I mention all this because it's interesting how many spiritual wannabes wake on any given morning to a litany of complaints and a smoggy sense of failed virtue.

I didn't kill anyone AND my grasp on right speech or right livelihood or whatever are both woefully imaginary ... bits of imagination. But how does waking to the doom-gloom-failure tableau vary in the least from all the up-side hopefulness that also is imaginary at the moment? Yes, gloom inspires me to try harder, BUT I think it behooves anyone to consider ... well, I haven't killed anyone ... yet ... so my life is not a total disaster. Hey -- I might even smile.

Smiles are not imaginary. Shri Rajneesh (before he got his tail caught in the political fan) once suggested that his followers wake up in the morning and -- before anything else -- laugh. For five minutes, laugh. Imagining something good may be yummy. Imagining something spiritually sophisticated may be glum. But a good laugh beats both of 'em hollow.

Think of it: You haven't killed anyone ... yet. How enlightened is that? Does it get any enlightened-er than that?

Just noodling.

personJeffrey

Comments

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Noodling is probably an egotistical pastime, which merely gives air of importance,to personal thoughts which might be better spent thinking, not "I haven't killed anyone... yet", but rather, focusing on "Hot-damn, I'm still alive! Time to do something good and put a smile on someone else's face!"

    NB: it is well worth, if it please you, considering that I merely learnt this lesson myself not two days ago.
    Until then, I would confess I was probably in the "I haven't killed anyone ...yet" camp, too. ;)

    Vastmind
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    That’s certainly true, if you think of all the things we haven’t done that some people have done there is a long list of potential crimes that you haven’t committed... serial killer or soldier for hire or abattoir slaughter man, bank robber, rapist, con-man, drug-dealer, just to start with the five precepts.

    So on the whole we lead pretty virtuous lives, of some karmic worth. And we spend time on the dharma, and follow the advice of dharma teachers.

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