fox in the oh-so-serene hen house
genkaku
Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
This morning, in my email box, someone had sent along a video I had seen before of Bagwan Sri Rajneesh parsing the uses and applications of the word "fuck."
Leaving aside the hot water once Rajneesh got into here in the U.S., I found the video, once again, mildly amusing: The mind -- perhaps especially the mind that is trying to devote itself to a more disciplined lifestyle -- seems to be dogged and daunted by its own bad-boy or bad-girl potential ... a fox in the serene hen house. "Right speech" is a pretty good idea, but all you have to do is suggest there is right speech to have what feels like wrong speech come calling.
I'm not looking here for slick-willy observations about how "we" can let thoughts come and go in their time, but I am interested in this bad-boy/bad-girl realm. From where I sit, it is no joke. You can't sit on it. You can't elude it with slick-willy nostrums. It's up in your face, whether subtly or with tsunami-like force. Talk nice and the potential for talk-nasty asserts itself.
How to cope. I haven't got the answer. Perhaps you have. I'm a little old to be shocked or discombobulated or even wildly amused by some no-no word, but I can remember a time when I was. The fox would get into my hen house and the harder I tried to soothe or calm or gently restrain it ... well, I don't know about your fox, but my fox would laugh and go about raising even more hell.
For someone of my age, all I can think is that if you live with something long enough, it pretty much runs out of steam. How good is your good-boy really? How bad is your bad-boy really? And, in the end, how much difference does it make? In Zen there is the story of a student who asked his teacher, "What does the middle way mean?" And the teacher replied, "It means the extremes." I like that. Bad boys, good boys; bad girls, good girls ... oh, for heaven's sake: Give it a rest.
What's your take?
Comments
I actually am not sure I understand what you're asking.
Let me see, are you saying that where there is Yin, there must logically also be yang?
So when someone is talking nicely, it inevitably means someone will talk nasty?
I don't buy it.
I'm not sure what the point of the post is, even...
I won't tolerate it used directly against anyone abusively on forum, at all.
I'd rather people didn't use it at all, because often the context is unwarranted...
I'd rather people didn't use foul language, but in some instances it's a pre-requisite for emphasis.
A very famous Dave Allen sketch, springs to mind. It cost him his job on the BBC, but he was right - use of the word made the whole routine... imagine it without the word and the whole thing flails and loses clout....
So the word itself isn't offensive as such. I think the circumstance and intention is what counts.
Sorry to seem/be unclear @federica. I guess I was trying to suggest that the effort, sometimes heartfelt, to straighten things out comes together (your Yin/Yang, so to speak) with a dollop of the very opposite of what is targeted... being 'good' carrying with it the tendency/delight/dismay of being 'bad.' And if this is so, how is anyone to cope with that fox?
I'm sorry if that is no clearer. Maybe we can just let the thread die a natural death.
Oh, ok. Let me try again.
So do you mean that, whatever 'good' we attempt to transmit or enact, there will inevitably be a (debatably) equal but negative, opposite effect?
I have always said that no matter how mindful we are with regard to generating ~"good" Kamma, someone, somewhere, along the line, will suffer as a result (direct or otherwise) of our benevolent intentions. It's unfortunately the way everything balances out. Tip the scales one way and the other plate rises...
Or maybe that "No Good deed goes unpunished"...? For all our good intentions and desire to be kind, compassionate supportive and loving, we will receive the cold bucket of water on our efforts somewhat dampening our enthusiasm and even halting us in our tracks....?
Yesah, I've had that happen, too....
@federica -- Yes, your scenario covers the "out-there" of things: No good deed goes unpunished, etc. But, to keep up the metaphor, there's also the in-here where intentions find a starting point and a touchstone for a hopefully-happier and more peaceful lifestyle. I wind up my good-deeds clock (loved that video, by the way) and find that wound into the mix is some vexing confusion or delusion or something ... the bad boy come calling.
If any of that makes sense.
OP, I'm sorry, but I'm lost. Could you restate your topic? I have no idea what you're trying to say or ask.
Ah... so sometimes you're sick 'n' tired of being good... you'd like to, now and then, throw caution to the wind and tell that charity door-step invader to piss off, instead of inviting them in for a coffee and a mince pie....
Yes maybe sick and tired of being regimented?
I think I might know what you mean. When I first decided to apply the 8 Fold Path in my life, I suddenly became hyper vigilant about any wrong speech that came flying out of my mouth and I felt my self split into those two classifications that you gave: bad girl vs good girl/ bad boy vs good boy. And it sort of felt like I was at war with myself a lot of the times, trying to use my good self to overcome my bad self. All because I had learned the concept of right speech.
For example, I discovered that I am very quick to criticize my younger sister. Often times I don't catch myself using wrong speech against her until it's too late, but the point is that I feel this "bad person" inside of me always threatening to ruin the good image that I am trying to portray. At times I feel like I'm Dr. Jekyll, but the Mr. Hyde inside of me keeps taking over! And I tell myself that it wasn't me who reacted and said those hurtful words -- it was the bad person inside of me and I became someone else momentarily. It's hard to reconcile and I've only just begun to simply be aware that this is happening inside of me (and all of us).
Maybe you and I can't do anything to tame the fox. Its nature is to wreak havoc in the hen house. And I think it rather enjoys seeing our efforts at trying to tame it, and wants to see how far it can go to drive us crazy. A technique I sometimes use (if I remember to) is to laugh back at the fox when it laughs at me for foiling my practice. Then it sort of becomes a playful game to see who can outwit the other. You applaud the fox for getting the best of you this time and welcome the challenge that he's given you ("Ha ha that was a good one Mr Fox. You were clever this time, but next time I'll be ready for you!) Then you sort of get to have fun and it doesn't become a frustrating Fox Vs Hen struggle.
I don't watch shit advice videos from Bog1, Trump the turnip or Fox Noose etc
... however I do make use of wrong speech where required. See above.
On the whole it is more skilfull to support the inclination towards support, courtesy, kindness, tempered and restrained use of language etc. Especially where diplomacy, right speech, kindness etc is condoned and encouraged.
The problem with the wily fox is it kills all the chickens.
If we have a severe internal bad gal, we make use of it, where appropriate. For example we can direct our bad boy speech into activism for positive change. Lots of foxes needed to swear at: politicians, generals, bankers, polluters and other hell realm creatures ...
Use discernment with your foxy wrathful nature ... trample some empty skulls ...
@genkaku
I think I know what you're getting at. I'm not sure if this works, but maybe it's possible to get rid of morality altogether. That way you don't need to worry about foxes or chickens.
@0student0 -- Risky and open to abuse, but still interesting. Daring not to be good -- what sort of Pandora's Box might that open?
Going prematurely beyond morality, ethics and convention is most often the mark of the charlatan or self deluded. Such people can be extremely damaging because they are chickens who end up killing potential foxes. They are in essence inappropriate. Rogue gurus are easy to differentiate once discernment arises. To those weaned on a culture of excitement and spiritual starvation they are very seductive.
I was once helped to set up a forum to explore this box. What came out was not helpful and in fact counter productive. When in a position to utilise wrathful techniques or masks, the restraints or counter measures are in place.
... oh I wonder what's in hear [sic] ... or maybe not ...
