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Reactivity and attachment
Carameltail
UK Veteran
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/karunaratna/bl140.html
I like this story about the Bull. It illustrates in a nice way how we can free ourselves from aversion and attachment.
Also the importance of cultivating kindness inside us.
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Comments
That's probably the first time I can think of that a whole load of bull has been entirely beneficial....
This story was especially helpful to me right now. Thank you for posting the link!
Stories are a great way of presenting teaching. Many thanks @Carameltail
Here are the famous Ten Bulls of zen
http://www.ptmistlberger.com/the-ten-bulls-of-zen.php
follow, find, furrow
The part of the story that spoke to me was the bit where the tortoise said to the bull, “you are clutching your hurts to you as if they were your dearest possessions.” That’s a mistake that’s easy to make, but in fact you’re just causing yourself more pain.
For the story-prone and Zen-inclined, a good list is: http://www.101zenstories.com/
Thanks so much, @genkaku!
When the Buddha was an elephant, god etc, this is part of the imaginary former living conditions of Buddha hood.
http://mocomi.com/fun/stories/jataka-tales/
Of course the flat earth or Mount Meru cosmologist literalists believe every story ...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_characteristics_of_the_Buddha
I don't. That would be unskilful.
Buddhahood, enlightenment and genuine insight is possible and increasingly many of us know this to be true. Each of us in our personal struggle, search for peace, understanding and wisdom, is a potential. That is an unfolding story worth expressing ...
I was fine with this story @Carameltail right up to 'she was your karma' - this is one concept I have a lot of trouble with! I find it too much like the kind of thing I had to listen to from high caste brahmins all too frequently in India, karma being a great excuse to ignore the suffering and misery of others and feel very virtuous at the same time. I will admit to being soured by experience on this one, as my dad and I got invited to various dinners as 'novelty westerners' - this was a long time ago! - and were often lectured on our attitude to the undeserving poor! I need a karma chameleon
I think karma as a concept that can be misused a lot.
There is using karma as a threat almost in the same way to sin or even as an opposite by a few as some sort of 'cosmic' brownie point through good actions.
A better way to see it, is that healthy actions will ensure you stay healthy so it is best to do what you can to encourage that in the best way you can and where you would naturally allow the 'bad' to dissipate.
Thank you @Carameltail that is good advice
Negative reinforcement, fear-based behavior correction... At best it's lazy and at worst it facilitates harmful hirearchy.
Karma is neither good or bad but thinking makes it so
Newsflash - there's hierarchy everywhere.
yup, but it's not always harmful.
for example....?
Hierarchy may not always be harmful but it's based on power over the lives of others, and that always troubles me a lot. When it also invades and makes people fear the after death experience (if any!) I dislike it a lot! I love the poetry of Saigyo and I remember being really shocked to discover that Buddhism also had a Hell with horrible tortures, before that I had always thought of it more as a philosophy than a religion.
It's metaphorical. The Realms are all States of Mind, and sometimes we visit all of them in one day....
True, only too true sometimes - just one poem by Saigyo touched me, he is mourning his father and terrified about him being in hell as he was a samarai and had killed others - just sad that people should feel like that over metaphors!