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If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning
yagr
Veteran
"If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to treat every problem as a nail" - Abraham Maslow 1966
This line arose early this morning, and proceeded to follow me around all day. So, come mid-afternoon, I decided to sit with it to see if I could discover what it was trying to tell me. It was the shortest 'sitting' of my life. Immediately I was assailed with, "You believe that the only tool you have is mind; how's that working out for...I'm sorry, who is it you believe yourself to be?"
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Comments
And?
Certainly true, the mind hypnotises you into believing you are your thoughts.
Well that's a gift. An ear-worm that jollies my day along for a ride into Nostalgia!
I cannot speak for who you believe yourself to be but from what little I know of you, I can say I think you are useful and show that you understand compassion. I think you are a buddha in hiding.
Our main tool must be the mind but there are so many other useful things we can use to examine and enjoy this world together.
It is too bad we often take this world and each other as granted. We are really lucky to have this chance. The present moment is a miracle.
And here I was thinking the whole point was to realise we were not the mind, not this bundle of thoughts…
Could be... I take it to mean we are more than this mind/body experience, not that we should reject the mind/body experience. I'm thinking the whole point is the cessation of the suffering that comes from wanting to be a permanent individual, not the cessation of life or wonder.
I see the individual mind/body experience as a tool of exploration just as I see the thought stream as a tool that we individuals use but should not mistake for the individual. We are not limited to this mind/body experience or the thought stream that comes with it fundamentally but it would not be accurate to say they are not relational or not really happening.
Individuality is an illusion and Interbeing is the reality. The snake and the rope.
We work together or not at all.
And here we are working together.
Even when we war and kill each other, we are still working together. We are just working towards hell.
Still working on it...
Or perhaps, still working on avoiding it.
From the samantabadracharya:
Whatever trace of punya I have accumulated By my obeisance, offering, repentance, rejoicing in virtue, And entreaty for the turning of the Dharma Wheel and for Buddhas to remain in the world, I dedicate it to the Supreme Enlightenment of beings.
Sometimes when I dislike someone I begin to rumiate all the annoying things I find right now or in the past from this person, but then I counterattack it with metta. Something like, "maybe he/she/perso is smiling and making a delicious meal / well, i hope they are doing great / these thoughts are garbage that should be disposed off before the fumes start affecting the rest".
Just like the hammer, sometimes you need to put it back in its tool box and back inside the shed. Stop seeing nails everywhere! You can't hammer -use fireworks- to solve all of your chores!