--- In [email protected], "Alex Stanley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote: > > > > --- In > > [email protected], "tomandcindytraynoratfairfieldlis" > > <tomandcindytraynoratfairfieldlist@> wrote: > > > > > > TorquiseB writes sinpped: > > > Have you ever dealt with a long-term cocaine addict? > > > Same behavior. The first reaction to a suggestion > > > from a friend as to how to seek help is 1) denial > > > that he *needs* help, 2) anger at the person who > > > suggested it, 3) a compulsion to badrap the person > > > who has made the suggestion to others, to cast > > > them as the person who needs help, and 4) a rush > > > behind closed doors back to the cocaine baggie. > > > > Interestingly, this post from Barry has not > > appeared on the FFL Web site. I'm not sure > > whether it's just gotten delayed or lost, or > > whether Barry thought better of it for some > > reason and deleted it from the site. > > Barry did quite a bit of deleting this morning: > > Nov 16, 2006 4:48 am > turquoiseb <Email Private> > Deleted message #123002 > > Nov 16, 2006 4:48 am > turquoiseb <Email Private> > Deleted message #123001 > > Nov 16, 2006 4:50 am > turquoiseb <Email Private> > Deleted message #122937 > > Nov 16, 2006 4:50 am > turquoiseb <Email Private> > Deleted message #122843 > > Nov 16, 2006 4:52 am > turquoiseb <Email Private> > Deleted message #122713 > > Nov 16, 2006 4:53 am > turquoiseb <Email Private> > Deleted message #122538 > > Nov 16, 2006 5:45 am > turquoiseb <Email Private> > Deleted message #123293 > > > Would somebody who received it via email be > > willing either to quote it in full on the Web > > site, or email it to me?
I simply cannot tell you how much this amuses me. I made a post this morning, a generic post about "feeling the body" and the resistance to it I (and presumably Robert) had noticed in our spiritual travels, and then posted it. Then, a little later, I read it and realized that it was unnecessary. I had said it all before, to no effect. So I deleted the sucker. While I was at it, I went back and looked at all the posts no one had ever replied to, to figure out what no one here was interested in, and then deleted them as well. Some here will attribute nefarious intent to such actions. I leave them to do so. Me, I stand on what I wrote originally, especially the last line: > --- In [email protected], "Robert Gimbel" <babajii_99@> > wrote: > > > > Eckart Tolle talks about this, as the 'pain body'. > > Everyone has one, some more than others. > > When the pain body is activated, these negative thoughts and > > emotions arise. > > He says to witness them, which is easier said then done... > > Actually, it's much easier done than said, but when > people have gotten used to being in pain and have > made a lifestyle choice to settle for it, they resist > the easy path in favor of the painful one, because it > is more familiar to them. > > > ...but, nonetheless, heals them in the long run. > > The fascinating thing is, it would heal them in the > *short* run as well, but the resistance is fierce. > > That is what fascinates me about addiction, and about > addictive behavior in a spiritual context -- the fact > that people who have fallen into an addiction rut not > only avoid any suggestion as to how to get out of the > rut, but treat the suggestion as if it were a personal > attack. > > Have you ever dealt with a long-term cocaine addict? > Same behavior. The first reaction to a suggestion > from a friend as to how to seek help is 1) denial > that he *needs* help, 2) anger at the person who > suggested it, 3) a compulsion to badrap the person > who has made the suggestion to others, to cast > them as the person who needs help, and 4) a rush > behind closed doors back to the cocaine baggie. > > > It's the same kind of instruction that Maharishi gives in the > > checking: Concerning 'overpowering thoughts, when it is > > difficult to think the mantra- to just allow the attention > > to be drawn to the area of the body which holds the > > disconfort, and by allowing the attention to be drawn to > > the body, will help facilitate the release. > > So, with repeated attention or witness of the discomfort of > > negative thoughts or emotions, instead of feeding into them, > > just witness, seems to disolve, the pain with pracice. > > It is the power of the transcendant to heal, the power of > > witnessing. > > I may no longer be a TMer, but I thoroughly agree > with this advice. I have seen its counterpart in > many other spiritual traditions. > > *And* I have seen the anger and the resistance with > which this advice is met by those who need to hear > it the most. It's just utterly fascinating. > > Because I'm mainly a Buddhist, and because Buddhists > believe strongly in the importance of choice, I tend > to treat the protestations that people make when > reminded of how to avoid these negative emotions > as having made a lifestsyle choice. > > They have *decided* to "feed" the negative emotions > (anger all the time) or the destructive behavior (not > meditating). What makes the choice so obvious *as* a > choice is the utter *simplicity* of the alternative > they are rejecting so angrily (just shift your focus > to something other than anger, or just prioritize > meditation more highly than the other activities you > have become addicted to). If the alternative being > presented to them was *hard*, or painful, you might > understand their resistance. But it isn't. > > Bottom line is that in the world of spirituality > some people choose to make progress, and others > choose to make excuses.
