"I made a post this morning, a generic post about "feeling the body" "
I protest your deleting any post where someone's body get felt. You of anyone should understand the group's right to a cheap thrill once in a while. --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "Alex Stanley" > <j_alexander_stanley@> 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. >
