The Zen tradition would take us back to the concept of our original face: What is your original face before any ideas, images, feelings that you have been carrying like so much baggage? When investigating "What is your original face before parents were even born?" we are thrown back on our most primal, original self. Seeing this face in others is rare, knowing it in myself is easier.
Are any other faces sincere? Well, we can let webster define that (below) and it seems that if a face is presented as an honest expression of self, then yes: 1 : marked by genuineness: as a : free of dissimulation : not hypocritical : REAL, TRUE, HONEST <the missionaries were prompted by a sincere desire for good -- Herman Melville> <was above all sincere and detested any form of pretense or affectation -- Terry de Valera> b (1) : free from adulteration : not mixed <to find and isolate Nazism in its pure sincere form proved extremely difficult -- J.C.Harsch> (2) : not containing any foreign element : PURE <wood is cheap and wine sincere outside the city gate -- Robert Browning> c : marked by truth : GENUINE <the only sincere glimpse that we get of the living breathing word-compelling Dante -- J.R.Lowell> d : motivated by a desire for meaningful expression <the emotional substratum which we feel to be inseparable from a truly great and sincere work of musical art -- Edward Sapir> 2 archaic : DEVOID <air sincere of ceremonious haze -- J.R.Lowell> 3 : characterized by firm belief in the validity of one's own opinions <an entirely sincere and cruel tyrant> synonyms WHOLEHEARTED, WHOLE-SOULED, HEARTFELT, HEARTY, UNFEIGNED: sincere suggests absence of hypocrisy, dissimulation, falsification, feigning, or embellishment and consequent honest genuineness <too sincere for dissimulation -- Ellen Glasgow> <individuals are considered sincere when there is little or no discrepancy between the goals they seek and those they claim to be seeking -- L.W.Doob> WHOLEHEARTED and WHOLE-SOULED stress lack of reservation or misgiving and may suggest devotion, zeal, and sincerity <writes himself down a frank and wholehearted Tory -- V.L.Parrington> <who could help liking her? her generous nature, her gift for appreciation, her wholehearted, fervid enthusiasm -- L.P.Smith> <men whose dedication to their country was whole-souled, nevertheless, and for whom the supreme frustration of personal ambition never deflected them away from public services of a monumental nature -- Eric Sevareid> HEARTFELT suggests a genuine stirring of innermost feelings and usually contrasts with formal, conventional, outwardly indicated, more or less factitious manifestation <our sympathy for you therefore is heartfelt, for we are sharing the same sufferings -- Sir Winston Churchill> <if ever men have offered heartfelt thanks to God for deliverance from the perils of the sea, surely we were those men -- C.B.Nordhoff & J.N.Hall> HEARTY may suggest vigorous manifestations like notable warmth and robust exuberance <infuriated elderly traveling salesmen were backslapped all day long by hearty and powerful unknown persons -- Sinclair Lewis> <a courtier's laugh, decorous, brief and not too hearty -- J.H.Wheelwright> UNFEIGNED may stress spontaneity and absence of simulation <I confess to unfeigned delight in the insurgent propaganda -- J.L.Lowes> On May 12, 10:29 am, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > I have to say, I think the use of 'mask' is at the root of that discomfort, > because of the assumption of a false face. I wonder if 'faces' might be more > accurate. As Lee noted, we have different faces for work and > home...additionally, we have different fraces for friend, lover, parent...are > any of them less than sincere? > > > > [ Attached Message ]From:Molly Brogan <[email protected]>To:"\"Minds > Eye\"" <[email protected]>Date:Tue, 12 May 2009 07:10:31 -0700 > (PDT)Local:Tues, May 12 2009 10:10 amSubject:[Mind's Eye] Re: The Finite Mask > that Covers the Infinite > > Thanks, sajida, what do you think about masks? My thoughts until now > have been about how we use masks as self expression, either forming > personas with ego, or expressing what is repressed by stepping outside > our comfort zone with the aid of a (like rebel) persona. But gabby > brings up a new perspective. When others judge there to be a mask, > does it mean there is one? Communication is a two way street, and > understanding isn't always achieved. Can folks seem to be masked > because understanding isn't reached in the communication? > > On May 12, 8:01 am, sajida naz <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Thanks Chris, Allan and in fact all of you. There is a very nice and > > informative discussion going on in the group. > > > Regards, > > > Naz > > > On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 6:59 PM, iam deheretic <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Welcome Naz > > > > I will wear a mask when I want to. It does have a whole lot to do with > > > spiritualiy and who we we are, simply because your spirituality whether > > > you > > > are an athiest or of some other beliefs it still defines who you are and > > > yes masks are disguises. There have been times I use a mask to protect > > > another and that mask is used in kindness. > > > > Again welcome to the mad house known as Minds-Eye > > > Allan > > > > On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 4:40 PM, sajida naz <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> Hello, Am new here, but would like a say something to this discussion. > > > >> Mask is kind of disguise right, we are not what we pretend to.....has it > > >> sth to do with spirituality??? In my opinion, those who are not aware of > > >> their own existance and purpose, are wearing masks whether intentionally > > >> or > > >> unintentionally > > > >> Its just my opinion to your theme > > > >> -- > > >> Naz > > >> On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 3:18 PM, Molly Brogan > > >> <[email protected]>wrote: > > > >>> Joseph Campbell is probably our best known contemporary expert on the > > >>> subject of masks, and his work including his massive studies, Masks of > > >>> God and Masks of Eternity, offer his keen insight into our own > > >>> abilities to don a mask and uncover the masks we find. > > > >>> What is it about us that put on our masks? What about us creates the > > >>> need for one? When do we confuse our mask with who we really are? > > >>> When are masks useful and when do they become obstacles for us? > > > >>> I’m not talking about the functional, physical mask such as > > >>> theatrical, surgical, protect and disguise mask etc. I am talking > > >>> about the mask of persona, the way we pretend to be one way and are > > >>> really another. Politesse is a good example and can often be a > > >>> cultural custom. When our words and mannerisms are polite, but our > > >>> actions and innuendos aggressive, we are wearing a mask. When we > > >>> profess undying love as a means to an end, and walk away in the > > >>> morning light, we are wearing a mask. Sometimes, we lose sight of our > > >>> own masks and are confused about who we really are. Why? > > > >>> What do YOU think? > > > > -- > > > ( > > > ) > > > I_D Allan > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
