Right...but the actor is Shakti (refer to the dancing Kali on the immobile body of Shiva).
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "jpgillam" <jpgil...@...> wrote: > > I'm doing some research for a book. Perhaps people here would have stories to > contribute. > > I'm looking for stories that illustrate the presence of the non-changing > self. For example, I had a coworker who said, upon hearing a cancer > diagnosis, that she felt as if the news was being told to someone else, and > that she was apart from the news, listening in. That was her non-changing > self, which is nothing other than awareness, realizing its separateness from > her body. > > The most common illustration of the presence of a non-changing self is the > persistent awareness of I-ness that sticks with us as we change and age. One > hears people say all the time, "Here I am 50 (or 60 or 70) years old, but > inside I feel no different than I did at 20." > > What I'd really like to identify are actions that arise from the non-changing > self. For example, I've noticed I act more efficiently when I'm present in > the moment, which has the effect of centering me in the non-changing self. I > imagine that's what athletes talk about when they talk about playing "in the > zone." I'd like to hear more experiences of people acting in the zone, > whether they're building a spreadsheet or teaching a class or playing a sport. > > I would hypothesize that heroic and selfless actions arise from the > non-changing self, as opposed to the changing self. Perhaps some people in > your network can describe an action that would qualify as heroic or selfless, > and contrast it with actions that clearly arose from the changing self. > > By "changing self," I'm referring to what we commonly call the ego or > identity. I'd also like to hear experiences that illustrate the voracious > nature of the changing self. For example, every now and then I'll say > something that's gratuitously self-serving. I'll realize right away I only > spoke to to feed my ego. Maybe some of your friends have funny or > embarrassing stories that illustrate specific instances of the changing self > seeking sustenance. > > The book I'm developing is under the working title of "Your Two Selves." > It'll contain experiences that illustrate the different flavors of action > that result from the two selves: the changing self, which acts to nourish > itself, and the non-changing self, which acts - when it does act - to do what > needs to be done. > > I'd like to write the book in the style such Malcolm Gladwell books as The > Tipping Point and Blink: interesting narratives supplemented by a little > scientific research, all to the purpose of explaining social and cognitive > phenomena. > > My hypothesis is that having two selves explains why human beings are capable > of good and evil. On the one hand, we have a changing self that requires > continual sustenance such that we'll put others down in order to build > ourselves up, and on the other hand, we have a non-changing self that's > capable of great feats of heroism, selflessness and achievement. > > I'm not able to pay for stories. The purpose of the book would be to inspire > readers and help people identify these two selves in themselves and society. > Interviewees would share their stories to further that goal. I can present > tales anonymously if people prefer to protect their identities. > > Finally, I'll be looking for stories that illustrate the unification or > reconciliation of the two selves. For example, an MIU classmate posted at > Facebook, "I'm noticing there are two of me." When I asked for a > clarification, he replied, "I was feeling that the one I was familiar with > was the one in charge and the other one was shiny jewelry that made the first > one look great. But that take on it was rubbing me the wrong way after a > while. So then I let the quiet one be in charge and let the familiar one > relax and just let it be. I'm much happier now." > > If anyone reading this email can reinforce, refute or otherwise respond to my > classmate's experience, I'd love to talk to you! > > Thanks for reading. > > -- > Patrick Gillam > > Lyndeborough, New Hampshire > > mobile (603) 370-0046 > (603) 654-6562 >
