Lana: When I'm into the discriminative mind I see and experience everything as you are giving a description here. But when I regain inner calm and serenity, at those moments the world seems perfect in its imperfection. Actually at those moments I see no perfection or imperfection. Have you ever observe in yourself that depending on what state of mind you were that is what you were seeing?. If a teaching is creating problems with you interacting with your closest people, making you suffer...then you are paying a high price because of an idea you have about how others should see the world according to your way of seeing. Throw away the idea and you may find both the way out here plus the heart of the teaching that you throw away. My boyfriend is not a practitioner and I won't change him for any practitioner. And here you go, what is not of any use I throw it away and whatever helps me with the relationship with my boyfriend and family I keep it. Still experimenting here. Being foolish often. Dwelling in samsara with frequency. But it's ok. I'm learning how to integrate the practise without imposing to my boyfriend this practise. Actually I like him better as a non practitioner because in this way he's warm, very affectionate, passionate... and all mine! (I know this last remark is samsara but don't care. I don't think I coud handle to have a frozen practitioner as a boyfriend) I do empathise with your difficulties here. It's not always easy for me either. We all go up and down. Zen is very far of being an easy practise. But it can be done as a part-time bases! . A bit in samsara and a bit in the Buddha. Why not?. No rush! Mayka --- On Thu, 25/11/10, Lana M. Gibbons <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Lana M. Gibbons <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Zen] New Member To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, 25 November, 2010, 0:29 It seems to me that traditional buddhists were able to step away from the world and dedicate themselves to their studies, some did not even have to do chores! Only the teachers really needed to interact with outsiders and even then, they only really interacted with those who were interested in learning (or thought they were interested in learning). In the reality of today's world, unless one was born into a rich family, one has to work for their living. One has to be a part of a society made up of the self-indulgent and dualistic, somehow maintaining no-mind despite constant contact with those who truly are suffering: all while knowing self-realization is something they have to attain on their own. -Lana On Wed, Nov 24, 2010 at 4:35 PM, Rose P <[email protected]> wrote: Good question Lana. It would be great to have more discussion in this forum about the nitty gritty of dealing with people in the world. Rose So I ask: How do you interact with the people in this world?
