Steve,
Replace
'Hate type' with 'solid type'
'Greed type' with 'peculiar type',
then, does the following make sense to you?
--ED
Solids: Thinking/Controlling
"I analyse. I philosophise. I illuminate. I am still. I understand.
I control".
... Solids seek stillness and perfect solitude, knowledge and wisdom.
They are centred in the mind, which physically, is in the brow: the
point between the eyes called the `third eye'; Solids use their
intellect to understand the world. They love new understandings and
insights. But they also can feel threatened by an unknown, and possibly
dangerous, future and they worry. Through understanding and analysis,
Solids try to make the world a safe and rational place. Forces of chaos
constantly threaten to explode and stir up their peace and stability.
Solids control feeling with their intellect, thus their chronic problem
is fear, and its near relative, worry.
Since Solids seek rationality and security, they tend to suppress life,
dynamism and change. They approach life through the mind, not the
intuition. They analyse first, and feel and experience later. Solids are
academics, journalists, engineers, philosophers, scientists and doctors.
An entrepreneur is likely to be a Vital, expanding into new markets and
new profits, whereas the Solid might become a lawyer, or an accountant,
seeking professions that provide counsel in caution and restraint.
Solids can be pessimistic and sceptical in their approach to life. Fear
of the future blocks their visionary capabilities. New ideas, new
experiences and new feelings are treated with suspicion. When understood
intellectually they become more accepting, more relaxed and less fearful
of change. Understanding is the key to the Solid's sense of security.
Solids focus, study, limit, control and analyse. Where Vitals expand
their boundaries and Peculiars transcend boundaries, Solids create
boundaries. They seek to create the perfect structure, from which they
can feel safe.
Through their tendency to over-analyse, they can block the life force,
become paralysed with fear and disempower themselves. Their analysis can
become self-protective or ego-protective, rather than leading to wisdom
or insight.
Lacking spontaneity, imagination and sensuality Solids keep themselves
busy with lists and details and are always time-challenged. They have an
overwhelming sense of responsibility. They tend to be arrogant or
judgmental, especially of people who seem irresponsible or lacking in
discipline.
Solids need to open to the life force and trust their emotional and
intuitive realm ...s. They need to understand that they are safe and
protected, even when there is a movement of life and feeling. When they
feel their brows knit, they should be aware that they are worrying. A
good exercise for a Solid would be to bring to mind thoughts like,
"There is nothing to fear. This is my own feeling. These are my own
thoughts. I expand my understanding in this situation. All is well".
When they allow their life force to flow, Solids can create clarity and
peace, even out of chaos.
Solids and The Path of Wisdom
Solids naturally gravitate toward jnana yoga, the path of wisdom. The
main practice of jnana yoga is self-inquiry. The meditator asks
empowering questions like, "Who am I?" or "What is the
nature of the Self?" Awareness is used to focus on the deepest level
of reality. In meditation, jnanis discard all thoughts that seem untrue,
or that lead away from the experience of the Self. They go beyond such
identifications as, "I am a man. I am a woman. I am a doctor"
until only pure awareness pulsates in their mind. An unevolved Solid can
get lost in identifications, treatises or analysis. But they have the
power to turn their intellect towards the inner Self.
Solids have an intense desire to know the deepest reality. They have an
intuition of the truth, and will not stop until they have discovered it.
They probe the nature of reality until they achieve a breakthrough in
understanding. When this happens, their minds merge with the Self, and
they experience a profound insight of their own divinity. Solids then
want to serve the Truth.
Spiritually evolved Solids have a strong sense of Self and a positive
approach to life. They feel secure in that knowledge, and express it by
taking an expansive view of the world and others. Although sceptical at
first, Solids will change when knowledge and understanding dawn. Solids
learn to discern the Truth and express their understanding.
Summary
* The strength of Solids is the ability to analyse, understand and be
dispassionate.
* The weak points manifest when they block the flow of expansion,
creativity and feeling, because of unconscious fear. This can lead to a
sense of lifelessness and rigidity.
* Solids are ever alert for the possible future dangers.
* Self-esteem issues centre on a feeling of not living life
passionately, or of life passing them by.
* They feel themselves lacking in creativity, and judge themselves
boring.
* A Solid must open to the emotional and imaginative life, and learn
to take risks and deviate from the safe structure of their mind.
Peculiars: Feeling/Intuition
"I feel. I express myself. I yearn for love.
I transcend. I accept".
... Peculiars are inspirational, creative and emotional. They are
centered in their heart. Experiencing the world of practical reality as
boring and dreary, Peculiars seek a transcending experience that
dissolves all feelings of separation. Aware of a higher possibility,
they fantasise and daydream, creating scenes in their mind. They can be
devastated when reality does not live up to these expectations.
Peculiars yearn to fall in love and be swept up on the wings of romance.
They are attracted to dazzling careers filled with fame and glamour.
They like to share their feelings. When possibilities shrink, they may
turn to drugs and alcohol to escape or to numb the feeling of
disappointment. Spiritual Peculiars may look for meditative ecstasies
and transcendent spiritual experiences as a way of avoiding the mundane.
They might become addicted to occult adventurism, psychics, channels and
past-life readings.
Peculiars try to give concrete expression to their feelings, which can
take the form of works of art or of a Utopian vision of life. They are
the artists, poets, actors, psychics and comedians—intensely
creative performers who love to have centre stage. They often have an
element of genius. They can be unusual in their attitudes and bohemian
in their lifestyle.
Peculiars have a tendency to leap from love affair to love affair, as
soon as the first bloom of romance is gone. They can be filled with
regret and pine for a romanticised past. The love that once was, is
gone, or the love that could be, is not. The worst fate is to feel
nothing, and be left with the boredom of daily life.
Peculiars are sensitive and compassionate, but often physically weak and
sickly. They can be given to self-pity, neediness and hypochondria. The
chronic problem for Peculiars is sorrow and despair, born of loss and
disappointment and a tendency to brood, especially about the past.
Where Vitals might be excessively involved in sense pleasure, power and
money, Peculiars can be excessively involved in their creative,
emotional and relationship issues. They can become toxic with depression
and sentimentality and ineffective in the physical world, so their
dreams are never fulfilled.
A healthy antidote for this condition is the practical discipline of
daily life. An austere practice like Zen Buddhism, in which the students
is told to "chop wood and carry water" and not philosophise or
seek ecstasies, is perfect for Peculiars. They need to learn to detach
themselves from their emotional life.
Peculiars must learn to be content with what they have. They have to
become aware when sadness wells up in the heart area. They should
strongly determine not to indulge it by giving voice to despair and
self-pity. They must learn to pour their love into their life as it is,
not as it could be or should be. Sitting with the feeling in their
heart, they could say, "I accept myself as I am. I accept my life as
it is. I love myself".
Peculiars, who resist their tendency to despair, can discover a rich
energy in ordinary life. They can inspire and uplift others with their
very being. They become filled with spiritual energy.
Peculiars and The Path of Devotion
Peculiars have an overwhelming desire to become one with everything.
Their natural yoga is bhakti yoga, the path of devotion. When Peculiars
turn to yoga they use their feeling of love to merge with the Self and
become absorbed in the feeling of oneness. This focus purifies and
strengthens their emotions. Their spiritual attitude is surrender and
devotion. They want to serve and give to their beloved, but can become
too attached, which creates emotional tension, jealousy and resentment.
The spiritual practice of the bhakta is to focus on loving everyone and
to not only seek the love of one person.
Peculiars tend to idealise every emotional situation they face. Placing
huge demands on those they love, they may feel disappointed when their
expectations are not met and can become resentful. Because they can be
readily influenced, it is important for them to keep good company,
especially with fellow seekers.
A spiritual pathway for Peculiars is to meditate on the heart, until
desire and negative emotion are transformed into divine love. When they
offer all of their activities to God, they no longer grieve, hate or
crave. Their attachment turns to wisdom. When they love impersonally
they manifest compassion for all humankind. They take delight in their
own Self.
Summary:
* The strong points of Peculiars are compassion, empathy and
charisma. Peculiars have a charm that can inspire others.
* The weak points are a tendency to self-pity, complaining,
hypochondria and despair.
* Peculiars often get caught in the past, in nostalgia, regret or
hurt.
* They feel that things are never good enough or as good as they once
were, or as they should be.
* They can be impractical and out of touch with physical reality.
* Self-esteem issues centre on a perceived lack of effectiveness in
their outer life.
* They feel unworthy and lacking in vitality.
* Peculiars need to focus on their outer life, and not be so involved
in their feelings that they become dysfunctional.
Source: http://www.shivayoga.org/html/vitalpeculiarsolid.html
<http://www.shivayoga.org/html/vitalpeculiarsolid.html>
--- In [email protected], "SteveW" <eugnostos2000@...> wrote:
>
> Hello. I have personally found the theory of Buddhist Personality
Types
> to be very useful in my practice. The Types are: Hate Type, Greed
Type,
> Confusion Type, Discursive Type, Faith Type and Wisdom Type. This goes
> back to the Pali Canon and really isn't a Zen thing, but I was
wondering if anyone else here was interested in this.
> Steve
