I disagree. All the psychotherapy in the world will not lead one to awakening (and it's not designed to) and neither does it follow that a Zen awakening will wipe out all our neuroses and personality 'disorders'.
--- On Sat, 28/4/12, ED <[email protected]> wrote: From: ED <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Zen] Assertiveness vs. Zen = Perplexed! To: [email protected] Date: Saturday, 28 April, 2012, 0:56 There's a choice between these 'human potential' trainings, or seeing a psychotherapist/psychologist to gain understanding into how one creates one's own dysfunctional reality, or of just sitting, or of following a Buddhist or zen path or ... These are not necessarily mutually exclusive choices. --- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@...> wrote: > > Robenzo, > > If you want to learn psychological 'tricks' (Some say 'techniques') to become assertive, then your brother's suggestion might be just what you need. However, if you desire to know yourself, then you've come to the wrong place, too. If you cut off your arm to prove your commitment, then maybe, just maybe you've come to the right place (But don't count on it). > > Mike > --- On Fri, 27/4/12, robenzo72 robenzo72@... wrote: > > I'm here to learn. I'm also here because I believe the collective wisdom/knowledge here can provide answers that would otherwise take me who knows how long to discover. > > Here's my latest "Zen Perplexity": Suffice to say that I deal with some rather difficult people in my life. One might even say "unnecessarily difficult," or even label it has harassment. No kidding. I'm just a very peace-loving dude, but I'm also like a hate magnet that draws peoples' ire without falter. > > This I know: I cannot change the behavior of others, I can only alter mine. However, the Universe provides me with endless opportunities to find "Zen" in order to just cope with life. > > I was actually so upset today (as I say, I lost my Zen) that I phoned my brother about it. He's not a Zen Buddhist, but does subscribe to another Eastern religion (Ananda Marga). Anyways, after I'd told him that my "Zen" was depleted and therefore I had to exit a situation, he suggested that rather than trying to be so "Zen-like," that I needed "assertiveness training." Hmm... Assertiveness is a necessary skill, but it also leads to ego "stuff" and altercations. > > So, I'm really just in a quandary. Rarely do you see Zen text instructing assertiveness in difficult situations (unless I'm mistaken). I've also thought it conceivable that I just have a low level of it, but that's neither here nor there. Thoughts? >
