Buddhist thoughts - Page 2

pumpkyn · #21 05-31-2008, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KittyKitty

Should any Buddhist enter this thread, I have a question regarding "soul". Somewhere I read that Buddhists do not believe in a soul... what do they believe in, what is the core of human to them ? I could read up, but I'd prefer a Buddhist to explain, and simply (yo). Please no longwinding stuff..

Are there Buddhists here ?

hi! your question inspired my earlier post. i'll try to answer your specific question here.

lots of buddhists believe in a soul, especially in tibetan buddhism, the soul could travel in astral planes, and come back as a reincarnation, like the dalai lama.

i think all buddhist generally agree, that the concept of the soul is not as significant as the idea of our Buddha Nature / Christ Nature / Good Nature, whatever people call it, this is what buddhists want to awaken.

so to answer your question, buddhists think the core of humans, is GOOD and even HOLY, but we forget because of attachment to illusions and judgment.

Sophia_ · #23 05-31-2008, 05:24 PM

"By becoming attached to names and forms, not realising that they have no more basis than the activities of the mind itself, error rises and the way to emancipation is blocked."
~~Buddha

Candy Girl · #24 05-31-2008, 08:19 PM

The perception we have of "self" causes the pain. If we successfully detach ourselves from "self" and successfully detach our emotions from life just the right way, the truth no longer hurts. while we still have such egos that we cannot detach ourselves from the emotions associated with our egos, we will suffer...feel pain. that is the way i understand it. i may be wrong. i don't claim to know all the answers, but that is my honest opinion about what it all means.

kasmim · #25 06-01-2008, 03:41 PM

i kinda think bhuddism is pretty awesome, yet also there are reasons for it to be pretty crap on the whole. i.e yea you might feel content, but for the sake of humanity we need a bit of extream behaviour.. this goes for all major organized religions.

Rancheria · #26 06-02-2008, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sophia_

Military minds are not often spontaneous minds, but rather analytic and suspicious minds. They are big on rules and order.

Does it not seem ironic that men who fought for the rights of citizens to speak freely would try to silence me in my own community meeting place (Coffee Emporium)? I have argued for their right to speak freely here at KR and also at Noblerealms.org and Nobledreams.co.uk. Now, what I might point out are the posted rules of the forums, and the enforcement of said rules regarding personal attacks, personal information, stalking, etc. So far, these two guys have been banned within days of posting at Nobledreams, and have not contributed much here at KR that wasn't directed at me. I would conclude that they are not serious patrons of Kittyradio per se. If I leave they will follow me and continue the same MO.

They seem to prefer sniping vs spontaneous thought and self-expression.

You know what's laughable about Big Head Soaphy_'s knee jerk reflex to attempt to discredit someone with a few years military service when he can't spontaneously or creatively come up with any other form of disparaging remarks is: he had more of a rigid indoctrination of inflexible sports rules and orders in his years of Football training of discipline and teamwork and learning the playbook when he was a high school and college football player than most U.S. Marines had. Football is way more predictable than warfare and military training. A military person, in combat or not in combat, has to be always in a very present state of awareness and extremely 'heads-up' and spontaneous if he or she is to survive training and field operations. Slow, overly analytic, and non-spontaneous, rigid, dogmatic followers of rules and orders don't function well in the rapidly changing intensely challenging demands of the training field or the battle field.

Soaphy actually spent many more years in total being trained in his own American Sports combative discipline at a similar time as my three years in the Marine Corps.

So why don't I frequently refer to Soaphy and all football players in a smilar way as he does to military people-----when I want to discredit his abilities in a snide stereotype ?? I guess it would just be so lame and boring and pointless, and un-necessary, especially when Soaphy gives us so much great current material in real life and on KR to work with, day after day.

I guess I just don't give him anything to work with in Real Life or at KR, so he has to constantly refer to a three yr. period of my life almost 40 yrs. ago.

My training in the Marine Corps centered heavily on leadership, trust, communication, teamwork, and much development of the very quick, innovative, efficient, spontaneous responses and amazing self-expressions to problem solve and reach all the ever-changing objectives and goals with the utmost of technical and mechanical and physical skill and grace. Ever-new and creative, spontaneous ideas and ways to motivate team members and instantly, intuitively think up new ways and methods to use tools and equipment with our men to complete our tasks under very hard conditions with limited supplies and repair parts and under tough field conditions. Tactics and strategy require exactly the opposite of what Soaphy thinks a military person is.

I wouldn't refer to a football player nor a coach with the same line of bias that Soapy uses towards Military People. Even John McCain had to be very creative and flexible to survive his military and POW experiences.

How Ironic that one of the least spontaneous and least creative people I have ever met in real life or seen on KR would come up with a line of crap about military people like he does. Typical comparative, derisive shit of an insecure narcissist, who was very fortunate to ride out the VietNam war as a coddled football player.

Maybe Soaphy is confusing his football experiences with military life. Football can be played under adverse weather conditions, with injuries, yet you always have the same number of players with the same identical gear and the same reliable, working football and field, to use in playing a team that is equally limited in it's methods and rules followed in how to beat you at the same old game.

If the sport of American Football was anything like what the military encounters in training or in a real battle, the football players would have to know how to quickly and spontaneously fix their jammed and broken football and playing gear and uniforms, in the dark with often improvised, improper tools and gear while the opposing team is trying to find the linemen first, to run a bayonet under their shoulder pads.

One of the more technically creative players might have to repair the walkie-talkie so the team can communicate with the head coach at command field headquarters on the far away sidelines, who is at least 40 miles away. While the stadium noise is so deafening he can't tell if the radio is working or not. The team would be breathing toxic fumes while trying to catch their breath after running up and down steep, heavily jungled hills with 70 lbs of gear. Soaphy_'s team would be hiding behind the sideline benches while they study the playbook and the topographic map of the field to know in which direction to NOT line up. To survive they would have to use their own self-expressions and throw out the 'taught by the book', Wedge, V, or Echelon Left battlefield formations, or even dispense with a simple single file. Guerilla warfare does not always follow the familar rules of lining up for the third down conversion in the T formation, like football does.

The Platoon Sgt. might select Big Head Todd to walk point, since he would be self-proclaimed as the "best" grunt. So the men would make him walk the walk, up front, to discover mines and booby traps set up beyond the 10 yd. line, hidden by the tall grass and chalk lines.

Opposing team members might pop up out of tunnels dug beyond the 30 yd. line to ambush Pvt. First Class Soaphy, even when he's forced to be quiet. Soaphy would need every bit of spontaneity and creative self expression to survive. He wouldn't have the assistant coach thirty feet away, to remind him what to do, and to remind him not to worry because everyone knows he is the best player, and thus the ambushers can not possibly take him out of the game and out of his scholarship and out of his safe, predictable life.

I'm thinking that Sophia_ has almost guaranteed himself, that he will come back in his next re-incarnation as a young drafted recruit in the next war for dwindling resources, thirty years from now. I hope he comes back with much more spontaneity and lightening quick, intuitive creativity to survive that challenge. He's going to need much more of those qualities than he shows around the Coffee Emporium. Maybe he could come back as a Woman Marine. God that would be so rich !!!!

And I would wish him to re-incarnate as a person who does not feel that he always has to prove himself to the world and raise himself up by putting others down. That's my wish for the Big Head, insecure Todd. ---------To be very secure and have high self-esteem next time around. And next time I hope he doesnt' get banned from Noble Dreams too, for being a Noble Dreams disturbance as a posing poet self-righteous Dork.

Oh, yeah, and next time I would wish Ms. Soaphy could appreciate all the creative self-expression and spontaneity used in helping him to Gain Wisdom from all the great insightful K.R. members----and be more open to actually learn something from people who are tuned in, and thank the KR members who have displayed amazing patience to deal with him. Especially because I'm sure in his next re-incarnation he would ask for help in Gaining Wisdom as he does this time as the Careful Carpingter.

And, of course, in Soaphy_'s new and improved re-incarnation I would expect him, thirty years hence, to drop all paranoia that has him feeling like he has the weird sort of self-importance to warrant being "STALKED". Please, Oh Buddhists in charge of Soph_'s reincarnation, if you have him gained in wisdom at all, please have him drop the paranoia and fear that gives rise to his beliefs that he is being stalked or abused or verbally gang raped, or fucked with in special ways, such as by cruel threatening messages like his paranoid belief that wiccans and pagans rip out his planted poppies to scare him away or silence him by ripping down his taped up poetry, etc., etc., etc.........

Sophia_ · #28 06-05-2008, 02:21 AM

Spontaneity is a sign of being well-adjusted. Laughter and humour is healing. Using one's imagination is a path to recovery for people trapped in linear thinking and routine.

Military and athletic training have many similarities. In an allegorical way both tell a story of man's battles with life and death. To say that one is superior to the other would be to miss the otherworldliness in each experience. How we grow depends on where we are at more so than what we are to begin with. Spiritual growth comes in many forms and paths.

Some feel that both these paths are too violent. I would say that War may appear a greater threat to life than sports, but in reality, challenge, risk, character revelation, comradery, self-discipline, etc. are aspects that can be learned through the process of both disciplines which may lead to a greater appreciation of life, and therefore bring aliveness(sentience) into one's state of being. Some people are bent on self-destruction and do not do well in sports, yet military discipline is geared towards transforming the anti-social behaviors in humans in ways that sports cannot. Great athletes usually have an inner sense for unselfishness; this is a missing trait in many recruits that military discipline addresses and works to develop in its members.

Personally I have played on teams with ex-military team members and I felt that military service had brought them to a higher level of cooperation and team focus than they had admitted exhibiting before.

The military and sports experience has similarities and contrasting qualities in revealing the mythical natures in the human drama. To me sports was a metaphor for life itself. Rancheria would do me a service to explain the metaphoric nature to war and military spontaneity development. I've witnessed a rarity in spontaneousness in any of the military people that I have known. Tell me why and how Senator McCain is one of the best and the brightest, and creative thinkers in Washington; even though I think he would care more for the "front line" troops who serve our nation and our way of life than any lawyer could, I guess I've misperceived his spontaneousness and amazing self-expressions, innovations, and intuitiveness.

Rancheria · #29 06-05-2008, 09:34 PM

"Through spontaneity we are re-formed into ourselves. It creates an explosion that for the moment frees us from handed-down frames of reference, memory choked with old facts and information and undigested theories and techniques of other people's findings. Spontaneity is the moment of personal freedom when we are faced with reality, and see it, explore it and act accordingly. In this reality the bits and pieces of ourselves function as an organic whole. It is the time of discovery, of experiencing, of creative expression." ~~ Viola Spolin

Is Spontaneity the New Synchronicity for Careful Carpingter ?? Would it allow us to enjoy more of our own Spontaneity, and aid Sophy_'s chance at spontaneity himeself, as well, if we were not handed down so many CC selected frames of other's references, so many frames of dictionary definitions and Wikipedia references and book quotes that Soaphy always tries to feed us--as his new discovered truth from the latest sage.

"Undigested theories and techniques of other people's findings" is what the big Mama bird Soaphy tries to regurgitate down into our throats. (Remember the Meyers--Briggs/Introvert-Extrovert thing he had us play with ?? ESFJ, ESNT ?) He must think of us all as his baby birds. All the links and videos choke us with old facts and old information.

I stay spontaneous by not taking the narcissist's bait. When I see Soaphy's new, latest reality I don't open it or pay attention to it. This is one small fundamental way I stay whole, organically, and stay very spontaneous. This is why I can laugh spontaneously at the careful carpingter's iron clad self absorption. The self-absorption that is such an inescapable strait jacket to real spontaneity. Our spontaneity is also what enables us to quickly correct Soaphy's random spontaneous impulsive foolishness at the Coffee Emporium. For example, he no longer makes any offhand, spontaneous remark about the assistant managers derriere. He very rarely breaks in to a spontaneous Big Head Radio Todd Monlologue any more.

Those were the days that killed the Coffee Emporium's magical spontaneity when the Soaphy radio played for hours at a time.

Ophiel · #30 06-05-2008, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sophia_

Great athletes usually have an inner sense for unselfishness;

See, if it weren't "inner", I could argue against that, but because it's inner, you can just basically say what you like, right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sophia_

Personally I have played on teams with ex-military team members and I felt that military service had brought them to a higher level of cooperation and team focus than they had admitted exhibiting before.

The military and sports experience has similarities and contrasting qualities in revealing the mythical natures in the human drama. To me sports was a metaphor for life itself. Rancheria would do me a service to explain the metaphoric nature to war and military spontaneity development. I've witnessed a rarity in spontaneousness in any of the military people that I have known. Tell me why and how Senator McCain is one of the best and the brightest, and creative thinkers in Washington; even though I think he would care more for the "front line" troops who serve our nation and our way of life than any lawyer could, I guess I've misperceived his spontaneousness and amazing self-expressions, innovations, and intuitiveness.

You seem to mention John McCain a lot in these diatribes. Is there any particular reason he's become your standard example of the archetypal military man?

I don't know about metaphors, but I'm pretty sure that sport is meant as analogous to war. I'm not sure why you think war would be a metaphor for anything - it's more just an actual thing that actually happens. Not of course that a military person is just a fighter like you seem to believe when it suits.

I find this amusing though. Sports is basically just a war substitute, the champion system of working through international rankles and tensions. It's pretty laughable to me to imagine that there's much difference between someone who becomes a sportsman, particularly a team sportsman, and one who joins the army. Athletics is different entirely from team sports, of course; an athlete need never compete with anyone, whereas a sportsman must. I guess American sports might be different, y'all seem to have sports where all but a handful on a team do nothing for the most part other than turn up. American football in particular just looks like your standard pack of animals, with an alpha scoring the victory and his betas and gammas sharing in something they pretty much did nothing to achieve. But then, I've not had much opportunity to watch it, let alone figure out what the hell was going on.

But generally, I'd make a distinction between athletes, gymnasts, etc., and team sportsmen or soldiers. Someone who simply strives to be the best at what they do has a very different mind than a team player, who only need be better than his weakest rival in any situation.

Sophia_ · #31 06-07-2008, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rancheria

"Through spontaneity we are re-formed into ourselves. It creates an explosion that for the moment frees us from handed-down frames of reference, memory choked with old facts and information and undigested theories and techniques of other people's findings. Spontaneity is the moment of personal freedom when we are faced with reality, and see it, explore it and act accordingly. In this reality the bits and pieces of ourselves function as an organic whole. It is the time of discovery, of experiencing, of creative expression." ~~ Viola Spolin

Is Spontaneity the New Synchronicity for Careful Carpingter ?? Would it allow us to enjoy more of our own Spontaneity, and aid Sophy_'s chance at spontaneity himeself, as well, if we were not handed down so many CC selected frames of other's references, so many frames of dictionary definitions and Wikipedia references and book quotes that Soaphy always tries to feed us--as his new discovered truth from the latest sage.

"Undigested theories and techniques of other people's findings" is what the big Mama bird Soaphy tries to regurgitate down into our throats. (Remember the Meyers--Briggs/Introvert-Extrovert thing he had us play with ?? ESFJ, ESNT ?) He must think of us all as his baby birds. All the links and videos choke us with old facts and old information.

I stay spontaneous by not taking the narcissist's bait. When I see Soaphy's new, latest reality I don't open it or pay attention to it. This is one small fundamental way I stay whole, organically, and stay very spontaneous. This is why I can laugh spontaneously at the careful carpingter's iron clad self absorption. The self-absorption that is such an inescapable strait jacket to real spontaneity. Our spontaneity is also what enables us to quickly correct Soaphy's random spontaneous impulsive foolishness at the Coffee Emporium. For example, he no longer makes any offhand, spontaneous remark about the assistant managers derriere. He very rarely breaks in to a spontaneous Big Head Radio Todd Monlologue any more.

Those were the days that killed the Coffee Emporium's magical spontaneity when the Soaphy radio played for hours at a time.

"Synchronicity is like a Kosmic shooting star transforming us into the divine LoVeDust of Spontaneity and creative self-expression"
~~carefulcarpenter

Quote:

*Assistant manager/art manager prepares for next art display at the Coffee Emporium by standing on a chair right in front of cc to remove artwork from the main wall*

carefulcarpenter responds with a grin and tongue in cheek, "Dorothy(Wizard from Oz) is previewing for us, her new show"

(Or something similar with the intent of tasteful humor)

*Dorothy blows up the comment out of proportion to sound like cc is a sexist pig*

*next day cc apologizes and gives Dorothy a small angel token as a sign of his sincerity*

Ophiel · #32 06-07-2008, 07:30 AM

So all spontaneity should be fine by everyone all the time just because it's spontaneous?

Sophia_ · #33 06-07-2008, 01:40 PM

A spontaneous mind is a healthy mind--ready at any time when in appropriate situations. Obviously extreme thinking, such as hypercritical thinking and fault-finding retards the development of spontaneity. The analytic mind, in the extreme, fosters malignant narcissism and a distorted perception of inner affectations. Everything becomes outer and manipulated, for everything must be judged, controlled, and predictable.

This condition of scrutiny is evidence of a lack of psychic reality. Spontaneity is evidence of a union of opposites rather than a condition of uniformity and conformity. In the extreme spontaneity would be perpetual foolishness.

Sophia_ · #34 06-08-2008, 01:12 AM

Individuation or institution

Quote:

Individuation or institution

by

Rob Preece

The evolution of Buddhism in the west reveals a division between those who wish to practice within an organisation and those who attempt to follow a more individual journey. Many people I have met through workshops, meditation courses or therapy express a now familiar question: is it possible to develop a Buddhist practice without taking on the culture, personality and style of one of numerous organisations? This dilemma seems to reflect a need to retain a sense of spiritual individuality whilst learning a system of practice. It echoes a deeper dichotomy that individuality, creativity and the development of organised religion do not always sit comfortable together.
In the world of Jungian psychology there is an archetypal paradigm that may throw light on one of the underlying influences upon this dichotomy. The archetype of the Puer Aeternus or "eternal youth" and its polar opposite Senex are considered to be contrary aspects of the same phenomenon and strongly shape our spiritual life. The Puer/Senex paradigm can effect men or women and wherever one polarity appears, somewhere its opposite will live as a counterpoise.

The archetype of the Puer Aeternus is one of the most potent influences on the expression of spiritual aspiration. The spirit of Puer is uplifting, soaring into realms of divine inspiration and optimism full of visions, ideals, creative ideas and dreams. Puer brings us into contact with the transpersonal numinous side of our nature and can seem like a spark of light that flashes into the world through its visions. Notable prophets, creative geniuses and visionaries throughout history have almost certainly been influenced by this archetype. Often their genius appears when they are very young, like Mozart, but sadly many of them die young. The Puer desire is to transcend the mundanity of worldly life and be free to devote everything to the creative and spiritual vision which is considered life's blood. Puer dominated young people often seem possessed by an almost sublime if somewhat ungrounded and dreamy spiritual quality. They are often very sensitive and artistic but do not easily cope with the demands of the world. They may be drawn to earthy partners in relationship to help ground them or gravitate towards spiritual centres, which are often full of young Puer dominated individuals. Their search is for a safe environment that will parent them and provide a support for their aspirations.

The visionary inspiration of the Puer finds its polar opposite in the earthy pragmatism of the Senex, the "old man". The process under which the ideas, visions and images of Puer begin to crystallise or solidify into form is the realm of Senex. The craftsman (or woman) who has gradually mastered the capacity to bring their creative ideas into reality is the most fundamental expression of Senex. Senex is the archetype of practical structures and systems, which begin to shape and order the world around and within us.

Senex in our society is particularly expressed through systems, laws and institutions that attempt to shape and organise society. Senex seeks to create and maintain organisations and systems, which give a stable, ordered basis for control and authority in matters such as administration and education. In the domain of religion Senex manifests in the creation of ordered spiritual systems and in the organisations that are developed around them. Even the Buddhist tradition has become organised and structured under the aegis of Senex. Through Senex we also enter the rigours of spiritual discipline. This principle is at work in the boundaries and limits of the apprentice or noviciate studying under a master. It brings us into relationship with the demands of commitment and the need to engage in work and endure the hardships of gradual mastery of ourselves into the art, craft or spiritual practice we embark upon. Senex teaches us by experience. It is an aspect of fathering which earths us in a realism that cannot ultimately be ignored.

The vision and idealism of the Puer archetype and the order and realism of the Senex archetype bring us to a significant and uncomfortable dichotomy. Puer and Senex do not easily live along side each other and yet to develop they need each other. Puer's vision is brought into reality through the vehicle of Senex. Usually however the ungrounded idealism of Puer and pragmatic power of Senex come to blows and Senex tends to win. An example of this can be seen in the Tienamen square protests in China. The ideals of the student population fired the imagination of the masses to support their quest for democracy. The council of dogmatic old men that make up the Chinese government epitomised the most negative destructive aspect of Senex, which ruthlessly crushed the uprising.

When Puer and Senex are at their most negative they live as shadows of each other and can be extremely destructive. When Puer spirit is out of relationship to the grounding pragmatic influence of Senex it can lead to spiritual illusion, an idealism that is an avoidance of the necessities of incarnating in normal life. This flight from the rigors of daily life may seem like a form of renunciation but is usually denial and avoidance. The negative Puer type is likely to avoid commitment to work and relationships and consequently are often incapable of bringing their ideas, visions and aspirations into concrete reality. Spirituality remains ungrounded, "heady" and idealistic, which can lead to a kind of unreal, inflated belief that they are special and must not be demeaned by earthly demands. Their spiritual task is too important to be sullied.

Regretfully the polarities of Puer and Senex are often unconscious and at odds with each other. Behind the Puer disposition one can often hear a shadowy Senex that is morally rigid, dogmatic, judgmental and authoritarian. The struggle between the two is however an attempt to reconcile the inevitability that they are part of the same archetypal dilemma. This dilemma is how to bring creative ideas into reality or spirituality into practical earthly life, spirit into matter.

The Puer/Senex archetype is constantly at play in the development of spiritual organisations. Often, as in the case of Buddhism, the seeds of a tradition emerge in the insight of an individual who experiences a new spiritual vision. The Buddha's spiritual insight was like a creative spark initiating what gradually developed into a system and tradition that grounded it in the realm of Senex. Many of the lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, especially within the Tantras, originated with someone whose personal spiritual insight or vision inspired a new lineage of practice. In time the initial vision becomes shaped into an intricate system of instructions and techniques for practice.

The gradual shift from Puer's initiating vision towards Senex structure and system is natural, archetypal and present in all creative processes. It has resulted in a great diversity of approaches within Buddhism, many of which are still living traditions and lineages, preserved and passed on from teacher to disciple. To be able to study and practice within the structure and discipline of one of these traditions can be a profound and vital part of the spiritual journey. At a certain point on the path it may be important to commit to a process of transformation that needs structure, discipline and boundaries. A spiritual organisation may offer this kind of environment until an individual is able to provide it in themselves.

The influence of the Senex archetype over the maintenance of systems and organisations unfortunately has a dark unconscious shadow. At its most shadowy Senex becomes rigid, dogmatic and ruthless tending to disenfranchise and control any who question its authority. When Senex forms and structures begin to ossify they become dry and stale, blind to the potential for change and flexibility. In religious organisations and systems this leads to doctrinal rigidity and dogmatism and an increasing tendency to control and constrict disciples. When organisations become increasingly patriarchal and authoritarian they are seldom able to recognise the degree to which they disempower and deny individual freedom of self-expression. When a system or form becomes too solid it can gradually destroy the essential vision that gives it life and inspiration.

While the establishment of orthodoxy comes under the aegis of Senex, reformation and regeneration come under the aegis of Puer. Individual creative expression also comes into being through the Puer archetype and in organisation this can often threaten established order. Teachers may resist questioning or developing established orthodox practices and thereby unconsciously prevent students from developing their own experience and autonomy. Paradoxically the vision that originated most spiritual traditions was an individuals creative experience and yet organised established religion can become resistant to that same creative process. Those who chose to follow their own inner truth can often find themselves in conflict with a tradition that is trying to preserve the authority of a lineage.

As Buddhism becomes integrated in the west we must consider that westerners have grown up in a culture that emphasises individuality and creative innovation. Established religion does not comfortably accept personal innovation. In Tibetan Buddhism for example great emphasis is placed upon retaining the purity of the traditional teachings and innovation is often frowned upon. In Tibetan the word for innovation Rang So Wa is used as a derogatory term for someone who is straying from the accepted path. Some eastern teachers and their western disciples are extremely protective of the sanctity of tradition, which may be vital in preserving the purity of a system. It may not, however, allow objective assessment as to its effectiveness or relevance particularly for westerners. Fear of questioning or evaluating a religion's principles however leads to dogmatism of a fundamentalist nature and can be as present in Buddhism as any other religion.

How therefore do we balance the necessity of systematic Buddhist teachings and organisations, with the growing recognition that westerners are extremely individualistic in their spiritual needs? If we are to be true to our inner spiritual potential in a creative way, how compatible is this with organisations that have formulated ways in which this is to be expressed?

Developing spiritual practice within an organisation can give an important foundation of understanding. As an "apprentice" it can provide a structured, disciplined and contained environment in which to learn and practice. As we become more in touch with, listen to and trust our own inner truth as to our spiritual path, it may deviate from or become incompatible with the organisation we have grown up in. For some this is naturally a great cause for concern. Feelings of conflict, guilt and fear arise when people find their personal journey begins to conflict with the authority of a teacher or the prescriptions of an organisation. When people then try to leave they will often find themselves subject of hostility and pressure from those who seek to maintain the security of their system.

For some leaving the security of systems and organisations and going out into the world alone is a time of growing up and being true to an inner wisdom, an inner Guru. The Buddha remained true to an inner voice and repeatedly moved on to pursue his journey alone. Historically most of the great teachers were individuals who discovered their own inner experience and then expressed it in a fresh creative way. Often these individuals found it necessary to free themselves of the constraints of an organised system. Many of the Mahasiddhas of India for example were notoriously individualistic, often being expelled from their monastic life because of their non-conformity.

This more individual journey however is no easy task; it is not a return to the ungrounded idealism of the Puer to escape the rigours of Senex, but a genuine integration of the two. This enables vision and insight to be grounded within a pragmatic, ethical, self-disciplined lifestyle, then like the master-craftsman it is possible to be truly creative.

Increasingly there is a shift towards "Buddhist individuation" in those who have passed through a tradition and then pursue their journey individually. This creates a new kind of spiritual community of individuals who's meeting point is that they respect each others individual journey and do not cling to prescriptions or judgements as to how to practice. Our spiritual journey is personal and individual. As we awaken our innate Buddha potential it is for each of us to take responsibility for how this may be expressed creatively in the world for the welfare of others. The Bodhisattva is perhaps the perfect example of one whose determination in life is not to avoid incarnation but takes responsibility through compassion to individuate and become a vehicle for ultimate wisdom to be brought into the world.

Sophia_ · #35 06-08-2008, 01:37 AM

Spiritual Pathology

Quote:

Spiritual pathology

by

Rob Preece

In 1985 I returned from a period of five years living in India and began to train to become a psychotherapist. Gradually this training confirmed for me that our western psychopathology was sufficiently complex to require quite sophisticated understanding for its potential healing. It also confirmed my growing sense, through many years of connection to Buddhist centres, primarily in Europe and India, that many of us attempting to practice Buddhism often fail to address some of our key emotional difficulties. We may be genuinely trying to do so, but do not seem to shift some of our fundamental emotional wounds.

When I eventually began to work as a psychotherapist those who frequently contacted me wished to enter therapy because their personal problems were blocking the integration of Buddhist practice. Most wished to look at emotional issues they felt were deeply rooted in their childhood and which were difficult to unravel. Many felt the complexity of their problems were not resolved by their meditation practices or by the doctrinal views that tended to be generalised approaches to how to deal with the mind and emotions. What emerged in these therapeutic encounters was something that reinforced a concern that had been growing for several years - it is surprisingly easy for us to distort and colour our spiritual understanding by our own individual psychopathology. I use the term "spiritual pathology" to refer to the way in which our emotional wounds and beliefs have the power to influence, shape and distort the way we practice and view our spiritual path. Of particular importance is that we are often blind to this side of our nature, as these wounds live in the unconscious as our shadow.

Although the term shadow comes from Jung and not Buddhism, its recognition is nevertheless crucial to Buddhist practice. If we do not do so we will remain blind to not only our failings but also to many aspects of our nature that lie unconscious and yet influence our life. The shadow far from being something to be suppressed, contains much of the manure out of which we grow. Failure to face the shadow will have one significant consequence namely that we will tend to distort our spirituality by our shadowÕs particular pathology and because the shadow is our blind spot we will be relatively unaware that it does so.

For the most part our shadow is also held in the dark by denial and a wish to maintain status quo. It may be, however, that our emotional patterns are deeply rooted and form the very core of our identity. They may be so inaccessible to consciousness it is virtually impossible to take responsibility for them. They may equally be formed through a survival necessity that requires much understanding before we can willingly change. Our lack of awareness makes it extremely difficult to see what we are doing. If we were to wear coloured sun glasses all the time we would eventually become used to the tint they give to the world and no longer realise that all colours were distorted. So too our lack of awareness of the shadow blinds us to the ways in which we construct and distort our spiritual beliefs. Sadly when we do this we are living an illusion and using our spirituality to validate our own pathology.

Working as a therapist has brought to light many ways in which occurs. For example a woman, whose approach to Buddhist practice had a strong puritanical edge, led her to fear almost compulsively any so called negative behaviour. She constantly monitored her actions of body, speech and mind so as to live as purely and correctly as she could. In principle this may have accorded with certain teachings she received on "thought training", but the psychological place this compulsion came from in herself turned it into a constant re-wounding of her sense