What do you stand for? Declare yourself!

[sand_in_stereo]

I am increasingly frustrated with the concept of inner-peace. The more thought I spend on it, the more it occurs to me that this notion is as much a voodoo science as "economics" or "edginess

Comments

[neutralrobotboy]

i dunno what you've read or done with respect to zen, but for me "zen mind, beginner's mind" is a thoroughly excellent book; seems to be about as lucid as it gets.

anyway, it seems to me that there's a big and important difference between the following species of inner poise or whatever you'd like to call it:

1. blot-out, in which an idea or new context comes to the forefront by effort and remains there to squelch the normal course of our thoughts

2. background-shift, in which the new context is "programmed in" to the way we interpret events as they happen

i see the zen "background-shift" as being one which says, "there is nothing but whatever is right now -- whatever is right now, i accept and appreciate (and let go of so that the next moment will not be masked by it). there is no 'bad'. discomfort is not 'bad', it is simply a part of my experience, and i am thankful. i do not wish for anything other than what is."

easier to do when sitting around by yourself in silence, as one might expect. harder to remember as greater degrees of adversity rear their ugly heads. anyway, i'm not an expert on zen and i don't claim full success with what i've just described, but that's how i see it at this stage.