Zen is like...
The following are thoughts from my notes. I have been studying
Love/Relationships/ Attatchments in my practice. I often label my small
note books with the topics that I am studying to make for easier
reference. This comes from "Ramblings of a Lover". Feedback is
welcome. It helps me ask more questions and even out my thoughts.
---
My practice has become extremely useful when it comes to my emotions.
I find myself getting frustrated with Mr. Perfect because he's not so
perfect. I used to start the 'calm-down' process by reminding myself
of my temper when I was with Ryan. Once I remember that, then I would
make myself take three deep breaths, and clear my head. Now, I don't
have to do all those steps. My practice has made it sooooo much
easier. I notice my unwanted feelings approaching and I immediately
dismiss them. Life is too short, right?
Yesterday was a very busy work day. I opened the grooming salon, then
had to go back to work in the evening for a store meeting. Mr. Perfect
had canceled our date from the previous night and insisted on hanging
out in between my work times. I felt pressured and upset at first. I
let it go. I reminded myself of a passage from one of Thay's
writings: "We really have to understand the person we want to love.
If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love. If we only
think of ourselves, if we know only our own needs and ignore the needs
of the other person, we cannot love." I was only thinking of myself.
I really want to understand Mr. Perfect. What I thought would be a
complete disaster of a date, turned out to be one of the most romantic
evenings of my life. He made dinner, we listened to Siriusly Sinatra
(it's a station on XM radio that merged with a sirius station), then
slow danced to my favorite Frank songs. I don't mean slow dancing like
kids of my generation; I mean slow dancing to schmaltzy songs like my
parents or your parents did. It was a realization that my generation
does not know what romance or love is.
I breathed him in. Mr. Perfect has been through a lot. TNH says,
The essence of love and compassion is understanding, the ability to
recognize the physical, material, and psychological suffering of
others, to put ourselves "inside the skin" of the other. We "go
inside" their body, feelings, and mental formations, and witness for
ourselves their suffering. Shallow observation as an outsider is not
enough to see their suffering. We must become one with the subject of
our observation. When we are in contact with another's suffering, a
feeling of compassion is born in us." For a moment, I felt like I
was inside his skin.
Zen is like slow dancing; at least it should be. We have to be
stillness in motion, silent, compassionate. Compassion means "to
suffer with". If we aren't all of these, how do we understand their
suffering? If we can't understand their suffering, how can we really
love this person? For that matter, if we can't understand suffering at
all, how can we love anything or anybody? ...and isn't our practice's
goal to end suffering?
---
Thank you for reading my ramblings. I just wanted to share with you
all what I've been working on and thinking about.
Gassho,
Kajo
Love/Relationships/ Attatchments in my practice. I often label my small
note books with the topics that I am studying to make for easier
reference. This comes from "Ramblings of a Lover". Feedback is
welcome. It helps me ask more questions and even out my thoughts.
---
My practice has become extremely useful when it comes to my emotions.
I find myself getting frustrated with Mr. Perfect because he's not so
perfect. I used to start the 'calm-down' process by reminding myself
of my temper when I was with Ryan. Once I remember that, then I would
make myself take three deep breaths, and clear my head. Now, I don't
have to do all those steps. My practice has made it sooooo much
easier. I notice my unwanted feelings approaching and I immediately
dismiss them. Life is too short, right?
Yesterday was a very busy work day. I opened the grooming salon, then
had to go back to work in the evening for a store meeting. Mr. Perfect
had canceled our date from the previous night and insisted on hanging
out in between my work times. I felt pressured and upset at first. I
let it go. I reminded myself of a passage from one of Thay's
writings: "We really have to understand the person we want to love.
If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love. If we only
think of ourselves, if we know only our own needs and ignore the needs
of the other person, we cannot love." I was only thinking of myself.
I really want to understand Mr. Perfect. What I thought would be a
complete disaster of a date, turned out to be one of the most romantic
evenings of my life. He made dinner, we listened to Siriusly Sinatra
(it's a station on XM radio that merged with a sirius station), then
slow danced to my favorite Frank songs. I don't mean slow dancing like
kids of my generation; I mean slow dancing to schmaltzy songs like my
parents or your parents did. It was a realization that my generation
does not know what romance or love is.
I breathed him in. Mr. Perfect has been through a lot. TNH says,
The essence of love and compassion is understanding, the ability to
recognize the physical, material, and psychological suffering of
others, to put ourselves "inside the skin" of the other. We "go
inside" their body, feelings, and mental formations, and witness for
ourselves their suffering. Shallow observation as an outsider is not
enough to see their suffering. We must become one with the subject of
our observation. When we are in contact with another's suffering, a
feeling of compassion is born in us." For a moment, I felt like I
was inside his skin.
Zen is like slow dancing; at least it should be. We have to be
stillness in motion, silent, compassionate. Compassion means "to
suffer with". If we aren't all of these, how do we understand their
suffering? If we can't understand their suffering, how can we really
love this person? For that matter, if we can't understand suffering at
all, how can we love anything or anybody? ...and isn't our practice's
goal to end suffering?
---
Thank you for reading my ramblings. I just wanted to share with you
all what I've been working on and thinking about.
Gassho,
Kajo