08-16-2008, 12:01 AM
Hi Bob,
"Sometimes I 'jump' too quickly . Offending is not my intent. I congratulate those who able to bypass being offended."
To bypass being offended is what I see as being a warrior. Emotions keep us bound to the body and also keep the body in charge of us.
"Once I accepted the idea of a 'predatory universe' , my world-view shifted , and that my tendency to openness and innocence was suicidal. This
world really is a jungle. Therefore , the wise warrior will learn hunting and stalking to survive."
Yea, but don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. There are good people out there and good in everyone.
Hunting and stalking are ok. But there is also "wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove." and "turning the other cheek."
The stalker is constantly on the offensive or defensive. The tightness in the solar plexus is a constant for some people. I would rather have a broken nose
than live like that again. A nose heals. Aggravation grows.
We can walk away from a fight or argument and forget it, we can let it go and enjoy life.
We can harbor grudges or peace.
"Then , there is 'body knowledge' . This stumps me , as it seems that to do it , I must have a teacher to lead me through it, or perform it upon
me, as there is indeed no rational way to attain it. No tech manual."
Try the Twelve Steps to Spiritual Enlightenment by Israel Regardie.
"Another thing : our feelings, our emotions , seem to be the source of AP movement , and to learn their purpose and use is a real art."
There are emotions that weaken us like embarassment, fear, anger etc. These should be at least under our control if not done away with.
What I have found in body awareness meditation is that emotions are just a feeling in the body. We get that feeling and we go into that emotion. Just like
Pavlov's dog. By realizing "we are not our bodies" we become aware of this and of the power we have to turn them off. Just as easily as turning
off a light switch. The only way that I know of to come to this realization that "we are not our bodies" is through the discipline of body awareness
meditation.
So feelings can be useful tools. They bring back memories good or bad. To remember a "feeling" is a way to repeat a state of mind and or spiritual
experience.
Other feelings keep us tied to our habitual emotions and keep us tied to self importance, rage and jealosy, etc.
Body awareness (the ability to sit for long periods without moving a muscle) is the first step in learning to meditate. The second is mind awareness (at first
it is similar to recapitulation later it grows into the ability to sit for hours with but one subject or thoughtin your mind.)
My teacher used o say you needed to master both of these techniques in order to begin to meditate.
I believe any progress in either is very beneficial and the results in the attempt are almost immediately apparent.
Even a half hour a day is a big help.
"Sometimes I 'jump' too quickly . Offending is not my intent. I congratulate those who able to bypass being offended."
To bypass being offended is what I see as being a warrior. Emotions keep us bound to the body and also keep the body in charge of us.
"Once I accepted the idea of a 'predatory universe' , my world-view shifted , and that my tendency to openness and innocence was suicidal. This
world really is a jungle. Therefore , the wise warrior will learn hunting and stalking to survive."
Yea, but don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. There are good people out there and good in everyone.
Hunting and stalking are ok. But there is also "wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove." and "turning the other cheek."
The stalker is constantly on the offensive or defensive. The tightness in the solar plexus is a constant for some people. I would rather have a broken nose
than live like that again. A nose heals. Aggravation grows.
We can walk away from a fight or argument and forget it, we can let it go and enjoy life.
We can harbor grudges or peace.
"Then , there is 'body knowledge' . This stumps me , as it seems that to do it , I must have a teacher to lead me through it, or perform it upon
me, as there is indeed no rational way to attain it. No tech manual."
Try the Twelve Steps to Spiritual Enlightenment by Israel Regardie.
"Another thing : our feelings, our emotions , seem to be the source of AP movement , and to learn their purpose and use is a real art."
There are emotions that weaken us like embarassment, fear, anger etc. These should be at least under our control if not done away with.
What I have found in body awareness meditation is that emotions are just a feeling in the body. We get that feeling and we go into that emotion. Just like
Pavlov's dog. By realizing "we are not our bodies" we become aware of this and of the power we have to turn them off. Just as easily as turning
off a light switch. The only way that I know of to come to this realization that "we are not our bodies" is through the discipline of body awareness
meditation.
So feelings can be useful tools. They bring back memories good or bad. To remember a "feeling" is a way to repeat a state of mind and or spiritual
experience.
Other feelings keep us tied to our habitual emotions and keep us tied to self importance, rage and jealosy, etc.
Body awareness (the ability to sit for long periods without moving a muscle) is the first step in learning to meditate. The second is mind awareness (at first
it is similar to recapitulation later it grows into the ability to sit for hours with but one subject or thoughtin your mind.)
My teacher used o say you needed to master both of these techniques in order to begin to meditate.
I believe any progress in either is very beneficial and the results in the attempt are almost immediately apparent.
Even a half hour a day is a big help.