TODAY'S PARABLE
LINDA'S CORNER
Delusion
(Told by Narada Maha Thera)
(Told by Narada Maha Thera)
"A man was forcing his way through a thick forest beset with thorns and stones. Suddenly to his great consternation, an elephant appeared and gave chase. He took to his heels through fear, and seeing a well, he ran to hide in it. But to his horror he saw a viper at the bottom of the well. However, lacking other means of escape, he jumped into that well, and clung to a thorny creeper that was growing in it. Looking up, he saw two mice--a white one and a black one--gnawing at the creeper. Over his face there was a beehive from which occasional drops of honey trickled.
This man, foolishly unmindful of this precarious position, was greedily tasting the honey. A kind person volunteered to show him a path of escape. But the greedy man begged to be excused till he had enjoyed himself.
The thorny path is Samsara, the ocean of life. Man's life is not a bed of roses. It is beset with difficulties and obstacles to overcome, with opposition and unjust criticism, with attacks and insults to be borne. Such is the thorny path of life.
The elephant here resembles death; the viper, old age; the creeper, birth; the two mice, night and day. The drop of honey correspond to the fleeting sensual pleasures. The man represents the so-called being. The kind person represents the Buddha.
The temporary material happiness is merely the gratification of some desire. When the desired thing is gained, another desire arises. Insatiate are all desires.
'Sorrow is essential to life, and cannot be evaded.
Nirvana, being non-conditioned, is [quiescent].'"
longhorn said:
Linda, I'm amazed that every day, I find a reminder of some seminar in what you post. This one reminds me of the "accomplishment" seminar I took in 1998.
"The temporary material happiness is merely the gratification of some desire. When the desired thing is gained, another desire arises. Insatiate are all desires."
One of the things I took away from the Accomplishment Seminar was the idea of actually having the experience of success and accomplishment, actually being present to our own accomplishments instead of just glossing over it.
We are told not to be conceited, not to boast about our accomplishments, to be humble, etc. And of course, all those instructions are good, true and useful. But sometimes, rather than acknowledging our accomplishments to ourselves, we dismiss them or deny them. Really. And because of that, we never truely HAVE the EXPERIENCE of being accomplished. And because we never truely HAVE that experience, we constantly seek it.
Each accomplishment feels somewhat unfullfilling because we refuse to acknowledge the experience. And yet we crave accomplishment and we crave that the "right" people notice our accomplishments. And so... like a cocaine addict seeking the high of "just one more line", we continually feel unaccomplished while desperately seeking to accomplish more. Like hamsters on the treadmill. We are driven to accomplish, but denying those accomplishments leaves us empty, and so we strive, and feel the pressure to accomplish ever more at ever higher costs.
The example given was that of an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She can be beautiful, but still deny herself the EXPERIENCE of being beautiful. She is still beautiful none the less, she cant change that. So why deny the experience? Why not HAVE the experience of being beautiful and perhaps also experience the sensation of accomplishment that goes with it? NOT experiencing it wont change a thing. It just leaves you empty.
Also, when it feels like you are on the accomplishment treadmill, ask yourself "who is my audience here"? Because if you are doing something for an "audience", it will never be fulfilling unless that "audience" acknowledges the accomplishment.
For example, upon self examination, one of my friends said almost every thing she does or does not do in her adult life is aimed at pleasing her father. Saddly, he had already been dead ten years when I met her. She was still living her life in hopes of her dead father somehow acknowledging her accomplishments. So.. no matter HOW many awards or promotions she won, no matter HOW accomplished she was, she just never felt fulfilled, because she couldnt get exactly the acknowledgement she needed. She needed to "get complete" with her father's disapproval so she could HAVE the experience of accomplishment and move her life forward, instead of being on that unfulfilling and draining treadmill.
I've asked myself that question in business too. Who is my audience? Is it every teacher that ever told me I'd fail? My Mom who was always disappointed to me? My coworkers at AT&T who said I was STUPID for quitting my job and being self employed?
Indeed, when I am KILLING myself, who is my audience?
I find if I can let the "audience" thing go, and really HAVE the experience of my accomplishments, well, I need far less cocaine, or something like that :) Recalling that seminar can release me from the tyranny of success, such that it is!
So... sorry again for boiling down a ten week seminar to one post. And no, I dont get paid by Landmark Education....
"The temporary material happiness is merely the gratification of some desire. When the desired thing is gained, another desire arises. Insatiate are all desires."
One of the things I took away from the Accomplishment Seminar was the idea of actually having the experience of success and accomplishment, actually being present to our own accomplishments instead of just glossing over it.
We are told not to be conceited, not to boast about our accomplishments, to be humble, etc. And of course, all those instructions are good, true and useful. But sometimes, rather than acknowledging our accomplishments to ourselves, we dismiss them or deny them. Really. And because of that, we never truely HAVE the EXPERIENCE of being accomplished. And because we never truely HAVE that experience, we constantly seek it.
Each accomplishment feels somewhat unfullfilling because we refuse to acknowledge the experience. And yet we crave accomplishment and we crave that the "right" people notice our accomplishments. And so... like a cocaine addict seeking the high of "just one more line", we continually feel unaccomplished while desperately seeking to accomplish more. Like hamsters on the treadmill. We are driven to accomplish, but denying those accomplishments leaves us empty, and so we strive, and feel the pressure to accomplish ever more at ever higher costs.
The example given was that of an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She can be beautiful, but still deny herself the EXPERIENCE of being beautiful. She is still beautiful none the less, she cant change that. So why deny the experience? Why not HAVE the experience of being beautiful and perhaps also experience the sensation of accomplishment that goes with it? NOT experiencing it wont change a thing. It just leaves you empty.
Also, when it feels like you are on the accomplishment treadmill, ask yourself "who is my audience here"? Because if you are doing something for an "audience", it will never be fulfilling unless that "audience" acknowledges the accomplishment.
For example, upon self examination, one of my friends said almost every thing she does or does not do in her adult life is aimed at pleasing her father. Saddly, he had already been dead ten years when I met her. She was still living her life in hopes of her dead father somehow acknowledging her accomplishments. So.. no matter HOW many awards or promotions she won, no matter HOW accomplished she was, she just never felt fulfilled, because she couldnt get exactly the acknowledgement she needed. She needed to "get complete" with her father's disapproval so she could HAVE the experience of accomplishment and move her life forward, instead of being on that unfulfilling and draining treadmill.
I've asked myself that question in business too. Who is my audience? Is it every teacher that ever told me I'd fail? My Mom who was always disappointed to me? My coworkers at AT&T who said I was STUPID for quitting my job and being self employed?
Indeed, when I am KILLING myself, who is my audience?
I find if I can let the "audience" thing go, and really HAVE the experience of my accomplishments, well, I need far less cocaine, or something like that :) Recalling that seminar can release me from the tyranny of success, such that it is!
So... sorry again for boiling down a ten week seminar to one post. And no, I dont get paid by Landmark Education....
Tracy Phillips said:
Morning Ms. Horn.
Desire itself is the human predicament.
Desire and selfishness.
Crime is extreme selfishness.
Desire itself is the human predicament.
Desire and selfishness.
Crime is extreme selfishness.
lindainks55 said:
longhorn, I can't accept any credit for these postings! One day a conversation we were having here sent me looking for wise sayings or words that lift... I came across the neatest place and shared. Tracy chooses something from there and gives me credit although I didn't do anything but happen across the website. I do like them! I also think you add more value to something that was already pretty darn good! So between the parable and your comments we all get a great lesson. I'm so glad you came back to visit with us!
Tracy Phillips said:
This is just a meeting place.
I very rarely editorialize.
This site is for you guys, not me.
Be warned, any suggestions, links, etc.
WILL BE USED!
Coming soon: VeeTee's corner. longhorn's corner, etc.
I very rarely editorialize.
This site is for you guys, not me.
Be warned, any suggestions, links, etc.
WILL BE USED!
Coming soon: VeeTee's corner. longhorn's corner, etc.
longhorn said:
"Desire itself is the human predicament.
Desire and selfishness."
True enough Mr. Tracy! Thanks for providing this site, although your "editorializing" is always enlightening and entertaining.
Thanks for having me back y'all. Taking a break from the insanity at blog x. Tracy had it right when he said, essentially, no one wants to wade through 300 posts of "f you" then "no, f you" to get to one post that is interesting.
Good choice on parables Tracy. Linda, dont dispel my illusion that you spend hours, ney weeks, picking out just the right one that addresses MY needs on THAT day :)
Is that extreme selfishness? Hehehehe. Perhaps that's why I like it here...
Desire and selfishness."
True enough Mr. Tracy! Thanks for providing this site, although your "editorializing" is always enlightening and entertaining.
Thanks for having me back y'all. Taking a break from the insanity at blog x. Tracy had it right when he said, essentially, no one wants to wade through 300 posts of "f you" then "no, f you" to get to one post that is interesting.
Good choice on parables Tracy. Linda, dont dispel my illusion that you spend hours, ney weeks, picking out just the right one that addresses MY needs on THAT day :)
Is that extreme selfishness? Hehehehe. Perhaps that's why I like it here...
lindainks55 said:
On that accomplishment and knowing it and accepting that you've accomplished -- when I deserve it I'm gonna get some diddly squat from Tracy. He has some.
But we LIKE your input Tracy! Your opinions are part of the whole and when we've looked at "it" from every angle we have a better chance of an informed opinion. Don't you trust us??
But we LIKE your input Tracy! Your opinions are part of the whole and when we've looked at "it" from every angle we have a better chance of an informed opinion. Don't you trust us??
longhorn said:
Longhorns corner? Is that where the bad posters have to sit and face the wall until they can "straighten up and fly right"?
Right now, longhorn is backed INTO a corner. And it is filled with tomatoes, peppers and squash. I made FIVE gallons of salsa this morning for the farmers market tomorrow and to fill some orders.
I have nightmares about tomatoes marching into my bedroom, raising their hand which is holding a large and sharp knife dripping with the blood, er, juice of all the slaughtered tomatoes....
hehehehe. And the chickens are cheering them on while the cats watch in horror!
Right now, longhorn is backed INTO a corner. And it is filled with tomatoes, peppers and squash. I made FIVE gallons of salsa this morning for the farmers market tomorrow and to fill some orders.
I have nightmares about tomatoes marching into my bedroom, raising their hand which is holding a large and sharp knife dripping with the blood, er, juice of all the slaughtered tomatoes....
hehehehe. And the chickens are cheering them on while the cats watch in horror!
longhorn said:
Hee hee hee! Sorry, I know that image is very un-Buddha like. But it was funny as hell when I imagined it.
lindainks55 said:
Wish I were close enough to help! Work isn't ever so hard when shared. Of course, there would be the problem of me gobbling up the potential profits...
Ever since it was pointed out that Linda is a pile of dried shit I have paid attention and am wondering if the name of the person bringing us the parable means something? Is it just a name or is it one of those hidden messages we need to figure out (like the personalized tags I can seldom "get")?
Ever since it was pointed out that Linda is a pile of dried shit I have paid attention and am wondering if the name of the person bringing us the parable means something? Is it just a name or is it one of those hidden messages we need to figure out (like the personalized tags I can seldom "get")?
longhorn said:
I agree Linda. Love shared is love multiplied, but work shared is work diminished. Funny how that "works", no?
It isnt the potential profits I worry about. Too many veggies to gobble. You'd just be preventing waste. And the chickens would be pissed that you ate what usually gets thrown to them :)
However, the REAL worry is slicing and heating up the canner whilst consuming large amounts of homemade sangria. A totally death defying move, which I have the scars to prove. That is usually what gets a canning party going. Me offering to make sangria and HOT salsa.
Linda, seriously, I wish you were here too!
It isnt the potential profits I worry about. Too many veggies to gobble. You'd just be preventing waste. And the chickens would be pissed that you ate what usually gets thrown to them :)
However, the REAL worry is slicing and heating up the canner whilst consuming large amounts of homemade sangria. A totally death defying move, which I have the scars to prove. That is usually what gets a canning party going. Me offering to make sangria and HOT salsa.
Linda, seriously, I wish you were here too!
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