Change, angry people, and other stuff
As I sit day to day, pay attention to how I am and my experience, things are beginning to change. Things that I thought were important before don't really seem so now. I've noticed states that I get into, ways that I focus attention. I've noticed the songs in my head and just let them go. I've noticed how I focus on thoughts and am learning to just let them go.
Angry people
Through my practice I've noticed how I become angry. What that is and how it comes about. When I see angry people or people arguing I just feel like "you don't have to do that". You don't have to be angry. I don't know. It's just that I know what that's like and it sucks. I can't just walk by someone who is angry and laugh it off. For example my friend got angry tonight when we were skateboarding. I just felt bad for him. I know that frame of mind. There were these awesome fireworks for an international meeting here in Dalian close to where we were skating. It was the best fireworks display I had ever seen. Amazing. I was really enjoying them. All the colors and movement. I noticed as I was enjoying the fireworks my friend's attitude started to change as well. But it didn't necessarily last. He went back to skateboarding very dilligently. Hurt himself and kept skateboarding, complaining and almost picked a fight. I laughed and I told him to relax. I don't know. You have to stop and smell the roses sometimes. Anyway, I just thought I'd right this down here. Seems like the best place to do so. Something that I noticed and was on my mind.
Gassho
Re: Change, angry people, and other stuff
Thank you, Will
Quote:
Originally Posted by will
As I sit day to day, pay attention to how I am and my experience, things are beginning to change. Things that I thought were important before don't really seem so now.
Yes, I like to say that ours is a 'Proof is in the Pudding' Practice. You may think Zazen 'isn't doing anything', that it is a waste of time ... you may think about stopping. Then, you just begin to notice the small and great ways it is having effect on your life, how you approach things differently, see life and yourself differently. Then you see what it is about.
Anger is not practicing 'right', and oversteps the Precepts. So, when we are angry, we are not doing Zazen 'right', and we should make every effort to avoid anger, to let it burn out.
At the same time, we embrace our human condition beyond right or wrong, just the way it is, with all the pimples. We are not perfect, we sometimes do harmful human things.
So, our Practice is again trying to do things 'right' beyond 'wrong' or 'right'. We live on two levels not even one.
Gassho, Jundo