carmel coating

[will]

What a job it is to be honest. Fear of saying something really shows the fear that you are afraid that someone will see your own faults. In doing something or giving advice you should make sure that you yourself have followed that advice and anything else is just bullshit. When you are completely honest with yourself then what is there to fear? Who can say anything or do anything that can effect you in the least.

To do Zazen is to study the self. To study the self is to come face to face with our little comforts and habits that we just don't want to let go of. Any idea if held to too strongly just creates more dillusion or suffering. I have been afraid at times around certain people because I was afraid that they would see me for truly what I am. No comment or remark can effect you in the least. It is the attachment to some idea that we are holding too strongly. After the honesty and the bullshit, what is there?

After the niceties and frilly carmel coating?

G,W

[Skye]

A sixteen foot golden Buddha with 10 heads and 16 arms?

[Bids]

Hi Will,
I find I am affected by what others think and say to the degree that their remarks, and even those anticipated, touch a particular belief I have about myself. Looking into this brings me inevitably to the contraction that went into forming the "belief" that I am at fault.
I think the pain behind this contraction is what we fear most and that is is the belief in our unworthiness that causes suffering and limits perceptions. No, no comment or remark can affect me in the least ... beyond its confronting me with this contraction.
Just sitting helps me to a space where I can let it be, knots, beliefs, fears and where with mustering some acceptence and forgiveness I can relax and have a different experience of myself (and necessarly everything else as well).
I don't know about "complete" honesty ... I make do with "honest as possible"... how complete this is depends for me on everything that went before, and on how clear I can be and how much awareness I can bring to that particular moment .... like discovering there is no "truth" (not in a relative sense at least) but truthfulness as an open energetic possibility in the moment.
After the honesty and the bullshit ??? the agony and the ecstasy maybe?

Hope this adds something somehow.

Being a newbody to the sangha I have not "gassho'ed" anyone yet .... so if I may ....
In Gassho to Jundo with thanks.
In Gassho to you Will with thanks. I hope you are well.

Nadi

[will]

Honesty. Confronting the self through sitting. Getting out of the way to embrace the intimacy of the moment. One of the best gifts anyone can give you, is to really not give a shit who you think you are. There's something scary and also releaving in that.

And Gassho to you Nadi

Will