Hi everyone,
As I reflect on my thoughts, all I see is judgment. I judge people's looks, ideas, mannerisms, odors, speech, dress, etc. I suppose I was blissfully unaware of this until a couple of years ago, but it is not a thing I'm proud of. Ah, yes, there it is . . . let go of the pride and get back to sitting . . .
Sorry for the self-indulgent post.
Gassho,
Eika
Spot on Eika,
I am increasingly aware of the same tendency. If I may, judgement is an incredible poison we brew in our system and spit on the world. Judgement is the other side of the coin of insecurity. Judgement is my biggest target as far as my practice is concerned, once I catch myself at it, back to simply being...
On an optimistic note, if you notice it, you are really doing Buddhist practice ( look at the genjokoan)
gassho
Taigu
Hi Eika,Originally Posted by Eika
You even made a judgement about your own post.
gassho,
JohnH :wink:
Hi Eika,
You even made a judgement about your own post.
gassho,
JohnH :wink:
Thanks, Taigu. I'll chew on that one for a while.
Gassho,
Eika
Oh yes, my nasty judgmental mind is something I struggle with almost every day. I think it's a step in the right direction when one experiences the judging mind as unpleasant rather than completely identifying with it. That said, even if we replaced our judging thoughts with nice thoughts of gamboling lambs it would still be mental noise, which we can either get lost in, ignore, or allow to pass through. It's just the mind talking to itself about feelings it doesn't understand or falsely attributes to the wrong cause (as in "I feel bad because this guy is a jerk" rather than "I feel bad because I'm tired"). I find that I often become less judgmental after eating something or getting some sleep :wink:
In situations where the judging thoughts are about someone with whom I interact on a relatively close level, I find the best way to release the thoughts is to talk to the person about what's bothering me (in less nasty language than my mind is conjuring, of course). I usually have a better opinion of people if I don't feel like I have to stuff down and keep quiet the things that are bothering me. As soon as I find a way to air the grievance (skillfully or unskillfully) the resentment and ill will is gone. As for judgmental thoughts toward random people, like, "That guy looks like a total f---ing idiot," I just have to laugh at myself. It's just comedy if you don't buy into it too much.
IMHO this is what mind does. What else would it do with a smell? In the ocean of awareness swims the great fish of discrimination. Allow me to judge your response and say it's a good one :-).
Occasionally after sitting practice, I'll do some walking meditation - or just walking really (not kinhin). My mind will throw out such crazy stuff. Judgements about the Hummer in the parking lot (and aspersions on the character of the owner, etc)..and then I'll realize, 'Wow. This is just completely unnecessary.' It doesn't affect the fact of the Hummer's existence and it doesn't affect the owner. All it does is poison an otherwise pleasant walk.
Chet
Too true. Thanks, Chet.
Eika
Welcome Back, Steph!
And our judgements about ourselves often hold us back ... like that story of a goose in a bottle.
A great thread, I think (that is a judgment, by the way!
We need some judgments to live ... otherwise we would not judge it good even to get out of bed in the morning, would put our hand on the hot stove, and would trust anyone we meet selling the Brooklyn Bridge. Judgment is human and necessary.
But getting caught up and trapped in thoughts and judgments, excess judgments and unskillful judgments are to be avoided (in the Buddha's judgement).
When getting caught in unnecessary or excess judgment (simplify!
What is more, we have a unique Zenny way of "judging without judging" ... (a simple example ... I like chocolate ice cream, I hate spinach, this I (self) judges chocolate good. Yet, hand in hand, there is complete equanimity as to whether life hands myself chocolate or spinach. Both attitudes held at once ... self/no self, choice/choiceless, judging/no judging.)
Very well said! (Oh, another judgment on my part! :lol: )
Our way is not about always replacing every thought with one of gamboling lambs and rainbows. We are not about living in candyland. We have to judge soil as soil, shit as shit. Flowers and weeds. That is needed to live and survive. But we have to recognize unneeded/harmful/excess mental noise as mental noise, and not get lost in. Much of it, we should ignore, pass through or allow to pass. All of it (even when needed) we should see through as a necessary dream. We embrace the flowers and the weeds ... see that way of "no flowers, no weeds" ... even as we set about judging "weeds as weeds" and pulling weeds.
Gassho, Jundo
:shock: Very interesting topic! Thanks to all of you!
Despite my bad English, please don't judge me :lol: , I keep the words of Jundo in mind:
thanks again to all of you!We need some judgments to live ...
But getting caught up and trapped in thoughts and judgments are to be avoided .
When getting caught in unnecessary or excess judgment (simplify!
Gassho,
Luis
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