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Thread: Eating your own foot and liking it

  1. #1

    Eating your own foot and liking it

    I put my foot in my mouth on a regular basis, and I usually don't realize it. Zen sometimes makes us feel high and mighty, like we "get it". Unfortunately, I often fall into that trap; especially because I seem to be the token Buddhist among a large group of people and often have questions bounced off of me. So of course, after awhile I start liking to listen to sound of my own squawking.

    It does take a certain special kind of person to rip the soap-box your standing on out from under your feet, luckily I have good friends. A friend shared the story of the monk carrying the woman across the river that she had heard in class. Once again on my high horse, I felt the need to assure her that I had heard it, but I listened anyway. Then I went on to complain about what a professor had said earlier, etc...

    Then I went to bed a few hours later, set up my cushion for sitting, sat, breathed, and opened my eyes. If anyone needed to drop the woman at the bank, it was me. Carrying resentment, carrying stress, carrying guilt, carrying arrogance, leave them on the bank of the river. Zen won't teach you a thing - life will.

    100 bows for the ones who open our eyes,
    Taylor

    here's a link to the story for those who haven't read it:

    http://www.trivia-library.com/a/educati ... -woman.htm

  2. #2

    Re: Eating your own foot and liking it

    My own arrogance is coming to light as well.

    I don't get asked buddhism questions, but I'm way too happy to give more answers than anyone wants to know in matters of linguistics -- where I've also been deemed the "token expert" among some people.

    When I go to my tango events, I am so busy talking, when I should shut up and dance. I should be sharing the silent energy of the movements with my partner, which is why we are there. It's much better for them (and me) than my blather about Persian or whatnot, even though it may be accurate.

    I hope, one day, to go to a milonga (tango event) and barely say a single word. No chatter, no Beverly Hills kisses, no oohing and ahhing over fancy dresses and shoes. Just dance. It's why we're there.

    Your posts resonate with me very often, Taylor.
    gassho
    Julia

  3. #3

    Re: Eating your own foot and liking it

    Gassho!

  4. #4

    Re: Eating your own foot and liking it

    Taylor,

    It's a story I have heard many times, but always need to hear again. Thank you sensei.

    Gassho,
    Dosho

  5. #5

    Re: Eating your own foot and liking it

    Great post Taylor. Very good lesson and great story as well. Like Dosho I have heard it plenty but never enough! (oh how quickly we forget )
    Quote Originally Posted by murasaki
    ... I am so busy talking, when I should shut up and dance.
    Sage advice right there!

    Thank yous! ;D



    Gassho
    Shohei

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