Thanks for that article Barry, for me it seems to be a constant cycle of doing this observation where sometimes you slip but each time you come back to it, it gets reinforced that little bit more.
“If you suffer distress because of some external cause, it is not the thing itself that troubles you but your judgement about it, and it is within your power to cancel that judgement at any moment.”
One thing I find an essential part of practicing path 3 is the understanding that nobody owes me anything (absent some explicit agreement to the contrary). The gas station clerk was rude to me? OK, maybe I'll find another gas station, but unless he shortchanged me I have no actual grievance against him. I don't need to conjure up a "How dare you?" thought; far better to wait a moment for the flash of anger to pass, then chuckle to myself and think, "Someone didn't get [verb]'d last night."
Your point is well-taken. Isn't it curious that such a debilitating practice (judgment) is valued. None of this implies that we don't need to make real decisions in the world, but this never requires our mental condemnation.
Very true, and nicely put. As a (sometimes) photographer, if there are kids I want to capture, I make sure to get the lens down to their level, even if it means getting on the floor. The view peering down from above is much less interesting and much less revealing.
Thanks for that article Barry, for me it seems to be a constant cycle of doing this observation where sometimes you slip but each time you come back to it, it gets reinforced that little bit more.
“If you suffer distress because of some external cause, it is not the thing itself that troubles you but your judgement about it, and it is within your power to cancel that judgement at any moment.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Thanks, Andrew.
Right! This is a practice not a one off deal. Aurelius often wrote, "keep reminding yourself."
One thing I find an essential part of practicing path 3 is the understanding that nobody owes me anything (absent some explicit agreement to the contrary). The gas station clerk was rude to me? OK, maybe I'll find another gas station, but unless he shortchanged me I have no actual grievance against him. I don't need to conjure up a "How dare you?" thought; far better to wait a moment for the flash of anger to pass, then chuckle to myself and think, "Someone didn't get [verb]'d last night."
Exactly, we see ourselves as the heroes of the story we have mentally constructed.
Thank you, Diane!
Your point is well-taken. Isn't it curious that such a debilitating practice (judgment) is valued. None of this implies that we don't need to make real decisions in the world, but this never requires our mental condemnation.
Very true, and nicely put. As a (sometimes) photographer, if there are kids I want to capture, I make sure to get the lens down to their level, even if it means getting on the floor. The view peering down from above is much less interesting and much less revealing.