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Re: Anna Brown

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2021 3:53 am
by Lou Gold
Papanca wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:41 am
Lou Gold wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 6:11 pm
Soul_of_Shu wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 12:15 pm

I've watched that one before, but may revisit it out of curiosity. Speaking of twists and turns, given what became of Brian Rose and his infamous run for the mayor of London, financed by some apparent scam, and what he's promoting lately on London Real, I'd have to say that his one encounter with the vine of the soul was not remedial, which of course, as you well know, requires far, far more commitment.
I confess that I know nothing of Brian Rose but what you say seems classically cautionary. I read somewhere that there's a Tibetan saying about the spiritual path: "Better not to start but if started better to finish." I too am skeptical of one-shot workshops, indeed I'm skeptical of one-shot anything. In my own case, a life-changing dream and a 15-year later life-changing Daime vision turned out to be a lifelong work, which I'm still unpacking and, with each new insight, it feels as if I'm only beginning. Finishing seems to me as an ongoing process.
In my humble opinion there is no merit in that saying, it discourages one from even attempting a spiritual path, for why start if it's better not to start ? . Of course there are risks involved but there are risks in anything, including in never trying any spiritual practice.
I guess one might adopt your interpretation but innocence is damn difficult to hold onto. I perceive the Tibetan adage as cautionary -- take care, let the genie out of the bottle and you'll never get it back in. Better to finish what you started.

Re: Anna Brown

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:36 am
by Ben Iscatus
In my case, the genie is out but has wandered off to do his own thing :)

Re: Anna Brown

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:47 pm
by Papanca
Lou Gold wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 3:53 am
Papanca wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:41 am
Lou Gold wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 6:11 pm

I confess that I know nothing of Brian Rose but what you say seems classically cautionary. I read somewhere that there's a Tibetan saying about the spiritual path: "Better not to start but if started better to finish." I too am skeptical of one-shot workshops, indeed I'm skeptical of one-shot anything. In my own case, a life-changing dream and a 15-year later life-changing Daime vision turned out to be a lifelong work, which I'm still unpacking and, with each new insight, it feels as if I'm only beginning. Finishing seems to me as an ongoing process.
In my humble opinion there is no merit in that saying, it discourages one from even attempting a spiritual path, for why start if it's better not to start ? . Of course there are risks involved but there are risks in anything, including in never trying any spiritual practice.
I guess one might adopt your interpretation but innocence is damn difficult to hold onto. I perceive the Tibetan adage as cautionary -- take care, let the genie out of the bottle and you'll never get it back in. Better to finish what you started.
Sorry for the belated response, i thought i've had answered.

I understand where you're coming from, it's just that IMHO, life in itself is risky, it's not as if you could hold into some unassailable comfort zone if you don't venture into any spiritual path - if anybody can and want to do that, that's a fine way to be - speaking from personal experience, meditation practice have helped me in many aspects, like battling addiction, self-hatred etc, that's why i think those type of warning can apply only in a case by case basis and don't convey the whole truth, they often can only add to the confusion.

Good warning often invokes alternatives, and a sort of guiding light to venture into whatever is warned about or a way to minimize the risk : For instance, someone may warn you about the risk of running on asphalt, as it may enhances the risks of having a runner knee, but if he warns you against running in itself, even if they may be risk inherent in running, there are also risks inherent in not exercising, being sedentary etc. I love your and eugene approach of "the great mysteriousness", i think the problem of a lot of practices - tibetan buddhism is one of the mail culprit - is getting too much hostage to rigid views, being enmeshed in them too much. I try to hold my practice by gently experimenting and trying to have as few expectations as possible, but a sort of gentle faith/hope in the process.

Good luck to you in your path and your life.

Re: Anna Brown

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:14 pm
by Lou Gold
Papanca wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:47 pm
Lou Gold wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 3:53 am
Papanca wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:41 am

In my humble opinion there is no merit in that saying, it discourages one from even attempting a spiritual path, for why start if it's better not to start ? . Of course there are risks involved but there are risks in anything, including in never trying any spiritual practice.
I guess one might adopt your interpretation but innocence is damn difficult to hold onto. I perceive the Tibetan adage as cautionary -- take care, let the genie out of the bottle and you'll never get it back in. Better to finish what you started.
Sorry for the belated response, i thought i've had answered.

I understand where you're coming from, it's just that IMHO, life in itself is risky, it's not as if you could hold into some unassailable comfort zone if you don't venture into any spiritual path - if anybody can and want to do that, that's a fine way to be - speaking from personal experience, meditation practice have helped me in many aspects, like battling addiction, self-hatred etc, that's why i think those type of warning can apply only in a case by case basis and don't convey the whole truth, they often can only add to the confusion.

Good warning often invokes alternatives, and a sort of guiding light to venture into whatever is warned about or a way to minimize the risk : For instance, someone may warn you about the risk of running on asphalt, as it may enhances the risks of having a runner knee, but if he warns you against running in itself, even if they may be risk inherent in running, there are also risks inherent in not exercising, being sedentary etc. I love your and eugene approach of "the great mysteriousness", i think the problem of a lot of practices - tibetan buddhism is one of the mail culprit - is getting too much hostage to rigid views, being enmeshed in them too much. I try to hold my practice by gently experimenting and trying to have as few expectations as possible, but a sort of gentle faith/hope in the process.

Good luck to you in your path and your life.
Yup, dogma is always a problem. I take the Tibetan saying as both cautionary and paradoxical. Saying, "better not to begin the spiritual path" is a bit like telling the kids in the garden to not eat the apple. New knowledge carries the possibility of use and abuse and thus burdens us with new choices. Maybe one can settle temporarily into a comfort zone but the world changes and the kids will be curious. We will get burdened by choices. We will search for a more balanced way. Humility helps. I like your way of a gentle experimentation without arrogant expectations. Yes, there's a faith/hope component that better awareness will yield better participation in the process. I share this faith/hope.