Conversation

Mi’sen
@misen__
The sudden/gradual, immanence/distinction tensions have gone on for a long long time....explored quite brilliantly by Sam Van Schaik (and others, I'm sure). May be less conflicting if one is able to take the pointers, not as a way to be free 'instantly', but as a way of training
2
Cinder
@Triquetrea
Replying to
@misen__
The problem, seen over and over again, is that most students really, utterly fail at that. There are better ways to get from there to here, IMO, especially for people expressly conditioned to cling to everything. If you can integrate into the culture, say a Zen temple, OTOH...
1
Cinder
@Triquetrea
Replying to
@Triquetrea
The inability to recognize the cultural contingents of practice is a problem that repeats over, over and over again. The failure of yoga in the West is a good example. Buddhism, too.
2
1
Cinder
@Triquetrea
Replying to
@misen__
I am in the fortunate position of being two links of association away from many of those tasked with this stuff; too far to be entangled, close enough to understand broad strokes. You can't just bring the practice into a foreign culture. It won't "click". Too much baggage. E.g.:
1
1
Cinder
@Triquetrea
Replying to
@Triquetrea
- Metta, compassion and love-based yogic practice DO NOT WORK for majority of westerners. - Social structure inimical to gurus, ashram, sangha etc. Those that flourish often (really often) are cults. - Scientism vs. mysticism; porting language is hard, stuff lost in translation.
2
1
Cinder
@Triquetrea
Replying to
@Triquetrea
As for "letting go", this has an extremely specific meaning. Worse, it has several extremely specific meanings depending on what lineage it comes attached to. Just saying "let go" is a command; conveys 0 relevant semantic content. You are generally not supposed to "do" anything.
1
Cinder
@Triquetrea
Replying to
@Triquetrea
If I tell you to let go, and you now spend all your energy on trying to let go, this is not very productive. If you do get the point, the instruction is already superfluous. To get you from not getting the point to getting it, many ways, but generally it's a product of culture.
Twitter Web Client