I view you as a peer, but one with more experience in things than I have in areas that I am interested in learning about. I think that is the relationship you have with most of your peers here. Certainly anyone that goes on retreat with you, to some degree. Is that power?
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That said, when I start hearing deep wisdom from someone, that opens me up, I let go of control and go with what realities is teaching through us (that's my practice anyway). And then when I sense things are going off the rails I intervene. I absolutely exercise authority.
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This proves my prior point, Vincent, that many Buddhists are what I call ‘soft authoritarians.’
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Well, it beats the shit out of being a soft anarchist, in my experience. I ran that experiment in a spiritual community (the Buddhist Geeks Community) and it failed / wasn't for me. That said, learning never ends.
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this arguing from polarized positions is a mistake. what is the teaching anyway? I feel alright calling my politics "soft-anarchism" but not my spirituality. It's meaningless to classify it on that rubric at all.
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Who says it's a mistake? Are you really asking me to accept your perspective on polarization and "the teaching" as the basis from which to determine how I should conduct myself on twitter?
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It's not contradictory at all. I can present my opinion. You can evaluate it for yourself. I claim no authority. There are no consequences to you disagreeing with me. If I express myself clearly I might persuade you. Or, alternatively, I might change my mind if you persuade me.
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Replying to @danlistensto @VincentHorn and
Maybe it's revealing of your attitude that you implicitly perceived my presentation of my opinion as an argument from authority. I haven't claimed any authority but you interpreted my remarks as attempting to do that.
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Replying to @danlistensto @VincentHorn and
But if I tell you that my understanding of the dharma is that it values rejecting extremes, integrating opposites, and transcending oppositional dualisms, do you think I'm on the mark or am I missing something?
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And I do think your reference to “the teaching” is an argument by authority. Which by the way, I never said I have a problem with, just that it’s contradictory.
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who's authority though? not mine. Shakyamuni's authority? If we're calling ourselves Buddhists that's implicit already.
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I don’t call myself a Buddhist anymore.
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