b30ed94e   
   XPost: alt.zen, alt.religion.buddhism.tibetan   
   From: 8.tim.harris@gmail.com   
      
   On Sep 17, 6:17 pm, Peter Terpstra  wrote:   
   > On 9/17/2012 1:45 PM, Tim wrote:   
   >   
   > > so do i lift myself to insanely holy heights to rule? or do i get down   
   > > in the muck and grind with everyone else and demonstrate those lessons   
   > > by example... i guess it depends on what i am trying to accomplish...   
   >   
   > What is our basic motivation is indeed the primal question.   
   >   
   > Love, Peter   
      
   where do answers begin peter? they have to start somewhere. even in   
   error.   
      
   when it comes to the primal motivation, one outlet is to first reduce   
   all the external causes (this applies to some here. i myself work at   
   my computer and when i need a break from reading or writing i come   
   here, some days i have more time to spend than others...) then, work   
   on the internal causes (what we do here).   
      
   we can not accomplish that here if we pander to it.  so, just as   
   awareness can be void of consciousness, when we observe consciousness   
   it has risen with an object, we accept that the duality is at least   
   one extension away from the center.   
      
   that one step away, as the ttc teaches is a duality in potential only.   
   have no desire however and see its secrets; have desire see its   
   manifestations. we may react one way today and under the same arising,   
   another tomorrow.   
      
   putting it back in our center we find that pleasure arises with pain.   
   not the pain of pleasure, but the pain of its loss once attained. and,   
   in the face of its alternative in the balance we sacrifice anything to   
   get back to an end that is just another cycle of death re-birth. the   
   mortality of the leaf falling yet the manifestation, at least in   
   potential, of new life.   
      
   awareness based exercises teach you to see between these. to see its   
   secrets.   
      
   thus, according... to what is taught by other exclusive internal   
   clustering ideas, to eliminate one, pain and the extinction of   
   suffering, we must also remove the other.   
      
   i do not agree. however, as a way, it is correct as an idea or ideal.   
      
   but how does it translate? curiosity.... the primal motivation behind   
   sneaking up on the dalai lama and punching him in the head is a huge   
   temptation... just to get the reaction. does he really believe it? or,   
   as the yogi, does he suffer great pain just keeping the reaction in?   
   just to keep up appearances. just to fill the box called buddhist. his   
   motivation comes from a place of creature comfort not the sutras.   
      
   in his case, to lose it would be... to lose it. thus, a cage not   
   freedom. it is easy to preach from a place of creature comfort.   
      
   but can you teach from the thrones of pain?   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)