Re: Some of the best quotes I have ever heard! - Adendum

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

Regarding the BK quotes I listed in my previous post, I want to be

clear that I am fully aware of what we call " human nature " and " man's

inhumanity to man " and I am aware of and have experienced first-hand

the destructive consequences of denial and I am not advocating

burying our feelings of rage, hurt and/or humiliation or attempting

to merely " overlook " these feelings in the spirit of forgiveness. I

do not find it helpful to attempt to merely deny what has been done

to me, but with self-inquiry (The Work) I find that I have the tools

required to move beyond the self-image of victumhood.

Importantly, these BK quotes do not mean that I must allow others to

go unchecked in abusing me or others. The important thing here is my

attitude towards the alledged attacker. I find that it is more

honest of me to act in a firm, strong manner to prevent attack and

abuse while not holding feelings of hate or revenge. I have found it

to be painful to attempt act in a manner which is beyond my current

spiritual evolution.

Lastly, I can not know if any of the above is true and, more

importantly, I don't care if it is.

Blessings, Steve D.

> >

> > In a recent interview, General Norman Schwartzkopf was asked if

he

> thought

> > there was room for forgiveness toward the people who have

harbored and

> > abetted the terrorists who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks on

America.

> >

> > His answer was classic Schwartzkopf.

> > The General said,

> > " I believe that forgiving them is God's function. OUR job is to

> arrange the meeting. "

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Dear Steve,

Your post below is beautifully stated. Thank you!

In light of your comments I will add that I have come to recognize,

acutely, how PERSISTENT anger, in any form, is highly toxic (both to

myself and the object it is directed at). And I want to stress it is

persistent, on-going, anger that I am talking about here.

I don't care how much Work one does, anger - like any emotion - will,

from time to time, appear, like a flash of lightning. Being skilled

in The Work doesn't stop this, or any other emotion.

What The Work (and other forms of meditation) have done for me is to

allow me to quickly see the emotion and, if it is corrosive or

unpleasant, to disengage from it, to realize on some non-verbal level

that it is ONLY a feeling (thought), and that, like everything else,

it too, will change. Nothing remains static. This is neither denial

nor repression but rather a non-conceptual recognition of the

illusory nature of any on-going, persisting feeling/emotion/thought.

Of course if the emotion/feeling/thought is pleansant and enjoyable,

I just wallow in it like a piggy! Oink! :-)

Dear Friends,

Regarding the BK quotes I listed in my previous post, I want to be

clear that I am fully aware of what we call " human nature " and " man's

inhumanity to man " and I am aware of and have experienced first-hand

the destructive consequences of denial and I am not advocating

burying our feelings of rage, hurt and/or humiliation or attempting

to merely " overlook " these feelings in the spirit of forgiveness. I

do not find it helpful to attempt to merely deny what has been done

to me, but with self-inquiry (The Work) I find that I have the tools

required to move beyond the self-image of victumhood.

Importantly, these BK quotes do not mean that I must allow others to

go unchecked in abusing me or others. The important thing here is my

attitude towards the alledged attacker. I find that it is more

honest of me to act in a firm, strong manner to prevent attack and

abuse while not holding feelings of hate or revenge. I have found it

to be painful to attempt act in a manner which is beyond my current

spiritual evolution.

Lastly, I can not know if any of the above is true and, more

importantly, I don't care if it is.

Blessings, Steve D.

[Guest guest]

Dear Andy,

You are welcome.

My experience has been the same as yours. Thoughts appear and

emotions follow. Then the question is, " how long does it take me

to " get around to " undoing the belief? " So, I see my doing The Work

as the way to shorten the amount of time passing before the undoing

takes place.

Thirty three years ago, my Spiritual Mentor told me that God's Grace

will be bestowed in It's own time and that, in the meantime, my

responsibility was to have an attitude of " the sooner " by being

vigilant of my thoughts and emotions. And of course, at the same

time to keep in mind that " I need do nothing " .

By the way, this Mentor, Everett Irion, was a CPA and the Treasurer

of the Association for Research and Enlightenment. He was also my

boss.

Blessings, Steve D.

>

> Dear Steve,

>

> Your post below is beautifully stated. Thank you!

>

> In light of your comments I will add that I have come to recognize,

> acutely, how PERSISTENT anger, in any form, is highly toxic (both

to

> myself and the object it is directed at). And I want to stress it

is

> persistent, on-going, anger that I am talking about here.

>

> I don't care how much Work one does, anger - like any emotion -

will,

> from time to time, appear, like a flash of lightning. Being

skilled

> in The Work doesn't stop this, or any other emotion.

>

> What The Work (and other forms of meditation) have done for me is

to

> allow me to quickly see the emotion and, if it is corrosive or

> unpleasant, to disengage from it, to realize on some non-verbal

level

> that it is ONLY a feeling (thought), and that, like everything

else,

> it too, will change. Nothing remains static. This is neither

denial

> nor repression but rather a non-conceptual recognition of the

> illusory nature of any on-going, persisting feeling/emotion/thought.

>

> Of course if the emotion/feeling/thought is pleansant and

enjoyable,

> I just wallow in it like a piggy! Oink! :-)

>

>

>

>

> Dear Friends,

>

> Regarding the BK quotes I listed in my previous post, I want to be

> clear that I am fully aware of what we call " human nature "

and " man's

> inhumanity to man " and I am aware of and have experienced first-hand

> the destructive consequences of denial and I am not advocating

> burying our feelings of rage, hurt and/or humiliation or attempting

> to merely " overlook " these feelings in the spirit of forgiveness. I

> do not find it helpful to attempt to merely deny what has been done

> to me, but with self-inquiry (The Work) I find that I have the tools

> required to move beyond the self-image of victumhood.

>

> Importantly, these BK quotes do not mean that I must allow others to

> go unchecked in abusing me or others. The important thing here is my

> attitude towards the alledged attacker. I find that it is more

> honest of me to act in a firm, strong manner to prevent attack and

> abuse while not holding feelings of hate or revenge. I have found it

> to be painful to attempt act in a manner which is beyond my current

> spiritual evolution.

>

> Lastly, I can not know if any of the above is true and, more

> importantly, I don't care if it is.

>

> Blessings, Steve D.

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Steve, dear Andy,

@Andy: you say that persistent anger exists. And that doing the work

won't " free " you of it. I don't think anger is an emotion one needs

to get " rid " of. What I notice, though, is that since doing the work,

less things anger me. At the same time, the attitude towards anger -

as you stated, as well - shifted: It's more an opportunity to do the

work on something, as are sadness, stress and pain. More an

interesting and noteworthy experience than an unwanted guest.

Or worse: than a parasite that devours me (an image I used to have

quite frequently).

I believe, though, that doing the work on each and every thought that

appears in my mind, eventually the hatred and stress and pain falls

off. And everytime it does appear is an opportunity to investigate a

thought I'm not at peace with, yet. One never knows, whether it was

the 'last' one, forever. But it may be the last one, for now.

@Steve: thirtythree years AGO? Man, I didn't even exist back then!

You are an OLD guy!

Love,

Am 06.07.2006 um 17:49 schrieb Steve Daily:

> Dear Andy,

>

> You are welcome.

> My experience has been the same as yours. Thoughts appear and

> emotions follow. Then the question is, " how long does it take me

> to " get around to " undoing the belief? " So, I see my doing The Work

> as the way to shorten the amount of time passing before the undoing

> takes place.

>

> Thirty three years ago, my Spiritual Mentor told me that God's Grace

> will be bestowed in It's own time and that, in the meantime, my

> responsibility was to have an attitude of " the sooner " by being

> vigilant of my thoughts and emotions. And of course, at the same

> time to keep in mind that " I need do nothing " .

>

> By the way, this Mentor, Everett Irion, was a CPA and the Treasurer

> of the Association for Research and Enlightenment. He was also my

> boss.

>

> Blessings, Steve D.

>

>

>>

>> Dear Steve,

>>

>> Your post below is beautifully stated. Thank you!

>>

>> In light of your comments I will add that I have come to recognize,

>> acutely, how PERSISTENT anger, in any form, is highly toxic (both

> to

>> myself and the object it is directed at). And I want to stress it

> is

>> persistent, on-going, anger that I am talking about here.

>>

>> I don't care how much Work one does, anger - like any emotion -

> will,

>> from time to time, appear, like a flash of lightning. Being

> skilled

>> in The Work doesn't stop this, or any other emotion.

>>

>> What The Work (and other forms of meditation) have done for me is

> to

>> allow me to quickly see the emotion and, if it is corrosive or

>> unpleasant, to disengage from it, to realize on some non-verbal

> level

>> that it is ONLY a feeling (thought), and that, like everything

> else,

>> it too, will change. Nothing remains static. This is neither

> denial

>> nor repression but rather a non-conceptual recognition of the

>> illusory nature of any on-going, persisting feeling/emotion/thought.

>>

>> Of course if the emotion/feeling/thought is pleansant and

> enjoyable,

>> I just wallow in it like a piggy! Oink! :-)

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> Dear Friends,

>>

>> Regarding the BK quotes I listed in my previous post, I want to be

>> clear that I am fully aware of what we call " human nature "

> and " man's

>> inhumanity to man " and I am aware of and have experienced first-hand

>> the destructive consequences of denial and I am not advocating

>> burying our feelings of rage, hurt and/or humiliation or attempting

>> to merely " overlook " these feelings in the spirit of forgiveness. I

>> do not find it helpful to attempt to merely deny what has been done

>> to me, but with self-inquiry (The Work) I find that I have the tools

>> required to move beyond the self-image of victumhood.

>>

>> Importantly, these BK quotes do not mean that I must allow others to

>> go unchecked in abusing me or others. The important thing here is my

>> attitude towards the alledged attacker. I find that it is more

>> honest of me to act in a firm, strong manner to prevent attack and

>> abuse while not holding feelings of hate or revenge. I have found it

>> to be painful to attempt act in a manner which is beyond my current

>> spiritual evolution.

>>

>> Lastly, I can not know if any of the above is true and, more

>> importantly, I don't care if it is.

>>

>> Blessings, Steve D.

>>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Oh!

Good to know!

And I thought the story was you!

Love,

Am 07.07.2006 um 17:58 schrieb Steve Daily:

> Dear ,

>

> Guess what, you still don't exist, except as a story in my mind!

>

>

> Love, steve d

>

>

>>>>

>>>> Dear Steve,

>>>>

>>>> Your post below is beautifully stated. Thank you!

>>>>

>>>> In light of your comments I will add that I have come to

> recognize,

>>>> acutely, how PERSISTENT anger, in any form, is highly toxic (both

>>> to

>>>> myself and the object it is directed at). And I want to stress

> it

>>> is

>>>> persistent, on-going, anger that I am talking about here.

>>>>

>>>> I don't care how much Work one does, anger - like any emotion -

>>> will,

>>>> from time to time, appear, like a flash of lightning. Being

>>> skilled

>>>> in The Work doesn't stop this, or any other emotion.

>>>>

>>>> What The Work (and other forms of meditation) have done for me is

>>> to

>>>> allow me to quickly see the emotion and, if it is corrosive or

>>>> unpleasant, to disengage from it, to realize on some non-verbal

>>> level

>>>> that it is ONLY a feeling (thought), and that, like everything

>>> else,

>>>> it too, will change. Nothing remains static. This is neither

>>> denial

>>>> nor repression but rather a non-conceptual recognition of the

>>>> illusory nature of any on-going, persisting

> feeling/emotion/thought.

>>>>

>>>> Of course if the emotion/feeling/thought is pleansant and

>>> enjoyable,

>>>> I just wallow in it like a piggy! Oink! :-)

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> Dear Friends,

>>>>

>>>> Regarding the BK quotes I listed in my previous post, I want to

> be

>>>> clear that I am fully aware of what we call " human nature "

>>> and " man's

>>>> inhumanity to man " and I am aware of and have experienced first-

> hand

>>>> the destructive consequences of denial and I am not advocating

>>>> burying our feelings of rage, hurt and/or humiliation or

> attempting

>>>> to merely " overlook " these feelings in the spirit of

> forgiveness. I

>>>> do not find it helpful to attempt to merely deny what has been

> done

>>>> to me, but with self-inquiry (The Work) I find that I have the

> tools

>>>> required to move beyond the self-image of victumhood.

>>>>

>>>> Importantly, these BK quotes do not mean that I must allow

> others to

>>>> go unchecked in abusing me or others. The important thing here

> is my

>>>> attitude towards the alledged attacker. I find that it is more

>>>> honest of me to act in a firm, strong manner to prevent attack

> and

>>>> abuse while not holding feelings of hate or revenge. I have

> found it

>>>> to be painful to attempt act in a manner which is beyond my

> current

>>>> spiritual evolution.

>>>>

>>>> Lastly, I can not know if any of the above is true and, more

>>>> importantly, I don't care if it is.

>>>>

>>>> Blessings, Steve D.

>>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

[Guest guest]

> >

> > Dear ,

> >

> > Guess what, you still don't exist, except as a story in my mind!

> >

>

> What does exist, other than stories?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

>

> > What does exist, other than stories?

>

> Uh, isn't 'existence' a story?

Sure! If it's conceptual it's a thought and thus a story.

From 's interview in " Catalyst " :

" You know, eventually you come to see that we don't exist anyway. So,

let me be there for people who actually believe there are people. "