Keep Calm And Carry Water

Keep Calm and Carry Water

   I should preface this by saying that I am an above average driver (I do my best to fight the stereotype). I get to my destinations smoothly and efficiently, have never caused any accidents, and have never even received a speeding ticket. That being said, I do not enjoy the act of driving. Due to a combination of some traumatic experiences in the past and my own sense of self-preservation, getting behind the wheel generally instills a certain anxiety within me. Even under the most ideal conditions, I tend to get an elevated heart rate, sweaty palms, and other symptoms of nervousness.

And of course, we almost never drive under ideal circumstances. Whether we are driving someone else’s car, facing the sun, or even just having a bad day, the situation on the road is honestly filled with hazards that could easily lead to a turn for the worse. But if we take a moment to breathe before we get started, we can find our center enough to move forward with confidence and purpose. Even when facing down something that terrifies us, indulging our sense of fear and dread will only make the situation worse. This is, I believe, the best mindset for approaching any of life’s darker moments. It’s not about denying the existence of fear, or denying the existence of danger. Recognizing the truth of the situation is the first step in working through it. Once we have grounded or mental state in reality, we can start to put our emotional state on the same level footing. And then, as the saying goes, we can continue to carry on down the Path.

Essentials for Students [20]:

Do not talk about right and wrong.

Everyone should sweep the snow from his own door

And not be concerned about the frost on another’s roof.

Some good words. I have a bit about Secular Spiritualism that I'll get to one of these days.

“Man is a social animal” — Aristotle.

I have been getting a lot of messages about loneliness in the past few weeks. So many that I thought I should address the problem in a general post:

As Aristotle said we are social animals as are all primates. I have read of experiments where young Rhesus...

The wise are good to the good, but also are good to the bad. Wise people trust those who trust, but also trust those who do not trust... Goodness and trust are the very nature of the Path. -Paraphrasing from the old man, chapter 49.

It reminds me a great deal of the quote from Nietzsche, where one must take care not to fight monsters, lest you become a monster yourself. I believe that people should be judged by how they treat their enemies, as this is the clearest indication of one's character. Eye for an eye and all that. I do have a tendency to explain quotes with other quotes, apologies for that.

Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.”

Shunryu Suzuki (via buddhazen101)

Chop wood, carry water.

This is Dao.

"It is important to maintain your equanimity. You cannot let yourself get too ‘up’ or too ‘down’ based on your circumstances." “Too ‘down’ I understand. But why not too ‘up?’” “Because the higher your mountains are, the deeper your valleys will seem. You should not react to the world. You should respond, but not react. A response is an action based on logic. A reaction is an emotional state. Your reaction will not change the world. Your reaction only changes you. Your response will change the world.”