Comments on: Nothing’s personal

By: Mahala Mazerov

Mahala Mazerov — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:57:27 +0000

I really love your crystalline recognition of your daughter, and all of us, as eternally-unfolding streams of causes and conditions. It makes me want to grip my chair for a moment, as if I can hang on to some solid self. But it makes me laugh, too. Between the 2 of those responses comes a lot more ease and compassion for others.

(I, too, read Munson’s New York Times article. I was thoroughly impressed by the path she made.)

By: bodhipaksa

bodhipaksa — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:34:20 +0000

Thanks. I’ve been checking in again this morning and I still don’t have a self. I keep looking for a sense of self and all I can find is ever-changing experiences. I have no sense that these experiences constitute something continuous and permanent. In fact my “self” is life a kaleidoscope image — there’s always something there to experience but in every moment the contents of the experience are shifting and so there’s no static picture to look at. This is still very enjoyable, despite my only getting four hours’ sleep because of the baby.

By: © b e e n s w a n k

Great post.
You’ve really opened my eyes. I’ve been trying to practice “non-self” in my own pitiful way for some time now. You always have a way of offering a unique perspective on things.

By: bodhipaksa

bodhipaksa — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:00:30 +0000

Thank you, Hazel. I’ve found that I just no longer believe I have a self. It’s a peculiar thing and hard to explain, although it causes me to burst into laughter sometimes when I remember. I check in with myself and it occurs to me that the “self” I have at the moment is not the same one I had earlier that day or even a few moments ago. It’s not the same one I had when I started typing this comment. So I realize I don’t really have one. My experience seems always fresh and new, and very relaxed, happy, and energized — well, mostly!

By: hazel colditz

hazel colditz — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:11:33 +0000

oh Bodhipaksa….you have great insight and it truly is one of thee most difficult roles of parenting! i have just returned from a 2 week intensive retreat/teachings and struggled enormously with the 5000+ people whom attended! i too had to come to a point where my aversion of humans was coming from my side and that it was “nothing personal” unless i made it so! we are ALL refugees in some form searching for peace within and suffering all the same. compassion is the key to any and all humans whether family, friend or foe. it is a simple path but not an easy one.
our minds are no different than any muscle in our body…we just choose to ignore it or react out of ego instead of “training” our minds to be thoughtful. thanks for sharing…your words are always clear. hazel