Comments on: Treading Water

By: Recent Links Tagged With "blending" - JabberTags

Recent Links Tagged With "blending" - JabberTags — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:19:52 +0000

[...] public links >> blending Treading Water Saved by filiming on Sun 12-10-2008 Inspiration Challenge….. Saved by kobenba11 on Sat [...]

By: ScottyDoo

ScottyDoo — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:33:35 +0000

Nice to see you here Courtney. Thanks!!

I talk to your lesser-half all the time, but never you!

By: randy

randy — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:30:17 +0000

As usual, I’m late to the party, but I like to tell my active LDS wife that we’re following different paths to the same destination. Really, we don’t actually know much about that distant ship smoke on the horizon (love that Pink Floyd tune) that is whatever state exists after death. No matter what our intellect and teachers tell us, and, while we may view our paths and ways as very different, we share the boat that is the world. With deep humility and compassion, we sail that boat together. However, we take our jaunts out to sea and back in our own little expedition boats. In my own case, I have the direct experience of zazen, the radical simplicity of Zen practice, and a philosophy and doctrine that fit my life right now. My wife has a structure and a set of rituals that allow her contact with the divine.

I quote the Beach Boys:

I sailed an ocean, unsettled ocean
Through restful waters and deep commotion
Often frightened, unenlightened
Sail on, sail on sailor

I wrest the waters, fight Neptune’s waters
Sail through the sorrows of life’s marauders
Unrepenting, often empty
Sail on, sail on sailor

Caught like a sewer rat alone but I sail
Bought like a crust of bread, but oh do I wail

Seldom stumble, never crumble
Try to tumble, life’s a rumble
Feel the stinging I’ve been given
Never ending, unrelenting
Heartbreak searing, always fearing
Never caring, persevering
Sail on, sail on, sailor

I work the seaways, the gale-swept seaways
Past shipwrecked daughters of wicked waters
Uninspired, drenched and tired
Wail on, wail on, sailor

Always needing, even bleeding
Never feeding all my feelings
Damn the thunder, must I blunder
There’s no wonder all I’m under
Stop the crying and the lying
And the sighing and my dying

Sail on, sail on sailor

By: Courtney

Courtney — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:33:32 +0000

I’ve been meaning to tell you this before, but I love your posts Scott. I’m right there with ya when it comes to feeling like treading water.

By: Paradise Now | Blending Zen

Paradise Now | Blending Zen — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 04:58:46 +0000

[...] post titled Paradise Now falls right in line with my previous one Treading Water. In fact, I came across his right after I posted it. With his permission, I would like to share [...]

By: ScottyDoo

ScottyDoo — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:00:58 +0000

I have not read Living Buddha Living Christ yet, but I do have at home a copy of “Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers” which is basically a sequel to that one. It’s on my list though.

For me the issue is that I see the similarities and the areas of compatibility and I have no issue with that. My problem is that I’m not feeling any inkling of a desire to follow the Christian path. My wife is and for that reason I want to continually work to be in harmony, but I just don’t see that path for me at the moment. Though I’m not closing it off completely.

It’s basically like this. When I study Buddhism and meditate, something just rings true for me, and I feel a sense of peace. What I’m reading and learning just fits. It’s like I’ve finally found something that feels compatible with me. Then I start reading about Christianity and will read portions of the bible. The feeling of peace is gone. It’s not a negative feeling that takes it place, I just feel nothing. It doesn’t ring true for me and it doesn’t feel compatible. With those experiences I say to myself “okay, I have something that feels right and I have a real sense of peace and hapiness. Then I have the other where I feel empty and frustrated. I think I’ll go with choice A”. I don’t know why anyone would continue down a path that doesn’t feel right.

I feel like the Two Roads poem. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by and that has made all the difference. It’s like I have the two roads. One is the Christian road, and the other is Buddhism. I’m taking the road that I feel is best, but I’m fine if my wife wants to take the other road because guess what? We’ll probably end up in the same place, and we have walkie talkies and can talk to each other the whole time and talk about the various things we encounter on our paths and share the similarities we find.

Is that dumb?

We talked for a couple hours about this last night and she understands more where I’m coming from and things are a bit better on this subject, but it’s going to take time.

PS: Thanks for the comments. Welcome!

By: wolfie185

wolfie185 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:50:08 +0000

Hi and I can empathize with you in a very general way. I live in central Nebraska and all my closest friends are Christians, which is how I was raised, we are also recoverying alcoholics and addicts. A big part of recoverying from addictions is finding a spiritual path, they have climbed in the Jesus boat while I walk a differant path. When we have discussions on things spiritual,we try to take the middle road, with the exceptions of a few, no one commends the other for not believing as they do. These conversations do give me reason to reflect on my belief system and also see how in someways I still use Christian ideas in expressing myself and prayer, I still have a habit of saying “In Thy Name Amen” when I finish a prayer since it has been a big part of my life for 40 years or so. For me spirituality is about growth, practice and patience, I understand the preconceived notions and ignorance that lurks in my mind but gradually I am becoming more aware of them which gives me an opertunity to work at changing them. Showing compassion for everyone is a big challenge for me on a daily bases, not that I am that mean I just have some good ole redneck reactions that need corrected but as long as I am aware of the reactions being incorrect and am willing to change them, then there is peace.
Have you read Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Living Buddha Living Christ? I read part of it 8 or 9 years ago but was partial blinded by addiction, from what I remember and what an online Buddhist friend in recovery has said it is an excellent book on explaining how the 2 are similar in their teachings, I can see a lot of Buddha’s teachings in the New Testament and the Gnostic gospels.
Only you know if you are being selfish or not. Good luck on your journey
Namaste
Scott

By: ScottyDoo

ScottyDoo — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:00:24 +0000

I see Jesus as more of a messenger of sorts. Someone who had it figured out and wanted to show others that one, it could be done, and two, how to do it.

I don’t see him as the path or the destination, but maybe I’m getting too picky. I don’t personally see him as “THE WAY” though many of the things that are attributed to him could be taken as wise advice on how to live.

I’m finding more and more that I always lived my life with the destination (celestial kingdom) in mind. With Mormonism not being a part of my life (other than history and extended family) I don’t have that destination. I felt that I worried too much about where I was going to go after my body withered and died that I never spent much time actually living. I’m not really concerned about my “eternal salvation” as many, my wife included, would put it.

I’m more interested in my journey…the destination will either become clear, or it won’t, and either way I’m fine right now. That doesn’t give my wife any comfort however as she’s concerned about my salvation, and hers, on a daily basis.

I don’t know that this helps, heh, but I very much appreciate your comments.

I really enjoy this quote from the Buddha:

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.

That really sums up things for me in many ways. Much of the Christian teachings (not specifically LDS) I was raised with just don’t add up to me and don’t mesh with my common sense, they never have. My Buddhist practice (though I’m a lazy buddhist) thus far, makes sense to me and feels right, for lack of a better word.

By: Wayne

Wayne — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:21:28 +0000

Is Jesus the message or the messenger?

Is Jesus the path or the destination?

Regardless of the path (Mormonism,Buddhism, etc) only you can verify it. And regardless of what anyone says about the destination only you will see it.

Going on the path, staying on it and verifying it takes faith. Whether you are going to sacrament meeting or sitting Zazen.

Though meditation does seem to have some immediate benefits, whatever those are are not always apparent in regular practice and may not be the nature of the goal.

Does that help?