Don't Get HOOKED!
Well that is what the very well grounded and inspiring (American) Buddhist nun, Pema Chödrön, said on the latest episode of Bill Moyers' Faith and Reason program.
Here is a chunk of the interview:
PEMA CHÖDRÖN:
One of the things that this eighth century Indian Buddhist master, Shantideva, one of the things he says about this whole thing is . . . work with little grievances, such as the middle seat instead of the aisle seat, or your favorite restaurant being closed, or not being able to get into the movie. Or whatever it is, you know?
He says "There's nothing that does not grow easier through familiarity." Putting up with little cares, I'll train myself to work with great adversity.
So in other words, the premise there is that if you work with . . . feeling hot and feeling cold . . . you work with mosquito bites and aisle and middle seats. And at that level, notice that you're hooked and work with not escalating it--
BILL MOYERS: You're hooked?
PEMA CHÖDRÖN: Yeah. That I'm hooked. Hooked is an interesting quality to me.
BILL MOYERS: What do you mean by it?
PEMA CHÖDRÖN: I mean, not only has something, evoked a response in me but it's going to be difficult for me to let go. Anger is like that for sure. Prejudice is like that. Critical mindedness is like that. You don't want to let go. There's something delicious about finding fault with something. And that can be including finding fault with one's self, you know? So that's what I mean by hooked. You're sort of it because of the image of a fish and the hook and it has this juicy worm on it and you know the consequences aren't going to be good. But you cannot resist. And one of the main things we're addicted to is escalating aggression.
BILL MOYERS: So you escalate the anger.
(full interview here)
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/print/faithandreason107_print.html
Yes so not getting hooked is good, and getting hooked is BAD!
I know that, as I have been known to get hooked, go down the wrong road, sink my teeth in and not wanna let go, and for the last cliche, go off!
I try to get better about it. I hope I can and will.
Here is a chunk of the interview:
PEMA CHÖDRÖN:
One of the things that this eighth century Indian Buddhist master, Shantideva, one of the things he says about this whole thing is . . . work with little grievances, such as the middle seat instead of the aisle seat, or your favorite restaurant being closed, or not being able to get into the movie. Or whatever it is, you know?
He says "There's nothing that does not grow easier through familiarity." Putting up with little cares, I'll train myself to work with great adversity.
So in other words, the premise there is that if you work with . . . feeling hot and feeling cold . . . you work with mosquito bites and aisle and middle seats. And at that level, notice that you're hooked and work with not escalating it--
BILL MOYERS: You're hooked?
PEMA CHÖDRÖN: Yeah. That I'm hooked. Hooked is an interesting quality to me.
BILL MOYERS: What do you mean by it?
PEMA CHÖDRÖN: I mean, not only has something, evoked a response in me but it's going to be difficult for me to let go. Anger is like that for sure. Prejudice is like that. Critical mindedness is like that. You don't want to let go. There's something delicious about finding fault with something. And that can be including finding fault with one's self, you know? So that's what I mean by hooked. You're sort of it because of the image of a fish and the hook and it has this juicy worm on it and you know the consequences aren't going to be good. But you cannot resist. And one of the main things we're addicted to is escalating aggression.
BILL MOYERS: So you escalate the anger.
(full interview here)
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/print/faithandreason107_print.html
Yes so not getting hooked is good, and getting hooked is BAD!
I know that, as I have been known to get hooked, go down the wrong road, sink my teeth in and not wanna let go, and for the last cliche, go off!
I try to get better about it. I hope I can and will.
posted by Abstentus at 4:22 PM
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