Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeraph
If I understand you right you see a dilemma where there is none. You have only to learn not to be miserable. If something is inevitable then you have freedom to do what you want anyway. There is no choice to learn, only the speed and ease in which you will.
One koan goes "if you speak, I will hit you; if you don't speak I will hit you." Perhaps you can see that there is no answer to this dilemma, no way out. But that means it is not a dilemma at all! There is no either-or. You will get hit. It is inevitable. And so it is nothing at all. You are totally free to do whatever it is you would do if you had never been confronted by the koan at all. The trick, of course, is to show that freedom.
I Hope that's not too far out for you. I don't want anything from you, only to help.
|
I hope I don't sound ungrateful, because I do appreciate the attempt to help. I'm not sure I understand how this relates to my situation.
Is the "getting hit" part a metaphor for feeling bad? If so, then I read it like this: If I start taking risks, I'm going to feel miserable because of the attention it draws from others that I dislike. If I don't take risks, I'm going to end up in situations where I feel miserable because of my inability to act. I'm free to stay in my safe place or leave it because either path means "getting hit", ie, feeling bad about my situation.
Or
I'm going to get unwanted attention regardless of whether I seek it out or try to remain in a safe place, so I might as well just accept that and start getting out of that safe place because it isn't really protecting me. I'll still "get hit", ie, feel bad, but at least I'll be more in control of my life instead of letting things happen to me.
Or
I can't stay in my safe place all the time. I'm going to have to venture outside it eventually--that's the "getting hit" part, the inevitable need to move outside myself. Because I have to do this, I'm free to choose to do it anytime I like, and not just let it happen to me.
Is any of those close?
Gilda