Classroom Talk
Fall 2001 Archive
Re: We don't know each other . . . uh, heh-heh (Part One) Posted by Rakesh Sharma on November 29, 2001 at 11:14:38:
In Reply to: We don't know each other . . . uh, heh-heh (Part One) posted by John on November 27, 2001 at 23:18:20:
Hi Johnji and friends,
A few points for your consideration please:
From my personal experience I can say that several months after I began
doing mindfulness exercises here along with sitting meditation, I
discovered that I was becoming more and more edgy, going off at
slightest provocation at home, among professional colleagues and on the
road until one day I suddenly woke up when I discovered myself blasting
away a traffic cop!
Fortunately, that waking up brought a big transformation and soon I
began to quiten down even as I found myself waking up almost every now
and then right from getting up in the morning to retiring at night.
I mention all this because seen in this context, the edginess being
displayed here by some of us suggests that MOST OF US ARE RIGHT ON
TRACK and growing along mindfully as the fears inside our hearts are
becoming manifest and are being outwardly projected on others.
However, as Johnji has already coached the whole point is not that one
lost temper -- the point is to remember to wake up every time an
emotion reaction whether BAD OR GOOD begins.
In this context I recently came across an interesting tale -- One day a
person spit on the face of Buddha. While Buddha's disciple, Ananda, was
terribly angry Buddha is said to have told the person two things: (a)
he thanked that man for spitting on him as it gave him an opprtunity to
test for himself that he no longer reacted emotionally; and (b)that in
the future should the urge to spit on another person sieze him again he
should come back and spit on him (Beddha) so that Buddha can test
himself again.
The person returned the next day and asked Buddha to forgive him.
Buddha said there was no question of his pardoning him as he had not
been angered. If the man wanted to be pardoned he should go to Ananda
because Ananda alone, having reacted emotionally, was in a position to
forgive him.
Best Regards
Rakesh
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