Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Such a Relief (I Think...)

I believe the "process" referred to in the following is most likely meditation practice, or "mindfulness" in general. In any case, I like the sentiment.

Somewhere in this process, you will come face to face with the sudden and shocking realization that you are completely crazy. Your mind is a shrieking, gibbering madhouse on wheels barreling pell-mell down the hill, utterly out of control and hopeless. No problem. You are not crazier than you were yesterday. You also are no crazier than anybody else around you. The real difference is that you have confronted the situation; they have not. So they still feel relatively comfortable. This does not mean that they are better off. Ignorance may be bliss, but it does not lead to Liberation. So don't let this realization unsettle you. It is a milestone actually, a sign of real progress. The very fact that you have looked at the problem straight in the eye means that you are on your way up and out of it.
--Henepola Guanaratana

5 comments:

LadrĂ³n de Basura (a.k.a. Junk Thief) said...

Hmmm...I sort of agree with this which is a bit spooky. Does that mean I should take comfort in my discomfort? I've been trying to read "The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent" over the holiday with mixed results. Embrace the chaos, I guess. Or, perhaps it was best summed up in the bumper sticker that said: "I feel much better since giving up hope".

BigAssBelle said...

Somewhere in this process, you will come face to face with the sudden and shocking realization that you are completely crazy. Your mind is a shrieking, gibbering madhouse on wheels barreling pell-mell down the hill, utterly out of control and hopeless.

Oh lord, really?? that so perfectly describes my state of mind of late. i feel like shrieking half the time. i read this person and that person and leave comments to let them know they're appreciated and half the time i simply cannot avoid descending into some shrill rant on the state of the nation and the world. i am losing my mind. i must, must, must get out of this country and leave it all behind.

Anonymous said...

You're not the only one, Lynette. I think we all deserve a few get-out-of-embarrassment-free cards for shark-jumping in comments sections. It's just too easy. Sadly, I'm sure I've used whatever quota might be allotted.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely name, by the way - Henepola Guanaratana. I wonder if he or she has problems with phone takeout orders. "No, it's spelled H-E-N-E..."

Salty Miss Jill said...

"Crazy" is a subjective term anyways. Thanks for posting this!