shorty: Spiritual Overtime / Bonus Time

 shorty: I answered their question:  "I feel like I'm in spiritual overtime. It's bonus time. I beat most of the main puzzles, I'm not caught in those traps. And now I get to just operate in the world without being caught in the world."

more:

This is quite a 180. I used to be so stuck in the world that I couldn't see any other way. My conception of being "outside" the world was like that of an angsty teenager, dripping in alternative street-cred talismans. "Look," I might say. "The mainstream is yuck." While I revel in the angst-version of the mainstream.

But now, now I can say I'm pretty far outside the main stream. I'm against the stream. I do, sometimes, still get caught. But I don't make the same mistakes of perception.

I'm in spiritual bonus time. I've got nothing I need to do or prove. (And, in a 100 year horizon, nothing I "do" in the world can't be "undone". I'm sobered by that too. The world has it's own causes, it's own karma.)

"I'm right, and I will fight"

What is the difference between a liberal social justice warrior and a MAGA freedom fighter? 

 

One of them thinks they're right.

And one of them knows they are right.

What is the difference between a liberal social justice warrior and a MAGA freedom fighter and a wise person, a wise Buddhist.

Two of them fight for what is right. And the other one doesn't bite, is harmless, is heedful. And doesn't get sucked in. Sucked into an inquiry full of dead ends and trick questions, about what is right and what is supposedly "Worth Fighting For".

Can you notice the difference, between

"I'm right, and I will fight"

and

"I'm right, and I will fight"

patimokkha: Not to open the mouth before the food reaches its level. (Sekhiya 41)

Reread rule Sekhiya 41 of the monastic rules.

Not to open the mouth before the food reaches its level.

Today was a timely day to read it. 

One can take it literally, as not to open one's physical mouth before the food goes to the mouth. This is a practice of reflection, patience, slowing down, mindfulness.

I'm taking it an additional way. To reflect on my pleasure seeking mouth. This relates to the scan&find mentality for distractions and escapes. Like prowling for Netflix, or distractions by cute women. I want to keep that "feeding" partially in check. There are some desires to be enjoyed. But carefully. Like joy in renunciation. Joy in picking a less harmful alternative.

Delight in developing.

Delight in abandoning.

Uudr

shorty: excess ain't rebellion

Excess ain't rebellion

Renunciation, pausing, non-feeding

  The highest rebellion

See also https://nothingisenoughbuddhism.blogspot.com/2022/02/excess-aint-rebellion.html?m=1

shorty: renunciation, the highest freedom

Renunciation

Freedom from feeding

Unbinding

The highest freedom