Do you know the primary difference between men and gods?
Gods don't think they can become men.
Gods don't think they can become men.
We so desperately seek to change our lives. If only . . . if only we had a new iPod. A new wife. Or a new mind.
An enlightened mind would be nice.
Really . . . with an enlightened mind, life would be okay!
Gods don't suffer from this particular delusion. That's what makes them gods.
Dialog from The Given Day, by Dennis Lehane
Photo by Woodly Wonderworks
I noticed today's writing was from a Lehan book, my favorite author and a local guy. Maybe because I'm looking, but I seem to find Zen philosophy in a lot of different places (books, music, people etc.). You can read all the text you want, but sometimes just looking gets you where you need to go.
Posted by: Bob | June 24, 2009 at 05:06 AM
Desperately seeking to leave my life behind and become nothing.
And before anyone calls the suicide hotline, I mean I hope to differentiate myself less from everything else, and dissolve conceptual borders so I just blend in with the rest of the universe (when I am non-differentiated, I am nothing).
Pushing my concepts to leave all concepts. Yikes!
Posted by: Lauren Crane | June 24, 2009 at 06:46 AM
Hi Bob - This new Lehane book isn't quite as wonderful as Mystic River, but it's still a fascinating read. Yes, I agree that just looking (without flinching) will get us where we want to go. But perhaps only if our life-direction is clear: To help end the great suffering in the world.
Posted by: Barry Briggs | June 24, 2009 at 06:03 PM
Hi Lauren - Hmmm. Maybe. Maybe when we are "non-differentiated" we become "something" for the very first time. We become the universe! But I know what you mean - familiar as I am with some of the many ways by which I erect barriers and obstacles. Groan.
Posted by: Barry Briggs | June 24, 2009 at 06:04 PM
Brilliant
Posted by: John | June 26, 2009 at 10:17 PM
Thank you, John!
Posted by: Barry Briggs | June 26, 2009 at 10:24 PM
suicide hotline. god. brilliant. ipod. new wife. enlightened mind escapes me. so i suffer on.
Posted by: jack | June 28, 2009 at 07:46 PM
Enlightened mind is always present. It's just that we want something else. Mostly, I think, we want our suffering. No wonder there are suicide hotlines. And homicide hotlines.
Posted by: Barry Briggs | June 28, 2009 at 09:13 PM