Re: It's just a game. :-) Posted by Jeff on January 14, 2000 at 10:28:37:
In Reply to: Re: It's just a game. :-) posted by Douglas on January 13, 2000 at 15:49:56:
Hello Douglas & all:
Douglas wrote>I ask you: “Is this distinction between inner and outer
real?”
A lot of this class is about communication, One of my issues has been
what is meant by a certain word in a given usage. What ends up is a
semantic boomerang. As you have said I can not help but make this
distinction, neither can I at least at certain levels. But is the
distinction "real"? For me there are levels of distinction.
I could use various scientific intruments to anaylyze spit and water.
I could show a diagram of 2 overlapping circles, one spit, one a glass
of water.
We make distinctions every day between inner and outer at the level
that we normally experience them. These disinctions in my opinon are
real as much as anything that I know is real. The distinction between
red and green for instance does wonders to improve my driving ability.
I understand that the container story is only a metaphor, but what I
was getting at(here comes the judge explaining how it is to me), is
there not some underlying "ALL", the ultimate container? As the coach
mentioned it may be described as a "spirit", god, or whatever. Our
understanding at a physical, scientific level has been that of the ever
increasing container.
But is it not possible to touch this "ultimate container" with
mindfulness(or something else, I'm open to suggestions here)? My
rebel/artist kicks in here and there would seem that an
underlying "ALL", god, quantum particle(s), or whatever would
be "right". It would make sense in that a big part of me has been
conditioned to see things as making sense or fitting together at some
base level. The interconnectedness of all things is an appealing idea.
I could claim that with mindfulness I can "experience" this, and in a
sense I feel that I can(it is real but is it touching the infinite?),
but with science, this must be reproduceable. I should be able to
explain it in such a manner that you could sit down and see "it" too. I
can not do this how ever.
I can tell you my experience with mindfulness but it is not the
experience. I do not know for certain that what I experience is
touching the infinite. It may be that what I experience is simply that,
and that is the all there is. This brings me back to what I posted at
first, to me life is spiritual. Mindfulness is a window that allows me
to "experience" this life at a level that I was unable or unlikely to
do so before. It is a raft as you mentioned.
One of the things that I am grateful for in this class is the
opportunity to put out what I feel at the moment. It has allowed be to
write something, but I don't have to be commited to it forever. Often
times as I type and reread what I wrote, I will say that this is not
what I experience, at this level my container is steadily growing(well
at least in spurts sort of). It may be that to experience the ultimate
container, then one must be the ultimate container. It may be that as
part of the ultimate container we have an in, but who knows.
I don't know. And that is probably the most intelligent thing I can say.
Take care, jeff
Continue with Winter 1999/2000 Classroom Talk or
Post a new discussion in the current Classroom Talk
Archived February 13, 2000