The Storyteller

[Gonzo]

Except...I saw no pity in the process, rather very similar thrashings to those recorded in Jed McKenna's books, chronicling the struggles of one woman seeking the truth and essentially finding one untruth after another. And the effort IS only about yourself/herself, so how can you get over yourself? What does that mean? Ignore the process and focus your attentions outwardly?

As described by McKenna, and poignantly illustrated in "Julie's" emails, the process is as rough and life threatening, as awful as illustrated in Moby Dick, the essential analysis of which forms the backbone of McKenna's second book. It is a life and death struggle, and it MUST be with and of the self. No one else. And no pity.

[datura]

Agreed. No self-pity party process visible whatsoever.

[redspiderlily]

Except...I saw no pity in the process, rather very similar thrashings to those recorded in Jed McKenna's books, chronicling the struggles of one woman seeking the truth and essentially finding one untruth after another. And the effort IS only about yourself/herself, so how can you get over yourself? What does that mean? Ignore the process and focus your attentions outwardly?

Maybe we don't really get over our self, but rather get over our attachment to ...

[Red Heart]

old and misty morning, I heard a warning borne in the air
About an age of power where no one had an hour to spare,
Where the seeds have withered, silent children shivered, in the cold
Now their faces captured in the lenses of the jackals for gold.
Ill be there
Ill be there
I will be there.

Suffering in silence, theyve all been betrayed.
They hurt them and they beat them, in a terrible way,
Praying for survival at the end of the day.
There is no compassion for those who stay.
Ill be there
Ill be there
I will be there.

There must be someone who can set them free:
To take their sorrow from this odyssey
To help the helpless and the refugee
To protect whats left of humanity.
Cant you see
Cant you see
Cant you see.

Ill be there
Ill be there
I will be there;
To heal their sorrow
To beg and borrow
Fight tommorow.

Step inside! hello! weve the most amazing show
Youll enjoy it all we know
Step inside! step inside!

Weve got thrills and shocks, supersonic fighting cocks.
Leave your hammers at the box
Come inside! come inside!
Roll up! roll up! roll up!
See the show!

Left behind the bars, rows of bishops heads in jars
And a bomb inside a car
Spectacular! spectacular!

If you follow me theres a speciality
Some tears for you to see
Misery, misery,
Roll up! roll up! roll up!
See the show!

Next upon the bill in our house of vaudeville
Weve a stripper in a till
What a thrill! what a thrill!
And not content with that, with our hands behind our backs,
We pull jesus from a hat,
Get into that! get into that!
Roll up! roll up! roll up!
See the show!

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
Were so glad you could attend
Come inside! come inside!
There behind a glass is a real blade of grass
Be careful as you pass.
Move along! move along!

Come inside, the shows about to start
Guaranteed to blow your head apart
Rest assured youll get your moneys worth
The greatest show in heaven, hell or earth.
Youve got to see the show, its a dynamo.
Youve got to see the show, its rock and roll ....

Soon the gypsy queen in a glaze of vaseline
Will perform on guillotine
What a scene! what a scene!
Next upon the stand will you please extend a hand
To alexanders ragtime band
Roll up! roll up! roll up!
See the show!

Performing on a stool weve a sight to make you drool
Seven virgins and a mule
Keep it cool. keep it cool.
We would like it to be known the exhibits that were shown
Were exclusively our own,
All our own. all our own.
Come and see the show! come and see the show! come and see the show!
See the show!

The show is beautiful and amazing!!!!!

[Red Heart]

I love the stories we tell ourselves!

[Red Heart]

They arent "real" you know....

[Red Heart]

Theres a sucker born for every seat ~PT Barnum

[Gonzo]

Was it the red pill, or the blue pill? Ah, screwit....I'll take them both.

[Red Heart]

Fuck it factual, I think I already did take em both! and its an amazing show!

[datura]

Fuck it factual, I think I already did take em both! and its an amazing show!

There is a nondual purple pill

[Red Heart]

On the subject of self pity.
I woke up this morning at about 3am amid thoughts of plane crashes (Im going to a convention on Saturday, I thought I had beaten my fear of flying...but thats another post) and other mundane thoughts was how to define self pity. IMHO it is all about Self or the I and Pity: "commiseration: a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others; "the blind are too often objects of pity"
an unfortunate development; "it's a pity he couldn't do it"
compassion: the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it
feel for: share the suffering of..."
the suffering of...self Ok well then what is suffering?
Suffering:"agony: a state of acute pain
misery resulting from affliction troubled by pain or loss; "suffering refugees"
distress: psychological suffering; "the death of his wife caused him great distress"
miserable: very unhappy; full of misery; "he felt depressed and miserable"; "a message of hope for suffering humanity"; "wretched prisoners huddled in stinking cages"
feelings of mental or physical pain
agony: a state of acute pain
misery resulting from affliction
troubled by pain or loss; "suffering refugees"
distress: psychological suffering; "the death of his wife caused him great distress"
miserable: very unhappy; full of misery; "he felt depressed and miserable"; "a message of hope for suffering humanity"; "wretched prisoners huddled in stinking cages"
feelings of mental or physical pain Hm. Interesting...

So what is at the core of this suffering? The story....the story that I told myself or was told to me by others, why does it cause this self pity suffering business? Because it is ultimately untrue, and not mine. And yes, suffering due to want.

As in I want...to fit in, be rich, be accepted, be whatever....This is much harder to explain than I thought. Hm, let me see if I can nutshell this...A reaction of anger or a "bad mood" is self pity because it is the outward expression of Self Importance and the need to express that the self is worthy because ultimately self does not really believe that self is worthy to <exist> (not sure I like that word but thats what flew out of my fingers, anyone out there got a better one?) Words...oi I know what I mean, does anyone else? Does it matter?

[Gonzo]

So what is at the core of this suffering? The story....the story that I told myself or was told to me by others, why does it cause this self pity suffering business? Because it is ultimately untrue, and not mine. And yes, suffering due to want.

I thought this was an interesting post from another thread that relates...perhaps the best line being, "This is Maya's house...http://www.yetanotherway.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=2733#p2733

As in I want...to fit in, be rich, be accepted, be whatever....This is much harder to explain than I thought. Hm, let me see if I can nutshell this...A reaction of anger or a "bad mood" is self pity because it is the outward expression of Self Importance and the need to express that the self is worthy because ultimately self does not really believe that self is worthy to <exist> (not sure I like that word but thats what flew out of my fingers, anyone out there got a better one?) Words...oi I know what I mean, does anyone else? Does it matter?

I'm alive, and that matters...at least to me. My concerns are primarily about myself. I'm not seeking for anyone else. What I find, I find for myself. What I actualize, I actualize for myself. In my opinion, self-importance is only relevant in regard relations with others, with ranking and so on. I'm not selfish, however, my own death is if utmost importance to me, and really only to me. In the meantime, as in the posting noted above, we are in Maya's world, and everything we think we are is possibly false.

[datura]

self-importance is only relevant in regard relations with others, with ranking and so on

This is a good observation John. It does seem that the issue with comparison, esp with the consensual reality - really does drive self-importance (and really a mask for insecurities because of the various demands to be 'this or that' which may not be us). It is a relief when we do away with such demands, really the worst ones pressed on by ourselves by our own mind, yes?

[Gonzo]

self-importance is only relevant in regard relations with others, with ranking and so on

This is a good observation John. It does seem that the issue with comparison, esp with the consensual reality - really does drive self-importance (and really a mask for insecurities because of the various demands to be 'this or that' which may not be us). It is a relief when we do away with such demands, really the worst ones pressed on by ourselves by our own mind, yes?

Absolutely, imo. Were we at some point isolated, on the famous island by ourselves (with only a volley ball for company, perhaps), what then?

I think we are our own worst enemy in this process, and at the same time, the only one who can find the way out, assuming there IS a way out: an ultimate mindfuck. That's why I have felt for some time the process of enlightenment (or whatever you want to call it) is a mental process. As you said elsewhere, Gautama sat beneath the Bodhi tree meditating...Jesus in the desert for 40 days - monks in Zen monasteries - on and on.

At some point in the process, I think, we manage to do away with the demands, and truly obtain a state where ranking is not longer a concern, where indeed the opinions of others are no longer a concern.

Somewhere in one of these threads is a quite fine description of The Master, and a major attribute is a total lack of concern.

[Red Heart]

self-importance is only relevant in regard relations with others, with ranking and so on

Isnt that really the root of all the issues? Isnt that what causes conflict? We compare and rank ourselves against others and never quite measure up...therefore causing want, and suffering because we never quite measure up?