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Hi John...

Posted October 6th, 2010 by Steve Self

In reply to : Deep Ethics and the Gettysburg Address, Posted October 3rd, 2010 by John Dupuy in Integral Practice

Ah ethics...you inspire me... I am reminded of:

"Everything known, nothing to understand. Everything clear, nothing to explain. Everything in its place, nothing to do." -- From Ken Mcleod, unfetteredmind.org

A lot of conversation around ethics can often be boiled down to someone's thought-reactions over another's behavior, and the first person's reactive-desire to change the misbehaving other (or others) with their inspired perspective and reasoning. One of the key issues here is almost all behavior is addictive and reactive, and has deep sub and preconscious dimensions. If well reasoned thoughts had any real or lasting impact on behavior, then a lot of people would be rich, thin, and riding beautiful horses. Conditioned-mind trying to force conditioned-mind to be different is just more conditioning.  And it leads us deeper into delusion.

Of course, at a conventional level of development, we need healthy rules and slogans, and roles to live by. But almost everyone reading anything on an Integral webpage are for the most part developmentally centered a bit higher. But we integral folks tend to grasp too tightly to our integral maps and philosophies, dwelling mostly in our highly developed narrative-heads. A second or third tier conditioned-mind is just as trapped in samsara as someone lost in unhealthy Amber. Their version of samsara is more complex and nuanced, but is samsara nevertheless. Thus I totally agree with your comments pointing toward a contemplative practice.  
 
When we go to our conditioned-minds, our thinking space, to figure out or compare actions against some ethical image/concept, we are doomed to suffering. Even if the preferred and then manifested action works, and the results are useful, we are more embedded in delusion than before. Comparing, figuring out, thinking about, judging, are all actions of the relative-mind. These relative-mind attempts to control the future mostly give life and weight to the delusion that is existence in the relative-mind. Each time we do this, we add to the delusion. And it is far worse when it appears to us that our reasoned action succeeded.
 
A famous Sensei used to say, "Do Nothing!"  And at another moment would yell, "Just cut!" referring to the exercise of cutting with bokken, the wooden sword. He was pointing toward acting free from mental trying, preferencing, controlling, or consideration.  Prajna - often translated as wisdom, can be broken open as: Pra - before, jna - knowing.  So wisdom is what is in awareness before knowing engages.  I would suggest that authentic ethics arises in this clear, infinite space. But in the next 1000th of a second, the mind grasps onto whatever, and begins thinking and comparing.  When the Sensei was asked, "Sensei, which is it, 'do nothing' or 'just cut'?" He sternly admonished, "Same thing! Stop thinking and practice!" 
 
The "pristine undefiled" includes all the samsara and suffering. So I intend to not set up another dualism here. Nor am I anti-intellectual at all. As the Dalai Lama has said, "The only true evil is ignorance." I think he was not talking about getting more thoughts and concepts and images organized into integral maps, in our heads. At this point, the ignorance I see him pointing to, is the ignorance of our true nature, of prajna, of the clarity or natural knowing before thought. So I end where I began... "Everything known, nothing to understand. Everything clear, nothing to explain. Everything in its place, nothing to do." May true ethics arise in our awareness, naked and unfettered. And may we have the capacity and courage to move with it, rather than contract and compare and think about it.
 
Hope to see you soon,
 
Steve

 

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Dominant monads

Posted October 6th, 2010 by Kamm

-Hi Steve,

  Your sensei's words confuse me, as well as his inability to explain after throwing out such a contrary statement as "same thing."

  I am fresh from a girl scout meeting where the topic of teen pregnancy was put forth by one of the girls. Its a mixed age group, and my 12 year old had some concerns with the groups dominant monad which was supportive of the early parenting process.

  Shall we Provide no guidance through compassionate and carefully worded other alternatives, good example  and point out loss of human potential? How can one get through responsible parenting without thinking? The question becomes "How to raise a child with ethics at one level, when she is immersed in a group with less developed ethics?" 

  My young daughter took them by surprise, and I was disappointed  to find that  cultural evolution is a hopeless  possibility in this corner of the world.

Perhaps Jenifer can help me find a monastery for families.

♠  ♥  ♦  ♣

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Thanks Steve

Posted October 8th, 2010 by Stanley

I like this;

"Everything known, nothing to understand. Everything clear, nothing to explain. Everything in its place, nothing to do." -- From Ken Mcleod, unfetteredmind.org

 

This is something to consider before sitting for meditation. It might help drop us into that place prior to thinking. Then upon rising and once again facing the World we might need to consider,  "Much to understand, much to explain, and much to do". I am just beginning to learn from a teacher of Zen. It appears that learning to act sometimes without thinking is part of the practice. Is that right?