Comments on: The Zen Dilemma http://www.entropypua.com/blog/the-zen-dilemma Sarge Smarter, Not Harder Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:57:44 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: ENCY-10 http://www.entropypua.com/blog/the-zen-dilemma/comment-page-1#comment-1831 ENCY-10 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 03:05:59 +0000 http://www.entropypua.com/blog/?p=1229#comment-1831 powerful stuff, have read this a few times over the last 3 or so months! the real money is this paragraph " And in the end, that’s what it’s about, widening your perspective. Recognizing that you have such little control and little knowledge of… well, ANYTHING in the world, that you might as well let go and be humble about it. Have your career goals, thoughts and ideas, your hopes and dreams, but don’t attach the Self to it in such a way that you’ll suffer if you don’t achieve them. Remember what’s happened to you and enjoy your memories, but don’t base your identity on it." powerful stuff, have read this a few times over the last 3 or so months!

the real money is this paragraph

” And in the end, that’s what it’s about, widening your perspective. Recognizing that you have such little control and little knowledge of… well, ANYTHING in the world, that you might as well let go and be humble about it. Have your career goals, thoughts and ideas, your hopes and dreams, but don’t attach the Self to it in such a way that you’ll suffer if you don’t achieve them. Remember what’s happened to you and enjoy your memories, but don’t base your identity on it.”

]]> By: Brett http://www.entropypua.com/blog/the-zen-dilemma/comment-page-1#comment-1119 Brett Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:55:16 +0000 http://www.entropypua.com/blog/?p=1229#comment-1119 "Some of the most completely neurotic headcases I’ve ever met were amazing with women"...hmmm "What does this have to do with gaming women? I have no fucking idea". - I've found that practicing non-attachment can help get rid of neediness. If you're willing to lose the girl and just look at it as part of the ebb and flow and don't get too concerned, you'll probably do better with women. Any thoughts? Brett “Some of the most completely neurotic headcases I’ve ever met were amazing with women”…hmmm

“What does this have to do with gaming women? I have no fucking idea”. – I’ve found that practicing non-attachment can help get rid of neediness. If you’re willing to lose the girl and just look at it as part of the ebb and flow and don’t get too concerned, you’ll probably do better with women. Any thoughts?

Brett

]]> By: Erika Awakening http://www.entropypua.com/blog/the-zen-dilemma/comment-page-1#comment-1117 Erika Awakening Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:02:09 +0000 http://www.entropypua.com/blog/?p=1229#comment-1117 Wow, I feel so blown away, Mark. In six months of almost daily contact, I don't think we ever talked about this even once ... which is weird because meditation is a huge part of my life. It's fun hearing about sucking and fucking, but honestly this feels like a way deeper window into you. The attachment issue is one of life's great challenges. How is it that I can have all kinds of wonderful things in my life, and not really be attached to any of them, and then for whatever reason, something touches a nerve in me and pulls up all kinds of weird karma? I dunno. I see what you mean of surrendering to a feeling still being a feeling, but surrender feels peaceful to me. For me, it has been all the blocks in the way of surrendering that have been my challenge. I'm so intrigued to see if you end up being inspired to write more along these lines ... speaking for myself, I find much more fulfillment in writing about this sort of thing than just sucking and fucking. And when spirit meets fucking and sucking, well, then that DOES feel like Heaven ;-) Wow, I feel so blown away, Mark. In six months of almost daily contact, I don’t think we ever talked about this even once … which is weird because meditation is a huge part of my life. It’s fun hearing about sucking and fucking, but honestly this feels like a way deeper window into you.

The attachment issue is one of life’s great challenges. How is it that I can have all kinds of wonderful things in my life, and not really be attached to any of them, and then for whatever reason, something touches a nerve in me and pulls up all kinds of weird karma?

I dunno. I see what you mean of surrendering to a feeling still being a feeling, but surrender feels peaceful to me. For me, it has been all the blocks in the way of surrendering that have been my challenge.

I’m so intrigued to see if you end up being inspired to write more along these lines … speaking for myself, I find much more fulfillment in writing about this sort of thing than just sucking and fucking.

And when spirit meets fucking and sucking, well, then that DOES feel like Heaven ;-)

]]> By: ENC http://www.entropypua.com/blog/the-zen-dilemma/comment-page-1#comment-1102 ENC Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:08:12 +0000 http://www.entropypua.com/blog/?p=1229#comment-1102 Great post! Much food for thought. and thanks for the book recommendations. Great post! Much food for thought. and thanks for the book recommendations.

]]> By: Phil http://www.entropypua.com/blog/the-zen-dilemma/comment-page-1#comment-1101 Phil Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:22:49 +0000 http://www.entropypua.com/blog/?p=1229#comment-1101 I think certain techniques help a lot in PU, e.g. breathing exercises seem to remove some approach anxiety for many beginners. I think certain techniques help a lot in PU, e.g. breathing exercises seem to remove some approach anxiety for many beginners.

]]> By: Entropy http://www.entropypua.com/blog/the-zen-dilemma/comment-page-1#comment-1100 Entropy Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:05:37 +0000 http://www.entropypua.com/blog/?p=1229#comment-1100 If you really dug Tolle's stuff and want to get into it, I'd recommend the following: "Introduction to Zen Buddhism" by D. T. Suzuki "Three Pillars of Zen" by Philip Kapleau Roshi Zen is great because, like Tolle, there's no religious practice aspect, no mythology or ritual. As for keeping spiritual practice in perspective or "integrating" it with every-day life, by far the best author I've ever found is Ken WIlber. "No Boundary" is great for this topic, as well as "Integral Psychology" where he kind of plays around with the idea of psychological development and spiritual development being connected. Ralph Waldo Emerson's work has always been more spiritually inspiring for me than 99% of religious texts. He really knew what was up. Beyond that, you start to run the risk of running into populist pulp... or god forbid, new age drivel. Like I said, after a certain point. spirituality is something that is LIVED, not talked about. So the next step beyond there is to find a local Buddhist group or Zen center that you can regularly practice in, meet Zen masters, go on retreats, etc. Vipassana retreats are also known for being supremely life-changing. They're free and available in a lot of places. If you really dug Tolle’s stuff and want to get into it, I’d recommend the following:

“Introduction to Zen Buddhism” by D. T. Suzuki
“Three Pillars of Zen” by Philip Kapleau Roshi

Zen is great because, like Tolle, there’s no religious practice aspect, no mythology or ritual.

As for keeping spiritual practice in perspective or “integrating” it with every-day life, by far the best author I’ve ever found is Ken WIlber. “No Boundary” is great for this topic, as well as “Integral Psychology” where he kind of plays around with the idea of psychological development and spiritual development being connected.

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s work has always been more spiritually inspiring for me than 99% of religious texts. He really knew what was up.

Beyond that, you start to run the risk of running into populist pulp… or god forbid, new age drivel. Like I said, after a certain point. spirituality is something that is LIVED, not talked about. So the next step beyond there is to find a local Buddhist group or Zen center that you can regularly practice in, meet Zen masters, go on retreats, etc.

Vipassana retreats are also known for being supremely life-changing. They’re free and available in a lot of places.

]]> By: Eros http://www.entropypua.com/blog/the-zen-dilemma/comment-page-1#comment-1099 Eros Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:31:32 +0000 http://www.entropypua.com/blog/?p=1229#comment-1099 Would absolutely love some recommendations if you can put a few up. I read both The Power of Now and A New Earth, and definitely felt it changed my perspective alot. I recognise the inter-connectedness of all things and all people, which I think is a really huge thing, because it helps me stop competing with others in a negative frame, and helps to focus me on just being who I want to be, and pointing me in the direction I want to go. I think this is how enlightenment can help; when you recognize that what everyone else thinks is by and large irrelevant, and that it only matters insofar as you are staying true to your own moral compass and for giving the occasional guidance as to how you should move through the world (obviously it's probably in your best interests to adhere to some social norms, and to obey the law most of the time), then you can just focus on getting down to what fulfills you. When you see that no path is inherently better than any other, but that one path is better for YOU, then self-deception, social anxiety, etc, begins to fade. I agree that you don't have to be enlightened to achieve success with women, but it's still potentially helpful. If what makes you happiest in life (or as some might say 'is on your true path') includes success with women, then awakening to this truth will probably help you achieve it, and help you enjoy it. It's important for the same reason as Inner Game is important in general; what's the point of achieving success if you can't enjoy it? Even if you're a pick-up guru with some of the top game in the world (Mystery), your talent is almost wasted by being unable to properly enjoy the fruits of it (refer to a million blogposts and The Game). You'd be better off being a slightly talented guy who thoroughly enjoys his love life, and is able to enjoy himself in fulfulling relationships. Mystery may have all the success in the world, be admired be millions of aspiring puas worldwide, but to me his success seems pretty useless. He's negatively competitive with many other PUAs, has gone through depression many times, and seems generally unfulfilled by his success. Someone like Zan Perrion, who doesn't get much of a mention in the community but is still successful with women, seems like a better role model to me. I don't think his material is the best out there, and I don't learn from him myself, but from the impression you get from The Game, and other well-known PUAs, is that he is successful and fulfilled by that success. To quote David DeAngelo or David Deida (not sure which): "It's not about being better than the other person, it's about being mature, confident, and secure in yourself". I think this is a big part of what enlightenment can reveal. Would absolutely love some recommendations if you can put a few up. I read both The Power of Now and A New Earth, and definitely felt it changed my perspective alot. I recognise the inter-connectedness of all things and all people, which I think is a really huge thing, because it helps me stop competing with others in a negative frame, and helps to focus me on just being who I want to be, and pointing me in the direction I want to go. I think this is how enlightenment can help; when you recognize that what everyone else thinks is by and large irrelevant, and that it only matters insofar as you are staying true to your own moral compass and for giving the occasional guidance as to how you should move through the world (obviously it’s probably in your best interests to adhere to some social norms, and to obey the law most of the time), then you can just focus on getting down to what fulfills you. When you see that no path is inherently better than any other, but that one path is better for YOU, then self-deception, social anxiety, etc, begins to fade.

I agree that you don’t have to be enlightened to achieve success with women, but it’s still potentially helpful. If what makes you happiest in life (or as some might say ‘is on your true path’) includes success with women, then awakening to this truth will probably help you achieve it, and help you enjoy it. It’s important for the same reason as Inner Game is important in general; what’s the point of achieving success if you can’t enjoy it? Even if you’re a pick-up guru with some of the top game in the world (Mystery), your talent is almost wasted by being unable to properly enjoy the fruits of it (refer to a million blogposts and The Game). You’d be better off being a slightly talented guy who thoroughly enjoys his love life, and is able to enjoy himself in fulfulling relationships. Mystery may have all the success in the world, be admired be millions of aspiring puas worldwide, but to me his success seems pretty useless. He’s negatively competitive with many other PUAs, has gone through depression many times, and seems generally unfulfilled by his success. Someone like Zan Perrion, who doesn’t get much of a mention in the community but is still successful with women, seems like a better role model to me. I don’t think his material is the best out there, and I don’t learn from him myself, but from the impression you get from The Game, and other well-known PUAs, is that he is successful and fulfilled by that success.
To quote David DeAngelo or David Deida (not sure which): “It’s not about being better than the other person, it’s about being mature, confident, and secure in yourself”. I think this is a big part of what enlightenment can reveal.

]]>