I'm an ass, you're an ass

Bang

Just something light and spiritual I thought of after feeling good about a compliment on a different post. No offence I & P, thanks for encouragement - I just thought about this teaching, that's all.

Most people don't live aware lives. They live mechanical lives, mechanical
thoughts--generally somebody else's--mechanical emotions, mechanical
actions, mechanical reactions.

Do you want to see how mechanical you really are? "My, that's a lovely
shirt you're wearing." You feel good hearing that. For a shirt, for heaven's
sake! You feel proud of yourself when you hear that. People come over to
my center in India and they say, "What a lovely place, these lovely trees" (for
which I'm not responsible at all), "this lovely climate." And already I'm
feeling good, until I catch myself feeling good, and I say, "Hey, can you
imagine anything as stupid as that?" I'm not responsible for those trees; I
wasn't responsible for choosing the location. I didn't order the weather; it just
happened. But "me" got in there, so I'm feeling good. I'm feeling good about
"my" culture and "my" nation. How stupid can you get? I mean that.

I'm told my great Indian culture has produced all these mystics. I didn't
produce them. I'm not responsible for them. Or they tell me, "That country
of yours and its poverty--it's disgusting." I feel ashamed. But I didn't create
it. What's going on? Did you ever stop to think? People tell you, "I think
you're very charming," so I feel wonderful. I get a positive stroke (that's why
they call it I'm O.K., you're O.K.). I'm going to write a book someday and
the title will be I'm an Ass, You're an Ass. That's the most liberating,
wonderful thing in the world, when you openly admit you're an ass. It's
wonderful. When people tell me, "You're wrong." I say, "What can you
expect of an ass?"

If you ever let yourself feel good when people tell you that you're O.K., you are preparing yourself to feel bad when they tell you you're not good. [de Mello]

Bang

Edited by - Bang on 17 June 2002 6:43:57

Francois

Excellent post. Very good points. But you shouldn't pay any attention to me, cause next time I might be saying, "what a crappy post. Is that the best you can do?" And since you bought into it when I was positive, you'd have to buy into it when I was being negative. Right?

IMHO, most people lead synthetic lives. By that I mean their lives are full of synthetic distractions designed to keep them from realizing just how empty and meaningless their lives really are. These distractions include, but are not limited to: sports, soap operas on TV, movie going, in the main - hobbies - hobbies like collecting string, beer pop tabs, etc., and to a lesser extent, posting on internet bulletin boards (boards like this one perform a spiritual public service of sorts. When you get right down to it, this board seeks to help people out of a cult or help them realize its danger prior to joining; attempts to help people heal from the experience; and warns the public at large of the fraudulent nature of the claims, teachings, and "theology" of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society.)

Then there is the synthetic nature of "belonging" to a mass movement. Fills up a life perceived as empty, ruined, and meaningless. Thoreau said it best when he said essentially that if a man was upset in his bowels, he set about reforming the world. Which is another way of saying that people have a tendency failing to recognize their own faults and instead, when they discover one, blame something exterior to themselves and then seek exterior reform instead of following the logical path of looking within. It's always easier to blame our problems on someone else, something else, anything else than blaming ourselves.

Anyway, I liked your post and thought it was right on the point. Thanks.

Francois

Edited by - Francois on 17 June 2002 7:4:46

SpiceItUp

I think one of the biggest offenders is "How are you" or "Are you OK?" said to us by those that don't know us very well. They don't really want to know they are only asking because it is polite or something they were brought up thinking they should know. I have a friend that when she meets a new person and they say "Nice (or pleasure) to meet you" she only says "meet you" if she doesn't feel that their introduction was indeed her pleasure. I personally am sick off all the fakenes I am surrounded by. I refuse to say "Good Morning" and now simply acknowledge to ones I come across that it is indeed "Morning". I also don't ask how someone is doing unless I genuinely want to know. I only ask that others treat me the same way. No more stupid BS.

So how is everyone today?

Spice

SpiceItUp

BTW - nice post subject!!!!

Hmmm

Bang,

Did you write that, or is it a quote from someone else?

Hmmm

Incense_and_Peppermints

see what i mean? still another insightful, wise post. (try not to feel too good about it (just kidding)

luv,
~me

larc

Bang, I like this subject. (Does that make you feel warm all over?) I thought of a similiar title to a book, "I'm not OK; You're not OK - so what?", but I think your title has more punch. By the way, don't call me an ass. Show some respect. It is Mr. Ass.

Bang

It's from Anthony de Mello.

Check out http://www.spiritwalk.org/teachers.htm very refreshing.

And Spice it up, about the how are you. Have you noticed how many people say "I'm good".

It took me a while, but when asked "How are you?", I now I say "Well" or otherwise if I'm not.

Bang

Edited by - Bang on 17 June 2002 18:6:43

I'm an ass, you're an ass

Share this