| Essay Seven: Catharsis and the Sponge |
| Catharsis and the Sponge |
Catharsis is poison.
Although the ancients did Not have computer viruses, or traffic jams they did
have stress. They did have guilt and fear and anger and sorrow and
frustration. Just like us, the ancients had each of these same emotional
afflictions that we have now. And just like us, they also had the desire to feel
better. Over the course of time they noticed that if they talked about a
problem they could feel a little better.
Yep, if you talk about a problem, you could feel a little better… but only for a
short time and then after a while you start feeling guilty or frightened or angry
or sad or frustrated all over again. Perhaps you have noticed this in your life
as well; I know I have.
Why is the relief brought by catharsis only temporary? Why is the healing
promised by getting something off one’s chest just an illusion? The answer
could be found in oatmeal!
I love oatmeal, don’t you? It’s delicious! I’ve noticed that when I cook
oatmeal over a high flame, it tends to boil over and that’s too messy. So I’ve
found that if I just stir the oatmeal fast enough, it won’t boil over. Problem
solved? Not so much! Because as soon as I stop stirring, it begins to boil
over again. That brings us to a fork in the road, do we spend our time and
energy perpetually stirring our emotion affliction’s boiling pot of oatmeal; or
do we simply turn down the flame?
O.K. I’ll admit that Catharsis is only a short term, and temporary solution…
but what could be wrong with that? How could that possibly harm me now, or
in the future? Simple! Pain is a motivator. Pain, be it physical or emotional,
makes us take action. When we burn our finger don’t we instinctively pull it
away from the heat source at a speed that is faster than thought and
stronger than pride? What would happen to our finger if we didn’t remove it
from the heat source? What if we just “dealt” the pain with some sort of a
special forces pain management technique? We’d loose the finger! I don’t
want to lose my finger, it’s so useful; especially for expressing myself in
traffic.
The greatest Buddhist sages, throughout the ages, have insisted that every
incident of emotional suffering is an opportunity for spiritual growth. If, we
allow the emotional pain of guilt or sorrow or fear or anger or frustration to
drive us to take constructive action, if we approach an accomplished
teacher, if we receive his guidance and if we put his instructions into
practice, then we could experience fabulous spiritual growth as well as
profound emotional relief.
But if we just vent those painful emotions, if we just journal them out, or paint
them out, or verbally vomit all over our dearest friends and relatives {and oh
how they must love that} then we are just temporarily suspending our pain,
while the real problem lurks about, unhindered. Then, we are missing out on
a golden opportunity for dynamic growth and intense emotional relief.
Let’s explore that a bit. Couldn’t catharsis be hard on those we verbally
vomit upon?
Everything we think, emote, say and do has an energy signature. Take two
plants, in the same house, in front of the same window. All things being
equal, if the first plant is subjected to verbal vomit and the second is lavished
with praise and adoration; couldn’t the first plant just whither and the second
plant flourish? Let’s face it, dumping on others could really wear them out
and exhaust them. How drained and weak and used could some lady feel
after Dracula has made a meal of her neck? Is it any surprise that those who
chronically, verbally-vomit are often referred to as “Energy Vampires?”
Come on kids, let’s not treat our friends or relatives like some toilet we barf
our stinking emotional filth into. And come to think of it, let’s not treat our
spiritual teachers that way either.
If Catharsis could be poison, then why is it so popular? Because it's quick
and easy. Oh sure it is expensive in the long term but you try explaining that
to the Inner: slack-jaw, gap-tooth, knuckle-dragging, cave-man we call an
"Id." A day doesn’t go by that I don’t encounter folks who choose catharsis
over spiritual guidance in a New York minuet.
Catharsis could wear many disguises. Sometimes it takes the form of being
“over talkative,” subtly boastful or even trying to control the conversation. An
encounter with a teacher could be a great test.
Many people make appointments to receive private teaching sessions with
their spiritual guide. When entering the presence of an accomplished Lama,
whether in person or even over the phone; those who are perceptive can feel
a shift. Internally they could feel intense waves of enthusiasm, gratitude or
devotion and externally, even the air itself could feel electric.
It is ideal for the student to passively listen, really drinking up their Lama’s
instructions and blessings; in very much the same way a dry and thirsty
sponge could drink up moisture once it has been dropped into a sink of
warm, sudsy water. The flow of energy Must be decidedly one-way. How
then could we give back to our teacher? Physically we can give our Lama
cash gifts and Spiritually we can respectfully, gratefully and enthusiastically
apply his instructions.
The prideful, fearfully, tumultuous and controlling momentum of a chronic
Energy-vampire could balk at this. Whether deliberately or unconsciously the
energy-vampire could self-righteously Cathart by debating or discussing or
commenting on almost every statement the teacher makes while also
attempting to befriend or belittle the Lama. A “back and forth” energy is not
conducive to rapid learning or evolution, but… it sure can feed the Energy-
vampire’s sense of Self-importance. While this exercise is Not spiritually
productive, it can dampen his experience of his own emotional afflictions…
at least temporarily; thus we could see an ugly form of indirect Catharsis in
action.
In the 2006 film “The Guardian” Kevin Costner’s character Ben Randall
demonstrates that in an open-water crisis situation, a coast guard rescue
swimmer’s first priority is not to make friends with the victim, but to get him
into the rescue vessel as soon as possible, at all costs. If the victim tries to
fight off the rescue swimmer in any way, it could mean his or both their lives.
Likewise you and I have been floundering in Samsara’s ocean of guilt and
fear and anger and sorrow and frustration and other emotional as well as
physical afflictions for many, many lives. Right now we don’t need another
pal, we need a spiritual guide, whether you call that teacher: Guru, Pandita,
Bhante, Ajahn, Roshi, Shifu, Lama or Rinpoche, what you require is a
teacher.
Remember the ultimate test of your Lama’s instructions is Not his prestige,
fame, reputation or their popularity nor your logic or intuition. According to
the Buddha the only test of the teachings is how well they work for you, when
you apply them correctly and consistently. Forgetting your fearful or
controlling tendencies resolve not to fight your teacher in any way, shape or
form and instead choose to gratefully, enthusiastically and respectfully
receive his instructions knowing that just as the proof of the pudding is in the
tasting; likewise the validity of his teachings could be found in the taming of
your:
as well as the augmentation of your:
So drink your teacher's instructions in, like a dry and thirsty sponge that has
fallen into a sink full of warm, sudsy water.
Although the ancients did Not have computer viruses, or traffic jams they did
have stress. They did have guilt and fear and anger and sorrow and
frustration. Just like us, the ancients had each of these same emotional
afflictions that we have now. And just like us, they also had the desire to feel
better. Over the course of time they noticed that if they talked about a
problem they could feel a little better.
Yep, if you talk about a problem, you could feel a little better… but only for a
short time and then after a while you start feeling guilty or frightened or angry
or sad or frustrated all over again. Perhaps you have noticed this in your life
as well; I know I have.
Why is the relief brought by catharsis only temporary? Why is the healing
promised by getting something off one’s chest just an illusion? The answer
could be found in oatmeal!
I love oatmeal, don’t you? It’s delicious! I’ve noticed that when I cook
oatmeal over a high flame, it tends to boil over and that’s too messy. So I’ve
found that if I just stir the oatmeal fast enough, it won’t boil over. Problem
solved? Not so much! Because as soon as I stop stirring, it begins to boil
over again. That brings us to a fork in the road, do we spend our time and
energy perpetually stirring our emotion affliction’s boiling pot of oatmeal; or
do we simply turn down the flame?
O.K. I’ll admit that Catharsis is only a short term, and temporary solution…
but what could be wrong with that? How could that possibly harm me now, or
in the future? Simple! Pain is a motivator. Pain, be it physical or emotional,
makes us take action. When we burn our finger don’t we instinctively pull it
away from the heat source at a speed that is faster than thought and
stronger than pride? What would happen to our finger if we didn’t remove it
from the heat source? What if we just “dealt” the pain with some sort of a
special forces pain management technique? We’d loose the finger! I don’t
want to lose my finger, it’s so useful; especially for expressing myself in
traffic.
The greatest Buddhist sages, throughout the ages, have insisted that every
incident of emotional suffering is an opportunity for spiritual growth. If, we
allow the emotional pain of guilt or sorrow or fear or anger or frustration to
drive us to take constructive action, if we approach an accomplished
teacher, if we receive his guidance and if we put his instructions into
practice, then we could experience fabulous spiritual growth as well as
profound emotional relief.
But if we just vent those painful emotions, if we just journal them out, or paint
them out, or verbally vomit all over our dearest friends and relatives {and oh
how they must love that} then we are just temporarily suspending our pain,
while the real problem lurks about, unhindered. Then, we are missing out on
a golden opportunity for dynamic growth and intense emotional relief.
Let’s explore that a bit. Couldn’t catharsis be hard on those we verbally
vomit upon?
Everything we think, emote, say and do has an energy signature. Take two
plants, in the same house, in front of the same window. All things being
equal, if the first plant is subjected to verbal vomit and the second is lavished
with praise and adoration; couldn’t the first plant just whither and the second
plant flourish? Let’s face it, dumping on others could really wear them out
and exhaust them. How drained and weak and used could some lady feel
after Dracula has made a meal of her neck? Is it any surprise that those who
chronically, verbally-vomit are often referred to as “Energy Vampires?”
Come on kids, let’s not treat our friends or relatives like some toilet we barf
our stinking emotional filth into. And come to think of it, let’s not treat our
spiritual teachers that way either.
If Catharsis could be poison, then why is it so popular? Because it's quick
and easy. Oh sure it is expensive in the long term but you try explaining that
to the Inner: slack-jaw, gap-tooth, knuckle-dragging, cave-man we call an
"Id." A day doesn’t go by that I don’t encounter folks who choose catharsis
over spiritual guidance in a New York minuet.
Catharsis could wear many disguises. Sometimes it takes the form of being
“over talkative,” subtly boastful or even trying to control the conversation. An
encounter with a teacher could be a great test.
Many people make appointments to receive private teaching sessions with
their spiritual guide. When entering the presence of an accomplished Lama,
whether in person or even over the phone; those who are perceptive can feel
a shift. Internally they could feel intense waves of enthusiasm, gratitude or
devotion and externally, even the air itself could feel electric.
It is ideal for the student to passively listen, really drinking up their Lama’s
instructions and blessings; in very much the same way a dry and thirsty
sponge could drink up moisture once it has been dropped into a sink of
warm, sudsy water. The flow of energy Must be decidedly one-way. How
then could we give back to our teacher? Physically we can give our Lama
cash gifts and Spiritually we can respectfully, gratefully and enthusiastically
apply his instructions.
The prideful, fearfully, tumultuous and controlling momentum of a chronic
Energy-vampire could balk at this. Whether deliberately or unconsciously the
energy-vampire could self-righteously Cathart by debating or discussing or
commenting on almost every statement the teacher makes while also
attempting to befriend or belittle the Lama. A “back and forth” energy is not
conducive to rapid learning or evolution, but… it sure can feed the Energy-
vampire’s sense of Self-importance. While this exercise is Not spiritually
productive, it can dampen his experience of his own emotional afflictions…
at least temporarily; thus we could see an ugly form of indirect Catharsis in
action.
In the 2006 film “The Guardian” Kevin Costner’s character Ben Randall
demonstrates that in an open-water crisis situation, a coast guard rescue
swimmer’s first priority is not to make friends with the victim, but to get him
into the rescue vessel as soon as possible, at all costs. If the victim tries to
fight off the rescue swimmer in any way, it could mean his or both their lives.
Likewise you and I have been floundering in Samsara’s ocean of guilt and
fear and anger and sorrow and frustration and other emotional as well as
physical afflictions for many, many lives. Right now we don’t need another
pal, we need a spiritual guide, whether you call that teacher: Guru, Pandita,
Bhante, Ajahn, Roshi, Shifu, Lama or Rinpoche, what you require is a
teacher.
Remember the ultimate test of your Lama’s instructions is Not his prestige,
fame, reputation or their popularity nor your logic or intuition. According to
the Buddha the only test of the teachings is how well they work for you, when
you apply them correctly and consistently. Forgetting your fearful or
controlling tendencies resolve not to fight your teacher in any way, shape or
form and instead choose to gratefully, enthusiastically and respectfully
receive his instructions knowing that just as the proof of the pudding is in the
tasting; likewise the validity of his teachings could be found in the taming of
your:
- guilt,
- sorrow,
- fear and
- anger...
as well as the augmentation of your:
- love,
- peace,
- insight and
- happiness.
So drink your teacher's instructions in, like a dry and thirsty sponge that has
fallen into a sink full of warm, sudsy water.
| How could you help feed a Monk for only One dollar? |
| Lama Jigme NON-sectarian Buddhist: Monk, Teacher and Healer |
