Small doubt - small enlightenment
No doubt - no enlightenment
Zen belief
It's the simplest thoughts that carry the biggest punch.
The quote came to me in a newsletter article with the heading "And when we seem to fail?". It brought home that sometimes it is all right to feel no progress in any and every aspect of our lives. It isn't failure. It's looking deeper.
Here is real power in enjoying the fullness of nothing!
Feeling pleased with yourself about a breakthrough? Think about this quote.
Feeling at the end of your tether about a relationship? Look once more at this quote.
There are days when I am too smug and too comfortable about the search for meaning. "This trusting and having faith and being confident and positive is easy", a smart voice inside says. Then a whirlwind of new experience and testing shatters the comfort zone and I find myself blown from my safe mooring into a sea of doubt.
That's when I particularly appreciate the first line" "Great doubt - great enlightenment". Whatsmore, it is true! On those days when I feel annoyed with myself I feel I have moved one step forward and two steps back. Keeping this line in mind allows me to look deeper. It actually provides a light at the end of a tunnel. I ask myself "So what are the lessons from this?"
This explanation by the Zen masters is a comfort and at the same time, it is provocative. It is an attack on ego.
Only by being tested do we examine our focus on life, its meaning, our purpose and our happiness. Only by reassessing, do we grow.
When we fall into ego driven patterns, we need to bring reality into our lives by again contemplating this Zen wisdom.
I was over at Joseph's place on Wednesday and this Cockatoo came for a chat and posed for many photos. I managed to get a few photos of Joseph as well, although he is getting more reluctant these days to have his photo taken.
12 comments:
Good Thursday morning to you, dear Peggy :)
Looking for the deepening and the lessons brings that delicious light of enlightenment with it. The journey is a process of ongoing choice and recogntion.
Hi Peggy! The Cockatoo is quite a delight.
also true about the quote.. many things doesn't seem like what it is. Even failure. Sometimes it's just a cloak over a bigger success.
love,
~Silver
Peggy any friend of Silver's is surely a friend of mine.
You have a wonderful blog here.
Renee xoxo
I must be chock full of enlightenment then :)
oh - first I was thinking 'faith' vs 'fear'
but you're talking about HUMILITY
yes. great humility = great enlightenment ;-)
i am very humble, btw
this quote reminds me a lot about that poem about staying in our comfort zone, where you don't 'grow'. It's a tough call sometimes.
Great post, Peggy. I would be in the "Great doubt, great enlightenment" phase of late....This puts it into a nice perspective, doesn't it.
Thanks for this! Just what I needed!
xox
Kelly
Hi Peggy,
It's when I doubt that I question, questions bring answers. Not always the ones I expect however, but then I shouldnt probably have any expectations to begin with.
X
THAT IS A GREAT QUOTE THAT STARTS OFF THE POST! JOSEPH IS ADORABLE!
He's getting too cute for words! I love his hat!
I love your quotes. At first I had a what the.... then they hit me. I do feel we have so much to learn and on those days when we think we have it all together... we still have more to go... Your posts are always thought provoking and enlightening We are on a path of awakening... ourselves... and in so doing and sharing, the universe. Love and Light, Nina P.
Thank you as usual for the wonderful wisdom. Oh, I'm a master of self-doubt ... in both positive and negative way. But I always believe it's better to doubt than not.
And a heart felt thank you for supporting my NaNo venture. I really need that! :)
Really great post - wisdom pure. and the cockatoo is quite something.
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