I completely agree. Trying to get rid of anger by forcing it away would be just another way of being driven by compulsion on a subtler level. The key is not to get rid of it, but to "expand beyond" it or "broaden the context" so that it's no longer important/a driving force. Then we can make sure that whatever we do next is a thoughtful action and not an impulsive re-action.
This is fantastic post, Otto. The question of evil lies at the very heart of what it is to be human. It exposes the deep uncertainty at the core of our existential questions such as "Why am I here? What should I do with my life? What is 'good' and therefore what is 'God'?" This is why trauma cracks open our false existential certainty and exposes the fundamental insecurity underneath. It brings up questions like 'Can I trust other human beings upon whom I must depend for my survival? Can I trust my own self to act in a way that aligns with my own moralistic standards?' If we are honest with ourselves the answer to these questions is ultimately no in varying degrees.
When we become aware of our 'fallen' nature to use the Christian framing of having 'fallen away from God,' we realize that we are equal in our depravity as humans. A clear understanding of this can lead to a deep compassion for the difficult circumstances that we all find ourselves in. I agree with the quarantine concept also of cordoning off dangerous and destructive people from society and/or from our lives if necessary. I love that your post hones in on the most important aspect of this necessity which is the internal flavor of our justice seeking - the difference between retribution fueled by a toxic self-righteousness vs. restoration and the wish to protect the vulnerable from harm.
A lot of what you wrote about here is related to emotional sobriety. We are often overwhelmed by our emotions, almost as if we are possessed by them. This seems to me to be the essence of emotional sobriety:
"The thing that allows feeling to give rise to compulsion and then action is ignorance: ignorance of not-self, impermanence, and the true character of suffering. In other words, ignorance of compulsion and the suffering it leads to: what it is, how it functions, and how it ends. When ignorance is sufficiently removed, feeling is seen as feeling, and when that happens, it can’t take that next step into compulsion. We understand that feeling in itself isn’t a problem, and we don’t ever have to do anything to make it go away. But until then, we are always liable to the tyranny of compulsion."
Thanks for sharing this, Otto. Looking forward to reading more.
I definitely relate to what you said about trauma breaking our certainty. And I also like what you said about our fallen nature. After reading about Christian mysticism more, I'm seeing that there is a strand of Christianity that views God in a way that is almost exactly the same as how Buddhists view the unconditioned — not as some "thing" or "person", but some fundamental ground of ease, goodness, and rest. The Christian mystics talk about needing to get rid of the self (which I read as our fallen nature, something that stands in contrast to God, who is self-less) so that we can return to God. So long as we are separate from God by virtue of taking on a self, we are fallen, and we retain the original sin.
>We are often overwhelmed by our emotions, almost as if we are possessed by them.
Definitely. That's where the idea of freedom comes from in Buddhism: freedom from this type of emotional possession.
By the way, what you said the other day in our last exchange about having the deepening of your love be a central goal has really stuck with me. I've been finding that a really inspiring way to think about things, so thank you for that!
Speaking of a drop of ignorance it is said that a fish rots from the head down.
Using that as a metaphor and the use of a glass in your essay to illustrate your thesis the Orange Oaf is culturally and religiously illiterate (IGNORANT) nihilistic barbarian.
Every time he opens his potty mouth he darkens the water in the glass and the collective psyche of US culture!
To add to this, anger is a feeling that we shouldn't completely suppress or reject.
It is a signal that may be telling us something important. We can investigate it with curiosity like you did here. :)
Thank you for writing this. It was a nice reminder for me today.
I completely agree. Trying to get rid of anger by forcing it away would be just another way of being driven by compulsion on a subtler level. The key is not to get rid of it, but to "expand beyond" it or "broaden the context" so that it's no longer important/a driving force. Then we can make sure that whatever we do next is a thoughtful action and not an impulsive re-action.
Glad you found it useful!
Once you let it get in, sometimes it better to pour the whole thing out and start over.
This is fantastic post, Otto. The question of evil lies at the very heart of what it is to be human. It exposes the deep uncertainty at the core of our existential questions such as "Why am I here? What should I do with my life? What is 'good' and therefore what is 'God'?" This is why trauma cracks open our false existential certainty and exposes the fundamental insecurity underneath. It brings up questions like 'Can I trust other human beings upon whom I must depend for my survival? Can I trust my own self to act in a way that aligns with my own moralistic standards?' If we are honest with ourselves the answer to these questions is ultimately no in varying degrees.
When we become aware of our 'fallen' nature to use the Christian framing of having 'fallen away from God,' we realize that we are equal in our depravity as humans. A clear understanding of this can lead to a deep compassion for the difficult circumstances that we all find ourselves in. I agree with the quarantine concept also of cordoning off dangerous and destructive people from society and/or from our lives if necessary. I love that your post hones in on the most important aspect of this necessity which is the internal flavor of our justice seeking - the difference between retribution fueled by a toxic self-righteousness vs. restoration and the wish to protect the vulnerable from harm.
A lot of what you wrote about here is related to emotional sobriety. We are often overwhelmed by our emotions, almost as if we are possessed by them. This seems to me to be the essence of emotional sobriety:
"The thing that allows feeling to give rise to compulsion and then action is ignorance: ignorance of not-self, impermanence, and the true character of suffering. In other words, ignorance of compulsion and the suffering it leads to: what it is, how it functions, and how it ends. When ignorance is sufficiently removed, feeling is seen as feeling, and when that happens, it can’t take that next step into compulsion. We understand that feeling in itself isn’t a problem, and we don’t ever have to do anything to make it go away. But until then, we are always liable to the tyranny of compulsion."
Thanks for sharing this, Otto. Looking forward to reading more.
Thank you, really glad you liked it!
I definitely relate to what you said about trauma breaking our certainty. And I also like what you said about our fallen nature. After reading about Christian mysticism more, I'm seeing that there is a strand of Christianity that views God in a way that is almost exactly the same as how Buddhists view the unconditioned — not as some "thing" or "person", but some fundamental ground of ease, goodness, and rest. The Christian mystics talk about needing to get rid of the self (which I read as our fallen nature, something that stands in contrast to God, who is self-less) so that we can return to God. So long as we are separate from God by virtue of taking on a self, we are fallen, and we retain the original sin.
>We are often overwhelmed by our emotions, almost as if we are possessed by them.
Definitely. That's where the idea of freedom comes from in Buddhism: freedom from this type of emotional possession.
By the way, what you said the other day in our last exchange about having the deepening of your love be a central goal has really stuck with me. I've been finding that a really inspiring way to think about things, so thank you for that!
Speaking of a drop of ignorance it is said that a fish rots from the head down.
Using that as a metaphor and the use of a glass in your essay to illustrate your thesis the Orange Oaf is culturally and religiously illiterate (IGNORANT) nihilistic barbarian.
Every time he opens his potty mouth he darkens the water in the glass and the collective psyche of US culture!