Peace In, Peace Out By Scott Shaw

Originally published by Llewellyn Magazine, May, 2004

By Scott Shaw

Simplicity in life is a complex paradox, with seemingly never ending disagreements, differing opinions, dissenting philosophies, emotional manipulations, and even physical confrontations. Some people seem to not only instigate this adversarial mindset but appear to actually thrive on it.

One may assume that if they walk away from the world and enter onto what is commonly known as the "Spiritual Path," they will no longer be subjected to conflicts and encounters. Unfortunately, the predominance of the world's population is not made up of individuals whose minds are focused on the spiritual elements of life. In fact, it is so common that we encounter people who are willing to do whatever it takes to gain whatever moment of gratification they desire that modern society has given them positive designations: "Motivated," "Driven," "Hungry," or "A Goal Seeker."

More than being simply an external social phenomena, many people find that they are constantly at odds with themselves—continually robbing their own inner peace. "I shouldn't be doing this," "I'm so bad," "I can never succeed," and "I'm unworthy," are just a few of the examples which ramble constantly through the minds of many individuals.

We can easily understand that certain people may have developed a negative self image due to childhood trauma, economic or emotional destitution, interaction with unsavory people, or being psychologically manipulated and guided down a negative road by an unworthy dominator. But, why don't these people immediately leave behind this disruptive inner dialogue the moment they realize it is robbing them of their tranquility?

Some people believe that if they could go someplace else, do something else, then they would know peace. But that place is not here. That action is not now. Thus, it is forever someplace else—where the grass promises to be greener. What commonly occurs, if a person relocates to a new location or takes on a new lifestyle or employment position, is that they are no more satisfied, fulfilled, or peaceful than they were before the move, which they believed would change their life.

Some individuals realize that they possess a lack of peace and wish to change this mindset, so they look to the lives of ancient spiritual masters, believing that their teachings hold the truth to contentment and enlightenment. Though this is a generally held belief, it was not always the case. For example, if we look at the historical foundation of Zen, we see that in the Seventh Century C.E. the monk Hui-neng defeated his Master, the Fifth Patriarch of Ch'an Buddhism, Hung-jen, in a spiritual poetry writing competition. As he won the contest, he believed that it proved he was more enlightened than his teacher. His teacher was not so pleased and set about on a course to destroy his onetime disciple. Because of this, Hui-neng had to flee the region. Though this action was instrumental in giving birth to the Northern and Southern schools of Ch'an Buddhism, which eventually lead to what is commonly known today as Zen, it clearly illustrates that not even the ancient masters were free from competition and conflict.

Conflict is a part of life. If you allow your peace to be taken away from you by external occurrences or internal disharmony then you will never know contentment.

Peace is an inner triumph. It is not something which someone or something can give to you. To embrace peace, in all life situations, you need to develop the skills to become like the calm in the eye of the hurricane—peaceful in a world torn by conflict.

The Foundations of the Pathway to Peace

To begin on your pathway to peace you must ask yourself, "What would bring me peace right now?" Would it be a certain amount of money? Better employment? A new place to live? To be in a relationship with a specific person? Maybe to be ten years younger? Perhaps to be more beautiful, thinner, or taller? Or, to be enlightened?

Step One

Your first step to Peace Realization is to consciously understand—anything which you do not currently possess, anything you are not right now, does not exist in this moment. As long as you choose to hold onto the desire of something you do not currently possess or something you are not, you will never be at peace. You will continue to torment yourself with the desire of attainment. This is not to say that you cannot move forward with your life. But, you must do so in a manner where you embrace the here and now. You must decide to love each moment for what it is, and then move forward in a state of peace, not a state of disharmony.

Disharmony is contagious. Disharmony is addictive. It is addictive because it provides the body and the brain with a constant source of adrenaline. It is invigorating. But, it is not healthy. Remember, peace can also be contagious and addictive. Peace, however, is not only better for the person, but better for all those who inhabit this place we call life.

Step Two

As long as you choose to believe that something outside of yourself will bring you peace, you cannot experience peace. Let go of your desire and peace will surround you. This is not to say remain stagnant. Instead it means love each step of the way. Embrace the moment and love each experience you encounter in this moment. It may not be what you desire, but it is, nonetheless, what you are living. Embrace it, whether you like it or not, and peace will find you.

Step Three

Know that the essence of peace is not outside of yourself. Understand that it is in you. Take a moment and find that place of peace. Begin right now. Close your eyes. Let your mind stop racing. Allow your inner guide to take you to that place in your body where peace emanates. For some, it is their heart center. For others, it is the third eye. Wherever it is for you, go there and embrace the totality of peace—even if just for a moment.

Do this several times a day. Come to know this place. Understand this experience. Then, whenever you find your mind torn by desires, when you are attacked by the negative energies of others, or when you find yourself lost in desire, hating your current moment—go to this place in yourself and find peace.

Copyright © 2004—All Right Reserved

Peace In, Peace Out @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Writings on Zen, Yoga, and Human Consciousness

Character Study By Scott Shaw

By Scott Shaw

I, of course, am a practitioner of Zen Filmmaking. Zen Filmmaking is all about embracing the naturalness of the moment—allowing your portrayed character to exist in the spontaneity and genuineness of the moment. Thus, the words you speak, while in character, and the actions your take are all guided by the response to what the other actor is saying and where you find the life understanding of your character naturally flowing towards.

Traditional acting is much different from that. A person is told what their character is to be—how they should look, act, feel, and behave. They are then provided with the words their character should say and the way their character should speak those words; all defined by the script.

In many ways, this is a much harder process. In many ways, it is much more unnatural. That is why I devised Zen Filmmaking—to embrace the true essence of the individual to let them be who they truly are while portraying the someone else.

But, there is a great art to actually becoming the someone else. It takes time. It takes practice.

I think we have all seen actors on the screen doing a very bad job in their portrayal. Sure, they are dressed appropriately. Sure, they have memorized their lines. But, they have not become the character they are playing. And, from this, there is something lost in the believability of the character and, thus, with the entire production.

As an actor, every now and then, I am asked to act in a traditional production. I am given my script and I must learn my lines. For me, it is a fun, enlightening experience because I must become that someone else. As I am running my lines I try to emerge myself into the mindset of that character. I try to understand who that person truly is. I try to become that person.

More than simply a process used in acting, I believe this is a technique that people should bring into their life. Ask yourself, how often do you truly try to understand life from the perspective of the other person? How often do you put yourself in their shoes and take the time to try to understand life from the perspective that they are living it? Most people just judge. They just see others from their own perspective, never trying to see the life melodrama that the other person is living.

So, next time you are passing judgment on a person… Next time you think that you know what someone is feeling and why they are feeling it… Next time you believe that you know why a person is doing what they are doing, become that other person. Put yourself into their mind. Become them as a character you are playing on the silver screen. Put yourself into their shoes. If you do, I am sure that you will come away with a completely different perspective about who they truly are and why they are doing what they are doing. In fact, by mentally becoming them as a character you are portraying, you might even emerge with a better perspective about who you truly are.

Copyright © 2019—All Rights Reserved

 Scott Shaw Zen Filmmaking

Scott Shaw Writings on Zen, Yoga, and Human Consciousness

Wikipedia and You Can Only Play in Your Own Playground By Scott Shaw

By Scott Shaw

         Like I have long said, “You can only play in your own playground.” You can/should only play in your own playground if you want to keep yourself: friends and family safe and not be accosted by the diabolical forces of the world.

         You know, once upon a time this ideology applied to the actual physical safety of an individual. I hate to sound old, (even though I am), but life was not necessarily better way back in the way back when but it was certainly a bit simpler.  A person was defined by where they lived and where they hung out. Me, (unfortunately), I grew up in the hood, so I was always accosted by danger the moment I stepped outside and I never knew where it would come from. It wasn’t fun. But, that was all outside. If I didn’t go out into the out and about, I would not have to be forced to fight. Now, the danger is different. It comes to attack from inside. Of course, I am speaking about the world of the internet.

         You know, I always find life, (my life included), very interesting and sometimes very strange. Most people live in a space of observances. They look outside of themselves hoping to find something that will make them feel the way they wish to feel. Most people are cool. They just look for normal things that they decide they like. But, then there are those who want to feel some sort of something and they venture into the realms where they can extend their control. Many do this via the internet. Where, as we all know, there are very few rules of defined appropriate codes of conduct and behavior.

         Me, I don’t surf the web too much. Only if I am looking for something specific. I check my Facebook most days, unless I am out of the country or off doing something more important, and my Instagram. There, I like to look at fun animal photos and videos. I’m not on the internet to preach, debate, fight, or tell someone/anyone what they should or should not believe. So, the thing is, unless I am told about a situation that involves me in cyberspace, I probably wouldn’t even know about it.  And, I think that’s better; isn’t it? Not knowing. Then you are living in a world free from the unnecessary agitation.

         Anyway, all this rambling brings me to the point of all this…

         I’ve never really been a fan of Wikipedia. From its early days forward, as far as I can tell, it is just a platform that is controlled by a bunch of people who have nothing better to do and want to force their opinion(s) onto someone else. They want their truth and their perception of reality to be the truth, whether it actually is the truth or not.  Sure, Wikipedia has its checks and balances. But, who controls those checks and balances? A bunch of unknown cyber people whose faces you will never see. Many of them are teenagers. People, who have moved up and through the Wikipedia ranks because they really don’t have anything better to do. They just edit all day, everyday. Yet, in that space, they can control the knowledge of the masses. That’s a pretty powerful thing, don’t you agree?

         I remember when Wikipedia was in its early stages and I found it on the web one day. I forget how. I noticed an article about Steven Seagal. The article totally tore the guy apart. I thought that was pretty uncool.

         Now, I have no feelings about Seagal one way or the other. I initially met him a million years ago when he was studying from Fumio Demura and then I ran into him again in Japan in the ‘80s. I thought his early films were pretty good.  But, that was that. On Wikipedia, however, somebody had torn the guy apart. My thought was, how is that an honest biography or portrayal? Anyway, as anyone could and can edit Wikipedia, I decide to try my hand at it and I cleaned up Seagal’s bio. You know, do a good deed and all that… A day or so later I looked back at the page and it was once again the scathing portrayal. Someone had undone all of my doing. That was the last time I ever edited on Wikipedia. What was the point? I guess things have gotten better over the years on Wikipedia, but it is still based upon the fact that anyone can edit, say whatever they want, and there is no true checks and balances.

         For those of you who may not know, if you ever want to see who said what and why on Wikipedia all you have to do it go to the View History button on the page. From there you can find a listing of all of the edits. If you follow through by clicking on the, "Contribs," link after the screen name of the person who made a specific edit, you can commonly see what type of edits they focus on and what they are trying to personally achieve on Wikipedia. As each editor does have an agenda, you can really observe what contribution (or lack thereof) they are trying to make on the platform.

         One of the main things to keep in mind is that, on the education level, you cannot use Wikipedia as a citable resource. That fact alone explains the nature of what is going on at that website. In fact, Wikipedia itself says, Wikipedia is not a reliable source. Click on that title to see what Wikipedia says about itself.

         Thus, I have always been anti-Wikipedia. The website is based on love or hate and personalities, not the truth. …Not the people who have lived what other people are writing about.

         For someone very famous like Seagal, he has a lot of fans and supporters. And, this is good, I guess. It is what keeps his page on the site somewhat in check. But, what about all the other people that are not really famous who have pages on there? Then, it is a free for all. 

         Somewhere along the line someone put a page up about me on Wikipedia. Initially, it was flattering, but I quickly saw the downside. Every now and then someone would let me know that there was some false information or some seriously derogatory statements made about me on the page. Me, not being all that well-known, I don’t really have all that many supporters. A number of years ago I was told that there was a crew of people working out of Raleigh Studios that were obsessing about Zen Filmmaking and they were playing with Zen Films and my stuff on Wikipedia. At least they were operating from a space of positivity. But, most of the people who like what I say or do are usually very Zen. They don’t charge in with guns blazing. Of the people that do like what I do, and have tried to help my Wikipedia page, I am told that they have been shot down by the more obsessional Wikipedians. In fact, a number of years ago one of my martial arts students from the 1970s and 1980s was on there, making edits to martial art pages, and he told me they kicked him off by making up some lie about him. So, that just goes to show you the nature of the beast. Thus and again, “You can only play in your own playground.”

         I was recently told that there was some negative editing going on about Don Jackson, myself, and some of our films that have pages on Wikipedia. I glanced over at the pages and it looks like someone is trying to make some point, take down some facts, spread some falsehoods, and/or to diminish and rip on DGJ and I and/or our films. Okay… Good for you whoever you may be. If it makes you feel better…

         And, that's the thing, the people who have learned the inner workings of Wikipedia know how to throw shade and make it look like what they are saying is for real. But, is it?

         I mean, the reality of life is the reality of life. The reality of me is the reality of me. Kind of like Popeye used to say in that funny accent the person who voiced the character used, “I am what I am.” Does what they say on Wikipedia change any of that?

         Mostly, I wish I didn’t even have a page on a site like Wikipedia. If you know how to take it down, please do. Does it really do my life any good? I don’t think so. It certainly doesn't help my life in any way. It just provides the people with nothing better to do a place to waste time and not face the truth about their own reality and, instead, spent their Life Time attempting to cast their judgments on the all and the everything, as they project their feelings about a person or a subject in the subtle ways that can only be done via Wikipedia.

         In my mind, that's just not right. That is not what a site like Wikipedia should be used for.

         So, if you see some negativity or bullshit on Wikipedia about me (or anyone else) you can change it if you want. Anyone can edit on that site. Go for it! I thank you in advance. But please, don’t think that you’re helping me by telling me when some bullshit is up there about me, because I just don’t want to know. Just let me play in my own playground.

Copyright © 2019—All Rights Reserved

Originally from the Scott Shaw Zen Blog

Scott Shaw Writings on Zen, Yoga, and Human Consciousness

Where Myths Are Born By Scott Shaw

By Scott Shaw

One evening, a number of years ago, I walked into the Bodhi Tree Bookstore on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, California. This bookstore has been a favorite haunt for us spiritual types for decades, because it was not only one of the first, but still one of the best bookstores catering to the spiritual lifestyle in the U.S.

As I walked down the aisles this particular evening, I noticed a book of stories. It was written by disciples about my one-time spiritual teacher Swami Satchidananda. I was obviously curious.

I picked up the book and flipped through the pages. As I did, I was drawn to the story of how, on this one warm autumn afternoon, at a beach side home in Santa Barbara, California, Gurudev, (as we called him), decided to go surfing. The story went on to describe that though this was the first time he had attempted the sport, once he was in the water, he paddled into a wave, and was standing up surfing like a pro.

As I read the words, I was both amazed and saddened by the tale that was being told. The individual who wrote the story was creating this amazing incident. Though amazing, it was a virtual impossibility, as can be attested to by anyone who can remember the first time they attempted to mount a surfboard. But, more than that, and what truly hurt me and caused me to come to a new realization about the truth of tales told to the masses is that, this depiction was not at all what truly occurred.

The Two Surfers
There were two avid surfers among Swami Satchidananda's close disciples at that period of time. One was a carpenter named Ram Dass and the other was myself.

On the fateful day, detailed in the story, there was a get together of a small group of close disciples at the aforementioned Santa Barbara home of a new devotee. As there was a surfboard leaning against the house, Gurudev decided to give it a try. He asked Ram Dass and myself to help. In pure devotional fashion we were happy to do so.

We cautiously walked Gurudev out to where the water was approximately waist deep. This was because of the fact that Swami Satchidananda was well into his sixties at this point in time. At this juncture, we helped Gurudev climb onto the surfboard. We then swam him out a bit further to where the waves were breaking. He held on as we turned the surfboard around. We waited for a wave and then we pushed him into it. Laying on his stomach and holding fast onto the surfboard, he glided in towards the shore. We swam after him.

Did he stand up? No. Did he ride the surfboard like a pro? No. Did he want to try it again? No. Did he have fun? I think so.

Yet, in the story told in the book, he had instantly stood up, as his hair and his beard were blowing in the wind. He was a master surfer.

Exaggeration
Reading this story made me realize something very important. For some reason, people always want to exaggerate the life and actions of the spiritual teacher. They want to take mere mortal occurrences and blow them up to exaggerated proportions. Why? I don't know. Is it simply to make the guru seem godlike? Or, is it that this is how the devotional mind of an individual causes them to witness the occurrences?

For example, was the person who wrote this story, (and I remember her well), so spiritually in love with Swami Satchidananda that her mind took reality and transformed it into a new state of grace? Again, I don't know her motivation for changing fact to fiction. What I do know is how this event actually occurred -- for better or worse.

More than simply an individual relating their perceptions of this event, is the fact that an untold number of people have read this story in the book and believed it to be true. It is published in a book, it must be true — right?

I believe this to be an important lesson that we all must learn when we look to the lives of spiritual teachers — from the most unknown to supreme beings like Jesus and Buddha. For the most part, none of us were there to witness the immaculate events that are said to have been performed by the various spiritual teachers. Yet, their actions have been depicted in an untold number of works of literature throughout time. Whether these events actually occurred or not can only be known by those who were there. Yet, as we have seen, these events can be altered. Thus, what is written is not always true.

What can we conclude from all of this? Well, my conclusion is that, what difference does it make if a teacher can perform miracles. The miracle of yesterday is simply the magic trick of today, and the scientific proof of tomorrow.

Spirituality is beyond action. Action is defined by the realms of the material world. Inaction is the only true spirituality. So, if it doesn't matter what you can do, why should anybody care about what you can't do?

THINK ZEN...

 Copyright © 1997 — All Rights Reserved

 

 Where Myths Are Born @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Writings on Zen, Yoga, and Human Consciousness

You Are Not A Christian By Scott Shaw

By Scott Shaw

I was the only customer shopping in a small boutique shop the other day. There were two employees in the shop having a heated discussion.  I could not help but overhear their words. The one, a man, was stating that he believed that it was the fault of the immoral policies of the United States government that had unjustly imprisonment suspected terrorists at the prison at Guantanamo Bay and due to the harsh conditions they were forced to undergo, with no hope of a fair trail or release, that it was the fault of the United States government that some of these prisoners had committed suicide.  The female employee argued that these people were simply mentally ill and, if they were not, they would have not committed suicide.  The argument went back and forth with no end in sight until the man said, “Well, if you believe that, that means that you’re not a Christian.”

            Throughout all levels of society this type of statement comes into play when a person is not getting their way in a conversation and/or argument. It is kind of like embracing the philosophy of, “Well, since you won’t agree with my point of view, I will simply kick you below the belt, to get my point across.” 

Why is this style of dialogue added to a discussion, because from this style of rhetoric, the topic completely changes. The female employee exclaimed, “What! I’m not a Christian! No, you’re the one who isn’t a Christian!”

            Ultimately this is the sad reality about opinions that equal discussions that ultimately lead to arguments—people what to talk.  They want to say what they believe.  They want their point to be accepted. They want everyone else to embrace their philosophy.  And, they want their opinion to be accepted as RIGHT by the masses. When it is not, then the rules of discourse go out the window and it becomes every man (or women) for themselves.

Why Participate

            The ultimate question you have to ask yourself is, “Why should I participate in this style of discourse at all?” Certainly, throughout life, we have all disagreed with what other people have said.  For example, I was recently at a party in Orange County California. For those of you who are not familiar with that region of the country, it is commonly understood to be a bastion of Caucasian Republican conservatism. I was sitting with a couple of friends at a table and a person came up, sat down, and blatantly began to state as fact that the reason gas prices were going up again was because it was a secret plan of Obama. I said, “No, it is because of world market demands and the speculation of investors.” Another person chimed stating that he was expecting Armageddon to occur any day now because Obama had been elected president and Obama was destroying the way the world views the United States. In disbelief I inquired, “What do you think W. did?”

            The two ultra conservatives began to exchange agreeing banter. The three liberals, myself included, got up and left the conversation.

We Each Have Our Opinions

We each have our opinion.  Some of our opinions are based on fact and some are based in belief. But, most people already have their minds made up about what they do and do not believe. It is for this reason that, for the most part, intellectual discussions among people of differing mindsets rarely prove anything.  For example, try to argue with a Christian, detailing the facts of the true history of Christianity to them, and you will run into a brick wall of denial of facts.  First you will be told, “It is all based in faith. And, faith is what our lord expects of us.”  Then, if you still carrying on the discussion, you will ultimately be told, “By the way, you know you are going to Hell for being a nonbeliever.”

This life-fact of differing opinions is the basis for all elements of conflict.  So, first and foremost, before you even enter into one of these heated discussions, you have to decide, are you will to entering into a conflict.  If you are, you must first understand, that conflicts only end one way—there is a winner and there is a loser. Now, the person of war may be willing to pay this price and live their life by this standard.  But, this is emphatically NOT the spiritual way. The spiritual way is a path of peace and positivity—though so many so-called spiritual people forget this fact when attempting to defend their ideology.

But the debative conflict of life is much more subtle that this. At the heart of all debate is the ideology of one person who has instigated the verbal confrontation. From that one person, the debate grows and grows and grows. But, no matter how big it gets, it is based upon the ideology of one person. And, what that person is propagating is most commonly based on attacking the thoughts and actions of another person or person(s).

Schadenfreude

            It is somewhat like the German term, “Schadenfreude,” which can be translated in several ways but basically it refers to the fact that a person or persons takes joy in another person’s demise or fall from grace. People who embrace this mindset look down upon the accomplishments of another and, in fact, find accomplishment a reason and motivation to denigrate and criticize people.

For whatever reason, people love to congregate in their own negativity. They love to band together and find a place where their voice of negativity can be heard and embraced. Some may say that this is a human condition.  But, I don’t believe that to be the case.  The only reason that a person or person(s) may relish the demise of another is based in the fact that a negatively-based person has not achieved the level of accomplishment or success they have desired in their chosen field.  Or, if they have achieved a certain level of success, they feel that by bringing another person down they have become superior. But, higher and lower is all foolishness. Less or more is all a state of mind.  And, less or more, higher or lower, is never a concept embraced by the truly spiritual individual.

From a personal perspective I have seen this many times. Someone will contact me being very friendly—most commonly based upon the fact that they want something from me. Then, sometime later, I will find that this same person is speaking or writing very hash things about me, most commonly based upon lies and falsehoods.

Why do people choose to behave in this fashion? Because that is the mindset they have ultimately chosen to embrace. They have entered a space of negativity.  And, this goes on throughout the world constantly. Think about it, how many people have you heard speaking negatively about someone they do not even know and have never met?  The problem with this mindset and reaction based mentality is all that it produces is a nonsensical waste of LIFE TIME and LIFE ENGERY.

The question to ask yourself, if you find yourself embracing a negative mentality is, “Do you feel good when you criticize others? Does it make you a better person?  Does it make the world a better place?”  The answer will almost universally be, “No.” 

What behaving in this manner actually equals is that you are not contributing to the Greater-Good of this place we call Life. Instead, if you are following this negative level of human consciousness, you are not contributing to the betterment; you are only trying to destroy. And, destruction on any level is a negative pathway.

Think about the people you have admired. Do they follow a path of negativity or do they provide the world with a positive service?  Think about the people who have made major contribution to the world.  Are they negative and critical? Are they constantly involving themselves in criticism, arguments, and negative debates?  No, they are probably not.

No matter what field they are in, what they do is to do what they do. They continue to learn and grow as an individual, and follow a path that leads to the betterment of the themselves and the world. They turn away from confrontations; verbal or to there wise. This is the path to making a positive contribution to the world.

In the Words

So, you enter into a space where people are embracing negative dialogue - either about a subject, a person, religions, politics, or whatever.  Do you stay and take part in that?  Argue your point until you make everybody believe as you believe?  Does your dialogue continue until you are both so agitated that you end up in a physical confrontation? Or do you walk away? You must understand that if you remain in debate, all you are actualizing is the revamping of meaningless banter and discourse. Yes, you may have your opinion, based on fact or fiction—we all do.  Yes, you may like or dislike a person who is in the spotlight, based it whatever ideology.  But, as long as you are taking about them, all you are doing is adding to their notoriety.  It is kind of like the fact that Andy Warhol never read the reviews written by his critics; all he did was measure how big the printed discourse was.

What this means is that you are either becoming you and becoming more.  Or, you are not.  If you are not, and constantly engaged in debate that all you are doing is basing your life upon the actions and achievements of other people.

You can be an armchair quarterback and talk, blog, or write, (good and bad), all you want about another person or another person’s philosophy.  But, if you are doing this, all you are actually doing is paying tribute to that person. And, if you are following this life course, then you must ask yourself what does it equal and how it is causing you to become more, better, and achieve what you truly desire?

So, argue if you want.  Stay in the debate if you must.  Hit below the belt if that is the only way you can win an argument. But, ultimately what does that say about you?  And, more importantly, if you live your life at this level, what will be left when you have exited this place we call Life.  Will you have left a positive legacy?  Or, simply a plethora of forgotten conversations based on opinions.

Copyright © 2009 – All Rights Reserved

 

Scott Shaw Writings on Zen, Yoga, and Human Consciousness 

Coffee House Zen By Scott Shaw

By Scott Shaw

Here is a flashback article for you written for a magazine in the 1997/1998 period of time.

A friend of mine and myself were at this coffee house in Venice, California last Saturday evening. We were sitting around, taking about life, love, god, and things in general. These two girls came up and sat down next to us. My friend, unattached, became quite exited. This was especially the case when one of the girls leaned over to me and said, “You look like a Buddhist.” I laughed, because what does a Buddhist look like?

My friend immediately became lost in conversation with the girls. Shortly thereafter, the one who had spoken to me pulls out a cigarette and begins to smoke. She looks over at me, “I know, I know, a Buddhist shouldn’t smoke. I’m bad.” My infatuated friend immediately exclaims, “Don’t worry about it. Do whatever you want.”

It must be understood, however, “The do whatever you want,” mentality works fine in the realms of the material world for in that space of perception you can justify your actions and assign them to the mindset of, “I’m getting what I want. It makes me feel the way I want to feel.”  The realm of a Zen is very different, however, as the mindset of, “I’m getting what I want. It makes me feel the way I want to feel,” is completely adverse to that of mindfulness.

The definitions of mindfulness and desire oftentimes becomes blurred in the modern world. The reason for this is because of the fact that within the scope of spirituality there are many conflicting teachings. Some tell you that you can only be holy if you adhere to a very strict vegetarian diet, drink only water and herbal tea, associate with only those of like spiritual mind, and so on. Other teachings detail that you can do whatever you want as long as you do it consciously.

            Due to these conflicting teaching, many people become very confused on the path to consciousness. On one hand, they know they are drawn to the spiritual path. On the other hand, they are surrounded and influenced by materialism. As such, they are driven to perform decidedly worldly actions and not only find justifications for them, but realizing that they are doing something not good for their body, their consciousness, the environment, or the world on the whole; criticize themselves.  None-the-less, the actions are still performed.

This is the place where many people fall off of the spiritual path.  Due to the ease in finding associates who do not share the like mind of spirituality, the world draws one to the dark side.

So, what is the person walking the spiritual path, who is surround by the worldly, supposed to do? If we look at life in regard to mindfulness, the question that must be pondered is quite simple, “Is what you are doing leading you to a higher state of mind?” If the answer is, “Yes,” then the action may be mindful. If it is not, you are not walking on the path to higher consciousness.

As the actions you take in life are always based upon personal choice—the choices you make sets you on the road to higher consciously, universal understanding, a healthier, happier world, and enlightenment, or they do not. Thus, all things that occur in your life; all the people you meet, and the things that you decide to do in association with those people you meet—all of the outcomes that occur due to the decisions you make are based upon one single choice. What is your one single choice? As that one single choice will come to define your life.

Copyright © 1998—All Rights Reserved

 

 Coffee House Zen @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Writings on Zen, Yoga, and Human Consciousness 

The Yin and Yang of Insecurity By Scott Shaw

By Scott Shaw

People come at life based upon one of two mindsets: confidence or insecurity. If one is confident then they approach life with a sense of dynamic awareness. If, on the other hand, they are insecure, they come at life, and the people interactive with their life, from a space of fear, judgment, and dismissal.

As is explained in the theory of Yin and Yang, in all dark there is a bit of light, just as in all light there is a bit of darkness. We can also attach this understanding to the human condition of personal psychological definition and how a person behaves based upon their psychological conditioning.

There are two distinct breeds of the insecure person. The first is the meek. They are the very passive, the reserved, and the person who fades into any sphere of personal interaction they encounter because they do not feel worthy on any level of human comparison. The person who embraces this style of insecurity is commonly the one who is the most easily taken advantage of because they are easily manipulated.

The other style of insecure person is the boisterous, the outspoken, the hateful, the judgmental, and the all knowing. Though they appear to be very self-assured, in truth, they are not. In fact, they are just the opposite and that is why they behave in such a forthright manner. Thus, Yang in the Yin.

Due to the fact that they do not possess a clear sense of self, self-awareness, and are hiding their true inner-definition from the world, they focus on life elements outside of themselves in order to make themselves appear to be more than what they actually are or to keep the focus of other people from truly focusing on them.

Many times, the insecure person will project a position of all-knowing judgment. This, however, is just a disingenuous method to get people to not look too closely at the flaws this person possesses.

The thing about a person who bases their life upon personal insecurity is that they will rarely, if ever, state that they are an insecure person. In fact, some are so unaware of their interpersonal demons that they do not even realize it. For those who are aware of the fact that they possess an insecure mentality, many will hide this fact by any means possible in order to protect themselves from attacks and reprisals.

The number one thing that a person who is defined by insecurity will project is the mind reality of, look the other way. Do not look at me. This, as stated, may be presented by hiding from the world or it may be illustrated by throwing judgments left and right so others will think about other things and not them. In either case, the person who is based upon psychological insecurity will rarely posses the refined, discerning mindset to be able to admit their problem to themselves and dig down to the root of that life expression and thereby emerge as a whole, complete, and self-actualize individual.

The answer? There is none. As insecurity is a problem that exists within and is wholly expressed by the individual, only the individual can create a change within himself or herself. Thus, you can explain to them who they are. You can suggest what they should do and what they should stop doing. But, it is only when they choose to actually take a long hard look at themselves, study and then redefine their projection of reality that they can ever move away from being defined by insecurity.

Copyright © 2018—All Rights Reserved

 

Scott Shaw Writings on Zen, Yoga, and Human Consciousness

Evolutionary Choice By Scott Shaw

Evolutionary Choice

Here’s a previously published article that I wrote a number of years ago.

By Scott Shaw

            Throughout the evolution of human consciousness there have been a lot of saying and/or slogans that have been spoken. Some have come to be used over-and-over-and-over again.  From this, they have come to be believed metaphors. Near the top of this list is the saying, “You only get one shot.” Meaning, you only get one chance to make something of your life, but if you don’t, it is all downhill from that point.

Think about it. How many times have you heard that saying or a similar one?

Many people say it. Many people believe. But, is it true?

Choices

            We all make choices in our lives. Sometimes we choose to go this way. Sometimes we choose to go that way. The reality of choice is, however, once a choice is made, it sets the next set of evolutionary choices in motion in your life.

            For example, sometimes we make a choice and are so happy with the outcome. In other cases, once we have made a choice, we realize that it was a very bad choice and we should have followed a different path. But, the choice was made. And, by making it, it has come to define the next set of circumstances in our life.

            Life is made up of choices. It is as simple as that. Some choices we make we will be very happy with. Others, we will wish we had not made.

            But, this is reality. This is life.

            No one is happy with every choice that they make. But, choice is one of the most dominant factors of human existence.

Choice and Desire

            The choices we make are predominated defined by desire. We want something. We want a desired outcome. We want a desired object. So, we make the choices we believe will allow us obtain that object.

            The problem is, until you have obtained that desired object you never know what owning it will mean. Whether that object is a thing, a person, an occupation, or a level of achievement—until you own it, you can never truly understand what the choices you made to get it will equal.

            This is kind of like the American folklore analogy of the bluesman who travels to the crossroads to sell his soul to the devil to become a famous musician. They sign the contract, they get what they were promised, but the outcome of fame is completely different than they thought.

            This is like life. There are all kinds of subtle costs for obtaining any desire that can never be anticipated. Thus, many people are left realizing that they got what they thought that they wanted, but now they no longer desire to pay the costs and be defined by their original desire. But, it’s too late. They already made their deal with the devil.

            In life, we all want things. So, we go about obtaining them. Once we get them, however, we often realize that their ownership is not at all what we had anticipated.

            For example, someone meets a person and falls in love. They enter into a relationship with the person but then it all goes bad. It ends, and they are very sorry they ever met or desired the person because of all the negativity that the relationship has cost them. This same scenario goes onto employment goals, possessions, and everything else.

            The reality is, you cannot know what a desire will equal until it is lived. And, once you live it, it may destroy you. But, you made the choices to get to that end-goal.  So, who is to blame?

Choice and Reality

            Choice is one of the subtlest components of life. And, all choice are not as all-encompassing as the previously detailed ones. Choices are also driven by life necessity. For example, someone makes a choice to go to the supermarket. They get in their car and get in a car wreck. A choice; yes. But, it was defined by an unanticipated outcome.

            This is the other reality of life in association with choice. There are a zillion people, animals, objects, and acts of nature that can never be charted or anticipated. They exist in their own sphere of reality, just as you do. So, while you are doing what you do; so are they. And, the two of you may come into unexpected contact. This is life.

Circumstances

            As stated, what a choice does is to set the next set of circumstances of your life into motion.  Your choices cause your evolution. And, good or bad is what you make of the outcome of each choice. But, good or bad is not wholly defined by you receiving a specific desired outcome.

            As I have long discussed, it is you who decides what to do with the life circumstances you are handed. It is you who decides to become held back and hindered by them or to learn from them, and move forward. Like I say, “If you love Hell, it becomes Heaven.”

            This being stated, in life, you must make choices. These choices will be fueled by your desires. And, do not get it wrong; even the most spiritual of people have desires. Desiring god-consciousness or nirvana, that too is a desire. So, as material as your desires may be, they are no less holy than that of the monk. They are just desires. Desires are just a byproduct of life. And, these desires will set your life in motion by the choices you make to obtain them.

            Whatever happens is whatever happens. A choice turning bad or transforming into a believed opportunity missed does not need to define your life. What defines your life is what you do next. And, “Next,” is available until you die.

            Here is the reality. You get a lot more than one shot in life!

Copyright © 1996—All Rights Reserved

 

Scott Shaw Writings on Zen, Yoga, and Human Consciousness

Are You Aware Enough to Learn? By Scott Shaw

Here’s a previously published article that I wrote a few years ago.

By Scott Shaw

Life is a never-ending process of learning, expanding, and growing. Life provides the individual with the opportunity to constantly expand their mind, acquire new understandings, while continuing to expand their mind and advance their knowledge.

Not to long ago in world history people were sedentary. They were born into a specific region on this earth’s service and, with very few exceptions, they never left. From this, the amount of new information made available to each person was limited. As the industrial age and later the information age came upon us, though a person may never physically travel more than a few miles from where they born, the amount of knowledge that they can readily acquire is mind-boggling. It is all there at your fingertips.

Have you ever met a person who is very set in their ways—very stubborn? They know what they know, believe what they believe, and allow nothing to change their mind. There are many people who follow this mindset. They are proud of believing what they believe and decide that they know enough. They are proud to be firm and in their beliefs and in believing that the already posses all of the knowledge that is necessary for their life. Are you like this? Do you believe you hold enough knowledge?  Do you think that what you currently know and the things you believe in it is enough?

In life, you really don’t need to know too much to get from one side of it to the other. To pass from birth to death is quite easy if you remain oblivious to all that is going on around you. This is the way many people live their lives. Though this is the way many people live their life, what this does is to keep one from expanding and acquiring the ever-expanding new levels of knowledge, understandings, and consciousness that are now made available to all of us.

In the past, the only way to gain advanced knowledge was at an institution such as a university. This is no longer the case. It is everywhere—available to everyone. Are you taking advantage of this?

Though knowledge is out there in an abundances and many claim to seek it, there is a sub-category of those who claim to seek new knowledge and new understanding but truly are not. This subgroup is made up of people who only seek knowledge that reaffirms what they already believe and/or supports the way they already feel. For this person, new knowledge is not what they are acquiring. What they are doing is that they have already made a choice and then they seek out people, words, teachings, and understandings that support the belief(s) they already hold. Are you one of these people?

Knowledge is based upon two primary conflicting elements: that which expands the mind and gives birth to creativity and positivity and the adverse; knowledge which holds a person bound to a specific belief system where they are not allowed to think freely and are, thereby, driven into the expression of negativity in their life.

The truth is, if you seek out negativity you can find it everywhere. And, the subtle reality of negativity is that it hides in many guises and is taught via many teachings. So much so that few people ever know that negativity is what they are embracing once there are locked into its belief system. Think about it; does what you currently believe and what you are currently allowing into your mind making you feel joyous, happy, free, loving, giving, and caring? Or, is what you are concentrate upon making you feel angry, angst ridden, fearful, and spiteful? Think about it, what do you think is the better thought pattern?

Though it is sad fact of human existence that negativity haunts the mind of many people, the adverse exists, as well. If you seek out positivity, and will not settle of anything less, it is out there in abundance; it is simply just a little bit harder to find as it does not activate as much adrenaline to hold onto its essence.

What lies ahead of you in life is what you set into motion in this moment. If you open your mind without judgment and you decide to gain new understandings that you may ultimately decide to embrace or reject you can forever learn. If, on the other hand, if what you allow your life to focus upon keeps you locked into a state of stubborn, hurtful belief, and if your study inflicts negative appraisals upon others, then you will be trapped to forever live the same thought patterns over and over and over again.

Life is an ever-growing expansive place. Allow yourself to be a true part of it. Learn, grow, expand.

Copyright © 2016—All Rights Reserved

 

 Are You Aware Enough to Learn? @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Writings on Zen, Yoga, and Human Consciousness