Pondering in a bar at four in the morning. #2

Dear fellow players,

another day, another little story and thinking about our inner selfs.

Having looked at negative external influences last time ( https://app.warera.io/article/6a4c0c9c5513b51b19f33eb7 ), today I’d like to take a closer look with you at our inner world and its effect on our thinking.
It often strikes me in the chats that provocations occur and players react to them. I think many believe they are simply reacting to an external circumstance. What many fail to realise, however, is that they are initially reacting to their own inner attitude towards what has been said or written. To illustrate this, I’d like to share another story with you:

Heaven and Hell: a Zen parable

A tough, brawny samurai once approached a Zen master who was deep in meditation.

Impatient and discourteous, the samurai demanded in his husky voice so accustomed to forceful yelling, “Tell me the nature of heaven and hell.”

The Zen master opened his eyes, looked the samurai in the face, and replied with a certain scorn, “Why should I answer to a shabby, disgusting, despondent slob like you? A worm like you, do you think I should tell you anything? I can’t stand you. Get out of my sight. I have no time for silly questions.”

The samurai could not bear these insults. Consumed by rage, he drew his sword and raised it to sever the master’s head at once.

Looking straight into the samurai’s eyes, the Zen master tenderly declared, “That’s hell.”

The samurai froze. He immediately understood that anger had him in its grip. His mind had just created his own hell—one filled with resentment, hatred, self-defense, and fury. He realized that he was so deep in his torment that he was ready to kill somebody.

The samurai’s eyes filled with tears. Setting his sword aside, he put his palms together and obsequiously bowed in gratitude for this insight.

The Zen master gently acknowledged with a delicate smile, “And that’s heaven.”

I think this story illustrates very well how our innermost selves influence our behaviour. However, one thing is important to bear in mind: it is not helpful to stop thinking or feeling altogether. Thinking protects us in important situations in our lives and helps us move forward. But in difficult situations, this thinking can often lead us to become increasingly negative and, in the end, to harm ourselves. So how can we deal with this?

I think we do not have to do anything but become aware of it and choose to let it go rather than hold on to it. Most of us have been conditioned to ‘fight’ our thinking, which only makes things worse and leads to the agonising experience we call ‘overthinking’. The solution to this is not about doing more but about not doing what is causing the suffering. It is not a process of force but one of flow. By becoming aware that we are thinking and that this is the root cause of our suffering, we can detach from it, allowing it to settle and pass. Whilst it may seem counterintuitive, the best way to end negative feelings is to stop resisting and avoiding them. What we resist persists. What we accept and let be will inevitably leave.

I’d like to include a suitable quote here again:

"I think and think and think, Ive thought myself out of happiness one million times, but never once into it."

- Jonathan Safran Foer

Have a good night and see you next time.

Coolest regards from your local bar.

PS:

I’d like to point out that all funds donated for this article will go directly to my country, Thailand, so that we can soon live in peace with all our neighbouring regions and countries. Thank you very much for your support! :)