musings on comfort

[leaves1]

I'm reading Great Eastern Sun by Chogyam Trungpa. In chapter 3, Overcoming Physical Materialism, he writes: "In medieval times,people suffered less from physical materialism, but the line between comfort and discomfort was marginal. There was not very much comfort and not very much discomfort. People were hardened and vague from that experience

Comments

[ngakmafaery]

...I agree completely that these days people use clutching at comfort as what Trungpa called 'a form of aggression': most subtly, to assert that yes, I am a me, and then to extend 'my wishes' out into the world, my preferences, and to try to make my world be the way I want...it's actually the complete opposite of true buddhism, which is to gain enough of a good view to accept what *is*...many people, especially in dzogchen and tibetan buddhism, have this complete delusion of "accept everything" as meaning "consume everything"...it's completely mistaken, and causes harm to them and others

[leaves1]

ha, I know what you mean about the plastic bags... I'm the same way

thanks for the reminder of clutching at comfort as a form of aggression... that so nails it

[ngakmafaery]

...also, Chogyam Trungpa actually wore himself out *to death* to benefit others, so he would not say that seeking comfort is the wise thing...he would say that if comfort happens, accept and enjoy it, and if it doesn't, accept and enjoy that...

[wordsonascreen]

All beings crave what's pleasant and wish to avoid what's unpleasant. It's what drives this "wandering on" (samsara). Chogyam Trungpa, as a highly adept tantrika, would have considerable equanimity towards this roller-coaster of feeling. We should strive for no less.

REFERENCE TO DEFFERENCE

[desktopdiddy]

The reference point in 'olden days' was the spoken word.