personal blog since 2004
The audio blog of Soulcruzer aka Clay Lowe.
Transcript
Life Lessons from the Dude and the Zen Master?
Do you remember the movie “The Big Lebowski?” I was a big fan of the Dude, so when I saw this book, The Dude and the Zen Master, I snatched it up.
Introduction
The Dude and the Zen Master was published in 2005 by Jeff Bridges and Bernie Glassman. In this book, they recount the story of their friendship, which started when they were working on the film The Big Lebowski. Over time, their friendship led them to wonder if there was a better way for humans to live than what we usually do.
They came up with three ideas that could help us all be happier:
1) Think for yourself instead of relying on others’ opinions;
2) Understand that nobody knows anything about how life works;
3) That most things we hear about how we should live our lives are wrong (and therefore ineffective).
The big idea of this book is that you are not who you think you are.
The big idea of this book is that you are not who you think you are. In other words, if you listen to what other people tell you about how to live your life and then follow their advice, chances are good that it won’t work out very well for you.
But why should we care about thinking for ourselves? because most things we hear about how we should live our lives are wrong.
Which is why, as a coach, i steer clear of being prescriptive.
In this book, we come to see that the way we have been told to live our lives doesn’t work for us.
The first thing we learn from The Dude and the Zen Master is that the way we have been told to live our lives doesn’t work for us. We have been told to do things like get a good education, follow our dreams, and be happy in our jobs. These things sound great, but what if you wanted to be a rock star? Or maybe you just want to take some time off from school so that you can travel around Europe before getting back into your studies? What if happiness means being able to spend time with your family instead of traveling or getting into some other career?
In this book, we come to see that our lives are not what we think they are and neither are they what we want them to be—they’re simply our lives.
We don’t always get what we want; sometimes life has other plans for us. This is okay because it means that instead of focusing on what hasn’t worked out yet (or perhaps never will), we can focus on finding ways forward in the present moment with whatever skills and resources at hand.
The Buddha said that all humans suffer and that the cause of suffering is wanting things to be different than they are.
The Buddha said that all humans suffer and that the cause of suffering is wanting things to be different than they are. This is a very simple, but important insight. What does this mean? It means that you can’t control everything around you, so being frustrated and angry about it will only make things worse for yourself. If you want your life to improve, then focus on improving your attitude instead of trying to control everything around you.
So if something doesn’t come easily right away—like getting ripped abs or finding lasting love—just accept where you’re at right now while continuing on with whatever it is that makes sense for your life right now!
According to the authors, “The only way out of delusion and suffering is waking up to reality as it actually is.” This book shows us how to do this.
Conclusion
So, what’s the takeaway? I think we need to realize that we are not who we think we are. We have been told by all sorts of people for all sorts of reasons about what we should and shouldn’t do in order to be happy, healthy, and successful in life. This book shows us why these ideas don’t work for us personally and how this has contributed to our unhappiness in life.
This is my Flipboard social magazine covering what's happening at the intersection of VR, social tech, learning tech, business, gaming, community, society, and the Metaverse.
The Meta/Quest 2 is a standalone VR headset, which means you don't need a computer to use it. If you're just getting into VR, I'd recommend the Quest 2. The price is decent and the performance is superb. It's my VR headset of choice.
Use my link to get £23 store credit for games.
OK. Finally I have done every thing that needs to be done before I hit the dusty trail. The plan is to hobo around Europe for 3 weeks mit packed out 4×4 and tent. I have a very loose plan, but mainly plan to play it by ear and see...
The time for our trip is growing closer. I can feel the pull of the open road. My mind has already begun to dissolve the ordinary world. I am now in that twilight period where I am neither here nor there. I am becoming more aware of the wisdom contained...
I found these little gems down a side street in Oxford, near Radcliffe Square: click on the photo for a larger view.
Nihilism – A view point that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is senseless and useless.
In the province of the mind, what is believed to be true is true or becomes true, within limits to be found experimentally and experientially. These limits are further beliefs to be transcended. In the province of the mind, there are no limits. – John C. Lilly
Lao Tzu wrote a wonderful book called the Tao Te Ching, the Book of the Way. In the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu expounds upon the teachings of the Tao, the universal force that governs all things. Technically speaking, one cannot be taught the Tao directly because as Lao Tzu...
may the road rise to meet you may the wind be always at your back may the sun shine warm upon your face the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand
I’m in Newcastle for the next couple of days. This is my first visit. I’m not quite sure what to make of the place yet. It’s been less than a day so I’ll reserve my opinion until later. How do you get to know a city? Hold that question because...
I decided to go for an early morning walk. I like to watch a city wake up. Even at 5am London is alive and pulsing. Workers are turning up to the big department stores to clean them and stock shelves. McDonalds is serving coffee. A call girl is on her...
I can see how easy it is to be surrounded by hundreds of people and yet still feel lonely. I am sitting outside a coffee house on Oxford Street watching all these people walk past. The odds are I will never cross paths with any of these people again. We...
Some of my favorite quotes from Spinoza: “The rational person is the one who strives always to increase his power, to change passion to action, and to secure for himself joy, independence and serenity that are the true marks of freedom. To achieve this condition, however, is to amend our...
