binding the mind
n was kind enough to stop by this evening, and we ordered north beach pizza home for dinner. north beach used to be the heavenliest pizza when i was an undergrad. i wonder what the fuss was all about :). it's just plain old regular pizza. with jalapenos and pineapple, too.
there were several dinner conversations (or should i say question-answer sessions? ;) that entertained. one of them entailed n asking me if i was placing too many restrictions on the mind. if i remember correctly, this stemmed from my telling him about my thought experiment of imagining that when i spoke, the entire world could hear my words. (this was done with the intent of controlling my speech, in line with post below, until i was able to let go of the training wheels. i still do it sometimes, for it appears to be a foolproof means of ensuring that the kindness gatekeeper is satisfied.)
so then - is it undesirable to place restrictions on the mind? perhaps, when these restrictions curb creativity and keep the mind from healthful, wholesome growth. but i do believe that if the restrictions are placed in line with the growth process of purifying the mind, they are entirely well-suited. an obvious example that comes to mind is that i now floss instinctively every night, thanks to the constant positive reinforcement of "i love to floss" (thank you for this brilliant idea, c).
some virtues we are born with; others we must cultivate until they become instinctual. no big deal. if honesty doesn't come instinctively, can it not be cultivated? i do believe i'm an honest person, but there was a time that i would lie about brushing my teeth. is there anything wrong with having placed a restriction on my mind to practice honesty? and what about vegetarianism?
the point, i think, is this. we need to find out who we really are - in acorn form, as well as in the form of the already-existent oak. this oak then embodies all our ideals, and pulls the acorn toward itself. but the process of growing into the oak must come at a (rather low, if you ask me) price. that price is in the restrictions that we must place on our minds in the form of discipline, to get from point a to point b, that is - from acorn to oak. to begin with, this may be hard work. but habit turns to instinct, soon enough. believe it, it is truth.
there were several dinner conversations (or should i say question-answer sessions? ;) that entertained. one of them entailed n asking me if i was placing too many restrictions on the mind. if i remember correctly, this stemmed from my telling him about my thought experiment of imagining that when i spoke, the entire world could hear my words. (this was done with the intent of controlling my speech, in line with post below, until i was able to let go of the training wheels. i still do it sometimes, for it appears to be a foolproof means of ensuring that the kindness gatekeeper is satisfied.)
so then - is it undesirable to place restrictions on the mind? perhaps, when these restrictions curb creativity and keep the mind from healthful, wholesome growth. but i do believe that if the restrictions are placed in line with the growth process of purifying the mind, they are entirely well-suited. an obvious example that comes to mind is that i now floss instinctively every night, thanks to the constant positive reinforcement of "i love to floss" (thank you for this brilliant idea, c).
some virtues we are born with; others we must cultivate until they become instinctual. no big deal. if honesty doesn't come instinctively, can it not be cultivated? i do believe i'm an honest person, but there was a time that i would lie about brushing my teeth. is there anything wrong with having placed a restriction on my mind to practice honesty? and what about vegetarianism?
the point, i think, is this. we need to find out who we really are - in acorn form, as well as in the form of the already-existent oak. this oak then embodies all our ideals, and pulls the acorn toward itself. but the process of growing into the oak must come at a (rather low, if you ask me) price. that price is in the restrictions that we must place on our minds in the form of discipline, to get from point a to point b, that is - from acorn to oak. to begin with, this may be hard work. but habit turns to instinct, soon enough. believe it, it is truth.
1 comment:
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