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Morality and Daily Life

RE: Fear of happiness

RE: Fear of happiness
Answer
10/4/14 2:25 PM as a reply to Max.
UPDATE FOR EVERYONE:

Got the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy book from the library, looks useful.  Wil buy a copy soon that I can mark/take notes with.
Finally gotta a little focus when I started to meditate.  
Haven't done the metta yet.

RE: Fear of happiness
Answer
10/6/14 4:48 AM as a reply to Max.
re Max (10/1/14 10:04 AM as a reply to bernd the broter.)

"want to be absolutely clear on what you're saying. "Metta for myself" means repeating "May I be happy and peaceful" (with some conviction) repeatedly for some alloted length of time?"

Lots of other good advice here, and references to the many excellent audios of metta meditations. (My favorite is one by Sharon Salzberg on a CD that once came with a Tricycle subscription.)

I would just add:

1) a common sequence of phrases, used by many authors, runs:
"may I be free from danger"
"may I be free from mental suffering,"
"may I be free from physical pain,"
"may I live with ease of heart, whatever comes my way in life" (this one from Sharon Salzberg)

Most authors encourage using what ever personal variations of words (for these basic ideas) that are most meaningful for one.

2) Note the phrasing – "may I be FREE FROM …"

It may be vague as to what 'happy' might mean; when one is in the dumps, envisioning a positive state may be, by definition,  difficult, unavailable. Therefore, using the negative phrasing – "may I be free from," i.e."NOT beset by" -- can be more vivid. One may be quite aware of lack of safety, mental anguish, out-and-out pain, or that nothing seems going right. A practical first step would be wishing, envisioning being relieved of those situations. When they ebb-away (with ernest, repeated practice), then the positive, the 'happiness' and 'peace' may emerge in terms that one might not have imagined (or vividly verbalized) when stuck back in the mire.

RE: Fear of happiness
Answer
10/6/14 4:51 AM as a reply to Richard Zen.
re Richard Zen (10/1/14 11:08 AM as a reply to Chris J Macie.)

"I think Odysseus is another good example because he's used in the Enneagram and his trials represent all 9 types."

Interesting tip. Can you point to what author / book goes into that parallel with Odysseus' trials?

RE: Fear of happiness
Answer
10/6/14 7:55 AM as a reply to Chris J Macie.
Chris J Macie:
re Richard Zen (10/1/14 11:08 AM as a reply to Chris J Macie.)

"I think Odysseus is another good example because he's used in the Enneagram and his trials represent all 9 types."

Interesting tip. Can you point to what author / book goes into that parallel with Odysseus' trials?


http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Enneagram-Paths-Greater-Self-Knowledge-ebook/dp/B00FL1HSTY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412600090&sr=8-2&keywords=Enneagram+22