Working with resistance

Nick E Rose, modified 8 Years ago at 1/28/16 12:53 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 1/28/16 12:51 AM

Working with resistance

Posts: 8 Join Date: 1/27/16 Recent Posts
The purpose of spiritual practice is to move toward a continuous state of maximum being. The only thing that separates you from this state is resistance.Resistance manifests as squeezing in the body and avoidance in the mind and is commonly thought of as a “problem” that needs to be solved or changed. This is a major misconception that drives us into patterns of deep suffering. In trying to change our feelings of resistance, we create resistance to resistance. When resistance occurs back-to-back, it ties a knot within the psyche. In order to untie these knots or barriers we must learn how to not resist resistance. In other words, the practice starts with “not-changing” our experience in each moment. It’s really about taking our hands off the controls. “The Buddha once asked a student, “If a person is struck by an arrow, is it painful?” The student replied, “It is."The Buddha then asked, "If the person is struck by a second arrow, is that even more painful?” The student replied again, “It is.” The Buddha then explained, “In life, we cannot control the first arrow. However, the second arrow is our reaction to the first. The second arrow is optional.”(1). The arrow of deep afflictive emotions and pain will strikes us throughout our life. The point is not to change it, but rather relax deeply into it. If you learn to relax into whatever arises in each moment whether pain or pleasure, you are on the path. If you resist it, you tighten the boundaries between you and life.

http://www.onedropzentraining.com/
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Psi, modified 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 7:05 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 7:03 PM

RE: Working with resistance

Posts: 1099 Join Date: 11/22/13 Recent Posts
Nick E Rose:
 “The Buddha once asked a student, “If a person is struck by an arrow, is it painful?” The student replied, “It is."The Buddha then asked, "If the person is struck by a second arrow, is that even more painful?” The student replied again, “It is.” The Buddha then explained, “In life, we cannot control the first arrow. However, the second arrow is our reaction to the first. The second arrow is optional.”(1). 

http://www.onedropzentraining.com/
Well, I do not know exactly what was said or proclaimed by the Buddha or not, but I do not think it was put quite like presented in the quote box above. The above quote seems to have not been actually what the Buddha said, not that we know what he actually said or not, but...  The above quote does seem to be a definite watered down version and a slight misrepresentation of what the Buddha said.

The Buddha's Teaching are complete and concise, and standd on their own. But, the teachings do not stand so well when parts ar eomitted or ignored.  I do not understand how someone can make up and say that the Buddha said this or that, and it not at least be found in the Pali Canon, or another traditions Scripture.

Though I do understand what you and the quote seem to be pointing to, I am not arguing  your point so much as I would like to present what was actually passed down through the centuries and attributed to the Buddha.

I would also add that the second arrow is not optional in an untrained mind, as it seems to be referenced in the above quote from someone.  Another point is that an untrained mind tries to remedy the situation by chasing after a pleasant stream of sensations, this too can be a chasing of one's tail.  Again, another situation, not pointed out in the above boxed quote, and possibly not fully understood by the quoters.

Here is how I have read the Teaching.

Just FYI

Thus I have read:

SN 36.6 PTS: S iv 207 CDB ii 1263
                                    Sallatha Sutta: The Dart                                      translated from the Pali byNyanaponika Thera
© 1998Alternate translation: Thanissaro

"An untaught worldling, O monks, experiences pleasant feelings, he experiences painful feelings and he experiences neutral feelings. A well-taught noble disciple likewise experiences pleasant, painful and neutral feelings. Now what is the distinction, the diversity, the difference that exists herein between a well-taught noble disciple and an untaught worldling?

"When an untaught worldling is touched by a painful (bodily) feeling, he worries and grieves, he laments, beats his breast, weeps and is distraught. He thus experiences two kinds of feelings, a bodily and a mental feeling. It is as if a man were pierced by a dart and, following the first piercing, he is hit by a second dart. So that person will experience feelings caused by two darts. It is similar with an untaught worldling: when touched by a painful (bodily) feeling, he worries and grieves, he laments, beats his breast, weeps and is distraught. So he experiences two kinds of feeling: a bodily and a mental feeling.

"Having been touched by that painful feeling, he resists (and resents) it. Then in him who so resists (and resents) that painful feeling, an underlying tendency of resistance against that painful feeling comes to underlie (his mind). Under the impact of that painful feeling he then proceeds to enjoy sensual happiness. And why does he do so? An untaught worldling, O monks, does not know of any other escape from painful feelings except the enjoyment of sensual happiness. Then in him who enjoys sensual happiness, an underlying tendency to lust for pleasant feelings comes to underlie (his mind). He does not know, according to facts, the arising and ending of these feelings, nor the gratification, the danger and the escape, connected with these feelings. In him who lacks that knowledge, an underlying tendency to ignorance as to neutral feelings comes to underlie (his mind). When he experiences a pleasant feeling, a painful feeling or a neutral feeling, he feels it as one fettered by it. Such a one, O monks, is called an untaught worldling who is fettered by birth, by old age, by death, by sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair. He is fettered by suffering, this I declare.

"But in the case of a well-taught noble disciple, O monks, when he is touched by a painful feeling, he will not worry nor grieve and lament, he will not beat his breast and weep, nor will he be distraught. It is one kind of feeling he experiences, a bodily one, but not a mental feeling. It is as if a man were pierced by a dart, but was not hit by a second dart following the first one. So this person experiences feelings caused by a single dart only. It is similar with a well-taught noble disciple: when touched by a painful feeling, he will no worry nor grieve and lament, he will not beat his breast and weep, nor will he be distraught. He experiences one single feeling, a bodily one.

"Having been touched by that painful feeling, he does not resist (and resent) it. Hence, in him no underlying tendency of resistance against that painful feeling comes to underlie (his mind). Under the impact of that painful feeling he does not proceed to enjoy sensual happiness. And why not? As a well-taught noble disciple he knows of an escape from painful feelings other than by enjoying sensual happiness. Then in him who does not proceed to enjoy sensual happiness, no underlying tendency to lust for pleasant feelings comes to underlie (his mind). He knows, according to facts, the arising and ending of those feelings, and the gratification, the danger and the escape connected with these feelings. In him who knows thus, no underlying tendency to ignorance as to neutral feelings comes to underlie (his mind). When he experiences a pleasant feeling, a painful feeling or a neutral feeling, he feels it as one who is not fettered by it. Such a one, O monks, is called a well-taught noble disciple who is not fettered by birth, by old age, by death, by sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair. He is not fettered to suffering, this I declare.

"This, O monks, is the distinction, the diversity, the difference that exists between a well-taught noble disciple and an untaught worldling."
With Peace, 

Psi

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Eva Nie, modified 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 7:55 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 2/4/16 7:55 PM

RE: Working with resistance

Posts: 831 Join Date: 3/23/14 Recent Posts
Yes, hard to say what Gautama said for sure as the current version of pali canon was written about 1,000 years after he died and scholars say there is much evidence that edits and changes with differing and dualing versions going on through that time.  The version we have now is the one that 'won' the war of versions.  I do agree the majority woudl agree that a trained mind could potentially avoid the 'second arrow.'  However, what is not agreed on is how to train the mind to get to that point.  I do not see anything in the sutta that says the way to get a trained mind is to "not resist the resistance."  Be it true or not, the sutta is not evidence for it.
-Eva 
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Noah, modified 8 Years ago at 2/5/16 11:20 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 2/5/16 11:20 AM

RE: Working with resistance

Posts: 1467 Join Date: 7/6/13 Recent Posts
Eva:

I do not see anything in the sutta that says the way to get a trained mind is to "not resist the resistance." 


I like the approach of scruitinizing what is, and is not, in the suttas.  However. I have to agree with this point, because I believe that the idea of nonresistance can be directly extrapolated from the two of the seven factors of enlightenment- investigation (which suggests a careful watching and not fighting-with) and equanimity (which suggests a balancing of auxiliary mental qualities which would otherwise be doing the fighting).
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