Comments on: Cling Static http://www.phoenixcentre.com/blog/2009/05/25/cling-static/ Wayne C. Allen - a simple Zen guy - writes about living and relating elegantly Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:33:12 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: 4Descriptors « Wayne C. Allen’s Phoenix Centre Blog http://www.phoenixcentre.com/blog/2009/05/25/cling-static/comment-page-1/#comment-452 4Descriptors « Wayne C. Allen’s Phoenix Centre Blog Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:11:17 +0000 http://www.phoenixcentre.com/blog/?p=268#comment-452 [...] Cling Static [...] [...] Cling Static [...]

]]> By: wayne http://www.phoenixcentre.com/blog/2009/05/25/cling-static/comment-page-1/#comment-449 wayne Tue, 26 May 2009 13:54:32 +0000 http://www.phoenixcentre.com/blog/?p=268#comment-449 Hey Peter, The first descriptor, "life is dukkha," is, to me, best translated, "Life is unsatisfactory," or as Scott Peck put it, "Life is difficult." The second is the reason for suffering, which is typically translated, "clinging." I think wanting could easily be used here, although the essence is "really wanting", as in "thirsting for." As to the rest of what you said, yes, exactly! Attachments of any sort are deadly, and especially my attachment to the thoughts I have - as to their rightness. That's the kicker! Always great hearing from you! Hey Peter,
The first descriptor, “life is dukkha,” is, to me, best translated, “Life is unsatisfactory,” or as Scott Peck put it, “Life is difficult.”
The second is the reason for suffering, which is typically translated, “clinging.” I think wanting could easily be used here, although the essence is “really wanting”, as in “thirsting for.”
As to the rest of what you said, yes, exactly! Attachments of any sort are deadly, and especially my attachment to the thoughts I have – as to their rightness.
That’s the kicker!
Always great hearing from you!

]]> By: Peter Hoban http://www.phoenixcentre.com/blog/2009/05/25/cling-static/comment-page-1/#comment-448 Peter Hoban Tue, 26 May 2009 13:47:56 +0000 http://www.phoenixcentre.com/blog/?p=268#comment-448 I am a little surprised by your discussion of the first descriptor usually translated as "suffering". This English word is perhaps a throwback to the Puritan thinking so widespread when the first translations of the teachings of other faiths were made. It is certainly a poor choice of word. What surprises me is that the contemporary word "wanting" fits the bill so adequately but it is not used. Wanting refers not only to the feelings of inadequacy which are associated with not having whatever is coveted, whether a continuation of some perceived past or some other fantasised future; the word additionally encompasses immediate insufficiency. What ever it is we want - that is wanting in our belief - and it is wanting which causes our distress. Wanting the world to be different - to be not the way it is - is of course a fantastic conceit; as if my image of how things *should be* were in some way superior. I am a little surprised by your discussion of the first descriptor usually translated as “suffering”. This English word is perhaps a throwback to the Puritan thinking so widespread when the first translations of the teachings of other faiths were made. It is certainly a poor choice of word.

What surprises me is that the contemporary word “wanting” fits the bill so adequately but it is not used.
Wanting refers not only to the feelings of inadequacy which are associated with not having whatever is coveted, whether a continuation of some perceived past or some other fantasised future; the word additionally encompasses immediate insufficiency. What ever it is we want – that is wanting in our belief – and it is wanting which causes our distress.

Wanting the world to be different – to be not the way it is – is of course a fantastic conceit; as if my image of how things *should be* were in some way superior.

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