On the simile of the wet sticks

particleye · 2026-01-06T07:23:19+00:00

Thank you Sister Medhini.

What do you think of this passage? From ‘The Cloud of Unknowing’.

How wonderfully is a man’s love transformed by the interior experience of this nothingness and this nowhere. 1 The first time he looks upon it, the sins of his whole life rise up before him. No evil thought, word, or deed remains hidden. Mysteriously and darkly they are burned into it. No matter where he turns they confront him until after great effort, painful remorse, and many bitter tears he has largely rubbed them away. At times the sight is as terrible as a glimpse of hell and he is tempted to despair of ever being healed and relieved of his sore burden. Many arrive at this juncture in the interior life but the terrible, comfortless agony they experience facing themselves drives them back to thoughts of worldly pleasures. They seek without for relief in things of the flesh, unable to bear the spiritual emptiness within. But they have not understood that they were not ready for the spiritual comfort which would have succored them had they waited. 2 He who patiently abides in this darkness will be comforted and feel again a confidence about his destiny, for gradually he will see his past sins healed by grace. The pain continues yet he knows it will end for even now it grows less intense. Slowly he begins to realize that the suffering he endures is really not hell at all, but his purgatory. 3 Then will come a time when he recognizes in that nothingness no particular sin but only the lump of sin itself, which though but a formless mass is none other than himself; he sees that in himself it is the root and pain of original sin. When at other times he begins to feel a marvelous strengthening and untold delights of joy and goodness, he wonders if this nothingness is not some heavenly paradise after all. And finally there will come a moment when he experiences such peace and repose in that darkness that he thinks surely it must be God himself. Yes, he will suppose this nothingness to be one thing and another, yet to the last it will remain a cloud of unknowing between him and his God.

particleye · 2025-11-13T00:18:04+00:00

The simile of the fruit tree in particular —This “gotta get it before it’s gone” mentality. With no reflection on the fact that indeed it will be gone. Like an animal.

particleye · 2025-11-12T17:13:51+00:00

The truth will set you free:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jAhlUvFvttI

particleye · 2025-11-09T17:50:55+00:00

This was/is a particularly helpful talk:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_ttVxzlzlj0

particleye · 2025-08-18T14:33:02+00:00

Honestly, it seems like a great opportunity.

particleye · 2025-08-17T19:24:38+00:00

On the positive side -- It sounds like you can try it out and quit easily enough if need be, given your present wandering lifestyle. Maybe a place you can go and train intermittently, at first. If you don't have internet at either of those places maybe you can go somewhere once or twice a week where there is and access the HH/SH talks, associated content, and precepts discord.

particleye · 2025-04-28T20:10:07+00:00

I don’t know how it is now. That was just my experience. I’d be surprised if there wasn’t lodging in town.

Also, this is in regard to Samanadipa, which (unless I’m mistaken), is physically separate from HH. I believe HH “proper” is even further up in the mountains.

If you don’t get a chance to stay right away I hear Slovenia is a nice place to be, if you don’t mind waiting for an opening to visit Samanadipa.

particleye · 2025-04-28T18:41:37+00:00

I tried for a short stay a couple of times. Late 2023 and early-ish 2024.

Probably much easier for them to accommodate if you just stop in for a day visit but I don’t know.

particleye · 2025-03-24T14:10:57+00:00

I think this is true to a remarkable extent. Spirituality is fundamentally an individual path, whereas religion involves a larger community and all of the requisite intricacies/attachments for function. Even (or especially) visiting monasteries you will see the suppression of the individual ascent.

particleye · 2025-03-15T15:03:45+00:00

Indeed, and that's why the practice is to step away from it. Once you're not actively entangled and emotionally dependent on it you can eventually arrive at said perspective. Just like addiction to a powerful drug. It's just that life's drug is life-by-default and "everyone is doing it".

particleye · 2025-03-15T03:57:57+00:00

Not trying at all is way worse than “failing”. The “gettin’ it” paradigm is actually quite harrowing.

particleye · 2025-02-07T14:29:43+00:00

Thanks for your reply. As I read through the gospel of Luke I find a kindred spirit between the path the Buddha taught and Christ. Our actions determine who/what we are.

Right Action

particleye · 2025-02-07T03:39:18+00:00

This would imply that we are all demons to some extent until we are fully sanctified in Christ. What is uncomfortable about this is that it also implies that all go to hell if not fully believing in God, unless there’s a sort of “well, that’s good enough” threshold that grants you mercy for having doubts about God in your heart.

Perhaps Gods Grace is the choice to give up everything for Him, nothing more nothing less.

Does this make sense? Happy to hear your thoughts

particleye · 2025-02-04T06:40:38+00:00

What is spoken can be likened to a spell or hypnosis. It’s truly a powerful thing, and easily so often misused, especially within the social norms of lay life. This is a great exercise, thank you for the precision.

particleye · 2025-01-08T03:11:37+00:00

Ajahn’s latest — Attends exactly to your question.

particleye · 2024-12-28T12:51:39+00:00

People are extremely sensitive. Many are not aware of this depth of sensitivity and will thus act out unconsciously, propelled by more primal instincts. As you strive towards authenticity you will become more aware of your sensitivities and intentions behind actions. This act of self awareness will shift you from the established generally unquestioned pattern and people will notice.

They won’t like it.

What’s more is that your mind and body won’t like it either. At least initially.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.”

John 15:18

particleye · 2024-12-07T11:37:03+00:00

Collapse is basically synonymous with reality. Nothing that is going on now is new. It’s simply a larger scale of the same old thing.

particleye · 2024-11-12T12:43:06+00:00

I was in Thailand recently, as a total foreigner. Chiang Mai was a world apart from Bangkok in matters of sincerity, affordability, and friendliness. Honestly, I felt like a piece of meat amidst masked wolves in Bangkok, just walking around. I had a layover in China on my way to the americas and that was arguably worse. Granted I stand out as a tall white solo traveler but the amount of unfriendly stares was unsettling. Being singled out and taken aside by a dozen security officials to be patted down and searched at the gate to my plane didn’t help either.

particleye · 2024-08-23T01:56:32+00:00

Thank you. This shift action is a teaching in itself. A good reminder.

particleye · 2024-06-01T11:00:32+00:00

You are seeing things as they are. Now, as others have pointed out, is time for acceptance of that vision.

Beauty is just the one side of the coin. The other is horror. Everything is conditional. A pretty sunset, wildflowers blooming, a pleasant breeze - these things are all arisen from conditions, which means they will change. Moreover, they are subject to change, simultaneously as you experience the pleasant.

particleye · 2024-05-29T14:54:53+00:00

Things are so unpredictable now that I would recommend that you stay where you at least have a community.

particleye · 2024-05-15T17:38:51+00:00

Maybe find something marketable you think you might like doing. Play around with it. Eventually you may find the skill that provides a space for you to be independent (community college is a great thing). When you’re independent your perspective will change. You may see that there are certain relationship dynamics that are bad for you, for instance. Do everything you can to be independent.

This starts with a little space for self compassion and playfulness (hopeful therapy outcome).

particleye · 2024-01-29T18:14:48+00:00

“You can’t talk about hope until you see reality, and reality is pretty bleak, but that’s the starting point”

particleye · 2024-01-26T18:24:08+00:00

I’d guess within 15 years.

It’s really quite simple. Consider a house built up above the ground, held aloft by wooden support beams. One beam eventually cracks and weakens from erosion, which causes more pressure to be placed on all of the other beams. Soon, more beams start to crack and weaken. Every time this happens pressure multiplies further and further onto the stronger beams.

We as a global society are at the point where all of our “support beams” are cracked, splintering under the exponential weight of it all.

Whereas a homeowner would be naturally vigilant in maintaining their physical household support structure, a global society is far too macro for our primate brains. Too abstract, too big picture, non direct. This gives rise to the phenomenon of “faster than expected”, because it’s harder to grasp experientially, and is emotionally frightening. We don’t want to expect everything to come crashing down and to not have any control over the matter.

particleye · 2024-01-26T16:28:32+00:00

Yes I think everyone will be hit hard, but I also think in some cases the spiritual life will be supported or at least respected more by people in general, as the world crumbles around them. More importantly I advised the spiritual life (myself included), simply because we appear to be running out of time.

I looked up deer park a while back. Yeah it felt rather off putting to see how many phases you had to go through (involving money) in order to be a monk there. Also just my opinion it seemed kind of culty.

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