A great book, great litterature.
Ramesh S. Balsekar mentioned this book in a book by him "Confusion no more." Larry, one of the characters in the book went to India. The name of Ramana Maharsi was never mentioned in the book, but it is somehow clear that it could have been only Maharsi whom Larry had seen in India.
The author is part of the story. From time to time he meets the people he has described in the book. Paris and the South of France, London, Chicago, cities in Germany, India are the places where the story plays, it's the time before the Second World War. The depression in the US influenced the life of the people of the book. History is connected with these different walks of life.
It was a lively, exciting book.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Novice to master by Soko Morinaga
Novice to master by Soko Morinaga has the subtitle : an ongoing lesson in the extent of my own stupidity. I guess this nice subtitle made me buy this book.
Morinaga is a Zen master, the book is an autobiography.
It has 3 parts: novice, training, master.
Part I: Novice
The core statements of this part were:
- there is no trash, any work is worth to be honored (even cleaning)
- Never think "I can't do it". If you think you can't do it, you also won't be able to do it
- Important is the relationship between student and master. The author told very interesting stories. I cannot summarize it. It is better to read the book.
- At the end of part I the author had to go a monastery to go on with his studies. On his very last day he was given some money with the words: "for the disposal of your corpse". Meant is, that now he will learn to let go of the ego. "No matter how cleverly we might manipulate ideas, coming right down to it, our real motive is to pamper our own precious selves. Unless we practice to overcome the obstinate attachment to looking out for our own dear person first, we cannot open our mind's eyes. (p.63)
- Courage for Morinaga means to stick to the original resolution, no matter what will come, how difficult it might be.
Part II:
In short: no food, if food, then bad food, not enough sleep, very strict routines, stern masters, begging, koans.
Part III:
Part three is about death, which is part of life like birth. Everybody has to die there is no doubt. It is difficult to prepare because those who are dead cannot tell how it is to die and the others do not know.
The life of Morinaga seems to be rather ascetic and hard, so I wondered about the last sentences: "And as I've mentioned, when I end a lecture, I often ask everyone to please forget everything I have just said. But nonetheless, it is my earnest desire that this clumsy narrative be a stimulus that may, in some way, help you to lead your own life - living each and every instant with great care, aware that just this is the great, dynamic, lively dancing life." (p. 154)
Morinaga is a Zen master, the book is an autobiography.
It has 3 parts: novice, training, master.
Part I: Novice
The core statements of this part were:
- there is no trash, any work is worth to be honored (even cleaning)
- Never think "I can't do it". If you think you can't do it, you also won't be able to do it
- Important is the relationship between student and master. The author told very interesting stories. I cannot summarize it. It is better to read the book.
- At the end of part I the author had to go a monastery to go on with his studies. On his very last day he was given some money with the words: "for the disposal of your corpse". Meant is, that now he will learn to let go of the ego. "No matter how cleverly we might manipulate ideas, coming right down to it, our real motive is to pamper our own precious selves. Unless we practice to overcome the obstinate attachment to looking out for our own dear person first, we cannot open our mind's eyes. (p.63)
- Courage for Morinaga means to stick to the original resolution, no matter what will come, how difficult it might be.
Part II:
In short: no food, if food, then bad food, not enough sleep, very strict routines, stern masters, begging, koans.
Part III:
Part three is about death, which is part of life like birth. Everybody has to die there is no doubt. It is difficult to prepare because those who are dead cannot tell how it is to die and the others do not know.
The life of Morinaga seems to be rather ascetic and hard, so I wondered about the last sentences: "And as I've mentioned, when I end a lecture, I often ask everyone to please forget everything I have just said. But nonetheless, it is my earnest desire that this clumsy narrative be a stimulus that may, in some way, help you to lead your own life - living each and every instant with great care, aware that just this is the great, dynamic, lively dancing life." (p. 154)
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Self-discipline in 10 days by Theodore Bryant
How to go from thinking to doing.
Part One:
The insights from chapter one: There is a part of you that does not want self-discipline. I can agree with this sentence. Yes, I know this, I experience this from time to time. That seems to be a common issue. This part of the self has different faces: cynisism, negativism, defeatism, escapism, delayism.
First conclusion: consider the part of you that does not want to be self-disciplined as a partner not an enemy that you have to defeat.
Self talk: Even if you don't notice it consciously self talk is going on and on.
Action oriented self-talk overrules self-defeating self-talk by being positive, specific and present tense.
Example: Say to yourself: I am cleaning the windows. Repeat it and say it even aloud. Repetition is important.
Avoid words like "I should", "I have to", as it means that someone else wants you to do something. Better is to say "I choose to...".
Definition of self-discipline:
Firstly it is a skill that can be learned.
"Self-discipline, then, is the skill to direct and regulate all the various parts of our personality so that rather than being immobilized by inner conflict, all of our psychological element are pulling together in the same direction - toward your consciously chosen goals." (p. 44)
It is important to be aware of the mental blocks.
Examples of blocks are:
- fear of failure
- fear of success
- fear of rejection
- fear of mediocrity
- fear of risks
Part two:
The ten day self-discipline developoment system:
Day One: Fear of Failure:
Part One:
The insights from chapter one: There is a part of you that does not want self-discipline. I can agree with this sentence. Yes, I know this, I experience this from time to time. That seems to be a common issue. This part of the self has different faces: cynisism, negativism, defeatism, escapism, delayism.
First conclusion: consider the part of you that does not want to be self-disciplined as a partner not an enemy that you have to defeat.
Self talk: Even if you don't notice it consciously self talk is going on and on.
Action oriented self-talk overrules self-defeating self-talk by being positive, specific and present tense.
Example: Say to yourself: I am cleaning the windows. Repeat it and say it even aloud. Repetition is important.
Avoid words like "I should", "I have to", as it means that someone else wants you to do something. Better is to say "I choose to...".
Definition of self-discipline:
Firstly it is a skill that can be learned.
"Self-discipline, then, is the skill to direct and regulate all the various parts of our personality so that rather than being immobilized by inner conflict, all of our psychological element are pulling together in the same direction - toward your consciously chosen goals." (p. 44)
It is important to be aware of the mental blocks.
Examples of blocks are:
- fear of failure
- fear of success
- fear of rejection
- fear of mediocrity
- fear of risks
Part two:
The ten day self-discipline developoment system:
Day One: Fear of Failure:
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Don't worry, be fifty von Schönberger, Margit
Untertitel des Buches:
Plötzlich bist du 50 - und die Welt ist voller Möglichkeiten.
Margit Schönberger:
Margit Schönberger ist Jounalistin, hat bereits andere erfolgreiche Bücher veröffentlicht (Wir sind rund, na und? z.B. und Mein Chef ist ein Arschloch, Ihrer auch?). Sie arbeitete in der Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit einer großen Verlagsgruppe. Mit 50 machte sie sich als Literaturagentin selbstständig. Margit Schönberger ist verheiratet und lebt in München.
Das Buch:
Auch mit 50 ist das Leben noch nicht zu Ende und man kann Neues wagen. Das ist der Tenor des Buches. Was Frau Schöneberger betrifft, so heiratete Sie nach 50 noch einmal, aus Liebe. Man erfährt lustige Geschichten aus dem Berufsleben. Und sie hat den Mut es zu wagen mit über 50 dem stressigen Berufsleben den Rücken zu kehren und selbst noch was auf die Beine zu stellen und das auch erfolgreich. Der Gewinn: ein selbstgewählter Lebensstil, frei einteilbare Zeit. Aber auch sonst gibt's keine Tabus: Schminke, Figur, Brille, Schuhe, Arbeitssucht,Urlaube usw.
Das Buch ist optimistisch, lustig geschrieben. Ich habe es nicht mehr zur Seite gelegt. Reich an Episoden hat man nach der Lektüre auch einiges zu erzählen: Zum Beispiel wenn der Heilpraktiker sich den Rücken von ihr einreiben lässt und dies als eindeutige Situation missinterpretiert wird. Wenn dieser Heilpraktiker dann mit Katzenfell am Rücken gegen den Hexenschuss doch noch unbeweglich hinter dem Pult stehend, eine Rede über Gesundheit hält, find ich das auch urkomisch.
Sich mit Büchern zu beschäftigen ist bestimmt eine Berufung für Frau Schönberger, der barfüßigen Gräfin. Ich freu mich auf weitere Bücher.
Auch die Umschlaggestaltung hat mir gut gefallen:
ZERO Werbeagentur, München
Umschlagabbildung: Ogger, Christin
Plötzlich bist du 50 - und die Welt ist voller Möglichkeiten.
Margit Schönberger:
Margit Schönberger ist Jounalistin, hat bereits andere erfolgreiche Bücher veröffentlicht (Wir sind rund, na und? z.B. und Mein Chef ist ein Arschloch, Ihrer auch?). Sie arbeitete in der Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit einer großen Verlagsgruppe. Mit 50 machte sie sich als Literaturagentin selbstständig. Margit Schönberger ist verheiratet und lebt in München.
Das Buch:
Auch mit 50 ist das Leben noch nicht zu Ende und man kann Neues wagen. Das ist der Tenor des Buches. Was Frau Schöneberger betrifft, so heiratete Sie nach 50 noch einmal, aus Liebe. Man erfährt lustige Geschichten aus dem Berufsleben. Und sie hat den Mut es zu wagen mit über 50 dem stressigen Berufsleben den Rücken zu kehren und selbst noch was auf die Beine zu stellen und das auch erfolgreich. Der Gewinn: ein selbstgewählter Lebensstil, frei einteilbare Zeit. Aber auch sonst gibt's keine Tabus: Schminke, Figur, Brille, Schuhe, Arbeitssucht,Urlaube usw.
Das Buch ist optimistisch, lustig geschrieben. Ich habe es nicht mehr zur Seite gelegt. Reich an Episoden hat man nach der Lektüre auch einiges zu erzählen: Zum Beispiel wenn der Heilpraktiker sich den Rücken von ihr einreiben lässt und dies als eindeutige Situation missinterpretiert wird. Wenn dieser Heilpraktiker dann mit Katzenfell am Rücken gegen den Hexenschuss doch noch unbeweglich hinter dem Pult stehend, eine Rede über Gesundheit hält, find ich das auch urkomisch.
Sich mit Büchern zu beschäftigen ist bestimmt eine Berufung für Frau Schönberger, der barfüßigen Gräfin. Ich freu mich auf weitere Bücher.
Auch die Umschlaggestaltung hat mir gut gefallen:
ZERO Werbeagentur, München
Umschlagabbildung: Ogger, Christin
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