Sense a domino effect from ordinary things

While reading Susan Murphy's book called "Upside Down Zen: A direct path to reality," I came to a section that made especially good sense to me.  As I choose to learn from various views of religion and spirituality, I highlight key points that enable me to grow.

Murphy interprets a section of The Tao Te Ching.  She reminds us how this work teaches the softest thing on Earth overcomes the hardest thing. This has implications for how we think about ourselves and the world.

What if you started to think that to truly begin to grasp mindfulness, you  need to be willing to place yourself in a situation where your heart would break? Some people believe you haven't really meditated until you have wept so deeply that you have washed away the unnecessary layers of foolishness and misconception.  Ever see a person cry for joy?

The domino effect is what happens when you begin to sense your world and your reactions to it differently.  You don't simply react mechanically as you used to do.  You begin to empathize with others, to share their feelings, and you are less desensitized. 

The images you choose to watch and absorb are not just anything anymore.  You realize you control how you think and that external influences don't effect you as they did in the past. You may not know how you will change next, or what you will transcend, but you sense change can be refreshing and exhilarating.  And, you start to look forward to it.

Comments

[Alexys Fairfield]

Liara,

It's also good to note that your degree of evolution dictates how you see, act and feel and it changes rapidly to propel you toward everything that you are.

[Harmony]

Liara,

"Softest thing in the world overcomes the hardest thing".

Is this what Jesus meant when he said, "turn the other cheek"?

The phrase leaped at me. Maybe becasue I see the action and hear the word "striving" so often now. Probably because I used to live like that, always striving. How much more peaceful to tread softly, even with the hardest things.

Thank you,
Harmony

[mergingpoint]

The perception and expression are indeed great indicators for one's own self. We are the first to realize the change thats seen, felt in our daily life.
A step to guide to the next step!

[Liara Covert]

Alexys, your point enriches this post. How you sense and what you're ready to discern all reflect your self-view. As each of us learns to realize our perception of the world is like a view of ourselves, we can also work beyond it. People who have deep external conditioning must work hardest to transcend their preconceptions and expectations.

[Liara Covert]

Harmony, 'striving' is a word that implies struggling and anticipating failure. As yougrasp feelings behind words that describe actions, you sense new significance in our journey.

[Liara Covert]

mergingpoint, as a human being, you aren't educated to think beyond what your teachers, employers, and governments want to know. Its purely your choice to learn to think for yourself, to go further, as it were. Some people believe its arrogant to assume human beings are the only life forms. We can learn not to resist miracles. Why not choose to relax and accept something beyond us knows more and can empower us to grow.