Mon, 28 Jul 2008
Fixed Ideas
This is cross-posted from an answer I gave to a sceptical guy on E-Sangha.
Fixed ideas can be a problem in Zen. It doesn't matter what the fixed ideas are about. It's the rigidity that's the problem. The sceptic and the new ager both will have problems with Zen. It's best to keep a fluid and open attitude. It's not that you're expected to believe anything beyond your experience. It's that you already carry ideas that go beyond experience, ideas that are so ingrained into your way of thinking, that they can't be pointed out to you. I'm not talking about sceptical ideas, but something much closer and personal. But I think you should practice holding all your beliefs loosely, because rigidity in one sphere will carry over into another. If you continue to practice, one day you will be surprised. How you deal with that surprise depends a lot upon your attitude. You can hold onto it very lightly or make a big deal out of it. The second choice will cause you a lot of needless problems.
