Looking at Buddhism through a "Dojo-lens"

Damn but I love our morning coffee and conversations. She with her tea, me with my coffee, out in the sunroom, day breaking, lots of windows, and all kinds of conversations.

Watched a show on the Buddha last night so, of course, the conversation went around to “enlightenment”. 

Very interesting seeing what that looks like through a “Dojo-lens”. 

From what I understand, suffering is the thing that Buddhism points at.

Suffering arises from grasping. 

Grasping is wanting/demanding that things be different than what they are. 

Clenching about what is instead of being open-handed.

So how does that dance with Dojo?

How does that translate into Dojo-speak.

I def believe that Buddha was pointing at something that Dojo can point to as well.

Given that times have moved on and that the cultural matrix from which I look at what the Buddha was pointing at is going to be different, some translation is necessary.

From a Dojo perspective, the natural state of human being is from a Box of Self (BOS). 

It’s how reality is cut up, parceled out, and valued. 

The BOS wants you in a predictable place.

BOS translates “predictable” to “safe”. 

BOS doesn’t care about what you are experiencing, as long as it’s predictable.

One of the greatest methodologies of keeping itself in the driver’s seat is to convince you that you are the BOS. 

Well, that you are the character defined by the BOS.

In Dojo-speak, “Keeping you self-identified with your character.”

For the BOS, things “having to” be a certain way is a great way to stay in the driver’s seat.

“Have to” is Dojo-speak for “grasping”. 

When you are completely self-identified with your character, things have to be defined in a certain way, things have to go a certain way, certain feelings are acceptable, certain feelings are unacceptable. 

From a Buddhist perspective, the natural you is locked onto the wheel of samsara.

So, with Dojo, an objective is to de-self-identify with your primal character. 

If you can do that all the way, I think you have achieved the first level of unlocking yourself from the wheel of samsara. 

You have taken the first step in being “enlightened”. 

You no longer believe that anything has to be.

You no longer grasp. 

You sure as hell still have preferences.