Beyond Likes & Dislikes

The great Zen master, Seng-Ts'an, wrote, "The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences. When love and hate are both absent everything becomes clear and undisguised."

So true, especially when you can see how this works in self-defense. When being attacked you have to suspend like or dislike and deal with the situation NOW!  It goes beyond whether you like it or not. Your life depends on you being in the moment and flowing with the action. Get caught in mental discourse of like and dislike you can kiss your ass goodbye.

So, addressing this in life. Same thing applies. Basic life is beyond your likes and dislikes. Life throws stuff at you and presents you with many situations. Some desirable. Others not. But to be caught between like/dislike... these preferences you lose your way. It causes suffering and you become reactive to life rather than flow with life.

Today, as I type this, I am a bit run down with a cold. It is beyond my likes or dislikes. Just flow with it and allow it to take its course. I will flow with it...and the snot. It is all part of the big cosmic dance of life. It is beyond our likes and dislikes...afterall, think about this...

...When someone is trying to beat your brains in to rob you do you think they are going to stop just because you don't like it? Neither will life stop because you feel like 'bad'. It is beyond likes and dislikes. Make sense? You gotta be tough and face the moment. When you do...as Seng-Ts'an says, "..everything becomes clear and undisguised." The Now or Tao or Void or whatever you call it, opens up to you and you will be free! You are only trapped when you choose...

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen