I’m so sorry that I haven’t had much time for blogging and reading blogs this week. We’ve had a major project going on at work . . . I’ve been putting in 11-hour days for a week, and it’s not over yet. However, this weekend I did get the chance to relax a little. No time for loneliness this week.
I saw Peaceful Warrior for the third time. Iit’s been years since I loved a movie so much that I paid full admission to see it three times! And I actually began writing my long-promised review of it, but a power-surge knocked off my computer and destroy my unsaved work. (I know, I should know better.)
Part of me wondered why this superb film seems relegated to occasional arthouse screenings. Then I realized that PW‘s higher level of meaning is inaccessible to people who aren’t ready it yet. Hence, most critics and non-seekers see Peaceful Warrior as a familiar sports movie of the well-worn “dramatic comeback” type, sprinkled liberally with vague New-Agey platitudes.
The mind acts as a kind of a filter, almost as a safety valve in some ways, that keeps itself from grasping any truth before it is ready. In a teacher-disciple relationship, it kinds of goes like this:
Teacher: You are not the body. The world is an illusion. God is all there is.
Student: Yeah, cool.Teacher: You are not the body. The world is an illusion. God is all there is.
Student: Whatever.Teacher: You are not the body. The world is an illusion. God is all there is.
Student: Got it.Teacher: You are not the body. The world is an illusion. God is all there is.
Student: Holy Sh*t! GOD IS ALL THERE IS!
Peaceful Warrior portrays the learning process beautifully.
I’d forgotten all about the movie. Damn! I put it on my netflix que, but it’s not out yet.
I’m very excited to see it. I’ve some “aha” moments over the past few months that perfectly represent the filter mechanism that you mention above. I “got it,” but didn’t want to admit it.
Plus, I’ve had certain ideas explained to me, that I had misunderstood before, that made it easier for me to accept truths that I felt had to be wrong.
Sorry for the cryptic response. It’s meant to keep it short.
I agree with Kay; I’ve been looking forward to seeing it. My oldest son recently devoured the series and additional Millman books. Now my wife has picked up the first book. If Dan had tried to tell his story via blogging, do you think it would have had the same impact as a book?
I don’t. Unless someone is very into the blog world, it just doesn’t get out there. At least, it doesn’t seem to. Not like best seller lists and book reviews and book clubs and book signings, etc, etc ….
Heh. Can you tell I used to manage a book store? 🙂
I agree with Kay. Every medium has its purpose. Long narrative fits poorly into blogging.
I agree with both of you, and that kind of summarizes ‘spiritual’ blogging: unsuitable for longer messages.
I get frustrated with spiritual blogs at times, particularly the ones that post these short, flowering one or two sentence inspiriational thoughts. It is a comment on our collective spiritual depth that blogs like these will often get 20, 30, 50 or more comments on an inspiriational message that’s about as deep as a kiddie wading pool.
Another frustration – how to convey a deeper or perhaps longer message via the medium. I haven’t found the right groove yet.
Hi Jon,
Greetings!
somebody left some question to you in one of the post.
could u pls take a look here,
http://mysticsaint.blogspot.com/2005/10/prayer-for-ramadan.html