Lost Coin Notes  July 7th

Daniel will be gone for Thursday sitting.

In the 12th century the Samari class was in charge in Japan and Zen culture permeated the culture. They the taught the Way, and ways of practices, e.g., swordmanship, tea ceremony. Teaching excellence is teaching the ways. Today the practices are a little different, e.g., like relationships, jobs. Also in the 4th Way, Sufi teachers taught through what they did  like rug-making

What is good about that approach is that we can see how we are by what we do  not just what we say.

Daniel is learning chess  it helps him see how he does things  where the flaws are  about his temperament. With chess you can look at what you did  see why you lost. Same with fighting, you could look at a tape of a match.

Zen teachers taught the dharma, a martial art and an art. If you dont struggle with something  it is hard to improve. With competition you cant lie to yourself about how good you are.

Daniel was invited to play with Pure Prairie League  they ended up not liking how he played. But after that rejection his playing improved  by risking failure. If you arent willing to risk, you cant move forward. Take something in your life and make it the way  in order to learn from it and grow. It could be a relationship, a job - anything you want it to be.

We tend to believe we cant do things because of lack of talent, luck, opportunity  usually why we dont succeed is because of lack of effort. What makes people succeed is effort.

When Daniel gets feed-back from his chess teacher  it is also usually something that is blocking him in other areas of his life.

Personal type  should tell you what is in front of you, what is stopping you. It can be something as abstract as happiness. What is between you and your goal? Someones goal may be to make more money. Need to use it as a way  why did something not work? Where is the lack you havent learned yet. We all are deficient in some way. Type helps you identify that deficiency.

Octave  refers to musical octave  about completing tasks. When you go up the scale, an octave is the same note at double the frequency. Completing an octave  accomplishing what you tried to do but now you are at a different level. What stops you from completing an octave is usually 1) negative emotion according to type: fear, boredom, etc; and, 2) lack of objectivity.

Two good books:

Zen and the Ways  Trevor Legget

Zen Culture - Hover

When Daniel first studied Zen, he also studied art with Daido Lori. After while Daido hated it  it isnt Zen + Arts but Zen Arts.

Take something to perfect  can be something you already want to do.

Daniel really wants our inner work to manifest; practice and putting into effect is excellence and what Lost Coin is about. Daniel likes people who can do things well  and will give up everything to understand what this is  that is his life path.

4th Way teaches that we all started to do something and then something else happened, e.g., great religions started loving everyone then ended-up killing people. All ideas intended to be beauty went full circle and became the opposite. Same thing happens in our life  why? People decide they want to go on a diet but fail; or, they want to get married and live happily ever after  and end in divorce. Why?

Doing is completing an octave  but what we do instead of completing an octave  we take a turn. For example, you want to play competitive tennis and an inferior player beats you and then you lose your confidence, or you get angry  some negative emotion, not being conscious  you fall into a pattern according to type. Type will help you see the pattern, e.g., I am too busy  probably have been too busy for 20 years - at the end you are where you started. It doesnt just happen to you  it is a way of the world  it happens to everyone.

The type of negative emotion is determined by type. The Enneagram is one way to look at type  a good place to start. Not only what type  but what you do or dont do.

Daniel can see his pattern now and can stop it. Before he would make music and write. Now he knows it is best if he only does one thing at a time  so he can finish them.

We all should have sitting, exercise, work and then more thing in which to pursue the Way/excellence. 

How to fit in family? Twenty years ago Daniel and Karen had to make a decision on how much time to spend with their children  they spent enough time but also developed themselves. Their children are now independent  what Daniel and Karen did is what their children became  what you model is very important.

Nature just wants you around to procreate  this work is about what you want.

The problem will be  not what you pick  but not switching  go deep into it.

Question: What about if you see your pattern  but feel it is justified, e.g., dont like my job but there is also a pattern of jumping from job to job.

Response: Maybe what is at root is to say  I deserve good work  more rewards, freedom.

How do you stick with something you dont want to stick with? You have a plan  the plan is to stick with it. You can take one day off. The Plan is bigger than our given emotional reaction at any time. You make a commitment to not redo the plan. Also, do things that support the Plan, e.g., if sitting  sit at certain time, certain place with other people. Youre planning not to quit  quitting is not part of the plan. Commitment is stronger than analytical ability.

Next week  everyone come prepared to talk about their type.

Look on line (google) for Sheldon body types  ectomorph, mesomorph, ect (google). Which one is on the surface? What are you facing the world with 1) your nerve (lean, nervous, quick types); 2) your muscle (followers and do-ers); or, fat (loving and fun). 
 
May want to try Luscher color test, which is not about color. It is a validated test that showed certain types of people would pick certain color patterns.

Take away from tonights talk the notions of the WAY. Daniel mentioned Tom Cruise in the Samari  where everyone was pursuing a way.
