Being is becoming, and doing is a way to avoid being. That was probably said by Martin Buber. Western people are a doing people, frenetically doing and getting. We avoid being, and the peace and satisfaction that comes with it. Western people have framed being as laziness and wasting time. Eastern wisdom tradition values being. Being requires discipline and effort, and Western people are actively lazy in avoiding that, partly because we are ignorant of it. We stay very active doing, accumulating more than we need, competing instead of being. We distract ourselves from being. Doing has a place; being also does. What would probably be best for us would be to at least have some balance between being and doing. An event that comes to mind in which I became aware of my active laziness was after my wife had a miscarriage about 35 years ago, and my response was to be very busy doing chores around the house until my wife told me she thought I was avoiding my feelings by doing and suggested I come into the house and BE with her. I still thank her for that. What helps me at least limit my active laziness is taking time to be present and be, paying attention to my body experience which is present, and increased awareness of the importance of being. Don't just do something, stand there -- I believe the importance of those words credited to the Buddha.
On Dec 2, 2014 david doane wrote :
Being is becoming, and doing is a way to avoid being. That was probably said by Martin Buber. Western people are a doing people, frenetically doing and getting. We avoid being, and the peace and satisfaction that comes with it. Western people have framed being as laziness and wasting time. Eastern wisdom tradition values being. Being requires discipline and effort, and Western people are actively lazy in avoiding that, partly because we are ignorant of it. We stay very active doing, accumulating more than we need, competing instead of being. We distract ourselves from being. Doing has a place; being also does. What would probably be best for us would be to at least have some balance between being and doing. An event that comes to mind in which I became aware of my active laziness was after my wife had a miscarriage about 35 years ago, and my response was to be very busy doing chores around the house until my wife told me she thought I was avoiding my feelings by doing and suggested I come into the house and BE with her. I still thank her for that. What helps me at least limit my active laziness is taking time to be present and be, paying attention to my body experience which is present, and increased awareness of the importance of being. Don't just do something, stand there -- I believe the importance of those words credited to the Buddha.