(Previous Lesson -Lesson 2: From Page 5 of "The Book Of Flint")
{Note that the gambler's ego (through pride & greed)blinds him to obvious realities till it's too late.}
{Note that the gambler's ego (through pride & greed)blinds him to obvious realities till it's too late.}
The gambler knew the story of the gunfight at The Crossing, but there was nothing to connect the youngster of that shooting with the immaculate New York financier.
The gambler had recieved his first hint that all was not as he had expected during the early part of the game. Kettleman played shrewdly and with icy control, and the gambler quickly grasped that he himself was being studied with cool calculated interest. As part of his scheme, the gambler delibertaley invited an accusation of cheating whenever a showdown developed between Kettleman and himself, but Kettleman ignored the opportunity, and the gambler grew worried.
Nothing was going as planned, and he began to realize that his opponent knew what he was trying to do, and was deliberately avoiding it. So anxious was he to lead Kettleman into an argument that his mind was not on the game, and suddenly he lost a large pot.
Suddenly, he looked at the table and realized that he himself had been cheated, with coolness and effontery. He had been stripped of more than six thousand dollars with the skill of a professional. His eyes lifted to Kettleman's.
"You have been looking for trouble," Kettleman said quietly. "I am offering it to you."
The gambler was nervous. He touched his toungue to his lips and felt the sweat beading his forehead.
"You are looking for trouble," Kettleman said. "Why?"
There was no one close by. "I am going to kill you," the gambler said.
"If you wish to leave the game, we can divide the pot, and I will forget what you have said."
It was there then - a way out. As a gambler he knew he should take it, but gambling was only a part of his business and he had his pride.
"I cannot I have been paid."
"There are other ways to make a living and you have chosen the wrong one. I am offering you your last chance. Get out."
"I gave my word. I took their money."
Kettleman had seemed almost negligent. "When you are ready, then."
The gambler stepped back quickly, overturning his chair. "If you say I cheat," he said loudly, "you are a liar!" And he grasped his gun.
Everybody saw him grasp the gun, everybody saw him start to draw it, and then he started coughing and there was blood on his shirt, blood dribbling down his chin, and on his face the realization of death.
Kettleman leaned over him. He looked down at the gambler and knew this man was only a step away from the man he was himself. "I didn't want to kill you," he said. "Who hired you?"
"Your wife," the gambler said. "And her father."
Kettleman realized then that he had known something like this would happen. He started to rise but the gambler caught his wrist. "I must know. Who are you?"
Kettleman hesitated. For the first time since that night he spoke of it. "I was the kid at The Crossing.
"God!" The gambler was excited. He started to rise, began to speak, and then he died.
Since death is certain, avoiding the thought of Death, makes you avoid Life itself (as they are two sides of the same coin)...
The following is an extract from this page.
As a global culture we fix ourselves in 'palaces' of what is familiar and secure. We sense there is more to life than trying to gratify our desires and defend ourselves from fear. Yet we don’t know how to get their and this leads to even more activities of distraction.
For Example; We all know that the only certainty in life is death. If we keep the inevitability of death on our minds many things we worry about will no longer matter. Instead we try to avoid that thought at all costs to the point where when we encounter death we are shocked and terrified and say, 'his/her time came early'. There is no such thing. Without the perspective of our death how can we possibly make short or long term decisions that aren’t influenced by drowning ourselves in momentary pleasures?
"Since no one knows the future,
who can tell him what is to come?
No man has power over his spirit to retain it,
so no one has power over the day of his death."
Ecclesiastes 8:7-8:8
Death is always there waiting for you, every day of your life. It is sad, depressing, part of the sorrow of life, but it is not 'early'.
What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. - Blackfoot
Since death is certain, avoiding it makes you avoid life itself.
Think about it. How do you know that someone is alive? By the simple fact that he/she is not dead. In other words, death defines life. Without death we would not know what life is. So by avoiding the acceptance of death we become escapists of life itself. Chasing momentary pleasures to cloud our awareness and our fears.
If you are constantly making life to be some perfect image to be attained at some point in the future, you will ALWAYS be chasing that image. If you cannot be content now you will never be content as there will always be something else you 'need' before you can be happy. A bigger car, a bigger house, a plane? This will give a rush of excitement followed by boredom with your new toy and craving for the next one.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy expensive things just that you should be happy first or nothing you get will ever satisfy you. (“Be bountiful and multiply”)
If you jump from one emotion to another, blindly avoiding pain and seeking pleasure with no awareness or separation from your emotions THEN your emotions will control you. You will be a slave to your desire. Anyone who knows your desires can control you.
"All man's efforts are for his mouth,
yet his appetite is never satisfied."
Ecclesiastes 6:7
Laziness brings on deep sleep,
And the shiftless man goes hungry.
Proverbs 19:15
"The wise man has eyes in his head,
while the fool walks in the darkness."
Ecclesiastes 6:7
As a global culture we fix ourselves in 'palaces' of what is familiar and secure. We sense there is more to life than trying to gratify our desires and defend ourselves from fear. Yet we don’t know how to get their and this leads to even more activities of distraction.
For Example; We all know that the only certainty in life is death. If we keep the inevitability of death on our minds many things we worry about will no longer matter. Instead we try to avoid that thought at all costs to the point where when we encounter death we are shocked and terrified and say, 'his/her time came early'. There is no such thing. Without the perspective of our death how can we possibly make short or long term decisions that aren’t influenced by drowning ourselves in momentary pleasures?
"Since no one knows the future,
who can tell him what is to come?
No man has power over his spirit to retain it,
so no one has power over the day of his death."
Ecclesiastes 8:7-8:8
Death is always there waiting for you, every day of your life. It is sad, depressing, part of the sorrow of life, but it is not 'early'.
What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. - Blackfoot
Since death is certain, avoiding it makes you avoid life itself.
Think about it. How do you know that someone is alive? By the simple fact that he/she is not dead. In other words, death defines life. Without death we would not know what life is. So by avoiding the acceptance of death we become escapists of life itself. Chasing momentary pleasures to cloud our awareness and our fears.
If you are constantly making life to be some perfect image to be attained at some point in the future, you will ALWAYS be chasing that image. If you cannot be content now you will never be content as there will always be something else you 'need' before you can be happy. A bigger car, a bigger house, a plane? This will give a rush of excitement followed by boredom with your new toy and craving for the next one.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy expensive things just that you should be happy first or nothing you get will ever satisfy you. (“Be bountiful and multiply”)
If you jump from one emotion to another, blindly avoiding pain and seeking pleasure with no awareness or separation from your emotions THEN your emotions will control you. You will be a slave to your desire. Anyone who knows your desires can control you.
"All man's efforts are for his mouth,
yet his appetite is never satisfied."
Ecclesiastes 6:7
Laziness brings on deep sleep,
And the shiftless man goes hungry.
Proverbs 19:15
"The wise man has eyes in his head,
while the fool walks in the darkness."
Ecclesiastes 6:7
Learning to distance yourself from your roles...
According to this book, the first step out: Become aware of every emotion you have as you experience it. Don't try to stop the emotion but learn to distance yourself from it, pain, sorrow or joy. Keep a part of yourself that is always observing yourself and your emotions.
By these definitions awakening is a process of building and maintaining the discipline of awareness.
The following cartoon, a part of my Bugs Collection on my Instant Stress Management website, can be a helpful illustration of how getting involved in your roles can be kinda like a deep form of self-hypnosis...
By these definitions awakening is a process of building and maintaining the discipline of awareness.
The following cartoon, a part of my Bugs Collection on my Instant Stress Management website, can be a helpful illustration of how getting involved in your roles can be kinda like a deep form of self-hypnosis...
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