[OceanofDharma] Quotes of the Week: Beyond Self Justification

[Carolyn Gimian]

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week

January 23, 2008

BEYOND SELF JUSTIFICATION

Negative negativity refers to the philosophies and rationales we use 
to justify avoiding our own pain. We would like to pretend that these 
"evil" and "foul-smelling" aspects of ourselves and our world are not 
really there, or that they should not be there, or even that they 
SHOULD be there. So negative negativity is usually self-justifying, 
self-contained. It allows nothing to pierce its protective shell -- a 
self-righteous way of trying to pretend that things are what we would 
like them to be instead of what they are.
         This secondary, commenting kind of intelligence of double 
negativity is very cautious and cowardly as well as frivolous and 
emotional. It inhibits identification with the energy and 
intelligence of basic negativity. So let's forget about justifying 
ourselves, trying to prove to ourselves how good we are.

 From "Working with Negativity," in THE MYTH OF FREEDOM and the Way 
of Meditation, page 94. Shambhala Library edition.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used 
by permission.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications,  the Archive of 
his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
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