1986-05_13 Coming To Terms With The Body - part I Q&A -1

Talk: 19860513-Larry_Rosenberg-UNK-coming_to_terms_with_the_body_part_i-1532.json Start_time: 00:41:26 Display_question: What is the purpose of contemplating grotesque aspects of the body? Keyword_search: vomit, feces, poop, contemplation, body, gross, natural, attachment, nose, separate, repulsive, process, elements, water, fire, earth, air, corrective, harmony, impersonal, human, race, appropriately, suffer, loosen Question_content: Larry: But alright, one question. Yeah. Questioner: Isn’t the call confusing–mucus, bowel, to express an opinion or to color it. It just is, isn’t it? Larry: Would you like some of my shit right now? Would you like, I have a handful of it right here. Questioner: It doesn’t bother me. Larry: Okay, I'll meet you outside. Questioner: Seriously, I’m not joking. I’m absolutely serious. Larry: Okay. Well, then you're unique. You don't need this contemplation. No, I agree with you. Questioner: <inaudible> Larry: Okay. How about vomit? Questioner: <inaudible> Larry: Yeah, no, it is a good point. Let me try to direct… What? Someone is saying something. I'd like to hear it. Questioner: I just said why… Larry: What? I can't hear you. Questioner: I just said don’t try to gross her out… Larry: No, I'm not. Questioner: <inaudible> Larry: I can't hear you, I’m very sorry. Questioner: Nevermind then. Larry: We’re here to share our comments. I think I have a sense of the drift. I can feel the vibe even though I don't hear the content. Questioner: <inaudible> Larry: No, it's all right. Questioner: <inaudidble> Larry: So do I. Let me describe what I'm about to say. I worked this other yogi, one that I mentioned also as part of helping me establish a natural approach. You see, any conclusion is going to be just that. If you say it's just totally natural or if you say it's beautiful or if you say it's repulsive. The point is not to argue about the fact of it. It's a specific contemplation to help loosen the mind. If the mind is very attached to the body, to use that contemplation to loosen that attachment. That's the key point. Not to argue as to whether the body is repulsive or not. Break_line: Now, the truth is that many people experience it that way. In other words, when we blow our nose, we keep it separate. We put it in a garbage can. When we throw up, by and large, we put that in a special place. Toilets are secret, are closed and private. And so there's no question that a lot of what's going on, a lot of bodily expressions, smells of the body, et cetera, for most of us, are not something that we want. We deodorize them, et cetera. That isn't what I'm talking about. I'm speaking about the use of that to help neutralize or weaken an excessive attachment to the body. Break_line: Now, I agree with you. To show you another way about it. This yogi who, this elderly yogi, one exercise that he gave me to do was I had to keep accurate records of bowel movements for about two months. In other words, every time I had a bowel movement to record whatever I could about it: color, texture, smell and also to relate it to emotions and to what I ate. Now, part of that was part of this self-knowledge and the other part–perhaps the major part, at least that's what he said–was so that this aversion, let's say that most people have or an uneasiness that most people have, could be lessened and we could see it as just a natural bodily process. If we had that kind of relationship to the body as the body is just something quite natural, then I think we wouldn't need this dharma talk. If we had a natural relationship to the body, we would understand that people who are born, grow old and die and there's no big thing about it because that's just the way nature is. Larry: Hello? The fellow back there. Rob. Rob, do you understand what I'm saying? Questioner: Oh yeah. Larry: Okay. So that if we didn't need this corrective, we probably wouldn't even need to come here. In other words, we would be so in harmony with nature and each person to their own season would behave appropriately. We would eat appropriately. We would eat, enjoy our food, but not eat too much of it, et cetera. But the evidence is overwhelming that the human race is not living that way and perhaps, maybe never did. So the Buddha devised particular contemplations. Other ones were viewing the body as elements, impersonal elements: fire, earth, water, et cetera. The purpose is simply to loosen this attachment, which brings a lot of suffering. Now, if you already have that kind of a relationship to the, let's say, the composition of your body, then that contemplation is unneeded for you. Of course. End_time: 00:46:02