Big Mind, Big Heart – Dennis Genpo Merzel
Here we will explore some of Genpo Merzel’s ideas, including how the root of suffering (dukkha) is getting stuck in one perspective and how that is as effective as having a Maserati stuck in first gear.
Do We Need the Self?
No, we do not need to identify with it 24/7.
When we identify with the self, we live in fear, anxiety, stress, and suffering. When we are able to identify ourselves with that which has no boundaries, there is no fear.
Can you imagine a world where everybody was free, happy, and joyful, where everybody came from a place of generosity and giving freely without any strings attached? Can you just imagine this world? It’s almost impossible to imagine, it would be such a different place.
Well, that’s our work. That’s what we’re here to do. That’s what this book is all about. If enough of us can get to that level of consciousness, I believe the whole planet, would be transformed.
Right View
Having no particular, fixed view means seeing that all views are limited and that no particular view is the only view.
“Actually, the right view is no view.”
Imagine six blind guys who have never seen an elephant before and are each touching a different part of the big old animal, describing what an elephant is. The first blind man grabs the tail and says the elephant is like a rope. The second one grabs the leg and is certain it’s like a pillar. The third touches the trunk and thinks it’s a tree branch. The others all have different perspectives.
Integrated Feminine/Masculine Compassion
Genpo leads us through a systematic dialogue with a number of our “key employees” to get a sense of who they are, what they do, and what’s important to them while we clarify their roles.
Every aspect of the self has its own innate wisdom.
If we would simply allow every voice to be heard, appreciated, and honored, we as human beings would live a much healthier, happier, and more joyful life.
By denying or suppressing any aspect, we are creating a problem for ourselves and for others.
The Limitation of Thinking Your Perspective is the Absolute Truth
Ken Wilber likes to talk about “partial truths.”
No one is smart enough to be either 100% right or 100% wrong.
There’s always a partial truth to a perspective, no matter how limited.
We get in trouble when we think our perspective is always right.
It is important to shift perspectives consistently.
I include all the aspects of the self, all the dualistic voices and Big Mind, the non-dual, no-self, and I transcend them. I am also known as the Master or the Unique Self. I am absolutely unique; there is no one else in the entire world exactly like me. I have no need to prove anything or to be special, since I am special and unique to begin with
A Maserati Stuck in First Gear
It doesn’t matter what gear you’re stuck in; if you can’t shift as life demands, your car is dysfunctional. Same with our lives.
When the mind is stuck, you’re in dukkha (usually translated from the Sanskrit as suffering), which literally means a wheel whose hub doesn’t move.
Sukkha is a liberated wheel, a freed-up wheel that means liberation, nirvana.
A Dysfunctional Company
A company where no one knows their job title, job description, or what they’re supposed to be doing is going to be in shambles.
It’s hard to run a company when you don’t know what your employees’ jobs are.
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