What do I see in Don Quixote? I see – among other things – someone who is at odds with reality, fighting imaginary enemies.
How do I find that in myself? I do the same whenever I take a story as true. I identify with a particular viewpoint, so am necessarily at odds with reality. Reality is not limited to my stories about it.
What happens when I am at odds with reality? There is stress. Discomfort. A sense of unease. Sense of separation. Tension.
And that stress is an invitation for me to notice the belief, what happens when I hold onto the story as true, and inquire into it to find what is more honest for me than the initial story.
In our life, there is a quiet and persistent invitation to grow up. To mature. To find what is more honest for us than our initial beliefs. We start out with less maturity, there is friction with life and discomfort, and the only way for that friction to be reduced is to grow up. Maturing takes care of almost all of the friction, it meets almost all of our needs, and it answers most of our questions (of the existential type).
And yet, there is also a quiet and persistent invitation for what we are to notice itself. Even with maturing, there is a bit of friction left. There is still identification as an “I” which necessarily is at odds with life, even if it is to a small extent. There is still some discomfort, which is an invitation for identification to release out of the last few viewpoints and images.
This is yet another example of the alignment of psychology and spirituality, and also – to some extent – of everyday common sense. We all know these dynamics from our own life, and may even notice it throughout the day. There is nothing mystical about it. Nothing magical. Nothing very complicated.
So even if it is simple. Perhaps obvious to many. Something I have written about many times here. It still comes up for me, I work with it to my limited abilities, and make a note of it here.
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- Don Quixote
- don quixote – at odds with reality, fighting imaginary enemies
- i do it whenever i take a story as true
- identify with one viewpoint, so necessarily at odds with reality
- at odds with reality = stress (w. life, what is)
- stress (distress, discomfort) -> invitation to notice belief (hangup, identification with one or a few viewpoints) and find what is more honest for us
- always presents us w. an invitation to find what is more honest for us (than our beliefs)
- aligned = relief + recognize kindness of reality
- mature – as who we are, human being in the world
- awake (what is recognizing itself)
- invitation to mature + wake up
- stress -> notice belief -> inquire into it
- one of many ways this invitation presents itself / can be recognized and made us of
- background
- belief – from fear (basic distrust in reality)
- gradually getting more familiar with the terrain, recognize truth as more kind than any belief (any fixed viewpoint, any story taken as true)
- one perspective
- this is one of many possible angles on this same topic
- could emphasize energies, relationships, ethics, subpersonalities/voices (=viewpoints, stories) etc.
- don quixote – at odds with reality, fighting imaginary enemies
In addition to its unrealistic/deluded aspect, “quixotic” also suggests to me a complementary aspect noble idealism (a kind of crazy wisdom or wise fool) that refuses to give in to the cynicism of resigning to being “practical” and “realistic” about life. What makes Don Quixote a deep character for me is that he paradoxically combines these two aspects.
Yes. Very good point. Thanks!