I watched Toy Story 3 on the flight yesterday. It’s a rich story with many forms of love, several ways of being misguided, and most or all of the themes of the hero’s journey.
One of the things that stood out for me was the death and resurrection themes. Towards the end of the story, our friends find themselves as garbage, as the lowest of the low, the discarded. They face death with some acceptance and mutual support. And as all hope is lost, are miraculously saved to a new and unexpected life which may be better than any of their plans.
True humility comes not through trying to be humble, but through admitting we’re pathetic, full of it, and basically, the worst of the worst.
The Pathetic one transmutes to Humility when empowered, owned and embodied.
– Genpo Roshi
Sobering up and finding in ourselves what we see in others, including the worst of the worst, is a natural part of our human journey, and a very important part of healing, maturing and waking up. To find a wholeness of who we are as humans and recognize that there is no real “I” here, we need to find ourselves as the worst of the worst. At the bottom of the pile. As trash.
It’s not all of what we are. The reverse is equally true and valid. And we are not really any of it. But it is a very important part of the picture. We need to see in some detail and with specific examples how we are as bad and rotten as anyone else. We have to feel it and stay with that feeling, soaking it up. We have to be it. Realize we already are it. It’s an ongoing process, and sometimes, life offers us a very strong invitation to face, own, embrace and embody the worst of the worst in ourselves.
Facing and living through death is also a natural part of being human. Every experience is ephemeral, gone almost before it has happened. Our beliefs and identities die as we enter new phases, situations and roles in our life. And to heal, mature and awaken, we often need to face and live through the death of our most cherished beliefs and identifications. At some point, our most familiar and beloved beliefs and identifications are exactly what holds us back from healing, maturing and awakening. They become sources of suffering instead of comfort. The toys knew how to face death: through mutual support and a sober and realistic view of what’s happening.
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- toy story 3
- rich story
- many forms of love
- many ways of being misguided
- hero’s journey etc. and also very simple
- also…..
- at the end, become trash
- find peace with death, face death
- then resurrection
- and a new life, not known in advance
- rich story
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I watched Toy Story 3 on the plane yesterday – more than once since it was a long flight! It’s a rich story with many forms of love, several ways of being misguided, and most or all of the themes of the hero’s journey.
Not surprisingly, what stood out the most for me was the sobering aspects and scenes of the movie, and in particular towards the end. Our friends find themselves as garbage, facing and finding a sort of peace with death.
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Initial draft…..
I watched Toy Story 3 on the flight yesterday. It’s a rich story with many forms of love, several ways of being misguided, and most or all of the themes of the hero’s journey.
One of the things that stood out to me was the death and resurrection themes. Towards the end of the story, our friends find themselves as garbage, as the lowest of the low, the discarded. They face death with some acceptance and mutual support. And as all hope is lost, are miraculously saved to a new life they couldn’t have predicted in advance and may be better than any of their plans.
True humility comes not through trying to be humble, but through admitting we’re pathetic, full of it, and basically, the worst of the worst.
The Pathetic one transmutes to Humility when empowered, owned and embodied.
– Genpo Roshi
Sobering up and finding in ourselves what we see in others, including the worst of the worst, is a natural part of our human journey, and a very important part of healing, maturing and waking up. To find a wholeness of who we are as humans and recognize that there is no real “I” here, we need to find ourselves as the worst of the worst. At the bottom of the pile. As trash.
It’s not all of what we are. The reverse is equally true and valid. And we are not really any of it. But it is a very important part of the picture. We need to see in some detail and with specific examples how we are as bad and rotten as anyone else. We have to feel it and stay with that feeling, soaking it up. We have to be it. Realize we already are it. It’s an ongoing process, and sometimes, life offers us a very strong invitation to face, own, embrace and embody the worst of the worst in ourselves.
Facing and living through death is also a natural part of being human. Every experience is ephemeral, gone almost before it has happened. Our beliefs and identities die as we enter new phases, situations and roles in our life. And to heal, mature and awaken, we often need to face and live through the death of our most cherished beliefs and identifications. At some point, our most familiar and beloved beliefs and identifications are exactly what holds us back from healing, maturing and awakening. They become sources of suffering instead of comfort. The toys knew how to face death: through mutual support and a sober and realistic view of what’s happening.