Recommend a Therapist/Zen Master

[Devin]

Could anyone recommend a Therapist or Zen Master to me, someone that does in person, I'll travel anywhere.

I know what I want out of life and I don't think I have any serious social problems, no depression, but I just have a sense to go see someone like they might open my eyes to something I'm missing.

I feel like I could better integrate living peacefully with living in society, I think i will just learn that by continuing to live the way I do but I feel like someone may be able to help me a bit. I do get a little anxious sometimes about things but usually no longer than a day, I take on challenging projects and sometimes get in deep. I imagine I do have some unresolved childhood stuff, I've tried to think back and process it on my own, I've never been to therapy though.

Thanks

Edited July 13, 2022 by Devin

[Leo Gura]

A therapist and a Zen master are very different things.

Shinzen Young does a sort of modern Westernized version of Zen.

But it won't lead you to God-realization.

You can google for Zen retreat centers. Lots of in California.

You can use Yelp to find any kind of therapist you want locally.

Sat Yoga is an interesting retreat center in Costa Rica. But it is cult-like.

Peter Ralston does some powerful workshops and apprenticeship programs in San Antonio. It's sorta Zen beyond Zen. But it still won't lead you to God-realization.

[Devin]

? That was easy, guess I didn't need in person.

Thanks

[Kksd74628]

@Leo Gura

I'd say that everything which solves even one big problem in your life makes you closer to god-realization, because all those are in your way to attain it. Teaching poor people how to work doesn't lead them to god-realization directly, but doing so helps them to get into state of living that they can actually start using their time to spiritual stuff which eventually leads or doesn't to god-realization. At least their lifes get better and that's the end goal, isn't it. Even you have practical teachings of dating or whatever and you should know that they just clear negative junk out of people's lifes.

-joNi-

[herghly]

The integral zen crowd is good.  They teach / coach awakening and shadow work

https://integralzen.org/

https://www.integralsomaticawakening.com/

Edited July 13, 2022 by herghly

[Devin]

6 minutes ago, Kksd74628 said:

@Leo Gura

I'd say that everything which solves even one big problem in your life makes you closer to god-realization, because all those are in your way to attain it. Teaching poor people how to work doesn't lead them to god-realization directly, but doing so helps them to get into state of living that they can actually start using their time to spiritual stuff which eventually leads or doesn't to god-realization. At least their lifes get better and that's the end goal, isn't it. Even you have practical teachings of dating or whatever and you should know that they just clear negative junk out of people's lifes.

-joNi-

"Solving those problems" may be a distraction, sort of depends on what you mean by "poor"

[Kksd74628]

@Devin

Yeah, I was wrong, solving hunger and bad living habits including poor diet, relationships and emotional problems is just a distraction. (sarcasm)

Edited July 13, 2022 by Kksd74628
Sarcasm tag added

[Devin]

@Kksd74628 ?

[Kksd74628]

@Devin

I mean what you even thought when you were writing me that reply that those things are distraction .

[Devin]

Just now, Kksd74628 said:

@Devin

I mean what you even thought when you were writing me that reply that those things are distraction .

I still say they are distractions

[RMQualtrough]

Isn't the point of Zen to empty yourself of all desires, including the ones you mentioned. That's like, the Zen method of ending suffering. You probably don't need either 

[Kksd74628]

@Devin

How they are distractions, if they grow you and make you in a state that you can grow with more ease? They make you appreciate life more, because without those things under control, you would get too unhealthy, full of traumas and loneliness. What many people get wrong is that if you don't need something it doesn't mean that you cannot have it and enjoy it. Point of letting attachments go is that you don't cling to these things. It's huge misunderstanding that you should live in a cave doing nothing if you're perfect zen guy. Perfect zen guy could be your best friend without you even noticing too much.

[Devin]

2 minutes ago, Kksd74628 said:

@Devin

How they are distractions, if they grow you and make you in a state that you can grow with more ease? They make you appreciate life more, because without those things under control, you would get too unhealthy, full of traumas and loneliness. What many people get wrong is that if you don't need something it doesn't mean that you cannot have it and enjoy it. Point of letting attachments go is that you don't cling to these things. It's huge misunderstanding that you should live in a cave doing nothing if you're perfect zen guy. Perfect zen guy could be your best friend without you even noticing too much.

"Healthy"

"Loneliness"

That's clinging to attachments; health, companionship

To me you are teaching/reinforcing/learning a belief that you need those things.

 

[Kksd74628]

@Devin

With the same logic given you don't even need zen and clinging not to cling to anything is useless. Now your smartiness is harming you to see big picture. Point of any spiritual teaching is trying to have best possible life and if you argue that even that is clinging then I can't say anything, because you're too trapped in your on logic that you can't see what is being said. If you'd ask any great spiritual teacher that should you eat healthy and aim to have great relationships with people, I'd guess they'd say big YES.

[Devin]

14 minutes ago, Kksd74628 said:

@Devin

With the same logic given you don't even need zen and clinging not to cling to anything is useless. Now your smartiness is harming you to see big picture. Point of any spiritual teaching is trying to have best possible life and if you argue that even that is clinging then I can't say anything, because you're too trapped in your on logic that you can't see what is being said. If you'd ask any great spiritual teacher that should you eat healthy and aim to have great relationships with people, I'd guess they'd say big YES.

Don't you think if you got to "God-Realization" you would eat healthy and have the best relationships, sort of working it backwards. Or even if you were just pursuing it.

Edited July 13, 2022 by Devin

[Kksd74628]

@Devin

You can do it both ways; fix your life until you've time just to relax and do spiritual stuff or skip everything and do spiritual stuff and fix your life after that. The thing is that, you can't assume that everything fixes itself after some shift in experience. It helps a lot, but it is like winning in lottery, yeah it helps to have financiality so well under control that you can use it to change your whole life, but the "work" still must be done. Also sometimes it's hard to meditate if your life is total chaos and taking psychedelics when your life is full of traumas is a recipe for bad trip.

[BipolarGrowth]

I have some Theravadin masters who I can recommend. If interested, send me a PM. One of them is actually a licensed therapist as well. 

[Consilience]

You should check out the Monastic Academy for the Preservation of Life on Earth. The head teacher Soryu Forall trained in Rinzai Zen for a decade and has studied in other traditions as well. Doesn’t teach Zen, but very Zen inspired training environment. 

[cetus]

2 hours ago, Devin said:

Could anyone recommend a Therapist or Zen Master to me, someone that does in person, I'll travel anywhere.

I know what I want out of life and I don't think I have any serious social problems, no depression, but I just have a sense to go see someone like they might open my eyes to something I'm missing.

I feel like I could better integrate living peacefully with living in society, I think i will just learn that by continuing to live the way I do but I feel like someone may be able to help me a bit. I do get a little anxious sometimes about things but usually no longer than a day, I take on challenging projects and sometimes get in deep. I imagine I do have some unresolved childhood stuff, I've tried to think back and process it on my own, I've never been to therapy though.

Thanks

@Devin "When you finally allow all searching and striving to end, you become able to rest in the peace that is already the true nature of your very being. You only need to forget your self—or rather, the false identity you’ve created for yourself (within your own mind).

Forget your imagined self so that you can realize your True Self—the infinite and eternal presence of Awareness that you already are."

Excerpt from -Zen Thinking  "Your self is an illusion"

[Devin]

2 hours ago, Kksd74628 said:

@Devin

You can do it both ways; fix your life until you've time just to relax and do spiritual stuff or skip everything and do spiritual stuff and fix your life after that. The thing is that, you can't assume that everything fixes itself after some shift in experience. It helps a lot, but it is like winning in lottery, yeah it helps to have financiality so well under control that you can use it to change your whole life, but the "work" still must be done. Also sometimes it's hard to meditate if your life is total chaos and taking psychedelics when your life is full of traumas is a recipe for bad trip.

At what point do you call perfection where you can relax and do spiritual stuff ?

Seems like you could "fix" it better forever. Distraction?

I think the root of all "problems" is one thing, and what you're prescribing albeit you would be a supremely functioning member of society, I think you're prescribing something for a symptom rather than the root cause. I think it would be easier to pursue what they're talking about in here by being "poor". I know I don't know any of that though, you do you ?

Controlling your behavior to work, eat right, and in relationships; it seems like those would be dead easy going the other way. And that you would learn those things anyway during the "pursuit"

Edited July 13, 2022 by Devin