A

Understanding Me 281

this happens, I realize also that I live in a finite body with limited
experiences within a world of other people. I comprehend that my
knowledge is only a fraction of the total body of knowledge. And
internally, I grasp that me occupies a relatively small portion of my mind.
In contrast, my source of emotional integration holds together many people,
events, facts, and theories which are only related to me.A
Many individuals have not learned this lesson. They go through life
thinking that the world revolves around them. They feel that they are the
center of the universe, and act as if they know everything.

Zen and Nirvana

Let us detour for a moment and analyze the mystical ecstasy of the Zen
Master. Buddhism claims to achieve the emotional „lift‟ that comes from a
general Teacher understanding. And yet, it also makes several statements
which seemingly contradict the
requirements which I have just
described. How is this possible? I
suggest that Buddhism reaches its
„paradise‟ by cleverly tricking the
mind to ignore potential roadblocks
on its way to Nirvana.B
Buddhism in its various flavors
teaches, first of all, the general
Teacher theory of „Oneness.‟ After
all, the assertion that all individual
experiences are actually part of one
cosmic unity is simply another way of stating that there is ultimate order
within complexity, and this is the basis for Teacher emotion. How can the
mind be convinced that all really is one? By using Mercy strategy to
identify with an external object. Therefore, I will empty my mind of

A After making this transition, I will feel that the entire universe revolves

around a specific Teacher theory. One thinks, for example, of the
scientist‟s search for a unified field theory—a single Teacher
understanding which can tie everything together. We will examine the
implications of this concept later on. Does Teacher strategy remain the
ultimate source of mental integration? I suggest that it is possible to go one
step further, and that this final step brings balance between Teacher and
Mercy thought. However, that topic is beyond the scope of this book.
B I am talking here about Buddhism, Zen, mysticism, meditation, and

Eastern religion as if they are all one and the same. Obviously, these
systems are not identical. However, I suggest that there is a common
fundamental thread which runs through these various systems.