Banter 5: How do you distinguish Self from Other?

Tuesday, October 26th at 7pm

in Sabine's living room

As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being.  

~Carl Jung

**Thanks for Banter 5 tonight--it took its own route as our collaborative banter walked down nine varying paths into Self and out to Other.  I particularly appreciate the way the Banter Nights are allowing discourse without attempting uniform arrival or group consensus on these topics (ie, badgering or standing on a soapbox).  I would, however, like to see us move even further out onto the precarious limb of simultaneously considering multiple angles that are not in line with our own and thus away from banter (very stable &) rooted in opinion.  It's something like keeping two feet on the ground for a sense of safety and thinking that is the entire world...or climbing up into the branches (that may break) and seeing that the world is quite a lot more than your forest.**
READINGS:

Isaac's contribution:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/39006581/Isaac-s-reading-for-Banter-5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0uaNn_cl14

Kari's contribution:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/39129756/Kari-s-contribution-to-Banter-5
Jill's contribution: 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/39005194/Jill-s-Readings-for-Banter-5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRou8B31Hic

Sabine's contribution:                          http://www.scribd.com/doc/39009390/Sabine-s-Contributions

Joel's contribution:

Episode:Who Am I http://www.radiolab.org/2007/may/07/



Episode: Who Are You
http://www.radiolab.org/2010/may/14/



Episode: Words
http://www.radiolab.org/2010/aug/09/

Pam's contribution: A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space.  He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.  This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.  Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.     --Albert Einstein, as quoted in “How can I help?” by Ram Dass and Paul Gorman
Alli's contribution:

"Ego is able to convert everything to its own use, even spirituality. For example, if you have learned of a particularly beneficial meditation technique of spiritual practice, then ego's attitude is first to regard it as an object of fascination, and, second to examine it. Finally, since ego is seemingly solid and cannot really absorb anything, it can only mimic. Thus ego tries to examine and imitate the practice of meditation and the meditative way of life. When we have learned all the tricks and answers of the spiritual game, we automatically try to imitate spirituality, since real involvement would require the complete elimination of ego, and actually the last thing we want to do is give up the ego completely. However, we cannot experience that which we are trying to imitate; we can only find some area within the bounds of ego that seems to be the same thing. Ego translates everything in terms of its own state of health, its own inherent qualities. It feels a sense of great accomplishment and excitement at having been able to create a pattern. At last it has creatives a tangible accomplishment, a confirmation of its own individuality.

If we become successful at maintaining our self consciousness through spiritual techniques, then genuine spiritual development is highly unlikely. Our mental habits become so strong as to be hard to penetrate. We may even go so far as to achieve the totally demonic state of complete "Egohood"." ~Chögyam Trungpa

Carrie's contribution:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/39014440/Carrie-s-Contribution-to-Banter-5

Matthew's contribution:  forthcoming

Mike's contribution: forthcoming

Anna's contribution:  forthcoming                                  ________________________________________________________                                                             Questions for reflection pre-banter:              1. Read at least a portion of each of the above readings.  Annotate or journal as you like while reading.

2.  What is your sense of Self vs. Other.  Write down, bring to share.  How do you determine what your Self is, from what your varying parts are, to what is simply not you, and Other, outside of you?

3. Pam's question:  how do you work toward embracing other w/out compromising self?


4. Assimilate the ideas presented in the readings into your idea of Self and Other.  The readings are diverse.  If there is something you disagree with or see as irrelevant in the readings, please don't discount them, but incorporate that which you don't like/agree with into your sense of how that topic doesn't have to do with your sense of Self or Other, write it down, bring it to share.

5.  This is banter.  Push on your edges and on each other's.  

People wish to be settled:  only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays, 1841




                                                                                                (Photo of Jung)

The body is a house of many windows:  there we all sit, showing ourselves and crying on the passers-by to come and love us. 
                                    ~Robert Louis Stevenson

And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.  ~Confucius


I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart.  I am.  I am.  I am.  ~Sylvia Plath

All men are sculptors, constantly chipping away the unwanted parts of their lives, trying to create their idea of a masterpiece.  ~Eddie Murphy, 1979

We are happy when for everything inside us there is a corresponding something outside us.  ~W.B. Yeats