Learning to work with three elements of our identity: the parent, the child and the adult. Oct 6, 1983

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, explains three parts of our psychology working against each other --the parent, the child and the adult. The child’s impulses and emotions shouldn’t be in control. The parent alone can be dominating.The adult hold to reason only, which can make for a flat life. Some part will be dissatisfied. Ideally, we become a part of all three. The Buddha doesn’t choose one. He takes the middle path, a the center of all three.Three stages of our development: 1. We do something and are aware we did it. 2. We ask ourself “What am I doing?”3. We are going to do something, but our awareness stops us. Pratyahara means being present. Awareness, mindfulness, stops you. It is difficult to repent without putting your ego back into it. True correction is reform. Insults are meaningless unless you accept them. How to sit with this? Be mindful and you can have the spontaneity of the child and the reason of the adult and parent. Then the three become one—the single I. Oct 6, 1983