If Less Is More, Then Nothing Is Everything
I’ve been responding to the idea of attraction put out by the less than scientific Secret folks and found a really cool spin on it by the more practical Coachville community. I’ve abridged the principles and expanded the message.
Ten Principles To The Zen Of Attraction
- Promise Nothing
Just do what you most enjoy doing.
Hidden benefit: You will always over-deliver. - Offer Nothing
Just share what you have with those who express an interest in it.
Hidden benefit: Takes the pressure off of wanting other people to see you as valuable or important. - Expect Nothing
Just enjoy what you already have. It’s plenty.
Hidden benefit: You will realize how complete your life is already. - Need Nothing
Just build up your reserves and your needs will disappear.
Hidden benefit: You boundaries will be extended and filled with space. - Create Nothing
Just respond well to what comes to you.
Hidden benefit: Openness. - Hype Nothing
Just let quality sell by itself.
Hidden benefit: Trustability. - Plan Nothing
Just take the path of least resistance.
Hidden benefit: Achievement will become effortless. - Learn Nothing
Just let your body absorb it all on your behalf.
Hidden benefit: You will become more receptive to what you need to know in the moment. - Become No One
Just be more of yourself.
Hidden benefit: Authenticity. - Change Nothing
Just tell the truth and things will change by themselves.
Hidden benefit: Acceptance.
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about graham
Buddha said, “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
Find the answer within yourself, not from Graham English, the Dali Lama, Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha, or any person (particularly me).
Vonkastell, thanks for clarifying. You see, to me, create nothing doesn’t mean don’t create anything. And the idea that comes next, of just responding well to what comes to you fits perfectly with the motivation of this post. I was responding. So I wasn’t creating for the sake of creating, not that that’s bad, but I was responding to the idea of attraction and the conversation around it. So I actually followed that principle. Not that it’s supreme law or anything.
Also, the ultimate goal of Zen Buddhism isn’t to minimize your impact on the world. Nor is to “escape” samsara.
Waves are part of the physical world. They are not to be escaped or to be rid of. But they can be transcended and included. And I definitely don’t believe that philosophies shouldn’t have any writings about them. How else does one learn about Mu or Zen or whatever? We take up the practice through the teachings and learn through direct experience. To understand Mu is to understand that both yes and no are both right and wrong.
Again, I’m no Zen master. But Zen is deeply rooted in the practice of wisdom, even when that wisdom says to let go of conceptual thinking.
Peter, great comment. Don’t believe me either!
Hi Graham,
Cheers for sharing your 10 principles of the Zen of attraction! Really some good principles… use whatever works for you and enjoy life!
Create nothing… except blogs.
Interesting post, and a refreshing alternative take on the (now overused) ideas peddled in “The Secret”.
I am starting to really believe more in the concept that you draw certain people into your life based on what’s going on inside you; for a long time I thought it was all just completely random.
Doug, I wholeheartedly disagree. The law of attraction is not a law. There is no scientific basis for such a law. The law of attraction is a reductionist principle, collapsing everything to the interior of the individual. There’s no external or collective factors in the purported law of attraction. It collapses everything to the level of mind. Everything is determined by my thinking. Obviously this isn’t completely true.
One could call attraction a way of living I suppose. But a law? It just isn’t true.
In terms of ones inner attitude and place in evolution,one attracts those of like persuasion. you wont necessarily know them unless you pay attention, however, the law of attraction is a law and always works.
If you happen to wonder why there are people in your life whom you don’t like, perhaps you should take a look at yourself. The reverse is also true.—Doug Rosbury
you wont always know
Mr. English: In denying the validity of my belief, regarding “The law of attraction”,
You violate the principle of diplomacy and blatantly deny me my right to my belief.
Not only that, but you turn around and in a foolish statement you say” Thelaw of attraction
Is not a law” (!!!) (???) You can’t have it both ways. Of course attraction is a law if it always works. It is just like any other spiritual law that always works reliably such as the law of karma. How can you call attraction a law and then turn around and say that it isn,t a law? Karma and attractio work together to bring to you the situations required to aid you
in repaying your debt. In fact, I would suggest that karma and attraction are two aspects of the same law. Alaw but not a law??? I beg your pardon. Methinks that Ego played an important part in causing you to come up with that silly bit of logic.— Doug Rosbury
Doug, be careful please and read the rules. We can debate ideas here. A belief is different than a law. You may have your beliefs and I may disagree with them. Prove to me that the law of attraction always works and I’ll believe you. Until that day, I won’t put attraction into the same category as gravity. And I didn’t call the “law of attraction” a law. I said it isn’t a law.
You probably wish that I didn’t “deny the validity of your belief.” So I’m bringing evidence to the table that just wishing something to be true does not make it so.
So we can debate this if you wish. But please be careful and don’t make it personal because I have nothing against you.
Mr. English: I want to know how you can say ” the (LAW)
of attraction and then expect me to have respect for you when you then say: “It isnt a law”. Please explain that part.In my opinion, when you violate logic like that, you cast doubt upon your own credibility. And please do not set yourself up to restrict my expression. I frankly do not consider you to be my superior. As Buddah has said: “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it or who has said it,unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. And to that, I say, AMEN. When the truth is at stake, I say rules imposed by one person or many persons be damned.— Doug Rosbury
I’m referring to the “law of attraction” as it is commonly known. In the original blog post, I don’t refer to it as a law. You don’t have to respect me unless you want to comment on my blog. It’s not public property. It is my personal site. I created rules to help express my vision for this blog. And to protect my time from needing to defend myself from people who show disrespect.
So again, we can debate the ideas, not whether or not I am credible, foolish, or egotistical. Please respect my wishes and read the rules.
I use number 1 every time I give a massage. By the end people expectations are met, without giving a promise that the massage will help.
The codified philosophy becomes religion and open for interpretation. Once interpreted, it becomes the subject of debate. And nothing is more heated and less productive then religious debate. But I love it, because this is what is important. Distilled Humanity.
It’s like watching a blog-form-microcosm of religious evolution.