Zen & the Enneagram Assignments

PLEASE REMEMBER:
Submissions over the 50-word limit will be deleted unread. Count “Egocentrickarmic- conditioning/self-hate” as one word. Do not include “R/L” in your word count.
 
Zen and the Enneagram: We Are All Nine Types
Thursday, August 24
Class 9
 
This email class has assisted us to uncover a BIG BAMBOOZLE hiding in plain sight. (The BIG BAMBOOZLE is a book that describes how we are conned into a life of suffering!)
 
Awareness Practice is an inquiry that involves paying attention, believing nothing, and not taking anything personally. We are always looking to see and see through ego in action. But if “I” am convinced that “I” know who “I” am (an enneatype Five say), then I have just given egocentric karmic conditioning/self-hate free rein to control me through all the ways “I’m” convinced “I’m” not. I’ve been hoodwinked into wearing blinkers so that the con artist controls where I look while I believe myself to be a  “very aware” Awareness Practitioner.
 
By practicing looking through the lens of different enneatypes, we have perhaps seen some ways ego operates through us that we’ve previously not seen. We are all, in some way or another, bamboozled into identifying with the “personality” rather than with Presence. 
 
With type One, we notice the focus on what’s wrong keeps us from being present to the perfection of what is.
 
With type Two, we observed how a focus on “my way” prevents from letting Life lead.
 
With type Three, we saw how a focus on external validation robs us from experiencing the wholeness that we already are.
 
With type Four, we see attending to what’s missing prevents us from being present to all that we have.
 
With type Five, we discover how identification with the self-separate from life, keeps us from being part of all that is.
 
With type Six, we notice that identification with ego is the experience of fear.
 
With type Seven, we observe how the focus on what’s next keeps us from thisherenow.
 
And with type Eight, we notice how we are bamboozled into the illusion of control, when we are actually being controlled by egocentric karmic conditioning/self-hate.
 
In this final class, let’s look at keeping the practice of “seeing” alive by examining enneatype 9
 
Type Nine – The Peacemaker
 
Worldview: Life is about harmony; let’s go with the flow.
 
Beliefs: Having one’s own agenda or preferences disrupts harmony, so it’s better to just go along with others. Nothing really matters that much anyway. Conflict is to be avoided at all costs.
 
Focus of Attention: Other people’s agenda
 
Characteristics

• Go with the flow - merging with others
• Self-forgetting, defined as laziness towards own needs, priorities, agenda
• Trouble with decisions: Do I agree or disagree? Do I want to be here or not?
• Suppression of physical energy and anger
• Replace essential needs with nonessential substitutes – the important things are left until the end of the day
• Act through habit and repeating familiar solutions
• Control through stubbornness and passive aggressive behavior
• Numbing out, inertia, running on auto pilot

 
No type is more devoted to the quest for internal and external peace for themselves and others. Nine’s are typically “spiritual seekers” who have a great yearning for connection with the cosmos, as well as with other people. They work to maintain their peace of mind, just as they work to establish peace and harmony in their world.
 
Nine’s tend to avoid conflict at all costs, whether it be internal or interpersonal. As the potential for conflict in life is virtually ubiquitous, the Nine's desire to avoid it generally results in some degree of withdrawal from life, and many Nines are, in fact, introverted. Other Nines lead more active, social lives, but nevertheless remain to some to degree "checked out," or not fully involved, as if to insulate themselves from threats to their peace of mind. 
 
The Nine's inability to tolerate conflict sometimes translates into an overall conservative approach to change. Change can provoke unpleasant feelings and disrupt the Nine's desire for comfort. Less healthy Nines seem incapable of motivating themselves to move into action and bring about effective change. However, when change does come, as it generally will, Nines find that they are usually well able to adapt. They tend to be more resilient than they give themselves credit for. In fact, Nines tend not to give themselves enough credit in general, and their self-effacing attitude often seems to invite others to take them for granted or to overlook their often significant contributions. This can cause a subterranean anger to build inside the Nine's psyche, which can erupt into consciousness in occasional fits of temper which quickly blow over, but which more often manifest in passive aggressive foot dragging. Being overlooked is often a source of a deep sadness in Nines, a sadness that they scarcely ever give voice to.
 
Nines demonstrate the universal temptation to ignore the disturbing aspects of life and to seek some degree of peace and comfort by “numbing out.” They respond to pain and suffering by attempting to live in a state of premature peacefulness, whether it is in a state of false spiritual attainment, or in more gross denial. More than any other type, Nines demonstrate the tendency to run away from the paradoxes and tensions of life by seeking to find simple and painless solutions to their problems.
To emphasize the pleasant in life is not a bad thing, of course—it is simply a limited and limiting approach to life. Nines tend to focus on the “bright side of life” so that their peace of mind will not be shaken. But rather than deny the dark side of life, Nines must remember that “the only way out is through.”
 
Exercise
How are you an Enneatype Nine? How do some of the qualities, processes, and characteristics of the Peacemaker show up in you? How does the desire to “maintain the peace” prevent you from expressing yourself authentically? How are you caused to suffer because you are talked into avoiding confronting what is arising to be addressed?
 
In 50 words or fewer, write to us about your process. Here is the link to use:
https://www.livingcompassion.org/class-9
 
Submit your response after 9.00 a.m. PDT on Saturday, Aug. 26. Submissions received before 9:00 a.m. PDT on Saturday, Aug. 26 will not be accepted. 
 
Submit Class 9 responses between 9.00 a.m. PDT on Saturday, Aug. 26 and 12:00 noon on Sunday, Aug. 27. Class 8 responses will be accepted until 12:00 on Sunday, Aug. 27.

All submissions and responses will be posted as Cheri finishes with them. As we begin posting Cheri’s responses for each class, we will send a notice.  All of the assignments can also be found here: https://www.livingcompassion.org/enneagram-class-assignments

NOTE
When writing your responses, please pay attention to spelling and punctuation. This will help Cheri to more easily discern your meaning.

We recommend recording the class, listening to it, responding, and recording your response before submitting it. Remember to include “R/L” with your response to indicate that you are Recording & Listening.
 
Gassho

PLEASE REMEMBER:
Submissions over the 50-word limit will be deleted unread. Count “Egocentrickarmicconditioning/self-hate” as one word. Do not include “R/L” in your word count.
 
Zen and the Enneagram: We Are All Nine Types
Monday, August 21
Class 8
 
The causes of human suffering are often described as the three poisons: greed, aversion, and delusion. The orientation of Enneatype 7 assists us to understand how suffering is caused through aversion/avoidance. Through the lens of this orientation, the moment is considered to be too “painful” to be present to, and so we distract ourselves through pleasure, planning, and possibilities.  Instead of learning to be with what is arising in compassion, we flee from what is arising. And since we cannot find compassion within ourselves for ourselves, we are unable to find it for others.
 
Through Awareness Practice, we learn to tune in to the wisdom, love and compassion of the Mentor, and in so doing find that not only are we adequate to our lives, we have the support we need, through the Mentor, to be with whatever we have to encounter and transcend.
 
Let’s move to Enneatype Eight.
 
Type Eight – The Challenger
 
Worldview: Only the strong survive.
 
Beliefs: The truth comes out in a good fight. The world is black and white. Life is to be lived passionately, lustily, with nothing held back. Weak is unworthy. I protect my own.
 
Focus of Attention: Control
 
Characteristics

• Control of personal space, possessions, people likely to influence an Eight’s life
• Concern with justice and protection of others
• Impulsiveness – action before thinking
• Unafraid to express anger
• Sparring as a way of making contact – trusting those who can hold their own in a fight
• Difficulty in being vulnerable and recognizing dependent aspects of themselves
• All-or-nothing way of seeing the world
• Impatience with indecisiveness or inaction

 
Eights at their healthiest are magnanimous and highly moral, especially in showing kindness or forgiveness. They are champions of the underdog, lending their time and strength to those who are less fortunate or disempowered. Generally, they are unafraid, generous, and have a ready sense of humor.
 
Eights are straightforward, able to take charge and make decisions quickly. They are people of action, able to inspire others through sheer force of will.  They are larger-than-life leaders who partake of life’s pleasures wholeheartedly. Being “in charge” and leaving their imprint on their sphere is uniquely characteristic of them.
 
More than any other type, they want to be independent and resist being controlled by or indebted to anyone. They often refuse to give in to social convention and can defy fear, shame, and concern about the consequences of their actions. Although they are usually aware of what people think of them, they do not let the opinions of others sway them.
 
Eights are tough and can absorb a great deal of physical punishment without complaint. Yet they are afraid of being hurt emotionally and will use their physical strength to protect their feelings and keep others at a safe emotional distance. Beneath the tough facade is vulnerability, although in less self-aware Eights this vulnerability can be covered over by emotional armor.
 
Eights often feel hurt and rejected, although they seldom talk about it because they have trouble admitting vulnerability to themselves, let alone to anyone else. Because they fear rejection, Eights defend themselves by rejecting others first. The result is that average Eights become blocked in their ability to connect with people or to love since love gives others power over them.
 
Exercise
How are you an Enneatype Eight? How do some of the qualities, processes, and characteristics of the Challenger show up in you? How does control show up in your life? How does armoring yourself against rejection or emotional hurt prevent you from authentic connection?
 
In 50 words or fewer, write to us about your process. Here is the link to use:
https://www.livingcompassion.org/class-8
 
Submit your response after 9.00 a.m. PDT on Thursday, August 24. Submissions received before 9:00 a.m. PDT on Thursday, August 24 will not be accepted.  

All submissions and responses will be posted as Cheri finishes with them. As we begin posting Cheri’s responses for each class, we will send a notice.  All responses and assignments are posted here: https://www.livingcompassion.org/enneagram-class-assignments

NOTE
When writing your responses, please pay attention to spelling and punctuation. This will help Cheri to more easily discern your meaning.

We recommend recording the class, listening to it, responding, and recording your response before submitting it. Remember to include “R/L” with your response to indicate that you are Recording & Listening.
 
Gassho

PLEASE REMEMBER:
Submissions over the 50-word limit will be deleted unread. Count “Egocentrickarmicconditioning/self-hate” as one word. Do not include “R/L” in your word count.
 
Zen and the Enneagram: We Are All Nine Types
Friday, August 18
Class 7
 
Practicing with the orientation of Enneatype 6 reveals the extent to which a preoccupation with security is the orientation of a self that experiences itself to be separate from Life. Controlling outcomes, planning for all eventualities, predicting worst case scenarios, avoiding potential threats… becomes the focus of the attention when we are identified with fear.
 
With practice, we learn that being present gives us everything we need in any situation. There is nothing to worry about and no one to worry! In fact, dis-identifying from “me” is the key to dissolving both fear and anxiety.
 
Let’s move to Enneatype Seven that has quite a different view from the Six!
 
Type Seven – The Enthusiast
 
Worldview: Life is an adventure with limitless possibilities.
 
Belief: Life is about experiencing as much as possible. There are too many wonderful options to spend time wallowing in pain and difficulty. Closing down options is like being trapped. Even bad things are good because you learn something from them!
 
Focus of Attention: Pleasant future options, fun
 
Characteristics
Seven’s are pleasure seekers and planners, in search of distraction.
 
They are essentially concerned that their lives be an exciting adventure. Sevens are future oriented, restless people who are generally convinced that something better is just around the corner. They are enthusiasts who enjoy the pleasures of the senses and who don't believe in any form of self-denial.
 
Sevens are also practical people who have multiple skills. When they are able to focus their talents, they are often highly successful. (For example, famous Sevens include JFK, Bette Midler, and Mozart.) Focusing does not always come easily for Sevens, however. Their tendency to believe that something better awaits them makes them reluctant to narrow down their options or to pursue their aims with true devotion.
 
The central problem for Sevens is that their pursuit of pleasure is compulsive. Sevens are fear types who are specifically afraid of the power of negative states of mind. These they avoid by seeking distractions in the external environment: by multi-tasking, keeping their options open, and engaging in stimulation-seeking of all kinds. For this reason, Sevens are more prone than most to addictions of all sorts—shopping, gambling, drugs, etc.
 
Sevens usually have a high opinion of themselves and their talents; they tend to focus on their strengths and virtues and to downplay their flaws and vices. They are often a bit self-centered, which manifests in an unfounded feeling of entitlement. As Sevens don't want to confront their own darker emotions, they also have difficulty acknowledging the pain that others experience, and sometimes have a hard time seeing the reality of other people.
 
The extent of the Seven's flight from negative emotions is really a measure of the Seven's mental health; the more a Seven flees from negative emotions, the more likely they are to develop some form of anxiety disorder or have severe depressive episodes.
 
Exercise
How are you an Enneatype Seven? How do some of the qualities, processes, and characteristics of the Enthusiast show up in you? How does avoiding confronting what is painful prevent you from being compassionate? In what way does escaping into fantasy and planning for the future prevent you from experiencing the richness of the present? What role does distraction play in your life?
 
In 50 words or fewer, write to us about your process. Here is the link to use:
https://www.livingcompassion.org/class-7
 
Submit your response after 9.00 a.m. PDT on Monday, Aug. 21. Submissions received before 9:00 a.m. PDT on Monday, Aug. 21 will not be accepted.  

All submissions and responses will be posted as Cheri finishes with them. As we begin posting Cheri’s responses for each class, we will send a notice.  All of the assignments can also be found here: https://www.livingcompassion.org/enneagram-class-assignments

NOTE
When writing your responses, please pay attention to spelling and punctuation. This will help Cheri to more easily discern your meaning.

We recommend recording the class, listening to it, responding, and recording your response before submitting it. Remember to include “R/L” with your response to indicate that you are Recording & Listening.
 
Gassho
 

PLEASE REMEMBER:
Submissions over the 50-word limit will be deleted unread. Count “Egocentrickarmic- conditioning/self-hate” as one word. Do not include “R/L” in your word count.
 
Zen and the Enneagram: We Are All Nine Types
Tuesday, August 15
Class 6
 
Practicing with the orientation of Enneatype 5 reveals how limiting it is to identify with ego. People, emotions, and interactions that take too much of “my” time, energy, and resources are relegated to the category “To Be Avoided.” By compartmentalizing life, ego ensures that the life force maintains and feeds it rather than being available to the human being.
 
With practice, we learn to step out of the limits of identity and not allow ego to have our life force. Now we have the ability to enjoy all aspects, flavors, and frequencies of the Intelligence That Animates.
 
 
Let’s move to Enneatype Six.
 
Type Six – The Loyal Skeptic
 
Worldview: The world is a dangerous place; most people have hidden agendas.
 
Belief: If you relax your vigilance, you become prey. Authority is not to be trusted. People say one thing and mean another. If you plan for the worst-case scenarios, you can keep yourself safe.
 
Focus of Attention: Worse case scenarios and hidden motives
 
Characteristics
Scanning the environment for clues that explain their inner sense of threat
Distrust of authority
Suspicious of other’s motives
Analysis paralysis – thinking replaces doing
Heightened fear when things are going well – when is the other shoe going to drop?
 
People of this personality type essentially feel insecure, as though there is nothing quite steady enough to hold onto. At the core of the Skeptic is a kind of fear or anxiety that manifests in worrying, and restless imaginings of everything that might go wrong. This tendency makes Sixes gifted at troubleshooting, but also robs the Six of much-needed peace of mind and tends to deprive the personality of spontaneity.
 
Fundamentally, there are two different strategies that Sixes adopt to deal with fear, phobic and counterphobic. Phobic Sixes are generally compliant and cooperative, while remaining inwardly distrustful and hyper-vigilant. Counterphobic Sixes move toward what they fear, taking a defiant stand against whatever they find threatening, and consequently appear unafraid.
 
The central issue for type Six is a failure of self-confidence. Sixes come to believe that they do not possess the internal resources to handle life’s challenges and vagaries alone, and so increasingly rely on structures, allies, beliefs, and supports outside themselves for guidance to survive. If suitable structures do not exist, they will help create and maintain them.
 
Sixes attempt to build a network of trust over a background of unsteadiness and fear. Wanting to feel that there is something solid and clear-cut in their lives, they can become attached to explanations or positions that seem to explain their situation. Because “belief” (trust, faith, convictions, positions) is difficult for Sixes to achieve, and because it is so important to their sense of stability, once they establish a trustworthy belief, they do not easily question it, nor do they want others to do so. The same is true for individuals in a Six’s life: once Sixes feel they can trust someone, they go to great lengths to maintain connections with the person who acts as a sounding board, a mentor, or a regulator for the Six’s emotional reactions and behavior. Therefore, they do everything in their power to keep their affiliations going. (“If I don’t trust myself, then I have to find something in this world I can trust.”) The loyalty of the Six is something of a two-edged sword however, as Sixes are sometimes prone to stand by a friend, partner, job, or cause long after it is time to move on.
 
Exercise
How are you an Enneatype Six? How do some of the qualities, processes, and characteristics of the Loyal Skeptic show up in you? Do you see yourself choosing ego’s promises of safety over what Life is offering? How does a focus on worrying about or imagining what could go wrong rob you of being present?
 
In 50 words or fewer, write to us about your process. Here is the link to use:
https://www.livingcompassion.org/class-6
 
Submit your response after 9.00 a.m. PDT on Friday, Aug. 18. Submissions received before 9:00 a.m. PDT on Friday, Aug. 18 will not be accepted. 

All submissions and responses will be posted as Cheri finishes with them. As we begin posting Cheri’s responses for each class, we will send a notice.  All of the assignments can also be found here: https://www.livingcompassion.org/enneagram-class-assignments

NOTE
When writing your responses, please pay attention to spelling and punctuation. This will help Cheri to more easily discern your meaning.

We recommend recording the class, listening to it, responding, and recording your response before submitting it. Remember to include “R/L” with your response to indicate that you are Recording & Listening.
 
Gassho
 

PLEASE REMEMBER:
Submissions over the 50-word limit will be deleted unread. Count “Egocentrickarmic- conditioning/self-hate” as one word. Do not include “R/L” in your word count.
 
Zen and the Enneagram: We Are All Nine Types
Saturday, August 12
Class 5
 
Practicing with the orientation of Enneatype 4 reveals how the world of ego is based on an assumption of loss, lack and deprivation. The focus on what’s missing, and the belief that when I have x I will feel y, perpetuates a quest not for fulfillment but for desire, which inevitably leads to dissatisfaction and suffering.
 
Practice assists us to cultivate the capacity to experience the completeness in the moment. We can practice having what we want rather that following the conditioned program to seek what we do not have.
 
Let’s move to Enneatype 5
 
Type Five – The Observer
 
Worldview: Knowledge will keep me safe.
 
Belief: People can be intrusive. People (and things) can take up your private time and deplete your energy. Emotions are unpredictable and scary. Knowledge is power. It can keep you safe or be used against you.
 
Focus of Attention: Conserving energy and gaining knowledge
 
Characteristics
Need for privacy extending to isolation
Delayed emotions; feelings withheld until safely alone
Wanting predictability – to know what will happen
Overvaluing self-control – drama is for lesser beings
Compartmentalizing of time commitments in life
Maintaining non-involvement, withdrawing, and restraining one’s emotions as a first line of defense
 
Five’s approach can be overly mental when a more feeling approach is called for. They can seem to be distant or emotionally unavailable. Observers can seem disengaged from life, preferring mental realms of thought to interaction. There is a strong need to protect their private time, and this need for privacy can extend towards isolation. A belief that energy is limited can lead to compartmentalization. There are compartments for work, relationships, and leisure, each with its concomitant time limits. Observers feel overwhelmed and drained if they don’t have enough alone time; too much input is exhausting. Fives can withhold information, time, energy, and even themselves.  
 
Fives have very strong feelings but prefer to deal with them when they are alone and can try to understand them. It doesn’t feel safe to deal with emotions in front of others; it feels out of control.
 
Observers enjoy observing. They don’t feel they need to join in all the time. Rather, they have a great time watching everyone else.
 
Exercise
How are you an Enneatype Five? How do some of the qualities, processes, and characteristics of the Observer show up in you? How does a focus on “my” time, energy, and resources prevent you from participating and fully engaging in life? How does a preoccupation with safety keep you from being in touch with your feelings or giving your emotions expression and sharing yourself?
 
In 50 words or fewer, write to us about your process. Here is the link to use:
https://www.livingcompassion.org/class-5
 
Submit your response after 9.00 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, Aug. 15. Submissions received before 9:00 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, Aug. 15 will not be accepted. 

All submissions and responses will be posted as Cheri finishes with them. As we begin posting Cheri’s responses for each class, we will send a notice.  All of the assignments can also be found here. https://www.livingcompassion.org/enneagram-class-assignments

NOTE
When writing your responses, please pay attention to spelling and punctuation. This will help Cheri to more easily discern your meaning.

We recommend recording the class, listening to it, responding, and recording your response before submitting it. Remember to include “R/L” with your response to indicate that you are Recording & Listening.
 
Gassho