We may attempt to control what appears, disappears, what arises and passes.
Alternatively, we may attempt to control what we "do" with what arises, passes, the conditions and beings of life.
This "doing with" what arises includes noticing our reactions to what arises, and allowing that noticing to result in our practice effort, in appropriate and skillful response.
If we do not see the difference between these different "attempts to control",
if we confuse these different control attempts and treat them as if they were the same,
then we may be confusing self-centeredness and skillful action. We may not be able to see what is ours to "do" and what is spinning off into dreams of delusion, attachment, greed and anger.
This confusion, especially if we are acting out of an attempt to control what arises, can result in all sorts of difficulties in life, difficulties in practice. Our efforts may further reinforce dualistic misperceptions and self-centered harm and suffering.
For more comments on this, see this audio talk:
http://www.prairiezen.org/Audio/Sunday/Not_fixing_self,_not%20defending_self;_forget_self_11-6-11.mp3
Here is a Jewish perspective on this matter: "Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself." --- Elie Wiesel
(c) 2011 Elihu Genmyo Smith
