Thank you for that. I think it’s true. Most worthwhile endeavors are bound to have some failures along the way, though there are some NOT worthwhile things one could fail at, too.

Also, sometimes a simple up-down-up pattern is all you need. And sometimes, things are better not sung, but better just spoken.

I don’t know enough about Transcendentalism to make any assertions about it compared to Enlightenment, and right now I’ll yeild to tradition: There are little or no positive assertations about Enlightenment in the Buddhist tradition — only what it is not.

As far as Before/After Zen and chopping wood and carrying water: You mentioned at first acknowledging that sadness exists for each person, even though it is just a construct we create in our minds. The Zen saying is used to explain that the exact same things that were “suffering” before enlightenment exist just the same, but now they are not contributing to your suffering. You travel down the long road to find enlightenment, only to realize that it was literally right there all along. (See any of my posts on Buddha Nature)

Dostoevsky and Shame:
Immediately my thoughts go to absurd situations: if you need public humiliation and shaming for proper growth, can you not accomplish growth in solitary confinement in prison? A small desert island, etc.?
What I think I’d relate that to is the Buddhist concept of “skillful means.” A parable that goes with that is a raft. You ride a raft to cross the river, but no matter how important the raft was, you must leave it behind to continue on your journey. Skillful means are things that help us with our progress, but they must ultimately be left on the other shore if we’re to get beyond that particular “river.”
My life is littered with bias coming from a Catholic school upbringing, so I tend to view all of our western society through that lens and would immediately think that our society focuses too much on the shame, and not enough on moving past it. A man is hanging off a cliff by a small root, about to fall. Jesus walks to the ledge and offers the man help. “You must do exactly what I say or else I cannot help you.” The man nods frantically and exclaims, “anything!” Jesus replies, “You’re going to need to let go of the root.” The man looks down, then up again, then down, and shakes his head, “no.”
“How can I help you if you never let go of your plight,” Christ says, and walks away, very sad.

Also- I’m afraid I don’t understand what is meant by: “…before Zen, there is chopping wood and carrying water. After Enlightenment there is chopping wood and carrying water.” Could you clarify?

Since my last comment, I have worked on defying shame, and have come very far, I think. However, I’ve also been reading some of Dostoevsky, who would argue that shame isn’t worthless, as you said- in fact, to him, full repentance for any sin DEPENDS on public humiliation and shame. According to Dostoevsky, only through this process are we refined into better humans. Sometimes I believe him, and believe I should buy into this dominant collective understanding of shame and its consequences. Do you have any thoughts on this?

And now… some relevant lyrics!

“Once when our mother called / She had a voice of last year’s cough. / We passed around the phone, / Sharing a word about Oregon. / When my turn came, I was ashamed. / When my turn came, I was ashamed. / We saw her once last fall. / Our grandpa died in a hospital gown. / She didn’t seem to care. / She smoked in her room and colored her hair. / I was ashamed, I was ashamed of her.”