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| gary weber |
The "thoughts" that we work with are the ongoing narrative of self-reflective concerns, worries, plans, projections, worries about the past and future.
The philosophical arguments of whether an image, emotion, sensation, feeling in body-mind, etc. is ultimately a "thought", or not, is of no real interest. we are not concerned with stopping the activity of our nerves or shutting down all stimuli or responses. How would the body protect itself from harm or destruction if the ego tried to suppress or ignore any and all sensations and responses, as some try to do?
Why should we deaden the mind so that it is unable to function in useful ways? It is a wonderful capability and tool if properly used. The development of a secondary, symbolic consciousness about 100,000 years ago gave us the ability to plan that was critical to agriculture, co-operation and task division that moved us from hunting and gathering to agriculture and enabled our species to survive and prosper.
Many are so disillusioned and afraid of "this world" and "life", that they do all sorts of extreme activities, like holding one arm in the air for decades, wrapping their penises around iron rods and tying rocks to them, standing on one leg for decades, putting a pot of fire on their heads, etc. This mortification silliness and fear of sensations and responses has been going on for millenia - it leads nowhere. As you no doubt recall, the Buddha walked away from it.
we are working to move beyond conflict, fear, confusion and unhappiness, not making our body-mind non-functional and placing it in peril. The "goal" is happiness; it can be found by moving beyond self-referential thought by deconstructing the illusion of an "I, me, mine". Thankfully, it is possible, and that is all that is needed.
There are excellent scientific papers showing that in only two months of simple daily meditation for 45 minutes, the brain can change its functional pattern from the typical, unsettling, troubling "narrative" funtioning to "experiential", moment-by-moment, awareness and presence.
Much excellent ongoing research work, some of which i am collaborating in and am a subject in, is showing that if the period of meditation is extended signifcantly, the "default state", i.e. what your mind does when you aren't doing anything, will move permanently from endless narrative to this "experiential", moment-to-monent blisssful awareness and presence. IME, it is worth every second you devote to it.
Trust this is helpful.
stillness
gary
So many people are afraid of feelings, they don't want to experience them and the thoughts that accompany them. Most people in our society drug themselves to escape anything not in a straight level line in their life. Emotions above or below that line must be controlled or shut off. Thoughts about Rational fears are necessary. We could well do without the thoughts that cause Irrational fears.
ReplyDeleteIt's been written that our attitude <- I don't like that word) can bring happiness into ordinary lives. I'm just to the point of understanding that the bodys' physical comfort requirements aren't all that important to happiness. The genuine comfort comes from feeling compassion for the needs and happiness of others. Me, Mine, My & I, don't encourage happiness. Gary, does this make sense, or am I rambling?
There is no equal to early morning hours, and stillness, and being alone. There is sometimes a connection to something that you can't discern where you end and it begins. It's like you don't have an outline, like you blend in with everything as in a watercolor painting.
And yet, at times, I feel a need to move and laugh out loud and experience a connection to the greater community of people. Nutcase or balanced woman?
Is this reasonable and is this a rudimentary form of enlightening? I don't know.
After reading your 'Guide to Awakening: What is a Thought'..... this is what you led me to think about today. Thanks, Susie
Susan:
ReplyDeleteyour experiences in the early morning hours are excellent. Spend as much time in that space as you can - every moment there is something the brain can use to work out how to return there more easily and ultimately remain there whenever it isn't working on something. It is the space where the "I" identity is almost not present and the reality of what you really are is manifesting.
don't concern yourself about your laughing and experiences with "community". your personality will continue to manifest. don't worry that diminishing the "I", will result in all sorts of dangerous behaviors for you or others; that is not what happens. Mostly, you are as you are right now, except you just aren't narrating it, obsessing about it, judging it, etc. It is just Presence/Stillness dancing, however it dances.
hope this is helpful
gary