No Mind

[deci belle]

[Marblehead]

This is a subject that I have interest in because I still have not fully established an understanding of how I feel (think) about it.

 

We all know that I am a materialist. We have a brain. That is a given. But what is this 'mind' we talk about all the time?

 

The only soundly established thought I have so far is that the mind includes the brain but the mind is much more than just the brain, I think. What is it? That's what I don't have a handle on yet.

 

In Taoism we are told to empty our mind - especially during meditation. What is it that I am supposed to empty? I can easily empty my coffee cup - I know what my coffee cup is. But the mind? How can I empty it if I don't know what all it consistes of?

 

I would enjoy a nice "logical" discussion of this subject.

[Aetherous]

mind (mnd)

n.

1. The human consciousness that originates in the brain and is manifested especially in thought, perception, emotion, will, memory, and imagination.

 

When you "empty the heart/mind" in meditation, you're allowing the various fluctuations of the mind to settle.

 

You're capable of thinking, percieving, feeling, remembering, imagining...but you don't have to do any of those things at the time.

[deci belle]

It is what doesn't think, Marblehead.

 

The brain is an organ. Self-reflection is over-arched by nondiscursive, nonpsychological awareness. A common expression is "I feel it in my gut." Intuitive, direct knowing is like this. So it is not about the brain. The body is a sensual instrument— the brain is mostly a localized electrical junction— albeit with special organs within it capable of subtleties of the science of Life.

 

Intellectualism is ego-relative, whereas what doesn't think isn't part of the self-reflective matrix of ego awareness. Similarly, though the brain be a crucial complex including significant parts within it, it importantly controls passive functions. The seat of awareness is a mystery you can discover for yourself— I assure you, the human brain isn't it. But I will admit that properties of subtle mental capacity locate that which has no location.

 

Do not ever focus energy on any point in the body, especially any part of the head!!! Not only is it utterly futile— it is extremely harmful!!

 

Not often mentioned is the fact that there is that which lies beyond even the source of immaterial, impersonal living aware energy. Fancy that!

 

…What is it? That's what I don't have a handle on yet.

 

In Taoism we are told to empty our mind - especially during meditation. What is it that I am supposed to empty?

 

Mind is empty in and of itself already. It is even void of emptiness. Not a thing, unborn, awake, without thoughts, silent and still, yet open and sincere, calm and unperturbable, clear and free— no different than the completely real self. Try to let what isn't this mind just evaporate. It's not easy, yet it isn't hard either. Just let go of the ordinarily valuable and capable self-reflective mind's habitual ramblings. As the rambling dissipates you recognize potential that is hidden by the human mentality. Learning to be free of dependent attachment to mental habituation is the work.

 

What is residual in this living aware potential is the shining mind. Enliven the shining mind and kill the human mentality. After a long time, it will feel more natural to rest in the shining mind and employ the human mentality when necessary. Now it is the human mentality that dominates and traps the shining mind within clouds of ignorance and fear, while the shining mind has long since been forgotten and atrophied— only shining through the ego-reflective matrix occasionally.

 

When life itself become a constant meditation, we realize that orthodox meditation practices were simply a temporary expedient.

 

Adapting to the constant state of everyday ordinary affairs without involving ego isn't even the goal— it is the means to self-refinement.

 

So you can see that functioning from within the shining mind as a matter of course is a major accomplishment requiring periods of intense effort as well as relaxed, centered abiding over a long period of time— yet the accomplishment itself as merely an entry-level evolution, is really a model for the work that follows.

 

There is a lot of mysticism attached to the developments within hard-won evolutions of self-refinement, yet even these are devices. So when you get down to it, being unminding in everyday ordinary situations is what is required to be unminding in everyday ordinary situations. How mysterious is that?

 

When the mind doesn't stir inside, the world doesn't arise outside. Activating the mind without dwelling on anything comprises the entire Buddhist canon. Ultimately, both the world and the mind are illusions, and both buddhas and ordinary people are all phantoms. So why should forgetting conventions and simply stepping over eternity to enter inconceivability be a big deal? It's not for those who gaze into open clarity. If one is called, one just goes without hesitating. Now has it's own criteria and fulfillment.

 

Is there something logical enough in this reply to build upon (or to facilitate stripping away)?

 

(ed: wasn't finished, I guess…)

Edited August 5, 2011 by deci belle

[Marblehead]

Hi Scotty. Yes, that is probably as close to my understanding at this point in time. The mind being the consciousness of the brain.

 

However, Deci Belle brought in some interesting aspects when speaking of intition, 'gut' feelings, etc. These events occur without conscious thought.

 

Where do they come from? My best guess right now is the unconscious aspect of the brain. That is, an event occurs, our senses pick up on the event and cause a reaction without conscious thought.

 

Yes, I can, on special occasions, stop conscious thought. But thoughts continue to present themselves without request. They just pop up and most of the time I can just let them pass without consideration. Othertime they kick off a series of interconnected thoughts that I may play with for a while.

 

Yes, I think that brain and ego are life-time companions. The identification of the "I". During meditation we can shut down the brain and therefore shut down the "I". We become egoless. That is, we shut down the consciousness of "I".

 

But what of the mind and our unconsciousness? Isn't that still functioning? Isn't that the state of 'wu wei'?

 

And what of Jung's collective unconscious? Is there such a thing and is it something that remains only in the unconscious until we have these spurts of intuition and 'gut feelings'?

 

Too many questions. Maybe I should just live. Hehehe.

[deci belle]

[Marblehead]

Thanks for the response Deci Belle. Lots of stuff there.

 

To the best of my knowledge I have experienced full wu wei only once and that was before I kew anything about Taoism.

 

I don't have a problem with my conscious mind or dealing with the real world. Got a pretty good handle on that.

 

And I rarely recall any of my brain's activity while I am sleeping (dreams).

 

I have my biases, illusions and delusions, of course. I will never deny them. They don't get in the way of my physical 'real' life.

 

Perhaps I am in pretty good shape all things considered.

 

I am a giving person so my life isn't just about "me". But I sure would like to experience that 'wu wei' experience I had many years ago a few more times. That was so nice.

 

Perhaps I am trying to add to my experiences things that I really don't need to add. I don't know. It is just that I would like to be able to say, on my death bed, "I lived my life to its maximum potential." I'm too old to be chasing the women any more so all I have left is inner work. Hehehe.

 

But yeah, it would be nice if I had a better understanding of how my brain and mind work so I could be less questioning.

[deci belle]

Oh Mr. Marblehead!! hahaa!! May vous has your miniskirts and bikinis regularly et often~ and meet them too!!❤ heehee!!!

[Marblehead]

Oh Mr. Marblehead!! hahaa!! May vous has your miniskirts and bikinis regularly et often~ and meet them too!!❤ heehee!!!

 

Thanks. I am sure there will be many more for me to look at.

 

Well, hey!, minishirts and bikinis are spiritual thing too, Right?

 

(Where did that French come from? Hehehe.)

 

(I loved visiting France every time I had the chance to go there. They were always enjoyable experiences.)

[deci belle]

haha~ times without number, mon ami!❤

[Marblehead]

haha~ times without number, mon ami!❤

 

That's neat - time without numbers - a mind without numbers - a string that twists and turns, goes forward and backward, gets twisted up, thngled in knots, gets untied, gets straightened out then again tangled - an endless stream - at least until we die.

 

Now let's see; where's my mind?