Quieting the mind to reveal TRUE nature...

[Lotus7]

Hey Bums I want to share something with you that really reminded me of how muddled my mind really is . I have been reading an interesting book called,"The Whole Heart of Yoga" by John Bright-Fey. (I mentioned it in a couple of other posts.)I will not stray into all that the book covers, just a small excerpt.

 

"The fundamental concept of Yoga revolves around the image of a pool of water. When the surface of the pool is left undisturbed and in its natural state, it is able to reflect things as they really are. This is the "true mind". However when the surface of the pool is disturbed, the reflected image becomes distorted. It, then presents a false picture of reality. The work of Yoga centers upon restraining those things that disturb the surface of the pool.... Yogic emancipation must begin with personal renewal. For that renewal to take place you must first plunge into your own experience with abandon and embrace whatever you find there." (The Whole Heart of Yoga pgs. 33-34)

 

Some of you more "enlightened bums" , might find these words to be very simple, however this is the underlying purpose of any spiritual path (IMHO). When I first began meditating, over time I began seeing changes take place within my mind. I thought, 'Wow! This is really working, my mind is so clear!" Then after sometime, I wandered away from actual practice and became more interested in the learning of philosophies and knowledge. I was feeling good about life and thought that the feeling would last. Soon, it was as if I was back to square one. My mind became cloudy again, and I all around just started feeling negative. I was looking externally for the properties I already possessed internally. My lesson from that situation was that knowledge does not help without practice. Each person is different so attempting to make a 'One and only way to enlightenment" is impossible. Yoga, meditation, chi kung, tai chi, etc, all ultimately have the same goal, or should I say, Path: quieting the mind, so one can actually explore their being. Clearing my mind is my biggest ambition, because I will never advance without first knowing myself.

 

Be like Water. Be like a field of grass. That is how I heard this.

Anyways, no more ramblings...

 

Love and Light, Mateo

[xabir2005]

Quieting your mind is first step. You have to clear your mind first, then, not letting thoughts interfere, ask yourself 'Who am I?' (That question may be a thought, but the investigation and the answer is non-conceptual)

 

This is a pointer that is a direct form of investigation into your true nature. If you stay in calmness but there is no investigation, then the state becomes stagnant and no realization comes out of that. But if in the state of calmness, not letting thoughts interfere, you take the backward step of turning the light around to investigate its source and origin, surely realization will be attained.

 

So just let your thoughts settle, and just feel and sense... then you ask what is it. At that moment, you might see your reality. But your mind must be able to settle down first. However, know there is a difference between working at the concentration level, and investigating or practicing insight meditation that touch directly the clarity and the luminous nature, are two different things.

[Marblehead]

Hi Lotus,

 

I agree with the quote and it is consistent with what Chuang Tzu said to the concept.

 

Xabir's response is good, I think.

 

So, yeah, during meditation we can clear our mind, polish it so that it reflects the truth (whatever that is) without distortion.

 

Okay, you have finished meditation and have returned to 'normal' life.

 

Knowledge are the stones that are being thrown into the water that distorts a pure reflection. Now, I'm not saying the knowledge is bad, just that any new knowledge causes our mind to become confused. I think it is important to filter this new knowledge on a daily basis to determine if, after the stones have setteled to the bottom and the ripples have stopped, we still have a clear view of the 'truth'. That means more meditation. The cycle repeats endlessly.

[goldisheavy]

To conceive of mind's activity in purely mechanic terms is a mistake. And yet when most people talk about quieting the mind and compare the mind to a pool of water, they really look at the mind in very mechanic terms, as if the mind was a substance and behaved like one.

 

It's important not to take any metaphor about the mind literally because the mind is unique.

[joeblast]

establish awareness-rigor with rote repetition of harmonious motions until the foreground fades away, the background becomes the foreground, repeat until there is no ground

[Marblehead]

establish awareness-rigor with rote repetition of harmonious motions until the foreground fades away, the background becomes the foreground, repeat until there is no ground

 

Would the end result be called "Lost in space"?

[doc benway]

Hey Bums I want to share something with you that really reminded me of how muddled my mind really is . I have been reading an interesting book called,"The Whole Heart of Yoga" by John Bright-Fey. (I mentioned it in a couple of other posts.)I will not stray into all that the book covers, just a small excerpt.

 

"The fundamental concept of Yoga revolves around the image of a pool of water. When the surface of the pool is left undisturbed and in its natural state, it is able to reflect things as they really are. This is the "true mind". However when the surface of the pool is disturbed, the reflected image becomes distorted. It, then presents a false picture of reality. The work of Yoga centers upon restraining those things that disturb the surface of the pool.... Yogic emancipation must begin with personal renewal. For that renewal to take place you must first plunge into your own experience with abandon and embrace whatever you find there." (The Whole Heart of Yoga pgs. 33-34)

 

Some of you more "enlightened bums" , might find these words to be very simple, however this is the underlying purpose of any spiritual path (IMHO). When I first began meditating, over time I began seeing changes take place within my mind. I thought, 'Wow! This is really working, my mind is so clear!" Then after sometime, I wandered away from actual practice and became more interested in the learning of philosophies and knowledge. I was feeling good about life and thought that the feeling would last. Soon, it was as if I was back to square one. My mind became cloudy again, and I all around just started feeling negative. I was looking externally for the properties I already possessed internally. My lesson from that situation was that knowledge does not help without practice. Each person is different so attempting to make a 'One and only way to enlightenment" is impossible. Yoga, meditation, chi kung, tai chi, etc, all ultimately have the same goal, or should I say, Path: quieting the mind, so one can actually explore their being. Clearing my mind is my biggest ambition, because I will never advance without first knowing myself.

 

Be like Water. Be like a field of grass. That is how I heard this.

Anyways, no more ramblings...

 

Love and Light, Mateo

That's a wonderful post and a profound insight.

"My lesson from that situation was that knowledge does not help without practice. Each person is different so attempting to make a 'One and only way to enlightenment" is impossible."

 

I'm currently listening to an analysis of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The teacher does a great job of analyzing the language and syntax and really helps one to penetrate the sutras but it's painfully obvious that the teacher has not done the practice so he really doesn't quite get what he's teaching.

 

Based on your post, I think that you have no need to feel

On the other hand, it's nice to approach this stuff with a beginner's mind.

Namaste

[Birch]

Would the end result be called "Lost in space"?

 

Well I figure there's a bit of that in there somewhere mr MH. But IME if you can get past the abject terror of it, 'get used to it' (hence the damn breathing exercises ;-)) then it gets better and then you, um, sort of forget about it to get on with things but at the same time you remember. And then you have the weight of the entire universe 'backing you'. But you still forget sometimes. And then someone else comes along and reminds you again. Because not all of you has ever really forgotten. Well at least it feels that way to me- doesn't mean it's true. Never does.

 

The other day I bumped into an old friend (well it felt that way). No matter that my 'old friend' is probably only 1 or 2 years old. But we shouted out our respective 'heyas' and all was well. That was weird. It's all pretty weird IMO/IME.

[Marblehead]

Hi -K-,

 

For some rason, while reading your post, the thought, "first there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is" came into my mind.

 

No mater how mystical we wish to get we still have to come back to the physical plane because it is here that we actually live our life.

 

To get 'lost in space' is a waste of a lifetime.

 

And we all know that I believe we have only one chance at this thing called 'life'.

[joeblast]

Would the end result be called "Lost in space"?

more like shine on you crazy diamond

[Marblehead]

more like shine on you crazy diamond

 

I'll buy that!

 

(Can't remember the song that is from but it will come to me later.)

[Birch]

Hi -K-,

 

For some rason, while reading your post, the thought, "first there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is" came into my mind.

 

No mater how mystical we wish to get we still have to come back to the physical plane because it is here that we actually live our life.

 

To get 'lost in space' is a waste of a lifetime.

 

And we all know that I believe we have only one chance at this thing called 'life'.

 

Yes Mr MH, I do think that advice was given to people to bring them back after such forays :-) Thanks kindly for it. However, I was pondering the 'non-manifest' this morning over coffee and if you think about it, do 'thoughts' count as manifest or non-manifest? Sorry, I just thought I'd throw that one out there :-)

If they count as non-manifest then people are indeed a weird mix of the manifest and the non-manifest IMO but I'm not sure they find that weird. It's only weird if you start thinking about it IMO/IME :-)

[Marblehead]

I was pondering the 'non-manifest' this morning over coffee and if you think about it, do 'thoughts' count as manifest or non-manifest? Sorry, I just thought I'd throw that one out there :-)

 

If they count as non-manifest then people are indeed a weird mix of the manifest and the non-manifest IMO but I'm not sure they find that weird. It's only weird if you start thinking about it IMO/IME :-)

 

Ha! Hehehe. I have never thought about that. With all the Buddhist stuff that has been run through my mind I'm not sure.

 

However, thinking on the concept now, I would suggest that thoughts are of the Manifest plane.

 

I say that because, as we know, I do not accept the concept of consciousness (thoughts) existing outside a functioning brain.

 

My logic would then be, thoughts are a product of a functioning brain, functioning brains exist only in the Manifest. Therefore thoughts are of the Manifest.

 

That was fun and no, I don't expect everyone to agree with me.

[joeblast]

I'll buy that!

 

(Can't remember the song that is from but it will come to me later.)

why, its the song's name I dont always pay attention to words, but I happen to pick some up here and there

 

I agree that thoughts are manifestations.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQYaVb4px7U

 

[Marblehead]

why, its the song's name I dont always pay attention to words, but I happen to pick some up here and there

 

I agree that thoughts are manifestations.

 

 

Yep. I recalled that it was Pink Floyd after I had gone back outside to do a little more work in the front yard. (I haven't listened to them for a while. I had gone on overload of them a while back.)

[Jeff]

Each person is different so attempting to make a 'One and only way to enlightenment" is impossible. Yoga, meditation, chi kung, tai chi, etc, all ultimately have the same goal, or should I say, Path: quieting the mind, so one can actually explore their being. Clearing my mind is my biggest ambition, because I will never advance without first knowing myself.

 

Be like Water. Be like a field of grass. That is how I heard this.

 

Love and Light, Mateo

 

Very wise words...

 

[Aaron]

Hello Lotus,

 

The most noble thing anyone can do is to endeavor to know themselves, but that is not always a pleasant experience.

 

Silencing the mind is only part of it, in fact before I could learn to quiet my mind I first had to be conscious of the noise inside, to address it and accept it, then I was able to let those things go and find quiet. Even now I feel quiet, it lies beneath the surface, even when I have thoughts.

 

I think that when one is searching for their true self they should remember that ideology, methodology, and even the advice of others, although helpful, can also be a hindrance. As Gold and others have stated over and over, these things can often lead us to discoveries, but in our bias we misunderstand or interpret them according to what we believe they should be and in the end miss the true essence of these experiences.

 

I will tell you what I do to quiet my mind. I sit in a quiet place and close my eyes. I breath as naturally as I can, so that my breath doesn't distract me. (Keep in mind if you're just starting and are having problems it is often wise to focus on your breath, in order to help you quiet your mind, but in focusing on your breath, you will not be able to reach complete quiet, so this is only an exercise that once achieved, must also be given up.) If a thought arises, do not struggle with it, rather address it and let it go, the more you struggle the harder it is to be rid of it. You will not achieve this immediately, although some achieve the state of complete quiet faster than others, for me it took me about three months before I could reach sporadic states of quiet.

 

The other thing to keep in mind is that quieting the mind has nothing to do with learning your true nature, it is just a tool that allows you to understand it easier. In achieving a quiet mind you become more aware of the thoughts that do arise, even outside of meditation, thoughts you might have taken for granted at other times.

 

Once you reach a state of complete quiet then you must begin to address thoughts and emotions and see them for what they are and ultimately learn where they come from. This is harder to do than achieving quiet mind, because you have to go against everything you have trained yourself to do, to let go and become quiet, and instead become focused to an extreme degree so that you are not distracted and can find those thoughts.

 

Many people, I believe, are mistaken about the source of thought, because when they reach a state of light, or quiet, they find thoughts to be absent, and assume that this is where thoughts arise from, but in my own personal experience I realize now that, although the light encompasses everything, and it is perhaps the void that creates everything, thoughts do not arise from it, but from someplace else entirely. If you truly want to follow your thoughts to this place, be wary, because it is not peaceful or serene and you will struggle with the darkest parts of you that you might wish to deny exists, but ultimately, if you have the courage to pursue this practice you will find a more complete picture of the you that you have become and the you that you were before you were born.

 

I wish you well on your journey. Listen to others, but do not let them tell you the "truth", if you are successful in your journey, you will find the truth on your own.

 

Aaron

Edited September 1, 2011 by Twinner