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

[Lotus7]

One more thought:

Just when I feel like I have control and my progression is going well, that is the time to really buckle down. I am no enlightened being , so until I come to the point where I make liberation permanent, there is always work to be done.

 

Namaste, Matt

[Otis]

Excellent share, Matt! I totally agree with "knowledge does not help without practice."

 

(I do think there is more to the path than quieting the mind, BTW. Surrendering panic, aversion and certainty is one part of it, as well as learning how to live as my body, learning to live as Life, learning to live as Love. But none of these are likely to happen with a noisy mind).

[starhawk]

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

 

 

 

Thanks Lotus7. This reminds me of a poem from Zhuangzi. A master of Tao squares off with a shaman, and he reflects this state of being to the shaman, scaring him off. If you return to the true nature, the mind is quiet and reflects something from our timeless state.

 

Practice is applied knowledge right? But how many people will ever experience some clarity in this life? I'm not sure how to help "average joe" sometimes.

 

I will check out "The Whole Heart of Yoga" by John Bright-Fey someday. Higher forms of yogic practice in any tradition are actually alchemy practices. I partially distinguish alchemy and clarity as two parts, which are called the dual cultivation in Taoist yoga. That is my understanding, anyhow.

 

cheers,

Star hawk

[InfinityTruth]

Excellent post! Very helpful. I too, have been studying the philosophy/knowledge WAY too much. To the point the other day I completely lost interest in the subject. I'm still so pissed don't want to study it. Time to start practicing more.

[xabir2005]

Quieting the mind so that the mind doesn't interfere with the direct experience and seeing into one's nature is important.

 

However it must be complimented with an investigation, like self-inquiry (asking 'Who am I?'), otherwise it becomes stagnant calmness. Practicing self-inquiry without the intrusion of wild discursive thoughts, there is no way realization will not arise.

 

See http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/search/label/Ken%20Wilber

 

http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-e-booke-journal.html

Edited August 30, 2011 by xabir2005