Everything is in the MIND

[Gerard]

Here's an excellent talk by Alan Watts about maya and the role of the mind:

 

 

There is no enlightenment to seek only a mind to tame and a ego to get rid of.

[Thunder_Gooch]

So this doctrine of the void is really the basis of the whole Mahayana movement in Buddhism. It's marvelous.

 

 

The void is, of course, in Buddhist imagery, symbolized by a mirror,

because a mirror has no color and yet reflects all colors. When this man

I talked of, Hui-Neng, said that you shouldn't just try to cultivate a

blank mind, what he said was this: the void, sunyata, is like space.

 

 

Now, space contains everything--the mountains, the oceans, the stars,

the good people and the bad people, the plants, the animals, everything.

The mind in us--the true mind--is like that.

 

You will find that when Buddhists use the word 'mind'--they've several words for 'mind,' but I'm not going into the technicality at the moment-- they mean space. See, space is your mind. It's very difficult for us to see that because we think we're IN space, and look out at it."

 

-Alan Watts

 

 

 

 

[Gerard]

 

 

If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.

[Brooks]

Awesome content here! I'm going to have to finish watching that Alan Watts video later on sometime.

 

I recommend this documentary as well: http://www.sprword.com/videos/naturalmystery/

 

There's some great stuff in there on the power of the mind regarding a variety of different topics and settings.

[Marblehead]

Yes indeed. Even our illusions and delusions are in our mind.

 

But the tree exists without any human mind.

 

Hey! Dinosaurs existed way before any human mind existed.

 

PS The human mind is not the center of the universe.

[amoyaan]

Yes indeed. Even our illusions and delusions are in our mind.

 

But the tree exists without any human mind.

 

Hey! Dinosaurs existed way before any human mind existed.

 

PS The human mind is not the center of the universe.

 

Maybe there is only One mind though. It just takes separate forms and apparently separate identities.

[suninmyeyes]

 

There is no enlightenment to seek only a mind to tame and a ego to get rid of.

Maybe not even that ,becouse who is getting rid of ego really? Taming mind is just another doing which could be considered a 'higher' form of ego by many or a sattvic ego in yogic teachings.

I am not being funny or anal . Just seeing a lot of teachings around about getting rid of ego or killing the ego which seem so illogical - emperors new clothes, so decided to add my opinion.

Going to watch the video now.

[3bob]

 

If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.

 

In Hinduism the "abyss" sometimes means the lower hells and also the 7th hell, which is only looking to devour with crushing malice, and is in no way picky about who or what form of energy or soul it consumes. (thus another word meaning with lots of potential misunderstanding, misapplication and or misuse)

Edited May 19, 2012 by 3bob

[johndoe2012]

Maybe not even that ,becouse who is getting rid of ego really? Taming mind is just another doing which could be considered a 'higher' form of ego by many or a sattvic ego in yogic teachings.

I am not being funny or anal . Just seeing a lot of teachings around about getting rid of ego or killing the ego which seem so illogical - emperors new clothes, so decided to add my opinion.

Going to watch the video now.

 

At least to enlightened masters there is something to do and not just pretend we are already done.

 

I would say it is more a recognition than a process of getting rid of.

[suninmyeyes]

At least to enlightened masters there is something to do and not just pretend we are already done.

 

I would say it is more a recognition than a process of getting rid of.

Of course there is something to do as long as we are alive . Ganing better relationships with everything in life is one thing worth doing as well as learning to listen and time ourselves well according to the situation.

However all getting rid of ego concept just seems illogical to me - who is getting rid of it? It is not possible.

I would even say that cultivating healthy ego is worth doing and very foundation of well integrated life.

Recognition rather than a process as you mention sounds right to me.

Edited May 19, 2012 by suninmyeyes

[johndoe2012]

However all getting rid of ego concept just seems illogical to me - who is getting rid of it? It is not possible.

I would even say that cultivating healthy ego is worth doing and very foundation of well integrated life.

Recognition rather than a process as you mention sounds right to me.

 

The thing is - what is the ego really?

 

To me it seems like a sum of impurities - ill will, selfishness and so on. It's what brings you suffering which is why some people want to "kill" it.

 

Whether it is possible or not, I don't know. I guess it is up to a test whether it can be done.

 

Basically if you want to have a clear and stable mind, the ego needs to go IMHO.

[Fū Yue]

The thing is - what is the ego really?

 

 

The reflection of a billion-years-long fantasy. The self, the sufferings and pleasures... altruism and villainy; the thousand worlds and their human kinds, the death that walks behind and hope for a better future ahead. It gives us what we want by becoming just so, and then we don't want it anymore and keep on seeking, and the wheel keeps spinning.

 

It is the wish-fulfilling gem. The Jinn in the bottle. Or maybe not!

 

The doubt we all feel is just like seeing something shining in mud, from a distance. Do you keep on walking the beaten path or take a closer look? Sometimes we try to take a step forward and fall on our face, go into a coma and think we've become billionaires after selling a 300-karat diamond on the silk road.

 

But really it was just a dream.

[zerostao]

so today a friend handed me alan watts' The Book

looking forward to the read.

[suninmyeyes]

The thing is - what is the ego really?

 

To me it seems like a sum of impurities - ill will, selfishness and so on. It's what brings you suffering which is why some people want to "kill" it.

 

Whether it is possible or not, I don't know. I guess it is up to a test whether it can be done.

 

Basically if you want to have a clear and stable mind, the ego needs to go IMHO.

Hi Chris,

just saw your reply and just need to add something..

 

I definetley do not think that ego is a sum of impurities only .It is a sum of purities too. As well as on personal level reactions, motivations,pursuings,abilities...

 

Maybe the whole of the nature is a type of ego too.

Should we get rid of the nature? Kill the universe ?

 

Wanting to kill ego is just an ego wearing a different dress . And maybe a ninja mask on her face, moving very skillfuly.

Ego is part of being human, like having a blood or a neck.

 

Cutivating being a good and useful human being is much better on a personal and global level.

 

 

Fu Yue wrote a really nice reply.

[johndoe2012]

[Gerard]

When I meant getting rid of the ego what I was referring to is the following (sorry but sometimes written language is not ideal medium to convey an idea):

 

While looking at the surface of a pond you no longer see the reflection of the self but that of a myriad of things ...an everlasting state of oneness, the true nirvana.

 

 

[Everything]

Yes indeed. Even our illusions and delusions are in our mind.

 

But the tree exists without any human mind.

 

Hey! Dinosaurs existed way before any human mind existed.

 

PS The human mind is not the center of the universe.

There is this guy with a photo and a watch. His watch has no battery and no pointers. It only says with big letters : "Now"

The photo he is holding is of himself. Someone made it while he was holding another photo and showing the watch to the camera. In this photo, you could clearly see his watch and it read: "Now". You can also see the photo in his hands that has his picture in it. Again, in this picture he is holding the same watch and yet another photo of himself with a watch and yet another photo, etc.

 

When we experience linear time, its like moving trough the filmstrip in this manner. We do it at a much higher rate though. Each frame being not only visual, but multidimensional even. The eternal now moment is unchanging, but the photos change. We perceive the past, which exists in the now, from another perspective. So yes, the tree/dinosaur does exist and will always exist, because it is part of existance itself. Yet, it shall always exist, right now in this moment. The future is happening right now aswell. All that exists shall always exist. And existance itself shall experience expansion within itself, but never as itself.

 

When we imagine any scenario that we label as "future, past or fantasy" we denie all of existsance. How come so? Because when we denie any part of existance we denie all of existance. All of existance is one. There is no three things to denie in one existance. Our mind has not the capability to imagine non-existance. Yet, not to worry, because our mind has not the capability to imagine all of existance either. The job of our mind/ego is to simply focus us in "physical" reality. Even our wildest of fantasies are no less or more real then our current focus of being in "physical" reality. The term "physical" itself is actually only born out of association with "survival" and "death" that we fear in this low vibrational reality and the appearing limitting nature of this "thick" and "unchanging" reality. Those ideas will melt away as soon as we play with physical reality in a fun way. The very act of playing with it makes it more fluid.

 

The universe itself is not so special, unless you can appreciate its meaningless nature and realize that you are the source of all the value you have experienced. We shift our perspective trough billions of universes every single moment, each so similar to the last one that it appears to be the same one universe. The meaning we give it, determines the effect we get out of it. The experience is real, and I enjoy it allot ;P

Edited May 27, 2012 by Everything