The broken record

[deci belle]

Recently after my last hiatus, I posted something and a few things suninmyeyes said instantly stuck in my mind. I haven't really thought about them, just holding on to a few aspects over the last month or so. I was waiting to address the observations she'd made, namely: the way our thoughts and situations, or our thoughts about situations seem like a broken record. Also, she pointed out how really a type of psychological suicide seems reasonable (my take on your comment, mon amie).❤

 

 

My first thought regarding the "broken record' was that it is the essential element one has, besides will and patience, to refine oneself. So being irritated by this repetitious thing is all one has to settle down with. The broken record is our life-raft after all. One just has to learn how to climb up on it. Once one has the wherewithal to climb on, one just needs to trust.

 

Not intellectualizing, not following the human mentality (the very source of doubt), one learns to trust the raft of irritations without following the human mentality. One ceases to pair experiencing with the habitual chatter automatically, unnaturally attaching itself to the experience. We come to know our true self as neither.

 

This repetitious thing is crowding out the incomplete thing, the open empty thing, the free thing, it seems. Perhaps it is a matter of the hiccup thing being seen as duel with the incomplete— and the feeling of self-consciousness is quite uncomfortable. It is very irritating.

 

The interesting thing is that it is while the repetition is an irritation is it the precise time to use it for self-refinement. Otherwise, we sink into its habit energy and loose our affinities with the duelling aspect and consequently our ability to utilize that edge, the acuity that is the budding yang-phase of the natural fire. It is up to us to recognize it and grasp it immediately before the yin convergence.

 

Usually we feel this irritation is something we want to go away!

 

When neurosis is acute, it is indicative of danger. It is actually insanity. The fact is, thought itself is indicative of mental illness. But usually we don't see it. Only when it is obvious and irritating us do we recognize it and can strive to bring up the nonpsychological to counter it.

 

Just bring up the real in the midst of the false. This is the timing and the place of the firing process spoken of in the alchemic classics.

 

One should never endeavor to employ the real at this juncture. It is enough just to introduce the duelism.

 

I just came across a line regarding the fifth hexagram, Waiting. It is the fourth changing line, a yin at a yin's place. It is correct in this situation as it yields. It is also correct in terms of a time of Waiting. For enlightening beings, waiting is the passing of time. There is no other time.

 

It says, "Waiting in water, coming out of one's cave." The commentary follows with, "In Buddhist terms, when the forces of delusion have been defeated, you come out beyond the lairs of all physical and metaphysical realms and attain true awareness."

 

Huh?!! I'm screwed! How can this be a time "when the forces of delusion have been defeated"? It's the fact that you finally see that you are screwed that the forces of delusion have been defeated. Delusion is simply being unaware of being deluded. Obviously, at this point, one is in a very dangerous spot. One is so close to evil, one's proximity enables one to see it for what it is, which is not a separate thing at all. You yourself are the world.

 

Further on, the commentary says, "Waiting in water means listening receptively".

 

The hexagram Waiting, is a Water trigram over the trigram Heaven. The Water trigram symbolizes danger. Obviously, when one is waiting in it (first line of the Water trigram over Heaven; fourth line of the Waiting hexagram), the situation is indeed dangerous. So seeing the danger is indicative of a dangerous situation when one is in the midst of it. At this point, one only needs yield to the situation and wait for the time to walk out of danger oneself.

 

What follows in this I Ching reading is in compliance with my statement above, "One should never endeavor to employ the real at this juncture. It is enough just to introduce the duelism".

 

 

 

Without even using force to conquer delusion, only the power of concentrated compassion, one can see to it that the forces of delusion retreat of themselves, and enlightenment is achieved of itself.

 

Notice it does not say that the forces of delusion have retreated of themselves. It just says that one can see to it that it does, in fact, retreat. So it is a victory over delusion to see it. This is what is happening when we notice the broken record. It's a good thing to be noticing it. It means it's time. This is the celestial timing of subtle operation of enlightening beings.

 

It also says we do not use force to conquer delusion. It says enlightenment is achieved of itself when the forces of delusion retreat. Furthermore, it says that (if one is seeing) one sees to it that the forces of delusion retreat of themselves.

 

Finally, it says that one uses the power of concentrated compassion to accomplish it.

 

I hope nobody is imagining the power of concentrated compassion to be some sort of conventional nicety. Just what sort of thing could this concentrated compassion be?

 

Concentrated compassion is Essence. This is the essence of one's aware nature. When one sees one's nature, one sees this essence. It is, in fact, concentrated compassion. No. Not that one. It's just a word. You have to see it yourself to wield it yourself, but at times it appears. When you hear the broken record, this is the time. You grab this potential essence and seal it away, not leaking a spark, utterly void of intellectualism.

 

Essence, concentrated compassion, nonpsychological awareness, true lead, true awareness, the mind of Tao~ all these names just indicate what comes out beyond the lairs of all physical and metaphysical realms to see to it that the forces of delusion retreat of themselves.

 

Since it is a fact that you are the world itself, this is because when you see reality, essential nature is not different. The world is a refraction of Complete Reality. This is how the real can feel so familiar. Actually, it is all there has ever been. We just rarely, if ever, see it for what it is.

 

It is you. You are not it.

 

If one watches over the mind 24 hours a day whether walking, sitting, dancing or lying down, the time will come of itself and you will recognize it, seize it and seal it away in the midst of delusion. In endless transformations one plants lotuses in fire. This is enlightening being.

 

The time of enlightenment is only an indication of awakening to one's intrinsic harmony with Complete Reality. It is a sign that one's karmic bonds have been destroyed. In real terms it is the time of the severance of the beginningless compulsions to act. Enlightenment is one's newborn innocence replete with one's inherent potential. At this point it is one's responsibility to stabilize, solidify and bring this potential to fruition symbolized by the period of ten months incubation. It is wrong to believe enlightenment confers buddhahood.

 

There is an affinity in terms of a delicate evolutionary phase between sudden enlightenment and the time of one's repetitive dealings with the broken record during the initial phases of self-refinement as well as further evolution in the aftermath of the sudden.

 

I will address some aspect of psychological suicide at some time…❤

 

[deci belle]

Merci-vous, Clarity!!❤

[Clarity]

Well, it was very clear and well stated, so thank you.

 

And then there's this: "Enlightenment is one's newborn innocence replete with one's inherent potential."

 

Just so, just so!

 

And this: "You grab this potential essence and seal it away, not leaking a spark, utterly void of intellectualism."

 

My teacher called this "stealing the light."

[deci belle]

hi Vous, Yes, well— I should be so lucky, as I haven't really said too much in the last few months, non?!! €];·))

 

My teacher called this "stealing the light."

 

Yes, it is so…❤

[suninmyeyes]

Bonjur Madame ,

 

I am back after being away awhile ..and look this lovley article here on TTB .

 

Waiting --- unbelievable ,as this is exactly my thoughts too , infact something I have been pondering .

What a strange life this is ..