What exactly is the mind and where is it located ?

[goldisheavy]

I will respond to this later when I have formulated an answer from the place where answers spring (for me).

 

OK, no problem at all.

 

I was merely wondering if you have ever noted a change in your level of realization...has it stayed the same for a long time? Or has it advanced at all lately?

 

Yes. I am changing day to day, hour by hour. Mostly my current change amounts to continual stabilization in my view. I used to be plagued by doubts and indecision before. These doubts and hesitancy are decreasing, and I am experiencing more peace as a result. At the same time, I am gradually (slowly) opening up to more tantric kind of experiences which would have been too upsetting before.

 

I don't tell myself how to live either! I just do it hehe.

 

If you don't control yourself, someone else or something else will.

[Songtsan]

Pretty much correct. I don't believe in ghosts, bigfoots, or aliens either. (Although I don't deny that there could be such things.)

 

Seeing is believing. If you truly wish to know, you will find out. Perhaps you are content not to know? I feel that many members of the board must be anxious to proselytize you. I know that I have been in the past. At this moment, I respect you for who you are, not who I think you could be.

[Songtsan]

Yes. I am changing day to day, hour by hour. Mostly my current change amounts to continual stabilization in my view. I used to be plagued by doubts and indecision before. These doubts and hesitancy are decreasing, and I am experiencing more peace as a result. At the same time, I am gradually (slowly) opening up to more tantric kind of experiences which would have been too upsetting before.

 

I respect this and have experienced this phase many times myself. At this moment I am in an open, surrendering phase, admitting that I Dont Know. It is equally as fascinating as the other. I like 'em both, honestly! whoop whoop!

 

If you don't control yourself, someone else or something else will.

 

Indeed. I don't mind. I am like Shiva, riding his snake while it goes around the universe on its' own impulse, enjoying the sites, with eyes half lidded. I am controlled by society, my peers, by Shakti, and also by plants, animals, the weather, and other things. I like being under control - submission is delightful. I submit to the Universe and enjoy the sights and sounds as I am led down the road to hell and heaven, which is the same road to those who know.

[goldisheavy]

I respect this and have experienced this phase many times myself. At this moment I am in an open, surrendering phase, admitting that I Dont Know. It is equally as fascinating as the other. I like 'em both, honestly! whoop whoop!

 

I like this.

 

Indeed. I don't mind. I am like Shiva, riding his snake while it goes around the universe on its' own impulse, enjoying the sites, with eyes half lidded. I am controlled by society, my peers, by Shakti, and also by plants, animals, the weather, and other things. I like being under control - submission is delightful. I submit to the Universe and enjoy the sights and sounds as I am led down the road to hell and heaven, which is the same road to those who know.

 

Ah, now that's one hell of a clever answer. So your lack of control has the properties of being in control, because you intend to be out of control deliberately, so this is your will, and because you seem to be cognizant of this fact, it is controlled.

 

I am quite different from you in my current phase. I bring chaos and destruction upon the world because I no longer enjoy it. I detest humanity and renounce it even in myself, never mind elsewhere. My view is still one of compassion because I believe we're all tired of this game and can't suffer it any longer. We need a change.

 

Those of us who want change and those of us who want everything to remain the same will have a fight, and I will defeat them at the head of beings who want change. I'm in it for a long haul. I think in terms of aeons, not even lifetimes.

[dwai]

wow! I am truly envious.

 

Sanskrit I especially find interesting.

It's not really a big deal. I'm a native Bengali speaker who grew up in Southern India where Kannada is spoken, so I learnt that. I had to study Sanskrit as part of my schooling. Also, Hindi and English are part of standard education, so I had to study both.

[dwai]

OK, can you please give me one example where English is inadequate?

 

 

I've been exploring consciousness for aeons, for many, many prior births. So now that I speak English I can convey everything I've learned up till now.

 

And in my next birth I'll speak Flurobian language, and then I'll express everything I've learned in this life in Flurobian.

To show you where English is inadequate you have to learn other languages. If you know Sanskrit or other Indian languages it will be evident to you. Perhaps even Chinese, Japanese or Korean.

 

There are a whole slew of words in Sanskrit-based and Chinese languages that are untranslatable into English. When translations are made, the corresponding words are inadequate.

 

Good for you that you have been exploring consciousness for aeons. Unfortunately for you however, that fact stays sort of "hidden" behind your bluster and raucousness.

 

GIH, you are one of my favorite commentators on TTB. But I think you tend to get carried away. Whether that is by design or by accident is irrelevant, since your often cogent argumentation gets lost in the tirades that spew from your keyboard :-)

 

At least you don't try to drown original thinking in inanne reams of quotes from other people...

 

Perhaps if we dial back the rhetoric and actually participate in constructive discourse, the topics will be better served?

Edited August 17, 2014 by dwai

[goldisheavy]

dwai, can you please try harder with the example?

 

Why don't you make up a sentence in Sanskrit or any other superior language, and then give me some English translations and explain to me why those English translations leave you frustrated. Surely you should be able to express this frustration.

Edited August 17, 2014 by goldisheavy

[林愛偉]

Mind is just a concept, said just fr the sake of allowing the said "one" to investigate "itself". There is not a separate consciousness outside of what is called the mind. Though each vibration of a "mind" or person variates, the actual substance, or nature, of what is said ot be living beings is the same. Sometimes the thoughts cloud over various "areas" more so for some than others.

 

It is simply just a concept, and in itself is empty.

[goldisheavy]

Ah, Lin Ai Wei, long time no hear. I remember you. Last I remember I enjoyed hearing your views quite a bit. I hope all is going well with you.

[Songtsan]

I like this.

 

 

Ah, now that's one hell of a clever answer. So your lack of control has the properties of being in control, because you intend to be out of control deliberately, so this is your will, and because you seem to be cognizant of this fact, it is controlled.

 

I am quite different from you in my current phase. I bring chaos and destruction upon the world because I no longer enjoy it. I detest humanity and renounce it even in myself, never mind elsewhere. My view is still one of compassion because I believe we're all tired of this game and can't suffer it any longer. We need a change.

 

Those of us who want change and those of us who want everything to remain the same will have a fight, and I will defeat them at the head of beings who want change. I'm in it for a long haul. I think in terms of aeons, not even lifetimes.

 

I never said I lacked control, I simply choose not to exert such pressure until I spot an opportune moment, a small space or breach that I sense could be jiggled to effective use. Those who try to maintain 24/7 control will overabuse their functions and drain their resources. By keeping to the feminine, yet using the masculine at the correct juncture, one can maintain control over all these things...

 

You will burn yourself out if you keep pushing so hard.

[Marblehead]

Seeing is believing. If you truly wish to know, you will find out. Perhaps you are content not to know? I feel that many members of the board must be anxious to proselytize you. I know that I have been in the past. At this moment, I respect you for who you are, not who I think you could be.

Yeah, I have had many people, not only here but throughout my life, who have tried to "save my soul".

 

Thanks for the respect. It works the other way too.

 

Sure, I could start believing in ghosts and all those other things that I believe are nothing more than others' illusions. But why would I? My life has as much excitement as I can handle already. For me, getting involved in stuff that would distract me from my physical (which I consider to be our real life) would be a waste of my time. I would still have to tend to the gardens and the fish ponds.

[dwai]

dwai, can you please try harder with the example?

 

Why don't you make up a sentence in Sanskrit or any other superior language, and then give me some English translations and explain to me why those English translations leave you frustrated. Surely you should be able to express this frustration.

Here's a nice article that covers this to a certain degree.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rajiv-malhotra/dharma-religion_b_875314.html

 

P.S. I have often used the word "dharma" as an example of how it's translation does it injustice. Many words in the Indian lexicon have meanings/implications that change with the context. Which is perfectly clear to the native speakers, but leaves non-speakers/non-native speakers perplexed and confused. Same is the case with other Asian languages such as Tamil, Chinese, Japanese etc.

 

For instance if I say to someone "the tiger's dharma is to eat meat", it might not make sense to anyone who is non-native what that means in actuality. I could go on and on, but I will give let you have the pleasure of embarking on the journey of discovery all by yourself.

Edited August 17, 2014 by dwai

[goldisheavy]

I never said I lacked control, I simply choose not to exert such pressure until I spot an opportune moment, a small space or breach that I sense could be jiggled to effective use. Those who try to maintain 24/7 control will overabuse their functions and drain their resources. By keeping to the feminine, yet using the masculine at the correct juncture, one can maintain control over all these things...

 

You will burn yourself out if you keep pushing so hard.

 

What I do is effortless. However, the human body is not meant to be eternal, so it will burn itself out no matter what I do. Besides, this human body is a ticket to the human show, a show which I ultimately do not like and renounce. So there is no problem whatsoever.

[goldisheavy]

Here's a nice article that covers this to a certain degree.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rajiv-malhotra/dharma-religion_b_875314.html

 

P.S. I have often used the word "dharma" as an example of how it's translation does it injustice. Many words in the Indian lexicon have meanings/implications that change with the context. Which is perfectly clear to the native speakers, but leaves non-speakers/non-native speakers perplexed and confused. Same is the case with other Asian languages such as Tamil, Chinese, Japanese etc.

 

For instance if I say to someone "the tiger's dharma is to eat meat", it might not make sense to anyone who is non-native what that means in actuality. I could go on and on, but I will give let you have the pleasure of embarking on the journey of discovery all by yourself.

 

This is what I thought. This isn't an example of deficiency in the English language. You can convey whatever you want to convey about the tiger in your example.

 

What I was looking for is an example where you can convey your feelings or thoughts in Sanskrit but cannot in English.

 

I don't speak 4 languages but I speak 2, although my first language has gotten a bit rusty. I've come across many mismatches between the two languages I know, but they were always idiomatic in nature. What I mean is that some idioms do not lend themselves to a direct translation, but that doesn't mean the thought or the feeling behind them cannot be translated. Now that I speak English I don't feel like I've lost something from Russian, for example.

Edited August 18, 2014 by goldisheavy

[Marblehead]

... a show which I ultimately do not like and renounce.

Well, I have to give you credit for being consistently honest about this. My feelings are pretty much opposite though.

[goldisheavy]

Well, I have to give you credit for being consistently honest about this. My feelings are pretty much opposite though.

 

Even though we almost always disagree, I respect how you carry yourself Marblehead. I only wish other posters here spoke from themselves using their own words as much and as well as you do.

[Songtsan]

What I do is effortless. However, the human body is not meant to be eternal, so it will burn itself out no matter what I do. Besides, this human body is a ticket to the human show, a show which I ultimately do not like and renounce. So there is no problem whatsoever.

 

I both like and dislike it at various times - see my thread on redundancy. When you say ultimately, I wonder where I will end up. I also wonder whether it needs to be this way. It is possible to remain in a state of bliss intoxication in which one loves everything, all the time.

[goldisheavy]

I both like and dislike it at various times - see my thread on redundancy. When you say ultimately, I wonder where I will end up. I also wonder whether it needs to be this way. It is possible to remain in a state of bliss intoxication in which one loves everything, all the time.

 

If your word "everything" is very wide, you'll realize most of its contents are non-human. Human shapes, human ideals, human hopes, human fears, human insecurities, human anxiety, human constraints -- all that can't be but an infinitesimal fraction of everything. So if you truly love everything, your love for humanity easily and quickly becomes displaced by other forms of love, because to zero in on humanity in preference to the infinite variety of beings and realms, that's no accident, that is deliberate.

Edited August 18, 2014 by goldisheavy

[TaoMaster]

What I do is effortless. However, the human body is not meant to be eternal, so it will burn itself out no matter what I do. Besides, this human body is a ticket to the human show, a show which I ultimately do not like and renounce. So there is no problem whatsoever.

there are some who love living this life time and some who want out . some who don't want to be here and some that do and wish they could live forever .

 

im about 50/50 on it .

 

had i known then when i was younger what i know now my life would be different now .

[goldisheavy]

there are some who love living this life time and some who want out . some who don't want to be here and some that do and wish they could live forever .

 

im about 50/50 on it .

 

had i known then when i was younger what i know now my life would be different now .

 

I agree completely. There are so many different takes on life. Renunciation is not for everyone and I don't think it's objectively right or anything. It's right for me. It's the attitude I lean toward, although I am not yet hardcore enough to become a monk.

 

I am curious though, how do you think your life would be different, if you don't mind me asking?

Edited August 18, 2014 by goldisheavy

[Marblehead]

there are some who love living this life time and some who want out . some who don't want to be here and some that do and wish they could live forever .

 

im about 50/50 on it .

 

had i known then when i was younger what i know now my life would be different now .

And after all our efforts Tao will take us where we need to be. We actually have no control over that.

[Stosh]

If a person really doesnt want to do the life they have , (and have means to change it ) then I figure the paradigms they operate from,, arent paying off. I am aware that , the ideas one has can be pervasive, even sneaky and deceptive. But I just dont think the wise folk we read of wanted to have the impact of rendering this life -we each experience .. to suck. ( I wonder if theres a sanskrit word that equates)

[Marblehead]

Stars are not born without a purpose. So too the human animal, I think. Stars die when it is their time - dictated by the processes of Tzujan. To think that we have more control over ourself than does a star or an entire galaxy is a little vain, I think.

[Stosh]

Stars are not born without a purpose. So too the human animal, I think. Stars die when it is their time - dictated by the processes of Tzujan. To think that we have more control over ourself than does a star or an entire galaxy is a little vain, I think.

Then call me vain because I do think that there is free will. - but then, as you see it ,what would be the purpose of star or a moth?

[Songtsan]

If your word "everything" is very wide, you'll realize most of its contents are non-human. Human shapes, human ideals, human hopes, human fears, human insecurities, human anxiety, human constraints -- all that can't be but an infinitesimal fraction of everything. So if you truly love everything, your love for humanity easily and quickly becomes displaced by other forms of love, because to zero in on humanity in preference to the infinite variety of beings and realms, that's no accident, that is deliberate.

 

I am simply speaking of all forms, all incoming sensations. The heart can receive the inputs without that judging mind categorizing things into good/bad, like/dislike, averse/attached formats. I speak of total acknowledgement of the Reality without the filter of mind polluting it. Quiescent mind, non-interfering mind, non-doing mind is the 'best mind' to have.

 

What mind generally does is pollute and interfere with Reality. If you have 'made up your mind about something,' then you have actually created a screen of interference which will be your limiter.

 

Delimit mind.

 

Even the coolest posters on this board (those who I deem cool that is - they know who they are), can only post mind-limited formations which are rife with inadequacy. Even the Dalai Lama, Patanjali, Jesus, and anyone else must express through mind (when expressing through words that is), and regardless of the purity behind the expression, the filter of mind pollutes the message.

 

All our posts are mere shadows of the real intent and meaning behind them.

 

We all have That Enlightened Mind behind the scenes of the Translator, who is constantly evolving.

 

God Bless Mind.

 

It does its best!

Edited August 18, 2014 by Songtsan