simplicity of teachings

[roger]

Something I thought about today, when considering my own path and the various teachings I've tried to practice, is how the concept of simplicity can apply to practice.

 

I seem to have, in some areas of my life, made things unnecessarily complicated.

 

For example, the teaching to "accept yourself as you are" can be simple and straightforward. IT'S NOT COMPLICATED. But we can MAKE it complicated, unnecessarily and unwittingly, if we're not careful.

 

I've made a choice, which I feel very good about, to simplify my approach to spiritual practice.

 

I want to stop making things complicated and over-analyzing everything.

 

I feel that doing so can take you out of your mind and into a more direct experience of profound practice.

[doc benway]

I agree roger.

I've also realized that there is but one practice for me, and a very simple one at that.

I've known that for a long time and yet have been drawn into a variety of complexities as you allude to.

And I'm reminded of Peter Fenner's words: If I didn't do what I didn't need to do, I wouldn't know I didn't need to do it.

[dwai]

I find this resonating wth me as well. My primary practice is to just "be" now. Now if only I can "just be" even when complicated things are happening...

[Nungali]

Something I thought about today, when considering my own path and the various teachings I've tried to practice, is how the concept of simplicity can apply to practice.

 

I seem to have, in some areas of my life, made things unnecessarily complicated.

 

For example, the teaching to "accept yourself as you are" can be simple and straightforward. IT'S NOT COMPLICATED. But we can MAKE it complicated, unnecessarily and unwittingly, if we're not careful.

 

I've made a choice, which I feel very good about, to simplify my approach to spiritual practice.

 

I want to stop making things complicated and over-analyzing everything.

 

I feel that doing so can take you out of your mind and into a more direct experience of profound practice.

 

I like this  .... but    ( hey, I am a year of the  goat  guy    )  ....   is it not the mind itself that decides and reconstructs such simplicity ? 

 

Over years, that is what my mind has done .....

 

Mind ;  "What was all that about ? "

 

Me;   " Just working through  some stuff and side issues. "

 

Mind;  " Have you got it yet ? "

 

Me;   " In a nutshell . "

 

MInd; " Thank goodness - at last !  "

 

( Meanwhile  'That which is beyond me and mind '    observes smiling. )

Edited April 8, 2017 by Nungali

[Nungali]

I find this resonating wth me as well. My primary practice is to just "be" now. Now if only I can "just be" even when complicated things are happening...

 

That's it !  easy to 'meditate in  nice garden , a bit harder during the 'daily grind' . 

 

I was taught to deal with 'complicate things' in this manner .

 

" Sit  in seiza . Maintain concentration on your one point and keep your  ' composure ' .   "  ....... time passes ...

 

"Now, stand  and do this exercise  "    .....     " Did you  maintain concentration on your one point when you stood ?  Go back to seiza ! "

 

Then I learnt how to do that.  When I had   " Nungali ! Go and bring me my bokken from the weapons rack . "

 

Runs, gets sword runs back , offers it with bow   "  Did yo maintain your one point through that ?"

 

Damn !  ...   " Back to seiza !  " 

 

Then it was ... do  all that while he rushes at me with sword screaming and stops  a hair off my forehead .  Then with an attack using a defensive technique and disarm . " 

 

After a while, one can find that same place with other 'complicated stuff' happening around you.  That sorta deals with physical personal danger . 

 

Then there is the other 'tests'   .... like  pain ....   and the emotions   !

 

( The Samurai dealt with pain  this way ... but many their epic tales dealt with their 'mastery'   butting up against their emotions  

 

 

[Fa Xin]

It doesn't have to be complicated. It's really not.

 

The ego does complicated very well though!

 

Everything is ok as it is

[C T]

We will be more inclined towards simplicity when we practice to resolutely understand that the ground from which spring doing and non-doing is not-two, and not-one either. When this understanding is gained, then work towards stabilising this view, not by any technique or method, but by simply resting non-conceptually and repeatedly, in brief moments, in this view of the vast expanse. Let these brief moments gradually lengthen. From here, where stability begins to pervade one's being, transcendence will arise spontaneously. This is the way towards unknotting all relative/dualistic views and positions.