Sentimentality blocks the blossoming of awareness.

[The Apprentice]

Sentimentality blocks the blossoming of awareness. Its something that seems innocent, but its tied into attchment to the past and to melancholy; a state that is ok as a passing thing to indulge in lightly- but it can become addictive, turning into the habit and notion of only being able to experiance happiness in the past tense. When it gets to that point, new joys slip out of our grasp and are reduced to mere triggers that activate memories, instead of their richer role as new experiances that further open us up to a spontaneous blissful awareness. A good practice is too become aware of our mental commentary. When the internal dialog is subdued, greater happiness is at hand; instead of missing half the joy by immediatly transmuting the present moment into dwelling on the past. Don't comment on the emotion to yourself or to others- Just feel it deeply when it comes and let it go when it goes, then joy can expand into more bliss and awareness instead of becoming a high that quickly turns into loss and sadness.

 

There is nothing from the past to work out, just a stream of continuous now to awaken to.

[Unconditioned]

Well said!

 

You can't live in the now moment if you are caught up in the past or the future. We compare what's going on now with the past and we fantasize about where we are now compared to the future. All the while missing out on the obvious notion that we are alive, we are here, we are conscious!

 

To cultivate awareness, our effort and energy should be directed at the timeless ever-present 'now'. While doing so, asking the question "WHO is experiencing all of this stuff??". I've found Sri Ramana Maharishi's "Who am I?" method to be extremely effective when we ask ourselves with sincerity and intensity that one simple question.

[soundhunter]

There is nothing from the past to work out, just a stream of continuous now to awaken to.

 

I could've agreed with this until I had small children. Children inevitably trigger our childhood memories, and trigger behaviors based on the ways that we were treated, which is why most parents are horrified at some point when the worst of their own parents comes out of their mouths. While mindful awareness is a huge part of preventing this from happening, most parents that I know who struggle with this kind of thing and are also practising mindfulness need to work out some of their past so that they recognize who's voice it is that's in their head, particularly when it's not their own. Most parents should do some dealing with their pasts consciously so that they don't do it unconsciously on their children.

[Spectrum]

Cycle up and through over and fall back through the Meloncolic Net. Emotion moves music. The flute that has no holes plays without wihning.

Edited September 26, 2008 by Spectrum

[宁]

here's a riddle: without "sentimentality" you would be dead pretty fast

 

hint: if your head hurts, you don't chop it off, do you?

Edited September 26, 2008 by Little1