Still putting it off?

[Tony]

Still putting it off?

Time, moves the body along...it gets older!
In the normal run of things, if we identify with our body, then we think we get older as the body older ...and tired! We know we have built up some habits which are detrimental to our progress, so it's time to develop good habits. Bad habits close us down (self-centredness) good habits open us up (selflessness).

If we leave things too long – putting it off, we will reach a time in life when we are too tired or ill to practice, and 'I can't be bothered' sets in. For some of us, this started in our teens!

As one gets older memories fade. Long term memories seem to stay, but short term memories do not. This is why repetition of good practices is so important, so it becomes second nature.
We use second nature to remind us of our first nature...that is what practice is all about!

The moment of death can be quite traumatic, we can easily end up in confusion and vagueness, that's apart from being ill and drugged up from some condition. So stability and confidence of mind are very important. This is why some sort of system which is logical and complete is helpful, and above all, keeps the heart and mind open.

To spend one's life in the entertainment of trivia, speculations and predictions, is all part of our minds being controlled by external events and so is distracted. This is created by the world around us, and exaggerated by our minds. In sanskrit there is a word for this vicious cycle of existence, of seeking happiness and finding that this very seeking of happiness and maintaining it has been the very cause of our suffering, this word is Samsara = seeking and maintaining conditional happiness for ourselves!

This is the state normal for a sentient being. Our true evolution is to go from not knowing to knowing, from sleeping to waking up, from being distracted to being non distracted.

However in this Corporate planet of secret agendas, we find ourselves not only in Samsara but in a 'Super Samsara'. This is a world of constant distractions that draws the attention away from it's Essence, every which way it can, all the time!

In rural agricultural farming areas where life is more self sufficient, life is still just Samsara = Conditional Happiness. However in modern cities and towns, where shopping malls are the place to be, there is total reliance on the Corporations, we are now the cattle!
'Super Samsara' = Total servitude to Corporate Conditional Happiness!

How's that for hell?

However here is the wonderful twist, the Corporations have over played their hand, and it is more and more obvious what is going on. They are still spreading dis-information but 'some' people are seeing through this and waking up to what is going on. This is not spiritually waking up to the nature of Essence, but it serves as part of the process, because people can see that their suffering is not only caused by themselves, but is taking advantage of by the agenda behind the Corporations.

We are waking up to the effects of Super Greed and Super Selfishness...and Super disregard for human life. They are actually waking us up to their hell!

This Corporate Agenda is not going to wake everyone.... that is our job!

It only needs a few stable people to care about others, who can work beyond their own pride, to make the changes needed. People who are truly compassionate, who have stopped being cattle,
and have stopped looking in the sensational departments of spiritual shopping malls.

All we have to do is decide on our path, have confidence in it and stick to it..
...and make fine adjustments as you go along!

Stop doubting.

Tony

[Heartsong]

Still putting it off?

Time, moves the body along...it gets older!
In the normal run of things, if we identify with our body, then we think we get older as the body older ...and tired! We know we have built up some habits which are detrimental to our progress, so it's time to develop good habits. Bad habits close us down (self-centredness) good habits open us up (selflessness).

If we leave things too long – putting it off, we will reach a time in life when we are too tired or ill to practice, and 'I can't be bothered' sets in. For some of us, this started in our teens!

As one gets older memories fade. Long term memories seem to stay, but short term memories do not. This is why repetition of good practices is so important, so it becomes second nature.


So, you're saying I really should mop my kitchen floor because it is a good habit to get into. On the other hand dirty floors are a temporal distraction and the need to clean them a construct brought into being by over zealous mothers. Id rather sit on the patio under the trees and read a good book...that too is a distraction perhaps.
Oh dear, the dilemma. Tony, you've done it again.

Seriously, kind and generous people are everywhere all the time. People of like mind and spirit naturally find others like themselves. They are most obvious and prevalent at disasters - small ones and large ones. My husband is involved with the Red Cross National Disaster volunteers. The tales they tell about kind and generous spirits could fill a library.

[Karunai]

"Super Samsara", good label for this 'timeframe'. It's just like that. : )

[Tony]

Still putting it off?

Time, moves the body along...it gets older!
In the normal run of things, if we identify with our body, then we think we get older as the body older ...and tired! We know we have built up some habits which are detrimental to our progress, so it's time to develop good habits. Bad habits close us down (self-centredness) good habits open us up (selflessness).

If we leave things too long – putting it off, we will reach a time in life when we are too tired or ill to practice, and 'I can't be bothered' sets in. For some of us, this started in our teens!

As one gets older memories fade. Long term memories seem to stay, but short term memories do not. This is why repetition of good practices is so important, so it becomes second nature.


So, you're saying I really should mop my kitchen floor because it is a good habit to get into. On the other hand dirty floors are a temporal distraction and the need to clean them a construct brought into being by over zealous mothers. Id rather sit on the patio under the trees and read a good book...that too is a distraction perhaps.
Oh dear, the dilemma. Tony, you've done it again.

Seriously, kind and generous people are everywhere all the time. People of like mind and spirit naturally find others like themselves. They are most obvious and prevalent at disasters - small ones and large ones. My husband is involved with the Red Cross National Disaster volunteers. The tales they tell about kind and generous spirits could fill a library.

Good morning Heartsong,

You are right, there are kind people everywhere with and without clean floors!
I talking from a spiritual essence point of view, at the moment of death...so called death!

To be a decent human being and care about others, is what we normally aim for, in a social life. After all we are social creatures! Being a decent human being, make others life, and ours better. We will feel good, satisfied, and life will feel worthwhile. We can do good acts and hope everything will work out fine, and it generally does, though we all have ups and downs!

Here I'm talking about..taking everything and everyone else out of the equation, and seeing what one is left with...! You are on your own...you are on your own at the moment of so called death. We will be left with our own hopes and fears. Usually we find ways to alleviate our hopes and fears with interacting socially, this make us feel better.

But now there is nothing! These hope and fear are because of a feeling of "I". The question now arises, "What am I?" I am aware of these feelings of hope and fear.
Note: I am aware of hopes and fears. if I am aware of these hopes and fears, they cannot be 'me'! What you are, is aware...of these hopes and fears...in the mind!

These feelings have been controlling us, all our lives. So, what is aware of all this? We can call it 'spirit' 'source' 'essence' whatever it is, it is pure awareness.
It is your first nature! That is what we should not put off being aware of, the dusty floor of our mind covering our pure essence.

We all need a bit of spring cleaning, everyday.....every moment!

Lots of love,
Tony

[CivilDawn]

Here I'm talking about..taking everything and everyone else out of the equation, and seeing what one is left with...! You are on your own...you are on your own at the moment of so called death. We will be left with our own hopes and fears. Usually we find ways to alleviate our hopes and fears with interacting socially, this make us feel better.

But now there is nothing! These hope and fear are because of a feeling of "I". The question now arises, "What am I?" I am aware of these feelings of hope and fear.
Note: I am aware of hopes and fears. if I am aware of these hopes and fears, they cannot be 'me'! What you are, is aware...of these hopes and fears...in the mind!

These feelings have been controlling us, all our lives. So, what is aware of all this? We can call it 'spirit' 'source' 'essence' whatever it is, it is pure awareness.
It is your first nature! That is what we should not put off being aware of, the dusty floor of our mind covering our pure essence.

We all need a bit of spring cleaning, everyday.....every moment!

Lots of love,
Tony

I was drawn to this thread bc of the title, for the main reaction to my outside circumstances is generally one of avoidance. However this thread reaches past this area into a richer subject.

For 'me' it is easy to forget about the idea of being pure awareness (source) during day to day events because there is no good way to conceptualize it. I catch myself viewing the idea of oneness as a concept whose understanding I seek to attain.

I know in my heart that experiencing oneness/infinity need not be a goal, but rather a nature to return to... though even the word "nature" is a concept. :bowl:

I'm not necessarily having trouble dispelling this idea of "I", because I believe in oneness.. My trouble lies in experiencing/feeling oneness regularly, and drilling past my layers of conditioning and fear-based responses into a centered state of knowing.

I 'know' I will get beyond this.

[ViralSpiral]

So, you're saying I really should mop my kitchen floor because it is a good habit to get into. On the other hand dirty floors are a temporal distraction and the need to clean them a construct brought into being by over zealous mothers. Id rather sit on the patio under the trees and read a good book...that too is a distraction perhaps.
Oh dear, the dilemma. Tony, you've done it again.

Seriously, kind and generous people are everywhere all the time. People of like mind and spirit naturally find others like themselves. They are most obvious and prevalent at disasters - small ones and large ones. My husband is involved with the Red Cross National Disaster volunteers. The tales they tell about kind and generous spirits could fill a library.



Great response Heartsong.
I am relying on one of those kind, generous types to mop my rear when I am no longer able.

Back to chopping wood and carrying water....


http://www.wellnessrenegade.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/366188177_29a8b478db-470x313.jpg



p.s. I ♥ ∏

[Tony]

Here I'm talking about..taking everything and everyone else out of the equation, and seeing what one is left with...! You are on your own...you are on your own at the moment of so called death. We will be left with our own hopes and fears. Usually we find ways to alleviate our hopes and fears with interacting socially, this make us feel better.

But now there is nothing! These hope and fear are because of a feeling of "I". The question now arises, "What am I?" I am aware of these feelings of hope and fear.
Note: I am aware of hopes and fears. if I am aware of these hopes and fears, they cannot be 'me'! What you are, is aware...of these hopes and fears...in the mind!

These feelings have been controlling us, all our lives. So, what is aware of all this? We can call it 'spirit' 'source' 'essence' whatever it is, it is pure awareness.
It is your first nature! That is what we should not put off being aware of, the dusty floor of our mind covering our pure essence.

We all need a bit of spring cleaning, everyday.....every moment!

Lots of love,
Tony

I was drawn to this thread bc of the title, for the main reaction to my outside circumstances is generally one of avoidance. However this thread reaches past this area into a richer subject.

For 'me' it is easy to forget about the idea of being pure awareness (source) during day to day events because there is no good way to conceptualize it. I catch myself viewing the idea of oneness as a concept whose understanding I seek to attain.

I know in my heart that experiencing oneness/infinity need not be a goal, but rather a nature to return to... though even the word "nature" is a concept. :bowl:

I'm not necessarily having trouble dispelling this idea of "I", because I believe in oneness.. My trouble lies in experiencing/feeling oneness regularly, and drilling past my layers of conditioning and fear-based responses into a centered state of knowing.

I 'know' I will get beyond this.





Hello Civildawn,

What you are commenting on is very important: the matter of mingling pure awareness with everyday life. This is to do with the continuity of the meditational experience. Much will depend on how we view the phenomenal world: we can see it as just an ordinary place that is different from our true nature, or we can see it as a divine mandala.

There are many ways to approach this, and this will of course depend on the individual. One way is to recognise that every other sentient being has an essential nature, and therefore every interaction with others can be a reminder that we are all more than we seem to be - this helps with recognition of our own true nature.

Another way to approach this is that when we recognises our own true nature – the inner teacher – all of phenomena becomes a symbolic teacher. Every thing we see has no inherent reality – only a seeming reality. We respect that “relative truth” and recognise that phenomena's empty nature (empty of true reality) is its absolute reality. Sometimes, when I sit, I am aware of the empty space between objects, and the empty space within the object itself, between the atoms, and that these things are held together by time, before they exhaust their energy and disappear.

The other approach is through the emotions and thoughts that arise. Practically every encounter brings up thought and emotions of some sort – like/dislike, hope/fear, pride, anger...This moment can be very enlivening, or very destructive. Essence is aware all the time, but it generally it sees through a cloud of consciousness of concepts, so when it sees an object, it reacts to it in some subtle way. That reaction is the thing that creates karma. But in the very moment of an emotion arising, energy is produced: something is seen which doesn't seem right, and that actual seeing is pure perception/essence awareness. If we just rested there, we would be in essence. But what generally happens is that our mind gets judgemental - “That shouldn't be like that!” - and that energy turns negative. So an emotion can be seen as essence saying, “Hey! I'm here!”

Seeing beauty and joy is the same thing: essence is again saying, “Hey! I'm here!” - but let go and be. Quite often in life, we can work on auto-pilot, which allows us space to just chop wood, carry water and drink tea. But there are times when we need to give something our full attention. One of the most precious instructions I have ever been given is to be “barely aware”. Just aware. Because if we are too aware, too alert, it makes the situation appear more real than it is, and a conceptual view develops. That is why, in the practice of meditation, it is important to just be aware, just be. When we are practised in this, we can approach life with a “mere I” instead of a “heavy I”.

The important point is to realise that whatever occurs in our life is part of the path back. This means that anything that occurs is a product of karma – caused by our reactions. The way back is to exhaust this karma by not reacting. This doesn't mean we don't respond to situations, but we don't react our of habit and therefore fixate on a habitual attitude. We are not fixed entities: it is more a matter of feeling a situation and using it as a reminder of that which noticed what is going on.

Sorry to have gone on so long, but this is such an important topic! It is to do with our conduct in life.

Tony

PS the idea of “oneness” is a tricky one...maybe consider this...that there is an absolute truth which is our true essence that is constant. Everything else is a relative truth, because it is impermanent. These two truths have to be seen as a unity (a oneness) because one reflects the other. Therefore one can say “oneness”, but each sentient being will stay unique, although we may have karmic connections with others, and that is why we are here now. But of course, you may see this differently!

[CivilDawn]

No need to apologize for length, your words are saturated with love and knowledge and your ability to reach in and explain the abstract is inspiring to me.

I would benefit from rereading what you wrote until everything has sunk in.

I was lucky enough to have read your post before work.. So while I was there, I consciously viewed everyone as having an Essential Self that is fundamentally connected with all other Essences. What I realized was that I was seeing (or better yet feeling) past everyone elses conditionings, traumas, pain, unworthiness, and bad experiences into what I saw as their true self, their "Essence".

Even more so, "I" was able to express myself from that level of myself to them and create joy and uplift. It got me thinking.. what if we viewed police officers like that, or Satanists like that. What a release it would be. Obviously it wouldn't be permitting the cruel, often times demonic temporal pain that these groups can cause, but non-attachment to this pain paves the way for forgiveness.. and forgiveness is ultimately for the forgiver right?

Anyways, I'm not sure if I'm derailing this thread or not, I'm just full of energy from this day and typing whatever springs to mind.

I feel like non-attachment is a core issue here and more and more opportunities are popping up in my life (divine mandala) that give me a chance to experience this.

Cheers,
Justin

[lookbeyond]

Thanks Tony, i found myself unconsciously practising "barely aware" as i was driving today between people i had to visit,the traffic had been getting to me lately and taking myself out of "reality" slightly, helps reduce the stress of the game-which by the way ,im really bad at.

love lookbeyond