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Old 03-19-2019, 06:09 AM   #1
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Smile Meditation

The word “meditation” comes from the Sanskrit word “ma”, which means to think about, to consider, to ponder, to reflect.

There are an incredible number of schools of meditation that flourish throughout the West, as well as in the East. One of the key translators/interpreters of Buddha’s words was the Sanskrit scholar, Max Mueller (Müller) – who wrote in the 1800’s and in doing so brought what Buddha wrote about to the West. The fact is that he mistranslated the word “nirodha” as meaning suppression, instead of what it really means: “negation”. “Nirodha” was one of the Buddha’s 4 noble truths and a key aspect of the Buddha’s “teachings”, as they are referred to as such. Therefore, considering the influence of authoritarian thinking, most schools of meditation followed Mueller and others’ interpretation as to what the Buddha meant, and most schools of meditation offer many different techniques as to how to control, cease, suppress or end thought. No one bothers to explain "nirodha" or “ma” because it would mean that their schools would be soon seen as islands of deception themselves. “Ma” means to think about what is going on, what is happening around oneself, and to see into the nature of reality and see what is false, and put it aside; in other words, by the seeing of what is false, one has negated what is unreal. I must state here that the discovery of reality is the one of the reasons as to why one mediates. Thus, the important thing is to see into the nature of things, to have an insight into things. Thus, one may call this perception an insight vision (aka “Vipassana”).

Now, if one takes what is happening in the West, how do all these various schools of meditation find validation? All these different forms and varieties of meditation find validation in that they appeal to a variety of people, in other words to the varying conditioning of different people, and have only one result - that of reinforcing whatever conditioning exists a priori. Obviously, all these different schools develop a system. They have to in order to sustain and maintain their schools; and, obviously, each system varies according the kinds of people they attract. So, it is clearly seen that all these different schools of meditation have caused incredible damage, in that instead of freeing people from the conditioning they are burdened with, they encourage (albeit unwittingly) the perpetration of whatever conditioning the victim has. They have also caused damage socially in that all these monks are just guys who have joined - and live outside the real world in conclaves - are still stuck with all their burning desires and testosterone, and treat all women as garbage (kitchen support staff). Also, in all Buddhist countries, the population treats women as slaves, domestically and sexually.

Another problem involved with all these different schools of meditation is that they use concentration as a modus operandi for their versions of meditation. Now, one asks what is involved in concentration? Usually, it means that one is focusing all of oneself into one’s interest(s), whatever that interest is – politics, making money, one’s job, etc. Therefore, it is clearly seen that concentration has nothing to do with true meditation.

Unfortunately, most schools of meditation offer various methods: sitting in rather ridiculous postures, breathing exercises, the repetition of various Sanskrit phrases (for which one is usually charged a large sum of money); so, one states quite emphatically that all of these methods are nothing more than self-hypnosis.

One is quite aware that proper breathing has been proven by doctors to have beneficial affects on one’s health, but that has nothing to do with true meditation. Sadly, almost all of these schools start off by offering breathing exercises to many to their "clients" (please be aware that the word "client" actually means "dependent"), who do indeed experience an increased feeling of well-being, and this is one way that such co-dependent victims accept, conclude, and are caught in the guru's thrall - that breathing exercises and everything they are taught after that is part of meditation. So, you can see, that this thread is dedicated to debunking - through "negation" - all the false gurus and their darn schools of the assertions and affirmations that it is possible to "teach" meditation. In other words, what I am saying is that it is a false claim to begin with that one can even "teach" meditation.

As an aside, a long time ago, I asked someone who claimed to be a Buddhist and had been practicing Buddhist meditation for over 20 years about why he was into Buddhism per se, and he told me (point blank), that Buddhism tends to attract the intellectual, the narcissist.

I will be adding to this thread from time to time...
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Old 03-24-2019, 09:30 AM   #2
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Cool The Human Brain – Part 1

There is only one human brain on this wonderful and beautiful earth. For the purposes of this particular/following discussion, one will use the expression human brain and human mind interchangeably (while, later on, in these posts, one will distinguish between brain and mind, because the mind is actually located outside the brain).

First of all, one can clearly see that what one person does and puts forth in this world can and does have an incredible impact and effect on the human brain ... of humanity. Someone like the Buddha had and still has an enormous effect upon millions of people. The same could be said of Mr. J.C. And all organized religions have affected the stream of consciousness of humanity, of the human brain. And, of course, someone like Hitler also had an impact on millions of people as well. There are countless examples of individuals across a broad spectrum who have affected the consciousness of the human brain.

In one way, one can say this human brain is a flowing stream of humanity’s consciousness. And, like any stream, one can throw a stone into the water, and the ripples will be felt by all. Of course, some people have a greater impact than others.

Obviously, the Buddha, who had freed himself from the stream, had an enormous impact, the ripples being felt like a meteor landing in the water... still, to this day.

On the other hand, someone like Hitler and all the other monsters also had an incredible destructive and negative impact on the stream of consciousness of the human brain. Closer to home, white supremacists, such as the KKK have done their share of damage to the human brain. As one can see, Trump has also played his part by adding to this conflict by using the fear of white supremacists of being overrun by m/woc, and changing their gene pool and culture, and their sense of security, thus fueling hatred - that ugly combination of fear and anger.

Now, historically, most people form groups/cliques/gangs/nations out of a feeling for a need of security which such formations give them. One has understood that such formations usually develop in teenage years - while at this age, this development demonstrates the immaturity of the clique members, who “identify” with the clique (also seeming to offer an opportunity for them to discover who they are, which actually is false, since the “identification” itself blocks such a personal discovery). When not properly addressed when younger, such behaviour will continue ad nauseum well past into adulthood. One has done considerable meditation on this need for security, and one has seen that the primary goal of the brain is to ensure security. The human brain requires security in order to function sanely, to grow and develop, to learn, etc. Without a feeling of security, the brain doesn’t function well. This is easily seen, right? Allegiance to such cliques promote, sustain, and nourish this feeling of security, and of course, the fear of losing this security, which fear increases the longer any one participates in whatever group they involved in, in any organized group.

However, reality is such that one sees clearly that there is nothing secure in the outside world. Everything is change. Moreover, people are changing constantly. Everyone is constantly adding to their own personal consciousness through experiences and such like.

It is a curious fact, that even after adherence to a clique, and confronted with the truth and fact of change, clique members refuse to see that reality. In other words, each human brain, forever seeking security, will lie to itself in order to protect and maintain this illusion of security. This is a deeply-seated fear that lies within the human consciousness. Politicians use this knowledge to maintain positions of power.

The problem of all cliques is that they unwittingly cause division in society, therefore causing conflict, which usually ends up in violence. So, it is seen that all cliques, all groups, in any form of organized group activity contribute unwittingly to the conflict in society - just by participating in cliques (in any organized groups), by the fact that they themselves separate themselves from the human consciousness of humanity on the whole. This is one of the reasons why humanity is in such a mess, why there are always wars happening daily on this beautiful planet.

Involved in all of this is the illusion that each member of society is an “individual”. Moreover, the human brain also encourages and fosters the absurd notion of individualism. However, the word “individual” actually means someone who is not divided, who has not separated themselves from others in any way whatsoever, in other words, someone who is whole, sane, rational, not separate...

Ya know, everyone is - at least - a bit neurotic, and has suffered some damage, some sorrow in childhood, to which such a person - by acting out the conditioning of that damage - also contributes to the conflict of the human consciousness. Further in life, people suffer sorrow through the loss of loved ones and other events in their lives.

Throughout the millennia, there has been incredible damage to the genes of the human brain – through generational damage, through pollution, through wars, conflict, separation, violence, abuse, etc. One can easily see this happening outwards in terms of simple things: increase in allergies, the alarming increase of dementia (even occurring at younger and younger ages), an increasing number of complicated and scary diseases (dis-eases), the introduction of gmo’s, pollution, etc. So, besides psychological damage, there are also external damages which further add to all that one is exposed to and affected by.

I will continue with this subject of the human brain in the second part.
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Old 03-31-2019, 08:09 AM   #3
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Cool The Human Brain – Part 2

All human beings share the same characteristics. Everyone experiences fear, everyone experiences anger, joy, sadness. Loneliness, anxiety, hatred, rage, etc. are all part and parcel of the human brain’s experience – whether some have more or less of any such characteristics. All of the above are what define the human brain. No matter who one is, young or old, rich or poor, these characteristics define one’s humanity. Now, one can look around at the people you know or have met and see that there are many characteristics that differentiate one from another, which some would call the diversity which separates one from another. I am not talking of biological differences, such as height, or skin colour, or gender, etc., but of apparent psychological differences. You can easily see that X may be inattentive, Y may be vain, Z may be aggressive, A may be a liar, B may be a hypocrite, C may be analytical, or cold, or vindictive, D may be eccentric or unpredictable, and E may be arrogant, and F may be romantic or dreamy, G might be selfish, H might be greedy for money or information/knowledge and so on, or cruel, or whatever it is. And, most people have several of these characteristics. So, any number of these might apply in any combination to the people you know. The thing is to see that within you, “the seeing” of these characteristics within (as contrasted with “I” seeing – which will be further developed in later posts), that you may share some or these characteristics. It would not have to be exact, but to just get a sense of the similarity of some of them. It may be that you have less or more, but at least you can see (at least intellectually, partially), that these characteristics run throughout humanity.

[Please understand that labels are not characteristics that define humanity. Thus whatever labels that a person identifies with actually block a person's ability to know who they are. Also, understand that a label is usually something that someone else sticks on others, whatever label that exists, whether some organized group applies to itself or to others. So, the terms "Christian", "Muslim", "white supremacist", national and regional labels, and all the labels that come out of the organized religion of psychology which have found their way into the mindset of millions, and so on.]

Now, when you can sit quietly and see the truth of the above, the whole truth of the above... to see it at a glance within, as it were... the seeing of “what is” true, there will be an explosion inside, a release of trapped energy. This energy will course its way through every cell of your body, and heal any damaged DNA (mitochondrial DNA) that has lived under the illusion that “the other” is separate. These damaged cells will be healed, will be made whole as pertains to this particular insight. After which, there will be a “transformation” at the root, and one will never be able to cause damage or be abusive to another human being, because that would be like harming yourself. You see, when a person kills another person, they are killing themselves. (A word about abuse, for example: if you google “lying”, you will see that it rates no. 1 for every kind of abuse, whether physical, psychological, intellectual, emotional, etc. So when you “lie” to “the other”, you are actually lying to yourself, and harming yourself.)

So, when one has had this full insight, it is known as vipassana, and also known as “I am that”. Now, artists have been known to have some glimpse of truth, which when expressed lead them to fame, etc. But such a partial insight will not initiate the freeing of trapped energy, and while they may become famous for their art, their personal lives may very well be a mess, as there is no radical transformation in their psyche. Having said this, one hopes that at least some of you who read this may have a deeper understanding, at least an intellectual insight (although such an insight is still just partial in itself) into what this aspect of meditation can yield. Of course, meditation covers a broad range of subjects which I will discuss in later posts.

Insofar as I am concerned, I feel very strongly that without such a radical change at the root of one’s psyche, the movement of history will continue to run its course, its downward spiral. It is only this change, this particular transformation, that can affect those around you, because when you change, you cause a change in the human brain. Like a stone thrown in a lake, it causes ripples in the lake, and it affects others. No amount of words, actions, or energy expended in trying to change “what is” happening around us can wholly alter the course of events that are presently playing out around us; it is only when a person changes themselves that events outside of you will move in a new direction. Otherwise and unless there is a radical transformation of the psyche, events playing out can only be considered to be what is known as a “modified continuity”.

So, after having had such an insight, one has the sense of “I am you” as a new way of seeing and living in this world. It is not that Charley is X, Y or Z, but that there is a sense of ‘I am the “youness” of “the other”.’

Having had such an insight, one would not be likely to join any cult and would immediately see cabals such as practiced by Trump, Stone, Barr & Co. as pernicious entities, because they separate and divide humanity into “us and them”; and, because they separate and divide humans, they always cause conflict. During the past century, one could easily see as well that there has been a growing global tendency for people to separate themselves into smaller little gangs; there is the significant rise of the white supremacist movement (white nationalism), and a sad escalation in these incredible divisions, with their resultant conflict and violence. As I see it, there has been an incredible degeneration and deterioration in the human brain, which is almost contagious... like some virus which seems to infect so many people globally.

For example, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is part of this trend, initiated by the British prior to Israel’s independence by the Brits’ insistence on taking a census of people in that area - differentiating for the first time a separation of people in that area into Jews and Arabs, while previously and for 100s of years prior to this moment, these peoples had lived relatively peaceably without making much ado about their backgrounds. This turning point has marked a rather ugly descent there into the unbridled conflict which continues to this day.

Please note that the expression which I used above, “what is”, is central to many Eastern ideas, because it opens a door to truth, and therefore wholeness.

It would be wonderful if you, the reader, could see this, even intellectually (in other words, partially).
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Old 04-06-2019, 06:35 AM   #4
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Cool Integrity

Firstly, as a small child, you were taught mathematics. The first thing you were taught was simple arithmetic - what numbers are. You were told that the number 1 was called an “integer”. You were also told (and probably don’t remember) that the number 1 was a whole number. You were also told that the number 1 was to be referred to as a rational number. So, this was your first introduction to the word “integer”, meaning whole, rational. From this word “integer” is associated the word “integrity”, which means wholeness, rationality, sanity.

Secondly, and further, there is a secondary meaning implied in integrity - the understanding that the means are the ends. I will explain. As I have read elsewhere, when you take a bucket to the well to fill it with water: if the bucket is dirty, the water you draw from the well will end up becoming dirty - the water you draw will be unfit to drink, it will be toxic. This means that when you use untoward means to get something, the means affect the ends, the end result. Therefore, it is clearly seen that the means define the ends; in other words, the means are the ends.

Now, there are always those kinds of people who have an agenda; and, of course, having an agenda, they would be very fearful of revealing what that agenda is or of anyone discovering what that agenda is. (You may all know the old story of the young kid who saw that the emperor wasn’t wearing any clothes.) Having an agenda that they hide/conceal from others is usually the trademark of someone who knows perfectly well that if others were aware of what their agenda really was, they would be unmasked as the most charming and disreputable people for who they are. Usually full of clever words, such people lie; and, later, when found out, they rationalize, justify, and make endless excuses regarding their progress as they move to get what they want. Moreover, such people never apologize for whatever they get caught with. Their behaviour is akin to the dirty bucket, and constitute the means. It is always interesting to see that such people always think that they can get what they want “by any and all means”. Of course, what they think/feel that they want to achieve is the ends.

And, so, as they progress to their desired goal, they cause a lot of damage, because when using untoward means, they ignore the consequences of their means. In other words, they always cause conflict. And, that is why a person who uses dirty means to get their ends met always causes conflict among others. In other words, they are inherently destructive.

[Please note that the word “progress” actually means - what it originally meant (before those in power altered the word so as to be more palatable to the masses) - entering into the enemy’s camp fully armed, whence its associated word “aggression”.]

It is always interesting that such people - by their cleverness with words - usually attract followers (especially followers who are messed up and needy), who will unwittingly (that is, unwisely) support them because of their conditioning - of their original damage which they had suffered in childhood. Please note that without support, such disreputable people would be found out much earlier. (Remember the old story of the emperor who wasn’t wearing any clothes, and the kid who spoke out the truth - speaking truth to power.)

Most criminals require accomplices. The thing which happens when the gang of criminals is caught is that accomplices (even though their actions in the crime may have been found to be minimal) can be sentenced almost as heavily as the perpetrator of the crime. So, even though the accomplice may protest that they themselves didn’t use untoward means themselves, justice doesn’t see it that way; because, had it not been for their support (however minimal), it is highly unlikely that any crime may have been committed. Insofar as I am concerned, any person who supports anyone who acts in an untoward way is as culpable and as toxic as the perpetrator.

To summarize, such a toxic person will use any and all means to achieve their result; they will slander people, use ad hominem attacks (calling people names), they will try and usually succeed at sabotaging discussions, by using the classic straw man argument (bringing up ideas that have nothing to do with the main subject of the discussion, just to distract others). They will use manipulation, domination, and influence to try and modify another’s understanding of any situation.

Moreover, they consistently draw on opinions to form conclusions. Instead of relying of facts, they prefer opinions, and using the fear that others have of being insecure, of losing security. Moreover, they can even misinterpret facts.

Such people have no problem in muddying the waters (obfuscation), making the issue so complicated as to make others feel inferior and feeling unable or unsure about how to respond, and thus engendering confusion and conflict wherever they find themselves.

It is their pleasure to bait others, to bully them, all to puff up their big ego. Curiously, it naturally follows that they are incapable of restraining themselves.

In general, they always leave a large number of broken people and considerable damage in their wake.

In other words, such people have no integrity whatsoever. They are the toxic people your mama warned you about (or should have warned you about).

Thirdly, integrity also has another rather significant meaning, which derives from the above - that of saying what you mean, and meaning what you say.

Well, trust you have enough for now as to what to think about, to ponder about, to reflect on (all derived from the word "ma", which means to meditate). The word "ma" also provided the English language with another word "measure", which I will discuss in a later post.

Namaste
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Old 04-08-2019, 07:47 PM   #5
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Cool debunking “How to meditate”

Most people in the West who have access to the internet and who know nothing of meditation will google. Now, considering that such people (especially in the West) have already been “conditioned” to have a mindset that accepts authority as to “how to do” anything. The number of books and ideas disseminated in the West is mind-boggling. So, most people in the West will take knowledge as the means to find out “how to do” any and everything. So, what most people will do is either go to a bookstore, a library, or google information as to “how to meditate”, or even ask someone they know “how to meditate”.

It is a tradition in the East to be skeptical, to doubt, and to question authority. While in the West, the opposite has been inculcated from generation to generation - to accept authority, to put one’s dreams in a “leader”, and to accept what authority dictates.

I must state here that one should never accept anything that anyone states regarding meditation, including myself, unless one has experimented and tried it for oneself. Please always remember that meditation has originated from the Sanskrit word “ma”, which means to think about, to consider, to reflect upon, etc.

Now, one has recently googled the phrase: “how to meditate”, and this is one result:

First, from an online site:

that most impressive word: “mindfulness

One heck of a word, enough to stun someone who has never heard of that word, and make them think: “Wow, they must know something that I don’t!” Impressive, right?

As an aside, this word/idea comes directly from the Buddha, who is supposed to have said: “Be aware, cultivate awareness, mindfulness.”

Now, mindfulness is nothing more than “the presence of awareness”, and is not something that one can cultivate. So, from now on, I will not use that all too impressive word, “mindfulness”, and will only use the words “awareness” and “aware”. Awareness itself is not a method, in the same way that your heart beat is not a technique to be manipulated, learned, etc.; in the same way, that breathing is not something that an infant must learn, etc.; in the same way that one is aware of some noise, some event, something happening outside of you, and is not something that one can learn. Awareness, like many aspects of being human, is a natural aspect of what it means to be alive. So, I am saying that meditation must of itself be a natural occurrence that cannot be taught or learned.

Second, I also saw the following statement online:

“...we’re learning how to pay attention to the breath as it goes in and out, and notice when the mind wanders from this task”

As you can see, the emphasis in that above statement which I took at random from an online site is on the breathing exercise, and not specifically on the thoughts. Moreover, as you can see from the above, in this technique, one divides one’s attention into two aspects: the breathing exercise and thoughts.

The problem is that all modern systems of meditation try and teach their students “how to” cultivate awareness - as a technique, a method, a system - and therefore, because it is a technique, they must use “concentration” to facilitate such awareness.

I must say here that when there is concentration per se, there is always exclusion, and as I have written about this previously, I won’t necessarily go into it again here at this moment.

Third, from an online site:

“When we pay attention to our breath, we are learning how to return to, and remain in, the present moment—to anchor ourselves in the here and now on purpose...”

The issue that I have here is the idea of the "I" living in the present. This notion has come about from the Sanskrit word “satyabhatana”, which means to live in the present, and it means a mind that is free from the idea of self, either of the past or the future. In other words, a timeless field.

The thing is when a person has an idea of self, that self has originated from the past, and is also imagining some future. Please note that when a person says “I am free” (psychologically), they are lying to themselves, since the “I” contains both the past and the future.

[As an aside, I will state here that the “I” is the self, also known as the “me”, the “i”, the Atman, the big or higher self, the little or lower self, the ego. Unfortunately, in the East and the West, people imagine that all these different words mean different things. The fact is that they all refer to the “i”, words themselves just being referents, and not the thing in itself.]

As you can see, all these techniques have the purpose and goal of not allowing thoughts to prevent the “meditator” from reaching some higher sense of consciousness which is supposedly to be in the “present”, the “here and the now”. That is why most of these techniques suggest some form of “letting these thoughts go”, and passing them by as one is progressing in these methods. So, as you can see and understand, the meditator has a future-projected goal. And, the moment one has a goal in the future, it is the activity of the self. You must understand that as long as the self is actively engaged in progressing along a certain method or technique in order to create some future self that can exist without a trace of the past and the future that there is something inherently flawed and fallacious in this attempt, because wherever you go, you take your past and future with you.

Which brings me to the awful and most dreadful subject of “becoming”, which is part and parcel of the “why” of all these techniques. For the purposes of this particular post, I won’t be going into the subject of “becoming” now in this post, but it will treat it separately in an entire later post relating to having an true insight into it as seeing “what is” false or true in it - in other words having an insight into the truth or falseness of “becoming”.

Fourth, as seen online:

“thoughts” as “distractions

The main issue that I see with the above approach is that all the thoughts are originating from some part of one’s self, which most techniques ignore, or do not fully understand, or suggest that by separation from these thoughts (which, in the main, are also considered to be “distractions”), one can reach some goal, and in the same way as if one were running some business. Obviously, these thoughts are not from another planet, another person, some alien. They are from you. They are “you”.

Fifth, another ridiculous promise from another site states:

“Eventually, we will be able to stay happy all the time, even in the most difficult circumstances.”

This is an odd statement at best, since it is impossible to be happy at all times, unless you are taking happy pills - the dosage of which usually has to increased over time. But, the fact is that life happens, right? Tragedy can strike. On the other hand, when you are aware of being happy, the happiness ends. To understand this statement, you are well aware that when you are aware that you are angry, the anger ceases. So, what I am saying is that it is impossible to be happy all the time.

Sixth, a I have seen online:

"focus on your breathing and begin chanting your mantra"

Now, the Sanskrit word "mantra" literally means “reflect on not being, meditate on not being or becoming, and wipe away all self-centred activity". So, it is ludicrous to repeat some word, the meaning of which contradicts the very activity of chanting that very word. The repetition of such a word is an activity of the self, the self that chooses to use a word and repeat it, in the hope that the "i" can reach some goal... of oblivion!!! Really!!!????

Seventh, as I have seen online:

“set a timer” when one is to meditate or having a fixed time for meditation...

Now, most techniques suggest a daily routine of x number of minutes, a certain time-frame for meditation, in other words, a routine. This is ludicrous because it suggests that one uses time in order to reach some “timeless” state.

Insofar as I am concerned, the best moment to meditate is when there is a shock, a trigger, something that disturbs you, an important decision that is bothering you, etc. When one uses these opportunities to see “what is” happening inside of you at the same moment of the disturbance, you are using others as a mirror to see yourself, which is the only way to use another human being in a healthy, wholesome way.

So, I am saying that one can be aware of “what is” happening inside of yourself, at that very moment. And, the most that one needs is to be attentive. I have read that attention is considered to be the only virtue. So, what I am saying is: the seeing of these thoughts and attending to these thoughts, and then the following of these thoughts until these thoughts reach their source. In discovering and uncovering the source, which is always connected to some memory that resides within due to some conditioning, one is in a state of meditation. It would be like reading a map, or like reading a book that contains all the pages. Please understand that all the chapters of one’s self are interconnected.

The following of these thoughts to the source is of primary importance. Please understand that the word “discipline” is related to the word “disciple”, which literally means the one who follows. So, what I am saying is to be one’s one disciple, which, of course, completely eliminates the whole idea of needing someone else to tell you “how to meditate”.

Please note that there is no recorded case of anyone practising any technique of meditation that has led to enlightenment, which literally means “to be one’s own light within”.

There is an old saying in the East which says: “be a light to yourself”. The reason that it is so stated is that when one follows the “light” of another, it will only lead to darkness. So, be your own disciple and your own guru, and never follow another, psychologically.
___

Obviously, there are other ridiculous and illogical online statements made by so-called "gurus" that will tell you "how to meditate". And, what I trust you will get/understand/grasp from the above statements is that I am using the idea behind "nirodha" (that is: "negative thinking") to debunk the self-styled gurus that are trying to teach meditation as a method, a system, a path to achieve some goal - as if you are learning to succeed at running some business.
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Old 04-09-2019, 09:39 AM   #6
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I am very interested in the writings and teachings of the fine eco-feminist, Vandana Shiva. I find she triggers reflection on deep-rooted beliefs.
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Old 04-09-2019, 03:02 PM   #7
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Cool Vandana Shiva

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Originally Posted by C0LLETTE View Post
I am very interested in the writings and teachings of the fine eco-feminist, Vandana Shiva. I find she triggers reflection on deep-rooted beliefs.
Please understand that the above-mentioned person has absolutely nothing to do with the topic of this thread. Her cast identifies her as a Brahmin and reflects a deeply-held rooted belief which has caused enormous damage to those in India who are not Brahmin. She has never turned her back on those beliefs, and wears her cast symbol proudly on her forehead. The Brahmin cast reflects deep conditioning which she obviously has not put aside, as the Hindu variety of meditation does not question its own beliefs. Brahmins in general believe they are the chosen ones, the elite. Moreover, Brahmins support the false deeply-held and rooted belief in the ultimate paramatman or Brahman, or in the higher self and the lower self - which, because it is created by thought, has absolutely nothing to do with the subject of this thread. Because these beliefs are created by thought, by themselves, worshiping and supporting such beliefs are nothing but sensory projections, which because they are created by the believers, means they are only worshiping themselves. In other words, such beliefs are self-projected, and are narcissist in essence, yielding entitlement, and power over others. If these Brahmins would see the falseness of such beliefs, it would mean the entire collapse of the cast system and the Hindu Brahmin religious society, and then the Brahmins would have to shovel their own shit instead of allocating that job to those whose cast says that it is the only thing they are entitled to do - and remember the majority of those who shovel shit are women.

If you are really interested in this person as you say you are, please feel free to write your own thread on this Brahmin.
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Old 04-09-2019, 07:36 PM   #8
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Colette, Charley, and Martina- maybe best Colette takes a break from Charley and Martina, and Martina and Charley takes a break from Collette. Just kind of give each other some space since it's not really working out so well.
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Old 04-10-2019, 08:07 AM   #9
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i find meditating relaxing..quieting my mind helps me with anxiety..you mentioned cliques earlier...when i first came to the mainland i was bullied for the first six years i lived here until i hit puberty...to me a clique is another word for mob..yes, i know all about them from the receiving end..i felt very sorry for myself at the time...no one wanted to hang out with me because they were too afraid whatever was wrong with me would rub off on them and then they would suffer my fate...i had no choice but to be my own best friend and today i'm so grateful for the experience..a lot of my anxiety i feel is when i see people around me in pain..some of it you can help them overcome but a lot of it has to come from a decision to try something different..even scary...i love meditating with a group i feel comfortable with..the vibe can become unbelievably peaceful and full of a brightness i can't explain.
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Old 04-15-2019, 08:02 AM   #10
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Cool Premeditation

To summarize my above post on “how to meditate”, all forms of conscious meditation are organised by the self, either by oneself or by someone else - especially when organized into a group. They are, in effect, practised, deliberate, determined, thought out, calculated, intended, studied, preconceived, guided, directed (by oneself or by another), and so on; in other words, they are premeditated. Obviously, anything that is premeditated is not meditation, because it is in essence, get this.... premeditation! So, I am saying that premeditation is not meditation. As long as the ego is trying to “become” something, to attain some goal or end result, whatever form of meditation that the ego is involved in is not meditation, but is in effect a form of premeditation.

Moreover, all forms of meditation, all the different kinds of so-called meditation, whether it is called Zen meditation, or Buddhist meditation, or Hindu meditation, Transcendental meditation, etc. are all forms of premeditation. Any system or method of meditation must of itself be premeditated. And, behind all of these meditations, there is the idea of controlling one’s thought, so that it doesn’t wander or drift. And that is why, all these forms of meditation have to - at one time or another - stress concentration.

A mind that practises any form of a system becomes mechanical, like a machine. So, the moment you practice awareness - becoming aware of the different parts of your body, of any movement of your body, or your breath, you are practising a method, a system - and that isn’t meditation. That is just a way in which you are being unwittingly brainwashed into becoming a machine - being pacified, being put to sleep by the very method that says it will lead to freedom. Even the idea of saying that doing something that will lead to freedom is entirely false. Imitation and following some tradition is always mechanical, machine-like, and has nothing to do with true meditation. Inherent in all these approaches is that psychological freedom is seen as a goal; but, how can freedom be seen as a goal, when one is a stuck to beliefs that maintain one in a state of slavery to whatever belief that one may be attached to? That is also why it is important to drop all that beliefs prior to the natural occurrence of meditation.

The central issue of all of these formulations of so-called meditation is that therein there is one fragment of the self trying to control thought, which is in effect one fragment of the ego trying to control another fragment of the ego. So, what happens is that all these different forms of meditation actually encourage separation, increase the division between various fragments, and maintain self-enclosure and, therefore, create duality, and end up strengthening each of the different fragments - all of which is the complete opposite of what it means to whole, to be one.

Someone who has not laid a proper and correct foundation in their life (which I will discuss in the next post) can only do the meditation that you see online on various sites, which may even be referred to as “fake meditation”.

In true meditation, you are not acquiring knowledge about how you function. You are not adding information and psychological knowledge about your behaviour to your ego. You are not accumulating more experiences. You are not translating some knowledge of yourself into a pattern that you can recognize intellectually. You are not a computer program! This is true meditation.

Meditation must of itself be natural, spontaneous, free. It must be a natural occurrence. So, what I am saying is that it has to be unconscious. That is also why it is incorrect to even try and teach meditation, because there is a goal, motive, purpose, etc. involved in such a process - a method. No one can teach you about yourself; that is one thing to do and discover by yourself (as I will discuss more fully in the next post). And, as long as there is that motive or purpose or effort involved in that process - as I have observed online (and also have seen when interacting with those who even teach meditation here in real life and their students/victims), what one is teaching is premeditated - that is, it is only premeditation. In true meditation, there is no concentration involved, no effort. In essence, meditation is a natural occurrence.
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Old 04-16-2019, 06:26 AM   #11
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Cool Laying a foundation - Part 1

All of my posts are nothing less than laying a foundation for meditation to occur naturally, freely, without any compulsion, or thought. To repeat, these posts are in essence by themselves the laying of a foundation for meditation to occur naturally and easily, without any effort, without any forethought about it, without any planning whatsoever.

Of course, if one doesn’t have a good foundation, something solid and indestructible, one can always start again, and build yourself a foundation on a more solid basis.

Fallowness

Now, when one plants a garden, one must ensure that the earth itself is fertile and rich. Otherwise, the plants won’t bloom or grow naturally. When the ground is fallow, dry, and barren, such as found in a desert, very little can blossom and bloom in sand. In that sense, the seeds that are planted in a desert will just blow away and be forgotten. In the same way, when one’s own ground is fallow, these posts will not give rise to the laying of a foundation for meditation to occur naturally.

The ground/foundation of a person must be fertile for a new seed (idea) to be planted and to flourish. When the ground is fallow, the seed (idea) will perish and drift away. [As an aside, and in tune and in harmony with nature and the seasons of life, there are natural times when meditation itself can and does subside. So, it is nonsensical to apply a fixed time and routine for meditation.]

For meditation to be occur naturally, a right foundation has to be laid within. And, one basis of such a foundation is always right action, right behaviour, proper conduct. And, the beauty and wonder of right action is that no one can tell you what you “should” do - such an awful word is that word “should”. So, what I am saying is that it is for each and everyone to discover for themselves what right action is.

Authority

Any foundation that is based on thought will result in conflict and sorrow. The foundation for meditation must be based on right action, on virtue. Most definitely, virtue is not the virtue that society tells you is virtue, what others define for you. When society defines to you what virtue is, you are following the dictates of an authority, someone or a group of people who obviously have an agenda. When you follow what society tells you is a virtue, all you are doing is developing a habit. Society may say that it is okay (in effect, virtuous and commendable) to be greedy, to be competitive, ambitious, acquisitive, successful, intent on achievement, on becoming, etc. even to the point of being ready to kill for some idea, for some belief, etc., but that is not virtue. It can never be true virtue, because as long as there is this ambition and competition, and so on, there must be exploitation. Exploitation means that one is using another, even if it is mutual, and this very exploitation prevents relationship, prevents communion with “the other” - because there is always fear involved in exploitation, even to the point of paranoia - fear of losing, so then jealousy, possessiveness, etc. Moreover, it is thought that creates the idea of virtue that society tends to impose on others. It is thought that creates the idea of virtue that is inculcated into us by society. It is thought that chooses the morality and ethos of society, of any group, of any gang, of any organized group of people. It is never love. [As an aside, it is important to understand that love is always located outside the field of thought.]

Virtue itself cannot be cultivated, because when it is cultivated it only leads to respectability - what others think you are worth based on what society values and thinks you are worth. Such people have no problem showing a fake form of respect to those they want to be liked by, and they can easily deny respect to those they don’t like, which is so hypocritical. This is important, because it is respect that gives rise to understanding, and it is understanding that awakens intelligence.

So, any foundation that is laid must not involve the acceptance of authority. Authority must be questioned and doubted all the time. Authority always ends up resulting in arrogance and a lack of humility and is a dead end in itself. There must be freedom from authority for meditation to occur naturally.

So, what I saying is that virtue is something that can only be discovered by you alone. And, when that is done, then only can there be order in your life. When there is that order, it may be possible for meditation to occur naturally, freely, and without effort.

Freedom

From the above, it is clearly seen that unless one puts one’s beliefs aside, these very beliefs prevent a naturally occurring meditation. How can anyone feel free to look when one is tied to beliefs? How can anyone feel free to look when one is afraid? So, what I am saying here is that freedom is also a basis for laying a proper foundation for meditation to occur naturally. While most people “believe” that freedom is the goal, that just isn’t true.

Additionally, one also needs space - to be able to move around in life, but one also needs interior space. To be able to see what is happening within, one also needs to have enough space within. Please understand that there is very little space between the tip of your nose and your skull. And, when you stuff that small space with psychological knowledge, with beliefs, with thoughts, you block yourself from having the necessary space within to see clearly “what is” happening inside, as well as “what is” happening outside. So, by dropping beliefs, you create space inside that will make it possible for meditation to occur naturally. Of course, most of you know the expression: ... “you can’t see the forest for the trees”; and, that is why it is important to free yourself up of the trees that get in the way of you getting the whole picture of who you are. So, it is seen that psychological freedom is part and parcel of laying a right foundation, right at the beginning. It is not a goal or an end to be achieved.

Love

Without love, there no possibility of virtue. To me, this love is the love of humanity, which includes: sympathy, empathy and compassion - compassion being the love for all. [It is not affection or fondness, which also exists; and, please understand that affection or fondness or sensation is not love. Even a monster like Hitler was fond of his dog!!! but, he wasn’t a loving human being!]

For my part, my understanding of the word “passion”, comes from its original etymology, meaning suffering, sorrow from the Latin word “passio-”. People have corrupted and misused its meaning due to how people alter the meaning of words according to their conditioning and how they then try and influence others so as to use them and exploit them... which is nothing less than outside propaganda and pressure - years of corruption through generation after generation of abuse, etc. As well, people say, because of advertising, “I love Coca-Cola”... Of course, it is impossible to actually feel “love” for a soft drink. You can see easily from this one example how words have become corrupted and easily misused.

So, from my part, when one accepts who one is, there is passion. In other words, a priori, one must know who one is. Unfortunately, most people don’t even know who they are, nor even understand who they are.

In this context, please understand that knowing about oneself is not the same as “knowing” one’s sorrow closely, intimately.

So, without accepting all of one’s conditioning which comes from sadness, fear, sorrow, suffering, and everything else, a person really has no passion. They may have a form of ego energy, which fuels and drives their life, but that isn’t passion.

Now, there is a big difference between having a particular interest/hobby/a “liking” in one area, and having a lifelong passion in a direction which carries one to leave a particular mark on the world, which is beautiful in itself, and which has not caused harm to anyone, especially to themselves.

Compassion means to have a feeling towards and with (com- meaning “with”) the suffering of another. Therefore, compassion is passion which extends outward to include “the other”... which, of course leads to the meaning of having passion for the suffering of all... in other words, a love for all.

Of course, without being open to or close to or being in touch with one’s own suffering/sorrow, it is impossible to have that passion, and therefore be open to integrate compassion into one's being - that feeling of love of humanity, that feeling of love for all.

Please understand that when one behaves with greed, with pettiness, with brutality, cruelty, ambition, elitism, exploitation, competitiveness, etc., we create a world where all that exists. Please also understand that while all organized religions say that they promote love for all as a message, the fact remains that they do not denounce or condemn the greed, the pettiness, the brutality, cruelty, ambition, elitism, exploitation, competitiveness, etc. of their congregation, because they depend on the cooperation of their congregation to maintain and sustain their religion. [As an aside, all gangs/cliques usually function in somewhat the same way.] If they would actually condemn and denounce these aspects to create a world where love for all (that is, compassion) would exist, it would mean the collapse of all of their organized religions.
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Old 04-17-2019, 07:35 AM   #12
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Cool Laying a foundation - Part 2

Now, personally, I must admit that originally in my own journey, I approached those who I thought and “assumed” knew more than me. As a matter of fact, I bugged loads of “experts” (that is, “authority”), and came away a little more than frustrated - with thoughts such as “g.......m m....f..... so and so’s.... However, at that time, not understanding what meditation was, I really didn’t have those words that could express the "why" of my dissatisfaction with these self-styled “specialists”, and what was wrong with their approaches.

I would say that one of the main problem with these people was their absolute lack of transparency. Also, I did spend (and waste) a bit of $... (smh)... on these bozos.

Moreover, I even tried meditation in a group... and I did sense - after a few gatherings - that there was something inherently wrong with this approach, and still didn’t have those words to say what I felt/sensed was wrong...

I must add here that when one understands something, it is only afterwards that words come.

My present understanding of why meditation in groups is problematic is that one finds oneself with a lot of people who do not necessarily understand who they are, and let alone what they are. And so, there is a quite a bit of psychic energy floating around such a group, and such energy can and does affect someone, even to the point of interfering/affecting/influencing one’s own capacity to see “what is” happening inside and without. Moreover, in this environment, this form of so-called “meditation” can make one even more susceptible to suggestion. I don’t feel like listing here the many examples of what happens in a “mob”; but, in general, people do have a tendency to be carried away by the feeling generated by being in a “mob”. Of course, such a group effort will “stimulate” meditation.

The downside of group meditation is that one may then “depend” on the group to maintain the “stimulation”. Please understand that such dependence (or any dependence on some guru) itself is counterproductive to true meditation, and it may actually thwart one’s ability to see oneself, by maintaining and even sustaining the dysfunctional tendency of the conditioning of dependence itself. Meditation must be something that is discovered alone, a word that literally means “all one”, in other words, “whole”. [As an aside, being alone does not imply isolation...]

One has also noticed that some people like to do meditation sitting alone (cross-legged in a "meditation posture" with their eyes closed) in a public area, such as park. For similar reasons as mentioned above, such as the psychic energy floating around these public areas especially by onlookers, I feel that is not a good idea.

I will also add here that only two of the many bozos that I had contacted apologized to me, and both of those two bozos did it in a sneaky manner - instead of calling me up on my phone... Moreover, they did that some time afterwards and to my utter surprise; they contacted me by coming up inside of me, and did their apology that way!!! I only accepted one of those bozo’s apologies, as I saw remorse... which I regretted later on!!! As I now understand their manner of apologizing, it constituted a real invasion of privacy. As well, it prevented me from asking questions as to the "why" of their behaviour and thereby elucidating and clearing up any misunderstandings, and also discovering their agendas then and there, which of course would have led them to having to face themselves as to their own dysfunctional behavior.

So, again, I mention how important it is to question authority. Of course, certain things have to be seen as facts - technological information, etc. [Obviously, it would be ridiculous and silly to accept the idea (and consequent belief) that the earth is flat.] So, I am saying that one must use a bit of discernment in one’s questioning of authority. In other words, one can't go around "negating" everything around you, and everything that anyone says.
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Old 04-18-2019, 04:30 AM   #13
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Cool Laying a foundation - Part 3

Knowing yourself

The fact remains that most people build a foundation based on comfort, in their search for security. And, where there is this desire for comfort, for security, there is always fear - fear of losing that comfort, that security. And, because of that fear, there is no possibility of understanding. It is that very fear that blocks looking within. And so, without knowing who one is, there is no possibility of understanding what one is. And, I am saying that true meditation is all about the discovery of what one is. Therefore, to summarize, without knowing oneself, there is no possibility of understanding oneself; and, without understanding oneself, there is no possibility of true meditation occurring naturally. In a way, one is using the word “understanding” as implying intelligence, and not intellect and IQ. So, to understand anything, one has to grasp something in its entirety, which means that one actually stands under the self - getting to the bottom of one’s self. So, again, I am stating that without knowing oneself, there is no possibility of meditation occurring naturally.

Without knowing who one is, there is no possibility of going further. So, what I am saying is that the foundation must be built on knowing who one is. It is only when one knows who one is, that there is the possibility of right action, including that of knowing what to do with one’s life. Moreover, it is impossible to actually have a relationship with another person, with the “other”. Such a person can only have arrangements with others that are usually based on comfort and security. And, because of what I have mentioned previously in an earlier post (on “Integrity”) regarding the means and the ends, someone who doesn’t know who they are is most likely to use wrong means to achieve their ends; and so, of course, there is always a hidden agenda, and a lack of transparency. This implies, of course, that they have not laid a proper foundation in their life to begin with. Such people always cause mischief and confusion in the world, and are at the very centre of conflict and hence of sorrow.

It is easily seen who is incapable of true meditation: all the bullies, the liars, the hypocrites, the people who play mind games with others, the people who play god with others, the people who indulge in calling others names (the rather childish and stupid ad hominem attacks), people who try and sabotage and obfuscate (by people who advance argumentation only for the purposes of trying to distract), people who invade another’s space (whether physical or psychological), people stuck in respectability (such people have no genuine respect for the “other”).

The fact is when you realize that you don’t know yourself, the easiest way to begin that self-knowledge is just to observe yourself - when you are with someone else - in other words, at the same time that you are interacting with someone. So it is important to be aware of how you treat them, to be aware of yourself when you talk with your neighbour, your friend, your partner, the stranger you don’t know - in effect, with anyone. So, when you lie to another, knowing full well what the truth is, you are not being true to yourself, and it also means you are incapable of true relationship.

Again, there is only one way to know oneself, and that is to through one’s reactions, through the manner in which one responds in life with other people - and not through admissions of knowing (for example, saying, “Well, I’m competitive,” etc.); and, therefore, not through words, and that is because those very words themselves prevent one from seeing oneself. These words are nothing but a screen that prevent clarity, and this is what it means when you have most probably heard of the expression, “seeing through the glass darkly”. So, what I am saying is that it is important to observe oneself without using words, quietly, just seeing one’s reactions. To be more precise, when one uses words as a means to describe oneself, as a means to interpret one’s behaviour, one is displacing the natural faculty of attention from seeing oneself - and thus is moving the reaction into the field of thought, thus trying to alter the characteristic into a static state, which then results in it becoming more difficult to observe oneself. And, that is why certain people are predictable in repeating their toxic behaviour, because the very means they use (such as words which they ascribe to themselves) actually blind themselves to knowing themselves.

Please understand that relationship itself is the very foundation of life. And, relationship means to be related, to be in close contact with, to feel something deeply in one’s blood. So, without this deep intimate knowing of oneself - in other words, without being in relationship with oneself, one is apt to feel lonely when not with someone, one is apt to attach to anyone to avoid feeling this loneliness, one is apt to play with words, obsess with habits, drown oneself in alcohol or work, etc... and so on. When one feels one is related, one feels love, and generosity of spirit. A selfish person is - generally speaking - an unloving person; it’s easy to see, as they are chintzy and cheap with their words when they talk with the “other”. On the other hand, they may flood another’s ears with loads of placating praise or clever words, just to leave a certain impression. So afterwards, when anyone behaves badly, abusively, lies or whatever it is, this selfish person will say nothing, or even make excuses, rationalizations, justifications for the abusive one’s behaviour. It is their intent to keep people at a distance by not being forthcoming with the “other”, and so on and so on - all because they are afraid of losing friendship with the abusive person - fear of not being liked. You ask a question, they change the subject, etc. One could go on with this, but I’m sure you have met people like that.

Personally, I don’t put up with nonsense by such people.

What I am saying is that meditation is not some isolated activity that one practises away from life. Meditation must be an integral part of one’s life. I also feel very strongly that meditation is the birthright of every human being on the planet. Those who have abandoned their humanity have displaced their birthright.

Goodness

The very essence of virtue is goodness. And the very essence of goodness is generosity. Obviously, selfish people will have a problem understanding what “generosity” really means. It is important to understand that goodness arises from right action, right behaviour. When the Buddha put down his 8-fold path, his intention was to show the manner in which behaviour lies at the core of being good. For the purposes of this discussion, I am not using the word “good” in the sense that it is normally used in society as society is - in other words, being a so-called “good” citizen, paying your taxes, working your buns off to fit into a corrupt and insane world, etc., contributing to the GDP, etc. - everything that people do to fit in, to conform, to be liked, to be popular. I am using the word “good” in its original sense, as in rightness, as in correctness, as in the sense of well-fitting.

Meaning of Life

Without a true foundation, all forms of “fake meditation” are only self-hypnosis, because they lead to illusion. The very word "illusion" means “to play falsely”, “to play with things that aren’t real”.

[As an aside, is important to note that the word “thought” also means “thing”. So, a person who likes to play with different thoughts is playing with things that aren’t real - in other words, is playing falsely. A mind that is full of thoughts will have trouble seeing clearly because all those thoughts get in the way, like trees in the forest that prevent one from seeing the whole forest - whence the expression: “get that plank out of your eye”.]

Insofar as the meaning of life is concerned, everyone likes to define and have and develop their own particular meaning of life.

Please understand that having a sense of the meaningfulness of life that one has personally... has absolutely nothing to do with the meaning of life that others try to impose on people, that people adopt from others, etc., or that people project outwards out of their own conditioning.

Personally, one has discovered why one is female, why one is gay, and why one is butch (apart and besides everything else that one has discovered within), and even why one appears more masculine than when I was younger and prior to meditation, and this understanding has added to one’s sense of the meaning of one’s whole life - apart from all the other discoveries that one has made. Please understand that the uncovering of the "I" process yields a meaning of life, and this is what is crucial. Obviously, having such a sense of the meaningfulness of one’s life is not subject to change, is indestructible, is independent of anyone else’s beliefs or ideas, and gives a person an inner strength that no one else can extinguish.

Create your own mirror

Thousands of years ago, when you wanted to see yourself, to see what you looked like, you had only to find a pond, or a pool, or a bowl of water that was still (that is quiet), and you could bend over and see yourself; in other words, you would see a reflection of yourself in the water.

[As an aside, it is important that to see yourself, there must be a certain amount of stillness within. The meditation methods that I have seen online, offer stillness as a goal to be achieved, which is entirely false.]

As mentioned previously, the word “meditation” comes from a Sanskrit word “ma”, and means to think about, to consider, to ponder, to reflect... So, when the right foundation has been laid, intelligence can operate within, unconsciously. It is intelligence that needs to be awakened because intelligence is the intermediary between reality and truth. So, what happens is that you create a mirror, a reflection of yourself within, which will show you thinking, feeling, sitting, standing, talking, gesticulating... whatever you are doing - in sum, showing you all of your reactions that flow from your conditioning; and, all one does is attend to this mirror, this reflection of yourself, this image of yourself, thinking and feeling, and follow this image of yourself to wherever it leads. What you are doing then is uncovering the entire “I” process, and it is through this uncovering of the “I” process, that all sorrow can end. It can only end when one is fully conscious of this suffering, this sorrow within. And, all the discoveries which you make will be your own, which no one can take away from you. And, of course, because these discoveries are your own, you can talk about them. Personally, I found this creation of a mirror/reflection within to be one of the most remarkable and wondrous of journeys in the world to have seen as to “what is” going on inside... absolutely marvellous.

To summarize, when the mind is ready to see oneself, to confront oneself, is free to see, and has a properly laid foundation, it is then that intelligence can create this mirror within. Everything within is now in a state ready to yield to seeing this “I” process. Even the brain, which - usually in demanding security - would tend to oppose/obstruct this seeing, even to the point of lying to you to prevent you from seeing yourself - will now yield to this incredible creation from within.

One cannot provoke or manufacture such a reflection within. It must be natural occurrence.

[As an aside, being fed up (in a state of discontent) can give you the necessary energy to see inside.]

And finally, I will say, it is usually a crisis or shock that can offer the opportunity to say to oneself, “I don’t know ... what to do”, and it is this understanding and admission that may open one up to this wonderful creation, and find oneself in the midst and depth and journey of true meditation, of the discovery of what one is.
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