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Thoughts to feelings

Wisdom23Wisdom23 Veteran
in Buddhism Basics
Bit of an odd question but after all i do have a random mind but i was wondering how do we change understanding into feeling. if that makes sense.

One example maybe i know my anxiety is totally irrational but still i dont feel so Or i undetstand everything is connected but i don't feel it.

Is this just a case of meditating on it? is it impossible? Or have i missed the mark, which would so often do.

Your input would be appriciated ever so much.

Comments

  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
    @Wisdom23 -- Not sure if I understand your question exactly, but I do think it is true that one of the initial success stories envisioned in spiritual life is that there will come a time when things will be more under control... that things that now throw anyone for a loop will no longer have such power because ... well, because things will be under control. It's a nice pipedream -- get enlightened and everything will be smooth as silk.

    This pipedream is revised with further practice.

    Sorry if I'm off-topic here. As I say, I wasn't entirely sure of your question... which of course didn't stop me from commenting. :)
    JeffreyWisdom23
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited August 2013
    I think we have openness, clarity, and feeling or sensitivity as the natural state of our minds. What happens with you in meditation? Anxiety is worrying? Is worry in the present? What does anxiety feel like? What is happening right now? I say get interested in your meditation and don't think it should be different.

    We don't always have a VAM of clarity. Sometimes the world diffuses out and we don't know what is there. Otherwise the same line would keep going on and on. I suffer too when VAM is gone and I am forcing away from my experience. It feels unclear like my mind is getting cut up sometimes. There are five energies of mind: wanting to know, wanting it all, wanting to feel, wanting to do, and wanting to be. What is openness? Is it missing something? We all have the diffusion state. A wise @lobster once told me that it is 'dissolve and coagulate'. We all have a different answer and VAMs, but I think the experience of space going out is frightening for us all. For me sitting meditation helps. I do walking meditation if I need that feeling I am talking about. But yeah we cannot be other than openness, clarity, and sensitivity. It seems paradoxical to me that the path is now. Because if that is true then why don't I have disenchantment from good, bad, neutral? It must be because I cannot find that in my experience. There are these ripples of discomfort. I don't know why they are there.
    Wisdom23
  • NevermindNevermind Bitter & Hateful Veteran
    Wisdom23 said:

    Bit of an odd question but after all i do have a random mind but i was wondering how do we change understanding into feeling. if that makes sense.

    One example maybe i know my anxiety is totally irrational but still i dont feel so Or i undetstand everything is connected but i don't feel it.

    Is this just a case of meditating on it? is it impossible? Or have i missed the mark, which would so often do.

    Your input would be appriciated ever so much.

    What would the understanding that your anxiety is totally irrational feel like?

    My personal experience is that I've had pretty bad irrational anxiety issues. I've had panic attacks for no apparent reason. During them I knew that the fear and anxiety was irrational, and yet that anxiety made particular situations intolerable. In a few of those situations the long term cost of my intolerance was rather high. And yeah, I also had a good understanding of what the costs would be.

    In the right circumstances I know that I can still get freaked out for no good reason. I think my tolerance and ability to deal is much better than it used to be, but the fear and anxiety will still be there, though it may not have the same quality.
    JeffreyWisdom23
  • howhow Veteran Veteran
    Meditation is allowing all phonemena to arise and pass with out habitually trying to fiddle with them whereas trying to use meditation to exact a specific effect (while common) is actually an oxymoran.

    I would suggest focusing on the goalessness of meditation and study a bit about Dependent Origination, to experience the answer you seek.
  • lobsterlobster Veteran
    It's a nice pipedream -- get enlightened and everything will be smooth as silk.

    This pipedream is revised with further practice.
    All emotional stabilising. The positive enablement of the neuro plasticity of the brain, which delivers emotional body centering. All of it.
    Practice based.
    No wand.
    No short cuts.
    No effort.
    No results.
    Know that.

    You want to hear it another way? Again? Or you want to feel the results? Enough with the questions already.

    :)
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Gentle Man Veteran
    Right, Lobster. Monkey mind feels, and monkey mind is dumb.
  • footiamfootiam Veteran
    Wisdom23 said:

    Bit of an odd question but after all i do have a random mind but i was wondering how do we change understanding into feeling. if that makes sense.

    One example maybe i know my anxiety is totally irrational but still i dont feel so Or i undetstand everything is connected but i don't feel it.

    Is this just a case of meditating on it? is it impossible? Or have i missed the mark, which would so often do.

    Your input would be appriciated ever so much.

    You don't have to change anything. Just do something else which is worthwhile.
    Wisdom23
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