Best Of
Re: Meditation and mental health
Meditation is a way of losing one's self and all the baggage the self has accumulated over the years .
What I mean by accumulated "baggage" is the accumulated weight of the conceptual self, the stories, the regrets, the identities, the fears, and the desires that the mind carries. Meditation, at its deepest, is not an act of doing but an act of undoing. It is a conscious, gentle setting down of that baggage.
Depression can be liken to a thought pattern cycle which locks one in one's mind where it can become very difficult to escape...A cognitive prison built and reinforced by thought patterns.
It's important to recognise that using meditation to free the mind from depression is a deeply personal journey. it is not a universal solution and may not work for everyone.
I'm reminded of one of my old sayings : I AM just a thought which thinks I AM thinking I AM just a thought. In other words... I AM what I think but ultimately I Am not my thoughts.
Shoshin1
Re: The Higher Self
@Tavs said:
From a Buddhist point of view, what actually is The Higher Self? I know some Buddhists compare it to Buddha nature but I find that answer unsatisfactory or some might say its what lies beyond ego but to me this answer is vague and too abstract. People talk about it as if it's a little silent unseen deity which somehow lives in our heads. Does it exist at all?
Mmm Higher Self...
Here's some food for thought to lose your self in... aka Anatta :
Awareness is fundamentally non-conceptual before thinking splits experience into subject and object. It is empty and so can contain everything, including thought. It is boundless. And amazingly it is intrinsically knowing.
Shoshin1
Re: Some troubles with new sila efforts
@marcitko said:
'training grounds' for moral courage and integrity.
I’ve come across a number of training grounds of that type…
Life itself: living life in a chaotic, outgoing fashion, where you encounter people in different functions, tends to be a great proving and training ground of morality. Anything that involves money will inevitably put your integrity to the test, and find you balancing greed against morality. This can be avoided by living a life of routine.
Hallucinatory visions: these can be a moral and spiritual pressure cooker. It tends to of its own accord seek areas where you are vulnerable, using your high intentions against you. Until you learn that almost always the best course is to do nothing, and keep quiet.
Books, films and games: any of the storytelling media can place you in morally complex situations, albeit imagined ones. It can be useful to just step outside the story and see what your own personal response would be in a given situation, away from the story’s railroading.
It of course depends on what type of moral courage you are looking to develop.
Jeroen
The Higher Self
From a Buddhist point of view, what actually is The Higher Self? I know some Buddhists compare it to Buddha nature but I find that answer unsatisfactory or some might say its what lies beyond ego but to me this answer is vague and too abstract. People talk about it as if it's a little silent unseen deity which somehow lives in our heads. Does it exist at all?
Tavs
Re: Ploggers of the world...unite!
Kotishka, at a certain level recycling has to be a communal effort. We have separate garbage pickups for plastics, paper and green waste, and underground containers for remnant waste. There is very little litter here. But because the municipal government supports it we make the effort to separate out waste in the home.
Very proud of your ploughing efforts! Well done!
Jeroen
Re: Ploggers of the world...unite!
I moved to Granada and the city does make a huge effort to keep the streets clean. Daily, split in many shifts, but the mornings are when they hit 'em plates hard. If you know what I mean. My plogging is quite limited. I do appreciate their work a lot.
I still pick litter and try to "motivate" others who are part of my circle. Yesterday my boss opened a pack of smokes and dropped the upper thin layer of plastic which covers them to the ground. I mentioned this. And at least he did not drop the rest of the plastic there.
One thing though that I realised when making this statement is how I stopped recycling because my entire block does not! We have a communal rubbish container which gets collected by the local authorities. And it is genera trash only. I have seen around a few recycling points which are not far. So it seems, if your building does not want to comply, you have to find the other collection points which are around town.
Also, any chance to send regards to master @how is a good reason to post!
And to you too @marcitko !
And by the way... how "clean" would you say your area is? Also, running and picking up thrash? Awesome!
Gassho!
Kotishka
Re: What do you think of modern movies?
For me, films that really changed my life on a deep level included these:
Schindler’s List (1993): Spielberg’s film is told after a true story from the Second World War, and this includes both the measure of true evil in Ralph Fiennes’ portrayal of extermination camp commandant Goethe, and the measure of good that a man can do in Oscar Schindler’s saving of Jewish workers from the death camps. Deeply heart-wrenching, emotional film for me.
Spirited Away (2001): this animated film by Hayao Miyazaki includes a beautiful portrayal of a protected childhood, which suddenly opens up as Chihiro gets lost in the magical world of the spirits. It is about freedom, finding your place in the world, friendship. It rightly won the Oscar for best animated feature. Wonderful, wonderful film.
The Life of Brian (1979): Monty Python’s hilarious comedic film about Jewish boy Brian who gets mistaken for the messiah in Roman-controlled Palestine made me laugh so much. I still remember many of its jokes today. Besides being one of the funniest films ever made, it dares to poke fun at the Catholic faith, which has done so much harm around the world.
I may add more at a later date.
Jeroen
Re: Let Them
@Vastmind said:
‘ The phrase “Let them” was originally written by poet Cassie Phillips, whose work has not been credited in Robbins’ promotion of the theory. While Robbins has undoubtedly brought the idea to a larger audience, failing to acknowledge its original creator raises ethical concerns about intellectual property and fair recognition.Beyond this issue, there’s also an important conversation to be had about when “letting them” is helpful—and when it’s potentially harmful. While letting go is a powerful practice in many situations, it’s not a universal solution, especially in cases of abuse, neglect, or when boundaries need to be enforced.
Therapists often talk about locus of control, the idea that people fall somewhere on a spectrum between believing:
External control (“Everything happens to me.”)
Internal control (“I create my own outcomes.”)
Shifting toward an internal locus of control means understanding that you can’t always control others—but you can control how you respond. Instead of chasing validation, forcing relationships, or stressing over someone else’s actions, you shift your focus to what you can do.
When applied correctly, The Let Them Theory aligns with these healthy psychological shifts. But there are times when “letting them” is absolutely the wrong approach.‘
https://www.abraverspace.com/blog/the-problem-with-let-them-theory
That's good point about acknowledging her source, but Mel does also add Let Me, making a meaningful change in the idea. I think the larger point is resolved by including the second half of the phrase which is left out of the title and slips the mind. That of after Let Them, its Let Me. So in cases of abuse, etc. it isn't JUST Let Them, it also needs to be actions to take such as removing yourself, or speaking up, etc.
person