Best Of
Re: Yes, this meditation, of a kind.
I'm reminded of the continuous dance/movement of sub atomic particles...
Shoshin1
Yes, this meditation, of a kind.
Really, I have no desire to start a discussion. I watched a video on the Web yesterday, and through it, experienced a state that would, I am sure, been impossible to know otherwise. If I succeed in uploading the video, you will know why, if you watch it. However, it is so powerful that, if I don't succeed in uploading it, here is the webpage: 
Do take the trouble to watch, it's only just over three minutes! I feel that it comes into the category of a meditation, hence my posting under this heading. If the video does not appear underneath these words, I did not find a way to upload it. Others don't have any problem doing this, but there is no button to click, or any way of doing it that is obvious.
Metta to all!
Re: Reading and belief, critical observation
Yes, I've certainly noticed this - the tendency seems to be proportionate to the skill of the writer. I think I most often just let it go, let myself slip into 'default belief' rather than struggling against it, but maintain the awareness that it has occurred, and analyze it later for its validity or lack thereof. If the writer isn't very adept, I'll probably only read a few paragraphs anyway.
Fosdick
Re: No Buddhist Quotes
“Man’s basic state is one of happiness. But the mind gives you what you want, and so if you say ‘I am suffering’, the mind gives that to you.”
— H. W. L. Poonja
Jeroen
Re: No Buddhist Quotes
“Although I am a typical loner in my daily life, my awareness of belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth, beauty, and justice has prevented me from feelings of isolation.”
― Albert Einstein
Jeroen
Re: No Buddhist Quotes
"No matter how aware or enlightened we are, we will never comprehend the struggles and oppression faced by others"
-- Wagma Mayar
Re: Engaging with Freedom
You want to be free of all the layers of mental conditioning placed on your mind by your parents, their parents before them etc, the education system, society, religious teachers etc.
“What I’m leading you to is the following: awareness of reality around you. Awareness means to watch, to observe what is going on within you and around you. ‘Going on’ is pretty accurate: Trees, grass, flowers, animals, rock, all of reality is moving. One observes it, one watches it. How essential it is for the human being not just to observe himself or herself, but to watch all of reality. Are you imprisoned by your concepts? Do you want to break out of your prison? Then look; observe; spend hours observing. Watching what? Anything. The faces of people, the shapes of trees, a bird in flight, a pile of stones, watch the grass grow. Get in touch with things, look at them. Hopefully you will then break out of these rigid patterns we have all developed, out of what our thoughts and our words have imposed on us. Hopefully we will see. What will we see? This thing that we choose to call reality, whatever is beyond words and concepts. This is a spiritual exercise—connected with spirituality—connected with breaking out of your cage, out of the imprisonment of the concepts and words.“
Anthony de Mello
I want to break free, I want to break free
I want to break free from your lies
Reading and belief, critical observation
Have you noticed that it is very easy to believe what you read, easier than when you listen? Marshall McLuhan in his books talked a lot about the linear nature of print, about how man’s brain was becoming conditioned to accept the linear stream of information from reading. I’ve found myself that belief, faith, is easier to come by when you read… it’s like I become convinced.
To stay critical, observant, testing the knowledge that is presented, while reading a book, requires considerable alertness. I find that when I deploy skepticism I very quickly become inwardly derogatory and cynical, which is a state of mind I prefer to avoid because it feeds negativity. I have been experimenting with critical observation instead, but I find it quite tiring.
Do you ever find yourself slipping into “default belief” while reading?
Jeroen
