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Re: Buddhist quotes
The body of the Buddha is like empty space. The mind of the Buddha is like a phantom city. The speech of the Buddha is like an image of the moon in still waters.
Re: https://awakentheworld.com/
@Jeroen said:
Which is why these days I just try to shoot for expressing my truth. It’s a lot more natural than trying to arrive at a summary of all these wisdoms which I have attempted to absorb, but haven’t wholly made my own.
It just all comes out as word vomit if I don't revise and reflect:
I think I do express my truth through expression of summary of my understanding of wisdoms I'm attempting to make my own. The hope is I make an attempt to understand publicly and fallacy is pointed out by those that see a different view so I may examine and adjust.
I suppose I see this place as a learning ground and you all as my teachers. I want to confirm with you all what I am understanding so I want to be accurate in my description. Refining also helps me solidify the building blocks of further knowledge while discarding that which is not useful. What is my truth but that which is true? Why express individual personality when it is already understood to be a construct or shade of lens or flavor of personality? Do I voice my words as macho, weak, unknowing, knowing, or simply as myself? What is myself? I think myself is currently identified with refining my understanding. I am not yet wise enough to play many particular hats like some, yet my person's expressions change with the wind. In search of unchanging, I stumble upon hints of truth. Expressing my truth without refinement feels like reflecting one facet of a multifaceted gem or showing off a gem caked in mud. Not that my words refined are in any way of value, simply more convoluted even to myself before revisiting and re-examining. My first draft often hurts feelings, intended or not.
After revising the above, I almost deleted it all to post the below:
Every one of these people is me if I don't reflect before posting my truth.
Though now that I stop trying to revise, I realize even the revision is meaningless. I'm over here trying to build beautiful fruit from the nutrients provided when the fruit's use after growth is not up to me. Refined or not, words have impact. Some words are for us to speak, others are not for us to speak but for others to speak. I just try to be as skilzful as possible while I do it in whatever way that takes form.
^ See, gross semi-refined word vom.
Re: Gurdjieff’s stop exercise
@Jeroen said:
This works to a certain extent. Later you could graduate to looking at the no-mind.
Great phrasing! Your arrangement of words with my current mental state caused something to click in my understanding. The root purpose of my reminders. Time to shave some fat from my practice! Thank you.
Throws away power point transitions, corn fields, hitting my face with inflatable exercise equipment...
Now to practice remembering to use it!
Maybe I will get the practice down before I throw out my other techniques..
It is said that within any one true teaching of the Buddha you could see the rest of the teachings reflected, if you looked deeply enough. Sometimes I have been lucky enough to see one teaching inside of another, and it reaffirms my thought that perhaps I am not entirely without insight.
Just as your observations reaffirm mine. It reminds me of revising my posts. Every time I look over the content I am responding to and my response to it, more is revealed. My response is refined, a piece is understood more clearly, rinse and repeat. Sometimes I delete the response all together finding all words simply lacking and even the me formulating the response is lacking. Sometimes I smash the send button before even re-reading the post. There is an acknowledgement that something must be said to be built upon though, as it is in the shared experience of others before me that I find some understanding. Finding those words and phrasing to say to help contribute meaningfully to that endeavor is not yet my strong suit.
Re: Bored?
When I'm bored I pick my nose and hit the "post" button without refining my text. I try not to use the same finger but ¯_ (ツ)_/¯
More seriously though, I guess I need to remember to look at where my mind is when I feel bored; usually in an unpleasant emotional state like agitation or restlessness about something or other. I believe my practice is usually in the form of cultivating the feeling of, and carrying compassion with me as often as I can. This allows me to enjoy or be fascinated by just about anything. Even the agitation of boredom can be highly enjoyable to explore. When it's all so interesting, boredom seems to just stop coming around as often. And when cultivation of compassion is practiced, the returning to the embodiment of the feeling becomes more instantaneous.
Re: Gurdjieff’s stop exercise
@FleaMarket said:
Since discovering this forum and applying some of the techniques mentioned, I have had many fewer anxiety attacks and depressive episodes (at first it might have increased a bit). It's sort of an "all roads lead to Rome" in here which is quite fantastic for spiritual growth and a testament to those who support this place with commentary and other methods.
Thats really good to hear @fleamarket. My experience is also that buddhism is a stabilising influence, the quality of equanimity come to the fore.
I find a lot of personal success in thinking my way out of thought. It works every time but does not last. I guess that is the result of strengthening the mind-tool to overcome the mind-tool.
This works to a certain extent. Later you could graduate to looking at the no-mind.
It all seems very similar, just expressed differently and interpreted differently by our unique points of view.
It is said that within any one true teaching of the Buddha you could see the rest of the teachings reflected, if you looked deeply enough. Sometimes I have been lucky enough to see one teaching inside of another, and it reaffirms my thought that perhaps I am not entirely without insight.
Jeroen
Re: Gurdjieff’s stop exercise
@Jeroen I like stopping sometimes. There was a clip of Thich Nhat Hanh exemplifying a similar method. He was walking walking walking thinking thinking thinking with mala beads in his hand moving moving moving and then STOP! and he drops the beads to the floor making a noise, stopping in the moment to simply be. It was a fragment of a longer youtube I can't find at the moment but I liked his example as well and feel it is similar in nature to your explanation of Gurdjieff's stop exercise. Attempting to bring about the same style of momentary cessation of thought or remind us of the automated identity.
Now that I think about it, maybe similar to the bell alarm on the Plum Village app? I set mine for every hour 9AM-9PM and I have noticed it usually goes off at a moment where I needed to return to awareness. You know what frekin' is always waiting for me when that bell goes off? A lesson. I want to increase the bell to 15 minutes but that may be more desire and pleasure-based.
@person I find those techniques helpful as well when I allow myself to implement them. I may be in a circular depressive loop when it comes to gardening at the moment which is more to the point that I would get benefit from doing some. It is remarkable how intuitive yet difficult this information is to act on.
Since discovering this forum and applying some of the techniques mentioned, I have had many fewer anxiety attacks and depressive episodes (at first it might have increased a bit ). It's sort of an "all roads lead to Rome" in here which is quite fantastic for spiritual growth and a testament to those who support this place with commentary and other methods.
I find a lot of personal success in thinking my way out of thought. It works every time but does not last. I guess that is the result of strengthening the mind-tool to overcome the mind-tool. One of my recent thought experiments is to bring awareness to my perceived walls or blockages and visualize a home-grown corn field maze. I can walk the maze if I really want or if I don't realize any better, or I can just cut through the corn. The need to travel the maze comes in many forms but ultimately I play as long as I allow myself to play. I can drop the mental play any time I want...so long as I remember and am willing to do so. So long as I remember and am willing to do so.
It's all seems very similar, just expressed differently and interpreted differently by our unique points of view. Sometimes I gate myself on my responses seeing the information has already been covered but maybe it's like a bouquet of imperfect flowers vs a single pristine rose. Not everyone likes roses but in a bouquet there may be something for everyone.
Re: What happens to the world when everybody attains Buddhahood?
@SattvaPaul said:
We are sentient beings in samsara, but that is an illusion. In fact, nobody attains buddhahood as it has already been attained. Great. Except that we're still here.
The Buddha became enlightened and he was still there after his awakening. There’s no reason to assume anything would be different after everybody achieved enlightenment…
Jeroen
Re: https://awakentheworld.com/
@FleaMarket said:
I'm sure it's not uncommon but sometimes I spend hours on my responses just to realize you've already pointed out something I already know intuitively but just forgot until you said something. Then I delete everything I wrote. I just wanted to know what you did!
That’s got to be worth a chuckle @FleaMarket
I find if I intentionally try and write wise things, i get caught revising again and again. It’s difficult to be wise, especially when surrounded by witty characters such as @lobster and deep characters such as @how
Which is why these days I just try to shoot for expressing my truth. It’s a lot more natural than trying to arrive at a summary of all these wisdoms which I have attempted to absorb, but haven’t wholly made my own.
Jeroen
Re: Bored?
Get off social media (as opposed to just the internet or mobile phones) and ignore those who speak from that space.
Here's another good one from Daryl Davis (the person who has caused over 200 KKK members to leave the organization)
person