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Differentiating between necessary and unnecessary
I had a reflective conversation with myself today after listening to a bit of H.H. the Dalai Lama's "How to See Yourself As You Really Are" on my morning walk. I want to see if it holds up so I'm submitting it to the group for help with examination and assistance.
Q: If all existence dependently arises from causes and conditions, and the definition of necessary is that which is unavoidably determined by causes and conditions, when is there ever a thing which is not necessary?
A:That which arises through misconception of things existing inherently in and of themselves is not necessary. Ignorance is not necessary. Delusion is not necessary, attachment is not necessary, the hindrances are not necessary. The identification of one thing apart from other things is not necessary.
Q: How then does one become continuously aware of these unnecessary elements in all aspects?
A: One becomes continuously aware of these unnecessary elements through practice. Specifically practice of sustained concentration and practice of deepening insight into the nature of things. The deeper one's insight into the nature of all things and the greater one's sustained concentration, the more readily one can see that which is necessary and that which is not necessary.
Q: How then does one practice sustained concentration and deepening of insight?
A: Practice of sustained mindfulness of an object such as breathing builds sustained concentration. Practice of sustained concentration and investigation on a specific object deepens one's insight into the nature of that specific object.
I should mention this dialogue comes from my own self still ignorantly trying to determine what I should be doing other than what I am currently doing and being unable to yet see beyond this obstacle.
Thank you in advance for any insights and discussions.
Re: Ego must go
Ego must go
Thus have I heard...
"By trying to get rid of something, one is unconsciously granting it reality"
Which reminds me...
"One is simple one's experience...
One's ego is the abstraction from these experiences...
One's ego should be viewed as a convenient analytic device"
Hmm The Ego...Can't live with it ...Can't live without it there has to be another middle way...
Shoshin1
Re: Ego must go
@FleaMarket said:
Not knowing when to act, when not to act, and what to act on and what to not act on is giving me quite a headache lately.
That is true. It is easy to say, not too lose, not too tight, but in reality there are a number of different factors that come into play, such as the right amount of determination, being able to set aside the impulses various hindrances generate, and so on. It is an accumulation of progress on the path to reach the point where the analogy of the strings on a musical instrument even makes sense.
What I would say is being relaxed, doing one thing at a time and observing whether that was beneficial or not is generally a better approach then trying to do three things at great speed and getting confused about what’s happening. Go slow, one step at a time, like a walking meditation. And don’t forget, more often than not easy is right.
Jeroen
Re: Ego must go
@FleaMarket, I just thought of another teaching that I find very helpful.
Thanissaro Bhikkhu's description of Right Speech has helped me very much. He says to ask yourself three questions before you speak:
“Is it true?”
“Is it beneficial?”
“Is this the right time to say something pleasing or is it the right time to say something displeasing?"
An excellent summary of his teaching is here:
https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/CrossIndexed/Published/Meditations11/090828_ThePathtotheTop.pdf
Eliz
Re: Ego must go
@FleaMarket said:
Not knowing when to act, when not to act, and what to act on and what to not act on is giving me quite a headache lately.
@FleaMarket: Thanks for sharing this. I do this as well from time and time and regret saying something that was not skillful or not shared at the right time. I'm not sure if it helps, but I have tried to pay closer attention to my thoughts and body before I might say something that I would regret. I've noticed that there is very slight (and I do mean very slight) shift in energy before I speak if I might say something unskillful. It's almost like a pull to speak - as if "I know better" or "I have to share right now." The urgency and pull has typically indicated to me that I might need to wait and sit through the urgency. Then, if I still feel the need to speak later, I can do it in a skillful way. Often, the urgency drifts away and I realize that I really didn't need to say the thing I was thinking. I'm not sure if this is helpful, but paying attention to this energy shift and attitude shift has been useful for me. I still mess up sometimes, but a little less. 
Eliz
Re: as we progress …
Be human first before belief/ ideology/ agenda
We are in many ways created by our environment/genetics but also don't let those things dictate who you are and what you do.
Respond rather than react.
Plant seeds rather than trying to force change.
After you've worried/angered over your problems, once, twice, three, four times. Let go and deal with things as they come rather than continuing to strategize battle plans that may never materialize.
In spite of what your mind may tell you the only direction available is forward.
There's more than one way to be right and more than one way to be wrong.
No one is ever completely right or completely wrong.
The greater the conviction of your rightness the more of your wrongness you're blind to.
And vis versa
Intellectual understanding is only a shadow of experiential understanding.
Intuitions come first, the intellect is our lawyer justifying what we feel.
Thesis -> Antithesis -> Synthesis
The greater the area of your circle of knowledge, the greater the circumference of your ignorance.
The more of these I write the more my conceit grows...
person
as we progress …
Dear Friends in The Way, https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/26749/mindfulness-losing-it
And we all are in our own Way 
As we progress, change in capacity, nature, practice, devotion, usefulness occurs. How so?
Well this is what I am aware of:
- Calmness influences our interactions ☯️
- We are the chicken … that crossed the road/path 🤔
- The other side is always different
- All roams lead to roads … eh … all roads lead to Rome … then again …
- Destinations are not an end to means but a mean arrival wherever we are!
- Do not trust your self … but wait … we are all ourself. Trust that.
- This world is the Pureland. Paranirvana full of Buddhas, Christs, Thaws, Thors and melting pots.
- Listen, observe, feel the environment. Engage! (Jean Luc Picard)
What are are your noteworthy progressions? 
https://medium.com/mind-cafe/youve-been-thinking-about-enlightenment-all-wrong-1f4b3a99e3fa
lobster
Re: Ego must go
It is usually about becoming more sensitive, and paying attention to that sensitivity. It’s very easy to ignore your more sensitive nature, but instead to learn to listen to that little voice which tells you stop, you’re going too far, or you’re about to say something hurtful, and then to change your mind and say something softer instead with a slightly different meaning.
It is said, the mind is just your thoughts, or the ego doesn’t exist. The ego is elusive, it hides in amongst other impulses, but sometimes it makes a charge and grabs the reins. If you stay humble and stay sensitive, then it doesn’t get the chance.
Living in sensitivity is a good answer, it means the hardness of the ego slowly gets lost as sensitivity becomes a habit.
Jeroen
Re: Ego must go
I hurt his feelings and feel I owe him a heartfelt apology.
Then apologise. Job done. 
Nobody but you sees it your way. That is the same for all of us to a lesser or greater degree.
Fortunately I am always right about how wrong I am … who cares? Not me.
https://www.mindful.org/a-guide-to-practicing-self-care-with-mindfulness/
lobster