Very short Exercise for dis-identifying with ego

banned_crab

Be prepared to smile/laugh at any thought that comes to mind. You will notice something while laughing at each thought. You start to realize a feeling that triggers each thought. Its your ego trying to say "this is who I am" to anything that it possibly can. The more you do this the easier it will be to stop taking your thoughts so seriously. They will become nothing more than just thoughts.

DairyLama

A sense of humour is certainly essential.

Chaz

Thats just another form of clinging.

Just sayin' .......

DairyLama

Chaz said:

Thats just another form of clinging.

?? I thought the point of the exercise was to reduce clinging?

Chaz

I'm sure that's the OP's intent.

To laugh at a thought is to cling to it.

DairyLama

Chaz said:

I
To laugh at a thought is to cling to it.

Not in my experience, it usually leads to not taking the thought so seriously, which means letting it go, which means less clinging.

upekka

can 'we' see, hear, smell, taste, or touch thought?
or
is it just an imagination in the mind?

how

For Buddhist practitioners, worldly attachments can often morph into spiritual versions of the same. One's worldly identity in a practice when challenged easily accepts a new make over as a Buddhist practitioners identity to their new developing mentality.

Those unable to smile at the hubris behind such a mentality, would be wise to question what makes their own thoughts are too sacred to be smiled at

wangchuey

Whatever works for you. I usually just take a step back from my thoughts, then it just fades on its own.

DairyLama

upekka said:

can 'we' see, hear, smell, taste, or touch thought?
or
is it just an imagination in the mind?

I think one problem with thought is the way it shapes our perceptions of what we see, hear etc. Another problem is that if we're too busy thinking we won't notice what's going on!

upekka

SpinyNorman said:

I think one problem with thought is the way it shapes our perceptions of what we see, hear etc. Another problem is that if we're too busy thinking we won't notice what's going on!

if 'i' say

if the 'thought' itself is 'perception' to begin with
and
we won't notice/know about it and start to think over it
then
that shapes the 'former perception' into a new 'thought'/'perception'

and
the same process continues again and again

what would you think?

DairyLama

upekka said:

the same process continues again and again

Yes, it all get's very habitual. I guess that's why mindfulness is so important?

upekka

SpinyNorman said:

, it all get's very habitual. I guess that's why mindfulness is so important?

identifying/mindfulness of the perception/thought/image in the mind is the key

if 'we' couldn't identify the perception as perception
'we' start to build/think/fabricate/create sankhara without a foundation
what would happen to a building which is built without a foundation?

same thing happend to 'our' fabrication which is built on perception
whatever born has to die
if 'we' could be mindful we would not fabricate
then there is no birth so there is no death

for a moment 'we' could stop getting old, getting sick

but in the next moment another perception/thought would come into mind
our job should be to be mindful of 'it' and not to start fabricate on it

we will be able to slow down the habit gradually

what would you think?