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Primacy of the will in spiritual practice?

DimmesdaleDimmesdale Illinois Explorer
in General Banter

I came up with this, it just makes sense to me. Just wonder if it rings true for anyone else....

Abide in thy will’s proper stately settledness, and even, solidity. Divorced from extraneous content dictating what it “is.” “Just will” in its pure nascent form, striving towards its source as a matter of course. No second guessing here. No pride here; that requires content. No false and ineffectual repentance either; that requires content to judge. Just be as a being in-the-making, on the road, pressing on in gentle yet firm neutrality.

I basically concentrate on the fact that I am "willing" but don't pay attention to any content. This concentration has given me peace I feel....

just wondering if anyone relates or can point me 2 similar literature..

Shoshin

Comments

  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran
    edited October 2019

    Which reminds me of this...

    Awareness is fundamentally non-conceptual before thinking splits experience into subject & object...It is empty and so can contain everything, including thought ..it is boundless...and amazingly...it is intrinsically KNOWING

  • DimmesdaleDimmesdale Illinois Explorer

    I suppose in order to know truth you have to will truth as a precondition, in other words be receptive to it by an act of will first, then intellect comes in.....

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited October 2019

    It depends very much what Truth you're talking about. Establish that, in stone first.

    Dimmesdalelobster
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    Hmm does will come before the senses? Is it independent of thought? I’d consider that if you want to give will a place in the buddhist mental model there is some work to be done.

    To me it seems that will is a consequence of thought and feeling, and that will is closely linked to desire and avoidance — what we want and what we don’t want.

  • DimmesdaleDimmesdale Illinois Explorer
    edited October 2019

    @Kerome said:
    Hmm does will come before the senses? Is it independent of thought? I’d consider that if you want to give will a place in the buddhist mental model there is some work to be done.

    To me it seems that will is a consequence of thought and feeling, and that will is closely linked to desire and avoidance — what we want and what we don’t want.

    I suppose you can't escape some problem of duality when talking about the will at least. This can't be avoided practically speaking. Looking at the will without judgement though, regardless what we might be "willing" in our subconscious mind (hate, unforgiveness, nothingness) we try to see it in the context of the supreme will which is the root of our dualistic will, and which is one with the universe....

    It's all a forgiveness lesson I'd say.

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    What do you mean by 'supreme will'...? :)

  • FosdickFosdick in its eye are mirrored far off mountains Alaska, USA Veteran

    For me, will is an aspect of the self, and like other aspects of self, it can be used as a tool and as a source of energy to push through some difficulty that has arisen - as such I've occasionally found it quite useful. It's never been a really long term solution, though - after a while I can no longer grasp it and it fades away - either that or I forcefully will myself to cling to it, and it becomes a problem in itself.

    But I think you may be describing something that reaches beyond my own narrow definition of will, to a source of energy that is not solely a part of the self.

  • DimmesdaleDimmesdale Illinois Explorer

    @federica said:
    What do you mean by 'supreme will'...? :)

    I see even the supreme will, or "God" as a projection of mind. In that sense it isn't permanent or of the nature of absolute reality. But given that we have to maneuver in a world that is seemingly 'there' I think aligning ourselves with this higher power is useful. For some of us at least. ;)

    federica
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Fair enough, whatever floats your raft from one side to the other...! ;)

    Dimmesdale
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    edited October 2019

    IWill (available as a stoned tablet/applet?)

    Is that my mind made up for me?
    https://www.lionsroar.com/in-the-moments-of-non-awakening/

    ... and now back to the distractions ... B)

    ... oh look a dragon prawn ... (Mandarin for Lobster)

    Jeroen
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    Love that picture @lobster, really nice art, although I think not everyone will see lobsters in the clouds

    For me thinking about the will is kind of a dead end. Thinking about the three poisons (desire, avoidance, ignorance) has been very fruitful and has led to uprooting a few things, so there are things that are useful to contemplate. But the will seems to be just an extension of the inner actor, there isn’t anything directly to be done about it.

    person
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited October 2019

    I think there must be something like 'will' operating or at least we sure hear the word in language quite a bit. My girlfriend works at a store called Goodwill who's mission is to help people find employment and they take free donations of items like old clothing and then process, price, and sell the items as a consignment store. So that's Good 'will' in action and it is what it is and what you make of it. In Buddhism the context I hear 'will' most often is as one of the poisons of 'ill will' when you are 'hating on others'... So I think we work with that poison because we have sensitive feelings ego and emotions and as a result sometimes end up wasting a lot on ill will and getting stuck in that place.

    Shoshinlobster
  • DimmesdaleDimmesdale Illinois Explorer

    @Jeffrey said:
    I think there must be something like 'will' operating or at least we sure hear the word in language quite a bit. My girlfriend works at a store called Goodwill who's mission is to help people find employment and they take free donations of items like old clothing and then process, price, and sell the items as a consignment store. So that's Good 'will' in action and it is what it is and what you make of it. In Buddhism the context I hear 'will' most often is as one of the poisons of 'ill will' when you are 'hating on others'... So I think we work with that poison because we have sensitive feelings ego and emotions and as a result sometimes end up wasting a lot on ill will and getting stuck in that place.

    Funny you mention Goodwill since the past few days I've been thinking of donating some of my books to them. Maybe there is a collective will of synchronicity and it's contagious. :o

  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    edited October 2019

    Maybe there is a collective will of synchronicity and it's contagious

    Is contagion? Iz I infected? Last night I delivered some of my books to a new free voluntary library open at a tube/underground/metro. Good luck to anyone receiving Jung's treatise on Alchemy and Masters of Mahamudra. Hanging on to my books on Satanism, witches and stuff for Pumpkin time . . .

    I will be a good Crusty. I will. I will. (mostly) ;)

    Dimmesdale
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