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originally posted by: Aphorism
We can only ever provide the content for these concepts, where these concepts provide absolutely no meaning on their own, and in that sense we are giving meaning to nothings, and that in my mind, is meaningless.
I understand what you mean about stopping the mental faculties for a while, or a reset, but I would argue that people stare at televisions for the exact same reason. It is my opinion that we should instead agitate these faculties, whip them into a creative frenzy and learn to use them, rather than try to turn them off.
The benefit of meditation without a stimulus, and without being asleep, is the possibility of experiencing and becoming aware of the actual nothingness inside that you attempt to describe here. With that can come the knowledge that it is our self who write upon that blank slate- that all meanings are created by us, they are not inherent.
“When faced with senseless
drama, spiteful criticisms
and misguided opinions,
walking away is the best way
to stand up for yourself. To
respond with anger is an
endorsement of their
attitude.”
originally posted by: Aphorism
a reply to: Bluesma
I'm just going to offer some opinions. Please don't see it as disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing. Your ideas are quite important to me, being that they help me refine my own concepts.
First, I don't believe there is such thing as no stimulus. The body is stimulated the entire time it is alive. Whether one finds a quite place or a loud one should make no spiritual difference.
I do not necessarily believe in a tabula rasa or blank slate. We are equipped with an entirely unique body upon birth and it governs how, what and why we learn. A man born without sight will learn and grow differently, as will people with a medley of medical conditions, environmental factors and so on. Minds differ because bodies differ. We do not all start of with the exact same blank slate, and I think the idea certainly untenable, although it has become a dogma.
originally posted by: Bluesma
But if all that is just meaningless, not only in essence but to those around me,
And I am reduced to just a body, with automatic reflexes evolved over many generations,
then I feel..... bored. Why do I have parts of my brain capable of ( and always active in) conscious awareness and things like meaning creation, if there is no use for it???
originally posted by: Aphorism
The body is stimulated the entire time it is alive. Whether one finds a quite place or a loud one should make no spiritual difference.
originally posted by: Itisnowagain
originally posted by: Bluesma
It is God being repressed from exploring the act of creating.
There is only the appearance of the present - which is the manifestation of God.
WHO could repress existence??
I was raised in an environment which de-valued the "animal" part of us- which seeks things like dominance or submission, defense of physical borders, reproduction and territorial rights. I was conditioned to repress that part of the body in favor of conscious choices of response. To not do so is not "civilized", it is not "spiritually enlightened".
This is on topic for me because what it comes down to is a view as each of us being our body- not our mind. The mind is like this useless masterbatory action that just isn't of any use in social exchange. Nobody cares what you think; what you feel, what kinds of automatic, physiological process is going on in you iswhat you are in the moment.
You don't share that, you aren't sharing yourself. You aren't engaging in the world, or in relations. At all.
I find myself at a strange crossroads- I value my mind, my thoughts, my perceptions! I value those of others, (whether we agree or not, they are like landscapes to visit and admire).
But if all that is just meaningless, not only in essence but to those around me,
And I am reduced to just a body, with automatic reflexes evolved over many generations,
then I feel..... bored. Why do I have parts of my brain capable of ( and always active in) conscious awareness and things like meaning creation, if there is no use for it???
If you see yourself that way, why do you bother writing out and posting for others to see your world in a nutshell?
(this is not a challenge, nor an insult- it is a sincere curiosity just floating along with this masturbatory activity…)
It is not that the 'body' is stimulated the entire time of it's life - it may seem that way but if you examine what is really happening and look at it slightly differently - there always appears to be something happening - a sensation, a thought, an appearance is seen - constantly there appears to be something.
The screen of awareness is always full of what is actually happening.
Take yourself off to where nothing is actually happening (as little stimulus as possible/meditation) and it may be noticed that thoughts and sensations continue to happen. Those that sit down quietly might notice at some point that all things (including all thought, all sensation, all feeling, all perceptions) are moving through them but that they are not 'doing' them.
It may be discovered that there is no one actually 'doing' anything. Then 'you' will be free and instantly everything will also be freed. All is seen to be arising unconditionally and no one can be to blame for anything. That does not mean that anger or any other emotion does not appear - anything and everything can and does appear but it does not belong to anyone.
Sitting in meditation one is aware of how thoughts believed (bought into) cause the body to react. After a while thoughts pass by and cause no disturbance in the body - they are not taken personally or believed - in fact it is like someone has left the radio on in the next room. When the thoughts stop disturbing the body and there is harmony within - then there is harmony without - you take the weather with you everywhere you go.
All that moves is that which is moving - when you find that you are the stillness in which all is moving you will know a peace which surpasses all understanding - no matter what appears to be happening.
originally posted by: Aphorism
(Forgive my rhetorical rambling; I like to write)