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Post by tathagata on Aug 22, 2011 13:40:19 GMT -5
Okay popee....now play the freeze game...walk around surrending yourself...when a thought arises surrender it....when you are walking surrender the walking...just surrender everything you are doing or observing both inside and outside yourself, surrender the tv, the couch, the floor...everything, but everytime you notice the color blue stop...freeze in place...freeze your mind, freeze you body....just like that game of freeze you played as a kid....freeze the surrendering, freeze everything for that one moment, and when you unfreeze remember how that frozen stillness felt...get very very acquanted with that frozen silent stillness...get to know it very very well....dont look for the color blue...just when you happen to notice it....freeze....and there is your guillotine lol
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Post by tathagata on Aug 22, 2011 14:03:53 GMT -5
here is the secret that's not so secret....there is nothing more than THIS...and there is no THIS that is any better or more valuable than any other this, because there is no other this...you are already perfect...you dont have to look for or achieve anything and you already know it...you always have...all of existence is pointless and has no purpose, no meaning other than that you are here being...the best state you can be in is whatever state you are in...if you want to be happy be happy...just choose it in that moment...if you want to be angry be angry...happiness, anger, sadness...they are all just being, none of them are any better than the other...if you have a feeling of separateness or searching and you don't like it...stop searching and just be...if you don't like feeling lonely or separate be that which is not separate...be stillness...the freeze game is nice only because you are deciding in that moment to be still and not separate, if you really get to know stillness you can see the stillness in every state of being...objects in motion are pervaded by stillness if you look...your thoughts are pervaded by stillness while you are having them...your wife is pervaded by it...all things are...that stillness is not separate from any activity or state of being...enlightenment is nothing but excepting that there is no higher state than living breathing moving in stillness...except when you are not...whether you are residing in stillness, or absorbed in your movie it is still there and you are perfect, it is perfect....there is nothing more than THIS...what is ultimate truth...everything is...what is permanent...stillness...is stillness special...no, it is absolutely ordinary...its just this....is it spectacularly wonderful? yes, it is just this...there is nothing more...just you, just this, just stillness just emptiness, just motion, just life...what are you looking for? What you are looking for is right there already...its in this breath, this table, this tree, this thought, its right here, no need to search for it, its right there at your feet, pick it up if you want to, leave it there if you don't...your perfect and as you are meant to be either way.
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Post by tathagata on Aug 22, 2011 14:43:20 GMT -5
Popees's earlier post...
"A re-writing of this earlier post
Giving full attention. To whatever you're doing, as the events of life stream by.
Maybe its what they call non-doing. Yesterday I had to do some shovel work. The blade in and out of the earth, work being performed, sweat oozing from my pores. But I focused only on the movement, there was little to no thoughts disturbing the scene. No thinking about an earlier situation, nor planning for the next. Just doing. It truly was effortless, not the work, but the experience. Its amazing how fluid the strokes were, the utter perfection of a man digging a trench.
I am not special, but I have a talent for keeping my mind still. That state actually feels more natural than the hectic hub bub of thinking about stuff. Its fascinating how many thoughts that are just complete nonsense. Imaginary drivel that can either please you, or make you feel bad. Its funny how one thought can lead to another, then another, until you've built some huge contrived story, none of which is real. And then in an instant, poof its gone. What remains when they fall? Stillness. Its almost like its all there really is. "
There it is Poppy....do you want to be a buddha now?....its easy...just stop looking for anything else besides that....cuase thats all there is....everything from here on out is just an unfolding of what you are already aware of...your attention will continue to alight on whatever you are doing in the moment, but you will see it with clarity as you are now....perfect my buddha boy
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Post by popee on Aug 22, 2011 15:51:21 GMT -5
Thanks Obi Wan ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) You like paradox? How bout this for my second pastime. Do you know what a credit default swap on Portuguese debt is currently selling for? Or who is giving a much anticipated speech in Jackson Hole, WY later this week is? I do. Not that that's amazing or anything, but I'm not a bond trader, I'm just some working stiff. One second I'm residing in This, the next I'm checking the spot price of gold. I mean, who does that? lol I think "the system" is going to collapse into a big steaming pile of yuck. I'm hoping to get enlightened before the collapse, so I can handle it better. lol
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Post by tathagata on Aug 22, 2011 16:02:41 GMT -5
Lmao Popee...check out credit defualt swaps on Greece LOL...you are residing in this WHILE you are checking the spot price of gold LOL...you just haven't decided to pay attention to THIS..... do that like you did while you were shoveling yesterday LOL...gradually you will realize that there is really no benefit to ever not do anything while residing in THIS...but that's just a continual unfoldment of what you already know.
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Post by popee on Aug 22, 2011 16:32:17 GMT -5
"you are residing in this WHILE you are checking the spot price of gold"
Thanks bro, that one sentence says it all. There is not This on one hand, and the other stuff I do, on the other. Its all This.
cool
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Post by popee on Aug 22, 2011 18:49:58 GMT -5
As I see it ...
First, begin with a blank slate, unencumbered by pre-existing beliefs. Then a piece of information appears - say something like my previous post. The words can be understood intellectually, but not yet from direct-knowing. So you keep the information close, but not too close, don't cling to any part of it. As time goes by, it almost seems like the universe will conspire to put things in front of you which will allow that direct-knowing to occur. Things which were already there to begin with, but you weren't paying close enough attention.
----------------
previous entry in this space was yuck
.........................
Ashtavakra said:
You can recite and discuss scripture all you want but until you drop everything you will never know Truth
Everyone is miserable because they exert constant effort. But no one understands this. A ripe mind can become unshackled upon hearing this one instruction.
..........
non yuck
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2011 8:17:40 GMT -5
@ Max....for the next day play the Perfection game. Tie a string on your finger to remind yourself to play all day, your mind will naturally become distracted from the game, this is fine, just wear a little string on your finger to gently remind yourself to come back to the game. Often people approach this kind of pursuit with too much negitivity and self criticism, it should be like a game...like a play game played with playfulness for fun. Watch a child play a game sometime...watch how they are totally engaged, deadly serious, and having fun at the same time, this is how your "inward" practice should be.... So here is the perfection game...it is remarkably simple: For the next day until you go to bed tomorrow night keep saying over and over and over to yourself, "I Am Perfect"...let it replace almost all other thoughts...have the thought repeating even when you are playing with your child...once you start to really get the feeling that you are perfect, start the process of thinking that everything/everyone/everysituation you encounter is perfect. Think to yourself: this pillow is perfect...this leaf is perfect, this mess on the floor that little johny made is perfect, this song is perfect, I am perfect, my spouse is perfect, my life is perfect, my thoughts are perfect.....observe everthing and think to yourself that it is perfect, that even it's flaws in the grand scheme of things make it perfect....everthing is perfect....thats your game for the next day....play it earnestly but with fun. We will send you some questions to answer after your day of perfection, and we'll offer you some suggestions on some living breathing moving meditations you can use in everyday life that will fit your life and personality. Be Perfection.... okay that has been fun i've been playing the game. it's been good. it helps with 'noticing' -- especially the mental stuff. for example, perhaps because of a long time of mindfulness training, i've often encountered a quality of awareness when becoming-aware-of-the-moment-again that is a bit disappointed. like 'shit i've been lost for how long? okay right, what's happening...' this despite the ongoing instruction to ' gently return your attention to [whatever]'. so this perfect game just accepts that quality of awareness as perfect. the perfect oxymoron. the word perfect holds within it some meaning that is good, or pleasant or on the positive side. In other words, it doesn't just mean 'exactly as it is and couldn't possibly be other.' it means more like 'couldn't be better.' that 'better' part is judgmental, conceptual, problematic, imperfect. hence the word is oxymoronic. however, it is a perfect pointer to something that couldn't be other than what it is. not sure if I'm being clear. but there are obviously many absolutely horrific examples of 'what is' where it would be hard to label as 'perfect' in it's oxymoronic sense. so that's a little thorn. i'm willing to accept that such absolutely horrific examples of This might be just that, This. But that doesn't mean that the beautiful and wise response would not be to work 100% to prevent such This-ness from ever occurring again.
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Post by ivory on Aug 23, 2011 14:38:27 GMT -5
What is it you're looking for? Truth. Do you have any questions for me? Not really. You are well written and in some places somewhat convincing. But I still don't know what to make of you. I'm suspicious of your attachment to helping others. You talk a lot. Seems to me that you're doing this for you, not for those here on this board. There are a number of "teachers" here, so I'd hate to see you come in and mislead others because of a personal agenda. Then again, I don't know you. I'm just calling it as I see it.
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Post by souley on Aug 23, 2011 16:51:13 GMT -5
Seems pretty clear to me:)
Tathagata, whats up with things that I want to do, but don't want to do? Like cleaning your house, or eating a lot of unhealthy food. Like I don't want to clean, but I want to want to clean. It occurs all the time with stuff that I don't have to, but should do. I have many of these small internal conflicts every day - it's so stupid:)
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Post by tathagata on Aug 23, 2011 23:49:53 GMT -5
@ souley
take an easier approach and don't put so much pressure on yourself...there's not a certain way you must be.
there is no thing you MUST do no thing you MUST think no thing you MUST eat or not eat no emotions you MUST have or not have there is no place you MUST go there is no way you MUST be it is helpful to remember though...that when it rains the earth gets wet lol.
if you don't want to clean don't clean...I suspect that at some point it will get messy enough and it will make you restless enough that you will want to want to clean lol
If you want to want to clean then just sponateously decide to do that...its in your power to do so...always was, always will be.
Just lightheartedly make the choice for yourself..."I want to clean"
If you're having difficulty just making the spontaneous choice to "want to clean" then you are just allowing a program to run in that computer of a mind of yours, if the current program has become undesirable for you rewrite the program.
Go and sit down someplace and just repeat over and over and over in your mind..."I want to clean"..."I want to clean"...or "I want to be happy cleaning", or better yet "I am soo happy cleaning right now"...say that one over and over in your mind and see what happens lmao....keep saying it in your mind until it catches hold and you want to clean lol....then when you are cleaning say to yourself I'm so happy while I'm cleaning...i'm soo happy while I'm cleaning....then when your done...repeat in your mind over and over and over...."I'm so grateful that I'm happy cleaning now"....same goes with food or anything else...if you don't like your current mental programming...just rewrite it...
a little tip though...rewrite it in the positive instead of the negative, for example: If you want to stop eating unhealthy food and eat healthy food...do not say over and over in your mind "I don't want to eat unhealthy food" or "I eat too much unhealthy food"...instead say the positive..."I love healthy food, I want to eat healthy food and I really enjoy it" etc...the problem is not the unhealthy food...its you saying to yourself too much "I eat too much unhealthy food" lol
Its all just a mental programming...everything is really...the house or apartment you live in...the car you drive..the job you have...the friends around you...its all just a mental programming...you can either be conscious of that fact and work on increasing your skill at writing the program of your choice...or you can just let the programming continue on autopilot and keep writing itself out of habit. ;-)
There is conciousness...which we call a lot of differant things here: THIS...Suchness...ISness...Stillness...Silence etc... and there are thoughts...there is nothing else that exists...only thought and pure undifferentiated conciousness....but really they are one...thoughts are within stillness and are pervaded from the inside out by stillness...everything that you can experience inside your mind and outside your body are thoughts...your ass, and the couch you ass is sitting on, is nothing but thoughts...
Choose the thoughts you want to have and then program them in lol.
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Post by tathagata on Aug 24, 2011 0:40:06 GMT -5
@ ivory
What is Truth? and do you think you will find it by making statements, forming opinions, and building a belief structure without ever asking questions lol?
I love you brother...but are you focusing your effort on finding truth, or staking out a territory?
Most of the people here are looking for something, and most have realized that they will find it by looking inside and observing, not by looking outside and opinionating....so again....what are you looking for? What is the end result you want?
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Post by tathagata on Aug 24, 2011 1:05:51 GMT -5
@ max
Here is your next experiment, should you chose to except it lol
Tomorrow I want you to spend the whole day being as angry as you possibly can...don't act on the anger...don't yell or bite at people...try not to have much of an outward display of anger at all, but on the inside be so angry that it's seething over....so angry that its a kind of rage building up inside you and not going away...observe the anger, attend it like you have in the past...but this time don't let it slide away while you're attending it....force it up...keep it there...make yourself stay angry while you are attending it, and even when you cannot focus on attending it, be angry then too...call it up inside you and try as hard as you can to keep it going continuously all day...BE the anger...become it and observe it at the same time, kind of like a Method Actor. Do this for an entire day straight. If you slip and forget to be angry, don't worry that you made some kind of mistake and beat yourself up about it...just say oh yeah the angry thing...and come back to it...but try to keep it going as much as possible....
the second day do the same thing but with the emotion fear.
the third day love
the fourth day hate and revenge
the fifth day ecstatic joy and happiness
the sixth day peace and tranquility
the seventh day a diamond hard stillness
do all of this on the inside while you are otherwise going about your normal day to day activities.
Its one thing to know intellectually that something is true...its another to know from direct experience and personal observation that something is true....good luck...your in for a fun roller coaster ride this week lol
This week I want you to see for yourself the nature of your and everbody elses emotions.
I can TELL you that emotions are not something that happen to us, that they are choices we make, so are how we respond to those emotions....they are all choices. I can tell you this, but its not the same as knowing it for yourself, this technique is very good for that...
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Post by ivory on Aug 24, 2011 2:35:27 GMT -5
Truth is an ultimate cheeseburger. Or maybe that's the ultimate truth. I forget. And unfortunately, I don't have my notes on me.
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Post by tathagata on Aug 24, 2011 2:37:38 GMT -5
@ popee
True dat brother from another mother...everything that anyone can ever search for, including enlightenment, is already right there...if you haven't found it its just because your not paying attention to what is right in front of you in this moment.
pic an object in the room your in...a vase...a soda can...a bowl...look at the object intently....don't describe the object to yourself in any way, just look intently at it...now look at the entire object at once....meaning instead of looking and the rim of the bowl and then it's side, its bottom etc., look at the entire bowl at once, if you try you can do it...you are in the habit of letting your eyes wander around the different parts of the bowl and then describing the bowl to yourself mentally...don't do either...don't define the bowl, and don't look at it's individual parts....look at the whole object at once...when you get the hang of it and can steadily look at the entire object without moving your eyes around to its various parts go to the next step, which it to look at the entire object AND the sensory perception of sight at the same time...observe both the object and yourself using your eyesight at the same time...once you get the hang of this move to the next stage...which is to observe the object visually, while observing yourself in the act of using your eyesight, and observing the observer of the object and eyesight.
Next do the same thing with your sense of hearing...listen to a single note on some instrument as intently as possible...if you do not have an instrument handy hit the couch or table with the palm of you hand nice and hard and make a noise...the key is to use your hearing intently...try to listen like you are trying to hear the sound inside the sound...once you have the hang of this continue to do the same type of listening, but observe yourself hearing at the same time...listen for the essence of the sound while observing yourself listening....then listen for the essence of the sound, while observing the listener...while observing the observer of the listening and the sound...tell me if the sound, the listening, and the listener are separate?
Then go to the sense of touch...pinch yourself or prick yourself with a pin....but enter completely into the sensation as if you were looking for the pain inside the pain...then feel the pain and observe the sensing of the pain at the same time....then feel the pain and observe the sensing of the pain and observe the observer of the sensing of the pain and the pain at the same time...tell me if the pain, the feeling of the pain, and the feeler of the pain are separate?
do this and tell me if the bowl, the sense of sight, and the user of the sense of sight are separate lol...this is also a good way to come into contact with STILLNESS...
good luck, and have fun :-)
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