Reference Point and distraction.

[loverofall]

Lately, seeing the reference point as the source of all suffering is clearer. Someone says a mean thing and old patterns arise. There is hurt or fear which becomes anger. Its so quick and subtle, it would of been missed before. There is hurt and anger related to identification to the reference point of I.

I understand that feelings would be much weaker if there was less attachment to "I". I go about it two ways.

Who is feeling this and why?

This is the feeling that should be there right now?

I see two ways to undo this. Understanding that no one is hurt or less and thinking this is what should be felt right now.

I guess one way weakens the defensive feeling through understanding and the other way allows it to pass by reducing resistance and opening to the experience.

Oh there is fear and resistance because rejection is an emotion that goes way back to childhood and that pattern is strong because people that were supposed to love us usually are the ones that rejected us in many little or big ways.

This is where this pattern wouldn't be in some who didn't experience certain childhoods. Understanding the psychology also helps to see that it is just a pattern. The more awareness and the mind is undone, the more space there is to catch these patterns.

I think its pretty clear that the more pain we felt the more fear and control patterns that exist and cloud our true nature.

[divinity]

How about changing one's perception and belief to that "all is good and, anything perceived as bad is an illusion"? The qualities of "good" and "bad" change all the time based on our perception..but can the truth be changed by our perception?

A farmer's son fell out of the hay loft and broke his leg. The townspeople said "This is bad." Then the King began a war because he was bored, and the farmer's son was of no use as a fighter, so he was spared. "This is good!" said his father. Then their stallion ran off and the townspeople said "Oh that is bad." But then a week later when the horse arrived back home with 5 mares the people said "Oh that is good."

[enigma]

How does one change one's belief?

[karen]

And what precisely is good and what precisely is bad? I'm not trumpeting moral relativism, but I more perplexed at the thought that we can know what is best.

[enigma]

That's easy. Good is stuff I like and bad is stuff I don't like. Hehe.

[karen]

[lobo]

May 31, 2010 0:44:16 GMT -5 enigma said:

How does one change one's belief?

Hello,
A belief is an assumed truth, right? Not something known, but a thought that is accepted as true.

So a good example for the people associated with this board is using inquiry to examine thoughts and beliefs. They can change through inquiry.

SO at this point I must admit that your question may have not been totally serious

By the way one of the best ways to track down an unconcious belief is through emotional responses they generate.

[enigma]

Yes, it was a serious question. Divinity made the following suggestion as to what a belief might be changed to, which seemed to imply we choose our beliefs, so I asked.

"How about changing one's perception and belief to that "all is good and, anything perceived as bad is an illusion"?"

[klaus]

burt, enigma,

One person's "good" is another's "bad."
Morality is relative and an act of differentiation of what arises in consciousness which is neither "good" nor "bad."

In the apparent universe what we call "good" and "bad is a dynamic where "good" changes into "bad" and "bad" changes into "good."

[divinity]

A belief is a thought we have thought often enough to become real to us. That's how racism exists, by adults passing on the erroneous thought that some races are inferior on to their children who than believe it's truth.
Yes, Enigma, what is good feels good and what is bad feels bad, but they change depending upon our perception. If you try to only focus on the good qualities of someone who is annoying to you your perception of that person will change.

[divinity]

Enigma, in Christian Science, that which is dis-ease is illusion... which makes perfect sense to me. So your thought of changing one's perception that "all is good... and that which appears to be bad is illusion", is being practiced by Christian Scientists.

[enigma]

Jun 2, 2010 8:04:20 GMT -5 klaus said:

burt, enigma,

One person's "good" is another's "bad."
Morality is relative and an act of differentiation of what arises in consciousness which is neither "good" nor "bad."

In the apparent universe what we call "good" and "bad is a dynamic where "good" changes into "bad" and "bad" changes into "good."

My comments were unrelated to good or bad, but rather to the implied ability to choose beliefs.

[enigma]

Jun 2, 2010 12:11:48 GMT -5 divinity said:

A belief is a thought we have thought often enough to become real to us. That's how racism exists, by adults passing on the erroneous thought that some races are inferior on to their children who than believe it's truth.
Yes, Enigma, what is good feels good and what is bad feels bad, but they change depending upon our perception. If you try to only focus on the good qualities of someone who is annoying to you your perception of that person will change.

Only if, in this focus of attention, something new is noticed. This does indeed alter the mind's conditioning, thought it is through clarity rather than a choice about what to believe. That's all i was wanting to clarify without wanting to make too many assumptions about what you were saying.

[klaus]

enigma,

The same dynamic applies to beliefs.

[enigma]

That's what I was referring to: beliefs.
The issue seems to be about the dynamics of changing beliefs, or so I believe.