Thoughts on Thinking

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( 6 ) Thoughts on ‘THOUGHTS’ & ‘THINKING’

          More Preparing the 'Cognitive' Ground of the Mind

 

 

Thoughts on ‘THOUGHTS’ & ‘THINKING’ • ". . . ever noticed that... It's always Now ! "  • m i n d f u l n e s s: to become fully conscious • Everything Is a "Practice Opportunity" • Learning-Quotes on the ‘Nature of Thought’ • “Seek Only The Simple Truth" – 'Awakening The            Wisdom Mind' & 'The Yogi's Whispered Way' • The WHOLE of the Practice is about Waking Up.   To read Here just begin to SCROLL ▼DOWN     ____________________________________     ". . . ever noticed that...      It's always Now ! "   ____________________________________   Alan Watts strongly suggested that you recollect and repeat this ‘idea’ to yourself softly under your breath to yourself any number of times in the day. Keep pointing this out to yourself  that – “It’s always Now” – “It’s always Now” yes indeedy, It is always Now ! Keep repeating this to yourself softly many times – a lot – over and over and over in the course of you life. Be careful not to be pointed out by others as a mutterer.

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Some ‘Practice’ Thoughts on

‘THOUGHTS’ & ‘THINKING’

 

The Mind-Power of ‘Understanding’

is what really does it ! 'Correct-View'.

 

Students ask ‘Then What does DO it ?’ – Well, it’s not actually the meditation,

or the ‘spirituality’ ~ they greatly assist ~ but it’s really the "Understanding" -

the Purity of the 'Understanding' itself, a very, very Smart-Dharma, what is called:

The Correct View of Reality - like in 'Not Taking the Impermanent for Permanent'.

A View that is now thinking with 'Clarity' itself working in your mind, on your mind.

Clusters of Dharma-Truths that are much smarter than the stubborn old Ego-Self is.

Because the ole’ suffering Ego-Self is a very rigid, fearful, fixed, inflexible, suspicious,

outdated mind-set, really kinda’ dumb a lot. It's a Brain Wash: practicing the Buddha’s

Dharma means you’re getting smarter & clearer – much too clear to be suffering in the

same old way you used to . . . put in new Dharma-software, Mind fixes itself. Freeee !  ~ Billy Bo Sat

 

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"Remember, the 'illusion'

merely has the appearance

   of existing from its own side."

 

~ Lama Thubten Yeshe

 

m•i•n•d•f•u•l•n•e•s•s

'mindfulness practice' is

continually preparing the mind 

to become fully conscious

MINDFULNESS: Mind - Full - To Be Full with Mind

A Mind NOT Full of Blah, Blah, Blah or New Age 'Happy-Talk'.

The Whole of The Mind is Filled with a Keen Attentiveness

to the immediate situation at hand in the Present Moment.

"Be Mindful so you don't stumble, the path is slippery".

Mindfulness Practice in Buddhist Meditation is where

the meditator's attention is gradually & gently trained to

return again & again - and remain more & more in the Present

Moment - without the meditator being so interrupted by old thoughts

disguised as new thoughts, or by sights, sounds or bodily sensations.

The Present Moment is - or can be - still relatively damage-free.

Free-Choice is - or can be - still available. Goodness can prevail.

Staying more in the Present gradually allows the meditator

to more fully experience the Dharma of this very Moment

with more complete clarity ~to~ absolute clarity

As It Is

in Reality.

 

The meditator then knows "what's what" for sure.

  Seen as a 'fiction' - the crippling grip of the 'Past' is loosened,

the narrow investment in the 'story' is diminished even more.

The Present is 'experienced' as All There Is.

'Thoughts' in the Present of a 'Possible Future'

can have appropriate perspective & clarity

and an absence of painful, limiting anxiety.

But - It Takes some Willing Training

But - There-in lies the Healing.

Training to Heal One's Self.

 

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the dimensions of The Buddha's head

 

 

Action reflects belief and thought.

We are shaped by our thoughts –

We 'become' what we think.
When the mind is clear, joy follows

like a friendly shadow that never leaves.

 

All that we are is the result of what we have thought.

The mind is everything.  What we think we become.

 

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future.

Train the mind to be attentive only to the present moment.

 

 

~ Buddha - The Dhammapada ~

 

 

So you should view this fleeting world:

As a star at dawn, a bubble in a stream,

A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,

As a flickering lamp,

a phantom and as a dream.

 

~ The Diamond Sutra

 

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"It is the experience of advanced yogis

who no longer perceive things 'dualistically' -

And even for them –

The fact that 'Things' simply do 'manifest'

without 'truly existing' - is still so amazing,

that they burst out in laughter"

~and~

Since everything is but an 'Apparition' –

Perfect in just being 'What It Is' ~ As It Is.

Having nothing to do with 'good' or 'bad',

'acceptance' or 'rejection' – or with ME.

You might as well just burst out laughing!

 

~ Longchenpa  (1308-1369 AD)

two versions from The Choying Dzod

 

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Everything is a 'Practice Opportunity' !

 

The Perfect Way knows no 'difficulties' –

Except that it refuses to make 'preferences'.

Only when freed from hate and love,

It reveals itself fully and without disguise.

A tenth of an inch's difference, however,

And Heaven and Earth are set infinitely apart –

If you wish to see The Way before your very own eyes,

– Have no fixed thoughts either for or against anything.

 

~ Sosan Canchi Zenji  ~  "I Don't Want To Give Up My Preferences"

 

‘Wake Up’ by practicing Waking Up !

 

 Awakening through your very own Buddha-Mind !

 

 

~ What An Excellent "Practice Opportunity"

 

Sorry, Now No More 'Preferences' - Now Everything Is a "Practice Opportunity".

 

Long-time Meditators ‘pause’ many times in doing/being their ‘Everyday Practice' –

( what Gurdjieff called a ‘Stop Exercise’ - so the student could continually Wake Them Self Up )

 

 

"Mindfully-Observing" instead of just Impulsively, Blindly Reacting

"Mindfully-Observing" that Everything Is a "Practice Opportunity".

"Mindfully-Observing" that absolutely everything ‘experienced’ or

imaginable or friendly or fearful, of one's own self or of other people, places,

things, thoughts, feelings, emotions - pleasure or pain - delightful or dreadful –

precious or polluting – ALL of it. Absolutely ALL situations without exception !

 

"Mindfully-Observing" that Everything is a "Practice Opportunity".

 

Begin to see it All as simply an immediate, authentic, genuine "Practice Opportunity"

No matter what it is – No matter how it feels or sounds or looks or tastes or smells –

No matter what you or others think, opinionate or analyze about it.  Whatever it is –
If it's right there in front of you, observe & use it as an "Insight Practice Opportunity".

 

Deep Inner-Mind Insight is Cultivated Through a Conscious Awakening 'Practice'.

A very healthy sort of intense 'self-conscious'-awareness that nurtures not negates.

A Healthy Continually Conscious Conscience ~ mindfully relaxed, good with itself.

 

The more you Attentively and Mindfully Observe a 'person', 'thing' or 'situation' – the more you really get to ‘See’ – that it's not the ‘person’ or it’s not the ‘thing’ itself that’s ‘doing’ it - but it's absolutely all happening in HOW you ( in particular ) relate to it: HOW you react to it. Respond to it. Adverse to it or Embrace it.  Each case is nuanced and minutely different. “No, it’s not at all Real” - it’s all in your head, it’s your movie. 'Get' that. The ball’s always in your lap – it’s your Dharma-Drama. It always was . . . You can't change others. It’s all your ‘Story’. It's getting old, isn't it?   So now just open to it - See the almost-to-full 'Transparency' of it all ! So start somewhere ~ start to really go 'make up' with yourself – Begin to Love yourself for even doing this awkward inner-practice and for the sake of all other conscious beings, Wake Yourself Up ! Wake Up by simply practicing Waking Up !  'A Practice Opportunity'. Waking Up will sort of become your favorite Hobby !

 

Meditation assists you to see thru the veils of the illusion and the 'story' of it.

The thinner, more worn and more tattered and more threadbare it gets –

it just doesn't hold up anymore. It looses strength. The more likely you are

to simply let go of it, it drops away along the Way and – eventually you’re

forgetting what you let go of ....and be free.

Lesson learned: no more karma on this one.

“Transparently-Free”. Why thin as Air, my dear.

 

Bhante Sudu Hom'Dru  ~ 'Why Is The Medicine Buddha Blue?'

 

 

"There is nothing either 'bad' or 'good' –

– but 'thinking' makes it so."

 

~ William Shakespeare

 

We don't think thoughts – Thoughts 'think us' – I’m being ‘thunk’ !

It's a revealing & disturbing Buddhist-teaching on our 'programing' &

the karma of unconscious-conditioning that still always spooks me

into keep meditating – 'practicing' to become very observant.

My thoughts might get me – hijack me – they often do.

      I use a mindful 'quiet-vigilence' – more sweetly of late . . .

 

~ Akasa Levi

 

Again, always remember that ~ beautiful, ugly, limiting or inspiring

In the quietness we come to simply realize that

 

Whatever 'It' is – It's just a "Thought"

 

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Unfortunately, what many people believe to be 'thinking'

is actually 'rearranging preferences and prejudices'.

 

~ Albert Einstein

 

"You've heard of Deja-Vu – now how about Vuja-De:

I always have this very strange feeling

that I've never been here before !"

 

~ Stephen Wright

 

"The ‘Real’ does not die –

the ‘Unreal’ never lived.

Thoughts are not Reality."

 

~ Nisargadatta Maharaj

 

 

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“Seek only the simple Truth

of your Actual Nature just as it is –

in this ever-present-moment of Now”

Observe this mind as it is right now – not some 'fiction'

about some 'if-only-mind', 'past-mind', 'future-mind',

'shoulda-woulda-coulda-mind'  that you could've had.

See the fiction of all these 'minds' – Then begin to notice

a seamless, vast all-pervading 'Observing-Consciousness'

that is behind ALL these ‘mind-states’ you're experiencing.

It's sort of 'out there' – maybe just off to the side for right now,

just past your peripheral vision. Available and ready any time . . .

 

All your mind needs for awhile, is the right dharma 'software' and

a Meditation 'Method' to silently practice it with. You don't  need

slavish devotion to a guru, an organization, or a strict doctrine

or an arduous discipline or an official 'religion'. No crutches.

 

Try to be mindfully 'observant' & witness The Present Moment

as your 'religion' of choice. And don't 'seek' – just allow the

'Observing' to simply happen ! – refined by Meditation.

Informed by the Dharma. Engaged in Practice by you.

 

 

All and everything else is totally accommodated

in the incomparable, awesome presence of the

Present Moment AS IT IS - forever NOW.

~ WOW ~

Billy Bo Sat

 

and .. Remember to remember that

It's All a 'Practice-Opportunity'.

 

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This Is The Complete Buddhist Dharma Practice in one sentence:

 

" Let a Dharma-based Compassion - keep influencing your Wisdom ~

and Let a Dharma-based Wisdom - keep informing your Compassion."

 

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"Through your very own self-occurring intrinsic awareness

   Now in ultimate meeting with the Great 'Mother Awareness',

You will reach the citadel of primordial Buddha-hood"

 

“The Garland of Views” ~ the teachings of Padmasambhava ( 8th century )

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" Have you ever noticed that

    it is always Now ! "

 

~ Alan Watts

 

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