The Harm of Unchecked Thoughts

originally posted by: Talorc
Whosoever might read this, do me a favor, if you please. Are you perturbed? Are your perturbations regular, predictable and periodic? Then they must have particular causes that you encounter often. Now, on to the causes. Is the locus of your disquiet some group of people, perhaps? Do you find certain political bents insufferable? Are you incensed by a particular person? Are you frightened by or inimical to an idea? Are you generally frustrated at the workings of the world? If you answered "yes" to these questions, which most of you have (provided you're honest), then you have a problem. Or many problems, as the case may be.

To say bad thoughts lead to bad actions is absurd, considering we are all surrounded by contradictory laws that were once the norm in our own society shows that theoretically bad actions are merely a recent update to the norm.

The main reason for people doing bad are when they feel disconnected from others and society, you can have bad thoughts and never act one them. It takes someone, something or somewhere in time to click to make someone carry out a thought into an action.

We are born good people, we are drove to insanity by the world around us.

a reply to: Itisnowagain

Remember that Adam and Eve were banished from paradise when they learned of good and bad.

No, they were banished in case they dared reach for the Tree Of Life, Immortality.

At least tell the whole story, because at the end of the day all we have are stories. Stories we tell ourselves. How we react to the constantly arising stories/thoughts is a measure of how we control or are controlled by the story.

It is now again has it's place in finding temporary peace, but it is not in and of itself Panacea

There is something else going on that few dare to broach, a parasitic meme as it were. It rides our kundalini - puppet masters -

We all tell ourselves stories, we avoid looking for our true self.

All gurus eventually come unstuck, they are but reflections of ourselves, their body of knowledge gleamed from yesterday advising the now to prevent suffering in the future.

It is not only ever the "now" - you will be back tomorrow as you need us ( as we need you ) to pass your advice to.

Now about that second tree...

originally posted by: BlackProject

To say bad thoughts lead to bad actions is absurd

This would be a strawman, because I didn't say anything to that effect. My conclusion was rather that if you're unable to regulate your thoughts and emotions, you'll find it more difficult to control your behavior.

We are born good people, we are drove to insanity by the world around us.

Speak for yourself. The very fact that plenty of people exist who endure great hardship and aren't "drove to insanity" invalidates your point. Nothing unilaterally drives you to be a certain way. Why else then are certain people able to remain calm and composed through the worst of circumstances, while others can't? It must be some internal trait of theirs, mustn't it?

But you can of course go on believing that you have no capacity for self-control and are just being tossed around like a ragdoll by the cruel, evil forces of the world.

originally posted by: ParasuvO
a reply to: Talorc

Your OP is an example of why the frustrations arise.

You claim that things outside of our power bother us yet we choose whether or not it bothers us.

WRONG.

It is the limitation we are encountering by some perhaps "unknown" entity(s) that are causing us pretty much ALL of our problems.

And I aim to prove this.

Watch and see, coming before summers end, an actual attempt at bending reality, at taking full control over all things that are thought to be not controllable.

I suggest that you have never thought of, or even attempted to think that is even possible, which puts you in the endless loop you just ranted about.

Care to actually attempt to break out ?

Or wanna be like everyone else and tell us we just need to "let go" " be childlike" " accept " .

Coming real soon, we shall see if that is the actual problem of this all, being told that somehow this is "normal".

Instead of launching right into some incoherent attack, why don't you first prove that "unknown entities" cause all of our problems?

It's your own fault that you can't control your reactions to the world around you. I don't doubt there are people, some of them sinister, who have access to knowledge regular people aren't aware of, but blaming all your troubles on "unknown entities" is like being frightened by the monster under your childhood bed. Why in the world should I think your idea of monsters under the bed is possible? But of course, according to you, I must be close-minded.

Who's childlike, again?

a reply to: Talorc

If I had the luxury to sit back, as an observer unaffected by the world or people's actions, as though an Alien watching this earth for entertainment in their safe bubble, then I might think like what you describe in part of your post. In fact I would say that I once did think like that, but then a question was posed in my mind that changed my philosophy quite dramatically. That question being "what kind of world do I want future generations to live in?" Because the responsibility of our future earth does rest on us, and if we don't find courage to SKILLFULLY and LOGICALLY defend those things that lead to a better tomorrow, then what world are we going to leave for others?

Maybe I'm misreading your post, but it seems like you are saying not to worry about anything and not allow anything to bother you. I agree that you need to pick your battles, but if good is to overcome ignorance and the illogical, the good must be bothered by ignorance and the illogical in order to deny its spread.

originally posted by: Talorc

originally posted by: BlackProject

To say bad thoughts lead to bad actions is absurd

This would be a strawman, because I didn't say anything to that effect. My conclusion was rather that if you're unable to regulate your thoughts and emotions, you'll find it more difficult to control your behavior.

We are born good people, we are drove to insanity by the world around us.

Speak for yourself. The very fact that plenty of people exist who endure great hardship and aren't "drove to insanity" invalidates your point. Nothing unilaterally drives you to be a certain way. Why else then are certain people able to remain calm and composed through the worst of circumstances, while others can't? It must be some internal trait of theirs, mustn't it?

But you can of course go on believing that you have no capacity for self-control and are just being tossed around like a ragdoll by the cruel, evil forces of the world.

I guess your trying to be some all knowledgable person however not to know simple things like product of your environment then that makes me question your ability to discuss this.

My conclusion was rather that if you're unable to regulate your thoughts and emotions, you'll find it more difficult to control your behavior.

That is exactly the same as I put. Rewording it does not change its context.

People can go through extreme hardship yes and come out on top but your forgetting factors such as having friends or family or some miracle of good luck or something to this degree that those going through hardship are able to pull through. Maybe even there childhood was such a strong one that any current hardship now is the only hardship they ever dealt with, making them stronger in that moment then those without. People can go from very good to very bad very quickly for your to ignore this is again absurd. Many, many, many times in history and recent news this can be seen.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight
Weren't they banished because God had told them not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and bad? He had told them that they could eat from any tree 'except' the tree of good and evil - so I am guessing that they were already eating from the tree of life. And then because they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (bad) they could not eat from the tree of life.

The tree of knowledge of good and evil was the beginning of duality - where one became two. Before eating the fruit of duality (twoness) there was just what there was - nothing else - no comparison - no life and death, no good or bad. Prior to eating the fruit there was just paradise now there was the opposite to paradise - so the fear of what isn't began.
It is ideas, thoughts, that say 'I should be good and not bad' or 'this is good, that is bad' which make believe that what is happening could be any different. There is an idea that there is someone 'in there' who could do or be any different, that life could be different - this is banishment from paradise. Seeking for paradise began.
But it is a big joke because paradise is right here without the thought of anything. It is the concepts and words and stories that lead us on a wild goose chase - because there is nothing else and nowhere else - there is only ever what is happening. Oh - and it is not happening to anyone - it is just this - one without a second.

We all tell ourselves stories, we avoid looking for our true self.

Where would you look for the true self?

All gurus eventually come unstuck, they are but reflections of ourselves, their body of knowledge gleamed from yesterday advising the now to prevent suffering in the future.

It has nothing to do with preventing suffering - but that is what is thought and sought by many. It has nothing to do with preventing or getting anything.

Great post, very thought-provoking (and evocative of observations of said provoked thoughts..)

Thanks for the nudge..!!

I have not much else to add. Just, really wish people would take these sorts of ideas & run with them. The world would be a much finer place if we all held ourselves to account...

originally posted by: BlackProject

I guess your trying to be some all knowledgable person however not to know simple things like product of your environment then that makes me question your ability to discuss this.

It looks like you're making an argument for determinism. I know exactly what you mean, it's nothing new or unique. You can question my abilities all you want, but it doesn't mean you're capable of making a decent point.

That is exactly the same as I put. Rewording it does not change its context.

No, it's not. I didn't use "bad" as a qualifier for thoughts.

People can go through extreme hardship yes and come out on top but your forgetting factors such as having friends or family or some miracle of good luck or something to this degree that those going through hardship are able to pull through. Maybe even there childhood was such a strong one that any current hardship now is the only hardship they ever dealt with, making them stronger in that moment then those without. People can go from very good to very bad very quickly for your to ignore this is again absurd. Many, many, many times in history and recent news this can be seen.

I guess you're trying to be some all knowledgable person. Making impossible guesses at why certain people are more resilient than others, claiming you know the circumstances acting in their favor, and appealing to luck. Maybe you should start with something more specific than luck.

a reply to: Talorc

"You don't say good luck
You say don't give up"



... just had to think of those lines.