Water flowing over negative circumstances

originally posted by: Itisnowagain
a reply to: dfnj2015

Nothing is appearing....... nothing matters.

The appearance is empty...... emptiness is form..... form is emptiness.

Beautiful word salad! In listening to be the beginning of the Jim Newman video I could not help but think this is the point in the Buddhist writings where the monk hits the student with a bamboo pole.

Strangely this story comes to mind with your way of thinking:

One day two monks were in a garden arguing subjectivity versus objectivity. The Zen master hearing them arguing approached the two students. The Zen master asked, "that rock over there, does that exist inside your head or outside your head?". One of the monks looked up at the Zen master and replied, "Well, our religious bible tells us that all truth is subjective so that rock over there only exists inside my head." At which point the Zen master replies, "Then it must be pretty heavy all day walking around with that rock in your head!"

Let's not let the rocks in our head make us lose site of the strawberries we get to eat:

"A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him. Above him, he noticed two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. Just then, the man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!"

As I've said, I've really been resonating lately with ideas of Western religion. Specifically, the idea of the trinity, the word of God giving form to the world, and the idea of Apophatic theology, google "Apophatic theology wiki", expressed in this video:



The question part of the video at the end where our goal in life is talked about I find very interesting. It's not like God is dead and the only thing that exists is the now which we have no control over defining. I liked the ideas around the Holy Trinity. The breath of God causes the energy in the Universe to move at all. And the word of God defines the laws of physics. I really like the idea that we are drawn to an experience of God's greatness.

It may be what I am resonating with does not work for you. In the words of Bruce Lee, "take what is useful."

a reply to: Itisnowagain

I will watch both videos when I get a chance. Probably later today.

originally posted by: dfnj2015


Well, you certainly can choose to believe we have no choice. You have the free-will to choose we have no free-will.

Again the point is missed.

There is only what is..... one.
Nothing separate from all that is...... so no choice.

There cannot be choice without a separate chooser.

a reply to: Itisnowagain

I guess from your point of view the question then boils down to what "that" is. What "is" the chooser.

You have to admit there is parallelism in consciousness. You and I are not sharing the same thoughts at this very second.

You might like this video on consciousness:

www.youtube.com...

It depends on how much you accept materialism as dogma:

www.youtube.com...

If you accept a more idealogical point of view as opposed to materialism, there may be one overall chooser. But each of us express those choices through the uniqueness of our own imperfections. So given that each of us is uniquely different from each other, how we each experience our reality is different subjectively.

If what you are saying is "there is only what is...one" point of view, that is, your own point view, then I would say no. Each of us has a different subjective experience not in synchronization with anyone else's.

I still claim the idea there is only one chooser is a choice you are making. But I do like the way your mind works.

a reply to: dfnj2015

There is no chooser.

Take a look at the link to Joan Tollifsons book posted on this thread..... and read the 'product description' near the top.... it says there is no self separate to what is happening.

So there is no chooser.

a reply to: hiddeninsite

You are practicing mindfulness with a deeper intent.

And yet you went ahead to be quick to point out your "religious slant" - not very mindful of you.......

And so evil became a force in creation.

There is a glorious eternity waiting for those who choose God through Jesus.

From the OP ....you certainly...missed this bit.

I was very mindful not to have any judgments while I was not getting what I wanted. I just let the circumstances happen without a judgment

a reply to: Itisnowagain

Serial killers?

And I were to suggest using your logic to its conclusion there is no need for incarceration or punishment you would come up with another koan?

a reply to: Itisnowagain

product description'

defn noun

a type or class of people or things.

hahaha - why should there be a descriptor - if there is no chooser!

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

Why would incarneration not happen?

a reply to: Itisnowagain

Because you said "nothing matters" Why should society care?

a reply to: Itisnowagain

Ha ha.
What is a discriptor?
Ha ha.

indeed - these are just LCD dots appearing....

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

What is appearing ever presently is nothing.... appearing as matter.
Nothing matters....

Nevermind.

a reply to: Itisnowagain

Nevermind.

Alwaysmind - the Universal mind - am I playing this right?

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

Playing, teasing, trolling?

Hardly serious.

a reply to: Itisnowagain

Trolling? no more so than providing a playful counterpoint some posts that verge on nihilism - this is the beauty of the internet. We can flesh out ideas and hopefully learn or NotLearnAgain? Yes/No?

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

Nihilism was not the point so needs no counterpoint.

a reply to: dfnj2015

Have you ever listened/read the kabalian? I just started recently and kind of find it fascinating:

originally posted by: Itisnowagain
a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

What is appearing ever presently is nothing.... appearing as matter.
Nothing matters....

Nevermind.

Nothing-mind doesn't matter.

a reply to: ClovenSky

I like Sheldrake's way of thinking about God:

Sheldrake on God