A Critique of "Living in the Moment"

Originally posted by Bluesma
I have acknowledged value to your choice of experience, and do not intend to get in the way of it or change you.

I do not choose experience - experience is life and it is happening always presently.
Who can choose what arises?

reply to post by Itisnowagain

Life is happening but it is not happening to anyone - life is single and it is happening as one movement.

As a metaphysical axiom, I agree with the "one movement". Not a single aspect of reality is at rest. Everything that we conceive as "things" is fostered in this chaos.

reply to post by Itisnowagain


I choose the angle of perspective for experiencing what arises.

I don't know about you, perhaps someone else chooses yours for you.

But this is one of the problems of selfless states- they do not acknowledge the existence of self/other separation, therefore cannot respect the boundries of others.

This makes it a less adapted state in some situations, like around strangers, who won't appreciate that.

Originally posted by Bluesma
reply to post by Itisnowagain

 

I choose the angle of perspective for experiencing what arises.

I don't know about you, perhaps someone else chooses yours for you.

But this is one of the problems of selfless states- they do not acknowledge the existence of self/other separation, therefore cannot respect the boundries of others.

This makes it a less adapted state in some situations, like around strangers, who won't appreciate that.

Again this is your interpretation.

What appears in presence is totally embraced.

I believe that the present is necessary for the soul work needed, and to pay attention to our relationships and words, to overcome the challenges in each moment or be aware that there was a challenge and we repeated a past pattern, so to begin to work on changing things. Meditation, mindlessness, is also a part of the present.

However, to have goals and envision them, to think what we wish, to step into this with the most powerful tool of our imagination is a form of prayer, and its a gift that enables us to find our way and change lives.

Originally posted by Itisnowagain

Again this is your interpretation.

Exactly! Thank you for acknowledging this. I appreciate it.
This is the answer to "Who chooses experience?" It is I, the experiencer.
The interpreter of what arises. For in interpretation, experience is formed.

Originally posted by Bluesma

This is the answer to "Who chooses experience?"

I think you have misread the question - the question was:
Who can choose what arises?

Life is something we undergo, while time is ticking away and every second brings us closer to our physical death, we cannot choose what life will bring.

But we can choose what to experience in life, a conscious made choice.

Originally posted by earthling42
Life is something we undergo, while time is ticking away and every second brings us closer to our physical death, we cannot choose what life will bring.

But we can choose what to experience in life, a conscious made choice.

Can the next thought be chosen or does it just arise?
Can the next sound that arises be chosen or does it just arise?

One is conscious.

The truth is no one can be not present but when this fact is realized totally - 'you in time' will be found to be an just an illusion.
Timeless being, present awareness is the true nature in which all arises and subsides. The 'all' that arises and subsides is transitory whereas 'that' in which it arises and subsides is eternal.

It is the present moment where stress and worry come from. In fact, all pain, displeasure and all the worlds ills also happen in the present moment.

What is wrong with right now - unless you think about it?
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reply to post by Itisnowagain


I would say they are indeed chosen through the direction we go in life, our forming and development is based on that direction.
The business man, the politician, the priest, the believer, the consumer, the ordinary man in the street, and of course the common ground which is shared, fears, pleasures, greed, anger, pity, and so on.
All triggered by what we see and or what is happening within our circle or in this world.
One might say it just happens, but we are actively creating and sustaining all that, the whole world is based on thoughts.
This world is as much a part of 'what is' as the mind is, we cannot separate ourself from it or elevate ourself above others, those who see, will know and feel their responsibility in life, that is not being an icon or a master who sits on a trone and has lots of followers who will pay for answers.
One will be passionate to share and awaken the intelligence in others, one little flame has to grow into a blazing fire, which will transform everything to the core.
It is either complete, or totally absent.

Originally posted by earthling42
reply to post by Itisnowagain

 

I would say they are indeed chosen through the direction we go in life, our forming and development is based on that direction.
The business man, the politician, the priest, the believer, the consumer, the ordinary man in the street, and of course the common ground which is shared, fears, pleasures, greed, anger, pity, and so on.
All triggered by what we see and or what is happening within our circle or in this world.
One might say it just happens, but we are actively creating and sustaining all that, the whole world is based on thoughts.
This world is as much a part of 'what is' as the mind is, we cannot separate ourself from it or elevate ourself above others, those who see, will know and feel their responsibility in life, that is not being an icon or a master who sits on a trone and has lots of followers who will pay for answers.
One will be passionate to share and awaken the intelligence in others, one little flame has to grow into a blazing fire, which will transform everything to the core.
It is either complete, or totally absent.

There is no world - there is just this present awareness in which all arises and subsides.
If you believe in a world and a you then that is the separation.

You are presence and in you all arises.

reply to post by Itisnowagain


You are communicating with the world by participating on this forum, using technology that this world has brought forth, how can one say it does not exists?
It is not about believing, thought has not created the other human beings in this world with which you are speaking, mating, dancing, and so on.

Originally posted by earthling42
reply to post by Itisnowagain

 

You are communicating with the world by participating on this forum, using technology that this world has brought forth, how can one say it does not exists?
It is not about believing, thought has not created the other human beings in this world with which you are speaking, mating, dancing, and so on.

Writing happens presently and reading happens presently - there is nothing outside presence - there is only presence.
However, it can happen that there is a belief that there is more than this presence because words (concepts) arise. A whole imaginary world is believed in and if one lives in that then one will be suffering - one will suffer from delusion. One will be divided from what is real by living in a dream of separation.

reply to post by Itisnowagain


Now what has that got to do with your statement about the world not existing?
In the presence you are participating in it.
And it is not imaginary, would you say that the Syrians think the flying bullits are imaginary? or the gas that kills them is imaginary?
Or does it not exist because you live safely in a western country, and you can say, what is not in my presence, does not exist.
So out of sight, out of the heart.

This is so easy, and many just repeat it as if it is the highest truth.
The thing is, it is not suffering either because we are not in Syria fighting, instead we can safely participate and share our thoughts about things, go shopping, enjoy life and so on.
We are not suffering, but it does not mean it does not exist, the Syrians are surely suffering form all the violence that is presently happening to them.
While we cannot do a thing about that, we can share and learn from one another by exploring into questions and the problems humanity faces.
This is not done by just stating 'there is only presence'.
Most of us are well aware of the fact that presence can only be at this present moment, not the previous, nor the next.
as i stated previously, it is either complete or totally absent, it is not about you or me, it is about the whole, by that i mean we can have tamed the dragon, it means nothing to the whole, we are but a fragment, nothing, zero.

Originally posted by earthling42

It is either complete, or totally absent.

Originally posted by earthling42

as i stated previously, it is either complete or totally absent,

What is?

Originally posted by earthling42

The thing is, it is not suffering either because we are not in Syria fighting, instead we can safely participate and share our thoughts about things, go shopping, enjoy life and so on.
We are not suffering, but it does not mean it does not exist, the Syrians are surely suffering form all the violence that is presently happening to them.

The thing is - you are suffering.
Until you see it as your suffering you will not be able to end the suffering.

reply to post by Itisnowagain


Well thank you for your conclusion that i'm suffering

One can draw conclusions about me, that is fine, it does not change or help anything.

Look, one can just be, and leave everything for what it is, not bother, nor caring about anything what is happening, that is one way of living.
But what about our responsibility in life, what kind of world do we leave behind for the next generation to live in.

Originally posted by earthling42
reply to post by Itisnowagain

 

Well thank you for your conclusion that i'm suffering

One can draw conclusions about me, that is fine, it does not change or help anything.

Look, one can just be, and leave everything for what it is, not bother, nor caring about anything what is happening, that is one way of living.
But what about our responsibility in life, what kind of world do we leave behind for the next generation to live in.

Do you think you can cure the worlds suffering?
How can you help anything?

Will you tell me what you are doing to stop the suffering?