Monday 27 April 2015

Parallels

Some Buddhists say that we are already enlightened although we have not realized it yet. Some Christians say that they are saved although they are still sinners.

Both these statements recognize both a deeper spiritual level on which everything is sorted and a more immediate practical level on which things are still to be resolved. Maybe one perception or insight is expressed through alternative conceptual systems?

Except when experiencing extreme suffering, we might recognize that in one sense things are ok because we are alive and conscious but in another sense much remains to be done?

Tuesday 14 April 2015

"No Deliberate Thought"

From Dogen's "Rules for Meditation:"

"...neither trying to think nor trying not to think, just sitting with no deliberate thought..."

We attend to the present moment but do not concentrate on it. If we concentrated, then we would be trying not to think. When we notice that a thought has arisen and return our attention to the present moment, then we are preventing not thought but deliberate thought.

The arising of thoughts is neither an interruption to meditation nor a distraction from it but part of it. We see the thoughts, therefore do not allow them to operate unobserved.

Thursday 9 April 2015

Inner And Outer

If we follow a spiritual path, then our inner life is divided between habitual thought processes and spiritual teachings while our outer life is divided between habitual behavior and spiritual practices. Sooner or later, we realize that there is a contradiction and also that we have always known it.

That is a very strange moment. Unenlightened thoughts and actions are very recent. They did not end when we began spiritual practice but why not?

Beliefs About The One

Two beliefs within Hinduism:

that the One, the ultimate reality, is a person who creates everything other than himself;
that the One is everything, including all persons and their environments.

In the latter case, we are:

Its self-consciousness;
the being prayed to by monotheists - It is many persons, not one;
not perennially wise or compassionate;
instead, learning wisdom and compassion;
thus, becoming the only God there is.

Neither one nor three but many persons in one being.

Sunday 5 April 2015

Chaos, Causes And Consciousness

Every event is either uncaused or caused by previous events.
Events are either physical or psychophysical.
Sensations, cognitions and actions are psychophysical events.
Many actions are entirely caused by previous psychophysical events.

For example, a man smokes a cigarette because previous usage has addicted him to nicotine.
However, some actions are instead expressions of present consciousness.
For example, a man suddenly stops smoking because he hears and heeds the message, "Smoking kills."
Previous events have caused both the presentation of the message and the man's ability to heed it.

Nevertheless, conscious responses to new challenges differ qualitatively from semiconscious habits.
Why are some people incapable of new responses?
Zazen is the practice of immediate awareness.
Such practice might facilitate ability to respond. 

Friday 3 April 2015

One And Many

The One becomes conscious by appearing to itself as many. Thus, it simultaneously reveals that it is and conceals that it is one. Each conscious organism perceives its one environment as many objects and itself as a separate subject. Appearance of multiplicity is the first stage of consciousness but prevents consciousness of oneness.

Stages?
animal consciousness of other
human consciousness of self and other
verbal/intellectual understanding of oneness of self and other
partial intuition of oneness
total intuition of oneness?