How to cope with being in Lockdown.

[Dontaskme]

"You can break it down
to two states.

The first state is
identification with thinking.
You believe you are the thinker
of your thoughts
and the subject of your thinking.

You experience this moment
through the interpretation
of the mind.

The second state
is that which precedes
the first.

It is what is here behind the thinking.
You feel yourself existing
not as a person
but as sensation.

Resting as consciousness itself,
resting as pure being.

You can approach meditation
by recognizing these two states.

By remaining as pure being,
letting thoughts go
as they arise,
keeping your attention
resting on the feeling
of existing in this moment.

And when you do get caught up
in thinking
and you lose that connection
to feeling this moment,
you recognize it as a completely
different state.

You experience the difference
between the two states
and learn to let go of thinking again
and come back
into feeling this moment.

What often happens
is once you experience pure being,
the mind defines that experience,
describes and memorizes it to be
a certain way.

And then tricks you into settling
for the memory of pure being,
the knowledge of pure being.

The mind tries to own
pure being
as another experience of the mind
and so pure being is lost.

Because pure being
is that which precedes the mind,
it cannot be owned
and it cannot be experienced
by the intellectual mind.

So in order to rest
as pure being,
you have to let go
of all knowledge
and memory

and feel this moment
as though it is the first time;
completely fresh and new.

You feel this moment
without filtering
it through thought
without relating it to
past experience.

And in this way,
by resting in pure being
without adding anything to it,
this bliss of consciousness
expands and intensifies."

[Arising_uk]

Because that's what's happening. I can't think of any other reason, nor do I have to, I'm just doing what is happening in the moment. ...

Wow! So you didn't choose to register upon this forum it just happened?

That's weird, and it's alien talk to me, the idea of critique-ing your own understanding. I'm just not understanding that ok. ...

Ok I was unclear. I understand what you are saying and I'm giving philosophical critique of what you are saying. After two and half thousand years of Philosophy where we have arrived at is a set of techniques and reasonably agreed upon ideas of what makes sense and nonsense with respect to a philosophical argument. No-one expects anyone to drop their deeply held beliefs upon the word of another but philosophising about one's beliefs is the process of offering them up to others for critique. The bit that makes it philosophical is being open enough to accept the critiques that show logical holes in ones beliefs and amending them to make one's argument more robust or coherent, one could even give them up but that is quite a lot to ask given that for many there is a psychological need attached to them.

I'm sorry but critique-ing your own understanding makes no sense to me. ...

Hopefully the above makes it more understandable, although self-critique of one's philosophical beliefs is possible it's much easier to put them to others and receive the feedback.

And yes, I know it's a philosophy forum, do you think I was born yesterday? ...

I thought your metaphysic had you as not born at all?

I only know real philosophy, I don't do fake philosophy.

If you can't be bothered to read what 'fake' philosophy has said how would you know?

[Arising_uk]

Oh Gawd, not again. Isn't that what we are doing philosophizing about our beliefs, ?

In your case not really.

...just because mine are different to yours don't mean there is a contradiction, it just means difference that's all, geeze stop taking yourself so seriously.

It's got nothing to do with us having different philosophical beliefs and everything to do with the contradictions within each of our philosophical beliefs

I say tomatoe you say tomato...it's no big deal, ok

Except you tend to use tomatoe to mean apple.

[Arising_uk]

That's a hell of a statement. Your own? ...

Sort of. It's my own with respect to trying to apply the distinction in this way to phil of mind but it's an idea I've come to from experience of certain Neuro-Linguistics Programming techniques, Natural Language Programming from Computing and various other ideas from Philosophy of Language. It's a fairly old one in the sense that for a long while Phil of Language tried to make language the ground for all sense of self but I think Phenomenology and in particular Merleau-Ponty put the kibosh on much of this. Not that I don't think Language and the reasoning and logic available from it is not an important part of who we are but that the ground for it all is actually the being of a body with senses, memory and language in an external world and it really doesn't matter if the external world is a sim, an idea in the mind of 'God', Descartes evil demon, etc, etc.

As an aside, I found the academic study of Philosophy quite an eye-opening experience with respect to one's thoughts and ideas as it quickly became clear that whilst one's thoughts and ideas are original and unique to oneself they are very, very often not with respect to Philosophy.

Are you familiar with Castaneda's references to the Foreign Installation?

Not that I remember, although I have read a bit of Carlos in my youth. I did a quick goggle and whilst I can always appreciate metaphors and analogies to help with thinking and 'thoughting' about the phenomenology of self or mind(if you wish) my milieu leads me to not accept such descriptions as I prefer simpler and clearer explanations and techniques.

What about thoughts that pop in from nowhere, from out of the blue, from way out in left field, apropos of nothing? ...

Depends if you mean 'thinks' or 'thoughts' a la my 'distinction' but maybe it doesn't make a difference here as because I think the ground is the body...etc I think the body is always 'aware' and perceiving the external environment all 24/7 so it is no surprise to me that 'thinks' or 'thoughts' pop-up all the time 'unasked' for or even that they just pop-up from the activity of the memory throwing-out patterns.

You think of someone you haven't thought of in awhile, and a minute later they call ... or you hear about what happened.

I have a slight problem with these apocryphal stories, not that I don't think they happen but I think they more like Jung's synchronicity(although not really as that involves threes) or just coincidence, as the sampling is without context so it's basically self-confirming(if that makes sense), i.e. I'd be more impressed with such claims if the person recorded all the times they thought of another person and that person didn't call and then compared it to the times they did.
p.s. My mother makes these claims all the time.

[Dontaskme]

Wow! So you didn't choose to register upon this forum it just happened?

Yes, that's right, I didn't choose to register on this forum. I had no knowledge of it happening until I knew, became aware it happened which was after the non-action. I highjacked the non-choosing action and claimed it as known. The hey presto ..No chooser became a chooser.

I only know real philosophy, I don't do fake philosophy.

If you can't be bothered to read what 'fake' philosophy has said how would you know?

By knowing real philosophy, only by knowing what's real, would I know fake, I am able to make the distinction by reading.

.

[Dontaskme]

Except you tend to use tomatoe to mean apple.

No I mean it as a tomatoe.

[Dontaskme]

Oh Gawd, not again. Isn't that what we are doing philosophizing about our beliefs, ?

In your case not really.

Is that what you believe?

If not you have no case.

[Dontaskme]

Ok I was unclear. I understand what you are saying and I'm giving philosophical critique of what you are saying. After two and half thousand years of Philosophy where we have arrived at is a set of techniques and reasonably agreed upon ideas of what makes sense and nonsense with respect to a philosophical argument. No-one expects anyone to drop their deeply held beliefs upon the word of another but philosophising about one's beliefs is the process of offering them up to others for critique. The bit that makes it philosophical is being open enough to accept the critiques that show logical holes in ones beliefs and amending them to make one's argument more robust or coherent, one could even give them up but that is quite a lot to ask given that for many there is a psychological need attached to them.

I get what you are saying.

But Oneness has no argument with itself. If it did then that would be a contradiction, for who would the other one be that had no argument with itself except it's imagined other self..really it's one same self contradicting itself.

If there is just self understanding, then all other selves, aka the same one self, are understood. That's my only philosophy.

I accept everything and reject nothing. There is nothing more coherent to me than understanding the nature of self, aka oneness.

.

[Arising_uk]

Yes, that's right, I didn't choose to register on this forum. I had no knowledge of it happening until I knew, became aware it happened which was after the non-action. I highjacked the non-choosing action and claimed it as known. The hey presto ..No chooser became a chooser. ...

So you going to use this argument in court when you don't choose to just up and murder someone?

By knowing real philosophy, only by knowing what's real, would I know fake, I am able to make the distinction by reading.

Except you haven't bothered to read any of what Philosophy has said?

How do you cope with the cognitive dissonance of saying you know something when you claim there is no knowing?

[Dontaskme]

So you going to use this argument in court when you don't choose to just up and murder someone?

The intent to murder is there or not, there is no chooser except the idea of one. The idea there is a chooser is a pre-tense.. in reality there is no chooser in realtime live events...it's only upon reflection in past tense does the idea I am the chooser there, but it's an illusion, for there is no one here choosing anything, nor doing anything.
If you understood Nonduality, you would understand this statement.

How do you cope with the cognitive dissonance of saying you know something when you claim there is no knowing?

By pretending to know.

Nonduality - Advaita Vedanta is the ultimate truth...and it's a truth that does not want to be heard...which is very understandable since who want's to know they don't know anything - who want's to know they have never existed?

No one.

.

[Lacewing]

No-one expects anyone to drop their deeply held beliefs upon the word of another but philosophising about one's beliefs is the process of offering them up to others for critique. The bit that makes it philosophical is being open enough to accept the critiques that show logical holes in ones beliefs and amending them to make one's argument more robust or coherent, one could even give them up but that is quite a lot to ask given that for many there is a psychological need attached to them.

Very well said.

If we are not psychologically bound to closed/particular ideas, then we can welcome broader truth/insight over the lesser "knowns" we think we currently possess. And it's fairly easy to see which way people are inclined to be, and how much they will fight for it.

[Lacewing]

I'm finding that this (lockdown) is an opportunity to reconnect with the qualities in myself and my life that might otherwise be drowned out by the noise of life-as-usual. I'm reminded that there is always more to see/experience if we don't habitually gravitate to some kind of noise or ideas to be addicted to.

At the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak, I consumed a lot of different News because I wanted to see several perspectives and I wanted to be prepared. Now I can barely stand to hear or see a few minutes of any News because I feel saturated and saddened by it, as it affects and devastates so many people and their lives.

I feel seriously drawn (almost desperate) to get back into nature -- immersing myself in the sweet, comforting, and inspiring sensations of the natural world. And with that comes the awareness of how hard I've been pushing myself to accomplish a lot of stuff in my life for quite a long time -- the final big piece being put into place just yesterday. It feels like an acknowledgement/suggestion from the Universe: now it's time to shift out of that long-running dynamic and remember/discover what else there is. Just as the Covid-19 crisis is shifting so many dynamics in the larger world, the situation can be used as a tool to be more aware and mindful about choosing a clearer and lighter path going forward. A chance to evolve, personally and collectively. Letting go of some old stories and noise, to embrace what is actually better and more true.

[Arising_uk]

Nice if you can afford it but many just cannot afford the luxury of getting back in touch with themselves as they are facing ruin and possible homelessness.

[Arising_uk]

The intent to murder is there or not, there is no chooser except the idea of one. The idea there is a chooser is a pre-tense.. in reality there is no chooser in realtime live events...it's only upon reflection in past tense does the idea I am the chooser there, but it's an illusion, for there is no one here choosing anything, nor doing anything.
If you understood Nonduality, you would understand this statement. ...

Except that elsewhere you have said you will choose not to take any vaccine for the virus?

By pretending to know.

Nonduality - Advaita Vedanta is the ultimate truth...and it's a truth that does not want to be heard...which is very understandable since who want's to know they don't know anything - who want's to know they have never existed?

No one.

.

Except that the Hindus believe in reincarnation and the cycle of birth, death and rebirth?

[vegetariantaxidermy]

I'm finding that this (lockdown) is an opportunity to reconnect with the qualities in myself and my life that might otherwise be drowned out by the noise of life-as-usual. I'm reminded that there is always more to see/experience if we don't habitually gravitate to some kind of noise or ideas to be addicted to.

At the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak, I consumed a lot of different News because I wanted to see several perspectives and I wanted to be prepared. Now I can barely stand to hear or see a few minutes of any News because I feel saturated and saddened by it, as it affects and devastates so many people and their lives.

I feel seriously drawn (almost desperate) to get back into nature -- immersing myself in the sweet, comforting, and inspiring sensations of the natural world. And with that comes the awareness of how hard I've been pushing myself to accomplish a lot of stuff in my life for quite a long time -- the final big piece being put into place just yesterday. It feels like an acknowledgement/suggestion from the Universe: now it's time to shift out of that long-running dynamic and remember/discover what else there is. Just as the Covid-19 crisis is shifting so many dynamics in the larger world, the situation can be used as a tool to be more aware and mindful about choosing a clearer and lighter path going forward. A chance to evolve, personally and collectively. Letting go of some old stories and noise, to embrace what is actually better and more true.

As Arising just pointed out, many people don't have the luxury of using this time as an opportunity to get in some extra navel gazing