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Calming the Waters
Calming the Waters
Western society promotes rapid-fire thought, in order to constantly "be on guard" in a conversation, like is observable in so many contexts of the American lifestyle that I personally have been raised in; in addition that particular frame of mind is promoted as there is no conceivable alternative for most.
Therefor, as we have been left to our own devices, in a society which promotes uniformity, when it comes to figuring out which thoughts are taboo, how we "should" think, and why it is that we are uncomfortable with stillness. I think that we all know subconsciously why we are uncomfortable with stillness, that is of course if the aforementioned uncomfort is applicable to the reader, it is because we are living from a false sense of self.
That false sense of self is a creation of our culture in the same fashion as Bill O'Reily is a creation of Fox News.
We all know the false sense of self very well. When we say something like "Control Yourself!", as Alan Watts put it very astutely.
Control myself? What on Earth could that possibley mean?!
Or perhaps in the context where you say "I am not myself today", then who's self are you?
We create a false sense of self for us to live in, when we are young, for the most part, which is constantly evolving for most people depending on what the latest trend or fad is dictating to us to become.
I.e. "Chav" "Skinhead" "Goth" "Emo" "Gangsta", are some of the more extreme examples of a false sense of self, but they can be as subtle as the way that most people believe that the News is telling us the truth and that our Governments are there to protect us and can only do right.
Whatever it is.
Getting to the point. Our false sense of self is what is creating this mental turbulence when we try to meditate. We can try all we like but that turbulence for most people will remain. Alan Watts described it from an old Japanese metaphor saying that it is akin to trying to flatten the waters of a river with an iron. The rivers must be allowed to become calm, and not be forced with more thoughts.
Western society promotes rapid-fire thought, in order to constantly "be on guard" in a conversation, like is observable in so many contexts of the American lifestyle that I personally have been raised in; in addition that particular frame of mind is promoted as there is no conceivable alternative for most.
Therefor, as we have been left to our own devices, in a society which promotes uniformity, when it comes to figuring out which thoughts are taboo, how we "should" think, and why it is that we are uncomfortable with stillness. I think that we all know subconsciously why we are uncomfortable with stillness, that is of course if the aforementioned uncomfort is applicable to the reader, it is because we are living from a false sense of self.
That false sense of self is a creation of our culture in the same fashion as Bill O'Reily is a creation of Fox News.
We all know the false sense of self very well. When we say something like "Control Yourself!", as Alan Watts put it very astutely.
Control myself? What on Earth could that possibley mean?!
Or perhaps in the context where you say "I am not myself today", then who's self are you?
We create a false sense of self for us to live in, when we are young, for the most part, which is constantly evolving for most people depending on what the latest trend or fad is dictating to us to become.
I.e. "Chav" "Skinhead" "Goth" "Emo" "Gangsta", are some of the more extreme examples of a false sense of self, but they can be as subtle as the way that most people believe that the News is telling us the truth and that our Governments are there to protect us and can only do right.
Whatever it is.
Getting to the point. Our false sense of self is what is creating this mental turbulence when we try to meditate. We can try all we like but that turbulence for most people will remain. Alan Watts described it from an old Japanese metaphor saying that it is akin to trying to flatten the waters of a river with an iron. The rivers must be allowed to become calm, and not be forced with more thoughts.
Tamid |
Latest page update: made by Tamid
, Feb 12 2009, 1:39 PM EST
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