Thank you for taking the time and effort to explain this further, Molly. I heard this advice years ago- how thought can actually redirect behavior and response- maybe it included the establishment of new brain neural pathways, as well. It is a task...
My feelings seem to exist in my heart and breast- other times the back of my knees or feet. :-) Seriously, I do try to line up an attitdue each day with a meditation. Also, am finding it's easier to read complicated paragraphs the last few months and think it may be because I no longer drink and synapses are shaking hands once again- I hope! Sorry, but I am with Gloria Steinem on the 70's as a point of taking death seriously at last no matter how one looks or feels or any other measurement. I just think it is ludicrous to talk of new beginnings! I haven't even resolved the past!!! Am happy the painters are doing great and soon will be done with the trim. They are friends of my youngest son and I treat them to a huge lunch but it won't affect their wages plus will give them some sockeye salmon my son sent down form AK. They are a relief after that carpenter! See what I mean? :-) On Aug 31, 9:24 am, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > so as to remain succinct with the banks model, thoughts or systems of > thought: 'The existence of a personal thought system, or “ego”—which > we see as simply being a sticky attachment to, or identification with > thoughts—trips up our noble aspirations for peace. Yet we have found > that teaching people about the neutral fact of Thought, and how it > creates reality for each of us (rather than attempting to change > “content”), allows people to shine the light of this principle on all > their thinking. Levels of consciousness jump as people gain > understanding about the formless source of all ideas, beliefs and > opinions." (taken from the original post.) So yes, systems of thought > would include concepts, rational systems of thought etc. All of the > noise, color and emotion that runs through us daily. We are aware of > it, and participate in it and organize it to varying degrees, > depending on our character. > > Banks likens consciousness to a canvas, or medium of expression; mind > as the brush that moves to create the form, thought. If you look at > that painting of your life right now, do you like it? Do you feel you > have the freedom to start over, and paint another if you don't? > Consciousness gives us experience. We CAN experience the infinite, > only if we shed ourselves of our limited thoughts and allow our minds > to flow freely. (in this analogy) > > If you find yourself (in your thoughts) finding fault, recognizing > what you don't like, thinking yourself in opposition to the world, you > are painting your life with limitation, your mind and consciousness > will respond to give you that experience. Many people don't like this > idea - it leaves no one to blame. But the truth is, our direct > experience is a result of our internal environment, how we hold our > thoughts, mind and consciousness. Not to say if we want a car and > think of a car we get a car. That's baloney. Good houskeeping in > your internal environment brings you a state of being, non possessing > (ego limited.) The good news, is the process is responsive and > forgiving. We can always start again with a clean canvas, or board, > or monitor, or stretch of infinite space. > > Our filters "ego, idea, philosophies, emotion," do make us unique. We > all have potentiality and we are all realized to relative degrees as > long as we live. Our highest potential changes with the greater > realization of our life, or as we look away and deny it. It is not a > fixed point, it changes as we change. But it IS unilimited, because > the possibility within consciousness is infinite. > > I like the banks model for its simplicity: mind, consciousness, > thought. I have seen a great deal of rhetoric about the interplay of > the three, and though this model one of the most easily understood. > > On Aug 30, 7:12 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Do you mean belief systems? This could get quite complicated! What if > > our "filters" make us unique? Do you mean happiness by "our highest > > potential"? > > > On Aug 30, 11:24 am, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I think we proceed along with everything else in our lives, not > > > despite of it. We have thoughts about everything that comes into our > > > experience. We proceed to observe those thoughts and reformulate our > > > systems and filters while we are experiencing. We don't have to go > > > into hermitage to determine what our highest potential is. We just > > > need to ask ourselves what the best life for us would be (not a fixed > > > point) and then keep our thoughts, mind and consciousness aligned to > > > it. We all fall out. We all realign. Life goes on. > > > > On Aug 30, 12:13 pm, ashok tewari <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > " ... systems that create lives better aligned with our highest > > > > potential > > > > ... " > > > > > Molly, I'm sure it's the easiest thing to do, in Banks' and your own > > > > view, > > > > but may not be for the rest of us. > > > > > 01 Before aligning our lives ... we need to know : along what ? What > > > > is my > > > > " highEST potential ?" Do you know, or can explain, since I may not ? > > > > > 02 Such aligning is not the only job before us ... much of it still > > > > survival, before most of us. It has its own demands that displace > > > > everything > > > > else ! > > > > > So, how do take hold of ourselves in accord with Banks' suggestions ? > > > > > This an invitation for you take centre stage and let us know how we all > > > > could proceed, despite everything else in our lives. > > > > > On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 6:00 PM, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > looking at the Banks models, I would say that Mind, as shared wisdom; > > > > > Consciousness, as shared experience; and Thought as compassion or love > > > > > can all create shared culture of great value. Of course, in duality, > > > > > the opposite aspects of culture can also be created. > > > > > > Banks seems to be saying in this simply synopsis of his three > > > > > principals, that thought creates the form of our experience, and we > > > > > have thoughts beyond our own personal thought systems (egos that > > > > > include identification and attachment), common thoughts about life > > > > > that pertain to all. The simple exercise of examining our own > > > > > thoughts, finding their origin, filtering, housekeeping, letting go of > > > > > self defeating thoughts - this is one of the first and most important > > > > > practices used for knowing ones self. If we can originate and > > > > > organize our thoughts into systems that create lives better aligned > > > > > with our highest potential, (that aspect within us we need to explore > > > > > and become intimately familiar with), what how we live with mind and > > > > > consciousness will also change immeasurably. > > > > > > I will note that this simple exercise can take a lifetime to master, > > > > > but is ultimately worth trying - like learning language and reading. > > > > > > On Aug 29, 2:03 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > A lot can happen to a human being to derail this view- optimistic as > > > > > > it is, Molly. At any rate between you and Slip I was reminded of > > > > > > Emily > > > > > > Dickinson's poem, as follows: > > > > > > > I'm Nobody! Who are you? > > > > > > Are you- Nobody- Too? > > > > > > Then there's a pair of us? > > > > > > Don't tell! they'd advertise- you know! > > > > > > > How dreary- to be- Somebody! > > > > > > How public-like a Frog- > > > > > > To tell one's name- the livelong June- > > > > > > To an admiring Bog! c.1861 > > > > > > > How do the values and expectations of a culture shape what is > > > > > > expected > > > > > > of an individual and what happens when there is a dramatic turn of > > > > > > events? Is ego strength "fixed" to cope or does it have "limits", > > > > > > the > > > > > > latter which might explain many behaviors. I can think of such > > > > > > stresses and imagine you can, as well. > > > > > > > On Aug 26, 8:56 am, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Mind: All human beings share in being a part of, and connected to > > > > > > > Mind, the universal Life energy and source of intelligence beyond > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > brain. Because of Mind, we share in an endless flow of > > > > > > > wisdom—each of > > > > > > > us equally capable of being wise. > > > > > > > > Consciousness: All human beings share in the principle or fact of > > > > > > > Consciousness. We experience life. We also experience life from > > > > > > > different levels of consciousness—from truncated and fear-based, > > > > > > > angry > > > > > > > and insecure “levels” to grounded, secure, safe, wise and even > > > > > > > enlightened states (Buddha Mind, Christ Consciousness, the “Father > > > > > > > within,” the Kingdom of Heaven.) If humans lived even a little > > > > > > > more > > > > > > > often in this last state of mind, the impact on world peace, from > > > > > > > a > > > > > > > personal to a global level, would be significant. > > > > > > > > The principle of Thought, as a universal function, guides humans > > > > > > > either toward or away from non-violence, love and compassion. The > > > > > > > existence of a personal thought system, or “ego”—which we see as > > > > > > > simply being a sticky attachment to, or identification with > > > > > > > thoughts— > > > > > > > trips up our noble aspirations for peace. Yet we have found that > > > > > > > teaching people about the neutral fact of Thought, and how it > > > > > > > creates > > > > > > > reality for each of us (rather than attempting to change > > > > > > > “content”), > > > > > > > allows people to shine the light of this principle on all their > > > > > > > thinking. Levels of consciousness jump as people gain > > > > > > > understanding > > > > > > > about the formless source of all ideas, beliefs and opinions. > > > > > > > > When humans understand that a thought is just a thought, just a > > > > > > > creation from formless energy, the iron grip the ego can have on > > > > > > > us > > > > > > > begins to lessen. Lighter, gentler, more inspired feelings arising > > > > > > > from impersonal, or universal thoughts create kind and selfless > > > > > > > behaviors. We begin to realize we are so much more than our > > > > > > > limited > > > > > > > thoughts. So much more than we ever “thought”! While respecting > > > > > > > our > > > > > > > own and others’ traditions, cultures and preferences, we see > > > > > > > beyond > > > > > > > the forms that humans have created—and to the deeper truth of our > > > > > > > common divinity, our shared existence in universal Mind, > > > > > > > Consciousness > > > > > > > and Thought … or in Life. From this vantage point, there is no > > > > > > > reason > > > > > > > to argue, to fight, to hurt another. When I hurt you, I diminish > > > > > > > me. > > > > > > > > So, our personal answer is to share with people these simple > > > > > > > principles that govern their states of mind. Because, beneath it > > > > > > > all, > > > > > > > all humans are already wise, good, generous, kind and even > > > > > > > enlightened. When the clouds of thought begin to part, they each > > > > > > > take > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
