Mindfulness

[joc 20,245]

On 2/25/2021 at 6:34 PM, XenoFish said:

Going into the abyss showed me a lot of my illusions and delusions as well. All manner of falsehoods. Every bit I've had to work through, even still. So this idea of repress/suppressing all negative emotions is weak to me. Face them, face the feelings. It can take a lot of weight off you.

I have free fallen through the abyss...and while I was free falling, I turned on a light...there were literally thousands of ropes hanging everywhere around me...all I had to do was grab one of them...

...so I did...

Instead of supressing/repressing the negative emotions...you can overcome them by isolating the fear and confronting it.  

Edited February 27 by joc

[Hammerclaw 31,093]

I fell into the abyss, once falling into darkness and shadow. I looked down, seeing only blackness, then, a flash of green and red and a ruby-throated hummingbird flitted by my face and flew up, chittering insistently. Following it with my eyes I looked up and saw an angelic face and heard a sweet voice and remembered I, too, had wings, then soared up from the darkness into the light. 

Some think only darkness awaits at the end of life. I feel the only darkness there is that which we take with us. I feel what awaits us is the golden light, in a place where no shadows fall.

[Sherapy 32,782]

7 hours ago, joc said:

I have free fallen through the abyss...and while I was free falling, I turned on a light...there were literally thousands of ropes hanging everywhere around me...all I had to do was grab one of them...

...so I did...

Instead of supressing/repressing the negative emotions...you can overcome them by isolating the fear and confronting it.  

The fastest way to mental illness or health issues is to suppress and repress ones emotions. Eeks.

Repression of anxiety is a big culprit, lots of time the person is using a crutch or a way to control the anxiety, typically a fixation on religion or god. 
 

I dealt with my abyss with therapy (but my childhood was incredibly abusive and required professionals), with that being said I discovered that self awareness and self reflections, the insights (doors opening) are the key to being able to get through and find a solution for anything. Just like you and Hammer are saying much better than me, but yeah this is an inside job, and it is like turning the light on.

 

What love about Zen is it becomes clear real quick when you put anything under the light of actuality one sees its worth. My 2 cents is more people do not even live the lives they have because they were taught to be afraid of their own humanity instead. 
 

I do not see a need for crutches of any kind unless one is afraid. 

Edited February 28 by Sherapy

[Mr Walker 6,890]

19 hours ago, eight bits said:

Even though I am an animal guy, long ago, I didn't pay much attention to birds. When I was living near the "triple point" where New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts meet, I used to walk in the area shown in the attached image in the mornings before work. It's a flood control dam, surrounded by forest.

One year, I noticed a broadwing hawk, and she was working her tail feathers off, a single parent feeding her brood. I could see where her nest was, since she was so often back and forth. In my woodsy walks, I avoided the area around her nest, figuring she had enough to worry about without curious apes coming to visit uninvited.

At the end of the season, her mission accomplished and as she was about to head south, she intercepted me one morning while I was walking atop the dam. She came in low and slow, at a right angle to the dam walkway, chest height and maybe two arm-lengths in front of me. She was of course, magnificent.

The fly-by completed, she peeled off into the sky and headed aloft.

I haven't ignored hawks since then.

 

Is that the triple point where the  tri-state marker is now underwater  (or a t least buried in the dam construction?) 

Edited February 28 by Mr Walker

[eight bits 14,582]

3 hours ago, Mr Walker said:

Is that the triple point where the  tri-state marker is now underwater  (or a t least buried in the dam construction?) 

Yes. The "mud turtle" (a copper bolt set in a granite pyramid) was placed in the late 19th Century on the western shore of the Connecticut River. That is, although the boundary between New Hampshire and Vermont is defined by the river, the river itself is entirely (at least at low water) in New Hampshire. The triple point, then, was on dry land. Well, kinda dry .

The mud turtle has been flooded out since the 1960's by a Massachusetts dam (it had been underwater for decades, but resurfaced for a while when the dam was being repaired in the 60's). There's a new monument onshore that surveyors use as a landmark.

 

Edited February 28 by eight bits

[Sherapy 32,782]

A Zen suggestion about letting go of dogmatism; embrace impermanence.
 

“One of the Buddha’s most famous teachings is the Parable of the Raft. In it he likened his teachings to a raft for crossing a fast-flowing river.

“A man is trapped on one side of a river. On this side of the river, there is great danger and uncertainty; on the far side is safety. But there is no bridge spanning the river, nor is there a ferry to cross over. What to do? The man gathers together logs, leaves, and creepers and by his wit fashions a raft from these materials. By lying on the raft and using his hands and feet as paddles he manages to cross the river from the dangerous side to the side of safety.

“The Buddha then asks the listeners a question. What would you think if the man, having crossed over the river thought to himself, That raft has served me well I will carry it on my back every where I go?”

 

Thoughts, anecdotes and add too’s welcomed.

Edited March 1 by Sherapy

[third_eye 54,581]

More relevant in our present time... 

Quote

144 – Lotus Sutra 2: Wake Up! The Parable of the Burning House

by Domyo | Aug 12, 2020 | Buddhist Teachings,

....

https://zenstudiespodcast.com/burning-house-parable-lotus-sutra/

 

~

[closed for business 24,111]

44 minutes ago, Sherapy said:

A Zen suggestion about letting go of dogmatism; embrace impermanence.
 

“One of the Buddha’s most famous teachings is the Parable of the Raft. In it he likened his teachings to a raft for crossing a fast-flowing river.

“A man is trapped on one side of a river. On this side of the river, there is great danger and uncertainty; on the far side is safety. But there is no bridge spanning the river, nor is there a ferry to cross over. What to do? The man gathers together logs, leaves, and creepers and by his wit fashions a raft from these materials. By lying on the raft and using his hands and feet as paddles he manages to cross the river from the dangerous side to the side of safety.

“The Buddha then asks the listeners a question. What would you think if the man, having crossed over the river thought to himself, That raft has served me well I will carry it on my back every where I go?”

 

Thoughts, anecdotes and add too’s welcomed.

Hi Sherapy

Interesting and thanks but if the raft served it's purpose then personally for me to carry it around with me afterwards seems pointless as I still have the wit to build another if need arises.

jmccr8

 

Edited March 1 by jmccr8
the usual

[third_eye 54,581]

3 minutes ago, jmccr8 said:

Hi Sherapy

Interesting and thanks but if the raft served it's purpose then personally for me to carry it around with me afterwards seems pointless as I still have the wit to build another if need arises.

jmccr8

jmccr8

The point is, most times, folks will try to carry the raft to climb a hill up the road... 

~

[Sherapy 32,782]

12 minutes ago, third_eye said:

More relevant in our present time... 

 

~

Excellent contribution. 

[closed for business 24,111]

1 minute ago, third_eye said:

The point is, most times, folks will try to carry the raft to climb a hill up the road... 

~

Hi Third_eye

Well I guess I am a disappointment to them then but I am lazy and not going to carry things as a burden so I can get where I am going faster and with greater ease.

jmccr8

[third_eye 54,581]

Just now, jmccr8 said:

Hi Third_eye

Well I guess I am a disappointment to them then but I am lazy and not going to carry things as a burden so I can get where I am going faster and with greater ease.

jmccr8

That just means you know where you are going, most times people don't know or has the confidence to be so sure about that... 

~

[Sherapy 32,782]

7 minutes ago, jmccr8 said:

Hi Sherapy

Interesting and thanks but if the raft served it's purpose then personally for me to carry it around with me afterwards seems pointless as I still have the wit to build another if need arises.

jmccr8

 

Exactly, the need to embrace change rather than wish for permanence.

 

Well said, Jay.

 

[Sherapy 32,782]

12 minutes ago, jmccr8 said:

Hi Third_eye

Well I guess I am a disappointment to them then but I am lazy and not going to carry things as a burden so I can get where I am going faster and with greater ease.

jmccr8

For me, the raft is symbolic of that which did help for the present moment, it got the monk to safety based on his current needs, yet clinging to the raft beyond its usefulness is pointless. It seems appropriate under these circumstances to express gratitude and leave the raft. 
 

I think you and 3rd bring in a great point being present in ones self and life reveal a self that is sufficient unto itself under any circumstance. 
 

 

 

 

[closed for business 24,111]

3 minutes ago, Sherapy said:

For me, the raft is symbolic of that which did help for the present moment, it got the monk to safety based on his current needs, yet clinging to the raft beyond its usefulness is pointless. It seems appropriate under these circumstances to express gratitude and leave the raft. 

Hi Sherapy

Indeed the raft was a by-product of being resourceful and served it's purpose and that same resourcefulness will be with a person always so there is no need to make the raft a burden after is served it's purpose.

jmccr8

[Mr Walker 6,890]

On 2/28/2021 at 9:53 PM, eight bits said:

Yes. The "mud turtle" (a copper bolt set in a granite pyramid) was placed in the late 19th Century on the western shore of the Connecticut River. That is, although the boundary between New Hampshire and Vermont is defined by the river, the river itself is entirely (at least at low water) in New Hampshire. The triple point, then, was on dry land. Well, kinda dry .

The mud turtle has been flooded out since the 1960's by a Massachusetts dam (it had been underwater for decades, but resurfaced for a while when the dam was being repaired in the 60's). There's a new monument onshore that surveyors use as a landmark.

 

Thanks I was watching  Green Mountain Metal Detecting (Vermont) which I've followed every week for a few years ,  where the two blokes found another tri point, just on the side of a heavily wooded hill, miles from  any where.

The y mentioned  that one of the other markers was now not accessible 

[Mr Walker 6,890]

As to the raft question 

if the raft is litera,l then it has served its purpose. Another one can always be constructed on need 

 However, if it is a cognitive aid (state of mind)   then it should be retained, and used the next time a figurative danger or river is encountered/ ie it can be unpacked or reconstructed in the mind,  just as we could build a new one physically , if we had the skills and resources to do so 

In real life the resources might not be available next time  but, in the mind,   if we had the skills /resources to build one, then we will always have those cognitive resources. 

[Sherapy 32,782]

More mindfulness...

Excerpt from “Masters of Mindfulness”

[Mindfulness] “This is the fundamental process of what neuroscientist Jeffrey Schwartz calls self‐directed neuroplasticity. How can the brain change for the better? 
The neuropsychology of learning—including emotional, somatic, social, attitudinal, motivational, and spiritual learning—has two necessary and sufficient stages.
The first stage is to have the experience, such as an experience of mindfulness, gratitude, or [resilience]. There’s a little bit of learning that occurs through unconscious processes, but most of the processes of helping ourselves heal, grow, and strengthen occurs through conscious experiences.
But for there to be any kind of lasting change for the better, by definition there must be a physical change as a result. Otherwise, the experience might be pleasant and useful in the moment, but it is a passing moment that leaves no lasting value.
This two‐stage process of change is simplified in a saying from the work of Canadian psychologist Donald Hebb: “Neurons that fire together wire together.”
There are a variety of mechanisms of experience‐dependent neuroplasticity, which is neuroplasticity that depends on the experiences we have. These mechanisms include the following:
Existing synapses can become stronger or weaker.
New connections between neurons can form.
Changes in neurochemicals inside the brain, such as dopamine or serotonin, can produce lasting changes.
The expression of genes inside neurons can cause changes.”
 
“Experientially, this translates to the notion that if we want to become more compassionate, we need to experience compassion and then internalize it. If we want to be more mindful, we need to have experiences of mindfulness that we receive and that sink in, leading to increased trait mindfulness over time. Similarly, if we want to be more determined—more committed to exercise or to social justice—we need to have experiences of determination or related factors that are internalized in the second stage.
But experiencing doesn’t equal learning.”

 

 

[Hammerclaw 31,093]

6 minutes ago, Sherapy said:

“Experientially, this translates to the notion that if we want to become more compassionate, we need to experience compassion and then internalize it. If we want to be more mindful, we need to have experiences of mindfulness that we receive and that sink in, leading to increased trait mindfulness over time. Similarly, if we want to be more determined—more committed to exercise or to social justice—we need to have experiences of determination or related factors that are internalized in the second stage.
But experiencing doesn’t equal learning.”

We learn by doing.

[Sherapy 32,782]

37 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

We learn by doing.

I think the experience is the opportunity to practice, nurture ,cultivate, refine expand , redefine oneself. 
 

I uncovered a deeper expression of compassion with Helen and I have been fine tuning it with my caregiving experiences not all are rainbows and butterflies, some of the challenges are needed to get a more realistic pragmatic way of doing things by seeing what doesn’t serve, and what does. 

Accepting an experience for what it is is where one can start, then one can move on to discernment, not judgement.  

 

 

[Hammerclaw 31,093]

11 minutes ago, Sherapy said:

I think the experience is the opportunity to practice, nurture ,cultivate, refine expand , redefine oneself. 
 

I uncovered a deeper expression of compassion with Helen and I have been fine tuning it with my caregiving experiences not all are rainbows and butterflies, some of the challenges are needed to get a more realistic pragmatic way of doing things by seeing what doesn’t serve, and what does. 

Accepting an experience for what it is is where one can start, then one can move on to discernment, not judgement.  

 

 

If you want to know what love is, love. If you want to know what a friend is, be someone's. If you want to help others through the storms of life and the uncertainties of existence, be their bridge over troubled waters.

https://youtu.be/NQ8zfRJfUuc

 

[Sherapy 32,782]

1 hour ago, Hammerclaw said:

If you want to know what love is, love. If you want to know what a friend is, be someone's. If you want to help others through the storms of life and the uncertainties of existence, be their bridge over troubled waters.

https://youtu.be/NQ8zfRJfUuc

 

I don’t think there is much wisdom to glean without experience.

“Do unto others”

“Be the change” 

 

[Hammerclaw 31,093]

3 minutes ago, Sherapy said:

I don’t think there is much wisdom to glean without experience.

“Do unto others”

“Be the change” 

 

'tis not by dropping out, but but plunging into the maelstrom of life that you will find your wisdom. There are causes to espouse, battles to be won. There is glory and grandeur all about you, if you will but see. Aye, there is time enough to disavow your heritage, after death has claimed you, but as long as you endure you must live life to the full, else be worthy of the title, human.     Stan Lee

[Sherapy 32,782]

18 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

'tis not by dropping out, but but plunging into the maelstrom of life that you will find your wisdom. There are causes to espouse, battles to be won. There is glory and grandeur all about you, if you will but see. Aye, there is time enough to disavow your heritage, after death has claimed you, but as long as you endure you must live life to the full, else be worthy of the title, human.     Stan Lee

There are mountains to climb no matter the path, some are stepping stones some are steep hills, some are mountains and they are walked the same way one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. 

 

 

 

Edited March 10 by Sherapy

[Hammerclaw 31,093]

42 minutes ago, Sherapy said:

There are mountains to climb no matter the path, some are stepping stones some are steep hills, some are mountains and they are walked the same way one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. 

 

 

 

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.