It is better to observe your actions than your thoughts if you whish to gain some knowledge about yourself. However, knowledge about oneself is seldom pleasant and it will not always be helpful. To see things clearly can make you downhearted or depressed.
Most people think they are more generous than they actually are. Most people overestimate their intelligence and their knowledge. Psychologists call this phenomenon illusory superiority.
Observe yourself when you don’t give money to a beggar Observe yourself when you give money to a beggar. Observe yourself when you try to get in first to get a better seat. Listen to yourself when you tell a lie or talk bullshit. You will be surprised.
The thinking mind is not reliable. You have to observe your actions if you want learn about yourself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_superiority
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Communism and Christianity
Of course it’s impossible to call oneself communist today after all the atrocities and crimes that have been committed in the past by people who called themselves communists. But how is it that so many people today can call themselves Christians without being ashamed, after centuries of cruelties and devilry that have been committed by people who called themselves Christians? The slave traders, witch hunts and inquisition trials seem to be forgotten.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Karma
You will not reap what you sow, this is just superstition. Many enormously selfish and greedy people live wonderful lives in mansions or penthouses and many good and honest people experience terrible misfortunes.
The idea that you will carry your good or bad deeds with you to the next life is of course also superstition, a belief which is not based on evidence or personal experience. To believe in the Karma theory is like believing that the earth is flat. It is the Hindu version of “You’ll get pie in the sky when you die.” or you’ll end up in hell.
Most spiritual seekers of today are still stuck in belief systems that are thousands of years old. Many people still believe in astrology and fairy tales about gods and angels. Many people are still prisoners in ancient delusions.
The age of enlightenment did not begin in the eighteenth century. The age of enlightenment begins now, in the twenty first century.
The idea that you will carry your good or bad deeds with you to the next life is of course also superstition, a belief which is not based on evidence or personal experience. To believe in the Karma theory is like believing that the earth is flat. It is the Hindu version of “You’ll get pie in the sky when you die.” or you’ll end up in hell.
Most spiritual seekers of today are still stuck in belief systems that are thousands of years old. Many people still believe in astrology and fairy tales about gods and angels. Many people are still prisoners in ancient delusions.
The age of enlightenment did not begin in the eighteenth century. The age of enlightenment begins now, in the twenty first century.
Change
You’ve been dead for 13,7 billion years and at night you’re asleep. Now, however, you're here. Life is a flickering flame that soon will go out. Soon you’ll be dead again. What does it matter if you think too much or worry too much? What does it matter if you’re angry or sad? What does it matter if you’re happy in a fool’s paradise?
You don’t have to realize anything. You don’t have to wake up. You don’t have to change your outlook on life. You don’t have to give up smoking or drinking. You don’t have to give up lying, cheating or stealing. You don’t have to improve yourself.
However, at some point in your life you might feel that you’ve had enough of everything. This is a point where change can begin.
Both political change and personal change is possible. Muslims can convert to Christianity and Hindus can become Muslims. Communists can become neo-Liberals and atheists can get saved, but there is also another option, you can give up politics, religion, career plans and self improvement altogether.
The crux of the matter is that there are two ways of giving up. You can become disillusioned and depressed. You can get stuck, thinking that there is no point with anything, or you can wake up from your dream worlds. It is possible to realize that all the ideas about yourself and the world are just ideas, not who you are or what the world is like.
It is possible to wake up from delusions. It is possible to give up religious, political and self improvement nonsense. You don’t have to replace one delusion with another one. This is a special and new kind of change in the history of humankind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEIfMqM5wnM&feature=related
You don’t have to realize anything. You don’t have to wake up. You don’t have to change your outlook on life. You don’t have to give up smoking or drinking. You don’t have to give up lying, cheating or stealing. You don’t have to improve yourself.
However, at some point in your life you might feel that you’ve had enough of everything. This is a point where change can begin.
Both political change and personal change is possible. Muslims can convert to Christianity and Hindus can become Muslims. Communists can become neo-Liberals and atheists can get saved, but there is also another option, you can give up politics, religion, career plans and self improvement altogether.
The crux of the matter is that there are two ways of giving up. You can become disillusioned and depressed. You can get stuck, thinking that there is no point with anything, or you can wake up from your dream worlds. It is possible to realize that all the ideas about yourself and the world are just ideas, not who you are or what the world is like.
It is possible to wake up from delusions. It is possible to give up religious, political and self improvement nonsense. You don’t have to replace one delusion with another one. This is a special and new kind of change in the history of humankind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEIfMqM5wnM&feature=related
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Hypnosis
A well known experiment, which many physicians have taken part in, if they studied medical hypnosis, is carried out this way: A person is hypnotized and told that when he wakes up he will close the window that stands ajar. He is also told that he will not remember this suggestion at all.
Then, when he has awoken, he will after some time rise from his seat and go to the open window and close it. The other participants in the class then ask him why he closed the window and he will come up with a sensible answer, for example that it is too cold in here. Then they ask him again if he is sure that this is the reason he closed the window and he will answer yes. They can keep on asking him till they are blue in their faces, but they will still get the same answer. He closed the window because it was too cold.
This is proof that unconscious ideas can influence our conscious actions. This is also proof that the conscious mind can come up with sensible explanations which are completely wrong.
The conscious part of our mind is just the tip of an iceberg, said Freud. He was, what I understand, wrong about what is going on down there. Jung had other theories and so had Viktor Frankel. Maybe only God knows what is going on in the underworld.
Anyway, how do you know that your actions are initiated by you, and not by someone else? What if your actions are determined by unconscious childhood conditioning without you being aware of it? What if your actions are initiated by some weird religious programming?
Then, when he has awoken, he will after some time rise from his seat and go to the open window and close it. The other participants in the class then ask him why he closed the window and he will come up with a sensible answer, for example that it is too cold in here. Then they ask him again if he is sure that this is the reason he closed the window and he will answer yes. They can keep on asking him till they are blue in their faces, but they will still get the same answer. He closed the window because it was too cold.
This is proof that unconscious ideas can influence our conscious actions. This is also proof that the conscious mind can come up with sensible explanations which are completely wrong.
The conscious part of our mind is just the tip of an iceberg, said Freud. He was, what I understand, wrong about what is going on down there. Jung had other theories and so had Viktor Frankel. Maybe only God knows what is going on in the underworld.
Anyway, how do you know that your actions are initiated by you, and not by someone else? What if your actions are determined by unconscious childhood conditioning without you being aware of it? What if your actions are initiated by some weird religious programming?
Friday, July 29, 2011
Yoga, Mindfulness and Awakening
The ancient Buddhist scriptures were translated into English when Buddhism was transferred to the Western world. The Pali word sati, for example, was translated into mindfulness. However, not only the sound of the word changed in the translation, even the meaning changed.
Yoga is another example of an Indian word which got a new meaning when it was transplanted in the West. Bodhi (awakening) is a third example.
Things change, words change, new interpretations arise. This is not necessarily something bad. Sometimes new viable cross-fertilizations are created in new environments.
Christianity has changed dramatically through history and so have Buddhism, Advaita-Vedanta, Islam and Judaism. Everything is constantly changing. Sometimes crazy interpretation arises, sometimes interesting new approaches are found. The thinking mind is never at rest.
Yoga was originally not a method to loose weight or getting a tighter butt. Mindfulness was originally not a method for stress reduction or a way to improve work performance. And it was certainly not a way to get better sex. Awakening and glimpses of other ways to perceive reality were not synonymous in the ancient Buddhist scriptures.
The original Christianity had no right-wing political agenda. Advaita-Vedanta was originally only for men from the Brahmin cast. To hire a certified awakening coach in order to wake up is a modern concept.
Yoga is another example of an Indian word which got a new meaning when it was transplanted in the West. Bodhi (awakening) is a third example.
Things change, words change, new interpretations arise. This is not necessarily something bad. Sometimes new viable cross-fertilizations are created in new environments.
Christianity has changed dramatically through history and so have Buddhism, Advaita-Vedanta, Islam and Judaism. Everything is constantly changing. Sometimes crazy interpretation arises, sometimes interesting new approaches are found. The thinking mind is never at rest.
Yoga was originally not a method to loose weight or getting a tighter butt. Mindfulness was originally not a method for stress reduction or a way to improve work performance. And it was certainly not a way to get better sex. Awakening and glimpses of other ways to perceive reality were not synonymous in the ancient Buddhist scriptures.
The original Christianity had no right-wing political agenda. Advaita-Vedanta was originally only for men from the Brahmin cast. To hire a certified awakening coach in order to wake up is a modern concept.
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