Little essays looking at the esoteric to exoteric of meanings and and understandings on a variety of sometimes neglected topics.
I believe that in an English translation from the Rig Veda one may read something like this, "The truth is hidden by a golden lid; remove thou that lid." I also believe that a wise man once said "That which hides the truth is often the brilliance of the intellect." We can make up well reasoned stories, logical stories, probable stories. We might tell those stories to others, but mostly we tell them to ourselves. Those stories often put a lid on the truth; on reality. We are often not conscious, or completely conscious, of the workings of those stories. Sometimes a story comes from another. Sometimes it may hidden in a doing or happening of our culture and we are unconscious of learning from it.
Stories are good. I like many of them very much. However, even the best of them may convey a distortion, a falsehood, a wrong, a lie. We interpret them as best we can. We benefit much by interpreting them in the new light of our present knowledge.
Reinterpretation may be a part of what I call a process of purification. The farther we work that process the closer we get to being able to lift the lid a bit more to see the wrongs for what they are and let in more honesty, reality, and truth into our lives. In the process we rid ourselves of distortions and wrongs, better our mental health, and see more clearly. We can intend to embrace reality and to let more clarity of understanding into our lives.
One comes to see more clearly and adopt the intention to embrace reality and to achieve more clarity and understanding. Still, I am reminded that I am on a good road and that it is a long one. We may find that distortions are woven into the wonders and beauties of our very culture. Our culture is the heart of our human society and the totality of its wonders and beauties remain.
I am reminded that we are on a good road, but that it is along road. We may find that some distortions are woven into the wonders and beauties of our very culture. They are of our making. We can and do become aware of then. This discovery does not diminish those wonders and beauties. But it may help to remind us that the natural process of purification with which we seem to be choosing to co-operate is an ongoing process.
We feel grateful when we become newly aware of a distortion or wrong in our thinking, and are pleased to proceed in our process of purification. We gradually rid ourselves of another wrong or falsehood. By small possibel steps we improve the quality of realityin our lives and find it good. As we proeed with our proess of purification, te closer we get to being able to lift the lid enough to see the wrongs for what they are and to letting more reality, truth, and honesty into our lives.
Not every one of us has always chosen to call their process "purification" and there is no need for us to do so, but the word "purification" seems to me, to be appropriate. By our process we gradually (at times quickly) rid ourselves another wrong or falsehood. By small possible steps they improve the quality of reality in their lives and find it good. As they proceed with their process they become able to see wrongs for what they are, and and more able they are to lift the lid to let more honesty, reality, and truth into their lives.
It is not easy. It's sometimes a joy. It can feel painful, but I have heard of no one dying from the process. Still we have stories we love and may resist any change in them. However, when we become aware of a flaw in one of our stories, we can be aware that by a little change in perspective we can make that story more realistic, perhaps even true. We may find that we have been unconsciously struggling to keep a loved story intact. With that finding the struggle the struggle becomes conscious and so, more fair. When we become aware that we are using a lot of energy to keep a story, we may find that we are trying to hold back a truth. We may come to consider a struggle to let the truth out more worth while.
Sometimes a mistaken idea caueses problems for years before we take note. In a way it seems like it is trying to be found, but that we don't want to see it. Struggles to hold back the truth may keep coming up for a time before we note them. It seems they are trying to be set right. We can get better at noting them. Sometimes a wrong in a story comes up so suddenly and forcefully that we cannot deny it. We come to welcome these new revelations, though it may still take some time to digest them. We do become more apt at accommodating them realistically. We find that approaching truth often frees us, makes us more able, and a bit stronger.
The process is a kind of cleaning out of the mind and ought to be done often. There are lots of falsehoods coming toward us and a few manage to get in. We can become very willing to clean them out. We clean them out. Sometimes the process becomes less a throwing out and more a better arranging and filing, a straightening out and putting in better order. As we proceed we have less distortion and more useful reality. We become more honest with ourselves and with others. We often feel happier and healthier for doing so.
This web site does not yet have many posts or essays, but our associated sites may have over 400. This may be a good place to practice using our search apps to explore and find what you want and that which interests you.
You may have noticed that this site has a three column configuration. All of our associated sites have a similar configuration. You are now on a middle/central column. The columns to the left and right of this column and mostly dedicated to search applications. However, there are also other kinds of apps. For example near, or at, the top of this site and all associated sites is a translation app. There you can find a language in which you prefer to read, click on it, and the post which you are on will be translated to your language before your eyes.
I suggest that you take some time to explore the apps available to you. When you take a look at the translation application you might find it interesting to scroll to the bottom of the same column. There you will find a list of years and months. Click on a month of a year which interests you and the posts published at that time will be presented to you.
If you have a difficulty with an app you may go to the "comments" app just below the bottom of this post. Click on it and space will appear where you can tell me about your difficulties, ask questions, make suggestions, or just make a comment.
Happy explorations and pleasant reading.
RCS
These sentences are intended for those who may begin to meditate and for those who may have thoughts of renewing their practice.
Many of those who have meditated agree that both breath and alertness is important. There are those who believe both are important to life. Awareness of breath and and of breathing is useful to those who practice meditation. Remember to breath for a while. The quality of your breathing is worth consideration.
Focus and the Improvement of focus has been the aim of many who practice meditation and is an aim of mine. It seems up to each to decide what is worthy of their focus. Many have said that breath counting be a useful practice and a way to improve one's ability to concentrate. Your ability to keep to the subject, to keep to the topic, and to stick to the issue may improve with your practice of meditation. Some have made breath following or breath counting an major part of their long term practice.
I am narrowing the breadth of our view of meditation here with the aim of making our view both more comprehensible and more productive. Evens so, we can remember that meditation has, and has had, a broad range of differing goals, means, aims, and ways. Let me add here that I am not a teacher of meditation nor even an active practitioner of meditation. I have practiced meditation, found it useful, studied it a bit. It still has a place in my life.If I were to renew my practice right now, I might think "in" as I breath in and "out" as I breathe out. However, I could consider making some little decisions and moves first. I could make a time and place in which to meditate which pleases me. Some long time meditater might say that one may learn to meditate usefully and with satisfaction at any time and in any place. I believe that meditater is pointing toward a reality.
However, I suspect that a good beginning for many beginners and for me, is probably best to aim to practice regularly in a place which feels comfortable and is fairly free of distraction. I am helped to good practice by knowing when and where I will do it. I have found that I could practice well on a quiet beach where the waves wetted my feet. But remembering that here in my home high in the Andes. I might better remember to practice if I determined to practice right after my morning physical exercise. When I am regular with my excise, meditating right after it could work well for me. As I like my meditation time to be quite and free from interruption, practicing just before going to bed could work well.
Getting ready, willing, and able to practice may become a good practice in its self. I would like to sit up-right in, or on, a comfortable chair where I can maintain a good posture. Can that be difficult to arrange.I would aim to be awake, and alert in that chair. I would aim to attend to that which I am doing. I would like to feel mentally energetic as I avoid force and strain. I want to begin by paying attention to what I do and think. Maybe I should try letting this be a bit more simple.
I would like to have a timer. O prefer to meditate with my eyes closed. I use a timer so that I do not meditate too long or do break off my practice too soon.
These details are not rules and are not for every one or for every case. There are those who can meditate for two hours and then stop their practice at their predetermined time without outside help. They may not have been able to do that as beginners.
Without the use of a timer I may stop a practice thinking I have meditated for an hour, to discover that I have only practice for ten minutes. At another time I may stop a practice to check a clock believing that I had meditated for half an hour, to find that I had meditate for an hour and a half! So, when I could, I have set a timer to sound at a time I had predetermined.
If I were to begin a practice session right now, I would probably set a timer for about ten minutes. I feel I could meditate for that amount of time Without peeking to check the timer. When one has not meditated for some time, 20 minutes can see a long time. I seem to remember having completed 20 minutes of practice, judging that during that time had maintained close focus for only 3 or 4 continuous minutes and that I had done very well to have done so. I may have come to realize that now practice is bad when intentions are good. Practice itself can be the purpose. Sometimes I don't get my head all the way around that, but I do know that the words come close to the reality.
I have meditated walking, sitting on a rock, and while lying on my back in the floor, but find that sitting on a chair and maintaining good posture is usually best for me. Buddhist often call their contemplation or meditation time, sitting. They often do their sitting in a group. We can do ours as we will.
I am remembering some very pleasant walking meditation. Walking practice can be rewarding and pleasant, but may seem very different from sitting. Sitting is not completely free from possible distraction, walking can be quite distracting. (Still attending to the distractions can be the focus of the practice.) The quiet of the beach including the sounds of the water can be a positive factor while walking with bare feet washed by wavelets of an early evening. The flat damp sand can be a help, but just putting on foot in front of another can be distracting, but can also become an important part of a practice. I think that I began by counting my steps as I attended to it 1,22,3,4 and 1,2,3,4 and 1. 2. 3. 4.
I may be distracting us a bit now. Let me focus on you. I will suggest a little homework for you You won't get into trouble if you fail to complete it. If you do complete it you will probably do so before I complete mine.
It seems that from our pride and lack of care for ourselves, we have failed to allow ourselves to strive to do that which is useful for others and pleasant for ourselves.
We seem to have forgotten the meaning of work, although we often put much thinking and sweat into our doings.
We sometimes neglect teaching our children and youth to:
~ be cautious in sex and not to be promiscuous.
~ be outwardly courteous to all, but inwardly to remain free and never to put too much trust in anyone or any thing. This while remembering that if one has so little faith in the light switch that one does not use it, one may remain in the dark.
~ love work because it is useful and pleasing, and not because of payment by others, but rather for the joy the find in their work.
~ be open to new thoughts and new learnings.
~ devote some time to considering and reconsidering: emotions, feelings, doings, happenings, and processes.
~ remember that reality is the way to sanity and that the road of honesty may serve almost as well.
~ let their doings be useful to others and pleasing to themselves.
~ love and respect their parents as they learn to see them realistically.
As a gift to ourselves, we can try to reconstitute or to fortify our capacity for careful thought with the following doings:
~ Develop our willingness to be more aware of our actual state of being, including feelings, emotions, and understandings.
~ Taking time for quiet contemplation of that which recently has been important. This is not a time for figuring things out.
~ Arrange opportunity for relaxed, thoughtful conversation or reading.
Thank you for reading.
rcs
A teacher's activity and the activity of a student both have esoteric facets. Nevertheless, most of us have important understandings of both learning and teaching.
A teacher arranges data, facts, information, and knowledge for students to do the same for themselves and for others. Also a teacher aims aims to avoid damaging a student's motivation. It's the transmission of culture.
A teacher helps students to use logic, definitions, and analysis to their benefit and the benefit of their world. Who was it that said teaching is easy?
Good teacher's words are often like tiny seeds which may be held in many different hands and are pregnant with meaning. A simple utterance, like "The beginning is half of the whole." may confuse one for a time, but later help that one through difficult times.
A teacher's words may be powerful and impart power, and being so, also be dangerous. A good teacher offers them as tiny, easily controlled sparks which may, in time, spark a productive fire which makes a smith's fire seem small.
To be a truly good learner or disciple, is to be heard by the teacher. Too be heard the pupil must speak. The teacher is a reacher. A teacher wants to extend himself or herself to the learner. Good teachers and good students must both be good listeners. Good listening is not easy. That good teacher wants to be prompt to hear, to listen, and to understand. A hard job, a difficult one. But, first the disciple must speak; often not an easy task. Even so it is best that the disciple speak well. Disciple and master desire to retain and preserve in memory the better part of that which is heard and to understand it. Each interprets and probably reinterprets.
A good student dismisses nothing which is taught until the the rudiments are mastered. It can sometimes seem much to swallow. But one does well to first try to ingest or create a kind of framework for those rudiments. It's okay to swallow a bit of framework; try it you may like it. I once thought of it as a set of hooks that I could hang stuff on and not let it just fall out of my mind. It an organizing feature early on. I could hang similar stuff on the same hook or on near hooks. They were there for me to use, check out, and from time to time to say something like, "Ah, I see!
Sometimes just one interesting fact or piece of information may be held as a kind of magnet for related information until some organization emerges. That organization can be the beginning of one of a student's frameworks. That framework as a student owns it, ought to be kept flexible. A student may come to love a "framework" that has proven useful in her life only to find she has to let go of it and to replace it with one more realistic. Learning can be difficult and relearning no easier.
As life goes on, a learner may find that he has made useful places to hang, some say attach, new information and new understandings of a similar or corresponding nature. He may find hat he has created a place to do analysis.
As one observes one's learning one may see something like the above happening much on its own. Co-operating with that happening can often be a productive practice.
The good teacher may offer a ready-made framework as part of a lesson on, say, analysis. The good student is grateful.
Thank you for reading.
rcs
You are a unique, distinguished individual with a
meaningful existence. You are responsible for the nature of the meaning
in your life. That which you can offer to our culture is offered by no
other!
We are each, in an important sense, irreplaceable. There is no one like you or like me.
~ We may experience changing states. One change of state we may notice from time to time is an opening of awareness.
~ Early awareness could include an identification with appearances.
~ Another awareness may lead to noting an individualizing process.
~ One may note a gradual awakening.
~ One may come to note turning consciousness to the "levels" upon which one actually lives and functions.
The
word "awareness" comes from the word, aware. "Aware" comes from the
word "ware" which we hear little these days. It means watch, be on one's
guard, and take care; so, has to do with consciousness. "Aware" means
having knowledge, perception, or realization. Check out some of its
synonyms. Additional meanings include having knowledge and cognizance.
It is much about having knowledge and understanding. But it may refer to
a process and more.
by Richard Sheehan
We
can agree that "we" is a relationship, can't we? When we agree to
relate it may be good to speak of the level at which we wish to relate.
At what level might it be good for us to relate? We could speak of the
reason for our relationship. How might we go about relating ? Might it
be important that we show our concern for our "we?"
What's in it for you? What's your interest?
How is a mutual or reciprocal relationship handled?
A "we" must consist of people, persons, individuals, right? Have you seen
the start of a "we?" Was there a kind of joining? Doesn't a "we" require some kind of maintenance?
What do you suspect, believe, or know about the "we" in the "We the people..." document?
That
"we" could refer to us. How do we go about keeping track of our common
interests? How do we reciprocate? "We the people" are a social
relationship.
Let's say that we are the people in the "We the people" we know about.
What is the nature of our relationship? What is reason for our relationship? What's in it for you?
"We"
implies a unity, a union. We can probably agree that better and worse
unions can be detected. How might we form a more perfect union?
You may have some notions of "we" stirring in your mind now.
Communication
is important. Talk, dialogue, discussion are important. Talk of "us"
and "we" may be so important as to be called vitally important.
I say that communication of persons is vitally important for the initiation and maintenance of a "we".
To be a good people we have to have a good "we".
We can learn.
We can contemplate.
RCS
Many
of us seem to know more about group than we know about self. We seem to
have plenty of room to learn more about both group and self.
One
of the prime injunctions of wisdom teachings has been "Know thyself."
Learning seems to often be prior to knowing. Some wisdom teaching
suggests that learning may be a prime purpose of being.
Surely
an important part of being, includes learning. Learning about the world
around us seems an important move toward self knowledge. I believe that
learning about groups is an important part of learning about the world
around us.
My
experience informs me that there are qualities of learning. Before
going on you may want to consider the quality of your recent learning.
Participation in
a group is a learning experience. That learning and that experience
will be of varying quality. Much of such learning can lead to
knowledge of self. Some groups are more interesting and useful than
others. Some groups may be better for you than those which seems to suit
your present personality.
Most
groups are likely to be much more transitory than is personality, but
many of them last long enough to prove useful to their members. A
significant number of them last long enough to become a sort of school
of their members.
A
high level of regular participation by members has been important for a
group's effectiveness and longevity. We may call an effective and long
lived group an organization. In such an organization it may b vital
that each member know that she(or he)has an important job or place in
it. Being a practicing participatory democracy tends to increase the
level of group participation.
You can consider joining or forming a group. You may find power and growth in a group.
To
analyze your organization, to know it(and yourself)better, and to
participate more effectively in it, you and a friend may take some of
the actions suggested below:
~ Find out who has the authority to implement your organizational plans.
~ Know the action plan for for the long range funding of your organization.
~ Find out who is involved in developing your strategic plan.
~ Know your membership trends.
~ Consider the nature of your organization's benefits.
~ Know who is doing the bulk of the work to accomplish the goals of the organization.
~ Know what people do the work. Where are they? Identify them.
~ Make sure you know the engines of your organization.
You might also look for answers to the following questions about your organization and about your self:
~ What questions do you have about your organization and your membership in it?
~ How will you get answers to those questions?
~ What will you do about your questions and answers?
~ What makes it or you operate
~ What motivates you and other members?
Enjoy your growing power and that of your organization!
Learn more about you!
by Richard Sheehan