Is Thinking the Only Way to Use the Mind?

by Tim Che'

"We are what we think. 
All that we are arises with our thoughts. 
With our thoughts, we make the world."
(Allegedly the Buddha)

This quote is generally accepted as a "truth", as it is presented, in the 'New age' movement and it is particularly appealing to the intellectual part of the mind. You know... the part that likes to "think".  Most likely this quote was translated by a thinking mind as it made sense to the thinker.

It is interesting to observe that the Buddha, and Buddhist teachings, clearly advocates, and are associated with, the meditative state of "no thinking". Yet, here he is said to claim that thinking is what we are!? And that "ALL that we are arises with our thoughts". And "with our thoughts we make the world".

Hmmmm... so let me get this straight: Thinking creates my world and it is what I am. Basically it’s everything!  But, we are to go through extraordinary measures and disciplines, for maybe 20 or more years, to learn to,  NOT THINK?

Huh?

Disclaimer: This writer is in no way  claiming to be any kind of expert on the Buddha or Buddhism. The writer is only expressing his own revelation as it has been presented to him. If you are in disagreement with any statements in this article, the writer is agreeable to leave you with them in peace.

I am guessing that the "thinking" minds really love this Buddha translation:
" Look! See how great thinking is!"
 But is this quote true and is it what the Buddha really said and meant? There is clearly a conflict with this quote’s interpretation and the teachings, so let us explore it.

Images in the Mind...

Thinking is a tool. 

Yet, it is a lesser tool than the gift of the Imagination.

You can Imagine something.
That is a creative action.

You can think about what you Imagined and that is a re-action.

Thinking is always in response to something. Either from the "outside" world, or often in response to itself.

As a tool, thinking can enhance or be useful to a creative act of Imagination.

Losing control of the thinking tool can be very destructive.
Proceed with caution! Be patiently aware and assert your mastery of the tools of your mind.

Love is Not Emotion...

"Obviously love is not sentiment. To be sentimental, to be emotional, is not love, because
sentimentality and emotion are mere sensations. A religious person who weeps about Jesus or Krishna, about his guru and somebody else is merely sentimental, emotional. He is indulging in sensation, which is a process of thought, and thought is not love. Thought is the result of sensation, so the person who is sentimental, who is emotional, cannot possibly know love. Again, aren’t we emotional and sentimental? Sentimentality, emotionalism, is merely a form of self-expansion. To be full of emotion is obviously not love, because a sentimental person can be cruel when his sentiments are not responded to, when his feelings have no outlet. An emotional person can be stirred to hatred, to war, to butchery. A man who is sentimental, full of tears for his religion, surely, has no love."          - Krishnamurti, The First and Last Freedom, pp 232-233

Is Money Really the Root of all Evil?

The following is an exerpt from Ayan Rand's novel,  'Atlas Shrugged". This
monologue is in response to a  character in the book who makes a disparaging remark directed at the speaker, claiming that he is the product of money and that money is the root of all evil. His response is very in-depth and will really make you question all our programming about money. It is a very idealistic viewpoint and it would appear that modern culture has drifted far away from that ideal. The movie is fascinating and the novel is even more controversial today than it was back in 1957. We like this quote because it makes us think and even if we are not quite sure what we think about parts of it... we enjoy the exercise!

“So you think that money is the root of all evil?” said Francisco d’Anconia. “Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can’t exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value. Money is not the tool of the moochers, who claim your product by tears, or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible only by the men who produce. Is this what you consider evil? 

The Prodigal Son... a Mystical Revelation

 by Tim Che'

 Here, we will be discussing the biblical story of The Prodigal Son from the perspective of the mystic. And from that perspective the story is a true revelation. Keep in mind that the bible can be read on many different levels and what is interpreted comes at the level of consciousness of the reader or the interpreter.. 

The religious contemporaries see the story as  "A story of forgiveness, redemption, and the unfailing, never-ending love of the Father who waits for each of us to come home."...Which is nice. 

Sometimes the 'father' is seen as a physical father waiting for his long lost son, and sometimes the 'father' is seen as God waiting for you (the son) to come to your senses and return. But the story falls apart when the wayward son returns and gets the robe, the ring, the fatted calf and the party! The faithful son who stayed behind by God's (or the father's) side seems to have

Feed Your Satisfaction... Not Your Hunger

"You may feed your hunger by thinking of your desire, or feed its satisfaction by thinking from its fulfillment." (Neville)

...A critical distinction in the use of your mind towards creative ends. It is important to remember that

thoughts do not create things. 

Thoughts come in patterns from the channel you are tuned into unconsciously. To change to a more desirable channel, one must tune the mind to it by 'Thinking FROM the fulfillment of desire'. That means imagining the FEELING of already having what you now desire. Practice the feeling until it feels natural and normal. You may even lose the feeling of desire for it. The worst case scenario is that nothing will change but you will have the joy of feeling better while you practice. And if you practice, for as little as 17 seconds a day, you WILL see results!

Yoga is Balance...

click to read about YOGA http://lifestyleluminaries.blogspot.com/p/real-yoga.html