Maps of Reality

[filly33]

I'm glad to say that, once, I had broken my map of reality that was formed all through my childhood and teenage years. I realize now that it was short lived. I just woke up from another strain of mental perceptions and I asked myself right away, how did I get sucked back into this?

Does anyone else see themselves getting trapped back into new maps of reality after they have realized this the first time?

I think a good way of keeping yourself from getting caught back in mind made perceptions is to instantly look at the opposite polarity of what your thought is about. If there can be a complete opposite side of something then how can one perception be truth?

I was wondering if anyone else had thoughts on this subject or other ideas to remind oneself of the deep underlying stillness that is present through all perceptions.

Cheers,
Mitch

[pollyanna]

Hi Mitch, not sure if this is an appropriate answer to your question but here goes.

I once had a rigid map of reality or belief system that I believed was the correct one no wonder I irritated people who I constantly used to try to help or save Now I feel like I have an ever open and changing one, thanks to meditation and for me this has made a huge difference.

There's so much room this way for understanding and learning and I'm loving the journey and the wonderful surprises along the way.

I have come to realize the truth that within each problem there is an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem and therefore instead of resisting problems I can now accept and embrace them

How life has changed and how exciting it is to be alive. Happiness and joy to you

[filly33]

Hey Polly.

That is exactly how I feel. Listening becomes a gateway into the unknown where thinking only holds me back.

Stillness is the truth that I am talking about. The place where no judgments are made, inwardly or outwardly. In asking this question I wanted to invite others to share how they deal with not only the big things that cloud our judgments completely, but the little thoughts that are like mosquito flying through our head. I wanted to make the term map of reality so much broader than what people may think about it right now.

I'm talking about language, words of every sort, and how each word was created in stillness, so I look at stillness as a sort of "fountain of creation" so to speak, the place that was there before words ever existed. I want to learn to look at what words are pointing to instead of how they relate to me.

It's so easy to take a few small words and have them completely break someone down, based only on the word itself and, through years of conditioning, the feeling that comes with that word. That's why bullies with words as their weapons can cause so much harm to an ego who believes those words as the truth.

It wasn't till I started driving that I realized just how distracted in everyday life I am. It's because when things happened to me, they induce the exact same reaction or thought and I believe it.

I want to separate. I want to feel awareness. I want to find the place where music hits my ears and not worry about what makes it better or good.

I've been reading Eckhart Tolle again lately, and while skimming though Stillness Speaks I asked myself "when I use my eyes, what am I watching, the me that is awareness, or the man made I that can only be sustained in past and future?" The question floored me.

I also don't feel as troubled as I used to feel. It's more like being bothered, and I'm trying to figure out how to live with the pest.

I'd like to know what other people think of this topic. This is what I believe now, but I'm always open to new and contrasting ideas. Peace and love to everyone here, Cheers.

Mitch

[Edwin]

Originally Posted by filly33

I want to separate. I want to feel awareness. I want to find the place where music hits my ears and not worry about what makes it better or good.

I've been reading Eckhart Tolle again lately, and while skimming though Stillness Speaks I asked myself "when I use my eyes, what am I watching, the me that is awareness, or the man made I that can only be sustained in past and future?" The question floored me.

I also don't feel as troubled as I used to feel. It's more like being bothered, and I'm trying to figure out how to live with the pest.

I'd like to know what other people think of this topic. This is what I believe now, but I'm always open to new and contrasting ideas. Peace and love to everyone here, Cheers.

Mitch

Your question about your eye's and who is watching made me think about a LoA site where I read something along the lines of this:

The way we view our world ( our map of reality ) is based at first on our 5 senses. We think we are connected to the world around us by the use of our eyes, ears, touch, smell and taste.
However, what we percieve as real is really just an interpretation of wavelenghts by our brain. Nothing of the world around us is immediately transferred to the brain.
Light enters our eyes in different wavelenghts, and "hits" the back side of our eye. There, the light is absorbed by our body, and ceases to exist in it's current form, "light". The receptors in the eye send the information of the different wavelenghts to the brain, where the brain processes the information and tells you that you saw a red sportscar. Even tho this goes increadibly fast, and our body really is an amazing tool handed to us for free ( be gratefull ) what we think we see is in fact allready in the past, and not in sync with time. It is however how we percieve the "now".
Same with our ears, the sound "hits" the barrier of our eardrums, and ceases to exist in its current form of soundwaves. There is also radiation, magnetism, all kinds of light wavelenghts that we can't feel or experience, but it is all there.

Scientists have calculated that human-beings can experience just about 3% of the total universe through our senses.

And we base our map of reality on that !

Imagine the infinite possibilities when humans are open to the thought that their reality as they percieve it is extremely limited.

Sorry for this rambling, it might be a bit offtopic even, but it was an eye-opener for me.

On-topic, I have noticed 2 things in my life that needed improving:

- I didn't have enough fun

A friend of mine was promoted to manage a production department of a company.
He managed to increase work productivity by 4, not just because he is brilliant in what he does, but because he is constantly joking with his colleagues. He said to me " Sure work is important, but more importantly, by the end of the day, you have to be happy that you went to work, and the only way to do that is to have as much fun as possible."
funny story: The director tried to pull a prank on him, and scared him by shouting "Boo" when he walked in the office. In one of those reactions that you have no control over when being scared like that, he almost knocked out his boss with a very solid punch to the chin. They have been laughing about that for 2 weeks, and he was never in trouble. Imagine that !

- I didn't "count my blessings" enough

The importance of the gratitude excersise has been pointed out several times in the forum, especially by Pollyanna, who is just about an expert in positive thinking, enjoying life to the fullest, and of course LoA.

But gratitude goes beyond just that, think of the gratitude excersise as a guide to how to live your life ! If you feel grateful for all that you have, the people you meet, when you start living your life in full gratitude every minute of the day.... Wow.... it will change your life. When you feel gratitude there is no place for other emotions ( apart from Love of course ).

There is so much to be thankfull for, just the fact that you are here, with all the blessings that come with it...

starting to feel like a preacher, but it is how I feel

[filly33]

Thanks Edwin. Sometimes I get so caught up with all the things I hate that I forget there are things to love, to live for. With stillness I need to remember to shift my perspective.

We only experience 3%!!! What? What else is there? Wow, I've been floored again. Imagine living at 100%! What would that be like?

I guess what I need to do is accept that even a thing like interpreting senses takes time, and I can't have it all at once. Patience is a virtue I'm trying to teach myself.

I feel like living is both the theory of the really big and the theory of the really small all bundled together. The String Theory of life, if you will. There are the parts of my life that are big, that seem important and I have to deal with them as such. But then there are the small things, the things I can't see, like my map of reality or my unconscious self, all of those subtle ways in which I'm programed to think. Those things need to be looked at carefully. And then there is a connection between the two, my map of reality draws to me all things that I either like or dislike. I think I'm starting to understand the law of attraction now.

Sometimes I think about things like how eating a candy bar makes me temporarily happy, it triggers a feeling that makes me feel a little bit better, but what is happiness? Someone told me along the line that that feeling was "happiness" and so I contained that feeling into a jar that can only opened when that candy bar hits my mouth? What happens when I don't get that feeling from a candy bar?

Can I change this mind made reaction or is it absolute? I think I can change it. That kinda scares me a little, at just how vast things can be if I let them. But instead I stick to my pre-labled jars of thoughts, feelings and, in the end, experiences because it gives me the illusion that I know.

Anyways, I'm ranting now.

Cheers,

Mitch

[Edwin]

With your example of candy bars and the feeling you get from it...

A Zen master was asked what made him different from normal men.
He answered, when I am sitting, I am sitting, when I am walking, I am walking, when I am drinking tea, I am drinking tea.

The questioner answered: But isn't that what I am doing, too ?

No, the Zen master answered, when you are walking, you are allready thinking about sitting, when you are sitting, you are thinking about drinking tea, when you are drinking, you are allready thinking about walking again.

So, coming back at your candy bar, eating the candy bar and becoming happy from it is a normal reaction to a pleasant action, eating something sweet and chocolate. This can never be wrong, as long as you are eating this bar, you feel good, because there is a lot to enjoy, and you are enjoying it.
When the candy bar is finished, you feel sad that the candy bar is gone, and want to go back to eating another one, and that is where the disbalance comes from that the Zen master meant.

After having finished the candy bar, you might have some dishes to do, or tidy up your room, or write an essay for school, or whatever.
With the practice of gratitude, you can learn to enjoy all those other things just as much as eating the candy bar. By enjoying every part of your life as much as the other, you have a very rich life, full of blessings, without the need to any kind of addiction, be it sweetness, alcohol, drugs or any other thing. Not having the need for these addictions doesn't mean that you never want to eat another candy bar, or drink a beer with friends, or that any of that would be wrong. It just means that you don't feel the need for another candy bar, or another beer to keep feeling good, so you wont gain weight or get drunk beyond control. The source of your happiness doesn't come from a bottle or an open wrapper, but from within you.

Stimulate yourself to have as much fun as possible, smile and laugh as much as you can for a week and watch the effects on your health and wellbeing, as well as your emotional health.

And try not to take the world too seriously, or yourself, when you make a fool of yourself, or anybody else tries to, just laugh about it, smile to the person that intended to hurt you, tell them what a good joke it is. Jesus told us to "turn the other cheek", and this is what he meant imo. Make a photograph of yourself with pink sungla... oh wait that's me

[pollyanna]

Wow Edwin you are as always, uplifting and encouraging. I am so pleased that you have created the habit of "Counting your blessings" As you say, it is truly amazing and the best way to live.

My husband fit a new shelf in the kitchen the other day to hold jars of coffee, tea, sugar, rice, flaxseed etc. He added hooks underneath to hang cups to save opening cupboards all the time. Now I know this may sound boring to some but I really enjoyed filling it up with nice things (including bon bons and other little treats) to offer special people like Mitch and yourself when they pop round. hehe

The most important things I adorned this shelf with are some inexpensive but very dear to me, little ornaments. 3 monkeys who everyone probably knows who signify, see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. I love them dearly and they remind me many times in the day of their great wisdom.

The other prized possesion hanging from the shelf and in full view are some little silver boxes with pretty bows on top. Many years ago I read a lovely little book called "Silver Boxes". The basis of the book stated, when we are kind and say something uplifting to another it's like giving them a gift all wrapped up in a silver box and tied with a pretty bow on top. They remind me everyday to tell people the lovely things which I am thinking about them. If I keep the thoughts to myself, I am withholding a beautiful gift from someone.

Little habits created one at a time help us all to learn, grow and improve "our map of reality"

When I wake up in the morning, lie down to sleep at night or find my thoughts going somewhere I choose not to go, I count my blessings. It's just a little, albeit an invaluable one formed through repetition.

Mitch, you are so far ahead of where I was at your age. Replacing some of the little habits that don't serve you well with ones that will improve your map of reality and finding the peace within you through daily meditation, I believe you will find an abundance of peace, joy and true happiness.

Thankyou both for your beautiful silver boxes - I will treasure them

I wish you a lovely week-end filled with love and joy

[filly33]

Originally Posted by Edwin

With your example of candy bars and the feeling you get from it...

A Zen master was asked what made him different from normal men.
He answered, when I am sitting, I am sitting, when I am walking, I am walking, when I am drinking tea, I am drinking tea.

The questioner answered: But isn't that what I am doing, too ?

No, the Zen master answered, when you are walking, you are allready thinking about sitting, when you are sitting, you are thinking about drinking tea, when you are drinking, you are allready thinking about walking again.

So, coming back at your candy bar, eating the candy bar and becoming happy from it is a normal reaction to a pleasant action, eating something sweet and chocolate. This can never be wrong, as long as you are eating this bar, you feel good, because there is a lot to enjoy, and you are enjoying it.
When the candy bar is finished, you feel sad that the candy bar is gone, and want to go back to eating another one, and that is where the disbalance comes from that the Zen master meant.

After having finished the candy bar, you might have some dishes to do, or tidy up your room, or write an essay for school, or whatever.
With the practice of gratitude, you can learn to enjoy all those other things just as much as eating the candy bar. By enjoying every part of your life as much as the other, you have a very rich life, full of blessings, without the need to any kind of addiction, be it sweetness, alcohol, drugs or any other thing. Not having the need for these addictions doesn't mean that you never want to eat another candy bar, or drink a beer with friends, or that any of that would be wrong. It just means that you don't feel the need for another candy bar, or another beer to keep feeling good, so you wont gain weight or get drunk beyond control. The source of your happiness doesn't come from a bottle or an open wrapper, but from within you.

Stimulate yourself to have as much fun as possible, smile and laugh as much as you can for a week and watch the effects on your health and wellbeing, as well as your emotional health.

And try not to take the world too seriously, or yourself, when you make a fool of yourself, or anybody else tries to, just laugh about it, smile to the person that intended to hurt you, tell them what a good joke it is. Jesus told us to "turn the other cheek", and this is what he meant imo. Make a photograph of yourself with pink sungla... oh wait that's me

My example of the candy bar worked! Even though it wasn't about me, just an example I came up with, you answered my question beautifully, however indirectly. (sometimes I speak too much in metaphors)

In the past few days things have been coming together so nicely for me. Even though my friend pointed out my greatest flaw and we got into an argument, which seemingly is a horrible experience for myself, I've felt an inner calm and an acceptance to not only what he said, but the fact that I can change. Really, its a blessing to hear the same things that go on inside my head from someone who is outside. It further roots myself in the knowing that we are all one.

Oh and that's a badass picture, dude. Those sunglasses are tight.

Thanks again Edwin. You've been a great friend.

Mitch

[filly33]

Originally Posted by pollyanna

Wow Edwin you are as always, uplifting and encouraging. I am so pleased that you have created the habit of "Counting your blessings" As you say, it is truly amazing and the best way to live.

My husband fit a new shelf in the kitchen the other day to hold jars of coffee, tea, sugar, rice, flaxseed etc. He added hooks underneath to hang cups to save opening cupboards all the time. Now I know this may sound boring to some but I really enjoyed filling it up with nice things (including bon bons and other little treats) to offer special people like Mitch and yourself when they pop round. hehe

The most important things I adorned this shelf with are some inexpensive but very dear to me, little ornaments. 3 monkeys who everyone probably knows who signify, see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. I love them dearly and they remind me many times in the day of their great wisdom.

The other prized possesion hanging from the shelf and in full view are some little silver boxes with pretty bows on top. Many years ago I read a lovely little book called "Silver Boxes". The basis of the book stated, when we are kind and say something uplifting to another it's like giving them a gift all wrapped up in a silver box and tied with a pretty bow on top. They remind me everyday to tell people the lovely things which I am thinking about them. If I keep the thoughts to myself, I am withholding a beautiful gift from someone.

Little habits created one at a time help us all to learn, grow and improve "our map of reality"

When I wake up in the morning, lie down to sleep at night or find my thoughts going somewhere I choose not to go, I count my blessings. It's just a little, albeit an invaluable one formed through repetition.

Mitch, you are so far ahead of where I was at your age. Replacing some of the little habits that don't serve you well with ones that will improve your map of reality and finding the peace within you through daily meditation, I believe you will find an abundance of peace, joy and true happiness.

Thankyou both for your beautiful silver boxes - I will treasure them

I wish you a lovely week-end filled with love and joy

It was a pretty damn good weekend, thanks. haha.

I've started doing little things to remind myself of the different ways I'm unconscious. On my door I hung a piece of paper with the words "can you do something without expecting a reward" written in bold letters. It reminds me everyday to do the things life gives me and thank life for the opportunity. It's small, but it helps.

Keep telling those stories. Thanks again.

Mitch

[filly33]

Recently I read the Tao Te Ching and one main thing that was said over and over was do nothing. Do nothing, and then things will get done.

I feel as if presence can also be called nothing, or no thing. Become nothing, and allow something to happen. If I am nothing (I'll also call nothing Life) then I am the thing that allows my body, my mind, my reactions, other reactions and all things to happen. And I know that this "no thing" exists because without it we wouldn't know that there are things, or sounds, or feelings.

Mitch