Hello Beautiful!

It looks like you're new to The Community. If you'd like to get involved, click one of these buttons!

In this Discussion

"Power of Now", "A New Earth", Living in the Present

2»

Comments

  • Blue_EyesBlue_Eyes Raw Master

    I am on my second time around reading it. But not to sure on what to say even thou I get the book I find it hard to get my mind to shut up long enough. they say it takes time but I have even bought meditation tape to help me out and I cant stop thinking and when i try i am only “thinking of not thinking” how do i shut it off? I have used daydreaming as a way to escape a bad childhood and then to escape life because instead of learning how to deal with life i just tuned it out. Now when I pay attention to what is going on it scares me and that makes me just want to crawl back into the hole I have dug for myself I know I have brought this on myself it is just so hard to stop it has become second nature to me I do it without even noticing that I am lost again.

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    BLUE EYES Everyone’s experiences are different and I can only speak to my own; however, when talking with others I regularly sit (practice meditation) with our individual experiences are all on the same track and similar. On a personal note, I can relate to everything else you said.

    For me, I was annoyed that I could not get my mind to stop. Daydreaming is not the same thing as attempting to be “now” or meditating. When you daydream, your mind is projecting itself on a contrived future so you still aren’t in the present. The mind is an unruly creature and it takes time to tame.

    I didn’t have any success with most meditation techniques I learned and then I switched to the breath. Yes, my brain said “in, out, in, out.” The brain likes to be entertained and in control. What worked for me, and may work for you, is I tried to focus on how my body felt when I breathed in and out so I was not drawing mental images or making up a monologue. It doesn’t matter if the first 100 times you do it you can’t reach a clear moments. One day, after hours of excruciating meditation (meaning that it never worked), I realized for just a moment that a dog outside was barking and I wasn’t thinking about it. Then of course the moment I thought about it the moment was gone. It didn’t matter. I still had it and the more you do it the more it will work. I do have to say that for the first year every time I sat I felt it just got more difficult. However, all my meditation mates assured me eventually it will work. I know that sounds kind of stupid but if you just do it that is all that matters.

    I didn’t think my meditation was helping me at all and then one day I found myself in an incident where normally I would have gone right over the edge and introduced everyone around to Turbo Bitch. Instead, I remained calm and handled it perfectly and when it was over I said to myself, “Who the hell are you?” I realized at that moment that it was all that quiet, meditation that helped me calm my mind enough that I didn’t just fly off the handle. I can say this – The stuff really does work but you have to stick to it.

    It is normal for the mind to wander. When you catch your mind wandering, just remember that is what your mind does and be gentle with yourself. You aren’t screwing up. This is just part of the process. I would get so mad at myself when my mind would wander and then I realized I needed to be more gentle with myself. (That is what abused children do, inside they yell at themselves like their parents did.) I started to look at my mind as a beautiful little puppy that didn’t know any better and when it traveled to a part of the house where it didn’t belong I would pick it up lovingly and place it where it belonged. Whenever I would clear my mind, this is how I would allow myself to feel about my mind. I would do this sometimes several times a minutes.

    To also clear my mind and “forgive” myself for the transgression of not having a clean, focused mind, whenever I would catch myself off track I would say to myself “thinking.” While I thought this I would momentarily imagine a large dimly stage where the outer edges blurred into the dark. I would imagine a large arm cloaked in a beautiful silk drape that covered the stage and when I would say “thinking” the arm would pass over the stage and the silk drape would sweep away my thoughts. Technically, I was allowing myself to think. However, because I am so used to hearing the voice of my parents in my mind it has been hard not to deal with myself in the same abusive manner. This vision was brief, yet beautiful and, for me, instantly allowed me to clean the stage and feel that something wonderful had just happened and I did not warrant forgiveness.

    When I began treating myself with patience and love, it was the beginning of my real breakthroughs in meditation (and everything else in life too). Now, I still have crappy days meditating and can’t wait for my session to be over. It doesn’t matter how the meditation feels just as long as I do it.

    We all need to be gentle with ourselves. It is foreign to know what that is like if you didn’t grow up with it. But you can learn to re-parent yourself and give yourself all the love you need. I promise that you deserve it too.

    Aside from meditation, I very much enjoy arts and crafts. Tedious things, like intricate beading, allow me to create something beautiful and stay in the moment because the focus required to create, when you are really into it, is very intense.

  • Blue_EyesBlue_Eyes Raw Master

    Wonderful Ideas! I never thought of it that way. On your arts and crafts that is how I felt when cooking and I think I miss that so I like trying as many receipes on this site. It does keep me focused I guess I was doing it and not really aware of it, is that possible?!? I will try out some of your ways and see how they work for me. It helps so much to talk to people who are farther along than I am I hope someday I will be of more use to others!! I love ANE i have also read the power of now. he says or maybe I saw someone mention it on this site that rereading the books helps also.

  • drgonflydrgonfly Raw Newbie

    Hi, are there people still reading ANE? I saw this discussion a while ago & finally got it (haven’t read PON yet). Just got thru chapter 2 & went wow, so that’s where my feelings of superiority come from (being more content with less materially, eating better than others, taking care of my body better)! Yes, I have lived in a cave in a sense & have never been exposed to this kind of thinking. What an eye opener! And it helps understanding about others comments, etc & their posturing. I have dial up, so am unable to do the online stuff.

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    DRAGONFLY I am still reading the book but had recent emergencies involving my family and my job that have caused me to deviate for awhile. I hope to be back on track with my routine in about 3 weeks.

  • drgonflydrgonfly Raw Newbie

    Meditating…Hope things work out for the best, may peace & wisdom be yours thru this time.I’ll just keep reading & growing/changing :)

    Wind to thy wings!

  • Blue_EyesBlue_Eyes Raw Master

    I would like to resurect this thread. I have both books with me so I am good with either. Just thinking about how revalations in the bible is believed by so many and since thoughts create we need to get some people awake before this goes any futher!!

    sorry about the bad spelling.

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    I liked the topic and thought the thread would be like a book club. It wasn't and it also seemed I was the only person reading the book so I jumped off. I have been leafing through the books and have since moved on to other topics. I usually read on something and research it for a period. I have so many topics I want to read about. However, if there are others that actually want to go through the book and discuss it I would be open to getting back into it.

  • drgonflydrgonfly Raw Newbie

    Meditating-it would be wonderful to have this start up again. I am finishing the PON & am glad I am reading that first as this is a totally different way of looking at things than I am used to. My background was Christian with right & wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. I'm at an extremely busy time at work (tax season), but would willing switch books as I now have a slight clue about things. :D I was very glad to see this this morning!

  • Blue_EyesBlue_Eyes Raw Master

    I have never been a part of a book club so how is this going to work? we decide to how many chapters at a time and then give so long to post and discuss?

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    Any group can make there own rules. Usually there is a set point in the book for everyone to read through, such as a chapter or chapters. Then there is a discussion on those materials. I have both books and would need to locate them but I am sure they are around. I don't have time to read right now at a fast pace, but Tolle's work is something I have to think about.

    The great thing about a discussion group is everyone tends to pick up on something different or, if the focused on the same thing you did they may see or evaluate it differently.

  • Hey guys! I'm all for joining in. I've been wanting to re-read Tolle's books again as it's been a bit now since I listened to the audio cd's of the two books and it'll be neat to see how much more I might get from the refresher. I have his books, but have actually never read them yet, I as loved listening to the audio book versions in my car and on my cd player and got a lot out of hearing him read his work to the listener. His voice is rather comforting and peace-inspiring... after I got past his unusual (to me) accent. But then I'm from Missouri... ;) Anyway, I'd be interested in starting with "Power of Now" if others are interested in that, too. I know Oprah's people said it didn't matter if you hadn't read it before diving into "A New Earth," but I think it does/would help provide a nice foundation for when you read ANE. After having read both, then watching Oprah's webinar, I thought a lot of people asking him certain questions on her web series would have had a better understanding of what he was speaking about if they had read POW first. But it's all good either way. They both have great points. POW just helps give you a certain perspective that he kind of expands upon in ANE.

    I don't know how often I'll be able to contribute. My computer is acting up a lot and it may be a couple of months before I decide to break down and spend the money on a new one... but I am excited to get back into them. I can say from my own experience of having already read them (listened to them) a couple of times quite a few months ago, it seemed a liitle frustrating to put into practice some of the presence things like not always thinking and becoming still in your mind... but even being frustrated and wanting to be better at it quicker than I was (and am), it has definitely helped looking back now, even though I felt I wasn't very doing real great at it. I think it has taken many years for us to get where we are now in our habits, so it may take us a bit of time to overcome some of the ingrained habits we subconsciously may have. But I can tell you, don't give up, keep trying, and it does get easier. I'm still no where close to where he is... but things have subtly, yet slowly but surely changed for the better... and I expect they will continue. :) It's pretty cool looking back and seeing how things are different even though it only seems like it was my attitude that changed... then things around me started getting better and better. They are not perfect yet. I don't really know if the definition of a perfect life/perfect society is even a true goal to work towards- it is so subjective to each person's perspective. But they are what I make of them and I see how I can have a real choice in that now- especially in how to affect things for myself, even if others around me, or even the economy, are upset or unhappy, or supposedly crashing. It doesn't have to be a horrible thing for us, nor even affect us as much as the tv's and media try to make us think with their negative and fear-based bombardments. That is one big thing I have noticed lately- I am not worried about myself or my future, or our OUR future. *Sigh* But I ramble...

    So off to re-reading and re-inforcing Tolle's message. BTW- It's pretty cool to notice how many others, past and present, who have shared and are sharing the same type of message and wisdom as Tolle's, only in slightly different wordings, formats, or perspectives. I see it all over now. :) Very cool to see how many are awakening to the power within ourselves and making a better earth... and humbling how those before us had the courage to stand up and share before it was "cool" or accepted like it is getting to be today. You can really see that whole "100th Monkey Phenomenom," Universial Grid, Interconnectedness thing taking place.

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    Okay, I found both of my books today. I could not believe it and no one else would either if they saw the condition of my house. I am home ill today but have to be back at work tomorrow. I don't have time to read this week as I have so much paperwork to catch up on but I think I could squeeze in a little time next week. I am pretty swamped until mid-march but could manage a chapter or so weekly. What kind of pace were you guys thinking about? I tend to think I understand Tolle' and then after I think about him a few days I figure out something new. For me, it is like an original translation of dharma teachings.

    I have no preference on which book to start with. Didn't he write the Power of Now first? I really am way past needing to focus on something positive. I have some really ugly cases right now that are just eating holes in my head. I have resorted to playing these mindless video games, which work, but limes and treasure chests are no substitute for something really positive.

  • MEDITATING- It sounds like stressful is an understatement for your case load right now... not to mention the specific cases themselves. I am so sorry that they are messing with your mind. I can only imagine how horrible they must be to do that. We see some bad stuff and heart wrenching stuff as firefighter/EMT's on some of our calls... yet I know the people who see the worst are the people who constantly deal with children victims. I got the impression from some of your previous posts that is what you do much of the time. If I am wrong, please forgive me. I just wanted to lend you some support and heartfelt grattitude for what you do- standing up for our children who cannot stand up for themselves. You are in my thoughts.

    Yes, "Power of Now" was written before "A New Earth."

    I'm good waiting for a time that works best for others. I've never joined a book club either, so not sure what's typical for reading assignments/speed. I'm flexible with it though. Whatever works best for the rest of the group is fine with me. :)

    MEDITATING- I just thought of something. If you are interested in emailing me (addy is on my profile), I could send you Tolle's audio cd's of the books. Don't know if that might be easier for you to be able to listen to in your car during driving time or not, but the option's there if you want it. You'd have to give me a mailing address to send them to and I know you're big on privacy so I understand if you're not interested. Btw- have you tried yoga (with a live and good instructor, not just off a video tape)? Wondering if it might help take your mind off the work. I've found it to be wonderful and quite a full body workout, making you very tired afterward so you're very relaxed... not to mention the conscious and deep breathing practices go right along with what Tolle teaches.

  • drgonflydrgonfly Raw Newbie

    I too, have never belonged to a book club, & am unsure how to go about this. Can I suggest that as we are all busy, as change doesn't happen overnite, it sounds like it would probably work out good for us to take this at a slower pace? It doen't matter to me what book we do. Do we need a leader?

    Wind to our wings!

  • Blue_EyesBlue_Eyes Raw Master

    Great, hello everyone, glad you guys are interested still. I would wouldnt mind starting with the "power of now" first. And i am really looking forward to everyones views.

    Meditating, sorry you are having a rough time at work I hope this will help.

    Aspire good to hear from you again it has been awhile.

    I have found I am much more calmer now not sure if that is just a result of leaving my job I am sure it plays a key role, also I think these books like the others that are bringing it out in the open more helped me to make that decision in the first place.

    Now where to begin.

  • Blue Eyes- thank you! It's nice to be back. Isn't it fascinating how Tolle's work kind of opens up new awareness and attitudes, then new avenues in our lives?! Subtle, yet slowly compounding I feel.

    I don't feel we need a leader. And I think it might be best to have a loosely organized game plan as far as how often to read a chapter, but if others want to pop in later or some aren't able to read as often then we can all ask questions about whatever, whenever we want and we can each try to help each other out. And every time you read it, you seem to get more out of it- and there are lots of different perspectives out there. So this ought to be interesting and fun!

  • Blue_EyesBlue_Eyes Raw Master

    I know what you mean. I have started the power of now again reading it to my husband while going down the road and even thou i have read it twice before there is still some "OH's" going on in my head. I think discussing it and hearing about what others "OH's" they are getting will help us all. You know the first time I read it I did not catch on that he was in fact telling us ways to help get there. Kinda like when i read kevin trudeaus book on "what they dont want you to know" I had went over that book so many times and when a friend made the comment to me that he doesnt tell you anything. I just looked at her because i could see it and was already trying things and well now i understand where she was coming from that things can come as a bit of a shock so to speak and it takes a bit for info to soak in.

    especially when we think of all the things we have been programmed to believe for soooooo long.

    I am going to go back and start at the begininng again so i can better be on the mark with everyone.

  • drgonflydrgonfly Raw Newbie

    That sounds great Aspire & Blue Eyes. I don't know if I'll be able to do a chapter a week, but I'll be able to gain from other's input. I am really looking forward to this!

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    I just read the first half of Chapter One in the Power of Now again. That is as far as I got in that book other than jumping around through the text.

    The concept of truly understanding that we are not our minds takes a while to grasp. I understood when I first read it but that was only because I had read a good deal about Buddhism and had been taught the reason why Buddhist meditate, to stop the mind from thinking and, for lack of a better phrase, escape its control. We are so accustomed to understanding ourselves to be what we think, that it is hard to imagine that we could be anything else. If you are more than your body and who you think you are is not who you are then what else exists that would make me a me? Then you deal with the deeper issue, there is no me. My individual existence is a figment of my imagination. Now that sounds so very hokey but it really isn't once you begin to understand the deeper meaning.

    Experiencing the world by identifying our physical nature as "me and us" vs. "you and them" has a survival purpose. If I see myself and my offspring as entities separate from everything else, then I understand the importance of protecting and caring for the physical body. Humans, having the capacity of cognitive thought, carry that notion to another level that would seem to be beyond instinct or emotion experienced by other animals. That is why they still live in the now. This is why I always envy the image of a cat under a tree just hanging out for hours and being a cat. She doesn't have a mortgage and doesn't worry about where her next meal is coming from. She just is.

    I am going to start the second second on Freeing Yourself From Your Mind, and concentrate again on "watching the thinker." I haven't spent as much time lately as I should identifying my thoughts as just thoughts and not my life. In the past, I found that to be an excellent tool to understand how my mind was controlling me. Being controlled by your mind is easy. Learning to control your mind - much harder thing to do. Lots of work initially.

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    ASPIRE - I think "empty mind" meditation is really hard until you reach the stage where you know it works if you just do it regularly. It works even when you don't think it is working and then later on you realize it is. When I was first learning to meditate, I was always frustrated by the fact that I could only experience "mindlessness" for a few seconds. The first time I found mindlessness I was meditating at the local Dharma Center and there was this dog barking outside and I kept hearing him and I was thinking that I could hear him. Sometime later, as meditation continued, I realized he had been barking but I was mindless (LOL) so although I heard it the sound had not computed in my brain. I was so excited because the dog had been barking and I wasn't thinking about it. yet I was disappointed because it only seemed to last a second and my pitiful mind would not release me for any longer than that. Finally, i realized that when mindlessness happens, "I'" am not there so I really didn't know how long it lasted. Understanding and reflecting on time is a mental concept. Once I started looking at it that way, it was much easier for me because it could have been much longer than I realized because there was no sense of time where I was at.

    I have similar conversations with myself when I stop to evaluate my thinking. When I find that something upsets me I often stop and ask myself if what I think has happened or is it just the way mind thinks it happened. So here I sit trying to separate my mind from reality.

    I too thought that maybe the fear came from us being separated from the whole. I heard our existence explained once that consciousness is the Source and living matter is the vehicle through which the Source experiences the material world. Then there was the teaching on the ocean and how each person is a wave in the middle of the ocean and when it peaks and levels out, ceasing to be, it is not gone but is returned to and again becomes part of the ocean. I found both of those teachings to be very comforting and helped me try to understand where we may come from and why we are here.

    I am more of an analytical thinker. I have developed that process to protect myself from bad decision making, others, and to keep my emotions from running away. I love the concepts that we are more than our bodies and individual minds, but I am not convinced yet that my consciousness of self isn't just a by-product of the chemical reactions in my brain. That isn't nearly as wondrous or romantic a notion as what Tolle teaches, and I love the whole idea of it. I try to read up on quantum physics and the Abhidharma teachings. But for me, claims of any form of existence after death is still a hypothesis, but Tolle's version is so alluring that I slip into it often. I hope one day I do find something that makes me a believer other than the desire for it to be true.

  • Ok, just me rambling about some of my thought so far. Kind of me thinking out loud about what he wrote. Ideas subject to change. ;)

    I just finished the first chapter finally. I noticed as I backed up and re-read a bit of what I had struggled with absorbing a couple of days ago, it seemed to make sense to me easier and quicker this time around... which was nice. I must have been more preoccupied in my Mind the other day. :)

    It IS/was really deep, and quite mind-blowing, when you first start grasping the notion that we are not our Minds... that we are not our bodies or the intellect "inside" them... that we are beyond those... we are infinite consciousness, I feel. Infinite consciousness, or infinite Being, choosing to partake in a a "game" if you will, of feeling and experiencing this particular time-space realm of experiences and "things." To me, I picture it as us originally being a Whole and we choose to take just a piece of the Whole and play a "life" of it as an individual, possibly even learning to become closer to the Whole again, finding the pieces that lead us back there. And each of us are just a different piece of the same Whole, with totally different experiences, but from the same Source. And that is what makes this game so interesting. Infinite possibilites, creations, and experiences. And it also makes it much easier for me to understand that we are all interconnected, that all tings are interconnected, from the same one original Source.

    It is really hard to remain in the "no-Mind" Presence. It is even hard initially to find it! For me at least. Having been trying (and feeling as if I was most always failing miserably, too) for a few months now, I can now sense that it is becoming easier. Much easier at certain times than at others, but overall I am feeling much of the time an inner peacefulness... despite the doom and gloom of what the media and people around seem to be constatnly bombarding at us about the economy. Looking back over these last few months since first reading (listening to) Tolle's words, I remember feeling SO frustrated that I couldn't get that sense of "no-Mind" for anything more than a couple of seconds it seemed, if at all. My thoughts would rush right back in before I would realize it. And I was impatient for peacefulness! :) I still have to work at it and some days I'm still not there where I wish to be. But I think I have loosened up a bit about it and quit expecting or judging, which is, in itself I guess, learning to recognize that those thoughts are my Mind, and to just be aware of them and "watch" them without judging. That's the hard part for me- not judging whenever I recognize my thoughts... even the good ones. Anyway, it is interesting to be able to look back and see a difference.

    It can be hard to seperate the Mind from the Watcher at first. I would have a thought and think, "Oh, that's me thinking." But then I would think, "But is that thought I just thought about thinking that is me thinking a thought, too then? And if so, then isn't that a thought too, so then that is my Mind thinking, too?" A weird, vicious cycle in a way. But as I said, I guess practice is making it a bit easier, slowly but surely.

    Although the further into the chapter I got the more profound a reminder and/or concept I was finding almost each sentence, I especially thought the part about there only being one primordial base emotion and that all others are only some form of modification of it to be very intersting. That base emotion, basically, being a feeling of incompleteness, abandonment, which leads to fear. I had considered Fear as the base emotion before his book, so it was intriguing to see it as even deeper beyond fear... or, I suppose, the "why" of the fear. So because we leave the Whole, the Source of All that Is, which is Creativity or Love (as I understand it) then we are able to feel the sense of seperateness Meditating referred to which gives us our individual senses and experiences, but also gives us the sense of incompleteness and utter lacking despite what material things we may gain or mental thoughts we may achieve in this world. So to just learn- actually to remember- to just "be:" be aware of being "Being- beyond these thoughts, beyond this body, beyond any words or definition" is the way to the return of remembering who we truly are. Ultimately we are beyond description because we are beyond any limitations. And as we- the smaller selves we believe we are at first- evolve, we collect more of the smaller "pieces" of who we "think" we are (since we are unable to comprehend the Whole in limited polarity and space-time existences or lower frequency realms) and put them together to gradually form a bigger and bigger piece, while hopefully enjoying the ride or the "game" of experiencing as we go.

    It's fascinating to me to see how what Tolle explains and how Quantum Physics, MetaPhysics, science, religion, and spirituality are all pointing to the same thing ultimately. His work also makes me more easily able to comprehend how anything is possible; how vast and infinite our universe and beyond really are, as limitless as our imagination.

  • Meditating- thank you. The reminder about time being a mental concept was something I hadn't thought about... and yet now that you mention it I am reminded of how physicists are saying that time does not exist in the way we comprehend it here on Earth or in this galaxy. Your reminder has already allowed me to feel better about not being able to maintain a longer sense of "No-Mind" when I want to. And it IS pretty darn exciting to see how it (being present in the Now/No-Mind) is actually working even when you do not realize it is after choosing to TRY repeated little attempts at "No-Mind" throughout the day.

    And your ocean analogy is very nice!

    I like to have scientific facts of why, and how, and IF things work certain ways. I like to be able to come at things from the logical side. I am naturally a very right-brained, intuitive thinker. So I like to strengthen my logical, left-brain side as much as I can studying the latest data our scientists are discovering o theorizing, and I enjoy learning it. And perhaps I will find evidence to the contrary of my intuition, in which case I will reconsider and re-evaluate my understanding and feelings. But my right side is defintiely dominant, with my feellngs and intuition about matters coming much more easily than explaining the logical, scientific aspect of things. I typically will "know" something, but cannot say How I know it... which can be frustrating when you're trying to convince someone else why they should believe you, too. (I know, it shouldn't really matter in the grand scheme... and it doesn't, but it's sometimes nice to be able to. ;) ) It has been neat for me lately learning to trust my intuition and seeing how accurate it has been when I have. This culture does not value intuitiveness nor intuition in ourselves or others as much as I believe we will in the future, nor did in our past. I feel the characterstics of each side of the brain are a complement to each other and should both be valued and used.

    I can understand where you are coming from and I appreciate it. I love how much work and thought left-brain thinkers do for us and our world. Again, it's all about balance and complemtaries to me. Two sides of the same coin. I do sometimes ask myself if the concepts I feel so strongly inside are possibly just a matter of wanting to believe in something more- I know that has been the case for some people with some things; that I see todays' physics and scientific discoveries saying what I want them to say because that it what I want to hear. Perhaps it is so. But perhaps it is true, too. I have seriously considered there being no afterlife. For myself, I simply have a sure feeling that there is more to what we see and experience here. I definitely don't beleive in the dogmatic, archaicly religious, narrow-minded concepts of heaven and hell and one-life-only-type stuff, while still knowing there is more to ourselves than this one short-term life here in this specific body. What else there is I cannot say for sure, and do not expect to ever know while in this limited form. The universe, to me, is just far far too complex, and yet amazingly intricate, down to it finest and smallest details that all somehow work in unison and compliment to be some random luck-of-the-draw chance encounter. I actually believe in both a greater consciousness, evolution, and a Big Bang. They could both happen and not negate the other. But that is my truth. Obviously not for everyone. ...My right-brain dominating there. :)

  • Blue_EyesBlue_Eyes Raw Master

    You guys are so awesome!!

    I don't really have anything to add right now except for a question.

    I have always heard that it takes many years of "practice meditating to actually do it properly and to get much out of it.

    So my question is, How is what this book saying different from regular meditation? or is it????

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    BLUE EYES - I don't think it is any different. I also don't think it takes years of practice to do it properly. You just do it and I personally don't think I could have done it correctly without studying some Buddhist teachings because the basic tenants of "us" not being our minds is so foreign to western culture. Personally , I didn't understand what I was trying to do in mediation until I understood more what the goal was.

    I will also say this, it took me a year to realize that I definitely had a benefit from meditation if I thought I did it right or not and then I stopped obsessing or being frightened by doing it wrong so I got over it and my practice improved. Sometimes you just gotta let it go.

    ASPIRE - I think naturally I have always been more intuitive than logical. I know that sounds contrary to what I said earlier. I also know that people often think things should be a certain way because we want them to be a certain way and they see that as intuition, which is just a desire. That is what I want to guard against.

    I constantly think of things which haven't crossed my mind in years and when I do, I know I need to act on them. I have always benefited from that because the timing was perfect, like the universe sent me a personal message. The last 3 years, I have had lots of messages about my niece. They all told me that there wasn't going to be much time with her and I needed to talk to her and see her as much as possible. I thought that was because she was going to be grown before I knew it. She just turned 16 and was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer about 6 months ago. She will be gone soon and she has been too sick to see. It just breaks my heart but I believe now that somehow I knew that. I did not get to see or speak to her as often as I would have liked. She makes me believe that there may be life after death. She is what they call a very old soul and it is hard for me to imagine she hasn't been here before. I have never told her that. I hope I get the chance to do so.

  • Blue_EyesBlue_Eyes Raw Master

    Meditating-

    sorry to hear of your neice. My brother has multiple tumors in his brain that came from his lungs. He had stage one cancer in his lungs took six groups of chemo and they told him it was gone. then one month later he started having seizures and they now say that he has stage four in his brain.

    and they are now saying they did not want to tell him then that it is uncureable nice huh?

    so i found this "One minute cure" book about hydrogen peroxide that i have been trying to look for for a long time and now the info just fell into my lap a couple days ago i ordered it and am on my way to him by thursday i hope. I am going to do it so is my husband (i have emphysema) and see if my brother will as well (what does he have to lose now right)

    I will keep you posted on it if you want. the site i got it from is www.rebekahspureliving.com

    check it out and see if your neice would be interested.

    from my point of view if the doctors are saying it is uncureable then there is nothing to lose and everything to possibley gain. Because afterall arent we supposed to be of many possibilities and we can create anything so why not create a cure!!!

    love to you all

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    BLUE EYES - Thanks for your kind response. My nieces' mother is a doctor so it is conventional medicine all the way. The type of cancer she has is one of the most aggressive there is so there isn't much hope., They say the chemo is shrinking her tumors but it is also accelerating her death. She is so sick now she can't live at home with her brothers and sisters because she has no immune system. Her quality of life is shit. She rarely wants to see or talk to people. I don't mean to sound harsh, but in a way the treatment killed her months ago when it began because she is no longer the happy, bright little girl focusing on the good things in life.

    I hope your brother has success with his attempts. It is so hard to have a love oned in that position because you feel so desperate to help and there is not much to be done but be there for them.

  • drgonflydrgonfly Raw Newbie

    Oh my gosh Meditating & Blue Eyes! You and your families are certainly going through difficult things! I haven't had time to respond until now, but you have been in my thoughts so much. This monring when I was jogging I was thinking about how I get in a pity party at times during tax season because it's just go, go, go. And then I thought, but I am able to get out of bed, I am healthy, I am able to even jog! I feel for you both as my father died of cancer over 10 years ago. May you & your families have wisdom for this time. May peace be brought to you in special ways throughout this time.

  • drgonflydrgonfly Raw Newbie

    I know others are busy with things in their lives, but I wanted to put my thoughts down as I won't have time again for a while. I have become aware of how addicted I & our society is to thinking! Even when I jog sometimes whole conversations run thru my mind that will never take place! But now that I am aware of it, I can watch the thinker. Before when I would drive home after work during this time (tax season) my mind would be either revved up or burned out & there would be no peacefulness or mindfulness. Now I am able to appreciate the sunrise, trees, snow, sunset, stars, moon, or whatever on my drive to & from work. I am now aware of the life energy that runs through them and me, making us all one. Meditating I appreciate your wisdom that you bring in with your experience on meditating & being in the now. I want to start meditating after tax season (I know now would be a good time for me, but my time is just so limited) and feel that would help me watch the thinker more.

    One of my favorite bosses always told me when I counted down the days to the end of tax season to the time when I used to feel I would have a life again, "Don't wish your life away". That was about 10 years ago. It is a thought I am able to carry with me more because of being more aware thru PON. He died a little over a year ago from cancer. So even though my day may be nothing but constant interruptions, I try to enjoy it, because I may never have another day. Now is truely all any of us have, we just don't realize it.

  • Blue_EyesBlue_Eyes Raw Master

    It is strange the things you pick up on as you need them.

    While reading chapter 5 section "relizing pure consciousness" he speaks of forms not being that important. so from what i gathered from it as our forms are not important just the consciousness so our forms dying we should really not get attached to because we go on.

    my thought processes here, so i see it kind of like when we were little and playing with barbies, the barbies (a form) themselves are insignificant only the consciousness moving them (us, consciousness) then as we grow (evolve) we forget about the barbies and start playing with fashion or what ever (just another form)

    so really our bodies are merely barbies and fashion and as we evolve we shed one for another, just a means to a end.

    the only meaning then on the forms are the ones we place on them and nothing more.

    this comes at a time when i am thinking of my brother (who has decided not to try any more methods to fight the cancer, I tried) so really i am not losing him. he will still be. just the form i know of him will be gone. but he will continue on to whatever it is that takes him on his journey thru evolution.

    that is comforting to me.

    what did you get from this part?

Sign In or Register to comment.