Re: The Work on Reality

[Guest guest]

Thank you everyone for your very thoughtful replies. I think what

stood out the most in terms of identifying " reality " are the two

following quotes from two different people:

" We don't need to understand what Reality is, or we would.

What would I get for holding a belief that I should understand

anything? "

AND

" I see Byron inserting a false and misleading duality here; it

appears to me that she is saying: there is *reality* = what is. Then

there are also thoughts. But they aren't reality. If thoughts

aren't reality, what ARE they? Nice try, Byron. ;-))) "

Ok, well based on this I am going to go back to basics and actually

do some Work (gasp) on this. What is my story telling me?

" I need to understand what Reality is. "

1. Is that true? YES

2. Can you absolutely know this is true? No, I guess not.

3. How do you react when you think this thought? I feel stressed.

I feel I am not " doing " life right. I feel if I can't understand

reality, I will be stuck in confusion (UB: It is wrong to be

confused. --Is that true?). I feel I will always be caught in the

ego, unable to feel peace. If I don't understand Reality, I will

never be enlightened!! I will be a miserable worm that does nothing

but suffer.

Oh honey, where does your mind go when you think these thoughts? To

sadness. I think: What's wrong with me? I am stupid. I am a

disappointment. I feel a lot of self-hatred when I think this

thought. I have to ask whether I am deluding myself since I don't

understand the Real. (UB: There is such a thing as delusion/ the Real)

Baby, you will always suffer. Is that true? What's the reality of

it? I don't know that I will always suffer. I am just afraid I

will.

Can you be with the one who is confused? The one who is in the

process? What does she want? What she wants is to feel safe. That

she can trust herself and The Plan no matter what it looks like.

Can you do these things for her, love? I can be with her. Even if

she doesn't know what the hell is going on or what to call it -

reality, confusion, delusion, fear... a hundred things all occurring

at the same time. Just to sit with her and what is going on... I

think that's the only thing I can do - is to be aware.

Excrutiatingly aware. The trick is to not judge.

How are you? Better - I can see how much judging creates

confusion. I am trying to fit Reality into some kind of box... and

it is just too big. There is the physical, the mental, the

emotional, energetic, psychic, blah, blah.... all occurring

simultaneously. I just don't know how to process ALL of THAT...

to " be in that. "

What do you want to hear from me angel? That this is easier to

understand than I think.

Well you just said it sweetheart! You got it. I do? I sometimes

think I do and then it slips away, and I'm left feeling like a dufus

again.

Yes, love, because that's reality - sometimes you feel like a dufus,

sometimes you feel confused, sometimes you feel joy... and most of

the time there is more than one feeling or thought taking place.

Reality is IT ALL. And in ALL of that, in that moment, if something

causes you stress, investigate. If it doesn't, welcome to life.

4. So who would you be if you could never think that thought

again? If I wasn't able to think I need to understand Reality, I

would feel less frustration. Less necessity to figure everything out -

which just seems impossible. Of course, w/o the thought I would

eliminate a lot of shame. I think this need to understand Reality is

a subtle way of resisting Reality... another way for the mind to

exert some control. With more and more awareness of its lack of any

control, this is a way the ego gets to continue feeling " safe. " It

senses it's own diminishing power and is trying to get " me " to buy

into another story - one that says, " you need to understand

reality... if you don't understand reality, you'll never be self-

realized... and I know how much you want that... so let's try and

figure this out. " LOL. As if.

How does that feel? I just want to laugh. Sneaky little bastard. I

have to love it. I mean, this ego stuff. It's so clever and

twisted. I am so grateful. I mean, it's all really no big deal is

it?

How would you live your life differently? Maybe I could start to

feel relaxed about my life. Maybe I could stop feeling so nervous

about screwing up, about ruining my chances at happiness. Maybe I

could actually start to enjoy myself.

Turn Around:

I do not need to understand Reality.

I need to understand my thinking.

I need to understand myself.

I don't need to understand myself or my thinking (until I do).

I am willing to not understand Reality.

I look forward to not understanding Reality.

[Guest guest]

Lovely piece of Work. Much freedon there.

The " need to know " is keeping one from the knowing.

You said " The trick is to not judge. "

Not possible in my experience. As says, " Judging is what we do

best. "

For me, " The Trick " is to be " willing " to question the mind and

to " see things another way. "

Love, Steve D.

> Thank you everyone for your very thoughtful replies. I think what

> stood out the most in terms of identifying " reality " are the two

> following quotes from two different people:

>

> " We don't need to understand what Reality is, or we would.

> What would I get for holding a belief that I should understand

> anything? "

>

> AND

>

> " I see Byron inserting a false and misleading duality here; it

> appears to me that she is saying: there is *reality* = what is. Then

> there are also thoughts. But they aren't reality. If thoughts

> aren't reality, what ARE they? Nice try, Byron. ;-))) "

>

> Ok, well based on this I am going to go back to basics and actually

> do some Work (gasp) on this. What is my story telling me?

>

> " I need to understand what Reality is. "

>

> 1. Is that true? YES

>

> 2. Can you absolutely know this is true? No, I guess not.

>

> 3. How do you react when you think this thought? I feel

stressed.

> I feel I am not " doing " life right. I feel if I can't understand

> reality, I will be stuck in confusion (UB: It is wrong to be

> confused. --Is that true?). I feel I will always be caught in the

> ego, unable to feel peace. If I don't understand Reality, I will

> never be enlightened!! I will be a miserable worm that does

nothing

> but suffer.

>

> Oh honey, where does your mind go when you think these thoughts?

To

> sadness. I think: What's wrong with me? I am stupid. I am a

> disappointment. I feel a lot of self-hatred when I think this

> thought. I have to ask whether I am deluding myself since I don't

> understand the Real. (UB: There is such a thing as delusion/ the

Real)

>

> Baby, you will always suffer. Is that true? What's the reality of

> it? I don't know that I will always suffer. I am just afraid I

> will.

>

> Can you be with the one who is confused? The one who is in the

> process? What does she want? What she wants is to feel safe.

That

> she can trust herself and The Plan no matter what it looks like.

>

> Can you do these things for her, love? I can be with her. Even

if

> she doesn't know what the hell is going on or what to call it -

> reality, confusion, delusion, fear... a hundred things all

occurring

> at the same time. Just to sit with her and what is going on... I

> think that's the only thing I can do - is to be aware.

> Excrutiatingly aware. The trick is to not judge.

>

> How are you? Better - I can see how much judging creates

> confusion. I am trying to fit Reality into some kind of box... and

> it is just too big. There is the physical, the mental, the

> emotional, energetic, psychic, blah, blah.... all occurring

> simultaneously. I just don't know how to process ALL of THAT...

> to " be in that. "

>

> What do you want to hear from me angel? That this is easier to

> understand than I think.

>

> Well you just said it sweetheart! You got it. I do? I sometimes

> think I do and then it slips away, and I'm left feeling like a

dufus

> again.

>

> Yes, love, because that's reality - sometimes you feel like a

dufus,

> sometimes you feel confused, sometimes you feel joy... and most of

> the time there is more than one feeling or thought taking place.

> Reality is IT ALL. And in ALL of that, in that moment, if

something

> causes you stress, investigate. If it doesn't, welcome to life.

>

> 4. So who would you be if you could never think that thought

> again? If I wasn't able to think I need to understand Reality, I

> would feel less frustration. Less necessity to figure everything

out -

> which just seems impossible. Of course, w/o the thought I would

> eliminate a lot of shame. I think this need to understand Reality

is

> a subtle way of resisting Reality... another way for the mind to

> exert some control. With more and more awareness of its lack of

any

> control, this is a way the ego gets to continue feeling " safe. " It

> senses it's own diminishing power and is trying to get " me " to buy

> into another story - one that says, " you need to understand

> reality... if you don't understand reality, you'll never be self-

> realized... and I know how much you want that... so let's try and

> figure this out. " LOL. As if.

>

> How does that feel? I just want to laugh. Sneaky little bastard.

I

> have to love it. I mean, this ego stuff. It's so clever and

> twisted. I am so grateful. I mean, it's all really no big deal is

> it?

>

> How would you live your life differently? Maybe I could start to

> feel relaxed about my life. Maybe I could stop feeling so nervous

> about screwing up, about ruining my chances at happiness. Maybe I

> could actually start to enjoy myself.

>

> Turn Around:

>

> I do not need to understand Reality.

>

> I need to understand my thinking.

>

> I need to understand myself.

>

> I don't need to understand myself or my thinking (until I do).

>

> I am willing to not understand Reality.

> I look forward to not understanding Reality.

[Guest guest]

The " need to know " is keeping one from the knowing.

You said " The trick is to not judge. "

Not possible in my experience. As says, " Judging is what we do

best. "

*****Several months ago Jan shared a comment of Nisargadatta's: " All

thought is judgment. "

I spent several weeks looking at this, both in thought and

nonthought and it seems right on. Even so casual --

and " objective " -- a thought as " I need to use a screwdriver to do

this fixin " contains a " judgment " : that one tool is " better " for the

job than another.

[Guest guest]

Dear Andy,

Thanks for reminding me of " All thought is judgment. "

That has certainly what I have found. Furthermore, I have found that

all of My Thoughts are not true.

Going back to the discussion on What the heck is Reality, I feel that

reality is your perception. It appears that when says " Arguing

with Reality is hopeless " is right on. The only way to change

reality is to change what is coming from the projector.

Blessings, Steve D.

>

>

> The " need to know " is keeping one from the knowing.

>

> You said " The trick is to not judge. "

> Not possible in my experience. As says, " Judging is what we do

> best. "

>

>

> *****Several months ago Jan shared a comment of

Nisargadatta's: " All

> thought is judgment. "

>

> I spent several weeks looking at this, both in thought and

> nonthought and it seems right on. Even so casual --

> and " objective " -- a thought as " I need to use a screwdriver to do

> this fixin " contains a " judgment " : that one tool is " better " for

the

> job than another.