Re: conflict in thoughts.

[Guest guest]

I noticed that mental conflicts and

suffering arise when I believe one

thought over the other. Suffering

arises when I think one thought is " me "

or " mine " and other thoughts are

external. Or, when I assume an

ownership of thoughts and think that

there is one thought that I " should "

have while others that I shouldn't

have. When I congratulate myself for

having one thought [and, thus forming

an ultimately painful attachment] and

blame myself for having another [and

thus creating suffering].

For example, I might have a lustful

thought followed little later by the

thought that " I shouldn't lust " . Then,

if I believe the thought of " I

shouldn't lust " more than the lustful

thought that I had earlier or assume

the ownership of either of them; I

create suffering. In reality, both

these thoughts might arise due to

external stimulus alone.

Watching deliberately and well-

targeted and carefully placed

provocative images of Britney Spears,

Madonna and likes might serve as the

stimulus for lustful thoughts. So can

hearing the stories of sexual escapades

of a friend or celebrity. While hearing

a Rabbi speak or reading the life of

Ramana might become a source of thought

" I should not lust " .

Once external stimulus is fed; I might

have little or no choice on having

these thoughts. These thoughts might

keep alternating while I alternate

being fed lust-stimulating images,

stories and movies and preached 'need

to be without lust' at another time

[from rabbi, priest].

Similarly, I might be fed the thought

of need to be thin by one source of

media [or friends, spouse or doctor]

while being fed the need to consume ice-

cream, candies, soda, chocolates,

burgers, pizza, and donuts by

stimulating and carefully-placed

advertisements [or just a natural

craving that occurs after having any

'addictive' food].

As I constantly alternate between

these two inputs, the thought of

" having to eat ice-cream " and " should

not eat ice-cream " too might keep

naturally alternating. Now, if I

believe that the thought that " I should

be thin " [or, that I should eat ice-

cream] is my own, original and I am

having it because of my 'choice' [and,

not because of what I heard, read from

media, friends, spouse, and doctor] - I

create suffering. If contrary to easily

available effectiveness of

advertisement and media, I believe I

really have a choice whether I should

or shouldn't have these thoughts - I

create suffering.

In reality, neither the thought " I

should eat ice-cream " nor " I should be

thin " are mine. These are really just

'repetition' of what is fed through

external inputs and I control the

occurrence of neither. When I clearly

see this, I stop blaming myself for

having one thought and congratulating

myself for having another. Then, if

required I might work to change my

inputs or just see and laugh at my

society that feeds me one thought from

one end and its opposing thought from

another...