The Thinking Mind & Shattered Hopes

[Guest guest]

The function of the mind/brain is to assist in the surivial of the

bodymind mechanism. Some of its functions run non-stop on auto pilot

(breathing & respiration, cellular communication, etc.). Other

functions come and go, as need be. It is through cognition that we

access and participate in the dream called Life. It is a component

of Totality that allows the play to continue.

There are those who find fault with thinking.

Perhaps we should not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Yes, the mind/brain takes what is Whole and - via thought - divides

and separates the Whole into (as the Taoists say) the ten thousand

things: the entire phenomenal universe. Of course the Whole is never

really separate; it just experiences itself as separate (through the

infinitely many apparent minds). To survive and enjoy existence in

the phenomenal world, thinking is necessary.

There is nothing 'wrong' with thought.

There are, however, two types of thought which appear through two

different uses of the mind.

There is the working mind which produces thoughts that keep us alive:

how to repair broken items, how to navigate from home to work and

vice versa, how to recall and recognize others, how to make a nice,

cold martini! We never have any trouble with the working mind. It

just ... functions. It reminds us to stop at a red light, to feed

ourselves when hungry, to wear clothing that is appropriate for the

weather (thus preventing frostbite or sunstroke).

Then there is the thinking mind. This is the mind that creates our

sense of self. If one likes, it is the mind that gives birth to the

ego, the " me. " And that is where upset resides. This is the mind

that produces such worrisome thoughts as " What will he think if I say

that to him? " " What will happen to me if I do that? " " Should I stay

or should I go? " " What is *wrong* with me!?! " " Why am I feeling so

bad?!? " " What will happen tomorrow? " " How can I assure that I will

get through _____ all right? "

See? Where the working mind is soley occupied with increasing the

probability that the bodymind mechanism will survive, the thinking

mind is concerned with assuring that the ego, the " me " will survive.

And as such it creates problems where there are none. Since there

really aren't any problems (in this arena), there can be no

solutions. But we don't 'get' that; we are convinced, by the

thinking mind, that there ARE problems and, if we believe there ARE

problems, then we expend our energy seeking, looking, searching, for

the solutions. We try, over and over, to 'fix' something that ain't

broke.

An imaginary problem has no solution. Thus the seeking, looking,

searching for a solution continues (although there is none). Round

and round we go, hoping that the next book, the next tape, the next

teacher, the next guru, the next seminar, the next retreat will be

the one to permanently resolve all the problems, ease the aching

heart, dispel the upsets.

And it never happens. Oh, sure, there are respites of quiet, of

temporary peace. We have our moments of fun and enjoyment in life.

We all experience them from time to time, when the waves of upset

quell temporarily. And then the upsets return; automatically they

are seen as a problem. And, robotic like, we are off again, on

another tangent. Running from what is. Seeking that permanent 'fix'

which will for all time eradicate upset.

This is intimately connect to a myth that is " out there " --- the myth

of enlightenment. This is the carrot on the end of the stick,

leading the donkey to plod forward forever. The basic notion

inherent in this myth is that it is possible to get some place where

there is no upset, where life is blissful, where there are

no " issues, " where everything in one's life works just fine and

dandy. [if you think you are not acting out of this belief system,

examine your thoughts closely in this matter. See if this type of

thinking is driving your behavior.] Actually, there IS such a place

where there are no upsets, ever: it is called death. :-))) Other

than that state, expect to have good moments and bad moments. Even

sages experience upset, annoyances, pissy moods, irritation.

The entire search for 'enlightenment' is a futile journey to a never-

never-land where there are no 'bad' feelings, no disappointments, no

upset...where life never sucks. Yes, you can get there, and even

before death! Just get a prefrontal lobotomy. You won't feel any

upset then!

But if you want joy, laughter, pleasure, then you can expect their

complements (grief, sadness, unhappiness) from time to time. There

are no single-ended sticks in phenomenality. Nor are there one-sided

coins either. It is a search engaged in vain. And there is

no " there " to get to (as in " being there " ). Where you are, at any

moment, is " it " - regardless of whether the " it " is joy or grief,

happiness or sorry, serenity or grief. The willingness to not move

from exactly where one is, regardless of how it feels, is the

beginning of enlightenment.

Another part of the myth is that " you " can do something (meditate,

pray, chant, do The Work) to achieve this 'enlightenment.' Do you

still think there is free will? Do you still entertain the idea that

you willfully 'choose' the feelings that appear in the bodymind

mechanism you identify with? Then you are the most deluded. And

there is no need to go any further.

If, however, you acknowledge that thoughts, feelings, attitudes,

sensations, perceptions HAPPEN to the mindbody mechanism with which

you identify, then ... how can you " do " anything to bring about

peace, serenity, satisfaction (even this dearly sought-

after 'enlightenment')?

If you are *NOT* the doer, then the doing happens INDEPENDENT of your

apparent will. Peace, serenity, joy will arise, as will grief,

sadness, and all other forms of upset; all appearing from time to

time. The thinking mind is just greedy. It wants one type of

feeling all the time and the other type of feeling, never. Life as a

phenomenal expression just doesn't work like that (except in the

stories passed, like memes, about a Shangri-la where there is always

Peace and Harmony - call it the spiritual Garden of Eden).

And yet, and yet...there is validity to the enigmatic statement

that " Those who know how to suffer don't suffer. " The recognition

that you didn't cause the whole catastrophe, that you aren't the

screw-up, that you are not responsible for the entire mess ... in

that understanding there is peace. If you want to wake up, you will

have to realize that you are not living -- you are being lived. You

are not dreaming -- you are the dream. Anything else just

perpetuates the story.