Re: Theos-World : Stilling the Mind and Concentration
May 12, 2003 11:29 PM
by leonmaurer
In a message dated 04/29/03 5:29:32 AM, mail@katinkahesselink.net writes:
Hi Leon,
I am amazed at how sure you seem of yourself here. I have tried to
read up (today) on all the messages in this thread and it seems to me
you equate awareness with thought and then conclude that thought is
never still.
LHM: I think you have misinterpreted what I said. I didn't say that thought
can never be still. I said that thought itself cannot be stilled (meaning
stopped). To have a still thought -- like contemplating and pure sky is still
thinking. If you stop thinking, even about the nature of nothing or stillness
itself (such as meditation without a seed), you have, in effect, begun to
kill your mind, and eventually, this will result in a disassociation with the
self.
KH: Well, for me thought is still, sometimes. Sometimes it is still,
sometimes it is a murmer, sometimes I get lost in streams of thought
and awareness is totally gone, though there is thinking. All the
theories in the world won't change that experiential fact. Wether my
awareness is at that moment focussed on buddhi or manas or whatever,
I don't know. But thought is still, sometimes.
LHM: Yes... A thought may be still -- meaning concentrated on a single,
unmoving image or idea (such as contemplating a calm ocean) for an extended
period. But, nevertheless, that "still" contemplation is still a "thought"
in itself. Thus, the mind may be stilled, but the thinking cannot be stopped
without losing consciousness. The aim of all yoga is to maintain continuous
awareness (the Buddha said "constant vigilance") no matter what level of
consciousness one is on, whether asleep or awake.
KH: Then again: never two thoughts at a time? I have read somewhere that
one of the aims of occultism is to be able to be conscious of various
things at the same time. Yes, I found the quote, from the Inner Group
Teachings:
>> Inner Group, p. 64
Then the transference of a sensation passing from any organ to the
consciousness is almost simultaneous, if your attention is fixed on
it; but if any noise distracts your attention, then it will take a
fraction more of a second before it reaches your consciousness. The
occultist should train himself to receive and transmit, along the
line of the seven scales of his consciousness, every impression - or
impressions - simultaneously. He who reduces the intervals of
physical time the most has made the most progress. >>
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/mahatmas.htm
LHM: Here, I think they are referring to the different channels of sensory
attention. Being conscious of the state of the body, for example, is not
necessarily thinking about it. Awareness of "impressions" and thinking are
two different functions of the self consciousness. Thus, while we can only
think of one thought at a time, we can be aware of all the impressions of our
senses simultaneously. Don't we ordinarily see and hear simultaneously, and
match words synchronously with the motion of the lips? At the same time we
should be thinking about what is being said, without letting our mind wander.
KH: Stillness of the mind is something the classical theosophical
literature doesn't talk about much. Which is why I asked you for a
reference to where Judge does talk about it. I am asking again. This
question is highly relevant as it touches on how we can include the
insights from Jiddu Krishnamurti and Zen Buddhism into our personal
theosophies.
LHM: I do not remember where I read (some 20 years ago) Judge's remark that
we must "never stop thinking." It could have been in Letters That Have
Helped Me, the Ocean, or in one of his articles or essays. I have never
forgotten this advice, and also considered that it referred particularly to
controlled or contemplative thinking. When Patanjali talked about "Hindering
the modifications of the thinking principle" I don't think he meant to stop
thinking, but simply to control the thoughts that spring up unconsciously.
Thus, stilling the mind -- so as to be able to continuously concentrate on a
single idea -- without being distracted by the constant chatter of the
ungoverned mind. This is similar to the allegory of taking charge of the
Bull in the Zen Buddhist koan. As I understood him, Krishnamurti also taught
this idea of being constantly in control and aware of ones thoughts. This
would apply, even to the thought of the emptiness, or the abstract motion of
the void, when in the highest level of Buddhi consciousness.
KH: I agree that thinking should be controlled. But I don't see how
stillness in the mind would be a problem in controlling the mind.
When you write about seedless contemplation - doesn't that mean
contemplation without an object to contemplate on? Which is a
description of an empty mind, IMO. For me formless "thought" implies
thoughtlessness (in an intelligent way, paradoxically). Every thought
is a thing, a form.
LHM: Not necessarily. When we are thinking of the pure light of the highest
consciousness, we are not thinking of the form of the light but only of its
purity and unity. Thus, abstract thought, such as contemplating the
zero-point and being aware of its emptiness, doesn't have any form... Yet, it
is still thinking. We cannot imagine the mind being empty of thought, even
when we are thinking of the emptiness itself. Therefore, "formless (or
seedless) thought" is not thoughtlessness, but thoughtfulness of the highest
order.
Best wishes,
Leon
Katinka
--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, leonmaurer@a... wrote:
>
> In a message dated 04/18/03 10:28:21 AM, mail@k... writes:
>
> >> As WQJ said, in "Letters That Have Helped Me," we must never
stop
> >> thinking... Even in the deepest meditation.
> >
> >Could you quote a bit more precisely? This is mind staggering to
me.
> >I mean, I do believe that thought is necessary, but to never stop
> >thinking... That is like saying the body should never sit still.
> >
> >Katinka
>
> The comparison is invalid... Since the body (even of the Buddha)
can never
> "sit still"... As everything in it is in constant motion.
Including the mind
> -- as a coenergetic and, thus, material field (or subtle body) of
> consciousness surrounding our zero-point center of awareness. The
latter is
> the only aspect of universal reality which remains forever still --
as the
> receptor, detector, and comparator of all motion or action... And,
although
> its position in 3D physical space can be changed, it always
maintains its
> fixed position relative to Absolute space... Since, it IS coadunate
with the
> "laya-point" or "center" of Absolute space itself -- which is
everywhere.
>
> The mind, as an ever changing field of consciousness, that is one
of the
> seven fold aspects of our nature, and is an integral part of every
eternal
> triune Monad -- has only one function. And, that is "thought" --
as both the
> instrument and the guidance of our awareness and will. Whenever we
are
> awake, and consciously aware of ourselves and its relationship to
our
> environment, the mind is filled with a single thought of one sort
or another
> from one moment to the next (and can never be empty). These
thoughts can be
> either conscious (attended), or unconscious (unattended). Thus the
mind, so
> filled with thoughts, must never be allowed to go off on its own
and create
> thoughts that we are unaware of and which might unconsciously or
consciously
> govern our physical actions against the will of our spiritual self.
>
> The idea put forth by Judge (with reference to the Yoga Aphorisms
of
> Patanjali) was that such thoughts must always be under our
control... So that
> they not only would not run away wildly and distract our attention
with
> fantasy and dangerous ideas (not in accord with nature) that could
lead to
> harmful action... But also, that such "wrong thoughts" should be
replaced
> with positive or "right thoughts" that relate directly to the
conscious
> control of all our activities... Whether in mind when thinking, or
of body
> when acting, or reacting in accord with our will or intent
>
> This practice of consciously controlled thought (that is always
within our
> scope of awareness) -- if engaged in continuously -- prevents evil
or wrong
> thoughts from entering our memory, and thereby governing our
unconscious or
> impulsive actions or reactions, or feeding our prejudices and
biases.
>
> Thus, individual freedom of self, or "enlightenment" and self
determination,
> requires constant attention to and conscious control of all our
thoughts --
> including the thought of emptiness ("0") or the "ultimate division
of time."
> (The Zen koan of the "Ten Bulls" allegorically pictures and
explains this
> process of attaining mastery of one's mind.) See:
> http://www.cs.sfu.ca/people/ResearchStaff/jamie/personal/10_Bulls/
> Title_Page.html
> Patanjali's Yoga Aphorisms, gives us the practical application of
this
> process. As, the Voice of the silence metaphorically describes the
different
> stages of our development along the path.
>
> This practice is the only way that one can achieve "perfection in
the
> performance of action" (The nature of an Adept) -- even when in the
deepest
> meditation while thinking about the true reality of
either "something" (with
> a seed) or "nothing" (without a seed). Remember, to be thinking of
nothing,
> or "emptiness," does not mean to "still our thoughts." Because
directed
> thinking is a willed action, thinking of nothing is essentially no
different
> from thinking of something. Their only difference, catagorically,
is that
> one is "full" of forms and the other is "empty" of form. Thus,
thinking
> always requires thoughts, and thoughts always require willful and
mindful
> attention... That is, if one is to be fully in control of oneself
or, as the
> Buddha said of himself, become "One who is perpetually awake."
>
> Ordinarily, the only time we usually have no capability of
consciously willed
> thinking, is when we are in deep sleep or dead. However, this
applies solely
> to those who are not yet fully enlightened and, thereby, not yet of
the
> nature of an Adept... Who, it is said, is never asleep, but is
always awake
> in the higher (Buddhi) mind -- even when the body sleeps -- or
after death.
>
> Therefore, to arrive at such a state of total wakefulness requires
one to be
> always aware of what one is thinking, and, concurrently, what one
is doing as
> a result of such thinking. This is the essence of free will. Thus,
one must
> never stop thought. Meaning, to be "eternally vigilant" (as the
eternal
> "witness") both within and without -- as the Buddha, WQJ, and HPB
(as well as
> myself and some others :-) advise.
>
> This practice, if engaged in diligently, will eventually open our
mind to our
> constant attention -- so that, when we are dreaming or in deep
sleep, we will
> still be consciously (lucidly) aware of its actions. And thus,
able to
> intentionally change our thoughts and our self determined actions,
at will,
> on any plane of consciousness we focus our attention on. This
expansion of
> our awareness results in the ultimate alignment or centering of all
our inner
> natures (that is the goal of enlightenment) -- and makes us "The
master of
> our fate" (or karma). It is also the condition of the state of
pure
> creativity -- since all of natures hidden (or occult) secrets, and
subtle
> harmonies, are thus opened for inspection and reflection.
>
> LHM
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