You Are Not What You Eat

It's not surprising that we confuse ourselves with our thoughts. In a world that originated the phrase, "You are what you eat", it follows that to be your thoughts might be an improvement. You're not, you know, what you eat. That is to say you are not your body. Likewise, you are not what you think, that is the mind.

The most accurate indicator of what you are is not what but rather, That you think. After That, the thinking is almost, no, actually is inconsequential.  Having this awareness you can turn your attention to the power of being lucid and free your attention from dissecting the story of thoughts the mind assembles to explain away its ignorance of the Truth That is you.

If you were thoughts, you would cease to exist in the space between the thoughts, just as a lamp does not include the space between it and the sofa. Even if your mind runs constantly, there is nonetheless space between the thoughts.

That you do not cease to exist in the space between the thoughts is indicative that you are actually this space in which thoughts may arise. As such, thoughts are entertained like guests, but you are not limited to or by their quality unless that is a thought you choose to entertain.

If you do choose to entertain the thought that you are what you think, that will be your experience until you choose otherwise either by getting to the core of how it works, or via an elaborate arrangement of thoughts that produce some other effect for awhile.  Getting down to the "core" is trimming away excess thought. Sometimes you may find yourself trimming away at the idea that you are your thoughts. Other times you may find yourself thinking that things would be different if you just changed your thoughts, (i.e. from bad to good) but this strategy just reroutes your thoughts.

The hint given earlier that you are not your thoughts but the ability to think, aka consciousness, is a great place to turn your thoughts. Rather than just exchanging them for new, equally limiting thoughts even if they do seem nicer, simply notice that you are thinking and leave it at that.  There is no need for adjustments or changes.

You are not the thoughts or the thinker, but the pure, unconditional stuff in which such ideas and notions are born, take root, act up, change, shift, and disappear.  When you don't identify and evaluate yourself by the quality of thoughts (yours and other people's), you are free from the burden of managing them.  Just let them be, and be amused, served by, done with, and independent of them.  Be lucid.

When Not is a Sound - Introduction

Years ago I made a set of tiny little cards which I carry to re-mind myself. Each card has a drawing and a one-liner that is often both a negation and affirmation.

The first little card posits "I does not exist".  Some of my friends have found this concept to be downright offensive.  But it's just a concept (there is no getting around this if we're going to communicate in this world).  When compared, the concept I does not exist  is about expanding while the concept of the I is to implicitly narrow down and eliminate the possibilities with the hope of getting it right.

How can the concept that something does not exist, particularly the I with which we have identified for a lifetime, also be an affirmation?  When not is a sound.  The spelling of not which is widely interpreted as refuting a possibility (i.e. Not!), also sounds like naught which, while that seems to be nothing, can also be used to describe the as yet Unconditional, or pre-existent nature of being lucid or in a perceptive state without condition. 

With the understanding of not as Naught the phrase becomes, I does Naught exist. What negated identification with the I concept of implicit learning and memory, becomes an affirmation that The limitless consciousness capable of this perception is I.  A little more simply put, does is also as, and so  I as Naught exists.

Naught is in the space between the mitote of thoughts and words the I constantly offers.  It has many names but here it is Not, Nothing and Naught as in unconditional, limitless, pre-existent lucidity.  Most other words known to convey the concept, like Universe,  Brahman, or God carry a charge that ignites the implicit memory, leaving little room for truth.

It is truly the emptiness that offers supreme peace and it is our birthright to know this unconditional reality that simultaneously transcends and enables the limits of the I. As those limits are increasingly  affirmed to be Nothing but lucid, the I becomes an ally in actualizing this intent. You are Naught in existence.

Be Lucid!

Know Nothing

Doing Nothing is not the same as being irresponsible, indifferent or insensitive. Neither is it waiting for something to be done for you.  Doing nothing is allowing the process of being comfortable not knowing and saving our implicit memory the trouble of trying to save us the trouble of needing to know (aka being ignorant).

This process of addressing the dangers of ignorance goes back to childhood when, not knowing, we might have wandered into traffic or touched a hot stove. Once learned, the memory began to implicitly act on this teaching in just about every situation. It must know for us or it's not doing its job.

Since we can't know an experience until we have it, one strategy that is often applied when we don't know, is to backtrack on the three strings of five words starting with experiencing what we had, thought, felt, said or did before things changed  to see what we have always, never, should, could and can't connected to the I, you,we, they and/or this -- now and in the future. This process takes us through all this, believe it or not, so we can be safe in the knowledge and have peace (aka, win, be safe, know, be free).

An example of backtracking would be to hear some news that some one or something is different from our expectations. At that precise moment we don't know what life will be like with this change. The I recalculates memories of what it has always, never, should, could, can't, have, think, feel, say or do in the past, so that in the next moment it can "know" what it can have, think, feel, say, or do in the future with regard to what changed. (by the way, there went your present moment.) 

If we don't see this coming, we are tricked into thinking events (people and things) make us act and react the way we do when it is actually of our own doing (well, it's actually the automatic doing of the implicit memory (the I) which is only a symbol of what we know but which we often mistakenly identify as self).

When we are lucid to this process and consciously choose to do Nothing (don't listen to or create a story) we can know Nothing - the unconditional potential that precedes and supplies the limits of our determination.

This concept of skipping over the story is known in many scientific and spiritual traditions. It is like leaping into a wormhole in the space-time continuum through to the other side without having to endure all the drama. The most ancient Hindu vedas call it Turiya, the fourth or transcendental state.

When something comes up to which the mind would like to add some story, practice doing nothing, let the space of not knowing grow, and get comfortable in it.  When we know Nothing by transcending the limits of the stories or mitote of the implicit memory, there is nothing we can't do!

Be lucid!


Photo: "Stories" by Lev Nicolayevich Tolstoy courtesy of cod_gabriel at flickr.com via creative commons license

Do Nothing

Nothing is widely thought to be just about one of the most irresponsible things people do...or don't do...well, you get the picture. That's because few people understand the value of nothing...it is priceless (read that as free).

For all our dreams and challenges, most people believe there is a price to pay. For every problem that needs to be fixed or goal to be achieved it is widely accepted that we should exhaust all possible interventions and work hard. Until we have tried everything, we just haven't done enough. 

When there's nothing left to do, begin that. It may be the toughest thing you've ever tried, or you might think of it as that tropical oasis vacation you didn't think you could give yourself.   Doing nothing is the secret ingredient without which real and lasting change is impossible to make.  Doing nothing enables the discovery of something unknown to our system of knowing and all the possibilities that can be dreamed from it.

Try this:  Notice the space between your words and thoughts..............take a vacation there................ Breathe into it..................Let that space grow longer and more expansive...................Do this nothingness often.......Especially when listening.....Notice how quickly the mind jumps to fill-in the blanks and affirm, "Nevermind"................Let the space between continue to grow as you allow yourself to not know.................That's lucid.




photo: Playa del Secreto by lecates at flickr.com via creative commons license

A New Freedom

The fourth of July celebrates winning freedom after a long struggle with many casualties.  It was a great accomplishment, one that has lasted for 236 years.  But it is time we enjoy a new freedom, one that does not require struggle.  The USA has defended its right to freedom in 20 wars since the the Declaration of Independence was signed. That's a lot of work, an average of one war every 12 years. 

Everyday there are examples of how we act out this model for freedom. Couples argue and divorce, Minorities sue majorities of myriad configurations, the 99% occupy Wall Street, and the Tea Party wants the very government that protects their right to freedom to stay out of their lives. Is this freedom or a never ending pattern of struggle? With practically everyone in the world thinking this is the way to secure freedom, how can it be any other way?

The wise sages and teachers tell us the appearance of not being free is an illusion and all attempts to change that illusion are fruitless. They talk about liberation but suggest there is no need to struggle for or defend it. They indicate we are simply ignorant of what freedom really is, that we don't know it is already ours not instead of the struggle but as it. They explain that we are using this freedom when we believe other things must change before we can experience it. They warn that any illusion of freedom gained under these conditions requires more of the same to maintain this appearance.

So if it is fruitless to set our sights on gaining freedom that can be limited, and simultaneously silly to struggle with making the limits disappear. What is there to do?  Be lucid. True freedom is in waking up to the concept that while this is the way our lives are created, we are not subject to them. There is no need to change something else or oneself.

It is in the seeing, not the seer or the seen that true freedom lays and our experiences are conceived. Whether they come up as struggle or enjoyment, look into the three strings of five words and see how you are using space, time, and motion to create your experience. Then affirm Nevermind, yes even in the case of enjoyment. Or run the whole mantra to fill in the blanks the mind implicitly fills with reasons that support and perpetuate the concept of struggle.

The better you are able to do this one simple practice under all circumstances, the more you are lucid to and shaping your dream of life, free of all limiting conditions on the spectrum from difficult to delightful. Celebrate and enjoy that today and everyday. Be lucid!

photo:  Freedom is all you need courtesy of Tim Geers at flickr.com via creative commons license 

A New Freedom

 

The fourth of July celebrates winning freedom after a long struggle with many casualties.  It was a great accomplishment, one that has lasted for 236 years.  But it is time we enjoy a new freedom, one that does not require struggle.  The USA has defended its right to freedom in 20 wars since the the Declaration of Independence was signed. That's a lot of work, an average of one war every 12 years. 

Everyday there are examples of how we act out this model for freedom. Couples argue and divorce, Minorities sue majorities of myriad configurations, the 99% occupy Wall Street, and the Tea Party wants the very government that protects their right to freedom to stay out of their lives. Is this freedom or a never ending pattern of struggle? With practically everyone in the world thinking this is the way to secure freedom, how can it be any other way?

The wise sages and teachers tell us the appearance of not being free is an illusion and all attempts to change that illusion are fruitless. They talk about liberation but suggest there is no need to struggle for or defend it. They indicate we are simply ignorant of what freedom really is, that we don't know it is already ours not instead of the struggle but as it. They explain that we are using this freedom when we believe other things must change before we can experience it. They warn that any illusion of freedom gained under these conditions requires more of the same to maintain this appearance.

So if it is fruitless to set our sights on gaining freedom that can be limited, and simultaneously silly to struggle with making the limits disappear. What is there to do?  Be lucid. True freedom is in waking up to the concept that while this is the way our lives are created, we are not subject to them. There is no need to change something else or oneself.

It is in the seeing, not the seer or the seen that true freedom lays and our experiences are conceived. Whether they come up as struggle or enjoyment, look into the three strings of five words and see how you are using space, time, and motion to create your experience. Then affirm Nevermind, yes even in the case of enjoyment. Or run the whole mantra to fill in the blanks the mind implicitly fills with reasons that support and perpetuate the concept of struggle.

The better you are able to do this one simple practice under all circumstances, the more you are lucid to and shaping your dream of life, free of all limiting conditions on the spectrum from difficult to delightful. Celebrate and enjoy that today and everyday. Be lucid!

photo:  Freedom is all you need courtesy of Tim Geers at flickr.com via creative commons license 

Nevermind, Part IV - Motion

By now I have either thoroughly corrupted the theory of relativity, or created a new one. I think we all do the latter everyday. (now that sentence is a good example of what we're talking about.)

This third string of words: Have, Think, Feel, Say, and Do; are the action or motion that are the product of the relativity of space (in this example, I, You, We, They, This) and time (Always, Never, Should, Could, Can't). In other words, our actions are conceived in the relationship of space time. You just can't do anything without these two...even meditate. (Though meditation is being lucid to it).

The union of space time produces the blank which we fill in with "what we know that we know" making the whole sequence seem conscious even though doing so is the product of this automatic process. The story is complete as what Always, Never, Could, Should, and Can't transpire bubbles to the surface concerning what the I, You, We, They, and This may Have, Think, Feel, Say, and Do.

We can't stop the star-crossed relationship of time and space, but we can determine whether or not we want to believe (perceive the concepts of time and space as real) their by-products. It is at this point that the substitution of the word "Nevermind" can stop the story of who/what/where (space), when (time), and how (motion).

The three strings of five words (hey, maybe this is a new string theory?) are loaded with big ticket items just waiting to happen, not just in your relationship with others, but also the way you use these on yourself.

When these blue bunnies appear try this practice:

I, You, We, They, This
Always, Never, Could, Should, Can't

substitute "Nevermind" for the
Have, Think, Feel, Say, Do

Even if you run right through the third string, when you do see it, you may choose to stop the story, wake up, and see that you're dreaming! Then you may consciously choose what to dream, which (at first, and for awhile) is to repeat the Nevermind mantra and bring about lucid change.

Remember the fastest route to catching these strings of big ticket items is to practice noticing the mundane.  Be Lucid.

Image: 4-meter-tall sculpture of Einstein's 1905 E = mc2 formula by Lienhard Schultz at the 2006 Walk of Ideas, Berlin, Germany via Wikipedia article on Einstein's formula on mass-energy equivalence.

Trafficking Mitote

Recently I got lost in the traffic of my mind on the way to work. My thoughts wanted me to know....that's all, they just wanted me to know, especially about what I think. Actually, my thoughts wanted me to know what the "I" (Toltec: parasite, belief system) thinks. "They" say the definition of insanity is doing what you have always done while expecting different results. Thoughts always lead to more thoughts. The Toltec call it Mitote, and the "I" is all about it.

It had been awhile since "I" went off like that and for awhile I allowed myself to get caught up in what "I" believes, which is a little ironic since I would like to forget what "I" believes. That's kind of the whole point of what I choose to believe: nothing.

This went on until I drove around downtown on I-75 north after having driven south on 71 to get there due to the Levy being closed at the 75-South exit. My trail of thoughts was twisting and turning in like manner.  Thankfully, just as I found my exit on the highway, I found my way back through the thoughts in my head and saw the light at the end of the tunnel. It was the difference between perceiving, conceiving and believing.

 

It's not what "I" thinks or knows, but the ability to perceive that's important, that's the ability to be lucid. When I choose to (or automatically) do something with the ability to perceive, then I conceive by adding what "I" knows to perception making it something meaningful for me. This is where we learn to place our attention most of the time, missing the fact that we are perceiving.  The mind hurries up and does something with it so it "knows" what's going on. And then it goes on. If "I" perceives these conceptions as true then "I" believes its own illusion.

Perceiving, not what you think you know but perceiving that you are perceiving, is being lucid. You don't have to drive through the downtown traffic of your mind to get there. Just notice you are noticing and let go of the need to develop a story about it and know what that means to you. Then all roads to suffering will disappear.

In what remembers we practiced seeing that we are not the seen (conceptions believed) .  Here is a practice for seeing that we are also not the seer when you don't add the "I'"s knowledge to the seeing.

Try this: just let your eyes rest lightly on something but don't even think of it as something. For example, if you were to look at a glove, you would try not to name it "glove". Notice then what the mind might offer to define it...thread, soft, warm? Let it go right past your ever grasping attention to the tune of emptiness. See it as if it's the first time ever, having no descriptive words or comparisons. This is a mundane exercise which at first only lasts for a micro-moment when you hit on it. But it can grow into your experience and at some point, you will see a big ticket item in the same way.

Be Lucid!

Photo of Lytle Tunnel courtesy of chapstickaddict at flickr.com