MISIDENTIFICATION, NOT MIND, IS THE PROBLEM

Learn meditation techniques to relax and improve your own thought processes.

Moderators: eye_of_tiger, shalimar123

Post Reply
Pravin Kumar
Posts: 7094
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 2:08 pm
Location: bombay

MISIDENTIFICATION, NOT MIND, IS THE PROBLEM

Post by Pravin Kumar » Mon Apr 09, 2018 2:34 am

Misidentification, Not Mind, is the Problem

Here is an email exchange resulting from my article ‘Dwell Not in the Inner Void’ which advises ‘being serene in the oneness of things’ by correct identification as Pure Awareness, rather than trying to obtain peace by ‘stopping the mind’ using concentration/meditation.

"Thank you Colin – I found this to be very helpful. The difference between the momentary peace coming from controlling/stilling the mind, and the greater, more lasting peace that comes from correct identification, is something I’ve not read elsewhere. And it quite fits in with what I’ve believed myself.
Thanks again, XXXX"

Thanks XXXX, I'm glad you found it helpful. I have noticed for some time that many seem to regard stillness of the mind (by mind control) to be more important than correct identification ... which automatically produces a mind uncluttered by self-referencing, analysis, concern etc ... And it is this pernicious thought stream, cocerned with the small self, that needs to end ... not all thought, some of which is very beautiful, uplifting, inspiring, euphoric etc... Love, Colin

"{Exactly – I love how you put this. I will definitely share this with friends. XXXX"

For, many teachers have emphasized the value of a quiet, or still, mind without elaborating on the value of this or how it is to be gained. Also many meditation techniques are designed to forcibly still the mind by concentrating on a mantra, symbol, the breath etc … which has led many to believe that this was the way to still the mind’s incessant chatter about one’s illusory self and all of the unnecessary suffering that this entails. Further than this the value of attaining a state of ‘no thought’ where the mind is completely empty has been greatly overrated, if this can indeed be obtained by mind-control.

That is not to say that there are not gaps between the thoughts and it is relative to this ‘nothingness’ that there is awareness of them. Indeed this Aware Nothingness (Pure Awareness) is the Absolute Reality, Consciousness at rest, from which all manifestation (Consciousness in motion - Cosmic Energy) arises, in which it abides and back into which it subsides! The realization of this is, in fact, the value of meditation and the ‘no thought’ in which it occurs and is seen. For more on this see Chapter Eleven (Mantra as a Vehicle of Revelation) in Beyond The Separate Self.

However, the attempt to produce long periods of no thought, dwelling in the inner void, by mind control is unnecessary if the above realization has taken place and is often counter productive causing the mind to spin more violently than normal . Whereas, if self-recognition has taken place resulting in correct identification of oneself as Pure Awareness at the deepest level and as an instrument of That at the level of body/mind, then all (small) self-referencing and analysis ceases . This in turn results in a quiet mind untroubled by self-interest and existential anxiety as one becomes ‘serene in the oneness of things’.
Then the mind truly becomes the friend and not the enemy, for it is in fact a beautiful servant but a terrible master; this latter condition eventuating from identifying with the mind and the fictional self-image it concocts of oneself and others. Once this misidentification ceases then the mind is automatically restored to its rightful place as a servant, or instrument, of That – the Pure Awareness that we are and which underlies All That Is.

As such, it is a wonderful power to aid in negotiating the physical world, problem solving, evaluating the data provided by the senses, contemplating the nature of Reality, relating to those around us, helping in the act of creation, enjoying life etc. etc. Moreover, all of these activities are taking place in Awareness, for there is awareness of them all, and so it is a gateway through which Awareness can enjoy and experience its own manifestation – as indeed is the physical body. To ‘practice’ this I suggest you try out ‘Love Loving Itself’ given in the addendum (of this book and Awareness of Awareness – The Open Way).

So the tendency of many teachings to denigrate the mind and body, resulting in limiting the scope of the mind and a life constricted by renunciation, cause them to miss a range of important opportunities presented by being in a physical body. Which is not surprising as they have failed to realize the potential of the body/mind as an instrument through which the Absolute can know, enjoy and love its manifestation. An example of this is the following exchange between myself and my lecturer on Buddhism at Latrobe university when I asked him to give the Buddhist viewpoint on my comment:

Myself - That all living things are instruments of this awareness through which it (Pure Awareness – Consciousness) interacts with and enjoys its manifestation.

Lecturer - No answer to that question. Sounds like an echo of samsara and lila to me. Not normally a Buddhist pair of concepts, as it appears to impute volition to pure awareness, which is not a viewpoint held by any Buddhist school I know of.

This answer is not surprising given that the Buddha refused to answer questions on the existence of an Absolute Reality regarding them as irrelevant in the undertaking of overcoming suffering. As far as answering questions on the Absolute, Buddha regarded all such questions as unconnected with the goal of overcoming suffering and achieving nirvana. In his famous discourse with the sage Malunkyaputta he likened this to a man who, being pierced with an arrow, spending his time questioning the type, make, source and firer of the arrow, rather than just pulling it out.

While the realization of body/mind as an instrument may not be necessary to overcome suffering, it certainly is to nurture the full potential of physicality and to honour Consciousness and Its manifestation. Moreover, correct identification of oneself as (and with) Pure Awareness is the quickest method to overcome unnecessary suffering and existential angst, plus having many other wonderful benefits detailed in various chapters of my books.

It is not the body (and its appetites) and mind that are the problem, but the incorrect misidentification with these and all of the unnecessary suffering (caused by identifying oneself as a separate object in a universe of separate objects) that this entails. This suffering is not only limited to oneself but can be inflicted on others, as we also consider them to be separate objects, and thus correct identification is of benefit to all of those with whom we come into contact.

For more on the joy (and uses of) embodiment see The Happiness That Needs Nothing , the first five chapters of which focus on this and many of the following chapters touch upon it. There are also chapters that deal with desire and addiction which demonstrate how the negative impacts of these are overcome by correct identification. In fact it could be argued that the whole book is dedicated to the issues raised by the above discussion …

To finish this here is the reply by my email correspondent on reading this article:

"Thank you so much! This is totally hitting the nail for me, and clarifying so much. I feel very excited by all this.
Thank you again!
XXXX

Haha, just read this next email. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you are covering this subject. I have listened to a few Buddhist lectures, and they never quite sit right with me. And I think your description:
“While the realization of body/mind as an instrument may not be necessary to overcome suffering it certainly is to nurture the full potential of physicality and to honour Consciousness and its manifestation.”
is exactly how I feel about it. I myself want the full picture, and feel excited by life only when I embrace both aspects – Consciousness at Rest and Consciousness in Motion. Again, I love how you have laid this out, and that you celebrate the value of both aspects.
And thank you for sharing the article with me – I am very grateful!" XXXX

Colin Drake
For detailed palm reading and spiritual guidance Consult at: pravinjsoni97@hotmail.com

Post Reply

Return to “Meditation and Mind Improvement”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests