A tiny observation from my daily life, re your paragraphs on “…brain seems to ramp up before movements….before the start of a conscious intention or urge to act….”
You know that animals can read our minds, right? Well, they do, like my chicken Violet and my cats, Oliver and Annie. That is, they read our intentions, not our minds.
The cats would drive me bat-crazy with their crying and begging to be fed every morning as I prepare breakfast — if I were not able to tune them out. But I began to notice that it is when I stop for a second to “decide” that I will stop preparations to feed the cats — and suddenly their mewling cries turn to cries of excited anticipation as their bodies turn circles around my legs — before I have begun the movements toward the cat food cupboard.
So funny, thank you. I made very similar observations with our dog but never connected it to the brain research. I lost count how often I said that our little Bichon Frise dog Flick can read my mind to the amusement of the rest of the family. And you are right - they can't. But animals are such intense observers of reality - especially when hungry - that they pick up the tiniest of clues. I totally believe that they that read our intentions before we get aware of them or act on them.
This is similar to what I'm struggling to learn in tai chi. Movement comes from applying Intention to Open and Close (obscure for the general audience, but there it is). Intention.
And the goal is to Intend underneath your opponent's Intent. Preferably *before.*
I'm reminded of your (and my) cats. Tai Chi Zen Masters!
One of the problems, of course, is that language belongs to (and represents) our dualistic world, and so words can never quite explain or describe the state of non-duality.
Symbols and stories can do it better - but still don't always make it.
All the zen stories are paradoxical, because paradox is a good way to engage the mind and allow Truth to shine through.
Desire for God/Union is a necessary part of the journey - because the state of vegetative or animal beingness of, for example, the kookaburra outside my window, is not the same as the beingness of an enlightened master... well, at least that is my understanding, which is at best incomplete and at worst completely wrong...
So at some point you have to let go of the desire - because desire too is ego-driven - but without the desire you won't wake up.
Many years ago, I was given an understanding of this with an image of the sun: moving purposefully in its path, but in a pre-determined path.
I will stop here, because I've probably used too many words already.
But thank you for sharing your thoughts - and the link to "I am That"!
Once again....a succinct and brilliant summary, thank you Mara. Lots in there.
Yes, stories and symbols are better for non-dual expressions - as well as art, poems, haiku and metaphors. And paradoxical puzzles can check-mate the ever-chatting mind temporarily and set us free from it.
I tend to romanticize animal consciousness. I believe that their state of beingness is the same than ours. I believe, there is only one awareness but many expressions of life. But you remind me of something very important: My understanding is at best incomplete and at worst completely wrong. All we can do is grapple. But as long we think from a non-egoistic place we become a vessel and an expression of the one consciousness. That's when we say it best. And often by saying nothing at all. ;-)
I agree - desire is the crucial part, the energy that drives us towards enlightenment and ego realization. Despite aiming for egolessness - it is an egoic pursuit. That's where the self-enquiry tool comes in. It uses one part of the mind (self-consciousness) to observe the other part of the mind (unconsciousness). I feel it is the split between the two that is at the core of human suffering. This is the split that created duality in the first place and is at the core of the biblical story of Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of Knowledge to distinguish between good and evil. I can't see animals doing that. They don't know good and evil. But we humans do - if we want it or not. But ultimately, I believe good and evil is an illusion superimposed on reality. The universe is neither good or evil.
Sometimes I think, preserving and nourishing life is good, while destroying life is evil. But if we look to nature, that's not true. Life feeds on life. To make life possible, things have to die and be destroyed. Our dead bodies feed the soil for new life to flourish. Therefore, I feel this current obsession of saving every life, being it in public health or traffic control, is anti-life to the core and will take the planet out of balance.
It is a fine line with the words, isn't it. I constantly get get carried away and use to many. Another great reminder. Thank you.
I hang out with a lot of New Age thinkers. Seekers, if you will.
And we're always trying to "set goals" express "intention" (not like the tai chi, above) and create affirmation and ceremony to apply towards those goals.
So - when faced with a blank piece of paper - what do you wish to manifest? LOL.
There is Rune which speaks of the path of the Sun in the sky, called Raidho, or "riding." This course is always changing, and yet unerring. It's at a different place in August than it is in November, and it moves north and south as it wheels across the sky. The focus of Raidho is ritual, patterning, and in following, attending those patterns, you achieve "right action."
Sorry about the precis, but - I am in awe of people who express themselves here clearly and succinctly! (as in - your post, but not mine!)
I still have my fist in my mouth, eyes wide,-white when I call my (in-law) rellies in Oz. They were stressing over the measles scam a few years before. They want me to visit and/or move to be closer to them. But Love is not enough...and that hurts more than I can describe.
At first sight one might wonder why self-centered thought is so bad. If the self is already there then perhaps it would be correct to center on the self because the self would be so important; but if the self is a kind of illusion, at least the self as we know it, then to center a thought on something illusory which is assumed to have supreme importance is going to disrupt the whole process. It will not only make thought about yourself wrong, it will make thought about everything wrong, so that thought becomes a dangerous and distractive instrument all around.
Interesting. As I understand it, foccusing on the illuionary "I am" or self is just that. Seeing the illusionary nature of it. It doesnt mean it is wrong. It is what it is. It cant be helped. All manifestations are illusionary but we can't make them go away and we dont need to. Seeing the illusion as illusion is all that is required. No judgment, no action. Its like labelling a dream wrong or wanting to change it. As soon I dream lucidly and know that I am dreaming, the dream loses all its power over me. As soon I stip identifying with the illusionary self, I am frre of it. The self continues. Pass that on to David Bohm next time you talk to him, will you? :-)
A tiny observation from my daily life, re your paragraphs on “…brain seems to ramp up before movements….before the start of a conscious intention or urge to act….”
You know that animals can read our minds, right? Well, they do, like my chicken Violet and my cats, Oliver and Annie. That is, they read our intentions, not our minds.
The cats would drive me bat-crazy with their crying and begging to be fed every morning as I prepare breakfast — if I were not able to tune them out. But I began to notice that it is when I stop for a second to “decide” that I will stop preparations to feed the cats — and suddenly their mewling cries turn to cries of excited anticipation as their bodies turn circles around my legs — before I have begun the movements toward the cat food cupboard.
“How’d they know that?” I ask myself!
Bless you.
So funny, thank you. I made very similar observations with our dog but never connected it to the brain research. I lost count how often I said that our little Bichon Frise dog Flick can read my mind to the amusement of the rest of the family. And you are right - they can't. But animals are such intense observers of reality - especially when hungry - that they pick up the tiniest of clues. I totally believe that they that read our intentions before we get aware of them or act on them.
This is similar to what I'm struggling to learn in tai chi. Movement comes from applying Intention to Open and Close (obscure for the general audience, but there it is). Intention.
And the goal is to Intend underneath your opponent's Intent. Preferably *before.*
I'm reminded of your (and my) cats. Tai Chi Zen Masters!
Ooooh! Cats and chickens have great wisdom. I know it.
Can't help myself: https://youtu.be/seqaTuXkqFI?si=8bUnbEQg2nQo3NKC (George Harrison)
Thanks. I know most Beatles songs but didn't know this one. Spot on.
A lot to contemplate here.
One of the problems, of course, is that language belongs to (and represents) our dualistic world, and so words can never quite explain or describe the state of non-duality.
Symbols and stories can do it better - but still don't always make it.
All the zen stories are paradoxical, because paradox is a good way to engage the mind and allow Truth to shine through.
Desire for God/Union is a necessary part of the journey - because the state of vegetative or animal beingness of, for example, the kookaburra outside my window, is not the same as the beingness of an enlightened master... well, at least that is my understanding, which is at best incomplete and at worst completely wrong...
So at some point you have to let go of the desire - because desire too is ego-driven - but without the desire you won't wake up.
Many years ago, I was given an understanding of this with an image of the sun: moving purposefully in its path, but in a pre-determined path.
I will stop here, because I've probably used too many words already.
But thank you for sharing your thoughts - and the link to "I am That"!
Once again....a succinct and brilliant summary, thank you Mara. Lots in there.
Yes, stories and symbols are better for non-dual expressions - as well as art, poems, haiku and metaphors. And paradoxical puzzles can check-mate the ever-chatting mind temporarily and set us free from it.
I tend to romanticize animal consciousness. I believe that their state of beingness is the same than ours. I believe, there is only one awareness but many expressions of life. But you remind me of something very important: My understanding is at best incomplete and at worst completely wrong. All we can do is grapple. But as long we think from a non-egoistic place we become a vessel and an expression of the one consciousness. That's when we say it best. And often by saying nothing at all. ;-)
I agree - desire is the crucial part, the energy that drives us towards enlightenment and ego realization. Despite aiming for egolessness - it is an egoic pursuit. That's where the self-enquiry tool comes in. It uses one part of the mind (self-consciousness) to observe the other part of the mind (unconsciousness). I feel it is the split between the two that is at the core of human suffering. This is the split that created duality in the first place and is at the core of the biblical story of Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of Knowledge to distinguish between good and evil. I can't see animals doing that. They don't know good and evil. But we humans do - if we want it or not. But ultimately, I believe good and evil is an illusion superimposed on reality. The universe is neither good or evil.
Sometimes I think, preserving and nourishing life is good, while destroying life is evil. But if we look to nature, that's not true. Life feeds on life. To make life possible, things have to die and be destroyed. Our dead bodies feed the soil for new life to flourish. Therefore, I feel this current obsession of saving every life, being it in public health or traffic control, is anti-life to the core and will take the planet out of balance.
It is a fine line with the words, isn't it. I constantly get get carried away and use to many. Another great reminder. Thank you.
I hang out with a lot of New Age thinkers. Seekers, if you will.
And we're always trying to "set goals" express "intention" (not like the tai chi, above) and create affirmation and ceremony to apply towards those goals.
So - when faced with a blank piece of paper - what do you wish to manifest? LOL.
There is Rune which speaks of the path of the Sun in the sky, called Raidho, or "riding." This course is always changing, and yet unerring. It's at a different place in August than it is in November, and it moves north and south as it wheels across the sky. The focus of Raidho is ritual, patterning, and in following, attending those patterns, you achieve "right action."
Sorry about the precis, but - I am in awe of people who express themselves here clearly and succinctly! (as in - your post, but not mine!)
I still have my fist in my mouth, eyes wide,-white when I call my (in-law) rellies in Oz. They were stressing over the measles scam a few years before. They want me to visit and/or move to be closer to them. But Love is not enough...and that hurts more than I can describe.
Don't do it!
I left the USA after the Patriot Act, when I saw the post 911 madness sweep through America.
I thought Oz was a good choice. Until COVID.
David Bohm on self centered thought
At first sight one might wonder why self-centered thought is so bad. If the self is already there then perhaps it would be correct to center on the self because the self would be so important; but if the self is a kind of illusion, at least the self as we know it, then to center a thought on something illusory which is assumed to have supreme importance is going to disrupt the whole process. It will not only make thought about yourself wrong, it will make thought about everything wrong, so that thought becomes a dangerous and distractive instrument all around.
Interesting. As I understand it, foccusing on the illuionary "I am" or self is just that. Seeing the illusionary nature of it. It doesnt mean it is wrong. It is what it is. It cant be helped. All manifestations are illusionary but we can't make them go away and we dont need to. Seeing the illusion as illusion is all that is required. No judgment, no action. Its like labelling a dream wrong or wanting to change it. As soon I dream lucidly and know that I am dreaming, the dream loses all its power over me. As soon I stip identifying with the illusionary self, I am frre of it. The self continues. Pass that on to David Bohm next time you talk to him, will you? :-)