Spiritual approaches to 'thought'

[Guest guest]

Blessed Self, aspirants<br><br>Different

religions and spiritual paths hold different opinions

regarding the nature and value of thought.<br><br>For

example, buddhism values the ability to be aware of all

that is going on about and within one from moment to

moment. The idea seems to be to see the world as an

ever-dynamic Whole. According to Steve Hagen in ‘Buddhism

Plain & Simple’ , such a view “by definition, does not

go to war with any other view. In fact, it cannot.

Since it’s already of the dynamic world as a Whole, we

can’t conceive of anything that opposes it.”

<br><br>Related to this idea of right or appropriate view, is the

idea of right or appropriate effort. Hagen defines

this as ‘the willing abandonment of our fragmented

mentality and dualistic thought, moment after moment, and

the encouragement of healthy and Wholesome states of

mind.” In other words not becoming attached to any one

particular thought but being aware of all thoughts and

influences as belonging to a Whole. To do this, Hagen says

that one should practice right or appropriate

mindfulness or the constant reminding ourselves of the

‘states and functions of our own minds, with how we are

actually engaged in the world from moment to moment.” And

how this series of engagements produces uneasiness or

dukha.<br><br>But paying constant attention of the flow of external

and internal events of one’s life and trying to see

the world as dynamic whole seems to keep one within

time and space. One can wonder how that leads to

Self-Realization, a state of being beyond time and

space.<br><br>Yoga/vedanta agrees that the above practices are useful and

essential in order that we identity how our conscious and

subconscious mind works to hold us in thrall to the ego and

the senses and the desires they produce. But

yoga/vedanta also says once the play of Maya and the ego is

known, one is only at the start of the true spiritual

unfolding. Brahman, the Absolute, the background for

everything in the universe and beyond is knowable and,

beyond that, can be experienced directly as one’s Self.

The method for doing for attaining both of these

states is to move beyond thought, getting the mind

quieter and quieter until eventually there is no content

in the mind. <br><br>As Panjali says in the Raja

Yoga Sutras: <br><br>Yogas chitta-vritti-nirodh. Yoga

is restraining the activities of the mind.

<br><br>Tada drastuh svarupe ‘vasthanam. At that time (i.e.

when the thought waves are stilled), the perceiver

rests in his own true nature. <br><br>Vrtti-sarupyam

itaratra. When the mind is not stilled in concentration,

the perceiver identifies with its modifications.

Note: It makes no difference whether the thought is of

a flower, a car or the universe as a dynamic Whole.

If there are thoughts, one does not have Pure

Consciousness and one is not aware of Brahman.<br><br>Here, we

have two different viewpoints on thought. Can both be

right? Yes, each is right depending on where one is one

the spiritual continuum. Brahmacharya, for example,

means celibacy and chastity, no physical or mental

sexual activity. But not many people upon first hearing

that definition would want to attempt to practice

Brahmacharya, even knowing that it is one the yamas. So,

teachers often introduce Brahmacharya as fidelity, or

physical and mental sexual continence. Later, the teacher

encourages the aspirant to reduce the number of times of

sexual congress with the spouse of the aspirant. The

aspirant may be told that the reason for Brahmacharya is

to turn the sexual energy into Ojas, a spiritual

energy and that an advanced spiritual aspirant is

neither male not female but a creation of

God.<br><br>Buddhism is the appropriate path for someone of a

particular personality at a particular point on the

spiritual spectrum. Yoga/vedanta is the appropriate path

for someone else of a particular personality at a

different point on the spiritual path. Both are correct.

Both are relative. Only Brahman is

Absolute.<br><br>Hari O