Guest guest Posted January 31, 2004 Report Share Posted January 31, 2004 From Self-Concept to No-Concept Many popular psychological and spiritual approaches addess the matter of self-concept, and seek to provide a path to an improved self- concept. I recently came across the following comment by somone who was using such an approach: << When you see how the self-concept can be changed, it sort of erodes your idea of the substantiality of a conceptual self because you see it as a pile of beliefs. >> This is a very important realization. Taking such a path, once one starts mooshing around self-concept it is natural to wonder... " OK, who's doing this? " I.e. who is making these changes in self-concept. So then the inquiry goes deeper. It is not about self- concept now, but about that *deeper process*. Whatever level you go, the question arises, " Who is doing this? " Who is going to a deeper level? Who is performing the inquiry. Or maybe it is not a " who " . Maybe it is just a process. But what is behind it all? Whereof does the inquiry itself arise? What is the nature of the inquiry itself? Is it like a cloud? Is it like a shadow? Whereof does *anything* " arise " ? Are all " arisings " like a cloud, like a shadow? This is the essential nature of all koans. It is a paradox that cannot be resolved except outside the mind. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 31, 2004 Report Share Posted January 31, 2004 Nisargadatta , " Bill Rishel " <plexus@x> wrote: > > From Self-Concept to No-Concept > > Many popular psychological and spiritual > approaches addess the matter of self-concept, and > seek to provide a path to an improved self- > concept. I recently came across the following > comment by somone who was using such an approach: > << > When you see how the self-concept can be changed, > it sort of erodes your idea of the substantiality > of a conceptual self because you see it as a pile > of beliefs. > >> > This is a very important realization. > > Taking such a path, once one starts mooshing > around self-concept it is natural to > wonder... " OK, who's doing this? " I.e. who is > making these changes in self-concept. So then > the inquiry goes deeper. It is not about self- > concept now, but about that *deeper process*. > > Whatever level you go, the question arises, " Who > is doing this? " Who is going to a deeper level? > Who is performing the inquiry. Or maybe it is not > a " who " . Maybe it is just a process. But what is > behind it all? Whereof does the inquiry itself > arise? What is the nature of the inquiry itself? > Is it like a cloud? Is it like a shadow? > > Whereof does *anything* " arise " ? Are all > " arisings " like a cloud, like a shadow? > > This is the essential nature of all koans. It is > a paradox that cannot be resolved except outside > the mind. > > > > Bill > > In the dark recesses of the human frontal cortex....the neurons develop and refine a conceptual process whereby the world that they experience in named.......and the naming.......creates the idea that there is a namer......and he is called 'I'.......... The very same neurons buy into their own slight-of-mind and wonder about the origin of this 'I'ness.... They spend the time alloted to the organism that they inhabit.....looking for themselves.....in a world that they have created........looking for a way out of a prison...that doesn't exist. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 31, 2004 Report Share Posted January 31, 2004 Dat's right, Bill. It's like a Zen koan. You focus on it til you penetrate thru it. Then " you " are free. That guy explains it pretty good. Alright, then. Nisargadatta , " Bill Rishel " <plexus@x> wrote: > > From Self-Concept to No-Concept > > Many popular psychological and spiritual > approaches addess the matter of self-concept, and > seek to provide a path to an improved self- > concept. I recently came across the following > comment by somone who was using such an approach: > << > When you see how the self-concept can be changed, > it sort of erodes your idea of the substantiality > of a conceptual self because you see it as a pile > of beliefs. > >> > This is a very important realization. > > Taking such a path, once one starts mooshing > around self-concept it is natural to > wonder... " OK, who's doing this? " I.e. who is > making these changes in self-concept. So then > the inquiry goes deeper. It is not about self- > concept now, but about that *deeper process*. > > Whatever level you go, the question arises, " Who > is doing this? " Who is going to a deeper level? > Who is performing the inquiry. Or maybe it is not > a " who " . Maybe it is just a process. But what is > behind it all? Whereof does the inquiry itself > arise? What is the nature of the inquiry itself? > Is it like a cloud? Is it like a shadow? > > Whereof does *anything* " arise " ? Are all > " arisings " like a cloud, like a shadow? > > This is the essential nature of all koans. It is > a paradox that cannot be resolved except outside > the mind. > > > > Bill > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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