Guest guest Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Nisargadatta , " mstrdmmlbrn " <mstrdmmlbrn wrote: > > Nisargadatta , " skywhilds " <skywords@> wrote: > > > > Nisargadatta , " pliantheart " <pliantheart@> > > wrote: > > > > > > > Buddhist meditation takes everyday mind > > > > as its natural starting point, and it > > > > requires the development of one > > > > particular attentional posture -- of > > > > naked, or bare, attention. > > > > > > > > Defined as: > > > > " the clear and single-minded awareness of > > > > what actually happens to us and in us at the > > > > successive moments of perception, " bare > > > > attention takes this unexamined mind and opens > > > > it up, not by trying to change anything but by > > > > observing the mind, emotions, and body the > > > > way they are. > > > > > > > > It is 'the' fundamental tenet > > > > of Buddhist psychology that this kind of > > > > attention is, in itself, healing: that by > > > > constant application of this attentional > > > > strategy, all of the Buddha's insights can > > > > be realized for oneself. > > > > > > > > > > > > As mysterious as the literature on meditation > > > > can seem, as elusive as the koans of the > > > > Zen master sometimes sound, there is but one > > > > underlying instruction that is critical to > > > > Buddhist thought. > > > > > > > > > > > > Common to all schools of > > > > thought, from Sri Lanka to Tibet, the unifying > > > > theme of the Buddhist approach is this > > > > remarkable imperative: " Pay precise attention, > > > > moment by moment, to exactly what you are > > > > experiencing, right now, separating out your > > > > reactions from the raw sensory events. " This > > > > is what is meant by bare attention: just the > > > > 'bare' facts, an 'exact' registering, allowing > > > > things to speak for themselves as if seen for > > > > the first time, distinguishing any reactions > > > > from the core event. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > DIMINISHING REACTIVITY > > > > > > > > In this attentional strategy that is followed > > > > throughout the meditative path. It is both the > > > > beginning practice and the culminating one: > > > > only the objects of awareness change. > > > > Beginning with the in and out breath, proceeding > > > > to bodily sensations, feelings, thoughts, > > > > consciousness, and finally the felt sense of I, > > > > meditation requires the application of bare > > > > attention to increasingly subtle phenomena. > > > > Culminating in a state of 'choiceless awareness' > > > > in which the categories of " observer " and that > > > > which is observed " are no longer operational, > > > > bare attention eventually obviates self-consciousness > > > > and permits thekind of spontaneity that has long > > > > intrigued the psychologically minded observers of > > > > Eastern practices. This is the spontaneity that > > > > Western psychologists confuse with a true self idea. > > > > From the Buddhist perspective, such authentic actions > > > > leap forth from the clear perception of bare attention; > > > > there is no need to posit an intermediate agent who > > > > performs them. > > > > > > > > The key to the transformational potential of bare > > > > attention lies in the deceptively simple injunction > > > > to separate out one's reactions from the core events > > > > themselves. Much of the time, it turns out, our > > > > everyday minds are in a state of reactivity. We > > > > take this for granted, we do not question our automatic > > > > identifications with our reactions, and we experience > > > > ourselves at the mercy of an often hostile or > > > > frustrating outer world or an overwhelming or > > > > frightening inner one. > > > > > > > > With bare attention, we move from this automatic > > > > identification our fear or frustration to a vantage > > > > point form which the fear or frustration is attended > > > > to with same dispassionate interest as anything else. > > > > > > > > There is enormous freedom to be gained from such > > > > a shift. Instead of running from difficult > > > > emotions (or hanging on to enticing ones), the > > > > practitioner of bare attention becomes able to > > > > 'contain' any reaction; making space for it, but > > > > not completely identifying with it because of the > > > > concomitant presence of nonjudgmental awareness. > > > > > > > > ........... > > > > > > > > One famous Japanese haiku illustrates this state. > > > > It is one that Joseph Goldstein has long used to > > > > describe the unique attentional posture of bare > > > > attention: > > > > > > > > > > > > The old pond. > > > > A frog jumps in. > > > > Plop! > > > > > > > > > > > > Like so much else in Japanese art, the poem > > > > expresses the Buddhist emphasis on naked attention > > > > to the often overlooked details of everyday life. > > > > Yet, there is another level at which the poem > > > > may be read. Just as in the parable of the raft, > > > > the waters of the pond can represent the mind and > > > > the emotions. The frog jumping in becomes a thought > > > > or feeling arising in the mind or body, while > > > > " Plop! " represents the reverberations of that > > > > thought or feeling, unelaborated by the forces of > > > > reactivity. The entire poem comes to evoke the > > > > state of bare attention in its utter simplicity. > > > > > > > > from the book " Thoughts without a Thinker " > > > > by Mark Epstein, M.D. > > > > > > > > > > Wow... > > > my philosophy in a nutshell. > > > So clean and simply stated. > > > > > > Bill > > > > > > > > > Your? > > > > Hi Bill, > > I'm sure you know that; > > Buddhist meditation > Buddhist psychology > Buddhist insights > Buddhist thought > Buddhist perspective > Buddhist emphasis > > usually exists outsite Buddhist Monasteries. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ... > > > that's the best part about it monastaries are just frat houses .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Hi Bill, The piece on " bare attention " also grabbed me when I read it, especially in light of just completing what's called the " Landmark Forum " . They fit together perfectly. The Forum is powerfully effective for helping one distinguish who they really really are from their identity, personality, body, mental functioning, etc. As a result, it's much simpler and easier to understand and live " experientially " from moment to moment what the article is talking about. This is just one of the realizations and valuable things to be gotten from participating in the Forum and I'm excited about going through the rest of their courses. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.