Thoughts – Page 5 – Nondualmind's Blog

Heart vs. Mind – Reconciling Knowledge and Wisdom in Spiritual Practice – Part 2

December 26, 2010 by nondualmind, posted in Thoughts

Wisdom as truth

“Humans cannot come to Truth through any organization, through any creed, through any dogma, priest, or ritual, not through any philosophic knowledge or psychological technique. They have to find it through the understanding of the contents of their own minds, through observation and not through intellectual analysis or introspective dissection.” ~ J. Krishnamurti

Krishnamurti recognized that “Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized…” What he meant, of course, was that no amount of intellectual study or organized ritual can bring truth. And truth is the essence of wisdom. There has to be some internalization process that happens, some form of direct experience, which brings the seeker that which he seeks. Being regarded as one of the 20^th century’s greatest philosophers, it is interesting to note that Krishnamurti failed his courses at London University. And even though his brother, Nitya, passed with honors, Krishnamurti’s professors claimed that he had a much wider grasp of large concepts. His ‘mind’ was the bigger of the two.

Thinking and doing from the heart

As we have seen, the limitations of thought are many. Eckhart Tolle in his “Power of Now” addressed this issue by reminding us that one of the ways it limits is by trapping us in time and space. “This is what I think today, tomorrow I might think something else.” See what I mean? Tolle goes on to use the following example – If you asked your cat or dog what time it was would it look at a clock? Of course not, its answer would be “now”. If you asked your pet where it is, you think it would say “I’m in the living room?’ No, it would say “here”. Staying present seems to be a criteria for reaching that part of ourselves that transcends time and space. We can achieve this in deep states of meditation. All matters of form (time and space included) dissolve as we lose the boundaries of our physical bodies and nothing is left but our true selves. Our minds don’t get in the way anymore. Since thought implies the mind, it can be argued that thought arising from the true self or heart is not thought at all. What is it then? Maybe it’s truth, wisdom. That indefinable something that can change the way we see the world.

A friend of mine e-mailed me recently about not always knowing the right thing to do in certain situations. She commented that she “is not sure what the boundaries are. I’ve stepped on enough landmines to be wary. Hate those explosions!” She is approaching with her analytical mind, instead of seeing the situation from her heart. Maybe we need to forget about boundaries. Maybe we need to love those explosions. If we think with our hearts instead of our minds we will be acting from a place of love…..and wisdom. The boundaries fall away and transformation, the alchemy, begins.

So ask your self, “How do I see? With my eyes? My mind? My heart? Try using less mind and more heart. See only with your heart. Your mind doesn’t know what you want. Listen with your heart and it will tell you. I asked a wise soul what my current preoccupation with “heart” was all about. I was told, “Heart is love. Love comes from the heart. Do everything from the heart.” Which, of course, means do everything from a place of love. The Beatles’ said it all with their lyrics, “…love is all there is.”

The Pitfalls of direct experience

We applaud and reward academic achievement. Pride is felt as one can attach letters at the end one’s name. One’s salary and status usually improve. But just as our egos can be stroked by acquiring knowledge, it can also be deluded into feeling superior through experiences. We begin to judge our ‘progress’ by another arbitrary standard. As our searching has us abandon trying to find the answers in books and we begin to experience what we have read about, another kind of pride is felt. We might begin to feel competitive thinking “Look at my experience. It’s better than yours. Therefore I must be further along the spiritual path.” This is normal in the beginning. But we must remember that alchemy, the true transformation of knowledge into wisdom, does not begin until we get past our egos. My teacher has always told us that if we feel we must gauge our progress we should, “look to the changes in our character.” When that happens, your ego gets out of the way, and a kind of humility sets in. A simplicity in one’s character emerges. That simplicity is wisdom.

Taking the first step

Become the watcher. William Ury, the author of many books on conflict resolution, refers to this as, “going to the balcony.” He suggests that when you find yourself in conflict remove yourself mentally and become the observer of what is happening. Go to the balcony of the theater and watch the play. An interesting choice of metaphor. Of course, you don’t have to be in conflict to do this. It is a good idea to watch all you do, think, say, feel. Watch as if you are a character in a play. Watch as your role is being played out. This provides detachment from any situation, thought or emotion. The more detached we are the more present we become because we are disentangled from the mind and the judgments that keep the mind going. The ‘watcher’ is coming from a different place, the present moment. The watcher then has the direct connection to heart. It removes the middleman, the ego, from the play.

We can all use a little alchemy in our lives. Think how the world could change if our actions were led by our hearts, our inner wisdom, instead of the external machinations of the egotistical mind? Healing the universe is an inside job.

Heart vs. Mind – Reconciling Knowledge and Wisdom in Spiritual Practice –Part 1

December 22, 2010 by nondualmind, posted in Thoughts

I was always a good student in school, placing a high regard on learning and acquiring knowledge, even at a young age. My mother always wanted me to go into some kind of profession. She recognized that society placed importance on these externals. Having a curiosity about life and all of its workings, I wanted to be a scientist. I played with chemistry sets and microscopes. Instead, I became a teacher, and though life has taken me through a number of diversions, teaching remains a profession I love.

I approached my spiritual seeking through the same academic lens I viewed everything else. In the beginning, I guess like most of us, it was all about learning something. The idea of directly experiencing what I read about never really occurred to me. I felt it was out of my reach. I didn’t have a teacher, a guru, available to dispel the darkness. So I stayed in my ‘learning’ mode for a long time. The more I learned, however, the more restless I became. I began to notice that I was missing something. What was the point of all this knowledge? Nothing was really changing for me and wasn’t that the point of all this searching? I began to ask myself, “Is that all there is?”

Wisdom as Alchemy

“the goal of yoga, union with Spirit, can only be known through experience, not through simply relying on understanding with the mind.” ~ Upanishads

If knowledge is power, then wisdom is alchemy. It’s true that most of us get wiser as we get older, simply because living has transformed or transmuted what we know of life into something more profound. Our experiences change us. How many of you (of a certain age) have said to someone that you are no longer the person you were 10 or 20 years ago? But if you try to describe that ‘new you’ to put words to it, you may find that difficult. You can say you are a ‘freer person” “stronger” “more compassionate” etc. but do those words truly convey the metamorphosis you know you have undergone through your life or do they fall short. Does that explain why when we try to give advice to a young person, he/she doesn’t understand anything we attempt to say, even if “it’s for his/her own good.” Young people respond to the concrete, the immediate. Wisdom is neither – knowledge is.

When I began my ‘active’ spiritual searching more than 20 years ago, I read as much as I could get my hands on. I tried to memorize the spiritual jargon thinking that if I could use those words in a conversation then I would be regarded as being on a spiritual path. If there were people who “knew “ more than I did, I felt that they were further along on the path than I was. I felt inadequate. I thought I had to “know” something. But it wasn’t long before I realized none of the mental gyrations I went through qualified me as a spiritual seeker. Listening to others explaining “this is this …and that is that….” only left me with more of an empty feeling. And words, no matter how many or valid, could not fill that emptiness.

So how powerful exactly is knowledge? Swami Muktananda said, “Knowledge of the external world is the root of all sorrow when it seeps inside and we identify with it.” He goes further when he quotes the Siva Sutra 1.2, jnanam bandhah, “Knowledge is bondage.” If we live steeped in our social agreements, that is to say the labels or false identities we use to define ourselves and our place on this planet, then we are missing the essence of who and what we are. The mind has created and perpetuates the illusion of separation. Only when we free ourselves from the mind, can we begin to understand our true nature. This is when the alchemy – and real transformation – begins. So it is only when knowledge is treated as an end in itself do we get into trouble. We need to get out of our heads and begin experiencing with our hearts. That is where wisdom lives.

Direct Experience vs. Intellect

Most of us do realize this on some level. And when we do, we usually try to augment our intellectual searching through some kind of sadhana or spiritual practice. Meditation is a common way to still the clamoring of the mind so something else (our true selves) can be acknowledged and heard. The four yogas (used to attain union with Spirit), Raja, Jnana, Bhakti and Karma are sometimes treated as separate paths, but that too is an illusion

created by the mind. When studied with the heart, separation dissolves into oneness. The idea of a “path” which has form disappears. From that experience of oneness comes wisdom and the union with spirit we are striving to attain. Direct experience transcends the mind and therefore thought. As soon as we try to put words to describe our experience it seems to diminish it somehow. Something gets lost in the translation.

Something else begins to happen. I’ve noticed that I no longer care about the ‘workings’ of spirituality from a mental level. I don’t particularly care to have anything explained to me. My teacher gave a wonderful example of this. None of us are really concerned with the mechanics of how a TV works we just want to click the remote to get our programs. When you turn on the faucet to get water, do you really care where it comes from or how it gets to you? I don’t know about you, but I don’t. Indeed there was a time when I would’ve wanted to know and understand everything. The need to neatly label and file away information into mental compartments is disappearing. What is happening to me? I seem to be suffering from a shocking lack of curiosity.

I’m not diminishing intellectual curiosity, I’m just warning against giving it too much credit. It is a known fact that the greatest spiritual beings that have walked this planet were not Ph.d.s. Some never had any traditional schooling. The East does not recognize this as an impediment to spiritual growth or the attainment of wisdom. Only here in the West do we still hang on to outward forms. We always need to know a person’s credentials before we will even listen to what they have to say, much less judge it as acceptable. (Part 2 will follow in my next post…)

Imagine

December 5, 2010December 15, 2010 by nondualmind, posted in Thoughts

I almost posted this on the anniversary of John Lennon’s birth, but thought it was better suited as an end of the year post. That is the time when, I feel, we are all most likely to be reflective.

This song’s lyrics together with the images in the video describe non-duality perfectly. I love the contrast of the opening as John and Yoko are walking down a path that is shrouded in mist and darkness (ignorance) and then enter an all-white house (love the sign “This is not here”). As John plays the piano and sings the lyrics, Yoko is opening the drapes letting the light into the dark room, which is seen now to be completely white (the color of pure consciousness). Fabulous!

I hope the lyrics will resonate with you as we move into yet another troubled year.

Enjoy and ….Imagine….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b7qaSxuZUg

The Idea of Guru

November 14, 2010December 10, 2010 by nondualmind, posted in Thoughts

People bristle when I tell them I have a spiritual teacher. They probably think I’m part of some cult and half expect me to talk about the flavor of Kool-aid I was given to drink. Can you imagine what people would think if I use the word ‘guru?’ Actually, I do use that word. What the heck, they think I’m over the edge anyway. Why disappoint them? And besides, I’m finding I like ruffling a few feathers. I enjoy challenging people’s perspectives. Nevertheless, the idea of a guru is a concept that many find disturbing.

There are valid points to this argument. Jiddu Krishnamurti strongly opposed the idea of a guru and he rejected organized religion and spirituality as well. He did this most publicly in 1929, when he gave a speech in which he stated, “…Truth is a pathless land.” Krishnamurti felt that the spiritual search for enlightenment can only be found in one self and if we follow a guru or church we become enslaved by the authority and power they wield over us. And, of course, he is right. You just have to look at the hypocrisy that is rampant these days among certain organized religions and so-called spiritual leaders. But there have been spiritual Masters through the ages, who have had gurus and have themselves acted in that role. There have also been followers of organized religions, saints in the Catholic Church for example, who attained to realization (enlightenment). St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila both reached enlightenment and they endured great hardship because of people’s reactions to their experiences. So how do you know who or what to trust?

The guru/student relationship is demonstrated beautifully in the first (and best) Matrix movie, a film that is remarkable in its parallels to non-dualistic philosophies. Morpheus puts Neo through a series of difficult trainings with the purpose of showing Neo his true identity. “I’m trying to free your mind Neo,” Morpheus tells him, “but I can only show you the door. You’re the one that has to walk through it.” Morpheus never told Neo, “Do what I say or you’re going to hell.”

So, let’s take a look at the qualities of a true guru or teacher. A true teacher doesn’t demand you ‘follow’ him/her. He/she doesn’t have ‘teachings’ but will help you know the Truth. A true teacher is one who will help you navigate the unfamiliar territory of the spiritual landscape without an agenda, without judgment, and without demanding anything from you, until the veils of illusion are stripped away and you realize who you really are. Remember, it’s your sadhana; you are the one who has to walk through the door.

There is the Buddhist proverb, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” This is a true statement. I know this from personal experience, as do many people I know.

Celebrate Oneness with Music!

October 23, 2010October 24, 2010 by nondualmind, posted in Thoughts

In the midst of all the divisive rhetoric polluting the airwaves these days, I found myself gravitating toward this you-tube video a friend sent me a while back. It’s sounds like these I hope we can fill our spaces with instead of the fear and hate that is so rampant in our world right now. Here is a little back-story…

Several years ago, a well-known street musician in Santa Monica named Roger Ridley was singing, “Stand by Me” when he was overheard by the crew for the small group, Playing For Change. This began a whole new direction for the group whose mission now is to unite the world through music. They are uplifting and wonderful and a reminder that there is room for peace and love in our lives. You can learn more by checking out their website: www.playingforchange.com

Here is the link to the song that started it all…..”Stand By Me”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM

The Question of Free Will

October 6, 2010June 18, 2015 by nondualmind, posted in Thoughts

Ever say or do anything the whole time thinking, “why am I saying (or doing) this?” We have all experienced those moments when we question our words or actions. We are told we have free will, the ability to choose what we say or do. Well, then, how do we explain those times when we just couldn’t keep ourselves from speaking or acting in a certain way?

I’ve always questioned the idea of free will. Sure, I thought I was the one making all the decisions, but I realized that some of those decisions were just a product of certain behavior patterns, dictated by psychological, biological, sociological and perhaps even theological conditioning. For example, think of someone close to you. Now imagine a choice that they will have to make. It could something as simple as what they will choose to eat in a restaurant or what color shirt they will buy. You don’t have to be the amazing Kreskin to know what they will choose. If my mother were given a choice between a blue sweater and a green one, she would choose the green. I know this because green was her favorite color. If you know your significant other hates broccoli, it’s not a leap to know he/she won’t order it in a restaurant. But to the ego, it was its free will to choose the corn over the broccoli. Even if we do recognize that our conditioning may dictate (or dare I say predetermine) our actions, we are still hesitant to ask the question, “Just how free is our free will anyway?”

Spiritual and religious traditions stress the notion that everything that happens is a result of the will of God. But there seems to be a caveat to this idea. When things go well, our egos take the credit – “I did that” or “didn’t I make a good choice?” When things don’t go so well, we say, “It wasn’t meant to be,” suggesting that a Higher Power is in control. So in other words, we pat ourselves on the back in good times and blame God in bad ones. Christians will say, “It’s in God’s hands,” or “Let go, let God” – another hint that we reach a point where we are forced to loosen our illusory grip on what we perceive as reality. The key word here is ‘forced.’ It seems that it is only when we think we can’t ‘do’ anything about a situation do we relinquish our imagined control.

As students of non-duality, we are taught that we cannot be the doer of anything. We are also taught that the only control we have is where we put our attention. As St. Teresa of Avila said so eloquently in her poem, As I Found The Source, “…Nothing on their own have your arms ever done, the movements of your feet are caused by the waves He stirred…”

This is not an easy concept to get, because we are so entrenched in duality, in separateness. And really it’s supposed to be that way. That is how our egos are wired. But, even if you not on a non-dualistic path, you can still catch glimpses of non-duality. Meditation, prayer, being out in nature, are all tools you can use to experience Oneness.

So maybe you didn’t really choose to have that pizza, but you can choose the focus of your awareness. You can make it one of love and compassion or you can make it one of fear, which gives rise to all the hatred, competitiveness and greed we see in the world. You have the free will to choose.

Harvest Moon

September 24, 2010September 28, 2012 by nondualmind, posted in Thoughts

I don’t look up anymore. I noticed that when I crossed my apartment courtyard the other morning to get my mail. The first light was just coming through, but the sky was still dark enough to see the stars. I remember because on that occasion I did look up. Just as the day was dawning, it dawned on me that I don’t look up at the sky anymore. I blamed it on urban living: too many city lights to truly appreciate the night sky, but I suspect there is more to it than that.

When I was kid, you couldn’t stop me from stargazing. And I grew up in the Bronx, so there goes the ‘urban living’ excuse. “Starlight, starbright, first star I see tonight,” I’d chant and make my magic wish. And it wasn’t just gazing up at the night sky that consumed my evenings as a child. I’d lie in the grass during the summer and watch the clouds travel across the sky catching a glimpse of a dog before it changed into a dragon.

No matter what is happening ‘down here,’ nature is ever constant. Oh sure the seasons change, the weather changes, even the constellations that are visible change, but whatever is going on in my life, or your life, doesn’t affect any of this.

I never realized how comforting that is. I remember a PBS special from years ago featuring Audrey Hepburn. She was walking through a garden and said something that I remember to this day, “Whenever you’re feeling upset or sad (or words to that effect), go outside…” She knew.

Being outside and letting nature just ‘wash over you’ is its own kind of meditation. It connects you to that part of yourself that is bigger than yourself. The simplicity of that moment when I stood alone and lifted my eyes above the fray of what I call ‘my life,’ was alchemical. It instantly changed my mood and hence my day– for the better.

This morning, as I drove to work, I enjoyed the last of the full moon from the autumnal equinox of the other day. A Harvest Moon and it was magical……

9/11 Remembered

September 9, 2010September 10, 2014 by nondualmind, posted in Thoughts

Below is a link containing a poem I remember receiving after 9/11. At the time, it was thought that this poem was written by Thich Nhat Hanh, but it was actually written by a couple who were inspired by Hanh’s writings. This poem has a new meaning for me now than it did when I first read it. Back then, it was consoling because the events of 9/11 were so traumatic, even though they didn’t touch me personally. But now I am reminded that peace begins within one self. As Gandhi said, we need to “…become the change we want to see in the world.”

Nine years later it still packs a punch…..

http://www.spiritofmaat.com/messages/oct21/nhathanh.htm

The Dalai Lama and “The Global Community”

September 4, 2010 by nondualmind, posted in Thoughts

To continue along the same vein as my last post, I would like everyone to take a moment and read the following message from the Dalai Lama. It addresses the path on which we, as citizens of the world (not just individual and separate nations), should direct our focus and attention in this new century. It speaks eloquently to the notion of interconnectedness, which is what non-dualism is all about….

http://www.dalailama.com/messages/world-peace/the-global-community