Showing posts with label eastern. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eastern. Show all posts

Monday 6 May 2019

Journey of an Eastern Mind



Written by Mathew Naismith

A spiritual teacher is asked to do a presentation on what the teacher is about to a small group of people, they accept. When the time comes, they greet everyone who comes through the door and once this is done, they then place themselves in front of the people and immediately queries, "What are you all doing here?" There is no answer because the people are perplexed by the teachers query.

The spiritual teacher then states, "You are here because you did not listen to your eastern mind, a mind of non-materialism, thought, wisdom and non-controlling ways. You are here because of your western minds material imperfections, distractions and controlling ways."

To the spiritual teacher, there is no question of the eastern mind being positive, right, good, etc, and the western mind being negative, wrong, bad, etc. As of always, and quite naturally too to the western mind, there is an obvious positive and negative in relation to the western and eastern mind. Now, why were the people sitting in front of the spiritual teacher to start with, expecting guidance and answers to life?

A predominant western minded person goes into a jungle alive with carnivorous beasties (beasts). Fear will either save this person or cause the death of the person. Now, an enlightened person of the absence of material imperfections, distractions and controlling ways enters the jungle. The carnivorous beasties react in a totally different way. Instead of being ferocious towards the enlightened person, they react playfully and acceptingly. This is actually occurring with certain people at present, where there interactions with wild carnivorous animals are at the point of being playful. You don't have to be enlightened to experience this, just of the absence of material imperfections, distractions and controlling ways.

The spiritual teacher then poses a question," Am I positive because I am the teacher and you are negative because you are the students fixated to material imperfections, distractions and controlling ways? I am not separate from you as I am not separate from creation as a whole. Whatever is of creation, we are of no matter what the western ego mind desires to only be of. The different being, no matter how much we are connected to all of creation, I am also the teacher as well as the student only because I have also learnt to listen to the eastern mind as well as the western mind."

You will notice that certain spiritual teachers will make note to taking control, especially of the mind. If the teacher mentions to the western mind to tame the mind instead of controlling the mind, what is going to occur, especially when the western mind is known to be all about taking control rather than releasing oneself of control?

It is wise when approaching the western mind, to be expressive of what the western mind comprehends to then understand. However, there are teachers who only approach a mind not dominated by the western mind. The mind approached doesn't have to be predominantly eastern but certainly not predominately controlled by the westernised mind. You will never sway a predominant western mind all about control rather than releasing control to comprehend taming the mind to start with, for only the eastern mind in all of us relates to taming the mind rather than controlling the mind. In saying this, at times while trying to influence the western mind to tame the mind, the eastern mind becomes more dominant, this is because the eastern mind, while not being of control but of releasing control, becomes more influential on the mind itself through recognition of taming the mind.

I actually approach the western mind by pointing out the difference between the eastern and western mind, one is of control, the other of taming. The problem with this to the western mind is, honesty is often not the best policy, this is why many teachers will mention taking control of the mind instead of taming the mind. I should point out here that I am not a spiritual teacher.

The spiritual teacher then goes on to express, "As you are different to all else, doesn't mean you are separate to all else. This also means all else not of your positive is negative, just a different expression of yourself. You can deny that the environment around you is not of you but all this proves is that your western mind is in control. Tame the western mind with eastern minded influences, within this, all that seemed to be negative to your own positive dissipates. The western mind loves perceptions of negatives and positives for this gives the western mind more power and control over our mind and our environment, or so is deceptively perceived by the western mind in control over our minds." 

Note: At no time did I read or listen to what is mentioned above in relation to a spiritual teachers presentation, this is wholly my own thoughts of a spiritual teachers starting presentation. 


Saturday 4 May 2019

Eastern Spiritual Mind



Written  Mathew Naismith

There were two people of different cultures discussing the starvation of people, one person was shocked and appalled by how people are allowed to starve like this, the other person not so shocked and appalled. 

To western thinking, allowing people to starve to death is unkind and certainly not of love or spirituality. To eastern thinking it is different because one existence is not separated from any other existence. So to the western mind it is appalling when humans starve to death but it’s not as appalling when animals, including insects, are starved to death!!

In very recent times, a western minded lady I know was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The eastern doctor sat on her bed, put his hand on her knee and said that she had terminal cancer, go home to die because we need the hospital bed.  The western minded lady was in shock, not just because of the diagnoses but of how she was treated, especially by an eastern minded doctor.

To the eastern spiritual mind, death doesn’t exist; in fact the perception of death is simply an indication of transition from one life to another. No matter what you experience in life, even if you have suffered from life experiences instead of learning from them, all kinds of life experience’s without exception are worthy to experience. One kind of life is not desired over another no matter what, so if your life experience is to starve to death like any living creation without exception, that is karma or simply the way life is or works. So what does the western mind desire to do, change the way existence is but in service to what? Self-gratification, ego.

You see the western mind took offence to the practicality of the eastern mind; your life’s journey is to starve to death, as your life’s path is to die at home from terminal cancer. Of course in the case of the person diagnosed with terminal cancer, the bed was needed for people that doctors can help, not for people who are beyond help!!

In all honesty, if I was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I would want to go home to allow another person the bed that can be helped, and no, I wouldn’t have been offended by the eastern doctor’s very caring practical honest approach. Yes, shock horror to the western mind, the eastern doctor couldn’t have been more caring, practical and honest if he tried. In saying this, the doctor obviously needed to be aware in how the western individualised self-cantered mind works. Of course to the western mind, ensuing known pointless medical treatment is more caring!! This is like feeding an already starving people to bread more so the chances of them starving in the future are higher!! True, this is how western kindness, love and compassion works, in other words how the western mind works. If it feels good, it has to be good even when it obviously isn’t.

So to the western mind, being spiritual has everything to do with feeling good and being good within the views of the western mind, in other words, being positive instead of negative. You know what? The eastern spiritual mind doesn’t separate everything like this between what is negative and what is positive. In truth to me and people like me, the eastern spiritual mind is all about the collective’s wellbeing, not the individual’s wellbeing of; if it feels good to the individual, it has to be good to the collective. In truth, which the western mind in all cultures is not about, this is simply not the case, not everything that feels good to the ego individually is good for the collective.  

In all honesty, the eastern spiritual mind is of the balance of western and eastern thinking. Never expect or even demand that the western spiritual mind thinks like this, this is unless influenced by eastern thinking as well.

I am not of an eastern mind or primarily of an eastern mind but I often balance out the western mind with eastern thinking, as eastern spiritually aware people often do.  

Note; when an eastern spiritual mind feeds a starving person, this is different to when a western spiritual mind feeds a person. It is like the love of an eastern spiritual mind is different to a western spiritual mind; there is no attachment to love of an eastern spiritual mind, when the western mind often becomes highly attached to love. Attachments are likened to control, as the western mind is of taking controlling rather than not being of control. The eastern spiritual mind is actually of releasing oneself of control, also meaning to release oneself from attachments even of love.  How many western spiritually minded people of love can detach themselves from the feelings of what love gives them? In all honesty, this is all about taking control of retaining fixated attachments the western mind will never give up, unless balanced out by the eastern mind of releasing oneself of control and attachments.  

The eastern spiritual mind doesn't have to deal with releasing oneself of control and related attachments because this kind of mind doesn't seek to control but to release oneself of control. There are no attachments even to what the feelings of love can give oneself.

In regards to starving people, there is no difference to starving animals, also, this is there life's journey that we should refrain from taking control of. This is the same with the terminally ill person; refrain from taking control of someone else's life's journey is as loving and caring as a spiritual person can get, but of course the western spiritual mind will understandably always think otherwise through attachments created by being controlling.                                     

Monday 18 March 2019

Being Spiritual



Written by Mathew Naismith

There can be quite a big difference to what is perceived to be spiritual between the eastern and western mind. To the eastern mind, spirituality isn't primarily based on love, harmony and being positive where the western mind often bases New Age spirituality on love, harmony and being positive. Often in this case the perception of God doesn't figure for a lot of people, even though the perception of God is of a pure state of oneness. Love and harmony are simply a derivative of being spiritually connected. This love and harmony is also embraced by easterners but knowing that spirituality is not limited to just a few aspects as love and harmony.   

To the eastern spiritualist, spirituality isn't limited to certain aspects but is of all aspects, even of the aspects we don't desire to include in spirituality. Hinduism and Taoism are prime examples of this where the balance of negative and positive are apart of being spiritual, leading to a more aware and wiser state of being. It is not a separation of negative and positive, unlike in western spirituality, it is the culmination of negative and positive. To understand this, a truly connected spiritually aware person does not desire being positive over being negative for positive and negative work in unison as one. What does the western mind do instead? Separates the negatives from the positives and calls this spiritual!!    

I once came across a person who was crippled up, they were experiencing extreme discomfort and pain. I have never come across anyone so spiritually connected. Look at it this way, how many people experience their most enlightening moments in life while experience trauma, a so-called negative to the western mind? Trauma and pain can either be learnt from or suffered from, very much like humans learning from history rather than suffering from history. Of course this does take wisdom to do this which we have, in the modern age, replaced wisdom with what we desire.    

Try to remember, the western mind in all of us can be excessively critical, this includes critically judging what is and isn't spiritual to the western mind.

When you get to a state where you can ask any question and get an immediate correct answer, you know you are on your way to being spiritually connected. When you no longer need to ask questions to get an answer, you are spiritually connected. Only in this state do you then realise that the questions we asked were not formulating the answer to the questions, for the answers to what ever questions we ask always existed!!             

Thursday 28 February 2019

Improving Upon Our Weaknesses



Written by Mathew Naismith

I wrote the following to further explain where I was coming from in relation to my last post, Human Existence - A Balancing Act

"Indeed my friend, we are one despite our differences in culture and mind. Because I am not into what is good and bad, wrong and right, negative and positive, unlike the western mind in control, there are no negative or positive tags in relation to the western and eastern mind. As I will explain in my next post, both the western and eastern mind has a vital part to play in life for they are apart of life."

Also:

"Look at this way, the western mind most often desires to separate the physical/materiel world from the spiritual, only desiring to be of the spiritual or material world. The eastern mind doesn't do this as it is of oneness, a oneness that sees a connection between the material and spiritual world in the absence of separation and division.

The western spiritual mind often determines that the material world is unbecoming as the western mind is quite critical within its judgement. The eastern mind isn't critical within its judgement but simply observant of what can be improved. As it is stated, the western mind will build upon its strengths while the eastern mind improves upon its weaknesses. One creates balance, the other an imbalance!!"

In all honesty, how many western minded spiritual people do you know desire to separate the spiritual world from the material world? I really don't think being spiritual is to do with separating one from the other more, in truth quite the opposite. The sense of oneness to start with is the realisation that everything is connected and of one. Yes, it is difficult while becoming spiritually aware that the desire to feel more in harmony, secure and loving, is more desirable over and above anything else that doesn't fulfil these desires but we must avoid this occurring. The desire to dispel everything in some way that isn't of what we desire to feel is quite strong.

Let's be honest here, the western mind is going to have a far harder time of becoming spiritually aware than the eastern mind, this is why it is wise to get to know your eastern mind. The western mind is perfect for getting to know the material world as the tools created to do so by the western mind is unlimited, as the eastern mind is perfect for getting to know the spiritual world.

Yes, as of the eastern mind, the western mind has its place, problems only occur when the western mind takes over from the eastern mind in all of us. Considering that the western mind is of taking control, and the eastern mind is of releasing ourselves of control, it is by no mistake that a predominant western mind will take control of what the eastern mind controls. The funny thing is, the eastern mind never works by taking control but of releasing itself from control, within this action, the human self is released from its various limitations that control creates.

Control means to take power to direct or determine; to determine a result in accordance with the control expressed thus limiting all expressions to certain variables or values.

As the western mind will no doubt take offence to what I am stating here, the eastern mind won't, even when stating that the western mind is better at knowing about the material world than the eastern mind. The eastern mind simply sees this as something that needs to be worked on, not just something to express disdain towards unlike the western mind that is a lot easier to offend than the eastern mind. What is the western minds strength? Knowing about the material world. Where is the world at, at present in relation to the eastern and western mind? The world is obviously predominantly expressive of the western mind. What ability does the western mind focus on the most? Its strengths while even deliberately ignoring its weaknesses, at times at any cost!! A good example of this is the environment we are destroying, the very thing humans rely on for their existence. Yes, the Chinese are destroying their own environment as well, only because they are predominately expressive of  the western mind to compete in a western minded controlled world.

So what is a western dominated world focusing on the most? Its strengths, which is control, power, material wealth and global dominance, etc, also, anything and everything that doesn't pertain or is relevant to its strengths. This is why westernised spirituality, even when based on eastern spirituality, is often used to take more control and gain more power while in the material world. The western spiritual mind simply primarily focuses on the spiritual is in relation to taking more control, not what eastern spirituality is about, releasing ourselves from control.

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” – Lao Tzu

 “As spiritual searchers we need to become freer and freer of the attachment to our own smallness in which we get occupied with me-me-me. Pondering on large ideas or standing in front of things which remind us of a vast scale can free us from acquisitiveness and competitiveness and from our likes and dislikes. If we sit with an increasing stillness of the body, and attune our mind to the sky or to the ocean or to the myriad stars at night, or any other indicators of vastness, the mind gradually stills and the heart is filled with quiet joy. Also recalling our own experiences in which we acted generously or with compassion for the simple delight of it without expectation of any gain can give us more confidence in the existence of a deeper goodness from which we may deviate. (39)”  – Ravi Ravindra

“Life is a balance between holding on and letting go.” Rumi

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need." Tao Te Ching

Wednesday 27 February 2019

Human Existence - A Balancing Act



Written by Mathew Naismith

I was recently invited to join a group of people, predominantly of Indian origin, on a social media network site who, to me, show a good deal of balance between the eastern and western mind. There caring loving gestures in interaction to each other seemed quite different to when the predominant western mind in people try to interact in the same way. I have interacted on a number of forums where the western minded people don't quite seem as genuine within their caring loving interactions. The difference for this I found quite interesting.

As the following link will illustrate, the western mind sees itself the dominant force of nature, where the eastern mind see itself in harmony between man and nature, of equal equality and value between man and nature. Why do, for example, Hindus express a sacredness to certain animals where the western mind only sees animals as something to use abuse. In saying this, how many pet owners of a western mind show a sacredness to their own beloved pets? Is this the eastern mind in all of us, the eastern harmonious mind seeing other creatures on Earth as no lesser value than themselves?

How many western minded spiritual people put the spiritual world above all other worlds? To the eastern mind, spiritual values are of no lesser value than material values and visa-versa, make no mistake though, a lot of easterners are becoming more western in mind than eastern thus an imbalance is created. As I have spoken to a number of people from India, the concern of their own people becoming more of the western mind is concerning, in that knowing how the western mind puts itself above nature and all else not of itself.

You might then look at the Hindus for example, in how they have so many spiritual festivals. To the western mind, and understandably so, the Hindus seem to be prominently of the spiritual world, there is no balance between the material world and the spiritual world!! The many God's and Goddesses are simply a representation of the many facets of life as a whole. Many deities represent man's own character and psychology. In actuality, Hindu deities represent the material world as well as the spiritual world. You will find this in most eastern spiritual teachings, only if you are not predominantly of the western mind that is.

If you are also of the eastern mind, you will find the following quite interesting. It is in relation to a book titled, "East and West: Understanding the Rise of China."

                                    


Friday 21 December 2018

Eastern and Western Philosophy



Written by Mathew Naismith

Stoicism is of Western philosophy where Zen is of Eastern philosophy, both philosophies are of a simular teaching, an indifference to pleasure or pain. All this means is that there is no desire of pain or pleasure, especially of pleasure in counteraction to pain for there is no balance created in such reactions. Yes, from imbalances a reality based on imbalances can be created where pleasure is intensely desired and often vigorously sought. This reminds me of the Roman Empire and the present Westernised Empire, where pleasure is vigorously sought and desired over all else.  

Both the Western philosophies of Stoicism and the Eastern philosophies of Zen are not of faith, even though Zen is of intuitiveness rather than reasoning as of Stoicism. Of course in saying that these philosophies are not of faith, one has to have faith in philosophies for philosophies to have any value. No matter what the teachings are, faith is needed in the teachings themselves for the teachings to have value and substance to begin with.

How many of us have faith in reasoning, where our reasoning is limited to what we are aware of at the time. We can only reason to the extent of our awareness, of course this is where philosophies like Zen come into there own, where intuition takes over where reasoning has left off. The same is with Abrahamic religions, where reasoning is limited to what we are aware of to what Abrahamic religions are not limited to. Religions period give us a sense and even an awareness beyond of what reasoning is limited to. In a lot of cases, reasoning is limited to materialism or three dimensional aspects. 

Basically, philosophies of Stoicism are limited to a reasoning process; this at no time makes philosophies like stoicism irrelevant. As what is taught through the teachings of stoicism, it is a teaching of an indifference to pleasure or pain, where pain or pleasure is not sought but simply occurs. In truth, teachings like Zen and Stoicism condition us to lesson the influence of pain thus often giving us more pleasure in any circumstance. At no time is pain or pleasure sought within these teachings, but most often pleasure can be the outcome of these teachings. Simply, it is what it is, no more, no less.

https://medium.com/@AlextheYounger/stoic-zen-10-crucial-life-lessons-from-ancient-eastern-and-western-philosophy-401d4f2ac646
Extract: Alan Watts has an interesting take on an old, provoking thought-experiment: he asks you to imagine if you could ask God any question. You may ask, “what is the meaning of life?” God would simply reply, “the question makes no sense, you are asking what is the meaning of meaning. It is only you that can create meaning in this world.”
Disappointed in this answer, you may question further, “what is the question I should ask then?” Presumably, God would smile, and answer, “Ah, so you do want a problem?”
The simple fact of the matter is that nothing is out of place. It is simply human nature to create problems to solve.
Problems and dilemmas are pain creating, this is why we ask questions that are related to pain and don't ask questions that are not related to pain. Considering that human consciousness is conditioned to suffering pain, no wander we ask such questions when the answer is obvious to a person not conditioned to pain.
Don't get me wrong here, most often we will learn to deal with pain when in pain, pain is simply part of the process of not being in pain, but only if we learn to deal with pain instead of suffering or having a desire to escape from pain. To desire to escape from pain is a creation of pain for pain has created such desires, try to remember this. What human consciousness is conditioned to, is to suffer from pain instead of dealing with pain. However, imagine if the allied forces in World War two ran away from the pain of the axis forces instead of dealing with this pain, far more pain would have been inflicted or suffered. Of cause what created this pain to begin with was the conditioning to pain, otherwise Hitler would have stopped at the pleasure he gave to his fellow countrymen.  
In dealing with pain, at no time expect or desire not to be in pain, as the philosophy of Zen and Stoicism teach, an indifference to pleasure or pain, where desire has no place, even of the desire of pleasure over pain. You must be careful here though, that you don't seek or desire pain over pleasure, pain will naturally come when a lesson needs to be learnt as of our present reality. Yes, I have observed this myself, where people seek (desire) pain to learn from, avoid seeking pain for this reason as Buddha discovered.
Yes, we will suffer pain of a lost one or of being abused, what is the lesson to be learnt in this?
In the case of a lost one, to learn to live on after such a loss, even to a greater extent without feeling guilty of doing so; to learn that your life goes on and so does theirs. I often live for them as well which makes life more fulfilling for me.
As of abuse or neglect, don't try to escape this pain or desire or expect not to be in pain. The desire to feel pleasure again gives the pain more credence, more power and control over you. It is what it is and move on from this. I know of a person who was raped in their own house, every little noise in the house now utterly terrifies them. You must learn to have an indifference to pain as well as pleasure, anything else is an imbalance and of all imbalances, pain is created. Become aware that all imbalances create circumstances of the abuse of energy as a whole. To deny yourself the freedom from pain and pleasure is an abuse of energy caused by an imbalance.
In pain, I don't desire or expect pleasure but I also don't desire or expect to suffer from pain either. There is a neutral ground that can be created under any circumstance, where energy is influenced in harmony with. I could not think of anything more beautiful, accepting, of unconditional love and of oneness than this neutral ground.                               

Tuesday 6 November 2018

Passion of the Eastern Mind



Written by Mathew Naismith

William Shakespeare's, "To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;"

A Western minds dramatisation of life; to go on suffering or to cease the suffering by death or to cause death onto what is causing the suffering, in actuality it's the same thing. To abandon life and human existence for a better existence is the death of suffering; of course it is well known to the Eastern mind we cause our own suffering. To commit suicide or to cause the death to what is causing the suffering is the same thing. So to desire to create a better existence than an existence of suffering is suicidal; for one has to cause death onto one's own dramatisation of suffering, we would in fact kill a part of ourselves off. Is this the answer?

The answer to the Western mind is to separate itself from what it no longer desires to be a part of, to separate itself from the undesired for the desired. The desired is to suffer no more, even though to stop suffering one has to commit suicide, to cause death to what is causing the suffering which is ourselves. In a reality of variable polarities, we have a choice to either suffer with these variables, thus focus on suffering, or to let these variables pass without attaching ourselves to the suffering they may or may not create. To be, or not to be!!

So how does this help the people who are really suffering, the victims of war and civilian depravation? As I have done myself, you stop focusing on the suffering of variables for the only part of us that is able to suffer is the ego. The more the ego is in control, the more suffering we will suffer with thus creating a world that is destructive onto itself and chaotic within  it's environment. Yes, our environment, in actuality the universe itself, can be destructive and chaotic but as of ourselves it can also be constructive and passive.

I came across something recently I found interesting, the first part is my reply to what I found so interesting. A heavenly state of being is simply a state where the ego has no control; even in an existence of opposing variables this state is accessible to us.   
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Very well articulated. It's not easy for the Western mind to comprehend what is written here sunday ivy. 

The reason for this is the lack of control as the Western mind in all of us desires control. To control takes the abuse of energy, be it physical and/or mental. What will be will be is not acceptable to the Western mind in any of us. 

Is it a wonderful life no matter what goes on? It is what it is as man is no more destructive or chaotic than the natural environment can be, however, we can also be as constructive and passive as the natural environment can be as well, the choice is ours. 

The Western mind in all of us needs more of this, in my mind anyway.

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Persistent Motivation Comes from the Longing and Pursuit of a Wonderful Life

Xuefeng
(Translated by Tongxin and Edited by Kaer)

What promotes everyone to live day by day?

It is the Tathaga (nature) which has been the designed program ever since LIFE was originally created during the beginning of creation. For each LIFE, whether they like it or not, must run around in circles to survive for several decades after being born, and this is not controllable by anyone. As people, we must run around solving the problems of eating, clothing, shelter, transportation, birth, aging, sickness, and death, although these are reluctant choices which lead to tragic lives.

These are reluctant and tragic lives within the realms of necessity. If people cannot escape from the bondages of the realms of necessity, then no matter how they may live, trouble, pain, worry, anxiety, and fear will follow them forever. Life will rise and fall, set in sorrow and joy, and bloom and fade like flowers, until one reincarnation of LIFE is finished and a new one begins anew.

Coming back to the original point, after several years, many decades, or even centuries, these are the reincarnations of the realm of necessity. If we do not escape from the bondage of the realm of necessity and enter into the realm of freedom, then whatever we do and however glorious a state we can reach, everything is as futile and transitory as passing clouds. Nothing is worthy of being pursued or owned.

Although the road leading forward is tortuous, it is only by targeting an eternal direction and goal and by walking firmly towards it, that we can ever hope to walk out of the realm of necessity, out of the rises and falls, and out of the reincarnations of life, that we might taste and enjoy the scenery and joys along the road.

Everything we pursue and own in the human world will eventually melt into emptiness or burst like bubbles. They are absolutely illusions and dreams. If everything in the human world eventually disappears, then what is worthy of being pursued? What is worthy of being owned? What is worthy of being strived for by consuming the energy of LIFE?

Either swim with the tide and do not care about truth or falsehood, sincerity or deception, beauty or ugliness, kindness or cruelty, good or evil, or what is yours or mine, because everything will disappear into silence when one eventually disappears from the world; or move forward, firmly toward the realm of freedom which exceeds this human world, and exceeds space and time.

Where is the realm of freedom? Where is the way leading to the realm of freedom?

The human world is not the realm of freedom because our bodies push us to run for survival. The realm of freedom is heaven, and the ultimate realm of freedom is the Celestial Islands Continent of the Elysium World.

The road leading to the realm of freedom is the longing and pursuit of a wonderful life, and this is the source of persistent motivation.

What are wonderful lives?

They are states of no death, no pain and sorrow, no worry and fear, no trouble and misfortune, and no fighting and deprivation, but there is always joy, happiness, sunny life like beautiful springs, eternally green mountains and clear rivers, and one has the freedom to do whatever they want to do forever. What is fortunate is that we have found the way that directs us forward to the realm of freedom in which a broad, beautiful world is already waiting for us. The question is how can we reach it? Can we keep going? Did we delay too much on the road, feel powerless like sighing before the sea, and get pulled back into the realm of necessity because of sluggishness?

So many people have fallen down because they lost, do you still have the motivation to move ahead?

As long as you strive for and pursue the good life continuously, you will have persistent motivation, and can overcome all difficulties and finally reach the destination. But if your pursuit and longing are reduced or stopped, then you will stay in the same place and miss your opportunity to enjoy a truly beautiful life.

Monday 10 September 2018

What Have I Done!!



Written by Mathew Naismith 

As I have found in today's society, if you tell the actual truth to telling a desired truth, most of what you will get back is a show of disdain. I of course have no problem with this; otherwise I would desist in what I am doing, which I am clearly not going to do. I also express myself through an Eastern mind as well as a Western mind; this is obviously way too confusing for the Western mind to comprehend thinking in this way.

People, I am not attacking Western culture in favour of Eastern culture, all I am doing is trying to influence an obvious imbalanced Western mind, in all of us and in all cultures, to become aware of it's own imbalances in the way the Western mind uses and abuses energy as a whole. In my mind, everything is energy, of course going by certain ideologies, this is the same as everything being of God. Of course mentioning God also offends certain Western minds, being that the Western mind is in all of us as of the Eastern mind. This simply gets back to yin and yang. Yang is prominently yang with a bit of yin and visa-versa. A Western culture is predominantly of the Western mind and visa-versa, however, the Western mind, in all cultures, seem to be presently predominant thus depicting an imbalance in the collective.  

My motives have been put to the question and fair enough too. The following are an example of the replies I gave to the questioning of my motives and views by some people.
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1: You seem to be defending Western cultures by demonising certain Eastern cultures when all I am doing is mentioning the Western mind in all cultures. I am not attacking Western culture or its people, the Easterners have shown in human history how they can be just as badly behaved and destructive. 

I am not joking; it would seem only the Eastern mind knows what I am talking about here.  It's not about Western and Eastern cultures but about the Eastern and Western mind, in all of us.

You're not the only one XXXXX who doesn't quite get where I am coming from. They do say that the Western mind is easily offended. I am not attacking Western cultures but their obvious imbalanced Western minds.

The Western mind is hard to bring back into balance because this kind of mind often separates itself from all else, especially the Eastern mind. This is at present occurring in Eastern countries as well.


2: True, however, just because one is from an Eastern culture, doesn't mean one is not of or influenced by a Western mind. Easterners have always expressed a Western mind; it's just that in an Eastern culture it's easier to balance out the Western mind it would seem.

Please don't take offence but it seems that only the Eastern mind knows what I am talking about here. It matters not of what culture or country you come from, we need to be aware of how the Western mind works, in all of us, especially at present.

Actually, the multinationals that are hurting us mostly through control and manipulation are not from China, Japan or South Korea. China, Japan and South Korea are but puppets, so is the US to some degree. I can't at present go into this, I am censored. :-)

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Extract: It is becoming apparent that we are all capable of thinking both holistically and analytically - and we are starting to understand what makes individuals flip between the two modes of thought.

Just for fun: It was determined that I was more of a Western mind in the following test, however, if I could have, I would have chosen both examples. The culture we are mostly influenced by often influences how we will think, no matter where we live.  


Friday 20 July 2018

The Beauty of the Ego



Written by Mathew Naismith

It is important not to simply look at the ego as being negative. Yes, the ego can be destructive and create a reality of chaos and misery, however, the ego can also be highly constructive and creative. Simply labelling the ego negative in anyway isn't the truth of the matter, in truth; the ego can be exceptionally beneficial to all of creation.

Western mind = ego

Eastern mind = egoless

Is the Western mind simply negative? No. Being that the Western mind represents ego in all cultures and its people, labelling the ego simply negative in any expression is only of half truths.

Considering that the Western mind dislikes being questioned about its own behaviour and takes any questing like this as an insult, truths, especially about itself, becomes unacceptable. Basically, half truths and lies become the order of the day, accepted over and above truths.

In truth, the Western mind, void of the balance of the Eastern mind, is a monster (destructive) unto itself and its environment. Considering that the Eastern mind doesn't take questioning about its own mind as an insult, you can see why, especially at present, why the Western mind needs the Eastern mind for balance. In truth, the Western mind needs the truth of the Eastern mind, especially in relation to itself. I have simply lost count how many Western minded people have taken what I say as an insult, while at the same time the Eastern mind seriously considers what is being said.

One simply wants to know of a desired truth; a truth that will enhance its stature, while the other considers all of what is said void of desire. Of course a mind of the balance of ego and egoless, the Western and Eastern mind, will also express desire but in a moderate way. In truth, the Eastern mind is of truth where's the Western mind, void of the balance of an Eastern in an ego reality, is of lies and deceit. It matters not if you are in an Eastern part of the world, if the main dominance is of a Western mind, lies and deceit will be present.

Western mind = lies and deceit + motion

Eastern mind = truth and honesty + motionless

Remember, the Western mind in all of us will naturally take offence to what is being said here, this is unless the Eastern mind in all of us is influential upon the Western mind. Within a reality of ego, the Eastern mind is needed to quell the desires of the Western mind. In actuality, it's the Eastern mind that should be predominant in an ego based reality, not the Western mind.

Having spoken to a number of Hindus from India, it would seem the teachings in relation to the ego are becoming less and less at a young age, in effect, the Western mind is becoming more dominant, even in India!!

You have to realise that the Western mind in all of us is all about separation, especially separating itself from the truths of the Eastern mind. Yes, the Western mind can take on the teachings and influence of the Eastern mind. Sadly, most often this is done under the complete dominance of the Western mind, turning the Eastern teachings into a Western ideology in Western cultures. I have lost count how often I have come across this.

Considering all this, it's difficult to realise that the ego, the Western mind, can be beautiful and highly constructive. In its glory and in balance with the Eastern mind in all of us, the Western mind is simply spectacular within an ego based reality, a reality of motion as all motion relates to a form of ego. The more motion expressed, the more the ego is present.

The question is now, should we all simply become of the Eastern mind within an ego reality, especially a reality dominated by the Western mind? No, to desire this is to be just as much of the ego, the Western mind. Also, to replace the Western mind with the Eastern mind represents separation therefore of the Western mind. As Hinduism clearly shows how a true Eastern mind works, the ego and egolessness, the Western and Eastern mind, is never separated from each other in an ego based existence, an existence of a high degree of motion. The Eastern mind is simply made aware of the Western minds traits, of course this can't occur if the Western mind is predominant over the Eastern mind within an ego based reality.

It's sad to realise this but as always, the Western mind will take offence of all this, it's wise to be aware of this within all of us. In truth, there is no separation between the Western and Eastern mind, the ego and egolessness, only a perceived separation. Yes, you can go into states of pure ego and egolessness, in truth, at no time are they truly separated.

We, as humans, are yet to learn how beautiful and constructive the ego can be when in balance with egolessnss. Such a mind has no boundaries to it; it's simply infinite in nature, meaning, a consciousness like this will not kill itself off, unlike the Western mind is doing today........

Is it easy for a Western mind in a Western culture to realise its own shortcomings? The answer is obviously no but it's certainly worth the effort, only if one prefers to live in truth instead of live in lies!! As of usual, the Western mind will not take kindly to all that is said here, in my mind, it's wise to be aware of this.

Friday 22 September 2017

A New Wind Blowing


Written by Mathew Naismith

As a tree in balance with the wind will do, it will bend with the wind. As China has done and North Korea hasn't done, China has bent to the wind, the wind of the western mind, however, there is another wind blowing, a wind that the western mind wind must also bend to or pass by.

To put this into perspective, I have inserted a reply I gave to certain people on a forum. Knowing what is and isn't bullying and abuse, it was obvious a fair amount of abuse and bullying was going on, on this forum, I simply related this abuse and bullying holistically to the western mind imbalances and weaknesses. As I stated in the following, this has nothing to do with judgment or ridicule of a singular person or people. If I am to awaken to my own weaknesses and acknowledge them, I must also be fair and honestly look at other people and other groups who are obvious within their own weaknesses, after all, it's all as one. If I can do this void of judging a negative or positive, bad or good, it's simply not judgment but honest observation void of the biases of negative and positive, good and bad.
     
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This will be my last interaction on here unless I receive a response to this interaction.

The coalition forces are obvious within their dominance, their bullying other cultures into submission, of course to do this; one has to point out the weaknesses within these other cultures while at the same time totally ignoring one's own weaknesses. Bullying of course takes one to go into another cultures or persons domain, this is the same in going onto someone else's post to bully them into submission.

As I have previously given written material to confirm, the western mind will at all cost avoid looking at it's own weaknesses, instead choose to focus on it's strengths. If you look honestly at the coalition forces, are they also not doing this? When you go into other people's countries to bully these people into submission under false pretences, Iraq was a prime example of this, and on top of this pilfer their natural resources, is this not of the western mind void of the balance of the eastern mind?

It is natural for a mind, primarily of the western mind, to become dominating and bully everything that questions it's own weaknesses into submission. When we look at Libya who were well on the way to creating their own monitory system, which showed weaknesses within the western monitory system, it was inevitable that the western mind of the coalition forces were going to act through force. This is psychologically called projective abuse.

What are the similarities between the coalition forces dominance and certain people's reactions on this site?

At no point have these people admitted that they don't like their views put to the question. The fact they don't like my views that quite often put their own views and motives in question, it is obvious of what mind these people are primarily expressing. Of course the western mind, to the bitter end, will not want to look upon it's own weaknesses, instead prefers to look at other people's weakness just like the coalition forces. When I look at other people's weaknesses, I am also looking at my own, however, we must do this but void of bias.

This has nothing to do with judgment or ridicule of a singular person or people. If I am to awaken to my own weaknesses and acknowledge them, I must also be fair and honestly look at other people and other groups who are obvious within their own weaknesses, after all, it's all as one. If I can do this void of judging a negative or positive, bad or good, it's simply not judgment but observation void of the biases of negative and positive, good and bad.

To awaken, one must look at the whole as a whole and observe that whole as one, this means pointing out the weaknesses within the western and eastern mind no matter what form it takes. In saying this, it is virtually impossible for the western mind to do this impartially when void of the balance of the eastern mind gives to the western mind. The western mind, void of the eastern mind, will be naturally dominant and bully everything else that looks at it's weakness to submission.

The current wind is western minded, we must bend to this wind, the Chinese did just that but the North Koreans haven't. There is however a new wind blowing, a wind of both western and eastern origin, within this, there will be balance and the absence of one mind trying to dominate the other mind. Basically, a balanced consciousness void of conflict.


Simply put, there is way too much western minded dominance on this site for me; the deliberate avoidance of looking at one's own weakness is too evident. The new wind blowing is anything but what is expressed here, in my mind anyway, no offence intended.           

Saturday 16 September 2017

The Mindless Western Mind!!




Written by Mathew Naismith

It was said to me recently in a discussion on the western and eastern mind that the western mind is controlling or maybe even of no mind. Considering that the yang and yin are within each other so is the eastern and western mind, one is never not of the other to one extent or another, it is therefore unlikely that the western mind is of total control and/or mindless. The following replies I gave to other people on this subject will explain this further.

The western mind, being of the greater ego, will of course judge someone like me stating that the western mind is mindless is judgmentally egotistic, however, the eastern mind observes this as simply pointing our an obvious weakness within the western mind itself. In saying this, as the western mind has it's weaknesses, so does the eastern mind. The difference is in that the eastern mind will acknowledge and deal with it's weaknesses, this is different to the western mind that primarily focuses on it's strengths while ignoring it's weaknesses.

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Interesting Chinwhisker, this is probably why I relate Christianity and Hinduism, in the raw form, to be of both western and eastern mind, yin and yang, however, I only equate Buddhism to yin, the feminine, the eastern mind.

To me: Eastern mind = yin + feminine + of lesser ego
            Western mind = yang + masculine + of greater ego

A balance brings peace, God's kingdom, where an imbalance brings chaos, man's kingdom.

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I also wrote the following reply on questioning the bible and the mindlessness of the western mind. It was interestingly mentioned that the western mind is of control or of no mind.

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+Chinwhisker  It's all to do with how one is conditioned to read the bible, however, as I have found out,  prayers have been changed over time to reflect a different stance, is the bible the same?

If one is all ego, can we equate this to no mind? By destroying the very thing one relies on for it's existence to feed it's ego, I would say this is of no mind. 

China has destroyed it's natural environment mainly because of western influence through becoming more westernised.  Yes, I would say it's fair enough to call the western mind mindless.



Primarily focusing on, for example, positive thinking or love and light, is focusing on our strengths while noticeably ignoring the weaknesses. A good example of this is of children being abused in every way, this is ignored by positive and love and light people because it's too negative or toxic to address. It's a weakness that is plainly ignored. If half the people in the world spoke against this kind of abuse, a lot of children would be saved from abuse, instead, the western mind focuses on itself and it's own strengths, not it's own weaknesses. By ignoring these weaknesses because they are not of love and light or positive, allows these weaknesses to flourish, in actuality that is exactly what is presently occurring.

I should mention here that stating Buddhism is equated to the feminine (yin) and not also the masculine (yang) is in reference to it's philosophies. I believe that Buddhism came about for a need of a philosophy and an awareness to balance out life as a whole that was and still is primarily of the masculine. Even though Buddhism is of a religion as well as of philosophy, Buddhism wasn't meant to be followed or used in the same way as most ideologies. I believe Buddhism should be used in conjunction with other ideologies, not in opposition, a lot of western people following Buddhist philosophies, in my mind, are using Buddhism in opposition to other ideologies, not in conjunction.

It's funny to think it's the eastern part of the western mind that observes these weaknesses as the western mind is unable to. Consider this; can a man (yang) give birth? It's the same as the western mind being unable to address it's weaknesses, it needs the eastern mind to do this. Void of the eastern mind, the western mind can indeed be too controlling and mindless by primarily focusing on the ego, the outer world instead of the inner world or self.

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Supplement:


I suppose the way we are looking at past lives is more western than eastern.

At times translation between western and eastern is easy, at other times virtually impossible. I don't think everything eastern can be successfully translated into western and probably visa-versa. Language is one barrier but so is the substance or meaning. Considering that the eastern and western mind looks at things in quite a different way a lot of the times, this figures.

I was talking to a bloke from India about the bhagavad gita, he simply said it's virtually impossible to convert the bhagavad gita to English, you lose too much of it's truer meaning. I don't think western language has as much inner depth and meaning as eastern languages. In saying this, I think the old English language has more depth than today's English; I'm not sure on this though.