Consciousness Before Mind

  

Written by Mathew Naismith

My wife agrees. Often to the western mind what I write is overly complicated or over stated, while to the eastern mind most often what I write is not overly complicated or overly stated. I have often observed this myself. Overly complicating anything is in line with distorting reality, like profits come before science, religion and even church come before God, communism comes before family, mind comes before consciousness and so on. When you think of it, most spiritual practices practised in the west are of an eastern origin. Are we in the west distorting eastern teachings through taking out what seems to be too complicated for the western mind to comprehend and put into practice?

Should the tribe come before family, personal life? Not if having different views separates the family. Often in a reality that is not distorted, the tribe is thought of as family, where each and everyone's differences are allowed and tolerated, unless greatly distorted. In today's science, profits often come before science, meaning, the science has to be primarily of profits first, creating a distorted reality where profits come before science. Don't berate yourself for being a part of distorting reality, for an unseen consciousness that is distorted itself is coercing us to be of the same reality, more than ever.

We are presently experiencing a distortion of consciousness and are on the receiving end of a distorted consciousness, on the receiving end of an abstract portion of what consciousness actually is altogether.

Abstract: Existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment

The mind is often only expressive or knowing of a small part of what consciousness actually represents overall. No mind is expressive of what consciousness is altogether, in the process the mind only creates what the mind often only desires to be what consciousness is, like God exists or doesn't exist, full stop. Also, if the mind is conditioned to a certain mind set in relevance to the environment experienced, like being brought up as a religious person or atheist, the mind conditioned to this environment will only live by a portion of what consciousness is overall, in the process distorting reality even more.

We are not meant to be governed by mind but by consciousness, but by a consciousness that is not distorted. Because we are conditioned to primarily live by the mind, our consciousness is easy pray to any kind of distorted consciousness out there. Look at how often religion or even the church came and comes before God, in the process creating an abstract form of God, not of what consciousness is overall which is what many of us call God. God is simply a consciousness that is not distorted. No, God does not exist for or within a consciousness that is excessively distorted, God or a consciousness not distorted does not exist within this kind of reality, in saying this, there is not a consciousness in existence that does not have a spark of God consciousness within it. The reaction is amazing when you try to show this to a mind or consciousness distorted by a distorted consciousness, the expressed fear is horrendous, a fear they have themselves created by distorting reality.

Notice in a lot of eastern spiritual practices that the enlightened will always be of consciousness first before mind, a reality that is often brought about by practices that quieten the mind, not putting the mind before consciousness at any time. This is why people like me will never become what is known to be enlightened, as I often put mind before consciousness, but while being aware of this. The enlightened put themselves within an environment conducive to creating a reality that is not distorted or less distorted. My present environment is not conducive to wholly putting myself within this kind of environment and I am fine with that, but I have created an environment where I can create a less distorted reality than the reality around me. We just need to be aware of what reality we desire to live by first and what reality we should live by to create a less distorted reality. What we often desire for ourselves is often of what distorts reality the most.

Feminine Querying Mind

Written by Mathew Naismith

When you take yin out of the equation, all you are left with is yang to formulate equations. Put in another way, when critical thinking is used in the absence of a queering mind, science stagnates or is distorted, like we have witnessed with the covid pandemic. It is like when relationships stagnate, you will notice that one element is no longer present or may not have been present in the first place. Same elements, like lustfulness, can attract each other but without the element of love, this kind of attraction is often transitory and not of genuine love, especially when one element loses it's lustfulness.

China's science is governed by a masculine energy, communism, which was not always the case, this is why a lot of their science is of western science these days, it is stolen. If this masculine governed science becomes the norm in the world, yes, science will end up stagnating, distorting. You will still have the critical mind at work but without the querying mind, the critical mind will end up stagnating and/or distorting.

You could say that the critical mind is represented by yang and the inquisitive mind yin. When the critical mind is governed by certain rules, especially masculine driven rules, what is allowed to be queried is greatly diminished. When critical thinking or the queering mind is diminished or overruled by the other, you no longer have true science. Spirituality works in the same way, especially when religion and/or church come before God, or whatever God is represented by in spirituality. Whenever in human history religion, being one element, overrules or overlords God, another element, chaos and devastation is created within a reality.

Make no mistake, eastern science was also taken by the west as being their own, when eastern science was not predominantly dominated by one element that is often driven by a masculine energy these days. Look at the masculine dominated parts of the world, where masculine ideologies dominate the feminine, science is distorted and religion comes before God. What religion is God of?

Critical thinking and the inquisitive mind should work in harmony together, as in any spirituality where all elements work in harmony together, not one coming before and over-lording the other. The same is with relationships. In my own personal relationship, most often for both of us the other comes first, resulting in elements working in unison together. We both realise one must look after themselves to be able to look after the other. By looking after yourself you are putting the other person first. In this relationship you look after yourself as well as each other, in the process creating a reality that is not distorted, working in prefect balance.

Notice during the covid pandemic that certain sciences and scientists were ignored, persecuted and even killed for not following certain protocols in accordance with certain masculine driven elements, such as covid vaccines will stop infections, while a pharmaceutical company like Pfizer had no scientific evidence of this to start with, as pointed out recently by a Pfizer executive. See how science is distorted when one element dominates the other!!

Be it of science, spirituality, relationships, etc, query if one elements is put before the other or dominates the other elements to see if any kind of distortion is present. Notice that the critical mind will denounce a querying mind if not of the critical minds protocol, like you are not of my religion, science or lustful desires!!

The querying mind to me is of a passive mind, a nurturing mind, therefore of feminine energy, and the critical mind of an active mind, a mind that is not nurturing but decisive, abrupt. Working in unison, both these elements bring the best out of each other, in the process creating a reality that is less distorted. When not working in unison, a distorted reality is sure to be created.

Western and Eastern Hemisphere Minds

 

 Written by Mathew Naismith

You have got to realise that we all have a slightly different path to follow as spirituality aware people, some people can sit within their own quietness and let the world go by, where other people are meant to become involved with the rest of the world.

“Putin got a lot right in his speech! We have been an empire of lies sad but true!”

With so many western people so eager the feed the war machine, while taking little to no action in regards to the prevention of war, I am embarrassed being of a western civilisation. This is while Taiwan is being intimidated and harassed and not just militarily. What is going to happen to the Taiwanese people? Live organ harvesting is but one and certain persecution as seen in Hong Kong and to the Fulan Gong people.

So why are people like you and I so different Miranda to the rest of western civilisation? I think it has a fair bit to do with being able to reason in both western and eastern hemispheres of the mind. Look at how individualistic western people are to eastern collectiveness. A lot of us, be it of western or eastern culture, work in accordance with both spheres of the human mind.

https://www.learning-mind.com/cultural-differences-east-west/

Extract: Individualism – favours the individual as an independent entity and encourages self-promotion and self-worth.

Collectivism – individuals are part of a group and the needs of the group come before the individual.

By and large, cultures in the West tend to be more individualistic whereas people from the East are more collectivist. These concepts are a running thread through many eastern and western cultural differences. g

You will also notice that the eastern hemisphere of the mind will predominantly see the background of everything physical and mental, while the western hemisphere of the mind will predominantly see the foreground. Look at how many people in the world are only seeing a Russian aggressor aimed at Ukraine and how inhumane Putin is, this is while the western coalition forces invaded and bombed how many countries!! What about in WWII, as I wrote recently where, “the allies bombed German cities to the point of deliberately causing a firestorm. Do you know what I mean about fire storms? Even if you were underground, the firestorms sucked the oxygen out from the underground havens unarmed civilians were hiding in. Is Russia doing this?”

The eastern or western mind is unable to put things into proper perspective unless relating the foreground to the background and visa-versa. Honestly, like with the pandemic and how it was handled, how many people are putting this war into proper perspective, a perspective that equally looks at the foreground as well as the background?

The foreground shows one aggressive power seemingly trying to dominate a non-aggressive power, an aggressive power of inhumanity. Now the background tells a different story, actually, more like elaborating on the story told by the foreground.

Firstly, in comparison to other invasions and bombing by western powers of other countries and their civilians, is the Russian army all that inhumane? Did as much energy by the western powers go into resolution than feeding the war even more. Far more energy is being put into the war machine than preventing the war starting in the first place. It is as if the western powers wanted war, seen as Putin, unlike the Ukrainian president, can't be bought and controlled by these western powers.

A Weakened Mind

 

Watch your thoughts;They become words.

Watch you words;They become actions.

Watch your actions;They become habits.

Watch your habits;They become character.

Watch your character;It become your destiny.  

Written by Mathew Naismith

A weakened mind is simply of a mind that is unaware of what is beyond the boundaries of the physical mind, it is also of a mind where the ego is in control even when beyond the perception of the boundaries of the physical mind. It is also of a collective mind that thinks it is beyond a consciousness that created nature. In a real sense, this consciousness cannot even simulate nature, it can only mimic nature at best.

Yes, science perceives how to create a universe, this of course is only copying nature, science is unable to create anything remotely novel that is not a simulation or copy of the original creation in some way. Imagine a universe created by science. Would the consciousness, if a consciousness could be implanted seen as we don't even know where consciousness came from to begin with, be as diverse as the universe we exist in? The implanted consciousness would only be of what is of the creator, very limited due to the lack of awareness.

So what consciousness is so many people today in awe of?

Look at all the power, control and physical wealth of multinationals, which could only come about due to abusing a less malign consciousness, a consciousness not entirely true to what created something like the universe and nature itself from scratch. There was nothing to mimic or simulate from, only an awareness far beyond human perception. A malign consciousness is simply a product of being less aware and quite naturally so. Yes, a malign consciousness is simply a creation of nature, a natural development of a consciousness being less aware.

Today, the observer just smiles at what less aware humans have created and are trying to create, however, the participator feels great anguish and distress at what this unaware consciousness is creating. It is funny, because multinationals are only simulating a malign consciousness while trying to act like some kind of deity. The observer just smiles.

To the participator, we are suffering big time but to the observer this suffering is of nothing real or of great importance, for what is of suffering is nothing to what is not suffering. Our suffering is like a grain of sand on the beach. So what would I know about suffering? I know as much about suffering as I do about not suffering, yes, I often smile at my own literal life long suffering when I am not participating in my suffering. For starters, I have literary had a broken arm since I was six years old, I also have at no point taken pain killers for any amount of time. Yes, my pain killer has been the ability to simply observe my own suffering.

“Suffering is something entirely different, however. Suffering is what we think of the pain, not the situation that caused the pain. Suffering is the emotional energy we invest in pain. Suffering is a choice. You might just read that last sentence a couple more times, as well. If it is a new concept, it might just change your approach to life. If you are in the habit of really getting in deep with your suffering, it will seem impossible that you could choose something otherwise. Suffering is simply our attachment to our pain, our ownership of and identification with it.”

Sorry, the blog doesn't seem have a language translator.

https://www.stephanielynnyoga.com/single-post/2015/06/21/On-Pain-and-Suffering-The-Balance-of-Effort-and-Surrender

In a real sense, if you want to suffer from what the multinationals are creating at present, you will feel much greater pain than you have to. Make the best of life instead of the worse of life, however, a no time suffer from not being able to make the best of life either, you won't if you are participating for this is a part of being the participator. Yes, Yoga as whole, not just the exercises alone, teaches you to become the observer as many spiritual teachings do. You can see why the multinationals and communists alike desire to rid the world of any teachings that help is lessening the suffering through becoming the observer. I smile all the times I think of the observer, I just can't help it, very lucky me, but I also suffer from pain at times as this is a part of being a participator as well.

The induced suffering could push people's consciousness to become the observer, as many traumas can cause an awakening of some kind. The malign can interfere with the psychical mind, but the observing consciousness is unaffected, in a real sense.

A Progressive Mind

 

Written by Mathew Naismith

As I wrote recently to another native of India I have great respect for.

“This is a very good point Samuel, a progressive mind indeed. Progress beyond the boundaries set by the ego. All I can see is we have lost so much, but willing to loose more for what?

It is funny. I was talking to my wife about how Sadhguru has not called anyone an idiot, seen as he tells it as it is, not how the ego would like to hear it to be told. Not long after saying this, I watched a video of him talking about Alexandria the great. As he added to this, Alexandria the great idiot. It wasn't just Alexandria who was an idiot for leading a life of utter murder, it was also in relation to anyone thinking that he was great for his killing spree, all his life. How do you compare a life the opposite of a life of complete and utter killing? Bliss found in all circumstances has no comparison that for which Alexandra was never aware of, even in his extensive travels.

We seem to have lost this will for this kind of bliss. There is something to, stop and simply smell the flowers for no reason or purpose in our travels.”

Try to remember, there is no label like negative and positive, good and bad, attached to giving an explanation of idiocy in this state of consciousness, idiocy is simply the telling of an honest truth without the attachments of a negative and positive, good and bad. As Sadhguru has cited, “There is no looking up or down at people, only looking at level to”. An idiot is not something to avoid due to a lowly state, simply something to be aware of period. You must honestly tell it how it is, anything else is not of honesty but dishonesty. Alexander was simply a dishonest man unable within his dishonesty to see in his travels what he could have seen beyond his killing spree.

Would you say that dishonesty is progressive or regressive? Firstly, make no mistake between judgement and awareness. We are not in judgement of dishonesty being in relation to regression, simply aware that regression is a creation of dishonesty brought about by being unaware. Judgement is regressive where's awareness is progressive. So to state that stating an awareness is judgemental, this judgement is within itself an exemplification of regressive thinking brought about by being unaware. It is something to be aware of, being in judgement of judgements!!

This is how this aware consciousness works in relation to a less aware consciousness. Chaos is progressive not regressive unless chaos is noticeably regressive. A volcano erupts , chaos ensues leading to a recreation. The universe was created through a chaotic event between energies, in the process creating the universe we see today. The sun is chaotic within it's energies, in the process creating what? The solar system. The present situation to do with covid and lock downs are creating chaotic occurrences, in the end culminating in what?

The what is interesting because if we suffer instead of learning from the present, this chaos will stay as chaos. If we learn from this chaos, the chaos will create what so many other chaotic occurrences have. What is of learning from chaos? Awareness, in the process creating harmony. What is of not learning from chaos? An unawareness, in the process creating disharmony.

Within a progressive mind, not all of what seems negative is actually negative.

Working on Our Weaknesses

Written by Mathew Naismith

My own path is to avoid playing up to the ego, my own or others. I must tell it how it is, not how the ego would prefer it to be told, knowing that the western mind is easily offended and often takes this offence as being abusive. Even what I have written in this paragraph already will no doubt be taken offensively therefore unjustly critically judged as negative by the western mind in all of us. Yes, the spiritual path for the western mind is a very hard path to follow truthfully and honestly, especially of self-honesty as I will explain.   

"Through my own studies and life experiences Shilpa, the western mind in all of us looks upon negatives as a weakness. As it is well known, the western mind will often only work upon its strengths, the positives, while ignoring the weaknesses, the negatives.  The eastern mind works the opposite way around it would seem, working on its weaknesses (negatives) while retaining the strengths (positives), in the process keeping balance of mind and being.

“Eastern cultures and teachings actually help in keeping balance in a western minded controlled world. As it seems a lot of easterners seem to be doing, never forget your eastern teachings Shilpa. It would seem this would never occur in your case.

Now, how many western minded new age spiritually aware people only focus on the strengths (positives), while critically judging the negatives as simply negative or of toxic vibrations? Within this process, the weaknesses are never dealt with, just simply buried/forgotten. Truly, this is the western minds idea of being positive and enlightened!!

The western mind in all of us is also easily offended as well, at the same time the western mind is abusive to others but don’t dare be abusive to the western mind in a simular way!!    

My own western mind predominantly influenced by a western culture has had to be honest with itself. Not easy for the western mind to accomplish within a western minded controlled environment.” 

So is it seen as being wrong (negative) to people like me when other people play up to the western mind?

A lot of the times the only way the western mind will see the truth is through playing up to the ego. If the western ego feels good, it must be good therefore not seen as a weakness, a negative to ignore and shun. You could say it is wiser to change things from within, change the way the western mind thinks to a more balanced way of thinking from within. I basically practice what I preach; playing up to my own ego or anyone else’s ego is not within my own practices, however, if your own practices are to do with playing up to the ego, this is the way it is. There is a lot of wisdom in trying to change something from within, but not all of us are here to change anything, just to be just in case the western mind in all of us decides enough is enough.

I am fortunate through a lot of self-honesty by my western ego that my ego is not conditioned to being played up to. If your ego is used to being played up to, anything and everything outside of this condition can seem negative, this is probably why so much today is critically deemed negative. And this is supposed to be positive and of the new higher consciousness!!

It is funny, when the western mind takes offence to guidance like this, all I am doing is being negative and simply wrong. The reaction from the eastern mind, even when of a westerner, is usually completely different. Don’t’ get me wrong here, people from the east can take offence too, especially when of the western mind, for only the western mind can take offence so easily in all of us. Yes, what I have written here is highly offensive and negative to the western mind and even taken as being abusive, when in all honesty all I am not doing is not playing up to the western ego mind.

Now, the western mind will see that I am representing the eastern mind as the positive, the strength, while the western mind is the negative, the weakness in our minds. You can see how offensive this would seem to the western mind, it is the western mind that is weak, not the eastern mind!! Just suggesting such a thing to the western mind is outrageous and deplorable, as I should know.

As of the eastern or western mind, it is only weak when imbalanced, as of anything that is imbalanced. Yes, the western mind at present is our biggest weakness, at no time is this seen as simply a negative to be shunned and simply called negative by the eastern mind, for the eastern mind doesn’t work like this. Yes, as of any imbalance this is a sign of weakness, so it is for the western mind that is imbalanced, an imbalance, a weakness, that needs to be worked on. Now, imagine if the eastern mind was more like the western mind, this imbalance just wouldn’t be dealt with in anyway, simply ignored and shunned as being simply a negative.  

This gives you a very small idea of what the western mind has to go through to become balanced, for our egos to become conditioned to working on our weaknesses instead of our ego driven strengths. Try to remember, it is the ego that becomes enlightened or aware, nothing else. Yes, the ego is our weakness if imbalanced through the conditioning of materialism and playing up to the ego in any sense. This is the weakness that we should be focusing on, not like we are presently doing on mass, playing up to the ego and only working on our strengths, in my own mind anyway.                    

The Environment, Not the Mind

Written by Mathew Naismith

When you focus on the environment instead of the mind, the mind will automatically change to that environment without effort......Mathew G   

As our environment changes, so does our mind.......

In other words our environment depicts how we are going to think. How many people who have experienced trauma that they have never experienced before think differently afterwards? How many people who have experienced some kind of enlightenment think completely different afterwards? We often focus on how our mind is thinking, or not thinking, instead of what creates the way we think in the first place.

I was brought up in a radical atheist environment, where the ignorance of anything beyond what the atheist mind desires to comprehend dogmatically rules the mind. This was our families environment, this was until all of us within the family experienced an environment way beyond the comprehension of an atheistic environment. I should say that not all atheistic environments are this radical and dogmatic, usually eastern atheism is aware of there being more to us than a materialistic aspectual image. In truth, a lot of eastern atheistic environments are of the immaterial over and above the material, however, western atheism seems to be of the opposite environment.

Yes, it is the environment our mind is subjected to that we need to focus on, not the mind itself. When you put yourself within a praying, chanting or meditative environment, how different does our mind think from an environment in the absence of these practices? I don't myself practice these practices a lot these days, as such, I don't have to. A lot of people who have time to think often think discordantly, this is of or relating to the ego, especially the controlling ego. "I didn't like what a certain person said to me, I was hurt by what they said or they hurt a person I love, etc." The only part of you that can be hurt is the ego. An environment controlled by the ego is going to certainly create a certain way of thinking, usually a discordant way of thinking.

I awoke at 5:30 this morning, in waiting for my wife to awake, my mind wondered in thought. The first thought was of bliss, just simple bliss, nothing more, nothing less, however I am not always of this kind of environment. Because I am not about taking control, even of my own thoughts and environment, my mind can experience times of discordance. I am not into trying to control the controlling ego, for this is only of the controlling ego. I instead allow my ego to control me at its own will, but not in the absence of myself being aware of the environment a controlling and discordant ego can create. If my whole environment was of the absence of a controlling ego, I wouldn't have an ego that I would have to keep reminding the ego in how discordant an environment the ego in control can create.  You can make your ego aware, it often doesn't want to become aware though but with a little practice, the ego will accept being aware.     

You may think that the ego is quite willing to accept being aware. When my environment was predominately atheistic, my own ignorance was astounding in relation to anything existing beyond the material. Religious or spiritual people can be the same in only wanting to become aware within the limitations of a particular ideology. In this case, all else seems to become evil or sacrilegious in some way, very much like anything from my perception of positive is negative.

Now, should we build upon an environment of escapism to create some kind of beneficial environment for all?

The need or desire to escape anything won't create an environment that is not based on the very same environment you wish to escape from. If a certain environment you wish to escape from, because it is negative in some way, has created a feeling of a need or desire to escape from, the newly created environment is created from what you wish to escape from in the first place. The ego needs to make peace with the present environment to truly create an environment linked but not of the present environment, whatever that environment may be. Try to remember, each environment is what it is, yes, the ego in control will make more of it but each environment is what it is no matter what environment this may be. Each environment creates its own mind, its own way of thinking and being.

I once found myself within an environment of great discord, in the end I decided to leave this environment. This environment got to the extent where I was often visited by malignant entities however unlike so many others within the same environment, I overwhelmed these entities, not the other way around. Even when I overwhelmed these entities the people around me were obviously subject to these entities, in other words overwhelmed by these entities. As of any malignant energy source, they often attach themselves to something that is not biological in form, their energy is then most often transmitted out from this non-biological form.

Try to remember, benign energy is not conducive or beneficial to living matter, in actuality malignant energy can't create life, only destroy life through separating and the distorting energy. No living matter that is overwhelmed by this kind of energy is able to live very long through excessive distortion of energy, however, if a biological form is conducive to distorting other forms of energy, especially benign energy, this life form is often kept intact to a certain extent.

Yes, only benign energy is conducive to life and only benign energy can create and recreate life. Imagine being totally overwhelmed at death by malignant energy sources, what is the possibility of your soul living a benign existence again? Benign energy is not of separating energy therefore not of distorting energy.

Malignant Energy = separation of energy + distortion of energy + deceit and trickery + ignorance

Benign Energy = union of energy + clarity or beauty of energy + truth and honesty + awareness

Awareness means being aware of everything in the absence of biases or desires. This simply means that positives are not desired while at the same time the negatives are shown disdain in any way. Doing this is simply of malignant energy because of the separation therefore the distortion of energy, usually to fulfil desires and/or biases. Malignant energy wants you to separate energy in this way. How extreme have the negative and positives today become? Within benign energy, negatives and positives are contributive to each other, only while not in conflict to each other. Think of it like two couples who work together in harmony to couples who don't. The negatives are nowhere near as extreme as a couple who are discordant. The message is here, don't become discordant or ignrant to malignant sources of energy as this is exactly what malignant sources of energy want you to do.

When you honesty look upon the human collective consciousness, you are aware of what energy has overwhelmed the collective human consciousness, at present. I can't myself look at this as something grotesquely negative, it is simply a consciousness lost within its own creation, as of any malignant energy source is. This is quite natural for a consciousness lost within its own creation, to become overwhelmed by malignant sources of energy.

In my case, lucky enough, I am apart of a malignant energy but not of a malignant energy, in that I have not allowed, to any great extent, malignant sources of energy to overwhelm my mind. Yes, I experienced separating energy therefore distorted energy, like anyone else, but I have not become of that for what malignant energy creates, a distorted energy source. I am lucky because I am aware that malignant sources of energy make up a very small part of existence as a whole. It is probably not luck but the learning from life instead of suffering from life......

When you focus on the environment instead of the mind, the mind will automatically change to that environment without effort......Mathew G    

       

Letting Go of Control

Written by Mathew Naismith

This particular post could assist a lot of people who meditate or wish to meditate or anyone who just simply wants their mind to let go. You will learn to let go of control, including your own control over your mind, before meditating. The way mindfulness meditation is often taught in the west is to take control of the mind first and foremost. In the east, one firstly let's go of control to meditate as meditation is about releasing the mind of control, not controlling the mind to meditate mindfully.   

For me, learning to let go of control is far more beneficial than meditation, especially mindful meditation where you have to take control of your mind. So many people can't meditate and/or don't feel comfortable with meditating, so just letting go, especially of control, might be their thing. However, if you are a control freak, as the author of the bellow article admits to, letting go of control, which also means letting go of being controlling as well of your own mind, might be just as daunting as meditation. I loved this author's self-honesty by the way, very rare these days.   

https://tinybuddha.com/blog/let-go-of-control-how-to-learn-the-art-of-surrender/

Extract: "I’ve noticed that things go much more smoothly when I give up control—when I allow them to happen instead of making them happen. Unfortunately, I’m terrible at this."

"Surrender literally means to stop fighting. Stop fighting with yourself. Stop fighting the universe and the natural flow of things. Stop resisting and pushing against reality."

If you read the article above, you should have a better idea what letting go of control is all about, making for a more fruitful (beneficial) meditation and life period.

Letting go of being controlling can be as daunting as letting go of being controlled, in actuality, they are the same thing. We might think that by taking control, we are being controlled less. It matters not what is taking control, you or another force, it is still control that is in control. Usually, the only reason to take control is because we were being controlled. A fear of being controlled has fearfully made us take control. Fear has created a circumstance where we feel we need to take control instead of being controlled. This depicts that fear, an ego in control, is in control, nothing else.

Also, try not to think of it as them or me taking control, in other words try not to separate one energy from another taking control. It matters not what energy source that is controlling you, it is still control. We often separate them from ourselves, thus creating an environment of control of one over the other. "It is me, a positive, taking control, not them, a negative, taking control." I am also into oneness which gives me more of a one energy perception rather than numerous energies. Once you separate consciousness or energy period like this, one part of consciousness or energy will want to be more controlling. This is why I try to stay away from the perceptions of negatives and positives which is the dividing of energy, not a union of energy. One always desires to control and dominate the other.  

I actually have no need to meditate these days. I can at any moment get into a state where my mind isn't being controlled or controlling, a state where 99.9% of the time a just simply smile. Yes, I allow my mind to wonder but this wondering isn't to do with what is or isn't human, it is to do with everything as a whole. A pure state of awareness is known in Buddhism as nothingness, only because when all consciousness is observed as being in union and not separated, there is only energy, not energies. Once energy is observed like this, there is no motion to observe thus the ego has a perception of nothingness.

In the west, the separation of negatives and positives, the disunion of energy, has become predominantly popular, like taking control of our mind and life has. So many people are meditating on this bases, and any bases that makes the ego in control feel good. If any kind of control makes you feel good, what part of you do you think is making you feel good and in control? If we are honest with ourselves, we would see that it is the ego in control. What many seem to be doing is conditioning the ego to control, not conditioning or freeing the ego of and from control.

If you think control makes you feel powerful,

you have experienced a minuscule

of what exists to experience.

~Mathew G~

As the image above depicts:

To hold, you must

first open your hand.

Let go

~Lao Tzu~

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. 

https://medium.com/sustainability-gender-and-development-in-the/monoculture-of-the-mind-western-superiority-towards-eastern-religions-40093fae581c

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.

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

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."

                                    

Source: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=FYpSY0560aUC&pg=PA108&lpg=PA108&dq=a+balance+of+western+and+eastern+mind&source=bl&ots=T6G4NmW6tE&sig=ACfU3U2PtvzNQRxgfZYO0Y8vlfuXwR58QA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjE9cubwNrgAhWFWX0KHUoDDGU4ChDoATACegQICBAB#v=onepage&q=a%20balance%20of%20western%20and%20eastern%20mind&f=false

A Touch of Guru 2

Written by Mathew Naismith

Imagine if somehow your positiveness was taken away from you. Most people couldn't mentally, spiritually and physically cope with this because they rely on being positive to live life. Now, what would happen if a spiritual Guru had their positiveness taken away from them? Absolutely nothing in their life would change, probably because a Guru doesn't rely or have any kind of attachment to what is and isn't positive and negative in their life. Imagine how harmonious this would be, were our lives are not determined by any factor pertaining to attachments and desires.

I need to now insert the following exchange I had with someone in relation to my last post, "A Touch of Guru." 

Reply

What I notice. while not taking any particular view to heart, is today's non spiritual person seems grounded in post modernist thought, while dismissing a natural view of spiritual people throughout history who were much more grounded with a natural reality...and all the questions that entails. 

For instance, Yeshua ben Yosef is not who is presented in today's belief. Furthermore, the Christian tradition itself was a natural movement, not a religious diatribe of dos and don'ts.

My Reply

You seem to be so true to yourself it is nearly unbelievable. To be true to yourself is to observe the world through as little bias as possible, all else is an untrue depiction of yourself and the world around you. A touch of Guru.....

As I am presently writing, take away positiveness from most people, they would crumble. Take away positiveness from a true Guru, nothing would change in there life. I have a funny feeling you comprehend this, not many people would or would want to. Take away positiveness from a false Guru or most western spiritually aware people, they would too crumble, if not more so than non-spiritual people.

Sadly, when ideologies, isms, concepts and beliefs become a fixation, something we have attached our psyche to for security and support, we lose the true nature of these ideologies and isms,

I am often impressed by your psyche because you explain yourself very well, especially on this topic. If you don't mind, I would like to use your reply here in my next post. I won't make any personal reference to you if this makes you feel more comfortable with this.

_____________________________

It is amazing. Ever since I have been mentioning the difference between Eastern and Western thinking, a certain cultural people have stopped interacting with me on quite a huge scale. This is while other cultural people, even other Western cultures, of the world have remained steady. Within their own actions, they have unknowingly proven the points made about the Western mind being easily offended. As it is said, the Western mind is easily offended, even to the point that if you are not praising the western mind, you are attacking it. This is like if you are not positive, you must be negative, the Eastern mind in all of us doesn't think like this.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/too-quick-to-take-offence/news-story/f13e942b9a55604018b55993e68f9df5

Extract: Those who make certain words offensive do so because there is something to be gained. For many, to feel offended is to feel important, validated.

It is quite interesting that a predominantly Westernised mind doesn't see itself also being of the Eastern mind. In the West, it is often thought if you are not positive, you are negative, offensive. In the East, you have obvious depictions of yin and yang or like in Hinduism, the importance of a harmonious interaction between the male and female within everything. Of course harmony is constructive while disharmony is destructive but even destruction has its place.

To live in harmony in an earthquake area, you either learn to build better buildings or you move away, thus you have learnt from a negative situation. We often become more enlightened through the negatives than we do the positives, the present state of the world is no different. Of course to learn from the negatives, one must not ignore what the negatives have to teach us while in favour of the positives!! In all honesty, what is the Western mind doing on a huge scale at present? The state of the world simply shows that the Western mind in all of us is simply not learning. The Western mind is even shrugging off thousands of years of life experience; this is like killing off all the old people because they no longer serve any purpose. No matter what the life experience has been, we can learn from it.

This is interesting. If you removed the Western or Eastern mind from the spiritual Guru, you would see a huge difference. Yes, even taking the Western mind away from a spiritual Guru would make a huge difference in their lives, for the Guru is not of one or the other but of all of what is without bias and desire. What makes a Guru a Guru is the harmonious integration of opposite polarities. Try to remember, just because it is an opposite, doesn't mean it is always in opposition. I have lost count how many Westernised minds/people see themselves in opposition to me, it is quite insurmountable, especially from when I started writing about the difference between the Western and Eastern mind. Could you imagine the reaction from the Western mind/people if an Eastern mind/person wrote about the difference between the Western and Eastern mind as I have done!! How offended would have the Western mind/people become then? 

I found the following research by psychologist Steven Heine quite interesting.              

https://brucegrierson.com/the-westerneastern-mind-divide/ 

Extract: UBC cultural psychologist Steven Heine discovered profound differences between Western and Eastern minds. A recipe for prejudice, or just the opposite?