stillness after breakfast

George G Clark, 12 April 2009

 

A period of stillness after breakfast and I am aware of many vague thought threads. I get the impression that the inner censor is vetoing many of them - or is that being paranoid?

One of the thought threads wonders how many 'agencies' are contained in such a concept? There are perhaps three main ones:

·         Generating thought threads. 
Most thought threads arise from unconscious causes and conditions - external and internal - many and varied - noble and ignoble - habitual and creative. The inbuilt life force doing its thing.
"The mind has a mind of its own!"

·         Vetoing by the inner censor.  
This is a result of other unconscious causes and conditions. There is a tendency to try and maintain a consistent self concept by limiting attention to the familiar and parochial - note that the self concept can be robust or weedy!) Panic attacks are part of the arsenal.
"Don't even go there!"

·         Witnessing the above.
By consciously noticing thought patterns (with their associated feelings) you thus become, to some extent, unattached to them. 'You' are thus potentially able and willing to 'look into' some mental stuff that might normally be avoided.
"Aha, so this is what 'anger, greed, compassion, generosity etc' is like!"

 

Note that the third agency is the one that enables insight and thus liberation from reflexive habit. By being truly aware of what is going on in your head it becomes possible to choose for or against particular patterns of thought and feeling.

Aha - it pays to have periods of stillness after breakfast. Be still and know!