What you're currently reading.

[rideforever]

The Haunted Self - Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization by Onno van der Hart, Ellert Nijenhuis and Kathy Steele

Just ordered this one.  Seems like a lot of this applies to my mind from reading excerpts on the net.  Thanks.

[Kev]

I'm reading a couple of articles about breath at the abdomen or navel;

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/breathmed.html

http://www.meditation-techniques-guide.com/vipassana-meditation-techniques.html

http://www.dhammaspread.org/page362.htm - I personally find this last one very interesting, be interested to read what others think? 

[Morning Dew]

Hi Kev thanks for posting this last link it made me laugh which is a big thing for me. Thank you 

One common trait for many meditators is that upon developing some awareness they lose the thread of their samadhi and mindfulness, get out of the elevator, so to speak, and begin to concentrate upon their surroundings. They often become entomologists and zoologists, studying the insects and wildlife around the Wat, which become a source of fascination for their new level of awareness. Most people are so used to being in some form of entertainment mode that the delusional fascination with this new awareness blinds them to the reality that they have stopped the practice.

[Morning Dew]

Kev I think you will ACTUALY benefit a lot from this teaching;
http://www.vipassanaforum.net/forum/index.php/topic,1559.msg14114/topicseen.html#new

May you be happy and free from suffering 

[Quardamon]

Song of Heyoehkah - Hyemeyohsts Storm

A book that I read some 30 years ago. From a Cheyenne American Indian who was threatened by traditionalists for giving away the secrets of is tribe. It weaves into story and almost-poetry the psychological, cultural and spirtial wisdom of someone who dares to stand in the world as it is now and drags with him the wisdom of many generations.
Not very understandable. The novel part acts in the time the land of the Indians was takes by the whites. So some things described are not nice. But very beautiful indeed for who likes to read stories.
Heyoehkah is the one who teaches you by tricking you. Sometimes he tricks himself. He is a teacher with border-breaking stupidity.

No, not Buddhist at all.
But I love to see a wider perspective now and then.

[chintan]

I am a relatively frequent visitor to this blog  http://www.rationallyspeaking.org/ for the last couple of years. articles here are quite interesting but of late am not able to "understand" them.

Just read - "Bad reasoning about reasoning" dated 28th June 2011. The whole discussion on why and how reasoning evolved - somehow leaves me confused as the way Buddhism looks at reason and the way Western Rationalists / Philosophers are looking at it is so so different.

Maybe I should abandon reading Dr Pigluicci..

Metta..

[Stefan]

Just read - "Bad reasoning about reasoning" dated 28th June 2011. The whole discussion on why and how reasoning evolved - somehow leaves me confused as the way Buddhism looks at reason and the way Western Rationalists / Philosophers are looking at it is so so different.

Within this incredible universe, contrasts are only imaginary ...
duality (either-or) is a veil, not an ultimate truth. I enjoy the practical approach on intellectual concepts: those two different approaches you mentioned are like two tools , and you may pick the one that fits in a certain situation. You don't use the hammer for sawing, you don't use the saw for nailing. It's like having two different maps: you don't use the Africa map when you travel America ... you get the picture ...
Real understanding will only come from practicing, and for that purpose we don't need to understand any reasoning.

Metta, Stefan

[dragoneye]

Thank you Chintan,
Your post touches on a question that I regularly contemplate (and debate with my son,) that is, has human intellect grown, or has it always been at the same "level." This article is obviously, mainly concerned with another aspect of our intelligence, our reasoning facility, and our collective verses individual capabilities, and your issue with it, yet another aspect; how western perspective differs from the Buddhist view. It is very provocative.
I am reading a couple of things; the Patanjali Yoga Sutras, as xlated by Charles Johnston; I enjoy the spartan quality of it. I am also reading the Diamond Cutter by Michael Roach and Christie McNally. (Right work oriented)
Blessings and metta,
DE

[chintan]

Thank you Chintan,
Your post touches on a question that I regularly contemplate (and debate with my son,) that is, has human intellect grown, or has it always been at the same "level."

Agree DE - in my mind also there are gaps when it comes to bridging my beliefs in Darwanian theory and Buddhism. I watch Dawkins take on Creationists on You Tube and read philosphers like Pigluicci - and am not able to dismiss their "nihilistic" views - no rebirth / no karma. And if you take their approach human intellect would have grown in response to evolutionary forces.

Then when I look at the whole Buddhist philosophy holistically - it makes so much sense and it offers a step by step guide to achieve what it promises and when I take those steps I can see the progress on the path.. do not know what Buddha's view on evolution were.. imagine a Sutta on Evolution.. would lay to rest so many of these questions.

Real understanding will only come from practicing, and for that purpose we don't need to understand any reasoning.

Cant disagree and I know Dusko will say back to cushion..

Regards

[Morning Dew]

...I know Dusko will say back to cushion..

  im heading back to my Seiza bench 

[Stefan]

Cant disagree and I know Dusko will say back to cushion..

well ... if I reduced practice to "cushion" only, there would be too little practice for my taste ... 

I try to practice reasoning in the same mindful equanimous way that I learned on the cushion. So I don't discuss this vs that reasoning in an intellectual way, but let my mind turn blank and pick what is coming up in a certain occcasion ... sometimes it will be buddhistic ideas, at other times it will be "western" reasoning, or maybe some ideas from the red indians pop up ... I noticed that normally I am given the map that suits best for this special occasion. But this can only happen if I am NOT involved in intellectual judging which reasoning is the better one.

So I was referring to "practicing both sorts of reasoning without trying to understand them first ... because that would be an intellectual shell only. No judging ... you read the ideas, that's enough: now the "right" idea will pop up in a practical situation.

And, of course, back to cushion or bench to restore "mindful" ... 
(btw it's a chair in my case, due to my western knees ... you can't argue with your knees ...)

Metta, Stefan

[dragoneye]

.. do not know what Buddha's view on evolution were.. imagine a Sutta on Evolution.. would lay to rest so many of these questions.

So this is really cool "‘There comes a time, Vasettha, when, sooner or later after a long period this world contracts. At a time of contraction, beings are mostly born in the Abhassara Brahma world. And there they dwell, mind-made, feeding on delight, self luminous, moving through the air, glorious—and they stay like that for a very long time. But sooner or later, after a very long period, this world begins to expand again. At a time of expansion, the beings from the Abhassara Brahma world, having passed away from there, are mostly reborn in this world. Here they dwell, mind-made, feeding on delight, self-luminous, moving through the air, glorious— and they stay like that for a very long time.
At that period, Vasettha, there was just one mass of water, and all was darkness, blinding darkness. Neither moon nor sun appeared, no constellations or stars appeared, night and day were not yet distinguished, nor months and fortnights, nor years and seasons; there was no male and female, beings being reckoned just as beings. And sooner or later, after a very long period of time, savory earth spread itself over the waters where those beings were. It looked just like the skin that forms itself over hot milk as it cools. It was endowed with color, smell, and taste. It was the color of fine ghee or butter and it was very sweet, like pure wild honey." from the Agganna Sutta
(I found it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_evolution), but that was after I had to look up epistemology, and got off on contemplating Bertrand Russel's "knowledge by description" and "knowledge by acquaintance" distinction. I think it puts a nice "Western" turn of words to the Buddha's encouragement for experiential knowledge.
Thanks again Chintan.
Steffan, are these the two "approaches" you were referring to; did you mean the Western and the Buddhist?
One love, metta,
DE

[Stefan]

Stefan, are these the two "approaches" you were referring to; did you mean the Western and the Buddhist?

in this case, yes. but that was an example only, the abstract core of my approach is:
1) Read/ hear an idea. Not judge it.
2) When reasoning is neccesary in any form, blank the mind and wait whatsoever idea comes up. Choose it and act.

when Chintan wrote

The whole discussion on why and how reasoning evolved - somehow leaves me confused as the way Buddhism looks at reason and the way Western Rationalists / Philosophers are looking at it is so so different.

I tried to point out that it is no good to try to judge what we read or try to compare it intellectually since it will lead to confusion - as Chintan observed. But this is not a "back-to-the-cushion"-claim, I only try to reflect my experience with this matter. Reasoning for intellectual reasons is a highway into the maze of discussions, pointless and never ending. But reasoning for practical reasons is a tool we need for living in this world. So, if there's a practical occasion that needs to be reasoned about - go on, and use all the tools you have. Any idea, any concept, any reasoning that FITS (like a key fits into the keyhole).
If this is done over a period of time (increasing experience!), seemingly different concepts will turn out not to contradict each other any more. I use hammer and saw when working with wood, and they never contradict each other when I use them. No confusion could possibly arise: experience tells me when to use the hammer and when to use the saw. But had I never seen those tools, had I never worked with them, how could I compare them in a useful way? I would think how to use the hammer to cut wood. It would be a pointless effort really.  Thinking is rather overestimated and sometimes dangerous to sanity ... I found out the hard way, I spent several years of my life discussing a road before I even set a foot on it. What a waste of time it was. I couldn't see "the path" for the fog of words that clouded my inner sight.

ups, I think I got carried away a little bit. I didn't mean to tell you both that you are reasoning for intellectual reasons only ... just wanted to add my tuppence on the confusion Chintan experienced.

Metta, Stefan

[dragoneye]

Carried away, maybe, appreciated for sure
With metta,
DE

[chintan]

Thinking is rather overestimated and sometimes dangerous to sanity ... I found out the hard way, I spent several years of my life discussing a road before I even set a foot on it. What a waste of time it was. I couldn't see "the path" for the fog of words that clouded my inner sight.

ups, I think I got carried away a little bit. I didn't mean to tell you both that you are reasoning for intellectual reasons only ... just wanted to add my tuppence on the confusion Chintan experienced.

Metta, Stefan

I understand Stefan and agree but this monkey mind will not be denied - there is a beautiful couplet by a Sufi Poet Bulle Shah - which talks of dangers of too much of learning been humming it since morning..

Will try to bring into practice of keeping multiple aspects of reason as a tool and not having competition of right and wrong. Thanks for sharing.

Metta

[Crystal Palace]

Im currently reading Computer graphics: principles and practice in C by James D Foley 

[Morning Dew]

Lovely 
Now tell us what sensations does this fine literature invoke in your body ? 

Be well

[Masauwu]

The Noble Eightfold Path - The Way to the End of Suffering
by Bhikkhu Bodhi