Ryoken's morning thought of the day

[xRyokenx]

For some good books that tell a story while showing some interesting thoughts, look into Robert Heinlein, good stuff there.

I think part of the problem is the media...  at least for a lot of society, start reporting things that mean something and start introducing better entertainment and slowly stuff should start to change, you just have to be patient (a lesson I am reminded of on a constant basis) and try to keep from pissing people off too badly, lol.

I'm thinking that since people love drama, lots and lots of drama, something could be done with that to help change them a bit, lol.

...just my thoughts for the morning.

[Stefan]

Hei R.R.

I have to admit that I don't get the context ... how's your post related to this thread?

Metta, Stefan

edit two weeks later: since matthew moved this palaver to a new thread, there's no more context to a thread that cannot be understood, so don't anyone try to understand my question ...

[xRyokenx]

Hei R.R.

I have to admit that I don't get the context ... how's your post related to this thread?

Metta, Stefan

I'm looking back on this and trying to figure that out too...  and I really have no idea whatsoever.  Maybe I thought it was another thread, who knows.  Heh heh.

[Stefan]

... and it was morningtime anyway, who knows what you dreamt that night ... 

Metta to you, Stefan

[xRyokenx]

Probably something nonsensical, but I'm usually not exactly the most coherent in the mornings.  8:38 isn't exactly prime time for my brain waves.

[Matthew]

Moved to a new thread 

[Stefan]

thread pirates!!!

[Flipasso]

I agree there's some problem with the media.
I can't find no solution but... I just think they always show things that are supposed to matter (in the news), like Politics, Health problems, Crime rates, and Scandals (in some channels). That don't matter that much.
Of course every decent citizen should vote... If they don't agree with any of the candidates, they should consider being themselves a candidate. Anarchy is very beautifull and I think it's the way people should live by, but 3'000 years from now. Until then people should be consciously active in politics (voting, protesting, etc..) and in social life.
The thing is, and it's on debate here in Portugal, we're going throw a value crisis.
People don't care and they don't want to care.
TV as a mass media, and media in general (God bless the internet) should be the first way of educating people. Giving good information.

happiness@you.all

[Matthew]

The basic problem is that our societies, in general, are full of false ideas. These false ideas perpetuate through the media, the education system, the financial system, the way we raise our kids, in fact, through every sphere of human activity.

Bad idea number one: "Original Sin".

Original sin says we are all born bad and need controlling. Hence we need laws, hence we need prisons, governments, wars, weapons, fences, borders and boundaries hence, etc, etc, etc.

Actually people are all born with the potential to evolve into mature rounded human beings or immature and unrounded human beings.

Mature, rounded human beings evolve from a non-aggressive, non-controlling and non-invasive upbringing where they feel supported, valued and are allowed to discover who they are for themselves with the love and support of people around them. They make up about 1% - 0.1% of the worlds population at a rough guess.

Immature non rounded human beings evolve from confused, aggressive, violent or controlled upbringings. They fall into three wide categories:

1. The controlling types: These, by and large, run the world (unfortunately). They are driven to control outside events and people and seek power to do so. This is because their control was wrested from them as children and they try and find it this way - which doesn't work which is why they always need more and more of it, be it money, influence, possetions or whatever.

2. Most members of our societies: These people were raised by caring parents who just didn't know what they were doing. They go on to do the same to their own children. The level of control they experience is less and so they live their lives thinking they are in control. They do things like get jobs, buy houses and pay their mortgage on time. Their heads are filled with dumb ideas they have never reflected on like "GOD".

3. The people who can not even control themselves: their locus of being was stolen from them in childhood. These go to make up the dregs of society; the depressives, the druggies, the prostitutes, the wanderers who never get down to anything and about 95% of the prison population (the other 5% being in group one).

The thing about Buddhist meditation and the Buddha's path is that it allows anyone from any of the three screwed up types to move into the rounded human being field.

In the Dhamma,

Matthew

[xRyokenx]

Ryoken's thought of the night:  Beans

[xRyokenx]

I believe I"m in group three...  and gaining control is hard as hell.  There's like an unending riot going on in my head at times.  Another one of those situations where a nuke would be nice but not entirely practical.

[Matthew]

I call it the "committee of committees", the never ending riot. And yes, it's indicative of a childhood where you didn't get the love you needed but suffered some form of emotional, physical or sexual abuse that wrested control from you instead.

This is a situation where vipassana meditation on a regular basis can be very very powerful. Because you are sitting letting your mind quieten, all by itself, eventually the committee members start making friends and talking to each other and holding hands, so to speak. You are starting to grow. The riot quietens and the mind becomes tamed.

In the Dhamma,

Matthew

[xRyokenx]

I was mostly emotionally and mentally abused.  Really screws you up.  I'm slowly starting to get in a state where I can calm myself down enough to meditate.

[Matthew]

Then you are meditating.



In the Dhamma,

Matthew

[xRyokenx]

Hmm...  Would lying in bed listening to music and thinking (sometimes without the music) be considered a form of meditating too?

[Flipasso]

If you observe, I guess it would.

[Matthew]

Hmm...  Would lying in bed listening to music and thinking (sometimes without the music) be considered a form of meditating too?

More useful to turn the music off, lay in bed and breathe and notice your breathing. When you find yourself thinking don't criticise but just return to noticing the breath again and again. This would really be meditation. The music and the thinking are the distractions.

In the Dhamma,

Matthew

[xRyokenx]

Ahh okay.  I'll try it with just quietness tonight.