the action and the material

[Quardamon]

Mostly in life I identify with activity: I do things, I see things.
A few days ago it occurred to me, that most things in life occur whether you want them or not. It occurred to me, that there is not only consciousness in the active principle, but that there is also a consciousness in the material. A consciousness that is not "I", but that is "thou". It gave me a sense of broadness and rest and awe to meet this.

It may be comparable to appreciating the principal of yin in the I Ching.

Does this sound familiar to someone, that the material world out there is not so very material, and not so very "out there"?

Sorry if this sounds very obvious or silly. To me it is very elusive, this experience that I try to describe. But I do feel it is very much worthwhile - like you can feel about a person that she or he is worthwhile, even if you have no clue why.

[Matthew]

Does this sound familiar to someone, that the material world out there is not so very material, and not so very "out there"?

Hi Q,

There seems to be a parallel with my recent experience of stepping outside of the "knowing/doing" mind into the "feeling/being mind". In the former state of mind "I am" is very strongly identified with activity and seeing the world as something I am in. In the latter state of mind "I am" doesn't really apply and separation from the world is replaced by a sense of being part of and at one with the moment and all around, "this moment is", awareness of connectedness with the moment, and everything/everyone is the primary awareness. There is not any doing or identification with activity, though both activity and awareness happen, there is a sense of self collapsing in on itself and awareness taking its place. There is no "me" and no "world out there", just being and awareness.

Maybe I don't describe it well as it is still an awareness I practice with daily (and often struggle still to maintain). In practice when I sustain it joy, equanimity, peace, no-separation, bliss and simplicity all pervade my being.

I shall stop there. Perhaps there is no parallel? Or perhaps it is approaching the same sense you have had from a slightly different perspective.

Kindly,

Matthew

[Quardamon]

Thank you Matthew,
Yes there is a parallel. I forgot that you mentioned this earlier. Thanks.

[Obol]

Hi Quardamon,

You may find this of interest:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_and_Thou

H

[Quardamon]

Surely what Martin Buber brings forward is of interest to me.
He speaks of I-It relationship compared to I-Thou relationship.
And says the ultimate Thou is God.

My point is more, when the point of gravity is not in "I".
Then, so to speak, there are also the relationships Thou-I and It-I. Where Thou decides who or what I am, or It decides who or what I am.
That may sound dramatic, as in "being at the mercy of". And yes, I know that from rare moments on the cushion, like feeling with the soul that incarnated due to a rape.
But then, what I pointed at was the hunch that the material has a consciousness. That is why I saw a parallel with what Matthew wrote.