Hi Anita

You put that quite nicely.

The key for me was a realization of the present moment not as a measurement of time but the Eternal Now.

Odd thoughts on the Eternal.
The Eternal is not infinite though it contains the infinite.
The Eternal is not continuous,  continuous is a measurement and the Eternal is not a measurement.
The Eternal nor does it have a opposite.
The Eternal Is

Campbell’s suggested that the question behind the Hero quest is ‘ How will you respond to life as it Is?’  I think we assume (I did anyway) that we we see/know what Life as it is Is. Now I realize that most of the quest has the hero being confronted with the fact that they do not know or see life as it is. In fact their is a tendency to run away from seeing.

The wisdom traditions point that the answer to the question, if we do not wish to live in fear or anxiety is YES. I used to assume that saying Yes was enough only to realize that I couldn’t answer the question when I wasn’t seeing/knowing Life as it IS
To return to the metaphor the canvas is always the a canvas.

Anyway Today I was reading from ‘Notes on a Nervous Planet’ that had a quote from Alan Watts
“We seldom realize that our most private thoughts and emotions are not actually our own.
For we think in terms of language’s and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by our society.”

My still self felt the truth of that statement. I noted in other post that I’m struggle with the current happenings has left me questioning reality. Why I was not seeing things as so many were (not just a little but almost a total disconnect from their experience) The above quote resonated with me, that perhaps the thoughts and emotions were not mine… language really is problematic.  I also felt that the notion fit into the metaphor of the blank canvas

I was wondering what others thoughts on that quote might be.

Hi John
Hope you don’t mind me chiming in

One of the codes I live by is what the Buddha (supposedly*) said to his disciples on his death bed, ‘Do not take as truth anything anyone, including me, tells you, find out for yourself.’

Like you I wonder about statements that start out with ‘Buddha says…’ My understanding is that the word ‘Buddh’a doesn’t refer to a specific person but is a state of being/consciousness? So who or what is being pointed to when someone says ‘Buddha says’.

From the stories about Gautama he was constantly warning his disciples not to fall into the temptation of mistaking the teachings as the goal, or ‘the map for the territory’. A warning not heeded as pretty much after his death the various schools form and start fighting amongst themselves. Seems the desire to follow a teacher and ‘get it right’ is well ingrained and to my mind begs the question of freedom.

So, how much choice (freedom to choose) do you think we really have

Last weeks affirmation at the yoga studio I go to was ‘let go of limiting beliefs’ which made me smile as all beliefs are limiting in that they define boundaries. Krishnamurti argued that if you took the time to look deep into your beliefs you would see they are associated with our fears. If we wanted then to be free from fear  it is better not to believe. Sure enough when looking into my beliefs I noted they were indeed associated with, even if not verbalized, fear.

Then the word belief and how we use it is odd. If never having sat on a chair I said I believe this chair will support my weight that is reasonable. If after sitting on the chair numerous times I continue to say I believe this chair will support my weight. You might wonder what meant by ‘belief’ and if their wasn’t a element of fear attached to the statement.

I would have argued that every exercise of freedom is also a limitation of freedom where as Krishnamurti argues belies confine and should not be confused with notions of freedom or creativity.

Back to the canvas metaphor. Every brush stroke represents the choice taken and all the choices not taken. Each brush stroke influencing the next brush stroke until the accumulation produces the work. In a way each brush stroke having been influenced is a ‘less free choice’. Eventually the artist develops a style and can even be identified by their brush strokes. For most no mater how hard they try to be creative and create something new they can’t escape their style. The only way to be creative and create something new is not to accumulate. In other words realize that as you paint the canvas remains blank. Not a easy task, but then maybe its enough to have the realization?

I think the notion of Karma is similar as it is also being a accumulation of action/memory/brush strokes…. To avoid accumulating Karma, the canvas needs to remain blank… I’m not sure that would be  much fun, but wonder is the point is that we stop misunderstanding the notion of freedom, stop pretending it be something noble but more likely a call to create boundaries. Perhaps then when we exercise freedom we also create space for compassion.

One more thing, Peter, you wrote: “I find recent events troubling and having me questioning my reality“- if you’d like to share about these recent events, please do.

That so many people have chosen a vision I find little hope in and that I don’t resonate with. Its difficult to “see” that as arising from Love, yet from the Eternal is.