...life is empty, fresh, and alive. When it "curves back to know itself" reflectively, it ironically has to make itself false to itself through acts of imagination. For this reason it can never really know itself. It can only know ideas ABOUT itself.
I have a close friend who thinks all the time. He worries, frets, compares, judges, second-guesses himself, has innumerable expectations (for both himself and others), and talks to himself all the time. This habit leads to a lot of psychological misery, frustration, resistance, and discontentment. Fortunately, he has a great sense of humor, and can laugh at himself. When I tell him that its possible to change his mental habits, he tells me that he isn't interested in meditating or ATA, and he concludes by saying, "Yeah, it sucks, but I just have a bad mind." Ha ha. That comment always cracks me up. At least some of the time he realizes what's causing all his problems.
No mind=no problem
I have a big yellow button on my desk with the words "No Problem" in black letters. When I push the button, a loud funny voice proclaims, "No problemo dude!" The voice sounds a lot like "the dude" in "The Big Lebowski." Sometimes when people come into my office and tell me about a construction problem I reach over and push the button. It always evokes a smile and helps put things back into proper perspective.
I have a close friend who thinks all the time. He worries, frets, compares, judges, second-guesses himself, has innumerable expectations (for both himself and others), and talks to himself all the time. This habit leads to a lot of psychological misery, frustration, resistance, and discontentment. Fortunately, he has a great sense of humor, and can laugh at himself. When I tell him that its possible to change his mental habits, he tells me that he isn't interested in meditating or ATA, and he concludes by saying, "Yeah, it sucks, but I just have a bad mind." Ha ha. That comment always cracks me up. At least some of the time he realizes what's causing all his problems.
No mind=no problem
I have a big yellow button on my desk with the words "No Problem" in black letters. When I push the button, a loud funny voice proclaims, "No problemo dude!" The voice sounds a lot like "the dude" in "The Big Lebowski." Sometimes when people come into my office and tell me about a construction problem I reach over and push the button. It always evokes a smile and helps put things back into proper perspective.
