Thoughts and Suffering
- one_awakening
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Thoughts and Suffering
In my own practice, I have found that thoughts seem to contribute the most to suffering than any of the other five sense objects. Would this be a fair statement?
“You only lose what you cling to”
- cappuccino
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Re: Thoughts and Suffering
On the spiritual path…
A long time is spent worrying about thinking.
At some point you lose interest and it no longer matters!
A long time is spent worrying about thinking.
At some point you lose interest and it no longer matters!
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Re: Thoughts and Suffering
Some people would call that complacency. Attending to thinking is an important action that can lead to real insight. Without insight into our thinking, we are lost in its content.cappuccino wrote: ↑Sat May 19, 2018 5:16 pm On the spiritual path…
A long time is spent worrying about thinking.
At some point you lose interest and it no longer matters!
Re: Thoughts and Suffering
not much spells out insanity as clearly as obsessive thinking
craving is verbalized internally and that would constitute thinking
it is very stressful imo but so are these aggregates in general, a pile of stress
craving is verbalized internally and that would constitute thinking
it is very stressful imo but so are these aggregates in general, a pile of stress
Re: Thoughts and Suffering
Basically yes - apart from moments of intense pain at the body door. The other sense doors have only neutral feeling.one_awakening wrote: ↑Sat May 19, 2018 12:06 pm In my own practice, I have found that thoughts seem to contribute the most to suffering than any of the other five sense objects. Would this be a fair statement?
Consider someone who lost a spouse or child : only when they think about the loss is there painful mental feeling. And the same for any other problem.
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Re: Thoughts and Suffering
Some teachers advise to ignore thinking, in order to transcend it.Saengnapha wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 4:35 amSome people would call that complacency.cappuccino wrote: ↑Sat May 19, 2018 5:16 pm A long time is spent worrying about thinking.
At some point you lose interest and it no longer matters!
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Re: Thoughts and Suffering
But that doesn't quite do it, does it?cappuccino wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 12:06 pmSome teachers advise to ignore thinking, in order to transcend it.Saengnapha wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 4:35 amSome people would call that complacency.cappuccino wrote: ↑Sat May 19, 2018 5:16 pm A long time is spent worrying about thinking.
At some point you lose interest and it no longer matters!
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Re: Thoughts and Suffering
You don't stop thinking, you stop worrying about it.Saengnapha wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 2:07 pmBut that doesn't quite do it, does it?cappuccino wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 12:06 pm Some teachers advise to ignore thinking, in order to transcend it.
Last edited by cappuccino on Sun May 20, 2018 2:24 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Thoughts and Suffering
Not quite. It goes on in the background. There is much more to this than what you are implying.cappuccino wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 2:17 pmYou don't stop thinking, you stop worrying about it.Saengnapha wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 2:07 pmBut that doesn't quite do it, does it?cappuccino wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 12:06 pm Some teachers advise to ignore thinking, in order to transcend it.
At that point it doesn't matter.
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Re: Thoughts and Suffering
This is where conceit comes in. We see a bit of a change and we think we are doing something right. In fact, nothing has touched the root of suffering.
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Re: Thoughts and Suffering
What I find is that those thoughts that cause suffering tend to have an underlying negative emotion attached to them. I've had to dig a little deep to see what's causing me to think negatively and bring those underlying emotions to the surface. Once you expose them they lose a lot of power and then the negative thoughts associated with them also tend to lose power. However, this can be a slow process. Mindfulness plays a significant role here, because every time we're mindful we can potentially expose ourselves to those underlying negative emotions. After doing this repeatedly and going through enough problems and suffering in life due to these negative emotions we might one day see the whole thing clearly and decide to change that underlying negativity.
What also helps in doing this is having people around you that can look at you objectively and share their thoughts and insights on your own behaviour. Typically, I think individuals are poor at looking at themselves objectively. So, it helps to have some outside perspective from someone who has no "skin in the game", so to speak. But yes, I do think mind/thinking has the highest potential for suffering, but it's also the human mind that has the capacity to achieve liberation from suffering, so it goes both ways.
What also helps in doing this is having people around you that can look at you objectively and share their thoughts and insights on your own behaviour. Typically, I think individuals are poor at looking at themselves objectively. So, it helps to have some outside perspective from someone who has no "skin in the game", so to speak. But yes, I do think mind/thinking has the highest potential for suffering, but it's also the human mind that has the capacity to achieve liberation from suffering, so it goes both ways.
Re: Thoughts and Suffering
Vitakka and Vicara are eliminated in the second Jhana.I have found that thoughts seem to contribute the most to suffering
Sense objects are itself is not bad. Proliferation on sense object is the problem.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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