How intellect may get in the way of experiential inquiry

[UnbornTao]

Your mind wants to keep enlightenment work intellectual, as it is safe to just think about it where it is a mere conceptual abstraction. The real work of confronting your experience through inquiry can, as a result, be subtly (or grossly) resisted. Being involved in the domain of concepts is easy and comfortable and it doesn't increase consciousness.

Something I've been paying attention to as of late.

Edited June 16 by UnbornTao

[Nahm]

When you say ‘my mind’, what is that, other than a thought?

When you say ‘serious’, what is separate of you, which One is serious about? 

When you say ‘intellectual’, what is that other then believing thoughts & thus believing an ‘identity’?

Who or what is ‘believing’?

What is the feeling of resistance? How is that possible?

Without thinking there is an intellect, what is it in terms of perception & feeling? Where is it? When is it? 

Nice pic btw.

[zeroISinfinity]

Just now, Nahm said:

 

Nice pic btw.

Hahahaha, will die honestly. 

Hahahaha. 

[Nahm]

@zeroISinfinity

Is this what ‘trending’ is? 

[zeroISinfinity]

2 minutes ago, Nahm said:

@zeroISinfinity

Is this what ‘trending’ is? 

Guess it is. Very noble dream you have. Will just say that. 

[Nahm]

@zeroISinfinity

Don’t intellectualize me bruh. 

[mandyjw]

Ok, let's get intellectual!!!

intellect (n.) directly from Latin intellectus "discernment, a perception, understanding," https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=intellect

Intellect, understanding, ok.

understand (v.)

Old English understandan "comprehend, grasp the idea of," probably literally "stand in the midst of," from under + standan "to stand" (see stand (v.)). If this is the meaning, the under is not the usual word meaning "beneath," but from Old English under, from PIE *nter- "between, among" (source also of Sanskrit antar "among, between," Latin inter "between, among," Greek entera "intestines;" see inter-). Related: Understood; understanding.

That is the suggestion in Barnhart, but other sources regard the "among, between, before, in the presence of" sense of Old English prefix and preposition under as other meanings of the same word. "Among" seems to be the sense in many Old English compounds that resemble understand, such as underniman "to receive," undersecan "examine, investigate, scrutinize" (literally "underseek"), underðencan "consider, change one's mind," underginnan "to begin." It also seems to be the sense still in expressions such as under such circumstances.

Perhaps the ultimate sense is "be close to;" compare Greek epistamai "I know how, I know," literally "I stand upon." Similar formations are found in Old Frisian (understonda), Middle Danish (understande), while other Germanic languages use compounds meaning "stand before" (German verstehen, represented in Old English by forstanden "understand," also "oppose, withstand"). For this concept, most Indo-European languages use figurative extensions of compounds that literally mean "put together," or "separate," or "take, grasp" (see comprehend). Old English oferstandan, Middle English overstonden, literally "over-stand" seem to have been used only in literal senses. For "to stand under" in a physical sense, Old English had undergestandan.

consider (v.)

late 14c., "to fix the mind upon for careful examination, meditate upon," also "view attentively, scrutinize; not to be negligent of," from Old French considerer (13c.) "reflect on, consider, study," from Latin considerare "to look at closely, observe," probably literally "to observe the stars," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + sidus (genitive sideris) "heavenly body, star, constellation" (see sidereal).

Hmm, put together, between, among, meditate, yoga, union

yoga (n.)

1820, from Hindi yoga, from Sanskrit yoga-s, literally "union, yoking" (with the Supreme Spirit), from PIE root *yeug- "to join." Related: Yogic.

meditate (v.)

1580s, "to ponder, think abstractly, engage in mental contemplation" (intransitive), probably a back-formation from meditation, or else from Latin meditatus, past participle of meditari "to meditate, think over, reflect, consider," frequentative form of PIE root *med- "take appropriate measures." From 1590s as "to plan in the mind," also "to employ the mind in thought or contemplation," especially in a religious way. 

Ok, well, shit. Thinking refers back to meditation and meditation refers to thinking? ?

I don't "think" this is a problem. 

When you are aware, when you observe, when you give attention to, when you are attention itself, are you thinking? Or not? 

Edited March 4, 2021 by mandyjw

[SoonHei]

TRUTH IS

mind is the barrier.

no-mind is the door.

[mandyjw]

1 minute ago, SoonHei said:

TRUTH IS

mind is the barrier.

no-mind is the door.

door (n.)

"movable barrier" https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=door

I know, I know, I'll show myself the door now. 

 

[UnbornTao]

@mandyjw

[Heaven]

1 hour ago, Nahm said:

When you say ‘my mind’, what is that, other than a thought?

When you say ‘serious’, what is separate of you, which One is serious about? 

When you say ‘intellectual’, what is that other then believing thoughts & thus believing an ‘identity’?

Who or what is ‘believing’?

What is the feeling of resistance? How is that possible?

Without thinking there is an intellect, what is it in terms of perception & feeling? Where is it? When is it? 

Nice pic btw.

Wow. I love it.

[VeganAwake]

Emptying the glass completely...?

"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance- it's the illusion of knowledge"

Simply put believing you already know the answer hides what's already the case.

Unknowing ❤

 

[allislove]

 

Simply try to relax attention on attention, on "I am", once there is engagement in thinking that doesn't feel good. 

Edited June 16 by UnbornTao

[Nahm]

 

It’s just advice of course, but I’d work unworthiness up the scale. You don’t need knowledge, or anything. You don’t need to be concerned with how people think of you. They feel their thoughts, not you. You feel yours, and this whole experience, this entire place, is for you. 

Edited June 16 by UnbornTao

[UnbornTao]

@allislove thanks. 

Edited June 16 by UnbornTao

[allislove]

?

Edited June 16 by UnbornTao

[SoonHei]

59 minutes ago, mandyjw said:

door (n.)

"movable barrier" https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=door

I know, I know, I'll show myself the door now. 

 

You ARE the Door!

[Haumea2018]

3 hours ago, Arzola said:

Don’t know why it resists serious contemplation/experiential inquiry. It’s much easier to keep it intellectual, just reading Ken Wilber or similar and believing what is said. 

Because it's not really work at all.  If you're already a cerebral person, keeping it "intellectual" IS the comfort zone.

It's not secondary work -- it's not any kind of work! The ego pretends that it's doing something other than to keep itself alive.

That's the Big Lie of the ego.  You can't really awaken without stepping out of the comfort zone.

[Heaven]

5 hours ago, Haumea2018 said:

Because it's not really work at all.  If you're already a cerebral person, keeping it "intellectual" IS the comfort zone.

It's not secondary work -- it's not any kind of work! The ego pretends that it's doing something other than to keep itself alive.

That's the Big Lie of the ego.  You can't really awaken without stepping out of the comfort zone.

I absolutely agree with that. I think it’s one of the biggest trap in the path.

[mandyjw]

7 hours ago, SoonHei said:

You ARE the Door!

I have been told that I make a better door than a window. ?