Locate Your Mind

[MiracleMan]

Where is it?  Keep pondering, you may just find it's no where, and everywhere at the same time!!  Isn't this exciting news?!

I want to share a cool quote by Douglas Harding, if you aren't familiar with him he is known for "the headless way" and it's been a favorite practice of mine recently.

"The trouble with the mind is its supposed abstraction from the world, its supposed imprisonment, its supposed condensation into a nuclear thing here. The mind goes wrong by misapprehending where it is and to whom it belongs. (1977 Interview)"

He elaborates with great beauty...

"I am truly broad-minded to the degree that my mind, let go of, alights on and merges with and irradiates the whole scene. There it comes into its own. To be opinionated, narrow-minded, under pressure, depressed, repressed – all such diseases of the mind arise from its displacement and resulting compression. Given back to the world, returned to where it came from, it expands and recovers. At large again, it is infinitely large and generous. (Look For Yourself)

All the complexes and problems of the mind arise from its overcrowding and congestion. The cure isn't to reform it but just let it go where it wants to go. We are now letting it go where it belongs. A tremendous relief! It is not perfecting the mind, because the mind is imperfect in every way. Still one experiences sadness and confusion and anxiety, pain, as well as positive feelings. But they are seen as characterising the world and not as personal hang-ups. This relocation helps a lot, but is no recipe for continuous happiness or any kind of perfection where happiness and perfection don't belong. Only at Centre are you All Right! (1977 Interview)"

From headless.org

I learned about this from Richard Lang, a student of Harding.  Headless.org is his website, you might find some things there that resonate with you.  I like this method because it seems more suited to the western intellectual who may be a bit more rigid in "feeling" it, where the headless way implores you to see it from a more direct approach.  

[Joseph Maynor]

The Mind is just a metaphor.  All language is metaphorical.  All beliefs are false.

Edited December 7, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Nahm]

@MiracleMan Love it! Reminded me of an old favorite....

 

With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
But there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself....

Where is my mind