Help with a peter ralston exercise

[Urgency]

the first exercise in the book of not knowing is emptying your cup the first part of the exercise is 

"Go through everything you believe or hold to be true.

As best you can, bring to mind all that you know.

Everything that comes up for you that you consider true, or assume is true, ask yourself whether you have actually experienced it or if you just believe it."

so i came up with beliefs and assumptions and asked myself if i had exprienced it 

• I believe that the holocaust happened
• Did I actually experienced it? No
• I believe that my uncles build my bed and a table and other stuff in my room
• Did I actually experienced it? No
• I believe in god and a lot of spiritual stuff I hadn't experienced
• I believe that I'm not adopted and that my parents are my biological parents
• Did I actually experienced it? No
• Did I experienced that I'm adopted? No
• I believe that my sister works at the bank
• Did I actually experienced it? No, I never seen her work there
• I believe that some of my uncles are carpenters
• Did I actually experienced it? No I never seen them work or build anything

but then i had a question: But what would be an experience of the truth of those things?

• For the holocaust would it mean actually being there and seeing it happen?
• For my uncles building my furniture would it mean to actually see them build what I thought they build?
• For thinking that my parents are my biological parents would it mean having and seeing a positive test of DNA?
• For thinking that my sister works at the bank would it mean to actually see her work there?

so thats the question of this thread 

[purerogue]

You have to work with direct,present moment,questions from past are irrelevant no matter if you had experienced of it in your memory, or no.

In my understanding questioning is irrelevant too for what he is trying to achieve , it is just method to understand how not knowing works. 

What you do is observe present moment, you hear,feel something , or anything it does not matter, there will be idea of this or that happening, but do you really know what is going on, or your mind is assuming it all based on its memory, do you really know anything of what you are experiencing at that exact moment?

It gets more interesting when you dive in deeper and you start to do the same thing with thoughts that show up in your head, do you really understand thous thoughts, or you are only assuming that you understand them. 

There is more to it , first get this far. 

 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2020 by purerogue

[TrynaBeTurquoise]

All those questions are conceptual in nature, so they are at the level of belief if not directly experienced. Just because something is at the level of "belief", does not mean it isn't true, that is just the level it is at, factually, if you are honest and open. The book wants you to question the obvious. 

[Petals]

the point of the exercise is to see beliefs clearly as beliefs and to see direct knowledge clearly as direct knowledge. the point is to put each instance in its proper category and not about verifying your beliefs in direct exp.

e.g. your parents being your biological parents. you see it clearly and you categorize it as 'belief'. exercise completed. like that with every single point.

ps.: DNA test could be fake or flawed but I think seeing your sister working at the bank would be good evidence that she is working there.? at least you would clearly know that she worked there for the time of your visit.

Edited January 26, 2020 by Petals

[VeganAwake]

I think what Ralston is pointing to is dropping or emptying your mind completely of all concepts and ideas of Awakening work.

"The biggest obstacle to Discovery is not ignorance, it's the illusion of knowledge"

If you think you already know the answer you won't be radically open-minded to accept the TRUTH.

Its an unknowing...

Viewing everything with childlike eyes and wonder.

 

[cetus]

59 minutes ago, VeganAwake said:

I think what Ralston is pointing to is dropping or emptying your mind completely of all concepts and ideas of Awakening work.

"The biggest obstacle to Discovery is not ignorance, it's the illusion of knowledge"

If you think you already know the answer you won't be radically open-minded to accept the TRUTH.

Its an unknowing...

Viewing everything with childlike eyes and wonder.

 

@VeganAwake In Zen "Beginners Mind"

[purerogue]

1 hour ago, VeganAwake said:

I think what Ralston is pointing to is dropping or emptying your mind completely of all concepts and ideas of Awakening work.

"The biggest obstacle to Discovery is not ignorance, it's the illusion of knowledge"

If you think you already know the answer you won't be radically open-minded to accept the TRUTH.

Its an unknowing...

Viewing everything with childlike eyes and wonder.

 

It is drooping your mind of everything, meaning you know nothing at all, not just awakening work.

[VeganAwake]

Yes beginner's mind love that ❤