The ego is pretty damn cunning. Throw it out the front door and it will slither back in through the back door. Someone goes on retreat to sit with her own mind and suddenly she becomes a buddhist or a meditator, complete with robes, crystals, scented candles, etc. And presto, the ego is in charge… Continue reading A penny in your mouth
Author: jorma
Causes
Effects without causes don’t exist. Objects don’t move by themselves. Things don’t ‘just happen’. Everything can be explained by some prior thing. Exceptions are by definition miracles and miracles don’t exist. Agreed? But if every cause has prior causes of its own and new causes don’t just appear, then how far back do these causal… Continue reading Causes
Reality
Only one thing can be known for sure. Direct experience, pure, raw, unconceptualized experience. Nothing else. Not one single thing. Philosophers and physicists alike have tried to nail down reality for ages, starting with the external world. But we have zero direct information about the external world. There seems to be some experience to which… Continue reading Reality
Perspective
You have the power to change the world. Literally. How you see things and events determines how you will feel about them. Change how you see them and your experience will change. This is the secret. Admittedly, it’s a poorly kept secret and it does seem a little underwhelming at first glance. But it is… Continue reading Perspective
Let go
Old journal entry (December 2018) on letting go. You’re a kid in a stroller, with a toy steering wheel. You’re being driven around and playing with your wheel. You end up at the playground, are happy and think you had something to do with the outcome. Next time, you do your steering again. This time… Continue reading Let go
Yoga
This post is an adaptation of a journal post I wrote for myself in February 2019. Yoga is the physical practice of a fundamental principal. There are two basic attitudes: relaxation and tightening or grasping and letting go. A position that requires tightening is always incorrect. A position that allows release is the right one.… Continue reading Yoga
Intentions
My intentions are good, always. Perhaps I hurt someone’s feelings from time to time, but it’s never on purpose. When questioned I will offer an explanation or a different light in which to view my behavior, so that others may also come to see how I did not, in fact, mean badly. Should others fail… Continue reading Intentions
Don’t be the judge
Humans are social animals. As such, we have evolved to place massive value on social acceptance. We have a strong desire to fit in. To be accepted. From an early age we are taught what is appropriate behaviour and what is not. The people around us will provide feedback when we stray too far from… Continue reading Don’t be the judge
Know thyself
Know thyself Advice inscribed on Apollo’s temple by the ancient Greeks. Pretty good advice too. But how exactly should I go about getting to know myself? Well, if you want to know your mind… sit down and observe it! In other words: meditate. People think of meditation as an arcane mystical endeavor with some vague… Continue reading Know thyself
Stop knowing
We will have to change the way we see the world. We have to change soon and radically. We will need to see the world in a way that allows us to work together, to develop trust, to base our worth on who we are. Not on what he have or do. We have let… Continue reading Stop knowing