Every day, I go by this house. Every time, I am appalled, and wonder how can 'those' people live like this?
And from there, inevitably, the sobering realization that I am a hoarder just like them. Only, of a different kind.
When I stop long enough, I can see the clutter in my mind. A bric-a-brac of thoughts, most of them junk.
To be rid of.
How about you? How much space is there in your mind, right now?
Posts
Dear Friend,
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing in your mind that you need to dispose of. There are things that need some care or a new coat of paint, or maybe traded up for working models; and some things that can be gently retired or just left as decoration and then there's always loads of stuff for recycling.
Just must find right bin:-)
The clutter ain't the problem; it's how we negotiate our way 'round it.
Thanks.
Helmut
Hummm, not so sure. Maybe a matter of semantics here:)
ReplyDeleteThere are two categories of thoughts: the ones to be cultivated, and the ones to not be cultivated (the Buddha's words).
I am not saying suppressing the thoughts. No, instead seeing them for what they are, and deciding whether or not to cultivate or not. If not, best is to replace them with wholesome ones.
And of course, the grand strategy always -to allow for enough time for thoughts to settle, and dis-identify from them.
Of course, just one view, which is relative!
I'm in agreement with you here, Marguerite. A few years ago, at a friend’s insistence, I watched with him the movie “Fight Club.” He tried to convince me it had a Buddhist theme. (OK, if you want to look hard enough, everything may have a Buddhist theme.) Anyway, if you haven’t seen it, it’s a violent film with a psychological twist. Overall, it was well done, and that night, while trying to fall asleep, several of the scenes played over and over in my mind. And they did so for several days later. There was no value in it, but the thoughts were persistent. I realized that if I hadn’t seen the movie, those particular thoughts would never have arisen, never would have been a part of the rest of the useless clutter. This is true, I think, for much of what comes through the sense doors. Once inside, it takes a while to clean up. It’s better, perhaps, to use discretion concerning what we let in.
ReplyDeleteVery well said, Paul. Mindfulness is our best friend here . . .
ReplyDeleteFor me, I think it's more it's a question of am I choosing to pursue junk, am I dedicating my time to mental junk food?
ReplyDelete(Though "Fight Club with a Buddhist theme" has really made me smile!)
as an aside, have you ever seen "Clear your clutter with Feng Shui"? It's a nice little encouragement to de-junkify.
I agree with you, Go Sunim. The news are a good example. So much junk there . . .
ReplyDeleteAnd no, I haven't see any of those two movies.
With practice, I notice my antennas go up more quickly, to alert me when my mind is getting polluted :) I assume it is the same with you!
Much metta to you.