-Why on earth is there any trouble?
-Why are you saying that?
-because I’m “thinking”
-But why do you think about this “thought” ?
-Don’t make me go crazy!
-No…you are crazy!
-Now you’re getting me really mad!
-You see….there is trouble with “thought”
-Fine, Explain…as I see you want trouble…but I’ll control myself!
-Oh…Who’s controlling you?
-I—Am of course!
-Who do you think you are?
-You mean the one who is thinking?
-Indeed!
-Fine, and where do your “thoughts” come from?
– Inside my head!!
– Who put them there?
-No one…they just are there!!!!
-Really?
-YES!
-You mean you were born with your thoughts?
-Of course not..don’t try and make me feel stupid!
-No truly not…I’m just wanting to find out…. Have you ever?
– Ever what?
-Wondered where your thoughts came from?
-No
-Then why are you so cross when you’re asked the question?
-I mean until some one suggested the earth was not a flat slab
people had never questioned it did they?
In fact they got really mad and insecure to ask such a question!
-So what are you getting at?
-Just asking what is a “thought?
-It’s putting 2+ 2 together and saying it’s 4!
-Oh…don’t cheat!…if I had two oranges, one in each hand, then
that’s obvious…there are two oranges…concrete fact!
And if I gave you one, then I have one…concrete fact, right??
-Ok, that’s simple to see!
-But is it different from seeing the “thinking”?
-Of course..if I did not think, I’d not be able to add or subtract!
-Ok…don’t let us get into knots over this…
Are all thinkings or thoughts the same?
_ Well, they come from the same place I guess??
_ right..
_ Are you not thinking all the time you’re asking these questions…I mean what are you getting at?
_I’m not getting at anything..just wanted to know why you got so mad when I asked you that question?
_Because it felt like you want to make fun of me!
_And where did that feeling come from?
_Because I don’t like to be made fun of!
_Are you sure that was my intention?
_Well no , but I’m still feeling you”re laying a trap for me!
_And all these feelings come from where and why?
_Is that not natural? Feeling bad when some one is trying to confuse you?
_oh…is that what you think? That I’m trying to confuse you?
Why is the challenge make you feel bad?
Why do you take everything you think you know for granted?
That’s why everything keeps getting solidified over generations…fixed like a stone!
_Tell me more..
_don’t you sometimes wonder what it would be like if you were the only person on this planet?
_well even if there was no one else, I’d still have experiences which would be in my thoughts?
_ Like hunger, fear, thirst, need for shelter…and I guess having learnt about dangers and how to avoid them?
_ for sure…also feelings
_yes I guess fear must have been a big one!
_ Then I guess came thoughts of how to avoid dangers and find ways to feel more secure..
_ and so on, and on, until today when the branches have covered the whole of the sky…..
Pause
_Don’t you feel sometimes like you are in a play?
Like every one is acting in some play?
_not really…except when we are in a theatre!
_ The theatre of Life!! That’s what we are in…it just keeps on rolling away on auto pilot!
_ What on earth are you going on about?
_ I mean we never question anything!
As if the commentary running constantly in our heads is like a blood stream in our veins!! But it’s NOT!
_Well I’m not even aware of the running thoughts in my head!
_Well no ..it’s become second nature!
_And it’s over crowding us like a dark cloud and we just see facts when we really need to!
_Then how should we stop the running commentary if it’s second nature ?
_ Not with amnesia!
Not when we need to run away from danger, not when we have an appointment…
_ You know I’m slowly seeing something…but it’s really hard as say when I have an appointment, say to see results of a test I’d taken…Then my head gets throbbing full of thoughts…I just had such a day it was torture! The anticipation made me go almost crazy!………I had no control over it! Not only that but the thoughts made my heart beat faster, fingers tingling…I just could not Think straight!
_ Ahh that’s the suffering of “unnecessary thinking”
_ easy said!
_ yes but at least we have seen it’s unnecessary ..the whole of our live’s experiences get jumbled up in a storm, blowing so much dust that we can’t even see the path ahead to see where we have to go!
_ This is the Theatre in the head!
_ with no director
_ well the director is run by all the scripts of all the stories lived by ourselves and others throughout our cultural back ground!
_Poor little me!
That is really the trouble of thought!!
_ it’s taking us for a wild run wherever the wild horses want to go..
_Quite insane!
Quite…especially all our emotions are caught up by the thoughts too…
_ So suddenly if I feel sad or anxious…was it due to thoughts I was not aware of thinking them?
_I guess that’s part of it but we also have deep imprints of thoughts layered into our consciousness over generations and those are much harder to see.
_ How many of us humans could ever be free of all that humongous heavy load?
_ yea….It’s hard work!
_ Then what…won’t we feel a lot more insecure…not having any railings to hold on to??
_That’s fear of the unknown kicking in!
_ Have we tried it out at all?
_ not sure if it’s at all possible.
_ not to have a constant commentary running up in the scull?
_yes
_why?
It seems it has to do something with security!
_If I have to undergo an interview, or any other task which is not routine, I naturally feel anxious…
_ then what?
_then my thoughts look for all the possible situations related to the upcoming event to see how it would cope when the event happens.
_Yea…it’s pure punishment but who wouldn’t feel the same?
_ I’ve heard performers say that that very anxiety makes them perform better.
_or forget everything and not be able to perform at all….
_ I guess that’s when the brain has given up all it’s energy to anxiety and for it’s survival goes blank!
_ I’ve seen that a few times.
_ I’ve also noticed how much energy is generate by that search….
_ I just had a “thought”! hahaha
_ would you not say that all living organisms have an inbuilt survival mode?
I guess in health that is the case.
_ well would this permanent thinking not have the same function?
_ you mean wearing itself out stupid?
_NO!!…I mean trying to feel secure!
_would you say it is achieving that?
_ not exactly but it’s trying to!
_ How stupid must we be to realize the runaway busy, crazy drama constantly in our heads is not giving us peace and quiet to really be able to Think when really necessary!!
_ So we’re back to square one!
_ These days there are so many methods to calm down…
_Also every one knows the expression “burn out” which is literally overloading the brain!
__
Silence…………………….
_ is there not a moment like happened right now when the brain sees itself?
_ You mean has reached it’s own conclusion?
_ Wow…that just happened..it just lasted a few seconds!
_Yes I felt it too!
_ But it did not take long before that silence was interrupted…
_ That’s true… but it was a great start to just come to the end of “Thought” where time too had stopped….
_ Is end of thought end of time?
_It sure felt that way…
Now I see what my thoughts want to do with it!…
It wants more of that!!
Oh!
Timeless Land
/in News /by shahlaThe moment that is new is when eyes open, breathless,
View formations, changes upon clouds, having shed their weight over thirsty land
Now, catching last lights of the sinking sun, slowly, slowly moving on………..
Breathless you stand gazing upon the timeless land.
Silence is broken
/in News /by shahlaSilence of the Night
/in News /by shahlaIt’s a silky silent night to disturb and write…
But the hooting of the owl, trilling of one lone cricket nothing moves but the mind.
Almost a benediction holds the stars touching the earth, night dew gathers softly around what vegetation remains of rains of the past…
Oh the mind, the mind wants to be, to be, feels throbbing of the body, wanting to disturb rudely this nothingness…..
not in fear but persistent feel, feeling the being here, now in this silence a witness who wants to say, I bear witness, only this I, the observer of nothingness that holds finite infinity that knows no time or measure….
All at once is here, right now, here, here…listen….
The owl does not tire, nor the cricket…holding this holy silence of the night!
What are we?
/in News /by shahlaTo be awake to our passing thoughts, passing moods, rising and falling emotions needs enormous interest with passion to look deep beyond the layers to discover this entity I call the I!
To be called upon, out of the blue, incident of years gone by, joyous or painful, hits us deeply!
It seems all the “felts” of the past are captured on recorded slices waiting silently to be awakened by a thought.
It seems that all “time” past through present is there at once!
Yet we look at our hands, feet, face and wonder who is this I?
This I is drawn to revel, repeat and relive that that gave it substance and ecstasy, yet shudder when the pains of past hurts open up and bleed the heart.
Who is this I if it were not for the “Felts”?
What is that feeling when the moon begins to rise, the sun slipping behind the hills leaving a rapture of colours painting the clouds, the waving branches, bathing of birds, playing of children, old man, woman taking shaky steps…….Is love a feeling?
The Creative Egg
/in News /by shahlaWhat if our youngsters had a chance to stay a while in a unique space where they may learn deeply their own conditioning, question, question all whilst they co-operate in working on various projects to improve human problems?
Click for project details:
The Creative Egg
Blowing in the Wind
/in News /by shahlaWe wonder, investigate with immense energy superficial banalities and take for granted the magic, mysteries of life on this earth!
We satisfy ourselves with requisites of dramas of our lives but not the director of our dramas.
We praise intellectual activities yet ignore the inner core of our being!
Living the Story
/in News /by shahlawatching feelings filling you up, leaving you, rising up, fierce or gentle, heart beat faster, head throbbing, passions flaming up and being lost in that flow…drowning, helpless…floating,
Begs to question why?
What are we and which stories were so fixed in our being that has such hold over our existence?
You are on my mind
/in News /by shahlaQuestioning our actions.
Questioning our convictions.
Questioning ever deeper reasons we give to why and what we do.
Allowing a pause on our rout to look around, all directions, above all from above, to see a light entering the emptiness of our “Not knowing”
Allowing the rivers of tears to wash away solidified fixations.
Holding gently this inner child kicking hard, holding tight to his made belief Rock.
To rock this child in love and whisper, all is well, that love is boundless and this pain too will pass as all is in passing over the rainbows of further universes…
Stop now!
Stop and do this now, now, and now…
It is this moment of our actions, words and deeds that leaves a stamp deep behind on this earth, no less lives we have touched upon.
Look back to see abundance of laughter, blooming fields and glowing light in love following you to your destiny.
This life we were born to is passing too..faster and faster is catching us up in trails we left behind…
Let wisdom of love cleanse all pains we caused in the past, let generosity wash away hardened hearts unto joy….
Let your bidding farewell to this body feel the power of light which gave you this chance to live in full purpose of birth..
As the flower that opens wide in full innocence is there for a while to spread beauty for those who passed it by, lived just for a while!
El Torcal
/in News /by shahlaWe drove up higher and higher following the river… river disappeared between thick of pink Oleander bushes, appeared and was gone again from sight…Landscape changing to open spaces and fields of wheat, soft and dreamy beyond which high rocky mountains appeared as we kept on driving upwards towards those Rocks.
The heat subsided, cool breeze began to blow. We stopped beneath the Rocks at The fountain and filled up our bottles with fresh cool water flowing from it’s depths.
A couple more kilometres..
We entered “EL Torcal” and climbed ever higher between those crazy shapes formed over billions of years, forming, reforming through times beyond our human scale.
We unpack our picnic, laugh and chatter as the sun sinks and moon rises……
We have climbed a couple of hundred meters higher and feel the cold.
We freeze and shiver at 15 degrees less.
We are fragile creatures with immense powers of the “Will”!
It grows dark.
The astronomer sets up telescopes.
We sit around, are mesmerised as we listen.
He points to stars with his laser pointer…Recites their given names from ancient times of men to new, also their constellation tales we humans have conjured.
We queue to watch saturn, our potted moon, and distant stars which may no longer be as it’s light years taken for us to view…. beyond our comprehension.
We Wow and clasp at moments of AWE!
We have now seen where humans landed on the moon, and rings of Saturn, twinkle of dead stars born and died well before even our earth, this rock on which we picnic ever existed …
We are feeling cold and tired. We pack up and drive back to our warm rooms, slumber to sleep and dream of plans of grandeur for days to come!!
The Trouble with “Thought”
/in News /by shahla-Why on earth is there any trouble?
-Why are you saying that?
-because I’m “thinking”
-But why do you think about this “thought” ?
-Don’t make me go crazy!
-No…you are crazy!
-Now you’re getting me really mad!
-You see….there is trouble with “thought”
-Fine, Explain…as I see you want trouble…but I’ll control myself!
-Oh…Who’s controlling you?
-I—Am of course!
-Who do you think you are?
-You mean the one who is thinking?
-Indeed!
-Fine, and where do your “thoughts” come from?
– Inside my head!!
– Who put them there?
-No one…they just are there!!!!
-Really?
-YES!
-You mean you were born with your thoughts?
-Of course not..don’t try and make me feel stupid!
-No truly not…I’m just wanting to find out…. Have you ever?
– Ever what?
-Wondered where your thoughts came from?
-No
-Then why are you so cross when you’re asked the question?
-I mean until some one suggested the earth was not a flat slab
people had never questioned it did they?
In fact they got really mad and insecure to ask such a question!
-So what are you getting at?
-Just asking what is a “thought?
-It’s putting 2+ 2 together and saying it’s 4!
-Oh…don’t cheat!…if I had two oranges, one in each hand, then
that’s obvious…there are two oranges…concrete fact!
And if I gave you one, then I have one…concrete fact, right??
-Ok, that’s simple to see!
-But is it different from seeing the “thinking”?
-Of course..if I did not think, I’d not be able to add or subtract!
-Ok…don’t let us get into knots over this…
Are all thinkings or thoughts the same?
_ Well, they come from the same place I guess??
_ right..
_ Are you not thinking all the time you’re asking these questions…I mean what are you getting at?
_I’m not getting at anything..just wanted to know why you got so mad when I asked you that question?
_Because it felt like you want to make fun of me!
_And where did that feeling come from?
_Because I don’t like to be made fun of!
_Are you sure that was my intention?
_Well no , but I’m still feeling you”re laying a trap for me!
_And all these feelings come from where and why?
_Is that not natural? Feeling bad when some one is trying to confuse you?
_oh…is that what you think? That I’m trying to confuse you?
Why is the challenge make you feel bad?
Why do you take everything you think you know for granted?
That’s why everything keeps getting solidified over generations…fixed like a stone!
_Tell me more..
_don’t you sometimes wonder what it would be like if you were the only person on this planet?
_well even if there was no one else, I’d still have experiences which would be in my thoughts?
_ Like hunger, fear, thirst, need for shelter…and I guess having learnt about dangers and how to avoid them?
_ for sure…also feelings
_yes I guess fear must have been a big one!
_ Then I guess came thoughts of how to avoid dangers and find ways to feel more secure..
_ and so on, and on, until today when the branches have covered the whole of the sky…..
Pause
_Don’t you feel sometimes like you are in a play?
Like every one is acting in some play?
_not really…except when we are in a theatre!
_ The theatre of Life!! That’s what we are in…it just keeps on rolling away on auto pilot!
_ What on earth are you going on about?
_ I mean we never question anything!
As if the commentary running constantly in our heads is like a blood stream in our veins!! But it’s NOT!
_Well I’m not even aware of the running thoughts in my head!
_Well no ..it’s become second nature!
_And it’s over crowding us like a dark cloud and we just see facts when we really need to!
_Then how should we stop the running commentary if it’s second nature ?
_ Not with amnesia!
Not when we need to run away from danger, not when we have an appointment…
_ You know I’m slowly seeing something…but it’s really hard as say when I have an appointment, say to see results of a test I’d taken…Then my head gets throbbing full of thoughts…I just had such a day it was torture! The anticipation made me go almost crazy!………I had no control over it! Not only that but the thoughts made my heart beat faster, fingers tingling…I just could not Think straight!
_ Ahh that’s the suffering of “unnecessary thinking”
_ easy said!
_ yes but at least we have seen it’s unnecessary ..the whole of our live’s experiences get jumbled up in a storm, blowing so much dust that we can’t even see the path ahead to see where we have to go!
_ This is the Theatre in the head!
_ with no director
_ well the director is run by all the scripts of all the stories lived by ourselves and others throughout our cultural back ground!
_Poor little me!
That is really the trouble of thought!!
_ it’s taking us for a wild run wherever the wild horses want to go..
_Quite insane!
Quite…especially all our emotions are caught up by the thoughts too…
_ So suddenly if I feel sad or anxious…was it due to thoughts I was not aware of thinking them?
_I guess that’s part of it but we also have deep imprints of thoughts layered into our consciousness over generations and those are much harder to see.
_ How many of us humans could ever be free of all that humongous heavy load?
_ yea….It’s hard work!
_ Then what…won’t we feel a lot more insecure…not having any railings to hold on to??
_That’s fear of the unknown kicking in!
_ Have we tried it out at all?
_ not sure if it’s at all possible.
_ not to have a constant commentary running up in the scull?
_yes
_why?
It seems it has to do something with security!
_If I have to undergo an interview, or any other task which is not routine, I naturally feel anxious…
_ then what?
_then my thoughts look for all the possible situations related to the upcoming event to see how it would cope when the event happens.
_Yea…it’s pure punishment but who wouldn’t feel the same?
_ I’ve heard performers say that that very anxiety makes them perform better.
_or forget everything and not be able to perform at all….
_ I guess that’s when the brain has given up all it’s energy to anxiety and for it’s survival goes blank!
_ I’ve seen that a few times.
_ I’ve also noticed how much energy is generate by that search….
_ I just had a “thought”! hahaha
_ would you not say that all living organisms have an inbuilt survival mode?
I guess in health that is the case.
_ well would this permanent thinking not have the same function?
_ you mean wearing itself out stupid?
_NO!!…I mean trying to feel secure!
_would you say it is achieving that?
_ not exactly but it’s trying to!
_ How stupid must we be to realize the runaway busy, crazy drama constantly in our heads is not giving us peace and quiet to really be able to Think when really necessary!!
_ So we’re back to square one!
_ These days there are so many methods to calm down…
_Also every one knows the expression “burn out” which is literally overloading the brain!
__
Silence…………………….
_ is there not a moment like happened right now when the brain sees itself?
_ You mean has reached it’s own conclusion?
_ Wow…that just happened..it just lasted a few seconds!
_Yes I felt it too!
_ But it did not take long before that silence was interrupted…
_ That’s true… but it was a great start to just come to the end of “Thought” where time too had stopped….
_ Is end of thought end of time?
_It sure felt that way…
Now I see what my thoughts want to do with it!…
It wants more of that!!
Oh!