late december

This page offers a serendipitous list of posts chosen for being the last post in the years from 2002 till 2017. There are over 1000 posts covering a wide range of topics.

On the right margin there are  system generated tools which can cut down on the serendipity - notably - a chronological blog archive, and a shortlist of popular posts. There are also two search boxes - one on the left margin and one in the bottom margin.

I produced six themed compilations between 2011 and 2014. Click HERE

https://naesaebad.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/frittering-time.html

https://naesaebad.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/music-box.html

https://naesaebad.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/an-urge-of-bullets.html

https://naesaebad.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/viral-winds-of-change.html

https://naesaebad.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/existential-xmas.html

http://dodclark.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/once-born-again-let-mud-settle.html

http://dodclark.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/language-and-uncommon-sense.html

http://dodclark.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/moments.html

http://dodclark.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/for-and-against-if-you-want-truth-to.html

http://dodclark.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/padding-steeples.html

http://dodclark.blogspot.co.uk/2007/12/quantum-to-cosmos.html

http://dodclark.blogspot.co.uk/2006/12/bhikku-bodhis-classic-audio-talks.html

http://dodclark.blogspot.co.uk/2005/12/change-agent-for-peace.html

http://dodclark.blogspot.co.uk/2004/12/dharma-talk-six-principles-of.html

http://dodclark.blogspot.co.uk/2003/12/psychological-personality-tests-online.html

http://dodclark.blogspot.co.uk/2002/12/mindfulness-in-plain-english.html

Frittering time

We are each allotted about 70 earth years. Not much in the grander scheme of things! But the years can be used wisely, or they can be frittered away.

People’s pattern of knowing and feeling is set by their genes, by their education and brainwashing, and by various chancy encounters.

Most people accept the world view of their natal culture. They are thus not much better than robots. They feel that they are unique and worthy citizens with rights - which they can be easily convinced to die for.

But all cultures have a few radical thinking, free-spirits. They introduce alternative patterns of thinking and feeling. Thomas Kuhn introduced the concept of a paradigm. On the big stage there is the slow shifting of paradigms which leads to the faster cracking of a wide range of the small stage norms.

In science and philosophy, a paradigm is a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, postulates, and standards for what constitutes legitimate contributions to a field.

Changes since the European renaissance, reformation and enlightenment have led to scientific and objective ways of thinking and understanding and, to the exceedingly fast development of technology.

This has its good and bad points. It is therefore encouraging to recognise an ascending second group of radical free-thinkers who pay particular, subjective attention to the thoughts, feelings and moods that pass through their attention centres. The ancient Eastern paradigms promote stillness and mindfulness. This prevents automatic and unconscious  mindbrains from being hijacked by the myths and magic of the natal (iron age?) cultures.



70 years is not much time. But Western mind doctors and Eastern meditation masters are increasingly in agreement about what needs to be done.

• Tame and train your mind.
• No self no problem
• Don’t just do something, sit there
• Just sit
• Present moment, wonderful moment
• Don’t fritter your time

Little things

“Hang on to what you got
you ain’t got much
but it’s all you got
hang on to what you got
little things mean a lot”

But little things come thick and fast. They occupy the attention centre for a few thought moments then they are gone. A thought moment is the amount of time a particular thought, feeling or mood (TFM) is the focus of attention. The time varies from a fraction of a second to several minutes.

Longer thought trains are made up of a sequence of shorter carriages. Most TFM are very short and pass so quickly through the attention centre that it is hard to notice the effect that they are having.

‘I’ am rarely in charge of what appears in consciousness. But, if I am not in control, who or what is? Presumably the unconscious - which is the software that runs through modules and networks in the wetware of my brain. To misquote Thomas Gray - “Full many a thought (TFM) is born to bloom and die unseen”.

For a laugh I could try making a list of TFMs that have risen since I woke this morning. But it is a daunting task. There were a few recurring items (between 10 and 20?) and a vast range of quick flashes (well over 500?) which were not all noticeably linked to the larger themes.

“We are what we think.
all that we are arises with our thoughts.
with our thoughts we make the world.”
(Dhammapada)

Speaking or acting with a pure or impure mind has its different consequences.

Little things mean a lot.

You choose

A SMITH

“Civil government, so far as it is instituted for the security of property, is, in reality, instituted for the defence of the rich against the poor, or of those who have property against those who have none at all.” Adam Smith

Nietzsche’s super-people

Old habits are loath to change. Good ones can get better or worse and the same is true of the bad ones. I have been a scholar most of my days. I have faced an ongoing struggle to keep the worldview open to revision in the light of new evidence.

Most people’s world view is made of myth and magic - I can be counted amongst them. Silly things; like having to kow tow to an old bloke who is invisible and all-knowing but – confused. And there is the supposed infallibility of the Pope, and the Divine Right of Kings.

Thanks be to Nietzsche for noting that the god of myth and magic is dead and that Mankind is on its own. But he saw that people are like sheep who willingly and graciously submit themselves to the fanciful cravings of a few supermen and women.

Where does the leader lead and why?

Some Nietzsche quotes:

• “A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.”
• “In heaven all the interesting people are missing.”
• “The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.” 
• "And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.
•  

changed brain

Change how you  use your brain and you can change your mind - and vice versa - in an assortment of ways!

for details click HERE

Intentional living

This morning I became aware of a stream of intentions which emerged from the unconscious, hung around for a while, and then disappeared.

One particular stream caught my attention:

• By peoples’ intentions, words and actions shall ye know them·        
• Intentions are linked to thoughts, feelings and moods and are expressed in words (spoken or written) and actions
• My intentions interact more or less peacefully with those of others – individuals and groups

The logic of that thought train suggested the following matrix

	Conscious	Unconscious
Self	1	2
Other individual	3	4
Group	5	6

1.       Only a small number of intentions (4?) are presented to my self conscious at any moment in time - and these tend to be simplified.

2.       The unconscious is continuously active in rejigging my world view

3.       As a human I assume that other individuals think in more of less the same way as me – especially those in the same group (Think ‘us’ and nepotism)

4.       I tend to be blind to the unconscious aspects of other people – especially those in other groups (Think ‘them’ and genocide)

5.       There is them and us at various levels – family, community, nation (Think propaganda)

6.       I have to beware of parochiality and xenophobia - we are all citizens of planet earth

Recent advances in neurology show that there are Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC) which means that mind and brain can influence each other. And, because of neural plasticity, the structures and functions can change well into old age.

SO – 

• My mind and brain can be changed through appreciation of the immensity of time, space and stardust.
• This leads to a realization of ‘no boundary’ and thus of the Oneness which is everything.
• And the key is to bear mindful witness to what is happening in the present moment. And this involves paying attention to my pattern of intentional living.