Black Lab Consciousness

On the cultivation of insight/wisdom
Post Reply
User avatar
tiltbillings
Posts: 23046
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:25 am

Black Lab Consciousness

Post by tiltbillings »

This is an hour well spent: Knowing, Awareness And Wisdom
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
User avatar
Kamran
Posts: 471
Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2011 3:14 am

Re: Black Lab Consciousness

Post by Kamran »

Thanks for pointing this out.
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: Black Lab Consciousness

Post by phil »

tiltbillings wrote:This is an hour well spent: Knowing, Awareness And Wisdom
This is a very good talk, within the first 30 minutes provides a very clear explanation of the difference between the three, and in quoting a Tibetan poem a very powerful praising of the value of sati. I summarized some of the points but then deleted it, no need to ruin your listening.
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
User avatar
phil
Posts: 874
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:08 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: Black Lab Consciousness

Post by phil »

Hi all

Just a follow up on what I wrote yesterday. I hadn't heard Goldstein for a few years and it really made an impression on me. He made this talk at the beginning of a long retreat and apparently wanted to really get people rooted in some basic appreciations, including not only the nice explanation of the relationship between the three factors in the title, but also just a moment of recognizing that we probably take for granted a basic insight we have all had, that our minds are lost in thinking and other processes and we are just being led by our senses in a dreamlike flow most of the time. That realization, and the ability we all have to step back from it, it is a powerful thing that we tend to take for granted.

I transcribed a bit when he spoke with beautiful conviction.
Don’t underestimate the value of this insight, of realizing how often the mind is lost in the thoughts and feelings and dramas of our minds. Because most people don’t know this about their minds. Because unless we have taken the time and turned the attention inward people don’t know, they don’t know this about themselves, and because they don’t know this about themselves and they aren’t particularly motivated to awaken from this dreamlike flow of delusion. So this understanding that we all have…is an important one. It becomes a powerful motivating force, we see how often we are asleep, and it motivates us, ok can I be more awake in my life. So this is the power of mindfulness, it’s noticing, the present momentary memory, instead of being lost in or identifying with what is arising, we know what’s arising, we know that we know.
And then he recites a Dharma poem by a Tibetan teacher:

Mindfulness is the root of Dhamma
the body of practice
the fortress of the mind
the aid to the wisdom of innate wakefulness.

lack of mindfulness will allow the negative forces to overcome you
without mindfulness you will be swept away by laziness
lack of mindfulness is the creator or evil deeds
without mindfulness and presence of mind nothing can be accomplished
without mindfulness you are a heartless zombie, a walking corpse
dear Dhamma friends please be mindful
by the aspiration of the Buddha and all bodhisatvas
may all Dhamma friends attain stable mindfulness
and ascend the throne of perfect wakefulness.


So if you are in a bit of a summer sumbery slumpish state, I recommend this talk for a stirring wake up call. Thanks to tiltbilling for having linked to it.

Phil
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
User avatar
tiltbillings
Posts: 23046
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:25 am

Re: Black Lab Consciousness

Post by tiltbillings »

phil wrote: So if you are in a bit of a summer sumbery slumpish state, I recommend this talk for a stirring wake up call. Thanks to tiltbilling for having linked to it.

Phil
You are welcome. Joseph Goldstein is one of the better teachers out there.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
upekha
Posts: 43
Joined: Mon May 03, 2010 12:39 pm

Re: Black Lab Consciousness

Post by upekha »

Thanks tiltbillings for the link.

However, I am unable to listen to it as I am short of hearing.it is a pity as I know there are many good talks on Dharma seed.

Thanks Phil for the transcribed section. That was very helpful.

With metta
Upekha.
User avatar
tiltbillings
Posts: 23046
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:25 am

Re: Black Lab Consciousness

Post by tiltbillings »

upekha wrote:Thanks tiltbillings for the link.

However, I am unable to listen to it as I am short of hearing.it is a pity as I know there are many good talks on Dharma seed.
Joseph's talks on the Satipatthana Sutta have been turned into a 400+ page book, MINDFULNESS: A Practical Guide to Awakening. It is worth having.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
upekha
Posts: 43
Joined: Mon May 03, 2010 12:39 pm

Re: Black Lab Consciousness

Post by upekha »

Hi tiltbillings,

Yes, I saw the book on Amazon and got my mother to buy it for me from Uk. She will return to Sri Lanka next month. I am looking forward to reading it.

With metta
Upekha.
Post Reply