state of mind;awareness;being alive

[effort]

state of mind
awareness

first let me say that may be there is a better term than 'mind state' for what i'm talking about. so i describe what do i think and it will be helpful for me to open it, but please as much as possible use clear, simple description that i could understand.

1-peoples natural mind state is varying form calm to agitated and concentrated to scattered and etc. but my feeling about this, is like that there is a fundamental KNOWING that these states are running over them, let me say there is an operating system ( KNOWING ) that a program ( happy , sad, calm...) run over it.

what do i say here, is i feel this operating system, this KNOWING MIND, is very dominant, when i become mindful, usually the first thing that fills the mind landscape is KNOWING, i dont know WHAT KNOWING? but just KNOWING, being alive,....

so in this situation breathing is very non important matter against this feeling of KNOWING, this being alive. KNOWING is more strong and undeniable. for me cultivating absorption is like forgetting this KNOWING, this being alive, although that i can not get absorb but i have such a feeling about that.
maybe this is a feeling that everybody has but it becomes too big in me, and acts as an obstacle....

i hope that someone understand and could give me some input to work, how theravada point to this? what is the practical approach to this feeling?

[Ben]

Greetings effort

I recommend that you read Bhikkhu Bodhi's excellent 'A comprehensive manual of the Abhidhamma'. I think this will help you to develop a deeper appreciation of the different mental and physical phenomena and how they interrelate with each other.
kind regards

Ben

[lojong1]

It's all about the comfort zone.
Since it's true that you are alive, I suppose you could continue with the "I am alive" meditation [program] to see how far it takes you. Sounds pretty chill, albeit gross.

[ground]

what do i say here, is i feel this operating system, this KNOWING MIND, is very dominant, when i become mindful, usually the first thing that fills the mind landscape is KNOWING, i dont know WHAT KNOWING? but just KNOWING, being alive,....

...
for me cultivating absorption is like forgetting this KNOWING, this being alive, although that i can not get absorb but i have such a feeling about that.
maybe this is a feeling that everybody has but it becomes too big in me, and acts as an obstacle....

i hope that someone understand and could give me some input to work, how theravada point to this? what is the practical approach to this feeling?

I would investigate whether there is fear involved when thinking about the possiblity of losing this "knowing" ... "forgetting the knowing".

kind regards

[effort]

there is an online full view of Abhidhamma in google book.

i think what you suggest is to apply vipassana approach; acknowledge and observe.

I would investigate whether there is fear involved when thinking about the possiblity of losing this "knowing" ... "forgetting the knowing".

forgetting the knowing sounds like not being mindful.

[ground]

forgetting the knowing sounds like not being mindful.

If what you call "knowing" is actually delusion (which is not what I am asserting) then this is not so.

Therefore investigate

Kind regards

[effort]

maybe the answer is in this question:
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7606&start=0
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7606&start=0

[rowyourboat]

Hi effort,

Sounds like there maybe some (unintentional) conceit around this 'KNOWING' ('..more important than..'). Society values wisdom and knowledge, but in Buddhist terms insight is only one tool in many, which must be let gone of, as well.

Anything which arises in our minds, which stand as an obstacle to doing any particular thing, must be a defilement (unless it stops you from doing something unwholesome). Therefore i think you should 'dismantle' this knower and just be with knowing (simple case)- no big deal..

Even wholesome things (like mindfulness), we can cling to - we must learn to let go, even the most wholesome thing, if it becomes an obstacle. The Buddha said let go of sila, if it gets in the way of developing samadhi (I am paraphrasing the Ratavineeta sutta). I think if your mindfulness is getting in the way of you developing samadhi or panna, it is best to reduce the clinging to it- perhaps by noting very clearly the drawbacks of such clinging.

Explore this knowing, see its drawbacks, play with it in your mind, how can you make it stop being an obstacle?

with metta

Matheesha