COMMENTS ON READINGS
HOPING TO GET IN THE CLASS
While waiting to see if i can get into this awesome class, i did the readings for this week.
The first reading: Origins of Consciousness by Julian Jaynes, was very interesting and provocative in its tone. The exercise were very useful to exemplify what Jaynes was talking about, since most texts regarding consciousness come out to be very empirical and not practical. Some quotes, like the famous latin quote "Cogito, ergo sum" reminded me of some of Seneca's quotes from his epistles. Very recently it hit me, although cliché and always taken for granted, that i should honestly be living as if i were preparing for dieing. I am not sure i know the right words to express this thought at the moment, but lots of recent experiences have been leading me to think of death extremely often, and i feel like it is a warning from within that i need to focus on the NOW and try to control my constant anxiety to move further, to look at the future, and never at the present moment. So indispensable. So important. So, all. And the concentration on the present will also make death look less scary, less powerful. I'll gather my thoughts and express them better later. It was like an epiphany and i don't know how to put into words without making it sound ridiculously cheesy and freaky.
The Power of Now, reminded me of a lot of great Shambhala Books by Pema Chodron, such as "The Wisdom of No Escape", or "When Things Fall Apart" and "Turning the Mind into an Ally" by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, now leader of the Shambhala sangha.
But this is specifically how i reacted to the readings:
I finally cleaned my room and set up my meditation corner and cleaned my shrine. A new beginning...