Do you have a rich inner life?

[Heather Shay]

Do you have a rich inner life?

[Kait]

This post made me chuckle, because I wrote my first (intro) post here about two days ago and used the exact same phrase. 

 

My answer would be yes. I do. There's a wide variety of thoughts going on in my brain, so I've always got something to entertain me, and if I want to, there's always the ability to pick a thought and really drill down to the deepest implications of it. 

 

For example recently I've been thinking about 'the philosophy of mind' and really trying to dissect what it is to be a 'mind'. It's complicated and muddy, but I feel I'm actually making progress towards a fully definable position, free of obvious self-contradictions. It would be cool if I can accomplish that and maybe someday even publish works on it.

 

What about you? Is your inner life one you would describe as 'rich'? 

[Vidanjali]

2 hours ago, Kait said:

what it is to be a 'mind'

 

I spend time reflecting on this too. I do so in terms of transcending mind. I study Vedanta, mystical yoga philosophy, under guru's guidance. The mind-body complex is spoken of where "mind" is further parsed as ego, mind, intellect, unconscious all interacting with each other. It is said that one's real Self is soul and from a transcendent point of view, soul is not individualized, but One. It is through the illusion of ignorance we experience a world of multiplicity. Soul reflected through conditioned mind projects our seemingly subjective experience. When our unconscious is steeped in negative impressions, the ego is inflated. That inflated ego influences intellect which is the faculty of discernment, reasoning, and will, to direct the mind to project the negativity it believes is true. Negative experience of the world creates further negative impressions in the unconscious and thus a vicious cycle occurs. But likewise we are able to exert self-effort to control the mind, break that cycle and plant seeds of positivity in the unconscious by doing good practices in many ways. 

 

It is said that mind is the cause of bondage and release. My guru once said if your thinking lead to more and more thinking, then there is something wrong with your thinking. But if your thoughts lead to thoughtlessness, then you are on the right track. That is, one can do many things with the mind - make the mind one-pointed, make the mind distracted, or make the mind so still that it negates itself. That is a taste of bliss.

 

So, do I have a rich inner life? I would say I do. But that was not a given; I aspire for it. It requires persistent effort and patience. And the term "rich" is not literal. Lord Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. By this, "poor" is also not meant literally. Poor in spirit is the state of cessation of ego and attachment - there is no "me" or "mine". In that state the kingdom which is Absolute Bliss is attained.

[RaineOnYourParade]

It depends what you consider "rich". "Rich" as in there's plenty going on in there? Yeah, sure. Doesn't mean it's high quality junk. There's a lot of complicated stuff I'm still working on sorting out, so even if I've got a lot in my inner life, it's such a mess that it looks more like a hoarder's den than the nice, temple-like space a "rich inner life" makes me think of.

 

26 minutes ago, Vidanjali said:

My guru once said if your thinking lead to more and more thinking, then there is something wrong with your thinking. But if your thoughts lead to thoughtlessness, then you are on the right track.

 

Then I'm definitely doing something wrong with thinking haha 😅 My brain is physically incapable of not thinking about something. I can focus on one thing if I try really hard or if it's a specific interest of mine, but I have to keep thinking on it, otherwise my brain just starts jumping around. If I leave my brain alone, it sometimes jumps to some stuff that kinda scares me, so I don't think my thoughts will ever go to silence

 

3 hours ago, Kait said:

This post made me chuckle, because I wrote my first (intro) post here about two days ago and used the exact same phrase. 

 

Great minds think alike, I suppose! :D

[Vidanjali]

1 hour ago, RaineOnYourParade said:

My brain is physically incapable of not thinking about something. I can focus on one thing if I try really hard or if it's a specific interest of mine, but I have to keep thinking on it, otherwise my brain just starts jumping around. If I leave my brain alone, it sometimes jumps to some stuff that kinda scares me, so I don't think my thoughts will ever go to silence

 

Good news. That just means you're normal!

 

Understand that thoughts leading to thoughtlessness is a VERY high ideal. Those who aspire to that may spend their entire life working on it and only ever glimpse momentary stillness. In fact, I'm reminded of a story which was relayed to me recently about a yogic master who was interviewed and asked - In deep meditation, how long can you sustain a still mind before another thought creeps in? You may expect the master to reply hours or perhaps even days. His answer - 7 seconds. The thing is, as long as you're operating with a human brain, thoughts will go on. In Bhagavad Gita chapter 6, verse 34, Arjuna (who represents every individual) complains to Lord Krishna (who represents the Higher Self), "The mind is very restless, turbulent, strong and obstinate, O Krishna. It appears to me that it is more difficult to control than the wind." Such is the nature of mind. The difference, though, is in learning gradually to not identify with thought, but rather to become the dispassionate witness of thoughts, like clouds passing in the sky, or often more poignant a simile, like high speed trains rushing by. 

[awkward-yet-sweet]

13 hours ago, RaineOnYourParade said:

It depends what you consider "rich". "Rich" as in there's plenty going on in there? Yeah, sure. Doesn't mean it's high quality junk. There's a lot of complicated stuff I'm still working on sorting out, so even if I've got a lot in my inner life, it's such a mess that it looks more like a hoarder's den than the nice, temple-like space a "rich inner life" makes me think of.

 

Same here.  My mind is a jumbled mess.  I'm no great philosopher, nor particularly educated.  Don't open my brain's closet, as all the junk might come tumbling out.

[Kait]

10 minutes ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

 Don't open my brain's closet, as all the junk might come tumbling out.

 

[Ivy]

9 hours ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

My mind is a jumbled mess.

This

[Ashley0616]

Rich as in happy? Far from it. I'm happy about my kids but I shouldn't put all my happiness on them. I take care of myself and do the best I can. I'm happy and content that I have a house and car but nothing that can't be taken away from me like in an instant. I completely lack motivation and don't even want to do my walks anymore. I can't get a membership somewhere because I have kids that are mostly with me. I put myself out there for hoping something to come up and be good, but it's has always been like getting hit in the back of the head. 

[awkward-yet-sweet]

Now that I think about it, part of why I enjoy my noisy family so much is because I don't have to have much of an inner life.  I don't really like being left to my own thoughts....all that mess in my brain.  Maybe better to have an active outer life than an inner one?

[Mirrabooka]

I think the interpretation of the question is always going to provide a wide array of answers. Do I have a rich inner life? Yes! Why? Good question!

 

Circumstances often dictate how we feel within ourselves. I don't have to deal with work anymore and we've been jus' cruzin ever since. I don't have to fix anything, literal or otherwise. My wife and I live a relatively simple life and we are true partners, but deep inside, I'm not answerable to anyone except myself. So, how's that going? Well, since I came out to myself, which happened before I stopped working, I have felt an inner glow that was never apparent before. It is permanent now and it sustains me. How? Effed if I know! All I know is that even if I have down days, and there certainly have been a few, my heart, mind and soul are still smiling. I think it comes from a realization that I am finally happy just to be me.