The following questions and answers have all been fished directly from the Thought Pool and typed out while they were still wet and flapping about. The question will likely arise, 'Who is asking the questions? Who is answering?' A very good question! As usual, when we really look closely into it, we have no idea who is doing either.
Q: I watched a video in which it was said that the reason that I am not wealthy and healthy is because I am resisting well-being. It said that it was within my power to change my thoughts so that I would allow more well-being into my life.
A: OK. Just try to change 'your thoughts' right now. Give it a go, just for a few seconds. Think only about a tasty ham sandwich for 45 seconds to the exclusion of all other thought. Just 45 seconds.
It can't be done. Thought is not under anyone's control. Even if thoughts of a ham sandwich happen for some of that time, they are still not initiated by 'you'. A suggestion to do so had already arisen beforehand. Time-space local decision-making cannot happen.
All attempted systems of thought control (and in turn life manipulation) are based on a delusion that thought can be controlled. It is rather like King Canute and the tide. While it happens to be going out, it seems like Old Canute's orders are being heeded .... until sooner or later it starts coming in again, and it becomes obvious that the correlation was just coincidence.
Such is the Myth of Free Will, which falls apart very quickly unless extreme narrow focus is maintained.
Q: So there is no way to change life or to improve circumstances?
A: What does improve mean? Life will change anyway. It can neither be caused nor prevented. Whether this change happens to get called 'improvement' or 'detriment' depends on what set of arbitrary value judgements 'this good, that bad' happen to be in focus (if any). Those judgements will also change anyway. There will sometimes be correlation between the arbitrary value judgement collection and other circumstances, and sometimes not. Therefore it will sometimes seem as though 'life is improving', and if there remains a delusion that thought and/or circumstance are under personal control, it might also seem as though 'I am improving my life'.
Q: You seem to show no respect for many well-renowned Spiritual Masters and Enlightened Teachers. Isn't this arrogant?
A: The idea of one person having some respect for or no respect for another requires the assumption that there are two separate persons, each of which is able to freely choose his or her feelings or actions. Is that so? Where are these persons? How are they able to choose? Using what mechanism can choice possibly happen?
Q: One can choose one's thoughts and actions.
A: Really? How? How can that be done?
Q: By deciding which thoughts to listen to and which ones to discard, and then acting according to those thoughts.
A: But how does the choice get made? Why decide between this set of thoughts and that set of thoughts? What basis is there for choosing?
Q: We are taught right and wrong as we grow up.
A: But teachings are all just more thought. Who taught the teachers? Who taught the teachers of the teachers? Who taught the teachers of the teachers of the teachers? And even if that infinite regression could possibly be sorted out, what reason is there to suspect that Grand High Teacher Number One was not just handing out some arbitrary nonsense? And even if we assume (s)he was not, still there is no choosing happening here and now. It is just the following of an infinite chain of events.
Q: We can also learn by experience and make choices accordingly.
A: But experience is just another chain of events. Still no real choice there. Any apparent 'choice' is just an outcome of the chain of events called experience.
Q: I have known silence many times, but it too seems as useless as the chat of mind. Now I have been thinking that maybe mind barges in by saying...see there is nothing in even silence, so why remain silent? I am starting to doubt that there is anything more to silence...it seems there is something beyond which is not being comprehended.
A: Who has known? Of course it is useless. And so? What could 'useful' possibly mean in the absence of any thought-created definitions?
There is no question of a 'you' remaining anywhere, either in silence or in thought. Go look for that 'you' and find out whether it has ever been, then the idea 'remain here' or 'remain there' will just disappear.
Q: Where you are is yet not comprehendable by one like me. So can you please go slowly in guiding me?
A: The idea that there is something to comprehend and someome to comprehend it, or someone that needs guidance is the root of the entire illusory problem.
Q: But the idea doesn't evaporate...what to do?
A: Whatever happens.
Q: No systematic way or practice suggested?
A: Of course not. Who is there to heed the instruction?
Q: They say you have to remove a thorn with another thorn and then throw away that thorn also.
A: Ha ha! Thought likes playing the imaginary problem - imaginary solution game. If an instruction is needed it was already given. Go find that 'you' character. Let's have a close look at that little fellow.
Q: Did u come to this tacit understanding suddenly or was there some doing before?
A: Did who come? What understanding?
Q: Cannot find any me as me.
A: OK, so what is the point of discussing what something that cannot be found ought to do or not do? If it is ever found, the game is over. If it cannot be found, the game is absurd.
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