[To find great Turkey Tail fungi, one must go deep into the woods. To really understand truth, one must go very deep. With the later, most people are not passionate enough regarding going there; they, unfortunately, are too fixated merely within the well-trodden paths and routines.]
Thinking and complete harmony: can the two exist together (as one) or are they what cannot ever be united? There is a type of harmony of thinking in poetry. Likewise, there is a type of harmony, involving thinking, in songs and music. A truly wise man’s words, of course, can reflect a holistic harmony (to a limited point) in a very possibly pertinent sense (if one is intelligent enough to perceive the depth that is there). However, no words can ever come even a little bit close to reflecting the whole.
The tool of thought/thinking can try to point to the whole, try to point to the immeasurable. However, it may be that thought/thinking is not (and never will be) a integral part of the true whole. What is virtual, what is fabricated, (what is spurious in essence) may think and insist in (and believe in) all kinds of sensible and nonsensical things… but it cannot ever be one with what is truly whole.
A mind of inattention, of self-delusion — such as what most minds consist of — cannot decide when to meditate. The sloppy mind, the mind of disorder, cannot decide to be what order is. True meditation is not the absurd result of a concocted will; it is never the result of a traditional, bourgeois ego or of a learned (spurious) central-self.
When healthy and necessary things need to be done prudently, compassionately, with care and consideration, thinking is oftentimes very beneficial. Other than that, it is usually indicative of inattention and non-harmony. For instance, if one is walking through a park and the mind is chattering away about all kinds of silly things (as so many brains incessantly and habitually do)… that “thinking” is indicative of inattention/non-harmony/unintelligence. The fragmentary nature of thinking has, as its intrinsic value, incompleteness (which is incapable of total harmony on its own). A vast amount of human thinking consists of inattention/incompleteness/unintelligence. Throughout the day, thinking — which is, more times than not, superfluous — is often a very good indicator that inattention and incompleteness are taking place. If any movement of thinking, no matter what it is, is incapable of that immense intelligence beyond mere fragmentation, then any movement of thinking, no matter what it is, is indicative that holistic completeness is not taking place. Though it might sound silly, “thinking per se” (in a very wise mind, throughout each and every day) can be an excellent gauge or indicator of incompleteness/non-harmony. Thought (no matter what it is or consists of) can never really adequately point to the whole… because thought is limited, fragmentary, with a profound essence of delusion and disorder. Additionally, the whole is not composed of united fragments… (fragments that the distorted mind has accepted at legitimate); the whole is not the mere opposite of any fragments. For the whole to occur within the human organism, there can be no fragments. Illusory fragments within the mind, however, do not prevent the whole from existing; illusory fragments are virtual (i.e., unreal) and the unreal doesn’t supersede truth in any real sense whatsoever.
From old Confucius:
“When the wise man points at the moon, the one who is unwise remains with the finger.”
The following is an excerpt from the poetry of R.D.Laing (whom one read way back in 1972)…I was appreciative of the poetry of Laing’s Knots but never read (or cared to read) anything else by him.
A finger points to the moon
Put the expression
a finger points to the moon in brackets
(a finger points to the moon)
The statement:
‘A finger points to the moon is in brackets’
is an attempt to say that all that is in the bracket
(…………………………………………………………………… )
is, as to that which is not in the bracket,
what a finger is to the moon
Put all possible expressions in brackets
Put all possible forms in brackets
and put the brackets in brackets
Every expression, and every form,
is to what is expressionless and formless
what a finger is to the moon
all expressions and all forms
point to the expressionless and formless
the proposition
‘All forms point to the formless’
is itself a formal proposition
Not,
…….as finger to moon
…….so form to formless
but,
…….as finger is to moon
…….so
………….[all possible expressions, forms, propositions,
………….including this one, made or yet to be made,
………….together with the brackets]
…….to
What an interesting finger
let me suck it
It’s not an interesting finger
take it away
The statement is pointless
The finger is speechless
Turkey Tails (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2018
Turkey Tails (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2018
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
I hadn’t heard the name Turkey Tail until a couple of years ago, I always called it Many Zoned Polypore. Turkey Tail is a more evocative name.
Many Zoned Polypore sounds like a skin disorder! 🙂
An interesting read and photo. 🙂
Young kids and some dogs look at your finger and not where you are pointing to. 🙂
Thank you, Scifi, and yes, young kids and some dogs will look at your finger. Our two parrots will look where you are pointing. One of them, Tweetie, even understands abstract concepts. Not long ago, i was late with giving them their special treats. I apologized for being late, and Tweetie said, “Take your time!” I said to her, “A couple minutes ago when i apologized for being late, did you say ‘Take your time?'” Her response was, “Yes I did!… Take your time!” 🙂
Oh my goodness, your parrots are so intelligent! 🙂
I’ve seen this fungi, but never knew its name. Thanks!
Now you can address it properly in person! 🙂
My mind gets sloppy sometimes, muddled up with too many thoughts – that is why my morning walks at the Park clear my head, and I allow my mind to be a blank canvas and take it all in, before the rest of life intrudes and messes up that blank canvas with its intrusions.
Muddled up, yes! 🙂 Too many people let that go on and on throughout the day without really being fully attentive to what is going on; then it becomes habitual, unending, constant chattering. Those morning walks in the park seem like they may be refreshing and rejuvenating; it’s great quiet time. Let that kind of rejuvenation also continue often throughout the day without struggle and effort.
I do aim for a walk every morning, and unfortunately bad weather interrupts that walk, especially in Winter. I work from home, and have done so for about 8 years now. Mr boss and I left a medium-sized law firm in February 2003 after a merger and we went out on our own. As a result of the recession, I got laid off from my job, and my mom became very ill at that time. When I was hired back, it was only part-time and I decided to work from home, rather than enduring the commute as I do essentially the same job except for posting the mail or making coffee. It is not without its issues though. I would like to bring that peaceful feeling home with me, and even though I have no co-workers invading my personal space, I still manage to get myself angry with work at least once per day. It is silly to react to my boss’ constant revisions to everything he does, but I do. Sometimes I just have to step away from the screen to keep my sanity in check. When I was younger, I dealt with the incessant revisions better. But he has gotten worse over the past 17 years we’ve worked together.
🙂 Ah… revisions! When i worked as a teacher for the multiply handicapped, before i retired, the superintendent would revise my annual reviews to death (like she did with everyone). Then one time i revised one according to her wishes. Without remembering what she had done earlier, she revised my revised copy back to the way it was in the first place (with her second revision). After that i even more deeply realized the absurdity of it all. Often people so-called higher-up the ladder seem to have to justify their jobs by “regulating others”… often more than really is necessary. Don’t let it bother you, just smile and do the revisions! 🙂
Very interesting, Tom. “the mind is chattering away about all kinds of silly things” happens, not always a bad thing. 🙂
Yes, of course, not always a bad thing. 🙂 However, far too many of us get so used to it, doing it habitually, that the mind ends up robotically going through all kinds of chattering without end. Such behavior really is indicative of inattention and sloppiness which is what makes for mesmerization and dullness. We were not helped, in our education, to really look into ourselves deeply beyond habit… and so the mess and sorrow go on.
I am going to have to come back and read this again.
Good! 🙂 It’s not meant to be lightly dismissed and forgotten about… which most will inevitably do.
I will, it was a lot to take in and I have a hard time remembering things these days. I have to re-read to retain! 🙂
Uhm, thought-provoking, err, not that I required provocation (of the thinking kind).
Indeed thinking can get horribly out of hand, and, sadly, we are not normally taught how to handle the thought machine.
While nature, exercise and mantra’s, do wonders, returning to ‘Nothing’ (in meditation) is the only effective reset button I have found.
The question: ‘What is my next thought,’ slows that race to a crawl. It prepares a state of passive observation of oneself, reconnecting with the root, the source, this abounding vastness of ‘Nothing’. Once immersed and ready to re-surface, an orderly entrance of thoughts happens. As the day wears on a return to ‘Nothing’ might be necessary again.
I love nature and exercise — i exercise daily — but i am not appreciative of mantras in the least. I was introduced to them by so-called gurus (from the east) while in college, many years ago, and immediately realized that they are a glorified form of self-hypnosis. It was only after quickly abandoning mantras and when observing without all the “methods” that something extremely special took place.
“What is my next thought?” has its good and bad elements. The good is that it involves asking and inquiring; the bad is that thoughts are not merely what one “has,” they are what one is. There is no separation (or ownership) between a thinker and the thoughts; that is deception. Keep inquiring and do so beyond separation and domination. 🙂
Wow, Turkey Tail fungi? Beautiful. I never heard of that particular type, but it is so naturally artistic and pleasing to the eye! 😀
It’s always a pleasure to read good thinking and harmony.