People are told (for example, by gurus of the East) about how to meditate. Often they are given what is considered a “special” word or mantra to repeat and concentrate upon. However, doing that is merely a limited form of self-hypnosis. There is no “how” to meditate. Any “how” involves a method that takes time. One cannot reach the timeless via a time process.
Beauty exists when the intelligent mind does not merely operate from sequences (of thoughts) to further sequences (of thoughts) exclusively. Thoughts are (limited) symbolic, sequential patterns that depend upon time; indeed, they are time. Most people are habitually existing as them. It is often beneficial to exist as thoughts when necessary but it may also be prudent to psychologically die to them (when they are unnecessary). Such psychological dying does not take time. Psychological dying is fine; physical Death, on the other hand (as i’ve said before) is not my cup of tea. Additionally, one might mention that merely being a corrupt person on this sweet planet, while endlessly robotically moving from fragmentary thought to fragmentary thought (sequentially), may be a form of Death.
And here’s a little poem by E.E. Cummings:
dying is fine)but Death
?o
baby
i
wouldn’t like
Death if Death
were
good:for
when(instead of stopping to think)you
begin to feel of it,dying
‘s miraculous
why?be
cause dying is
perfectly natural;perfectly
putting
it mildly lively(but
Death
is strictly
scientific
& artificial &
evil & legal)
we thank thee
god
almighty for dying
(forgive us,o life!the sin of Death
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
A mantra, like counting breaths
is a form of distraction from other thoughts. It is still thinking. The wise might follow the old zen proverb: When walking, just walk. When sitting, just sit. But above all don’t wobble!
Yes, thinking in patterns (to get rid of thinking in patterns)… it just doesn’t make sense! But still, lots of people fall into that mindless hole. 😉
A wild stallion who cannot be ridden has a pattern of chaos. This patters must be replaced with a new pattern so that the horse one day can be ridden. You mind is the same. We all have patterns and our minds need to be tamed. If you can do this without methods, how wonderful, most of us cannot.
QP
Well, QP, please do not state that “you cannot.” That would be blocking yourself.
And if we cannot do it without methods, we will never do it. No methodology (in time) will achieve that timelessness and that sacredness. It’s beyond all of our manmade tricks. 😉
i was once too young to appreciate E.E. Cummings now im indifferent to punctuations and form
Yes, Cummings was intelligent enough to clearly see the utter superficiality of punctuations and form (as opposed to depth of meaning and feeling). His poetry mocked our mindless standards and dead habits. He was way ahead of his time. 😎
I think it says it all when Lou said when walking just walk – nothing else – not as easy as it sounds to a squirrel caged mind but paying attention to now shuts us down! LOVE that butterfly.
Thanks, Sara! 😊
Yes, Lou has a good point. But it goes much deeper than “when walking just walk.” (That may be just another pattern to follow.) A truly dynamic mind often consists of insights that are far beyond simply just walking (or sitting). But merely being stuck in (and “as”) sequential, symbolic mental patterns (that are fragmentary) certainly isn’t a path to being a dynamic mind.
My point was that when we walk especially slowly without intent it is easier to move into that open state – however this only happens to me when I walk in a forest…no doubt there are many ways….I still think of it as a kind of grace – I wasn’t clear in my response!
I should mention that science is aware that when we walk we activate both hemispheres in our brain that I suspect has something to do with opening – then there is the forest herself/ himself ( refuse to deny personhood) who is acting upon us – water does this too for me –
Walking and being in nature may be helpful in certain ways but we are talking about psychological dying (to repetitive, symbolic thoughts) which doesn’t take time. There is no method to doing it; all methods take time.
Beauty of nature
Yes, but it is what i wrote that is most important. 😉
E.E. Cummings was not for everyone, but I like that he marched to the beat of a different drummer with his thought and poetry. When you are creative, it is good to be different sometimes. This is a beautiful Swallowtail you have captured here Tom.
Thanks much, Linda! 😊 I love Cummings’ poetry… as well as his paintings. eecummingsart.com
I remember you told me that before about his writing, but didn’t remember as to his paintings. I just looked on the website. Some of his paintings remind me of Van Gogh, but still a diverse collection. He was creative in multiple art mediums – wow!
I agree with you but it is not so simple.
We cannot just shut off all our concepts and just swim in the vastness of mind. If we could we would. Many wisdom traditions have developed systems to slowly help the student to let go of all concepts resulting in enlightenment. Some are more simple some are more complex some are slow some are faster. Many different students need many different ways. Important is that the student finds the right way for him or her to find this timelessness that we want to realize.
There are no systems or traditions that can slowly or quickly take one to enlightenment. It’s not a time process. It’s not a path that leads one to the pathless. These systems are largely shams that purport to take some to enlightenment but which, in reality, do not. (Like i said, you cannot reach the timeless via a time process.) I am saying systems, techniques, and traditions will take you places… but not to true enlightenment. What i am saying is a challenge that is not dependent upon time, processes, and systems. And it is simple!
Hi Mr Tom, real genius what you had to say, loved it. Don’t want be presumptuous if past lives exist and you can remember them fine, but how can you if Death is not your cup of tea, if you have never died. It might might be ace for all I know. I think your message was more powerful than Cummings, and stands on its own really. https://vmed.blog
I like your username! 😀
We need not be concerned about past lives. Even if they exist, we would not be able to remember them. We have problems in this life (and we are those problems, not something magically separate from them); we need to blossom in understanding and resolve these problems. I am not afraid of physical death but i love life and it would be sweet to live healthfully to a ripe, old age. Psychologically die to a lot of the garbage that was spoonfed to you and then (if you are lucky) true living will be manifest. Such psychological dying does not take time and it is a beautiful thing.