We are all trapped in a self-image – a set of ideas that we identify with as who we are. If you want to discover radical freedom then you have to look closely at what choices you are making that are causing you to have the identity that you are experiencing right now. It has been my experience that the key to discovering the mechanism of self-construction is recognizing that there are two kinds of thoughts.
There is one type of of thought, which involves thoughts that appear to just come to us out of nowhere. These thoughts we commonly refer to as random thoughts or inspirations. When we speak of these we usually say that we ‘have a thought.’ There is another activity of thought that we relate to as us talking to ourselves. When we speak of these thought we usually say that we are ‘thinking.’ In this case we make statements that start ‘I think…’ Simply put, the distinction is between ‘thoughts’ and ‘me thinking.’
To contemplate the distinction that I am making more deeply lets use an example. Let’s say that you need to have dinner and the idea of Mexican food crosses your mind – maybe in the form of an image of a plate of tacos, or maybe as the sentence “I could have Mexican food.” There will be times that you will relate to this as just a random thought – a thought that comes to mind and should be considered. On the basis of the arising of this thought you might decide to, or decide not to, go out for Mexican food.
If that same thought comes in a different form – perhaps accompanied by a feeling sense of desire – you might not relate to it as a random thought to be considered, but rather as a description of yourself. In this form the thought might take the form “I want Mexican food.” The appearance of the thought of Mexican food in this form will probably result in your going out for Mexican food.
Consider these two thoughts, “I could have Mexican food.” vs. “I want Mexican food.” The second is much more laden with identity. It is infused with selfhood. The first one we simply relate to as a thought to be considered. The second one we relate to as a statement about ourselves, from ourselves, telling us who we are. If you examine how we construct our sense of self you will find that it is constructed with thoughts just like, “I want Mexican food.” “I am a mother.” “I am a good person.” “I am a person who does this and not that.”…. and on and on and on. Our self is constructed by a never-ending string of conclusions that appear in our minds as statements directed toward us telling us who we are and who we are not. They are statements of limitation. I am this and not that. I do this and not that. This never ending set of conclusions draws a boundary around who we are and who we are not.
When we look closely we see that these ideas are just ideas like all other ideas. They are just a collection of ideas about who we are and they may be right or wrong, but in themselves they are just ideas and they do not dictate who we are or what is real.
This realization is part of the dawning of enlightenment. It is the realization that there is a whole classification of thought that we have unknowingly and blindly accepted as accurate descriptions of who we are. This is what spiritual ignorance is – the unconscious belief that a certain set of unexamined ideas defines the limit of who we are.
When we make this discovery we experience the freedom of no-limitation. It isn’t that we replace these ideas with some new idea about who we are. We simply realize that we don’t know who we are. And because we don’t know who we are, we could be anyone. The dawning of enlightenment is the experience of unlimited potential.
Liesbeth
/ January 13, 2012Jeff, I am copying this link into an (privite) site I am talking on because it is a perfect illustration of what I try to say, but it is so much clearer! Thank you.
Birgitte Mølgård
/ January 13, 2012Dear Jeff. I understand the meanining of what you are telling us here, totally I am with (I hope) Often I get the thought, is it possible for us, for the human being, to live here with out a structure, I mean we are here, we have a form, a shape, we are in this body. Is it possible not to just make new ideas about live and obout one self, what is right and wrong, and then make new structures and new statements. Am I free now or is it just a new shape, new ideas about who I am. I think it is possible, and I have had moments of this experince from meditation, but some how I often get this thought anyway. And some times I think this thought has to do with my threat to get involved with the unknowing part og my self. But I think it is interesting how to give birth, give form to the on knowing part of who we are, and be aware about, when we actually do this, or when we just are giving form to some new ideas about who we are.
Thank you Birgitte
Josh
/ January 13, 2012Hey Jeff,
I host a conference call in which we explore enlightenment and last night we touched on something so very similar to what you’re discussing now…the difference between survival and quality of life?
Are you good?
Are you bad?
Are you right or wrong?
These questions have yes/no answers….they require a digital response. Like a standard light switch there are only two options for the answers: on or off.
How are you?
What have you been up to?
How bad was it?
These questions don’t have just yes/no answers but require a more in depth response. They require the responder to begin making distinctions. There is a wide range of appropriate responses and the range makes them more like a dimmer switch then a standard on/off switch.
Are you going to survive leads to a digital response of yes or now. How is the quality of your life leads to an analogue response of a review of one’s life.
Not perceiving this distinction, we often confuse quality of life with survival. We identify with objects and behaviors as we assume that “I just couldn’t live without my ipad”.
So are you going to survive right now? Hard to say actually….certainly a digital question.
Do know that parts of us are sufficiently naive that any of the things we do and survive seems to produce survival and are likely to be repeated.
We identify with actions with objects believing that this identification is our salvation and we lose sight of who we really are.
Luca Maddalena
/ January 13, 2012Very Interesting
, thanx Jeff.
I often see myself drawing such conclusions.
I see the interior contraction and the deep involvement in such repetitive habit.
This habit , as you say, defines the “band”, of our possibilites and I’m struck to see how much such band is narrowed by this game of identification.
We can say, by looking at our past, “I have been this”, but such is a slightly different type of action.
Our attachment with this type of me really narrows the bandwidth at our disposal. I’m not sure if we can be anything or anyone, but I’m sure we narrow the bandwidth by factors.
Facing such habit is part of the job to be done no matter what kind of cultural context we live in. It’s delicate, because certain contextes don’t allow for transparency. It’s really an art form to be true to our highest aspirations being able to integrate effectively.
Thank you again and much love.
Luca
Catherine
/ January 14, 2012Dear Jeff, very god blog. I agree with everything except the last sentence :
“And because we don’t know who we are, we could be anyone. The dawning of enlightenment is the experience of unlimited potential.”
I feel it is not because we don’t know who we are that we could be anyone. If we don’t’ know , we simply don’t’ know, period. Maybe there are constraints that we don’t know of and make sure that we cannot be “anyone”.
Maybe there is an unlimited potential to be OneSelf which is at the same time infinitely Personal and Infinitely impersonal.
If we could be anyone we are “nobody”.
My belief is that true impersonality has to go through personification. This is to me the goal of incarnation and of Soul Evolution Process. It is at least what the ancient traditions say and it resonates well. The impersonal is truly reached only through the personal, but the personal not seen as a limitation of the infinite, more as a door to the infinite.
pretty good job !
Love,
Frank Luke
/ January 14, 2012Until we experience a Spiritual Awakening that convinces us of an identity we truly can adopt, so convincingly that it completes the search for that identity, we who are in that search may adopt many different guises. In our hearts and soul we will know when it’s the real deal or not. The Awakening may be a more or less complete one where all answers and understanding are given. It may also happen in a series of Awakenings, gradually becoming more enlightening. This partial Awakening should not discourage the “seeker” and if the search is sincere, the process of Awakening more fully develops.
The search may be somewhat like acting, trying on different parts and going for a time in the different roles. Some roles may be comfortable but may be discarded when they no longer suit the seeker. The Awakenings cannot be denied, they are life-changing and totally convincing. Continue your search earnestly and sincerely!
Best regards, Aloha, Namaste!
Frank Luke
Moo Briddell
/ January 15, 2012Dear Jeff,
Peeling back all the layers of relative identities and conditioning we get closer and closer to our true self, the unlimited, unborn, whole and perfect being –the Absolute Self. From that boundary-less existence, we could say we are nothing, or everything. There is unlimited potential there. But, as soon as we step into our relative existence, with personality, a certain duty we have to perform in this life, etc. we cannot be anyone ( I agree with Catherine there, see above comment). We are born with latent tendencies carried over from past births and there is a certain karmic pattern which we will have to live out, live through, in this lifetime. How we handle it is completely up to us, our destiny is in our own hands, but it does give us certain constraints. For instance, I will never be a nuclear physicist in this life! My brain just doesn’t work that way. There are a lot of things I will never be, but I need not feel that those limitations are going to stop me from evolving or attaining my life’s purpose. This does not mean we’re just going to sit back and enjoy the ride. We have to put forth full self effort. Does evolution of the soul take place when one throws off all personal limitations? Or does it take place when one accepts and embraces the so-called “limitations” and then strives to be the best that one can be, within the role one is given to perform? Probably both. Yes, reaching through the local, personal being to the impersonal totality of Being. What is important is not to allow an idea of limitation to stop us.
Frank Luke
/ January 21, 2012Hello, Moo, Just commenting on your “We are born with latent tendencies carried over from past births and there is a certain karmic pattern which we will have to live out, live through, in this lifetime. How we handle it is completely up to us, our destiny is in our own hands, but it does give us certain constraints.”
You’re right that our destinies are in our own hands (minds and hearts) but it can be complicated when it involves others whom we love. That reach for freedom and spiritual development may be painful personally and for others but there may come that time when spiritual liberation and development may trump all.
Buddha himself needed to extricate himself from his wife and family when he set out on his spiritual quest. It should be handled as unegoistically as possible.
Anonymous
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