June meeting

Eight of us spent half an hour chatting then watched a TED video in defence of the introvert.
Followed by a 3 minute video on what next after waking up. The answer was acceptance of the current situation.
It was gone twelve before they left so they must have enjoyed it.

THE SELF - SRI RAMANA

The mind is nothing but the thought 'I'

Thoughts arise because of the thinker (subject). The thinker is the ego, which if sought will automatically vanish.

Without consciousness, time and space do not exist; they appear in consciousness but have no reality of their own.

The absolute consciousness alone is our real nature.

Grace is within you. Grace is your self. Grace is not something to be acquired from others. If it is external, it is useless. All that is necessary is to know its existence is in you. You are never out of its operation.

The mind cannot seek the mind. You ignore what is real (awareness) and hold on to that which is unreal, then try to find what it is. You think you are the mind and, therefore, ask how it is to be controlled? If the mind exists, it can be controlled, but it does not. Understand this truth by inquiry (into the nature of the mind).

The eternal (awareness) is not born nor does it die. We confound the appearance (the world) with Reality (awareness). Appearance carries it's end in itself. What is it that appears anew? If you cannot find it, surrender unreservedly to the substratum of appearances (awareness); then Reality (awareness) will be what remains.

Reality is simply loss of ego (awareness of awareness). Destroy the ego by seeking its identity. Because the ego has no existence (being only thoughts), it will automatically vanish (when you are still), and Reality (awareness) will shine forth by itself in all its glory. This is the direct method. All other methods retain the ego. In those paths so many doubts arise, and the eternal question remains to be tackled. But in this method the final question is the only one and is raised from the very beginning.

No practices (sadhanas) are even necessary for this quest.

Your duty is to Be, and not to be this or that.

"I Am that I Am" sums up the whole truth; the method is summarized in "Be still."

The state we call Realization is simply being one's self, not knowing anything or becoming anything.

Sādhanā, literally "a means of accomplishing something", is an ego-transcending spiritual practice

May meeting

Interesting session this morning we watched a Ted video about Alzheimer's. Heard how nuns in the USA who had on autopsy shown full blown Alzheimer's but during her life showed no signs.
Religion or social activity had saved them?.
Learn new things is part answer and get a good night's sleep.

We usually describe the world in terms of trees, mountains, rivers, clouds, cars, houses, people, and so on.

But a chemist could say: “No, this is not how things truly are! The world is basically composed of molecules which are ceaselessly combining one with another at random”.

However a physicist would reply: “Not at all! Reality is actually made up of intermingling fields of energy/matter where the dance of waves/particles takes place ceaselessly”.

Who is right? Who is wrong?

All of them are clearly mere conceptual descriptions that can just supply a relative view of reality.

We do not actually live in ‘reality’, but rather in a description of it, that is like a ‘bubble’ of concepts and words all around us, which in time builds up a fictitious view of ourselves and the world.

Even non-dualism (as any other -ism without exception) is just a conceptual description of reality, that hopelessly tries to point to the unknowable ‘Whatever it is’: in so far as it becomes an ideology that relies on words and thoughts, it is unable to enjoy the taste of Being.

So we live in concepts without realizing it.

We blindly believe that reality is just as our thought represents it.

Science gives us an ‘objective’ description of the material world that, to some extent, can be very useful for the improvement of humankind, however relative and incomplete it is.

Non-duality – as far as it still relies on words and thoughts – is just another conceptual description of reality, though its understanding of non-separation can dispel a huge amount of suffering in one’s life.

Neither of them is more or less right, and both are useful.

But as long as we rely merely on them, we remain trapped in the net of concepts.

Just as the fisherman’s net can catch only fishes, but not the water that passes through it and even supports it, so the thinking mind can grasp only concepts, but not the awareness that perceives it as an object: the ‘water of awareness’ can never be detected by the net of the thinking mind.

Indeed, awareness is a paradoxical mystery: on the one hand its evidence is undeniable for the very fact that we are aware of objects, but on the other hand it is unknowable, just as the existence of the eye is undeniable for the very fact that we can see objects, though it always remains invisible, outside the picture.

However, even ‘awareness’ is just a concept: through it, we are ultimately confronted with the unknown ‘bottom line’ of any human knowledge.

No understanding whatsoever can touch the unknowable Source of everything.

What if any idea about who I am, including even the idea of ‘consciousness’, totally collapses?

What if any idea about reality, including even the idea of ‘non duality’, totally collapses?

What if even these very words you are reading now lose any meaning whatsoever and fall away?

What remains when every attempt to understand or to know reality reveals its utter futility?

Then, out of frustration, the thinking mind cannot help saying “I don’t know” and finally quits.

But when that “I don’t know” plunges off the head into the heart, the philosopher dies and the mystic is born.

It is not a process in time. It is a singularity where all the known collapses and disappears.

It is a timeless explosion of pure wonder and awe that blows away everything else.

And what remains is a wild, free, spontaneous, and utterly unknowable aliveness, within the glowing darkness of the Mystery that we ultimately are.


It isn't just Eastern thought that knows the world is not what it seems.

Hume’s Theory of the External World: scepticism about the existence of the external world

Our consciousness presents us with a reality that seems coherent and predictable. Philosophical reflection upon this common sense belief has, however, often resulted in scepticism about whether we can safely conclude that there is indeed a material world outside our consciousness. David Hume (1711–1776) wanted to find out how we come to this ingrained belief in the external world.

Hume distinguished between the “vulgar opinion”—the common sense belief that perception and external objects are the same—and the philosophical view, in which perception and the perceived object are distinct from each other. Hume believes that the philosophical view of representative realism is worse than the naive realism of the common sense view, because the philosophical view takes no stand on whether our perceptions are continued, identical and independent or whether they are dependent, interrupted and different. The philosophical view tries to justify the belief in external objects on these contradictory assumptions, which results in a ‘system of double existence’.

Hume investigated what kind of cognitive processes give rise to the common sense belief that there is an external world. He argued that our common sense belief in the existence of things outside the mind depends on two inferences: one from constancy and the other from coherence. Hume believes, however, that these inferences are flawed and he can only find ‘contradictions and difficulties in every system concerning external objects’.

Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them.

David Hume was a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist, who is best known today for his highly influential system of radical philosophical empiricism, skepticism, and naturalism.

April meeting.

Poor turnout just five of us. Are they getting bored with the same quest to know what this reality is?
Is the universe whole and not subject to time apart from when we look?
Can the future change the past as the past affects the future?
The following illustrates that we are free we don't have to know the real I as it is unaffected by the magic show before our eyes. Is it just a game an endless one played out by "nobody"?

BE AS YOU ARE: The Core Direct Teaching of Ramana Maharshi

Compiled by Peter Holleran
From Talks with Ramana Maharshi. You can not deny yourself at any time. The Self is ever there and continuous in all states.
The Self is pure and absolute.. A man can realize the Self, because that is here and now. If it were not so, but attainable only by some efforts at some other time, and if it were new and something to be acquired, it would not be worthy of pursuit. Because what is not natural can not be permanent, either. But what I say is that the Self is here and now and alone.The "I" casts off the illusion of "I" and yet remains "I". Such is the paradox of Self-realization. The realized do not see any contradiction in it. The "I" has no location. Everything is the Self. There is nothing but that. But in truth we are everywhere, we are all that is, and there is nothing else.
What comes afresh cannot be true. What always is, is true.
People seem to think that by practicing some elaborate meditation the Self will one day descend upon them as something very big and with tremendous glory, giving them what is called sakshatkaram [direct experience]. The Self is sakshat [direct] all right, but there is no karam or kritam about it. The word karam implies doing something. But the Self is realised not by doing something but by refraining from doing anything, by remaining still and being simply what one really is.
Do not think yourself to be this, that or anything, to be so and so, or to be such and such. Only leave off the falsity. Reality will reveal itself.
The “I” is always there. There is no knowing it. It is not a new knowledge acquired. What is new and not here and now will be evanescent only. (last a short time) The “I” is always there.
Progress can be spoken of in things to be attained afresh. Whereas it is the removal of ignorance and not acquisition of knowledge. What kind of progress can be expected in the quest for the Self?
You know that you know nothing. Find out that knowledge. That is liberation (mukti).
The ultimate Truth is so simple. It is nothing more than being in the pristine state. This is all that need be said.
There is no one who for a trice fails to experience the Self. For no one admits that he ever stands apart from the Self. He is the Self. The Self is the Heart.
Where are you now that you want to realize the heart? Are you standing apart from the Self?
You are always in the Heart. You are never away from it in order that you should reach it.
The idea of difficulty is itself wrong. It will not help you to gain what you want. Again I ask: “Who finds it difficult?”
It is wrong to imagine that there is the world, that there is a body in it and that you dwell in the body. If the Truth is known, the universe and what is beyond it will be found to be only the Self.

People want to see the Self as something new. But it is eternal and remains the same all along. They desire to see it as a blazing light, etc. How can it be so? It is not light, nor darkness. It is only as it is and cannot be defined. The best definition is ‘I AM that I AM.’

The state of being is now and here all along. The Real Self is continuous and unaffected. The reincarnating ego belongs to a lower plane, namely thought. It is transcended by Self-realization.
The Self is certainly within the direct experience of everyone, but not as one imagines it to be. It is only as it is.
People would not understand the simple and bare truth - the truth of their everyday, ever-present and eternal experience. Because they love mystery and not the bare truth, religions pamper them - only to bring them around to the Self. Wandering hither and thither, you must return to the Self only. Then why not abide in the Self here and now?
If there is a goal to be reached, it cannot be permanent. The goal must already be here. We seek to reach the goal with the ego, but the goal exists before the ego. Realization is always here.
Realization is simply loss of the ego. Because the ego is no entity, it will automatically vanish and reality will shine forth by itself. This is the direct method, whereas all other methods are done retaining the ego. In those paths there arise so many doubts and the eternal question remains to be tackled. But in this method, the final question is the only one and it is raised from the very beginning. No sadhanas  (discipline)are necessary for engaging in this quest.
There is no mystery greater than the following: ourselves being the Reality, we seek to gain reality. We think there is something hiding our reality, and that it must be destroyed before the reality is gained. That is ridiculous. A day will dawn when you will yourself laugh at your past efforts. That which will be on that day you laugh is also here and now.
D: So it is a great game of pretending?
M: Yes.
Find the ego [“I”-thought], then the soul will be found.
Be what you are...That which is is always there...What are you waiting for? The thought, “I have not seen,” the expectation to see, and the desire of getting something are all the working of the ego. You have fallen into the snares of the ego. The ego says all that, and not you. Be yourself and nothing more.
To imagine Muladhara  (root support) at the bottom, the Heart at the center, or the head at the top or over all those, is completely wrong. In one word, to think is not your nature.
Who says it is not felt? Does the real “I” say it or the false “I” ?
The feeling “I haved not realized” is the obstruction to realization. In fact, it is already realized; there is nothing more to be realized.
To say that one is apart from the Primal Source is itself pretension; to add that one divested of ego becomes more pure and yet retains individuality only to enjoy or serve the Supreme, is a deceitful strategem.
The very thought of difficulty is the chief obstacle.
Realization is nothing to be got afresh. It is already here. All that is necessary is to be rid of the thought, “I have not realized.
We are in our Self. We are not in the world.
You are always in the Self and there is no “reaching” it.
There is no reaching the Self. If the Self were to be reached, it would mean that the Self is not here and now, but that it should be got anew. What is got afresh, will again be lost. So it will be impermanent. What is not permanent is not worth striving for. So I say, the Self is not reached. You are the Self. You are already That.

March meeting

Viewed noarmsnolegs to show regardless of disability life is still worthwhile. Then we viewed STOP IT. A funny video followed by a longer video about breathing advising less breathing is best.

Then we read the following and gave our opinions

What's the difference between an ego and a soul? Egos are our self-importance; they’re the part of us that tells us we matter. The bigger or more intense our egos, the more important we believe ourselves to be. Without egos, human beings cease to be individuals. They cease to have a reason for being. Egos give us the ability to have purpose – a purpose that is, in a large sense, selfish. Being partially selfish is only natural for people and, I'd argue, entirely necessary. If no one were selfish, then no one would care enough about anything enough to create change in the world. This is the complexity of life that all living things inevitably discover. All animals need some variety of an ego in order to be moved to do anything; however, because we all need each other to continue to live on, having an ego alone is not enough. We can't just care about ourselves, and ourselves alone, because if we do, then we will end up hurting ourselves – something that the ego itself doesn't want to allow for. We not only need other people, but other living things in order to stay alive, our egos require a counterpart. They need an accomplice that will help them stay balanced. And so we have a soul. While our egos allow us to focus on us and us alone, our souls allow us to keep more balanced. No human being can survive alone. Therefore, our egos don't want us to be alone. They recognize the fact that we need other people and other living things in order to survive. This – as many of you have surely experienced – can cause us to fall into confusion. We feel opposing urges and have trouble sorting ourselves out. This only really happens when our egos overpower our souls. Our souls, in opposition to our egos, are our ability to connect with other living things – with the rest of the world. Our souls are what allow us to feel we are part of something else, something bigger than ourselves. More precisely, a soul is what allows us to connect with other living creatures. It's what allows us to understand the importance of life itself and is what keeps our egos from tearing us apart. The human soul is what tells the human brain that other people matter just as much as you do. It is vital that all individuals nurture both their ego and their souls, as without one, the other only harms us. You can't live entirely for other people just as you can't live entirely for yourself. You need to keep your ego and your soul in balance. Most individuals lead unbalanced lives. Many will delve into their souls and lose themselves and their egos. However, most don't have a problem limiting their soul exploration, but rather have a problem with curbing their egos. Truth be told, the trick isn't to focus on curbing your ego, but getting back in touch with your soul – well, not so much your own soul, as such a soul I don't believe to exist. What you can do is tap into the soul of the universe and become a part of all that exists. Your ego is your very own, but your soul is the essence of life itself – a river that flows through every living thing. Tapping into the soul of life isn't quite as difficult as it seems; we all do it to some degree or another. Most of us simply don't do it often enough. Here are a few ways to help you help yourself get back in touch with the rest of the world: Interact with others in a positive way. If you're going to be part of something bigger than yourself, then you need to interact with people other than yourself. The real trick is to leave your ego out of it as much as possible. Of course, this is incredibly difficult. Especially for those who listen only in order to respond. If you want to get in touch with your soul, then you're going to need to care about people other than yourself. You may never be able to feel deeply for others, but you have to be capable of seeing things from their perspective. Have a conversation. Help a random stranger. Reach out to people who seem like they need it. Go out and become a part of other peoples' lives. Understand the state your planet is actually in. Planet earth is our life support. It is our home. It is our history, our legacy, our only way to survive. Planet earth is only good to us as long as it is inhabitable. Once it can no longer sustain life, it will become just another rock floating to space. Many people believe many different things about the state of the environment and the ecosystem. You can have whatever opinion you want, but make sure you first have the facts. Yes, facts can be hard to find even in this day and age, but if you search, you will eventually find what you're looking for. Do your best to interact with nature and figure out ways you can help maintain it. You may not feel like you yourself hold any responsibility, but keep in mind that everyone having exactly that mindset is what is damaging the planet as we speak. If no one cares, but instead we allow egos to take over, then we will all suffer. Having a soul means having an appreciation for all living things. Period. Make your purpose in life something that benefits both others and yourself. We are designed in such a way as to have our egos and souls balance each other. If either gets the upper hand, the other diminishes and we suffer. If we are too egotistical, then we lose sight of life. If we are too selfless and spend too much time being a part of something bigger than ourselves, then we lose ourselves and cease to exist. We need to be both selfish and selfless in order to live correctly. We all need to find a purpose in life as our egos demand it. However, as many have already come to learn the hard way, that purpose can't be entirely selfish. Our egos, as stubborn as they are, recognize that while we matter, we are not all that matters. Our purpose in life must reflect this. We must pursue things that benefit both us and other living things. This is the ideal that we must all try and aspire to. Anything short of this is plain wrong.

Autotheism At the most mundane level it is the belief that we are responsible for our own reality. The belief that the way we think and interpret the world has a profound effect on what our reality becomes. At the most mystical level, it is the development of the understanding that we are our own God and always have been. That we are the creators of our own Universe. That the still small voice which speaks to us in the darkness comes from within, and is not only God but Us at the same time. Autotheism is not Solipsism. The difference is primarily in so much that although Autotheism recognizes that that we project our own unconscious onto everyone and everything around us, and our relationship with it is for the most part a relationship with a part of ourselves, Autotheism asserts there are in actuality other minds behind these projections which do have their own independent existence.

Autotheism recognizes belief as the foundational element of any subjective reality. In so much as belief is acceptance, the very acceptance of one conviction over another modifies our own worldview and interpretation of it's events. This in turn effects our emotions, attitude, actions and our deliberate inaction... and ultimately our realities.Considering this for a while can lead one to a sense of selflessness. This is not a selflessness that is self-deprecating, but neither is it one that places one self over another... it can also be described as a sense of equality with those around you. Equally free to be whomever they feel driven to be.

There is so much space in an atom that if you make a golf ball the size of the nucleus in an atom, the electron cloud would be 1.5 miles away.

January meeting

Eight of us on a sunny but cold morning. Viewed two video one about the theory that we live in a simulation. The other Susan Blackmore on no Self not even a self. Susan believes we live in a physical world and is reconciled that there can be no transcendent  spiritual life. 

Then suddenly they all left (see below)

Life Is: All of a Sudden Brian Thompson

Everything—absolutely everything—happens all of a sudden.

Investigate into the nature of your own experiences. Find out what is true, for you.

In truth, nothing truly is, since all things are merely transitioning from nothing to something, from here to there, between this and that, and back to nothing.

The nature of all things is spontaneous, inevitable, and impermanent; including every thought, every emotion, every sensation, every perception, every experience, every memory, and every moment.

All things are done and undone, all of a sudden.

Your spontaneous aware presence that is cognizing these very words is also mysteriously happening, here and now. However, it alone is the only unchanging aspect throughout your entire life. Every experience registers within this field of unbroken awareness, as it alone is the illuminating light behind all that becomes known to you. In fact, "your" awareness is not separate from you; it IS "you"—impersonally.

All that seems to be happening, all of a sudden, is revealed to you—as an aspect of pure awareness—within your unmoving, unchanging, infinite presence of spontaneous knowing.

All of a sudden, a thought appeared to you. All of a sudden, you were thirsty. All of a sudden, you sneezed. All of a sudden, you got up and stretched. All of a sudden, your arm was itchy. All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. All of a sudden, a gust of wind blew the gate open. All of a sudden, the phone rang. All of a sudden, it started to rain. All of a sudden, a new opportunity presented itself. All of a sudden, a car came out of nowhere. All of a sudden, you found yourself overreacting to an unexpected situation. All of a sudden, you felt grumpy. All of a sudden, you found yourself smiling as you gazed out the window. All of a sudden, you were talking with a stranger. All of a sudden, you were forty-five years old. All of a sudden, you have a bad back. All of a sudden, you no longer enjoy what you used to love. All of a sudden, your childhood hero died. All of a sudden, the world isn't how it used to seem.

No matter how cautious or prepared you might be, nothing can ever prevent whatever spontaneously happens all of a sudden. What is, is. You cannot argue with what already is, so why bother? Allow, accept, embrace, and be fully present with whatever is, here and now.

Hang on to nothing, as nothing truly is. And this is true freedom—being free from the mind's desire to control the uncontrollable.

To integrate this understanding into our lives, you must inquire deeper into the temporary nature of being. You must first see through life's illusion before you can free yourself from its false drama. You must realize that nothing is as it seems.

What does it mean, "to be"? Does it not also mean, "to not be"? Being and non-being are interdependent. Similarly, every moment bleeds into the next, blurring the lines of what is, and what is not. In other words, you can only know what is, by its relativity to what is not. The two seemingly separate states are forever entangled. In truth, the two—being and non-being—are one.

From nothing, comes the appearance of something.

The appearance of any thing's is-ness, however, is not what it seems. What is, is never constant, nor permanent. What is, is nothing but a brief appearance—an image arising within awareness.

Indeed, some things do appear to last longer than others, which creates an impression of permanence, consistency, stability, durability, and reliability, but this remains as nothing but an illusion, thanks to the mind's dualistic concept of space and time. Regardless, what is has no foundation for permanence outside of the awareness that perceives it.

What is, cannot be without your awareness to distinguish it from what isn't. Therefore, the underlying essence of all that is, is what isn’t—and what isn't, is nothing but the emptiness of unfettered consciousness.

What can we deduct from this? Spontaneity is the river of life!

Embodying this undeniable truth is to awaken from the dream of egoic delusion.

If you resist what is inherently spontaneous (which is everything), you cause yourself to suffer, which is why "letting go of attachments" is one of the most important spiritual teachings there is. To cling to anything is to suffer—regardless of whether it's your possessions, your relationships, your sense of self, your career, your beliefs, your thoughts, or even your emotions. To be truly free in life you must liberate yourself from the illusion of how the world appears.

Rely only upon the Self, pure Awareness. Any safety, comfort, or security that is conceptualised outside of your Self—in the world of physical or mental form—is a delusion. You, as you believe yourself to be, do not exist. You are a Presence, for sure, but you are not the personalized body or mind—this is a misperception created by the mind's duality. There is nothing personal whatsoever, which means there is nothing you need to protect or defend. You only need to stop believing yourself to be something that you are not.

You are the totality of every experience—not you, the person; you, the presence. All of sudden, every experience happens, of which you are aware. You are indivisible from any experience as every experience consists of the very same thing as you—awareness. You and what you perceive are one—Awareness—this is the non-duality of being. You are the calm presence beneath all that appears, all of a sudden.

You are this Awareness, here and now. Liberate yourself from believing yourself to be an individual that is somehow separate from the world, from others, and from every experience. No longer believe yourself to be limited to the body and mind.

Become unbound. Simplify. Abide in your natural inner stillness, the aware silence of Self. Know yourself as Presence, as a field of infinite, non-discriminating present-knowingness, through which all things come and go, all of a sudden. Rejoice in the freeing realization that all you once thought or believed is an illusion!

Abide only in the truth—and you are That. You, this present-moment Presence of Awareness, is True—nothing else. The entire cosmos arise within you, as you.

You are Now and now is all you.

You are the emptiness in which all things come and go, rise and fall, appear and disappear. You are nothing but That—the infinite space into which the entire universe expands.

And this is the final, ultimate understanding into which you must surrender all discontent, anxiety, fear, stress, sadness, discomfort and suffering.

What once was, is no more. In truth, what once was, never actually was. All that is, is you.

You are not a thing; you are nothing but Now. You are the spontaneous bliss of Being. You are the effervescent flow of awareness, continually refreshed and renewed.

You are, all of a sudden, spontaneously, here and now—empty, aware, blissful, loving, peaceful, compassionate, and calm—at one with the world, as the world.

December meeting2016

Nine of us today. First 10 minute video illustrates how our knowledge of the "outside" world is only sensory input within our brains. Either that or this is it, valid without being an objective world. It met a lot of resistance.
The other video described how to find happiness and ended with you can't find it by seeking . You attain it when you stop looking for it like a baby who is happy most of the time and in most cases feels loved.

Then we looked at this which they thought was helpful.

We all want serenity, that elusive state of calm that seems to belong solely to Tibetan monks and yoga instructors. People with serenity are better equipped to enjoy life. Their small problems remain small and don’t become magnified into huge catastrophes. And when real crises arise, they react with steady, clear thinking.
However, serenity isn’t achieved without effort. Just as we need proper exercise habits to have healthy bodies, we need good mental habits to have peaceful minds. To that end, here are some daily habits to get you on your own path to serenity.
1. Give Thanks Continually. When your alarm goes off, before you even get out of bed, close your eyes and think about the ways in which you’ve been blessed. Consider the most basic gifts that you have: a job, good relationships, your home, your clothing, your health. Then continue to give thanks throughout the day. If someone lets you in their lane when you are driving, give thanks. When your paycheck is deposited into your account, give thanks. . Make a point of acknowledging every good thing that happens to you.
2. As Soon As Your Mind Wanders Off in The Wrong Direction, Get It Back on Course. We know when we are getting mentally off course. We get irritated over minor things. We decide it’s our job to correct other people’s bad behavior. We obsess over past slights. These are all symptoms of the mind going down a path toward wrong thinking. Like a car that has shifted into a lane with on-coming traffic, our minds also can shift into the wrong lane. As soon as that happens, stop what you are doing. Walk away from the person who isn’t acting properly. Then do whatever it is that helps you get your mind back on track. For me, it’s reading something spiritual. For others, it may be listening to inspiring music or talking to a good friend. By re-directing your mind, you can more easily return to clear thinking.
3. Practice Acceptance. Practicing acceptance doesn’t mean that you allow yourself to be treated poorly by others. It means that you accept others for who they are. If someone is a jerk or manipulative, that is who they are. It’s your choice whether or not to spend time with them, but accept that you can’t change them. Likewise, practicing acceptance doesn’t mean that you don’t try to improve your life. For instance, you may not like your current job or home. Accept your situation for what it is today. Do your best at your job, and make your home as beautiful as possible. Appreciate that you have work and a place to live. Then do what you can each day to get your dream job or home in the future. Acceptance isn’t stagnation. Acceptance is understanding what you can and cannot change.
4. Be Kind To Others. There is no scenario in which being unkind to others will benefit you. So be careful how you operate. The ugly things that you say and do to other people may affect them, but those actions will poison you. If you are unhappy, take a long, hard look at your behavior. If you spew mean comments or take advantage of people, you will be miserable. I can’t sugarcoat that. Instead, be consistently kind. Build others up. Be helpful. You will find that by doing those three things, you’ll be at peace with yourself because you will actually like yourself.
5. Be Careful What You Drink. Some things we drink can affect our minds. Coffee, tea and some soft drinks have caffeine. Caffeine affects each person differently. Evaluate how it affects you. If it makes you jumpy or irritable, then either reduce your consumption or eliminate it altogether. Alcohol affects people differently as well. If drinking wine, beer or hard liquor makes you anxious or depressed, again, limit your drinking or cut alcohol out of your life altogether. Being happy is more important than your Starbucks or your nightly glass of wine.
6. Get Enough Sleep. Our minds cannot think clearly if they aren’t rested. Small children need copious amounts of sleep in order to be happy. Adults are no different. While we may not throw ourselves on the floor and scream if we haven’t had a nap, we function only slightly better without sleep. Develop good sleep habits. Go to bed early. There is nothing wrong with going to bed at 9 p.m. The television shows you are missing aren’t nearly as important as your serenity.
7. Watch and Read the Right Kind of Books, Movies and Television. What we watch and read affects how we think. Choose your entertainment carefully. There is a lot of violent, pointless junk out there which is deemed to be “avant-garde” or “creative.” If you want to have a relaxed mind, spend your time watching and reading things that have a positive message or that educate. Don’t spend your valuable free time filling your mind with garbage just because it’s popular.
8. Keep a Clean, Uncluttered Home. There is a reason why spas don’t have dirty towels on the floors and shelves covered with knickknacks. You can’t relax in a place that is messy. A cluttered home or room is a sign of a cluttered or unstable mind. Make your home a place that is tidy and beautiful. You should breathe a sigh of relief when you enter your home. It should be a refuge for both your mind and your senses.
9. Spend Some Parts of the Day without Noise. There is nothing wrong with television per se, but there is something wrong with the television being on all the time. People tend to turn on the television to avoid being uncomfortable. We are either uncomfortable with our families, or we are uncomfortable with ourselves. So we distract ourselves from that discomfort with a lot of racket. The problem is that noise impedes you from truly relaxing. Make the choice to give your ears and mind a break, and enjoy the silence.
10. Spend Time with the Right Kind of People. There are people who can’t help but be a problem. Everywhere they go, they create drama. Someone has always done them wrong, or they are continually upset about something. Or they just can’t say anything nice. Give those people wide berth. You can’t necessarily eliminate those people from your life, but you can limit your contact with them. It is a matter of self-preservation. When you allow people into your life who bring chaos, it is very hard to maintain your serenity. It isn’t your job to make their lives better. It is their job to not spread their brand of drama.
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Carl Jung talks of the collective unconscious as a great pool of consciousness we all share filled with extremely potent symbols and archetypes that guide much of our lives. 

Immanuel Kant came to the conclusion that consciousness creates mind as a way of experiencing itself. Ervin Laslzo talks of the quantum vacuum, which is a field from which everything is created and to which everything returns. He proposes that this field is actually conscious in itself and is thus the ground of all being. Our human brain has evolved to the point where it can link into this great universal consciousness and experience it in time and space through our lives. We become this strange mix of being separate beings living our individual lives, while at the same time we are all one intensely interacting synergistic experience.