The Busy Mind

[satsujin]

I have noticed that I have several distractions to keep my mind busy. Reading, movies, music, internet. A busy mind indicates a mind that is not content. At least, busy with distractions like these. I live a pretty solitary life so maybe on some level I need these. But I would like to see how my thinking changes without these. So, as a start, I am going to see if I can do without Internet for a week. Even as I read books, I have the urge to look up info regarding what I read, on the net. The result of being a child of the Information Age. So, let's see if this is possible.

 

If I post before next Friday, you will know for sure that I have failed.

 

[BearlyTao]

A task I've taken on in the past and had quite pleasant results in thoughfullness and general productivity in my life.

 

Personally I feel it depends on the activity of the mind. Is it an act to occupy it but achieve nothing, or is it an effort/gesture in cultivation? -OK so this conflicts a lot with 'do nothing' and duality. Hau Hau Ching was it that LZ explained the concept of cultivating oneself to the prince without desires?

[Marblehead]

Thing is, from a physical POV, if we don't keep our brain active the chemicals will dilute and over time all we would have left in our head would be distilled water. (No, I have no support of this opinion of mine.)

 

What we do should be as natural as possible, not forced. Our brain will tell us when it wants to take a break. It will also tell us when it wants to play. We should listen.

[satsujin]

Well, I went into withdrawal in the middle of the week and splurged on net browsing. But I was able to avoid it for the rest of the days. I also didn't watch any of the videos(TV series, movies, youtube) on my computer. But the fact that I broke my fast at some level proves that I'm still addicted to net being a child of the Info age. Spent most of the rest of my time walking, reading or snoozing.

[Marblehead]

We all are children of the life we are brought into.

[beyonder]

Thing is, from a physical POV, if we don't keep our brain active the chemicals will dilute and over time all we would have left in our head would be distilled water. (No, I have no support of this opinion of mine.)

(Cerebrospinal fluid...)

 

:D

[Ilkka]

In last year I spontaneously took a trip to Lapland (approx. 800km from where I live) with some of my friends and didn't have internet in there nor even a computer. Just nature and a cottages, friends were fishing. On first day one friend broke his ankle and had to go to the nearest hospital (80km in one way) to check it out, few times even. Luckly my 19 year old car didn't have any troubles on that trip, never had anyhing like that done with it I mean.

 

So if you want really to get out from all that stuff then I suggest take a week or two off from all that routine what you do in your home. Maybe go camping if you're into that sort of thing, regularly start going outside for a walk in the nearby forest. I am also a child from computer age, didn't have internet connection till I was in my late teens though. I am going to be 31 years of age later this year. But if anyone is younger there is a chance that they are even more addicted to techology than I am, that is seen in todays world where kids are always typing something on their phones etc.

[Marblehead]

(Cerebrospinal fluid...)

 

:D

Hehehe. Yeah, that's the stuff. It protects our brain when we smash our head against the wall (or do other stupid things).

[PLB]

Working at any thing one cares about pretty much means the mind is very busy.

 

I figure it is important to find a way to be at right angles to all that at the same time.

Not as an antidote or a cure to something: More like making a map where the other maps don't.

 

We have many lives that stretch out like a cat.