Thoughts, Thinking and Knowing

Summary

The dialogue explores the nature of thoughts and consciousness through a three-stage analogy. Initially, thoughts are observed as separate from the self, like clouds in the sky. The second stage involves realizing that one is the sky, with thoughts as mere clouds within it. The third stage is the profound understanding that there is no separation; thoughts are the sky, and all is consciousness. The conversation guides the listener to experientially investigate thoughts, finding only 'knowing' without an 'it,' leading to the realization of an indivisible whole made of consciousness. This understanding transforms one's perception of reality, shifting from a philosophical concept to a lived experience.

Takeaways

• 🧘 Observing thoughts is the first stage of meditation, where thoughts are seen as separate from oneself, like clouds in the sky.
• 🌌 The second stage is realizing that one is the sky, and thoughts are within oneself, not separate entities.
• 💭 The third stage is understanding that there is no difference between the cloud (thought) and the sky (consciousness), they are one and the same.
• 🤔 The nature of thoughts is explored by 'touching' them, which reveals that they are made of the same substance as consciousness.
• 🎥 An analogy is made to watching a movie, where the screen is the reality of the movie, and similarly, the reality of thoughts is consciousness.
• 🔍 Investigating thoughts experientially leads to the realization that there is no 'it' in thoughts, only the knowing of them.
• 🌟 The concept that there are no such things as separate thoughts is introduced, suggesting that everything is just consciousness.
• 🌱 The practice of 'touching' thoughts is suggested as a way to understand their true nature, which is consciousness.
• 🌐 Once the nature of thoughts is understood, it becomes clear that all experiences—thoughts, feelings, sensations—are manifestations of the same consciousness.
• 🌟 The shift from a philosophical understanding to a lived experience of consciousness is emphasized as a transformative process.
• 🔄 The world, which once seemed to confirm a different view, now supports the new understanding of consciousness as the fundamental reality.

Q & A

What are the three stages of observing thoughts as described in the transcript?

The first stage is observing thoughts as separate from oneself, like a cloud in the sky. The second stage is realizing that one is the sky and the thoughts are within oneself. The third stage is understanding that there is no difference between the cloud and the sky, and that the cloud is the sky.

How does the analogy of the cloud and the sky help in understanding the nature of thoughts?

The analogy helps to illustrate that thoughts are not separate entities but are part of the consciousness, just as clouds are part of the sky. When one realizes this, it becomes clear that thoughts are not 'things' but are manifestations of consciousness.

What does it mean to 'touch' a thought as suggested in the transcript?

To 'touch' a thought means to examine it closely, to experience it directly, and to realize that the thought itself is made of the same substance as the consciousness that is experiencing it.

What is the substance that thoughts are made of according to the discussion?

The substance that thoughts are made of is 'knowing' or 'awareness'. When one investigates a thought, they find that it is not a separate 'it' but is the knowing of the thought.

Why is it important to understand that there is no 'it' in a thought?

Understanding that there is no 'it' in a thought helps to dissolve the illusion of thoughts as separate entities. It leads to the realization that thoughts are just appearances of consciousness, similar to how a landscape is an appearance of a screen.

What is the significance of the statement 'there are no such things as thoughts'?

The statement 'there are no such things as thoughts' emphasizes that thoughts are not solid, independent entities but are expressions of consciousness. It challenges the conventional view of thoughts as 'things' and invites a deeper understanding of their true nature.

How does the process of 'touching' thoughts relate to the practice of meditation?

In meditation, 'touching' thoughts is a practice of mindfulness where one observes thoughts without judgment, allowing them to arise and pass without attachment. This practice can lead to a deeper understanding of the nature of thoughts and consciousness.

What is the role of experience in verifying philosophical ideas about thoughts and consciousness?

Experience plays a crucial role in verifying philosophical ideas by allowing individuals to directly encounter the nature of thoughts and consciousness. Through personal experience, one can confirm or refute theoretical concepts and integrate them into their lived reality.

Why is it suggested to let the recognition of consciousness as the only reality 'sink in'?

Allowing the recognition of consciousness as the only reality to 'sink in' is important for internalizing this understanding deeply. This process helps in transforming it from a philosophical concept to a lived experience that shapes one's perception and interaction with the world.

How does the world change as one's understanding of thoughts and consciousness evolves?

As one's understanding of thoughts and consciousness evolves, the world that once seemed to confirm a different view begins to reflect the new understanding. This shift in perception allows for a more profound and unified experience of reality.

What is the final goal of the process described in the transcript?

The final goal is to live in a state where the understanding of consciousness as the fundamental reality is fully integrated into one's being. This integration leads to a transformation in how one experiences thoughts, feelings, and perceptions, aligning with the recognition of an indivisible whole made of consciousness.

Outlines

00:00

🧘 Understanding the Nature of Thoughts

The speaker discusses the three stages of observing thoughts as previously explained. The first stage is recognizing thoughts as separate entities, akin to observing clouds in the sky. The second stage is experiencing thoughts as part of one's own being, likening oneself to the sky and thoughts to clouds within it. The third stage is the realization that there is no distinction between the cloud and the sky, suggesting that thoughts are not separate from the self but are the self itself. The speaker seeks to understand this experientially rather than just intellectually. The dialogue delves into the nature of thoughts, suggesting that when one 'touches' a thought, they only find 'knowing,' implying that thoughts are not separate entities but manifestations of consciousness itself.

05:06

🌟 The Illusion of Separateness and the Reality of Consciousness

The conversation continues with the exploration of the idea that there are no separate 'things,' only consciousness. The speaker suggests that once one has touched and understood the nature of a few thoughts, one can apply this understanding to all thoughts, sensations, and perceptions. The process involves not just intellectual understanding but also experiential verification, leading to a profound shift in one's lived experience. The world, which once seemed to confirm a different viewpoint, now reflects the new understanding that everything is part of one infinite, indivisible reality. The speaker emphasizes the importance of living out the implications of this realization, which leads to a resolution of mental objections and a deepening of the experience of consciousness as the fundamental nature of reality.

Keywords

💡Observing thoughts

Observing thoughts refers to the practice of noticing one's thoughts without judgment, akin to watching clouds pass by in the sky. In the video, this is the first stage of understanding thoughts, where the individual recognizes the thoughts as separate from themselves, similar to how one might observe an object.

💡Subject-object relationship

The subject-object relationship is a philosophical concept that distinguishes the observer (subject) from what is being observed (object). In the context of the video, it is used to describe the initial stage of meditation where thoughts are observed as separate entities from the self.

💡Meditation

Meditation is a practice of training the mind to achieve a state of awareness or focused attention. The video discusses how during meditation, one might notice a subtle shift from observing thoughts to experiencing oneself as the medium through which thoughts arise.

💡Experiential understanding

Experiential understanding is the knowledge or wisdom gained through personal experience. The video emphasizes the importance of moving beyond intellectual comprehension to actually experiencing the nature of thoughts and consciousness through meditation and reflection.

💡Consciousness

Consciousness in the video is described as the fundamental reality that underlies all thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. It is the 'screen' on which the 'movie' of thoughts appears, and the video suggests that all experiences are manifestations of this singular, indivisible consciousness.

💡Thoughts as appearances

The concept that thoughts are appearances on the screen of consciousness is central to the video's message. It suggests that thoughts do not have an independent existence but are expressions or manifestations of the underlying consciousness.

💡Investigating experience

Investigating experience involves exploring one's own thoughts and sensations to understand their true nature. The video encourages the viewer to 'touch' their thoughts, to examine them closely and discover that they are made of the same 'stuff' as consciousness.

💡Lived experience

Lived experience is the personal, subjective experience of reality. The video speaks of the process of integrating philosophical understanding into one's lived experience, transforming it into a deeply felt truth that shapes one's perception and interaction with the world.

💡Philosophical possibility

A philosophical possibility is an idea or concept that is plausible or conceivable within a philosophical framework. The video describes how one might first encounter the idea that thoughts are not separate from consciousness as a philosophical possibility, which then can be explored and verified through personal experience.

💡Infinite, indivisible whole

The concept of an infinite, indivisible whole refers to the idea that reality is a single, unified entity that cannot be broken down into separate parts. This is a key theme in the video, suggesting that all experiences, including thoughts, are part of this whole and are not truly separate from it.

💡Spirit or God

Spirit or God in the video is used as another term for the fundamental consciousness or reality that underlies all existence. It is presented as a way to describe the ultimate nature of reality that is beyond individual thoughts and perceptions.

Highlights

Exploration of the three stages of observing thoughts: noticing them as separate, experiencing them as part of oneself, and realizing there is no difference between the two.

The realization that observing thoughts is akin to watching clouds in the sky, coming and going without attachment.

The subtle shift from being an observer to feeling as though one is the sky itself, with thoughts as clouds within.

The analogy of the cloud and the sky to illustrate the non-duality of thoughts and consciousness.

The intellectual understanding that thoughts are made of the same substance as consciousness.

The experiential approach to understanding thoughts by 'touching' them and discovering their true nature.

The discovery that the substance of thoughts is merely 'knowing', without an 'it' to know.

The concept that there is no 'it' in thoughts, only the awareness or knowing of them.

The idea that thoughts are not separate entities but appearances of consciousness, like a landscape on a screen.

The philosophical understanding that there are no such things as separate thoughts, only consciousness.

The practice of 'touching' thoughts to reveal their true substance, which is consciousness.

The assurance that once the nature of thoughts is understood, there is no need to repeat the experiment with every thought.

The process of letting the recognition of consciousness as the only reality sink in deeply.

The transformation of philosophical understanding into a lived experience through the verification of thoughts.

The world's confirmation of the new understanding of consciousness as the only reality.

The continuous verification of the non-dual nature of reality in all aspects of experience.

The resolution of mental objections through the experience of the true nature of thoughts.

The living reality that emerges as the philosophical possibility of consciousness becomes an experiential truth.

Transcripts

yesterday you answered a question about

thoughts and you explained three

stages first was observing thoughts in

that subject object relationship and I

feel for years that's what I've done

observe the thought some do a cloud in

the sky just see it come and go and then

yesterday in the meditation I noticed

something quite subtle in that I felt as

though I am the sky and the cloud is in

me and if I understand how you explained

it yesterday that's the second stage of

it being within my being yes you then

explained a third stage which is if I'm

using this analogy that the cloud is the

sky that there is no difference between

the cloud and the sky the cloud can't be

anything other than the sky yes and so I

guess I can understand that

intellectually and I feel like I could

use some help

in understanding that

experientially and that's what I was

asking for your help with okay

so you are experiencing thoughts

now yeah yes so if if you're

experiencing a thought you you must be

experiencing whatever the thought is

made

of yes so what are your thoughts made of

um I I guess I don't

know the there could be a thought that's

an image or a thought that is words but

okay but let's let's take a thought that

appears in the form of words what should

we have for dinner tonight any thought

if you're experiencing that thought you

you must be experiencing

it's reality what it's made of you if

you're watching a movie you must be

seeing the screen you can't watch the

movie and not see the screen you may not

realize you're seeing the screen but

nevertheless you are seeing the screen

you are seeing the stuff relatively

speaking that the movie is made of now

if you're having a thought if you're

knowing a thought you must be

experiencing whatever it is that thought

is made of so all just as all you need

to do to find out what the movie is made

of is to go up to it touch it come close

to it you look at it from a distance it

looks like a landscape you come up close

to it and touch it you touch its reality

the screen so it's the same with a

thought you have to go up close to it

you have to touch it so to speak do do

that

now what do you find

touch your thoughts taste them what

what's there

I guess the only thing that is there is

U kind of an awareness of it it's a like

a a knowing of it I can't think of

anything else

okay so you think there there's the

knowing of it the knowing of the

thought so so you have this you go up to

the thought you you touch it and you say

all that's there is the knowing of it

but so you have the knowing you but what

is the

it when you say the knowing of

it where is the it apart from the

knowing I understand when you say I

touch the thought I find knowing but you

say you didn't say that you say I touch

the thought I find the knowing of it

what's the

it there is no it perfect that's it

there is no it it's just

knowing when you reach out your hand and

touch the cloud all you find is the

sky when you reach out your your

hand touch the stuff the thought is made

of you all you find is knowing not the

knowing of

it because you never find the it you

only find this the only substance you

find in the thought is knowing just as

the only substance you find in the

landscape is the

screen it's never the screen and the

landscape it's just the screen it's

never The Knowing of

thought it's just knowing assuming the

form of thought but without ever

becoming a thought always remaining

itself appearing as the thought just as

the screen always remains itself and

appears as the landscape but never

becomes the

landscape so there are no such such

things as

thoughts but I'm afraid it's worse than

that it's not just that there are no

such things as thoughts that there are

no things

period there is there's only

consciousness

so in let's

say sitting with whatever I'm going to

use the word thoughts but the thoughts

as they come up you said just try and

touch them is is kind of the

work I'm hesitant to use the word

practice but what what one does as

thoughts

appear is

to touch them the way you're describing

that would

be yes but once you've done that once or

twice with a couple of thoughts you can

be sure that all thoughts are made out

of the same stuff once you've

investigated the landscape in the movie

you don't have to do the same experiment

every time you watch a movie you can be

sure that all the subsequent movies are

appearances of the same screen yeah so

once you've done that once or twice with

your thoughts your Sensations your

perceptions your you you don't have to

keep doing

it you just have to let

that

this this this uh

recognition penetrate deeply into your

mind and your heart and your body so

that

this Consciousness only model really

sinks in until it begins to be your

lived and felt experience all there

is is one infinite

indivisible whole or reality made of

Consciousness or being or Spirit or love

God whatever you call

it just let that so you you hear it

philosophically makes sense

philosophically then you investigate it

in your experience you verify the

possibility that you heard of when you

were thinking philosophically you verify

it in your own

experience and then you you try to live

the implications of that verification

and as you do

so the world which once seemed

[Music]

to

confirm your your previous point of view

the very same world

now now confirms your new

understanding it just becomes more and

more this becomes more and more obvious

in all Realms of your experience this

new what what was once a philosophical

possibility you then explored within

your experience and you recognize it's

true of thoughts it's true of feelings

it's true of Sensations it's true of

perception

so you verify it um every time your mind

raises an objection you you meet that

objection with your experience and as a

result the objections of your mind begin

to die down and what was once a

possibility only now becomes this living

reality

thank you so much