Philosophy Thread

i.e. Monks. That's where I would start. Start with the type of person that is furthest away from what I am and who I am. But I also admire them and respect them. That would be the hardest life to live shy from being a slave.

@flare3 Aren't you in Atlanta? Would you ever consider visiting a Buddhist temple? (there are many here) https://s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/Stl5fgTt-c9bfwhP2eCO1Q/o.jpg Drepung Loseling Monastery in Atlanta

Why do you feel like you have to maintain control? Or is it that you cannot fathom not being in control?

How to lose control. Relinquish all notions that you have any control over your experience. Those two provocative words may invoke images of disaster (‘I lost control of my temper’, ‘he lost control of the car’, ‘that guy can’t control his kids’ etc….) But in this case, the results are the very antithesis of disaster. Here, ‘losing control’ is synonymous with allowing every experience that arises during your meditations to exist without resistance or analysis. As a natural by-product of this allowing, a fresh new dimension to life reveals itself, by itself. This underlying quality is inherently peaceful and joyful; just as water is inherently fluid and wet –and it requires nothing more than simply letting go and allowing. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- In mindfulness meditation we observe and explore our experience without trying to control, manipulate, or change it. One the first big insights for many of us is how much we try to control every aspect of our life. Everything from our relationships (and the people we have them with), to our bodily functions, to our meditation practice. There is control in the protective way we hunch our shoulders or tighten our jaw. There is control in the ways we hold back with the ones we love. Meditation reveals this to us and then gives us tools to deconstruct all the reasons we are holding on so tightly. Eventually the reasons matter less and less and we can truly begin to trust the process of being human. We see that the control we thought we had was imaginary anyway. That can be scary and even heartbreaking, but slowly it becomes a freedom that is complete and unconditional. ... I was terrified to let go of the control I thought I had. I grew up with a lot of chaos and inconsistency, I felt out of control and unsafe much of the time. At a very young age I found ways to manipulate others around me to create a sense of safety. I wanted to have some say in what was going on. ... Day after day, as you sit with whatever comes up in your mindfulness practice, without trying to change or control it, you will find that this quality of letting go spills over in to your daily life. By allowing uncomfortable emotional sensations to exist during meditation, you will find there is space for them to arise and move through without getting stuck. You won’t need to hold it all together anymore. You will stop attempting to control your emotional life—which is a huge relief. Just sitting still and not scratching every itch will help you to let go of the constant impulse to manipulate yourself and others. As you listen to the waves of mental talk, without interfering or getting stuck in the story, you will find it less necessary to defend yourself or to have the last word. You will be less susceptible to the urge to figure it all out. By letting go of the need to control everything, you will begin to touch into real freedom. *************** I know it's a lot to take in, like I said, it's here when you want to watch/read it. I'm also putting this here for me, as well.