Thats funny!
One thing that stands out to me in the 'Eastern' style of teachings is the 'monkey mind' aspect. How attachment and lack of control, being unable to 'quiet the mind' plays out in our 'lives'.
I notice it a lot in Traditional Indigenous Australian thinking. Traditional Indigenous Australians place enormous value on 'stillness' and 'observing'.
One of the first things they noticed (besides bullets
) about the invading colonists, was their inability to sit still, and the endless stream of problems this created...the monkey mind.
In my surfing travels, I really notice it too. Everyone loves to go to these idillic 'tropical paradises', where they can relaxe, escape the 'rat race'. Where time 'stands still'. And the people that create that paradise, notice the same thing with the 'tourists', running around like 'chooks without a head', creating an endless stream of dramas...monkey mind. Soon, as in Bali, the 'paradise' becomes the rat race, and everyone goes searching for a new one...monkey mind...the beat goes on.
I lived in a town with 200 people for around 20 years, and the same scenario was a constant source of amusement for the 'locals'. Stressed out, pumped up 'holiday makers' getting into all sorts of hilarious dilemmas. I remember going to the city, and really being hit by it. Ants running around in concrete tunnels, chain smoking, chowing on a hot dog, or 'organic sushi roll' sprinting to pay their bills, get to the gym, see the solicitor...have a drink, get some speed, 'cant stop, got deadlines to meet'. Deadlines...dead lines...
DEAD lines. What a word to live by!!! Monkey mind.
It strikes me that life, action, creation is supposed to be fun. For me the ability to be able to 'step out', 'sit still', 'observe', is the ability to have control. To enjoy, realise and explore the truth. To be able to understand, uncover, enjoy and exert that truth, and enjoy the 'wisdom' of observation through focused 'creation'. Free of the monkey mind, free of attachment, remembering the truth. I think its where the idea of the movies where the computers take over humanity come from. Losing control of the mind.
Anyway, back to the 'deadlines', We must build anti, anti, missiles to get the oil, to boost profits, to build 'super tanks', to stop the terrorists, to be free to combat global warming, to boost profits to prop up the economy before the next Fed announcement, because the Dax is plunging, and China is booming, so we must up missiles to protect us from China, to boost profits, but must be ahead in the race for Mars, while the Celtics are crumbling, and Brad told Angelina that Arnold said that Anthony Robbins is coming, and Quincy is the special guest, to boost profits, and ephedrine is banned, gotta vote, gold is up, copper's down, Sheik Ali whatever built the worlds biggest diamond encrusted vacuum cleaner, gym fees are up, to boost profits, computers anti virus protection is out of date, love you honey, thats a nice diamond, whats it worth, oops terrorist alert, cancer's on the rise, couple more shootings, sperm count is up today, phone is dead, few more rapes, planes are delayed, no water left, no air left, what about the profits, deadli..........................
See yah, have fun, I'm going surfing.
