The Middle Way

[TheJourney]

All thoughts lend themselves towards two extremes. Your true self, as a point of reference, is the middle of these two extremes. As you go outwards, towards the extremes, the intensity with which you can be swayed increases. If you are situated in the “Middle way,” in which you see no reason to pick an extreme, you are in line with your true self, and will not be swayed.

[Arcanum]

I would say the 'true self' transcends both polarities, being without reference point at all. The 'way' is a pointer away from these polarities and toward the transcendence, which just means you can't realize it by virtue of any of mind's conceptualized polarities.

[TheJourney]

That's why you can't really think of it in a linear sense, but rather as a process. It's just a process of one thing being reflected through different potential views towards two extremes, emenating from the center but encapsulating all. "Point of reference" as in who you "are," your identity, rather than your ultimate self, all/emptiness.

[zeitgeist]

I think of this oscillation as a wave. The skillful Tao master is riding the wave like a surfer. Riding the process to the fullest without ever getting swallowed by it.

[Arz Sra]

All thoughts lend themselves towards two extremes

What you call as two extremes are also , in the first place, decided by thought itself.

Your true self, as a point of reference, is the middle of these two extremes.

Point of reference seems to imply that there is something/somewhere to be/to go for which it serves as a reference. Mind, in the first place, is assuming such thing as extreme and then deriving a center point 'of origin'.

As you go outwards, towards the extremes, the intensity with which you can be swayed increases.

Outwards? Where? ... Is not the 'inward' in the very first place assumed to be there?

What do you mean by 'intensity with which you can be swayed increases?.. Is it refereeing to some sort of a rigidness?

If you are situated in the “Middle way,” in which you see no reason to pick an extreme, you are in line with your true self, and will not be swayed.

If you are in middle, how does that make one assume that one would not be tempted to take an extreme?

Which true SELF is one in line with? Is anyone there left to line with anyone?

[pianoperformer]

I agree with arcanum; the Self transcends all polarity. It cannot even see polarity to begin with.

[TheJourney]

I think you are getting too caught in the words. When I say "outwards," for instance, it does not mean outside of self, there is no more "outside of self" then there is "self" itself. That's just a visual representation, but I am trying to refer to a process here, whereby there is an original pure consciousness from which all comes, but all thoughts beyond the original pure consciousness lend themselves towards two extremes, which is a false duality created by mind in the first place. Thought lends itself to attachment by the false dilemma of having to cheese between one thought that is "true" as opposed to another thought that is "false."

[ChrisGinsburg]

Originally Posted by TheJourney

All thoughts lend themselves towards two extremes. Your true self, as a point of reference, is the middle of these two extremes. As you go outwards, towards the extremes, the intensity with which you can be swayed increases. If you are situated in the “Middle way,” in which you see no reason to pick an extreme, you are in line with your true self, and will not be swayed.

Mind has no intention of letting go of identity. Thereby we get all sorts of explanations including a mysterious self/ non-self who is situated somewhere in the middle of something who's choosing to be there and go through a process.