Andreas Gruber - The Power of Being

We know about the value of imagination, and it doesn't take much to understand that our imagination can be used for many more things, other than merely imagining what our renovated apartment is going to look like when it's ready. There are many subtle dimensions of imagination, even those that cannot be clearly categorized. I'd prefer to talk about inner perception when it comes to these things.

This is not new for us, since we do use these faculties, but for a limited range of things. When reviewing Einstein's way of thinking, it should become apparent to us that he didn't promote logical thinking as much as intuition. I would dare to say that intuition, as Einstein referred to it, was his inner perception or his mind’s eye perceiving complex matters beyond logical thinking. He would then spend considerable time trying to find the logical answers to his trusted perceptions. He would sometimes refer to intuition as the king and logical thinking as the loyal servant.

This does not seem to have very much to do with self-knowledge at first sight. However, we do base most of our decisions on our subtle perceptions, although they may only partly be aware to us. We often regard our subtle perceptions as irrelevant, maybe because we tend to classify them as surreal or even mystical. In reality, they are not more mystical than the process of thinking itself. We have chosen to place subtle perceptions in the realm of phantasy. But to generalize hasn't solved many problems, has it? We may be giving away our potential because we haven't learned to handle the subtleties of our perceptions.

We cannot logically understand ourselves. Therefore, we ought to make use of our faculties beyond thinking. Perception, as I see it, is a separate faculty from our thought process. We normally perceive and think in one go, as if it was one thing, but it isn't. It usually doesn't occur to us that we can perceive and then not think, without even refuting thoughts as such.

As an example, we could perceive something and then just remain still with that perception, without evaluating, categorizing or thinking. Would we like to take it further, we could hold that perception in our heart, instead of our mind. This gives us a hint, of what it could be like to start coming out of our habit of thinking and conceptualizing everything.

While we hold a perception or thought, we must not necessarily seek to understand or find the answer. A clear indicator that we are still trying to find a solution is that our thoughts are racing around all over the place. Another indicator is if we feel impatient, then we are probably too goal oriented. Another one is frustration, which is perhaps indicating that we are looking for something special, maybe a distinct sensation.

We consider the indicators as problems, which need to be fixed, but they are our first-hand teachers. What does this tell you? Does your impatience only exist when you are doing this? Chances are, this is a general tendency of your mind. Naturally you would love to have a complete list of what these indicators mean. But they are just examples with a certain relevance. Ultimately you have the list within; the answers are there to be discovered. That is a major step towards knowing yourself on a deeper and experiential level.

Knowing many things, but not knowingthe awareness behind the thinker within.That's where ignorance is born.

It is imperative to find an application that serves you immediately. Therefore, I suggest the following practice in holding a perception. When you are stressed out or tired, and your mind needs rest because you have an important meeting coming up shortly, do the following to regain the clarity and sharpness of your mind.

Resting your mind by means of holding a perception

Sit down, both feet on the ground, close your eyes. Focus on your perception within, and hold it in your heart without further intention, just rest with it in a relaxed and clear state. Be with that fully, as if this was the last thing you did before dying. Within a few minutes, you'll notice how calmness and clarity start pervading the mind. Take that notion with you, as you come back.

Comments

It's not necessary to close your eyes; you can also gaze if there are not many visual disturbances around. - A perception is anything of subtle nature, within you. Stay fixed on the subtlest one of them. Initially it’ll be body sensations. - If the heart does not suit you, try your belly or any other part of your body except the mind, since it may trigger you to start the thinking process. - The analogy of dying can be very helpful to be with what matters. - For some people, one minute works just fine, but to start with I would recommend three to five minutes.

Who doesn't want to find the stillness underneath the mental noise, to know the awareness behind the thinker, and finally know oneself?

To hold a perception is not like focusing, it is letting loose, but staying with it. To be perfectly present, while letting go. It has very little to do with the act of doing; ultimately it is about pure awareness and nothing about doing. You stay with your awareness and let go of any intention what so ever.

We take many things for granted, we may think it is our birthright to live our lives as we do. However, it doesn't take too much traveling to see that we don't all live under the same conditions on this planet. Sometimes we don't have to go further than a few blocks down the street. And yet, whatever we have, is mostly based on what others before us achieved.

"Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago."

Warren Buffett

What people did before us, does not always have a good outcome for us. Metaphorically speaking, we may sit in the burning sun because somebody before us took down the trees to make more profit. In ancient historical descriptions, the Germans were described as wild tribes living in dense woodlands. Most parts of the country still have a lot of forests because people before us started thinking about the long term effects. The term sustainability is said to be born out of German forestry in the late 17th century. Back then, they decided that one new tree has to be planted for every tree that is taken down.

( In 1713, the Saxon mining Chief Hans Carl von Carlowitz published his book Sylvicultura Oeconomica. It’s considered to be one of the first treatises on sustainable forest management in Germany and a starting point for the development of a forestry based on scientific principles. Source: http://www.forstwirtschaft-in-deutschland.de/en/300-yrs/300-yrs-of-sustainability-campaign/ )

Similarly, it was decided in the 18th century, to protect certain lakes, rivers, and water resources. The city of Munich is fed by water from a river, because somebody 150 years ago thought, that if we don't protect the river, there will be no potable water for our grandchildren. Due to this wisdom and farsightedness, this water is safe to drink today.

If the holiness of a river, is not reason enough to keep it clean, then our children have to be that reason.

When traveling throughout the world, I have not only seen dirty lakes and rivers but even holy rivers and lakes that are so dirty, that you wouldn't even want to dip your toes in them. Obviously, the fact that something is holy does not necessarily make us care more about it. Not only industries, hungry for profit, pump their waste into lakes and rivers, we all do. Either we think it doesn't matter, or we think that the river will magically take care of it. As with pollution, many of us have the notion that it doesn't make a difference if I litter or not. Everybody else does it, so it seems meaningless to change my behavior. In this area rules and regulations have to be used to effectuate change. But this is also where we need role models and wise leaders. These should, and do include our politicians.