The mind seems to have a mind of it's own (excuse the pun) as distinct from the awareness of awareness, which is empty of content and rests in itself as rest and peace and content such as thought and contemplation which are found to be absent. Yet it has a different kind of thought, it seems to be a kind of spontaneous deep knowing as if the awareness is highly intelligent and from a 'place' a 'realm' far away and yet present, highly efficient and yet not embodied by the body yet resides in it as driver in a vehicle, a pilot in an amazingly efficient miraculous flesh vehicle to which this vehicle is temporary, impermanent and subject to malady and death, pain, suffering and yet abundant joy and health at times.
I write this on March 29 2020 in an extraordinary year as of this date I am self isolating on the recommendation of the Government and WHO due to a virus named coronavirus-19(Covid-19) this is isolation for those over seventy years of age (I am 81)and am recommended to do this for three to four months, a feat which could lead to cabin fever, depression and fear of food shortage and relying on help and assistance from total strangers as in my situation or family and even dying patients can only say goodbye by SKYPE if in hospital.
For me it is a time of deep reflection, meditation and to study openly and without judgement and opinion of others to watch, observe and see, feel the mind in action and experience awareness when the mind is not distracted by people, TV, books, fantasies, fears, body aches and pains and so on. It is like being imprisoned voluntarily and feeling ones choices and freedom have been curtailed, not by a despotic government but by an invisible virus, perhaps it reminds me of the tale of the Hebrews and Pharaohs with the ten plagues as the world has experienced a number of these near or full blown pandemics such as; Avian flu, Swine Flu, SARS, MERS, Ebola, Spanish flu and so on and this one that has brought in the measures of 'lock down' the shutting of cinemas, sporting events and only food shops, chemists and essential ones kept open, only to go out for food, medicine or alone exercise and to keep six feet apart from others and for those over seventy not going out at all of course fortunately for myself I have a large communal garden and to keep six feet apart at least from other residents. The government has urged that everyone who can work from home do so and as schools are shut, parents take on the role of teachers or the wonders of internet and technology mean innovation and one can work and be in school at home through computer link ups, conference calls and so on.
Maybe the whole world which but a few places is in lock down will reflect and realise in this time of quietness that the wars, pollution, GMO food and all other aspects like that, homelessness, austerity and so on are not the best choices for humanity and in this lock down of supermarket shortages, the so called supply chain inadequacy and the UK in which I live relies on 80% of its food from imports, when farms lay empty and redundant. This time is a time not seen before in Earth's history.
Many folk who maybe relied on distraction like TV, pubs, cinemas, theatre, restaurants and cafe's, parties, visiting relatives and friends are advised not to go on these excursions, the wearing of masks and then the doctors and nurses overwhelmed by patients, working huge hours, tired and exhausted and the health services caught short by lack of essential equipment, the government just printing money to compensate the loss of jobs and so forth is monumental. This is called quantitative Easing an insidious kind of monetary ploy issuing to the Government by a Bank really monopoly money and the governments IOU to the bank in the form of Bonds. OK, so there is total chaos and the WHO and the Governments caught short and many a person in total shock and frightened as this has caught everyone by surprise, totally out one's comfort zone and so on.
What will this mean when it is over, will the world return to its blustering, capitalist, communism, Fascist, Racist, left, right, centre this and that politics, the temporary truces abandoned and the weaknesses left by the scourge of the virus mean that those economies and armies return to take advantage again and seek world domination?
So I have observed my mind being restless and as much as I have written about inner peace and meditation and my relatively health well being, small pension, warm dry flat, a lot of junk I do not need, my own self sufficiency even to the point of arrogance, not comfortable with relying on help and uncomfortable in receiving this, not fully trusting people due to years in Forensics, lies and deceits as in my POSTS in www.geofffreed.com which is classed as conspiratorial, an unhappy childhood to say the least, this has brought to the surface the deep hidden fears and programmes and this way it is a blessing, it has jolted many and me to look at and not run away from the self imprisonment of my own mind and its conditioning and 'brain washing'. Many may come to face themselves and not like what they feel or see, the boredom, the actual fear of getting ill and dying, this is a time to 'go behind' the dark menacing feelings, thoughts and dreams, examine them and try not to judge and explain them away. What does this mean to feel barren, restless, empty, jump into the empty chasm and one might find it is not empty at all but a rather amazing peace, the peace of no thing.
As I have so conveniently and smugly eulogised in these writings and my daily routines and comforts, although minimal, it has exposed the frailties and weaknesses and now the 'shit has hit the fan' it is perhaps an awakening to 'walk my talk' in a deeper fashion.
I can feel and observe my mind, the witness to the mind, making an impulse a reaching and searching for a distraction or more like an automatic programme which through these circumstances cannot be fulfilled, then the searching for an alternative and not wishing to capitulate to the peace of awareness and its OK to not do anything at all, this persistent urge to do. This calling of the soul just to be.
Ah what a wonderful lesson oh great Universal Life and will it take me or whoever is the me without the habitual stuff of 'before the virus' will I return when this over and it is declared by the government safe to go out and about again, will the restless mind become dominant again and seek it's former habitual brain washed automatic robotic existence. I can only say 'watch this space'
I write this on March 29 2020 in an extraordinary year as of this date I am self isolating on the recommendation of the Government and WHO due to a virus named coronavirus-19(Covid-19) this is isolation for those over seventy years of age (I am 81)and am recommended to do this for three to four months, a feat which could lead to cabin fever, depression and fear of food shortage and relying on help and assistance from total strangers as in my situation or family and even dying patients can only say goodbye by SKYPE if in hospital.
For me it is a time of deep reflection, meditation and to study openly and without judgement and opinion of others to watch, observe and see, feel the mind in action and experience awareness when the mind is not distracted by people, TV, books, fantasies, fears, body aches and pains and so on. It is like being imprisoned voluntarily and feeling ones choices and freedom have been curtailed, not by a despotic government but by an invisible virus, perhaps it reminds me of the tale of the Hebrews and Pharaohs with the ten plagues as the world has experienced a number of these near or full blown pandemics such as; Avian flu, Swine Flu, SARS, MERS, Ebola, Spanish flu and so on and this one that has brought in the measures of 'lock down' the shutting of cinemas, sporting events and only food shops, chemists and essential ones kept open, only to go out for food, medicine or alone exercise and to keep six feet apart from others and for those over seventy not going out at all of course fortunately for myself I have a large communal garden and to keep six feet apart at least from other residents. The government has urged that everyone who can work from home do so and as schools are shut, parents take on the role of teachers or the wonders of internet and technology mean innovation and one can work and be in school at home through computer link ups, conference calls and so on.
Maybe the whole world which but a few places is in lock down will reflect and realise in this time of quietness that the wars, pollution, GMO food and all other aspects like that, homelessness, austerity and so on are not the best choices for humanity and in this lock down of supermarket shortages, the so called supply chain inadequacy and the UK in which I live relies on 80% of its food from imports, when farms lay empty and redundant. This time is a time not seen before in Earth's history.
Many folk who maybe relied on distraction like TV, pubs, cinemas, theatre, restaurants and cafe's, parties, visiting relatives and friends are advised not to go on these excursions, the wearing of masks and then the doctors and nurses overwhelmed by patients, working huge hours, tired and exhausted and the health services caught short by lack of essential equipment, the government just printing money to compensate the loss of jobs and so forth is monumental. This is called quantitative Easing an insidious kind of monetary ploy issuing to the Government by a Bank really monopoly money and the governments IOU to the bank in the form of Bonds. OK, so there is total chaos and the WHO and the Governments caught short and many a person in total shock and frightened as this has caught everyone by surprise, totally out one's comfort zone and so on.
What will this mean when it is over, will the world return to its blustering, capitalist, communism, Fascist, Racist, left, right, centre this and that politics, the temporary truces abandoned and the weaknesses left by the scourge of the virus mean that those economies and armies return to take advantage again and seek world domination?
So I have observed my mind being restless and as much as I have written about inner peace and meditation and my relatively health well being, small pension, warm dry flat, a lot of junk I do not need, my own self sufficiency even to the point of arrogance, not comfortable with relying on help and uncomfortable in receiving this, not fully trusting people due to years in Forensics, lies and deceits as in my POSTS in www.geofffreed.com which is classed as conspiratorial, an unhappy childhood to say the least, this has brought to the surface the deep hidden fears and programmes and this way it is a blessing, it has jolted many and me to look at and not run away from the self imprisonment of my own mind and its conditioning and 'brain washing'. Many may come to face themselves and not like what they feel or see, the boredom, the actual fear of getting ill and dying, this is a time to 'go behind' the dark menacing feelings, thoughts and dreams, examine them and try not to judge and explain them away. What does this mean to feel barren, restless, empty, jump into the empty chasm and one might find it is not empty at all but a rather amazing peace, the peace of no thing.
As I have so conveniently and smugly eulogised in these writings and my daily routines and comforts, although minimal, it has exposed the frailties and weaknesses and now the 'shit has hit the fan' it is perhaps an awakening to 'walk my talk' in a deeper fashion.
I can feel and observe my mind, the witness to the mind, making an impulse a reaching and searching for a distraction or more like an automatic programme which through these circumstances cannot be fulfilled, then the searching for an alternative and not wishing to capitulate to the peace of awareness and its OK to not do anything at all, this persistent urge to do. This calling of the soul just to be.
Ah what a wonderful lesson oh great Universal Life and will it take me or whoever is the me without the habitual stuff of 'before the virus' will I return when this over and it is declared by the government safe to go out and about again, will the restless mind become dominant again and seek it's former habitual brain washed automatic robotic existence. I can only say 'watch this space'
SHACK