Train of thought

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Train of thought

(11 posts) (6 voices)

Started 1 year ago by rgtschope
Latest reply from Kaavs

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rgtschope

new member
Joined: May '10
Posts: 1

First post in this forum? Wow! Better make it good then!

There is a doubt I´ve been having for some time now regarding the very first step of the first step in mental training... It says that we should "observe our train of thought". I don´t know if it is a writing or translation problem (and english is only my second language), but I found it a little difficult to grasp this full meaning.

We should think of nothing in particular and wait for thoughts to happen? And when they happen, should we ignore them to let some other thought arrive? Its something like zapping channels on the TV and trying to remember what was on on every channel? (Sorry for the bad mundane analogy, hehe).

Anyway, that is what I´ve been starting to do (since the book arrived 3 or 4 days ago), and I really want to know if I´m starting with the right foot!

Peace Profound!

Posted 1 year ago #
Auriel

senior admin
Joined: May '10
Posts: 2

Hi rtschope - Yes, congrats! first post in the forum, this site has been up for a few days only and I think this will become a major discussion area - thanks for you post. I will await further registrations and member responses to you.

Posted 1 year ago #
Nazca

mod
Joined: May '10
Posts: 5

Hello!
It seems I am the second Post!

Congrats for this cool idea of making a pro forum about Franz's Teachings!

I've been studying Franz since 2008 but have had major problems dealing with the daily life, I've made a few pauses during my study's, so far I've been training the first steps and meditating the theoretical part, my problems with the daily life have been part of the teachings as well.
I love how the divine providence connects with us and choose each one of us to start this path (or restart it).

What I understand with the train of thoughts is that you must let all your thoughts come up and not get involve in them.
That means if you're thoughts come up you have to observe them like when you watch a movie with a critical eye, but don't let your emotions get touched by what you're watching. Thats why Franz says "Observe your thought's like a Silent Observer".
This is very important for the next Steps.
Most important for you is to read this book with patience, take your time, do not rush or else you will not get the proper results.

)-(

G. Nazca

Posted 1 year ago #
Nazca

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Joined: May '10
Posts: 5

rgtschope!

I found the Portuguese version of IIH in ebook pdf format on Rawn Clarck's webpage

http://www.abardoncompanion.com/IIH-Portuguese.pdf

I hope it helps

Posted 1 year ago #
andrea

new member
Joined: May '10
Posts: 2

I agree that practicing the techniques and knowing you are understanding and doing them correctly has been a bit unsettling for me. Even clearing my mind of any thoughts is sort of like telling someone to NOT think of something...first thing your mind does is think of that something! I guess for me I've made the assumption that anyone beginning these steps probably will find it difficult to wrap their mind around the concepts at times and KNOW if they're really doing what is being taught or just winging it the best they can. I am trying to just have peace with the just trusting that whatever my understanding is at the time IS simply where I am and with time, contemplation and practice I will gain new understanding and assurance that I am practicing correctly. It would be great though to have someone who has gone through this successfully to offer advice and tips.

Posted 1 year ago #
Nazca

mod
Joined: May '10
Posts: 5

Andrea, welcome to the forum!

I love the way you confuse yourself!

I've practice this several times and it is pretty difficult but not impossible.

First of all, you have to read with patience I see in the way you'r writing this subject that you are pretty impatient.

Let your thoughts come up in your mind, and let them be there, switching from thought to thought (this will happen automatically)
observe them like if you were sitting in a theatre, just keep a barrier between you and your thoughts

This is the first step you must master

The next step will be maintaining one thought of all the thoughts that are passing

Do not confuse yourself nor doubt about what your doing at that moment, its about mastering it.

If you doubt too much you might be not ready for this and would be better to stop a while, take you're time.

Restart your studies when you feel ready for it, the best way is to start from zero again, you'll read the book with a profounder perspective.

In case you stop your practice you might want to read a short and profound book that will help you understand the philosophical background of this adventure. It's called the "Bhagavad Gita" its an ancient sanskrit text written by Sri Swami Sivananda.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/23536249/Bhagavad-Gita

I wish you success on your path!

)-(

G.Nazca

Posted 1 year ago #
netsurfndude

new member
Joined: May '10
Posts: 1

In response to rgtschope I can see what you mean about certain parts of the book being hard to understand. This might be due to the fact that IIH was not originally an English book. While I am no expert I will throw in my two cents. He tells you to observe your thoughts because we need to get a better understanding of the nature of our thoughts and where they come from. Once you start trying to completely clear your mind you may find that there are subtle thoughts going on in the background you may not even be aware of at first. By observing the process our mind goes through when we are thinking of something it will help us later when we have to learn to rid ourselves of the thoughts completely. When you set down and relax without trying to contemplate anything more often then not this is when our minds bring a lot of random thoughts to the surface. I think the point of this exercise is to just let them come and pass on there own. Try not to dwell on any one just let them run there course as the play out and go to the next. Just my views. Hope it helps.

Posted 1 year ago #
andrea

new member
Joined: May '10
Posts: 2

Nazca, you're right I think I was being impatient and funny you suggested giving it a break...I did do that (it's been a year). I am going to start again fresh just like you said. I'm hoping it will be different this time...going in with more patience and being a bystander. The same sort of thing happened to me before...I had started a book called the Master Key System by Haanel several years back and the words were so cryptic to me...plain English but after reading a page or two I had no idea what it said. I started at a later time and it was a completely different experience. I will read the Bhagavad Gita and then try again. Thanks for your help. (Thanks also to the other people who posted...reading about others thoughts and experiences helps too).

Posted 1 year ago #
rgtschope

new member
Joined: May '10
Posts: 1

Yay! It took sometime, but there are some good and solid answers here! I am being rather patient about reading the book and all... Going through the theory part for the third or fourth time already, and haven't even bothered reading further into the practice part.

So, my conclusion about this part is rather good based on these answers. But here is a problem I saw:

I sit there and let the thoughts come. But the first thought I have is actually myself sitting on a "theater" watching my thoughts. Well, isn't this whole thing a thought in itself? You are "thinking" about how you let the thought come. You imagine yourself sitting somewhere.

This abstraction of thought is what is getting to me. And goes even further... If you imagine a black background, isn't that also a thought??

So, my solution, for now, is just sit and think of nothing. Eventually this thoughts will come, and then I try not to focus on them, so they can "move along". I feel though that this attitude can actually disrupt the third part, where you must think of nothing.

These are my thoughts on thoughts! lol...

See ya all!

Posted 1 year ago #
Nazca

mod
Joined: May '10
Posts: 5

(I had the same problem)

This means you're forcing yourself to think in something, rather than letting your thoughts come up in a natural way

or is it that you have no fears or worries, dreams and objectives that you want to achieve?

Those should be the first ones to appear.

Keep Up the work!

)-(

G.Nazca

Posted 1 year ago #
Kaavs

new member
Joined: Oct '11
Posts: 1

Well, i kind of understand the thing about subtle thoughts, that you never knew before, because i had somewhat practiced mental void before,and after doing those exercises i kind of noticed that thoughts comes as voice (common), images(also common) and feeling(more subtle). At first, it looked easy enough to subdue voice-thoughts, and it was harder with images, but i can't seem to kick out the feeling thoughts, as they sometimes so unnoticable, that i recognize them only when they've ruined my concentration...

Posted 3 months ago #

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