Quote:
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Originally Posted by Gem
free of aversion and desire
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It's such a wonderful thing as well. When we observe ourselves, we see we typically are dealing with one of those most of the time, when we interact with this world and the beings in it, and when we are focused with our own thoughts. Thought typically is throwing up one of those concepts as applied to whatever we are encountering moment to moment.
Even equanimity can be desired and thus it is no longer equanimity at all and is instead, tainted by thought, by person, by ego. True equanimity has no person attached to it. No thought form. It's this or me as I am, without a thought coloring it, tinting it, being involved in it.
It's funny because if we speak of it, talk about it, write about it, it being equanimity or a state of being free of aversion and desire, we are not living or being it at all. Tolle said he becomes a different thing when writing or speaking, and when he is done, he transforms back into what he is. Totally lets go of all that conceptual content the moment his talk is done.
I'm a bit hesitant to equate this idea of a "middle way" to this as "a way" conceptualizes a being as form in a specific place, conceptually anyway, in the middle of two things. When really, those two things no longer are present in anyway nor is a middle. More specifically, a person or ego to be involved in this or it.
But then that "middle way" also is related to the idea of becoming. Where we can do or not do....to become when both are the same in the sense of the one doing both. One is involved if they are thinking, or not thinking. Being mindful or not being mindful. Involved conceptually if one is writing about such things. Using memory etc, ideas.
Not relating factually what is present now in this moment. If one is in equanimity or a liberated state, what is here in some verbal form? Nothing really. That is added content, and one in equanimity is not adding mental content, not involved with mental content, not giving energy or form to mental content. The "middle way" is always a reference to the past, to the known, so always some ego is being carried along. Trying to bring along a piece of the known, into the unknown.
It's all here, and quite familiar, well known and loved even, but it is known on that level, by what it is, as opposed to how my thoughts and mind may color it. I experience it as everyone else does as well, before our thoughts change it and give it a personal viewpoint.