Craving

[Loving]

I have felt some clarity about what is so illusory about craving. Feel free to comment on, add or amend something.

There is only now, and when you crave, you become dissatisfied with the now; in that moment you prefer the reality of your idea to your experiential reality, and you suffer from this comparison. So when we act, if we are to be blissful, we don't compare the future to the present, the present to the past and assess that one is greater than the other, or how much greater each is than the other, that this state is 6 and this was 9 and this was 3 and that would be 11. There is only now, therefore we must exist mindfully. When we have a thought, we know it is just a thought. When we have a feeling, we know it is a feeling. When we imagine something, we know we are imagining. When we remember, we know we are remembering. Thus we experience the past and future only as movies playing on the screen of our minds; to long for them is to long to dive into the television screen. Everything that is worthy of appreciation exists not "inside" the screen, but here in the present moment. Movies should be a source of inspiration, never a source of suffering. This is why it is a mistake to crave.

As to how to practically stop craving, though, I'm not sure!

[SunWuKong]

I have felt some clarity about what is so illusory about craving. Feel free to comment on, add or amend something.

There is only now, and when you crave, you become dissatisfied with the now; in that moment you prefer the reality of your idea to your experiential reality, and you suffer from this comparison. So when we act, if we are to be blissful, we don't compare the future to the present, the present to the past and assess that one is greater than the other, or how much greater each is than the other, that this state is 6 and this was 9 and this was 3 and that would be 11. There is only now, therefore we must exist mindfully. When we have a thought, we know it is just a thought. When we have a feeling, we know it is a feeling. When we imagine something, we know we are imagining. When we remember, we know we are remembering. Thus we experience the past and future only as movies playing on the screen of our minds; to long for them is to long to dive into the television screen. Everything that is worthy of appreciation exists not "inside" the screen, but here in the present moment. Movies should be a source of inspiration, never a source of suffering. This is why it is a mistake to crave.

As to how to practically stop craving, though, I'm not sure!

Yet there is just enough satisfaction that arises to keep us bound up in a cycle where we deny that mostly all we ever feel is dissatisfaction. Maybe we were satisfied once with x,y, and z, in concert. So we keep trying to put x.y,and z in concert, but it's always unsatisfying. None the less we don't "get it" or catch on. A big part of breaking free is seeing these things for what they really are, not what we would like them to be. Rather than looking at it through the lens of desire, looking straight at the denial and delusion that pervades our mind. Our freedom is not contingent on x,y, or z. So why are were imprisoned by denial and delusion about x,y, or z? Shine a light of Wisdom into this and then we see it's just compulsive ignorance.

[muni]

Locked in the thought stream there is never peace, awareness, clarity. It is hopping on the train of thoughts-feelings and there we go. Dragged into the movie of mind while nothing of all this is other than floating mind images. The past is holding on memory, the future is holding on creations of phantasy. The present moment, being presence is losing ground of present moment as well. There is no ground any longer when there is no time and awareness or whatever term is absent because can only be by holding onto a thought.

I remember a saying: thoughts can be used but should not use "us".

Perhaps therefore not dwelling/abiding into thoughts'stream, which is always in past or future. Thoughts of past-future however in the presence can be but there is no dwelling in them, since awareness is aware. They are like passing clouds in the sky, they are nothing solid.

I found it easier to "be where" even no thoughts float. But that is like washing movement away. While stillness is always together with movement. However craving mind seems to dwell only in movement, while stillness ( emptiness) "on the background" remains hidden.

We need guidance, looking within-practices, to discover why is said life is just a dream.

I find these posts very inspiring to apply Dharma therefore many thanks and correct my drawings please.

[muni]

Even though, we may not be aware of craving, we can get a clue to its presence. We can recognise the signs. One way is to be aware of the emotions that arise. The negative emotions such as anger, sadness and fear may indicate craving. So when we experience annoyance, dissatisfaction, impatience and so on, we know we are craving. The positive emotions too, may indicate craving. For instance, the excitement on getting something indicates craving.

https://trans4mind.com/personal_develop ... Truth2.htm

[seeker242]

As to how to practically stop craving, though, I'm not sure!

Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
when practicing deeply the Prajna Paramita
perceives that all five skandhas are empty
and is saved from all suffering and distress

Perceiving that all five skandhas are empty stop craving! Now, how to perceive that all five skandhas are empty? Seems to me The Buddha did that by sitting under a tree.

[SunWuKong]

Emptiness (sunyata) is not the equivalent of “nothing” and to suffuse the mind with emptiness restricts, reduces, and removes craving. There really isn’t another way that I know of