What is Receptivity?

[Mandy]

Why does it sometimes seem hard to accept a gift or a kindness? What thoughts might come up other than just appreciation?  

 

Why does it sometimes seem hard to clear our minds in meditation and get into a receptive mode? What thoughts might come up? 

 

How are the two scenarios not really two different scenarios? 

[Jonas Long]

Probably...original sin?  We all secretly believe we are "guilty" and/or "undeserving" by default?  

[Mandy]

@Lester Retsel You mean like the suspicion that if it feels good, it must really be bad, out to get us, regrettable in the future or morally wrong somehow? 

[Jonas Long]

1 minute ago, Mandy said:

@Lester Retsel You mean like the suspicion that if it feels good, it must really be bad, out to get us, regrettable in the future or morally wrong somehow? 

There's a book called the Trial by Kafka, about a guy who gets arrested and put away on charges nobody will explain to him.  Part of him believes he deserves it even though he can't recall breaking any law specifically.  I think most of us have an unconscious believe that we deserve random punishment more than random goodness.

[Jonas Long]

People come out of comas suddenly being classical music geniuses or speaking a new language...it seems like "learning" to "master" something isn't necessarily as difficult as we make it for ourselves, so...why do we do it?  Why is anything  difficult?  Why do we feel like we must "work hard" to have a thing or be good at something?  

[Mandy]

@Lester Retsel That would be a negative expectation about receptivity, almost a preference for receiving negative things because it's comfortable. But can we truly receive negative things or is that just premature judgement? 

[Mandy]

1 minute ago, Lester Retsel said:

People come out of comas suddenly being classical music geniuses or speaking a new language...it seems like "learning" to "master" something isn't necessarily as difficult as we make it for ourselves, so...why do we do it?  Why is anything  difficult?  Why do we feel like we must "work hard" to have a thing or be good at something?  

Because we confuse hard work for unbroken focus. 

[Jonas Long]

1 minute ago, Mandy said:

@Lester Retsel That would be a negative expectation about receptivity, almost a preference for receiving negative things because it's comfortable. But can we truly receive negative things or is that just premature judgement? 

Like the farmer who loses his horse good luck/bad luck story?  Yeah, there's that, I guess rising above judgement of good or bad would mean we don't recieve either(?)

[Jonas Long]

2 minutes ago, Mandy said:

Because we confuse hard work for unbroken focus. 

Unbroken focus, or just forgetting to make things difficult  maybe

[Mandy]

7 minutes ago, Lester Retsel said:

Like the farmer who loses his horse good luck/bad luck story?  Yeah, there's that, I guess rising above judgement of good or bad would mean we don't recieve either(?)

Exactly like that, and that there isn't anyone solid that the stuff is happening to or for. We are the farmer and the farmer never existed, they are just part of the parable. We're all just analogies in a parable in some way.  If you go into a coma and come out apparently worse off than you were before to everyone else in your life, that's just an appearance based on what traits they value. 

6 minutes ago, Lester Retsel said:

Unbroken focus, or just forgetting to make things difficult  maybe

Someone in a coma might be in nonresistance but they typically aren't clearly focusing or desiring new things during that time. But if we keep thinking of what we want and also why we can't have what we want, we break focus and that's the making of difficulties. 

[Jonas Long]

2 minutes ago, Mandy said:

Exactly like that, and that there isn't anyone solid that the stuff is happening to or for. We are the farmer and the farmer never existed, they are just part of the parable. We're all just analogies in a parable in some way.  If you go into a coma and come out apparently worse off than you were before to everyone else in you're life, that's just an appearance based on what traits they value. 

Someone in a coma might be in nonresistance but they typically aren't clearly focusing or desiring new things during that time. But if we keep thinking of what we want and also why we can't have what we want, we break focus and that's the making of difficulties. 

So, I guess thats why then...we did it!

[James123]

1 hour ago, Mandy said:

Why does it sometimes seem hard to accept a gift or a kindness? What thoughts might come up other than just appreciation?  

Trying to be on control meanwhile, the one who is completely empty. Therefore, resistance.

1 hour ago, Mandy said:

Why does it sometimes seem hard to clear our minds in meditation and get into a receptive mode? What thoughts might come up? 

Being stuck with identification, and any thought that comes up is an identification. 

1 hour ago, Mandy said:

 

How are the two scenarios not really two different scenarios? 

It is not. Identification name and label that these are sentences or different  scenarios or there is such a thing as scenarios. 

 

[Mandy]

6 minutes ago, James123 said:

 

It is not. Identification name and label that these are sentences or different  scenarios or there is such a thing as scenarios. 

Isn't resisting that Good that you Are also resisting the Good that Are in both though? 

[James123]

5 minutes ago, Mandy said:

Isn't resisting that Good that you Are also resisting the Good that Are in both though? 

I am sorry, i couldn't understand the question.

[Mandy]

@James123 No worries, also true that they aren't scenarios. 🙂

[James123]

Just now, Mandy said:

@James123 No worries, also true that they aren't scenarios. 🙂

Anything we say is just a personal opinion/thought ☺️ no more than that. 

[Mandy]

@James123 What about Rumi's poems though? Are those just personal opinions and thoughts just like in my Facebook feed about people complaining about the sandwich they bought at the deli? What about Martin Luther King's speeches? I mean yes, thoughts, but also isn't there the potential for great appreciation, shared desire and resonance beyond the person? 

[James123]

1 minute ago, Mandy said:

@James123 What about Rumi's poems though? Are those just personal opinions and thoughts just like in my Facebook feed about people complaining about the sandwich they bought at the deli? What about Martin Luther King's speeches? I mean yes, thoughts, but also isn't there the potential for great appreciation, shared desire and resonance beyond the person? 

Silence is the language of god,

all else is poor translation.

 

Rumi

 

Rest is personal experience. Make your own, it is up to you. In my opinion 😃 the only thing that can be close to god is love, but still an experience, not the Truth. 

[Jonas Long]

3 minutes ago, Mandy said:

isn't there the potential for great appreciation, shared desire and resonance beyond the person? 

Of course, but you are clearly meaning "positive" resonance to things, which I'm not sure you can have without also having the flipside

[Mandy]

@James123 👍 

 

2 minutes ago, Lester Retsel said:

Of course, but you are clearly meaning "positive" resonance to things, which I'm not sure you can have without also having the flipside

Well that's easy with Rumi. 🙂Not just meaning positive resonance, being unconditionally grateful and receptive, recognizing the mirror, appreciating the contrast. "The people who trigger us the most are our greatest teachers", that kinda thing.