Simplify

For me instincts simplify. There are 100 toothpaste on offer, which one? I pick the second cheapest one. Supposedly a scientist picked one icecream the rest of his life, to simplify the choice, let his mind be reserved for what he wanted to think about. Supposedly a fellow had a hunting accident that disconnected his emotions from his mind. Didn't seem to be a problem except when he had to make a choice, emotions and feelings help narrow down our choices so we don't get lost in possibilities. 

I think about what book to read. I'm really enjoying this novelization of the life of Iranian poet Forugh Farrokhzad (Wikipedia, my post). I have to return my history of Iran soon. I'm into a book on the 5 aggregates. I really enjoyed reading The Life of the Buddha the day before yesterday (In Iran, in Farsi, they have a word for that). I could list all the other books at my bedside tempting me, but hopefully you get the point that I'm bewildered by my choices in learning and reading. What should I be learning?!

Shams does a similar thing with what should I be focused on in mindfulness. He wants to meditate more, and he really feels supported by me joining him.

The above photo is before and after in Afghanistan. 

I'm thinking about Ahoo, who's gotten out alive, many people thought she would just be killed.

I've been fascinated by this tweet:

"Met a longtime meditator today who told me his inner monologue vanished and he missed it and regretted losing it. Also that he missed having some anxiety/neuroticism because it’s a useful source of fuel/drive. Meditation is great, but should come with a warning label."

For sure meditation isn't a panacea, and there are negative results. I think, and I'm speculating based on my experience in life, that some people have trauma they're having difficult keeping a lid on. That is also associated with obsessions, which is another way to keep a lid on trauma. Also if you have psychosis, and you're not very objective that you don't have to listen to a voice coming from inside that you don't identify as you, that could be a problem. I'm sure there might be other scenarios. When I had my workers meditate together for 10 minutes, I allowed people not to do it. 

Having said that, I think it's a horrible tweet because first off nobody loses that inner voice, they lost the neurotic chatter. That's what you want to lose. 

I've been spilling my coffee, it's happened twice in the past few weeks and it's in my head, and that caused me to knock it over this time. I have a lot of ambivalence about coffee, been addicted since I started college.

Still continuing to process piti. Talk by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.