Here’s a quote from one of my replies at another forum.
It’s very simply about how to get closer to inner-calm, whilst loosening addictions, habits, attachments, etc.
Well, here’s my two-cents:
Imposing non-reality upon reality, or wishing to hide the non-reality from reality, is basically illusion & escapism. In many ways these things are the aversions and the un-necessary cravings.
There’s also a difference between being mentally and physically free from samsara.
There’s a difference between being mentally inside of or outside of a karmic current. Desires and aversions usually exist when the inner-self is actively moving. But when the inner-self calms down, slows, and attains either stillness or peace, cravings and aversions reduce. In this state, life becomes more of an art-of-observation, and not so much a mandatory-chain-of-reactions.
What to do?
Get bored. Stay there. Stay bored for as long as you can. And then, stay bored even-longer. Sit still and look at an object. Just look at that one object, and try not to let your eyes blur or wander or close, etc.
After this, if you’ve stayed still, mentally, for a long time, and just can’t take it anymore, you may have an outburst of restlessness and mental-karma. At this time you will probably start to want to “do things” again. Try to spend this time in actuations of release. Exercise, either run or lift-weights or walk. Maybe make some paintings or drawings. Laugh. Cook some food, and then eat it. Or maybe you may want to sleep. Either way, there is an after-flux and release of karma if mental stillness is experienced for an enduring time. But, during the after-flux and release, if you express yourself through physical motion, self-expression and art, instead of taking in more media & tasks, the amount of karma you clear from out of yourself will be more than doubled. In this case, both the stillness and the self-actuation cleans thyself. Remember, most of the entertainment today is a synthesis, a fantasy and a non-reality. Most conflicts are also synthetically created for no deeper reason. But, some forms of self-actuation only release karma, these expressions-of-self do not create more karmic burdon or attachment.
:scratchchin: @ ex-christians: - you know, I think the sabath-day [once every seven days] was also an example of non-work, which helped people reattain degrees of inner-stillness. Doing nothing for an entire day, once a week atleast. I think that was one of the better spiritual ideas during the times of ancient-isreal. Most christians never do this in the modern-age, but it’s a good idea, none-the-less. :scratchchin:
Edit:
I would also like to add, that there is no absolute failure or victory within the continueum of eternal, non-absolute reality.
If you pour a bit out of your bucket, and empty your bucket slightly [not absolutely], you nave not had absolute victory, but you’ve still cleared yourself somewhat. If you get more of what you do not need, dumpted into your bucket, you have not absolutely failed. Instead, you’ve simply gained a few more burdons, from now up antil the eventual liberation.