What did Alan Watts mean when he said "man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun"? Initially, I believed his words to be a reference to life. But today it means something more specific to me. I believe that Mr. Watts was referring to the mind. The mind is the cause of all our sufferings. Anxiety, depression, addiction, and worry, are all afflictions of the mind. So are the feelings of lack, desire, impatience, doubt, and fear. They are all manifestations of the mind that keep us from progressing.
Conversely, the mind is a powerfully useful force. It creates, encourages, imagines, reflects, allows us to feel, interprets emotions, and does a myriad of other constructive things. It is a great gift! The mind is a useful aid, but make no mistake - the mind is not our true self!
We cannot be the mind because the mind is too fragmented. If we were the mind we would cease to function. The mind can be in any one direction at any given moment, and everywhere all at once. This is not sustainable.
Parts of the Self
We have within us a triad. The mind, the do'er, and the observer. The observer is the one that holds all the opposing thoughts of the mind at a distance and recognizes that they are happening. The observer observes without emotion or bias. He is the life force.
The mind is the collector of experiences and the distributor of stored information. He paints a picture of what is to come based on past experiences. He think he is the true self because he is aware of his own existence and is the catalyst to all actions.
The do'er is the one that enacts the belief system of the mind after it buys into, or sorts out the information provided. The do'er choses from the thoughts and emotions that the mind produces and attempts to deciphers what is most viable so that he can play out the part. The do'er is what we most closely relate to as I or me. He thinks he is the main entity that holds the mind within himself, but in reality he is the ego. More specifically the do'er bridges the gap between mind and physical reality to manipulate the outer environment to its advantage.
THE TRUE SELF
The observer is the true self. To the observer, the happenings between mind and do'er is like watching a movie. The observer does not care what happens between mind and do'er because he does not identify with them. Its like having a dream and knowing you are dreaming - the outcome of the dream cannot affect the real you.
It is possible to override the mind and the do'er and live life through the observer if one is aware enough - or enlightened. Being enlightened gives you the ability to effectively affect the world around you through your observer self. Like being aware of dreaming and then manipulating the outcome of it instead of letting the dream play out. When one is aware, one lives through the observer. The enlightened person can urge the do'er to act as he wishes without the illusion of mind getting in the way. He becomes one with the do'er, independent from the influence of mind. Mind and do'er then become merely a function for the observer to experience life on his own terms.
The Sleeping State of Man
We suffer because we live in a sleep-state in which the mind and the doer play out life without influence from the observer. In the sleeping state, man's identification with the mind allow his negative thoughts to become his reality. In turn, man suffers his thoughts - not his reality. Thinking he is the self, the do'er acts out the often erroneous information provided by the mind.
How many times have you worried about something that had not happened yet? How many times have you catastrophized an outcome just to find out that the real outcome was much different than anticipated? We worry and worry then in reality everything turns out alright - if not great! The vast majority of us have learned to live in the realm of the mind instead of in our reality. We think that past experiences are legitimate measures of future outcomes and so when we encounter something that was previously discomforting, we assume that future outcomes will be the same.
This is not true living. This is living on autopilot in accordance to memories as depicted by mind. The brain serves as a storehouse for past experiences; and when we go into any given situation, our mind searches for the most closely related experiences and tells you what it thinks the outcome might be. Be it good or bad, the mind will only tell you what it thinks it knows. In the absence of information it defaults to fear as a survival mechanism. This is why new experiences are always met with underlying fear and trepidation.
The information that the mind gives you must be taken with a grain of salt. It should not be taken as reality.
So how do we stop living from mind and start living our true self? It starts by recognizing the function of mind: which is to gather information and spit out probable outcomes. Then, its all a matter of separating factual realities from fictional realities. I know that sounds a bit confusing but in the minds eye everything is reality. It is all just pictures. It is up to the do'er to experience the picture so that the mind can make a conclusion as to whether something is to be sorted into hard facts or temporary illusions.
Example of factual and fictional realities:
Factual reality: fire is always hot, so do not touch fire.
Fictional reality- You were rejected once so you will always be rejected.
The difference between these two perceived realities is the nature of the force we are dealing with. One force has mind, the other does not.
Forces without mind can typically be said to have unchanging characteristics (unless other forces are applied to change it), I call these forces tools. Remember: tools are constant and predictable.
I call forces with mind - beings. Beings are ALWAYS changing and fluid. Beings are animals, including humans. Beings are dynamic, everchanging, and complex. Because beings are complex, it is NOT advisable to assume that when dealing with a force with mind that ones experiences will always be the same one moment to the next.
Plants are are both tools and beings- but that is a whole other blog.
Learn to use tools to attain material things. Learn to influence beings to enhance - or -alter your reality.
The Quick and Short Takeaway
Don't suffer your mind. The truth is that we get to decide how we experience life. Mind was meant to be enjoyed - so let mind serve your creativity and imagination. Let it speak encouraging words instead of seeding doubt. Let it inspire you instead of causing you anxieties. Mind is a powerful gift that has the ability to make us powerful beings. But all things come in duality so the trick is to become masters of our minds not its prisoner.
For an in-depth look at the domains of the mind, how to master it, and how to become creators of your own destiny, read my book - Life is a Pot Rack: Create the Life You Deserve - available HERE via amazon.
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