Transcript of a multi-speaker conversation (likely informal lecture) about discovering a state 'beyond' identification with feelings and thoughts. The speaker emphasizes exposure to inspiring figures (teachers, parents, friends), continuous effort, social support, and motivation despite emotional or physical suffering as keys to accessing and sustaining that deeper place.
Most people completely identify with their feelings or their mind, their thoughts. And what you're describing is someplace beyond both. How do you find that place beyond both?
I think the only way that there's even a possibility of something beyond what we feel and what we think is if we've been exposed to an alternative or else we have no other option. It's like having another channel on a tv. And so because I've been exposed to many teachers, many friends, a prior life where that was central as a core.
I had another channel to tune into. And so we have to be exposed to a great mom or a great dad or a great teacher and someone that inspires us. And even though we can't feel it, we kind of, not even kind of, we have a deep memory that says, this is all that matters. This is really the key to my life. And it's hard to not have access.
To the feeling center.
I mean, it's the hardest work by.
Far I've ever done in my life, by far.
However, when I looked at the alternatives.
Which was to withdraw, to take less interest.
It wasn't even close to being an option. So the motivation to want to respond in a way with those channels that I intuitively knew was all that mattered, was pretty much an automatic option.
However, I needed the help of friends and had to ask for it, and I needed the help of a teacher, and that was critical.
And I needed the help of continuous reminders inside. They were cognitively saying to me, show me someone else that wouldn't have a hard time when they can't feel a sense of well being, but still find the motivation. It's not your fault. You didn't put these chemicals in your body on purpose or for anyone that's in an illness. You're not being sick on purpose or anybody that's in chronic pain. You're not being in chronic pain on purpose and congratulations. But you're still trying to find a place to be present or to be kind or considerate, even though you feel like crap.
Congratulations on being able to contain your emotional state. And you still have a motivation that you know is the best that can be, whether you can feel it or not.
