Thread: 6 Directions
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Old 10-15-2013, 05:29 PM   #90
Cady Goldfield
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,035
United_States
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Re: 6 Directions

Regarding the coffee cup, Alan Watts said the forest creates the bug. So if you find yourself reaching for a cup of coffee, it's because you're conditioned by your environment. Maybe you made the decision, maybe not. Maybe to some degree.

Bill, as Jonathan explained, the "reaching for the coffee cup" was simply an example of actions most people make without conscious thought. If not coffee, then tea, or water, or the alarm clock to turn it off, or the pet the cat. Whatever. The point is that something sparks that action, and it is not conscious thought. We don't think, "I shall pet the cat now," we just get an "urge" (desire) to pet the cat, reach out and do it. Desire sparks intent which fires the action, and can be sustained over long periods of time (i.e. it's not a chain sequence of events). Being aware of that state and being able to summon it at will, and to apply it continuously, is what allows us to do things such as work the 6 directions and "hold" them, even when moving.
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