To Do Nothing
shilin.ca
To Do Nothing
1–10 of 20 posts
Re: To Do Nothing
#2I'd suggest trying meditation.
Re: To Do Nothing
#3What are you reading?
What are you planning?
Who are you calling?
Re: To Do Nothing
#4It just seems that someone ignorant of Buddhism discovers meditation by himself
Re: To Do Nothing
#5As the other commenters posted, "yes, this is just meditation"
I think the real value of this post is that it's almost like discovering from first principles. Building up the knowledge bit by bit.
Thankfully it also provides a reference that can get past initial barriers and apprehension.. "meditation? Sounds too wooey" or "tried it, didn't work" are both I've heard often.
It could be the message that somebody needs.
Re: To Do Nothing
#6All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.
Blaise Pascal, Pensées
Re: To Do Nothing
#7The philosopher Blaise Pascal once said that "all of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." Many of our world's troubles come from people doing stupid things rather than sitting peacefully with discomfort.
Doing nothing is actually a kind of discipline. The brain isn’t designed for idle time; evolution didn’t prioritize contentment—it prioritized survival. So Becky never really shuts up, because quiet might’ve once meant danger. Today, it just means our ancient wiring is nudging us to be productive, even when there’s nothing to produce.
Re: To Do Nothing
#8Weird that I have no difficulty doing nothing. Getting something done is my problem.
Re: To Do Nothing
#9Weird that I have no difficulty doing nothing. Getting something done is my problem.
Really doing nothing and not just using the phone, for example?
Re: To Do Nothing
#10The philosopher Blaise Pascal once said that "all of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." Many of our world's troubles come from people doing stupid things rather than sitting peacefully with discomfort. Doing nothing is actually a kind of discipline. The brain isn’t designed for idle time; evolution didn’t prioritize contentment—it prioritized survival. So Becky never really…
I would add a corollary to Pascal's remark. Not all of humanity's problems stem from that inability, bu the many of the ones that don't come instead from our inability to sit quietly in a room with others.
Fortunately, for more than 300 years, the Quakers have been showing us how this is done, and they inherit a long line of silent, social presence.