Two false beliefs that cause the majority of our suffering

#1 - knowledge is good, while not-knowing is bad

#2 - each human being IS a "self"

These are actually more like FALSE programmed assumptions that are buried underneath a massive amount of all kinds of other beliefs and assumptions that grew over one's lifetime - the way a snowball grows rolling down a snowy mountain.

Once these two assumptions are programmed into a human being, he or she is set off down a path where suffering becomes the norm!

These two beliefs actually work together, and build the quicksand foundation on which the false-conceptual-egoic-self stands.

Most of the time, we don't even consider these assumption, we are convinced that they are facts.

Well, they are not facts.

These two assumptions are behind the majority of our suffering, because the "self" that we believe and assume that we are is nothing but identification with a whole bunch of invented concepts from our culture, and bunch of memories (concepts) in the self-mind that is running our lives 24/7.

The self-mind is what creates the false-self. The same self-mind also interprets and provides the meaning to every perception that we have by relating what everything means in relation to this false self.

It is a closed system, which leads to us living inside our beliefs and assumptions, and perceiving everything through these concepts.

To be honest, it seems the self-mind was designed to be a tool that helps us as BEINGS to survive, and currently it has taken place of our "being" and is simply doing whatever it wants with our dumb-asses.

...obviously the majority of humans are possessed by this "mental-program."

Enough to observe the shit that goes on around us and in the world to see that the self-mind is what makes many folks really wacked in the head. Best example is politicians. But, they are obviously ONLY the tip of the ice-berg!

well said,

most people if not everyone will find it very hard to accept that we are all one..try to surround urself around like minded people that have the capability to create new understandings, everyone else will forever be a slave to these foreign concepts..

SacredTHCRitual said:

most people if not everyone will find it very hard to accept that we are all one..try to surround urself around like minded people that have the capability to create new understandings, everyone else will forever be a slave to these foreign concepts..

Click to expand...

I guarantee that the majority of folks when they read these two beliefs in the Original Post - will think I'm crazy writing that these two are false assumptions. Most are convinced these are 100% facts.

But this is something I have contemplated a lot.

Concerning the false belief that knowledge is good, while not-knowing is bad:

If we think through, and ask ourselves where have we picked up our knowledge, eventually we will be shocked that 99.9% of it comes from simply believing a massive amount of hearsay that we never had any direct experience with. That a bunch of BS just has been passed down to us from the culture we live in.

We also don't notice that before we have any insight, or learn anything, the state of not-knowing is what was first. Not-knowing is what allows for insights and learning to occur. Without the state of not-knowing knowledge would not be possible on any level.

It's sort of like breathing OUT and breathing IN. Without the out there can be no in.

We, usually, don't notice this.

And concerning the false belief that every human IS a self:

If we think back to the first memories of our selves, we will notice that at some time our memory stops completely.

My question is what was there before that? Before all these beliefs and assumptions were programmed into us?

I want you to notice that whatever you consider your "self" to be is nothing BUT concepts in your mind.

Obviously our "self-identity" has been created. Culture helps us out in the beginning, and later we continue to create, maintain, support, and protect our "self" with everything we've got.

But, we usually live believing and assuming that this "self" is real, while obviously it is not real.

By real, I mean, it is not authentic, original.

This "self" is more or less an INVENTION.

This false-invented-conceptual-self, is NOT the real "being" that we are.

It is simply IDENTIFICATION with a bunch of concepts that have been invented for us, that we gobbled up, and as the icing on top of the cake, we added some of our own concepts.

Now, a good analogy:

Living as a false "self" is like carrying a back-pack around with you that weighs 300 pounds, and calling the back-pack and everything in it your "self."

This is the actual HUMAN CONDITION, and no wonder we are suffering so much. Just look at the amount of booze and prescription pills people consume daily.

To help with what?

Anxiety and Depression right?

What are these two conditions fundamentally?

It is where the self-mind is inventing scenarios about the future (anxiety) or remembering the past (depression).

When you are hypnotized by these thoughts you are NOT in the present moment. If you were you could not have anxiety or depression.

When you identify with these thoughts, you obviously suffer.

So, to stop suffering, one must find a way to eliminate or dis-identify with the false-self. There is no other way to end suffering.

At least, not in the long-term!

I thought it was:

1} Electricity is free.
2} Someone stole my lighter. (Damn it!)

Stoner4Life said:

Well I always thought the two false beliefs that cause the most suffering in our lives were:

1) it's a govt conspiracy.
2) my wife's cheating on me.

Click to expand...

these are in the top for sure...but i'm talking about the it's and my and me in those beliefs...what are those???

the belief that there is such a thing as a "self" is what is under question by me in this thread.

if there is no self then there is no suffering

this means we might not have to suffer...that if we can grasp that suffering, and all other pain, for that matter, are only distinctions in our consciousness...this opens a crack in the wall of illusion.

the illusion that is pulled over before our eyes by the false-self-mind mechanism.

nice to see you S4L...hope your health is having a positive dynamic, last time i remember you were having health-related difficulties.

Kcar said:

I thought it was:

1} Electricity is free.
2} Someone stole my lighter. (Damn it!)

Click to expand...

i don't think those cause suffering...those help you save money on one end, and lose a lot on the other.

i would like to have these as my top two beliefs...i would grow all day long

and give a few lighters away to my customers

There is some weight to what is being said here, though it is difficult for me to wrap my mind around it. Check it out: http://modernpsychoanalysis.blogspot.com/2006/12/false-self.html

The belief that we think we need more then we have, instead being grateful for what we got, changing that thought probably added 20 (happy) years to my life.

the ideas you present are similar to those espoused by J. Krishnamurti when he talks about "Authority". he means we regard what we have been taught as an authority for our living.

long before Krishnamurti the Buddha concieved the idea of 'Place'. meaning that Culture moulds individuals into their place in the world. thus individuals tend to conform with Culture's authority and never think their own original thoughts.

of course it is not easy to think original thoughts ... to understand ... to realise. one must work at it.

cheers from philosophical Oz!

Is this the eckhart tolle hour?

Who, exactly, is suffering? I'm so confused!

unspoken said:

Is this the eckhart tolle hour?

Click to expand...

i sure hope the hell not...he's too old and dorky to write this kind of stuff

Sat X RB said:

the ideas you present are similar to those espoused by J. Krishnamurti when he talks about "Authority". he means we regard what we have been taught as an authority for our living.

long before Krishnamurti the Buddha concieved the idea of 'Place'. meaning that Culture moulds individuals into their place in the world. thus individuals tend to conform with Culture's authority and never think their own original thoughts.

of course it is not easy to think original thoughts ... to understand ... to realise. one must work at it.

cheers from philosophical Oz!

Click to expand...

x...krishnamurti guy have seen on Youtube that's about it

...but buddha when he got enlightnment he wanted to leave and live the rest of his life in the woods

...and some stoner said...someone will...lol

...and buddha said...yes...someone will...and started teaching

...and the first students got enlightened the fastest in the first years...you know why...because buddha didn't say a word the WHOLE time

Bud Spleefman said:

Who, exactly, is suffering? I'm so confused!

Click to expand...

there is no confusion...EVERYONE is suffering 24/7/365...everyone

at least there is no confusion for consciousness...to be more exact

I enjoy your posts man....philosophy is really thought provoking

kin_dawg said:

The belief that we think we need more then we have, instead being grateful for what we got, changing that thought probably added 20 (happy) years to my life.

Click to expand...

no doubt...but most folks have some serious difficulty with this because they have to keep their attention on the present...and this goes against the mind's obsessive desire to keep the self-survival drive going until we fall over and die or someone kills us

gingerale said:

I enjoy your posts man....philosophy is really thought provoking

Click to expand...

GA...glad you also like philosophy...and like stuff that provokes original thought...at least that is how i interpreted your comment

BrownThumb said:

There is some weight to what is being said here, though it is difficult for me to wrap my mind around it. Check it out: http://modernpsychoanalysis.blogspot.com/2006/12/false-self.html

Click to expand...

hard to follow for me...but if it says anything about the false self being a conceptual invention it is headed in the right direction

I take comfort in the fact that we are all star dust. That knowledge is good. some knowledge helps you let go of the ego, which hopefully makes death a little easier when it comes. the greatest suffering is knowing there will be an end to my personality, and in a hundred years it will be as if I never was. Knowing that I was stardust before this and will be afterwords and life is just the temporary chain of chemical reactions that I am stuck in momentarily is a little comforting.

However like a sadist I will continue the suffering as long as possible, even if I am mostly robotic when I die. There is so much to see and take in before this trip is over.