Gaia: Time, Space, and Knowledge - TSK Book Study

Re: The Tao of Time (Review)

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:35:55 GMT

I cannot imagine being on any kind of schedule, I have been a free agent for so long...however, this is the way that I experience time for the most part...

“When we … are totally absorbed by the activity at hand, we become our most positive and productive selves… . Engrossed … we slip effortlessly into a no-boundary … timeless dimension where energy abounds … .” (p. 66) Our degree of involvement determines the degree to which time is felt to flow, quite independently of the rate at which actual physical events occur.

Whatever I am engaging in, I am usually engaging 100%...especially if it is in my writing, or just experiencing nature...or my family...or a movie...my chalkwork abstracts...whatever...I have learned how to relax into the activity and give my awareness to it 100%...and so time flows for me...naturally with no limits...or pressures...

Every now and again, I will get distracted, but it is not a normal occurrence...and so, I feel very grateful for my situation that allows me this freedom...in fact, I mostly have to much time on my hands...especially if my creative juices are not flowing, I have to find something to do to fill the time...which is usually not difficult...I love to read, or just sit in nature or listen to music...anyways...I can see how someone with a busy schedule would feel pressured...I usually try to keep my mind occupied b/c of the physical pain that bubbles beneath the surface...and have been very grateful to the tsk vision that has allowed for this...as well as my ability to relax into my true nature...

Having said that, there is an overall general feeling that my time is running out...and so it has become even more important that I experience the joy of the moment in this time and space...most the time, I am able to do this...but I still seem to go in cycles of experiencing this joy of being...to periods where I am weighted down with the frustration that I am not living up to my own potential...or that I am not contributing enough to help humanity...

I am really interested in involving myself within this openended knowing, in hopes that solutions and new ways of addressing age old humanitarian problems can be discovered...this is my hope for involvement with TSK with others that are looking to find new solutions and new ways of using knowledge to heal humanity and reach our potential as human beings...

Thnx Bruce for posting this...I do wish you were more involved here...but I understand why you are not...and I appreciate the bone...gol...or the oasis in the dry desert...

always, star...

The Tao of Time (Review)

http://brucealderman.gaia.com — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:36:21 GMT

I came across the following review of the book, The Tao of Time, by my friend, Stephen Randall. I thought it was worth sharing here.

Review of The Tao of Time by Stephen Randall, PhD, November 27, 2007

The Tao of Time states that the problem we have with time is that we don't feel we have enough of it, nor do we feel in control of time. "More and more, time has come to exercise a tyrannical influence over our lives. There is never enough of it, no matter how carefully or cleverly we organize and plan." (from the book's jacket)

And time management techniques at best provide short-term relief from our 'time poverty' and struggles with time, and for many of us such techniques have actually intensified the problems. "In an effort to capture and control time, we buy into a prepackaged approach. We begin enthusiastically, eager to launch offensives against bad habits. . . . We organize and set priorities as the system dictates and refer frequently to a bag of timely tricks to help us get a handle on this capricious entity, but more often than not we find that the conventional methods of managing our time simply do not work." (pp. 9-10) "At the end of the day, you've accomplished some of what you'd intended to do--but you feel harassed that you didn't do it all. Your frustration level rises. You can't put your finger on why you feel dissatisfied." (p. 30)

"We still aren't comfortable with time. . . . These systems don't deliver the promised results. Instead of feeling in control of time, we feel confined by our routine. We search for freedom, but we find frustration. And we don't discover more time." (p. 31) "We think we're buying time, but we're getting structure." (p. 29)

The authors argue that traditional time management really cannot resolve these problems. Control and relief will never result from even the most clever ways of organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling external clock time. "We never seem to find the perfect scheduling solution . . . ." (p. 8) "We've mastered every conceivable methodology and it isn't enough. No matter how accomplished and efficient we become, we can't keep up with time today." (p. 33) "Our contemporary time machines have failed. The organizer notebook may be this decade's status symbol, but time still slips away." (p. 32)

"When the emphasis [in time mangement] is on immediate problem solving [I would say the emphasis in traditional time management is on quickly completing tasks and not problem solving] rather than on personal growth, being is never introduced. While with these methods you may alleviate some time pressures temporarily, because your state of being is not affected, you never generate any deep or lasting changes in how you view and interact with time. . . . Ultimately you return to your old ways, and with new frustration." (p. 149)

Although Hait and Hunt say that time management will not solve our time problems, they do believe that our felt temporal limitations can be successfully dealt with: "It [time] has enabled us to create the walls and rooms of our existence. In our rush to build, however, we've forgotten that while we have the ability to construct these walls, we also have the power to tear them down." (p. 13) Yet only by developing control of "inner time," our experience of time, is it possible to find peace and fulfillment in the midst of our activities. "We are beginning to understand that it is only through changing our attitudes that we may effect a lasting change in how we manage our time. . . . We are not victims of time." (p. 12) "In order to survive our society, we will be obliged to turn inward--decelerating, seeking time as it exists within each of us . . . . " (p. 34)

Although the authors have not defined exactly what "changing our attitudes" means, and though I suspect that they are referring only to our attitudes about time, I agree with their conclusion that we need to change in order to significantly change our experience of time. I think that our feelings of time flowing are entirely the product of past repressed feelings and emotions. If this is true, then the only way to change our experience of time is to work through these repressed feelings when they arise. Time flow cannot be altered simply by manipulating externals.

The Tao of Time portrays our modern problems with time as the result of excessively attending to outside influences--others' needs, clocks and other man-made timekeeping devices, and the accelerating influences of our Information Age. "What is needed is an entirely new approach to time, an inside-out philosophy that focuses on the individual and his or her needs rather than on managing and organizing the many needs of others." (p. 10) "Only through conscious effort to counter the accelerating influences of our Information Age can we readjust the way we perceive and live with time." (p. 55)

I think that the idea that time problems result from some imbalance between internal and external pressures is a weak point of the book. In my view, which agrees with Stephan Rechtschaffen's view presented in "Timeshifting," these problems of time poverty, pressure, and anxiety are the product of avoiding negative feelings that arose in our experience.

According to the authors, if we can stay internally focused and balanced, we would be aware of our own rhythms and needs and could fend off external influences that somehow cause time pressures. "Whenever we act more from our personal point of balance and respond less to outside cues, we gradually and naturally release the pressure of the clock." (p. 84)

I like the idea of balance as a primary planning and decision-making tool. "When you put these two together--balance and sensitivity to your rhythms--you create your own planning tool." (p. 86) However, the idea that pressures come only from outside influences is hard to believe: most of us set deadlines of our own and sometimes feel pressured as a result. Furthermore, suggesting that we defend our balance against outside influences goes too far. How are we to contact beneficial or insightful influences if we automatically ward them off? And finally, attributing our temporal problems to external influences and then attempting to control those influences may help somewhat, especially for those individuals who readily take on jobs proposed by others. But there are few people--especially those who have a family or work for a supervisor--who can afford to ignore requests and demands of others.

Repeatedly the authors state that clocks themselves somehow cause pressure in our experience ("the pressure of mechanical time" (p. 72)). The process by which this might occur is not explained. Apparently because of this attributed source of pressure, they recommend ignoring the clock and not scheduling things unless absolutely necessary. "Our way of time allows us to ignore temporal conventions." (p. 42) "By visualizing your most important activities happening without the clock, you maintain control." (p. 69) Disbelief in any reality of the future is also grounds for avoiding planning and scheduling: "The concept of the future is meaningless. Therefore planning for the future is a futile exercise." (p. 154)

However, it is a practical necessity for many of us to plan our activities; trying to get things done and coordinate activities with others while somehow avoiding thinking about future times seems impossible. And I don't see a necessary connection between simply checking to see what time it is and pressure. Sometimes we love looking at the clock because we have something to look forward to. It's not whether we look at the clock, but how we watch the clock that can cause pressure.

The old adage "a watched pot never boils" provides a clue: when we act as a separate, independent observer, time flows beyond our control. On the other hand, as Hunt and Hait point out, when we're thoroughly engrossed in something, there's no sense of time passing, let alone any time pressure. "When we . . . are totally absorbed by the activity at hand, we become our most positive and productive selves. . . . Engrossed . . . we slip effortlessly into a no-boundary . . . timeless dimension where energy abounds . . . ." (p. 66) Our degree of involvement determines the degree to which time is felt to flow, quite independently of the rate at which actual physical events occur.

They offer a deceleration program to help you "alter your way of time by choosing to change your attitude about time." (p. 129) Though I have not thoroughly experimented with their system, I believe that a person who does their exercises in a disciplined way can realize a significantly different experience of time. However, the visualization approach for changing our attitudes is somewhat indirect: because the program never directly examines our actual sense of time flow as is done with the Time-Space-Knowledge exercises (see, e.g., Tarthang Tulku's book "Time, Space, and Knowledge: A New Vision of Reality." Berkeley, CA: Dharma Publishing, 1977), attitude visualization can easily leave part of time's dynamism in a somewhat uncontrollable position external to and apart from us. This seems to be acknowledged by the following statement: "Sometimes even the most dedicated attitude isn't enough to cope with daily time challenges." (p. 167)

This uncontrollable external view of time is reflected in one of the book's concluding statements about our options for dealing with time: "It's as if we're poised at a crossroads as we approach the new century. One road, dedicated to acceleration, is the familiar fast track. The other, committed to separating ourselves from that track, is aimed at getting us off the merry-go-round." (p. 236) "We can stay on the merry-go-round as it continues to accelerate, or we can step off and set our own pace." (p. 244)

I see a third option that doesn't create or reinforce an internal/external dichotomy: move toward the still point at the center of the merry-go-round. Then we can stay involved in the activities of our lives without being disturbed by them.

Copyright © 1997 by Steve Randall, Ph.D., email steve@manage-time.com

Re: A Beginner's Love of Knowledge

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:56:16 GMT

what a great find this is! *

Knowledge Of Freedom...

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:52:34 GMT

I love this book!

KOF should probably be read after the initial introduction to the TSK vision, Time, Space And Knowledge...it was written after TSK right? Or am I mistaken about this? I've loaned my copy out, so I don't have it right here to check the dates.

I love how TT gives an indepth presentation of how to look and see our conditioning in non discriminatory ways which then can result in us being able to transcend our undesired conditioning...

It is very easy to understand but profound in it's message.

I'm not finished with it yet, and like all of TT's books that I have read, I am certain I will be rereading it. I find myself going back in previous books to find treasures that are buried deeper within my own levels of understanding...

always, star...

Dynamics of Time and Space...

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:33:37 GMT

RADIENT KNOWLEDGE...
Knowledge proceeds without relying on a path. There are no steps or points, no borders or territories. A self-reflecting feedback opens consciousness vastly into the Body of Space, touching too softly to express. It penetrates gently, lovingly, loosening with warmth. Vibrant joy embraces the sense of mind. The dancing rhythm of knowledgeable time reaches heart to heart, giving unity without limits. Entering into appearance, the Space Body of Knowledge becomes an incomparably dynamic way of living in this world. (DTS pg. 224)
I am finding this to be so true as it concerns my own experience. Knowledge, or the knowing that is available, usually gets tangled when it is interpreted through a ‘set’ path. Knowledge is it’s own path. The steps and points that are always in ‘set paths’ can cause awareness to shut down, however, it can also be these very steps and points that can bring opening. Once the ‘self-reflecting’ feedback is opened, iow, not a reflecting on solid truths to be proven (conditioned consciousness), then this ‘Body of Space’, or Awareness, is opened...therein is the gentleness that cannot be expressed. It makes me smile during the process of letting-go and opening. The joy is overwhelming, yet the warmth is gentle, so there is a balance that continues to open. That dancing rhythm is awkward at first, but when you allow it to lead, the unity without limits is experienced.
This way of living is truly incomparably dynamic. I find it remarkable how TT calls this the Space Body of Knowledge, capturing the ‘idea’ of floating through awareness (and it actually does 'feel' this way...lol) that knows no boundaries or limits, and yet the dynamic dance that knowledge radiates within the Joy of Being, is another aspect of this vision which is very powerful...I am loving tsk at even deeper levels...always, star...

Re: Knowledge of Time and Space...

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:34:25 GMT

The entire past six months have been a very magical time for me Bruce, and still...anytime I feel the pressure of linear time, all I have to do is read something from one of the books or from our blogs on our experiences, or just breathe myself out of that mindset...and I am there...lol...in the no-land of the magic of the real...I am so grateful for the vision, and the appreciation just opens TSK even more...much love and joy...*

Re: Knowledge of Time and Space...

http://brucealderman.gaia.com — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:05:27 GMT

It has been awhile since I read KTS straight through, but I remember the first time I read it as sort of a magical time. There have been a few books like that for me, where the time spent reading it seems to bleed into everything else, informing or illuminating the whole space. KTS was one of them.

Re: Knowledge of Time and Space...

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:05:15 GMT

this book was amazing...all the sections dance into each other with such precision...and although it is a very big book, it is packed full of useful information...

towards the last, TT mentions that those that finally find this vision, resonate with it and wonder why they had not thought this way before...that really hit home with me...

TT weaves a magical dance of Being in Space, through Time, filled with Knowledge that is applicable in the here and now...

I LOVED IT!!!!!!!

always, star...

Re: Knowledge of Time and Space...

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:26:52 GMT

ahha!

The object of the object is space. Existence is responsible for its own appearance. (pg. 240; KTS)

i am so glad that i am finished with that section of the book...lol...

Re: Knowledge of Time and Space...

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:00:34 GMT

back to the book, he is tripping me out with all this...not 'not not -thereness'...LOL

what i am understanding from this is that everything that appears is the source of the appearance...

could say it another way...form is the expression of, and the source of itself?

don't really want to use a buddhist term...but hey...form is emptiness, emptiness is form...samsara IS nirvana...

heaven forbid we say that form is the ultimate expression of the absolute...did i just type that? LOL...God is ONE...haha...Brahman is the World...did i leave anything out? lets just throw in for good measure...not one, not two...(is God in trouble with that one?)

anyways, this is the way i am understanding this...please correct my misunderstanding, if in fact i have misunderstood...and go ahead and call me a wiseass...lol*

Re: Knowledge of Time and Space...

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:42:56 GMT

hey Bruce...thnx...

i am 'supposing' that you already knew this, but since we went at it in a different way, it was successful at slowing mind down...duh to me, cause i was not focused on 'slowing' mind down, it occurred naturally...you're a wise grasshopper dude! LOL...

the expanding naturally opened up awareness through mind...releasing the focal point, and allowing for a slower experience...even when i tried the condensing, which at first i did not have a clue to, it had the same affect...

hopefully my understanding of what i am reading will expand...LOL

anyways...joy*

Re: Knowledge of Time and Space...

http://brucealderman.gaia.com — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:24:58 GMT

One exercise that comes to mind is an informal TSK one called Expanding and Condensing. It isn't in the books, but it is sometimes used at retreats and such.

I'll post the instructions below. Reading your posts above, I started thinking that it might be fruitful to try to work with your tendencies rather than against them. So, instead of trying to slow down, you might try speeding up your thinking and processing -- see how far you can "push" it. Similarly, if your patterns strike you as solid or dense, how dense can you make them be? And thinking about that, I soon realized I was basically thinking of a version of Expanding and Condensing...

So, here are the instructions...

Exercise A - Expanding and Condensing

Settle into your experience, and then begin to expand or condense it. In doing so, keep in mind experience is made up of many aspects: thoughts, sensations, feelings, identifications, judgments, perceptions, the relationships among these elements, and other features that may be too subtle to name. You can expand each or any of these, or you can expand or condense, the whole of your experience. For instance, you could expand the sense of distance that separates you from what ever you see in front of you, or you could condense your sense of self. You could expand a sensation you feel in your shoulder, or you could condense the feeling of time passing, or the vague feeling of anxiety that the passing of time evokes. Do the exercise in any rhythm you like, fast or slow, regular or random.

Comments from the book

In doing this exercise, feel free to play with experience. You can loosen limits, borders, distances, and perspectives. It is like pulling on a stretchy fabric, which can take any shape at all or turn into something else. To warm up. It might be helpful to focus on sensations, then move on to thoughts, memories, and fantasies, and then go in whatever direction seems most inviting. There are really no limits; for example, you can expand or condense the activity of expanding, expand or condense the sense of ownership, expand or condense the feeling of not knowing what you are doing, and so on. Notice there are at least two different levels to many experiences: the content of the experience, and the experiencing of the experience. You can expand or condense at both levels.

...Keep in mind that "condensing" is not the same as "contracting." It is not just a matter of making something smaller, but making something more condensed. Condensing is related to concentration, and to adding more dimensions to experience...
"When It Rains Does Space Get Wet?" Jack Petranker, (Dharma, 2006), pp. 21-2

Re: Knowledge of Time and Space...

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:02:04 GMT

i am really understanding what he is getting at, when he speaks of visualized structures...and 'fields of presentation', and it has made me aware at a deeper level, that my conditioned focus is so solid...which would readily explain my inability, or difficulty in visualization...the only practice i was ever good at was Tonglen...LOL...but that is not helping to slow mind down, but then i wonder if that will not have a negative affect on my creativity as well...

i dunno...awaiting directions...lol

Re: Knowledge of Time and Space...

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:45:06 GMT

yeah, i just went back and read that...

i think the prob is that my mind races...and i have not paid enough attention to allowing space within thoughts, b/c i have a natural inability it seems to visualize, and slow things down...creative juices, etc...mental energy is always usually high, and i just go with it...and have found myself not really wanting to work at slowing it down...b/c it is difficult...

i noticed when i was following along with you and Davidu, i was able to get in touch with layers and slow things down a bit, but it goes against my creative flow...any suggestions?

also, i am stumped, b/c i want to slow it down, and be able to see before appearance appears, b/c i think that has something to do with a layer of condtioning i am not integrating or able to recognize...but it is a circular process; i am unable to do it b/c of conditioning, unable to undo conditioning b/c i am unable to do it...iow...slow things down mentally...

i thought about going back to the first exercises that were presented, but if you think any of the other exercises might help instead, let me know...i don't feel pressured or anything...and i am not frustrated about it, just wondering if it would help to pay a little more attention to that at this time...now that i have identified it as a difficulty...what do you think? *

Re: Knowledge of Time and Space...

http://brucealderman.gaia.com — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:51:42 GMT

Hi, Star, I think that's fairly common -- resonating with time more than space, or vice versa. And I think difficulty visualizing could be a reason why the space section of Knowledge of Time and Space doesn't resonate with you -- but I'd like to hear more about what questions or difficulties you're having before saying anything specific. Just in general, however, I'd refer you to the introduction to Love of Knowledge, where Tarthang Tulku talks about approaches to take when we find one dimension of t-s-k to be more difficult to grasp than another.

Knowledge of Time and Space...

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 02:40:47 GMT

ok, the section on Time went well...but i am having some difficulty with the section on Space...not difficultly exactly, just that it is not resonating as well maybe?

it might have something to do with my inability to visualize...

Bruce, any thoughts?

Re: Love of Knowledge...

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:24:21 GMT

that one will have to wait till next month...i just got a good deal on all four of the remaining books, used...and i went ahead and got them all...but the tsk integral sounds good...anyways...thnx...*

Re: Love of Knowledge...

http://brucealderman.gaia.com — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:21:00 GMT

Another thought came to me about reading choices: Are you familiar with Tulku's book, Knowledge of Freedom? It is not listed as an "official" part of the TSK series, mostly because it stays primarily on a level-one approach, but it still frames things in relation to time, space, and knowledge, and I think it's quite good -- a simple, effective "foundational" book that explores many conventional perspectives and concerns (psychology, social issues, science, work, etc). In my own efforts to unfold and explore an "Integral TSK" (a TSK approach that would resonate with folks interested in Integral), I think this book is a great place to start.

Re: Love of Knowledge...

http://tlcoriginals.gaia.com — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:55:17 GMT

yeap, that rings really true...The Supreme Source was my fav...and i had no problem with it either...i suppose my problem has always been 'living human' haha...and accepting my own humanness as a reality...and life on lifes terms...of course julian and adam helped with that...i am so grateful to have had the crash courses in reality...the shared knowledge on enactivism from you and matt and james and all that contributed too...

and integral theory also...i know i was stubborn concerning that...and still am a little...it still 'feels' to much like a belief system...but i am thankful that you hung in there with me in getting some of the important aspects across, especially pointing out Clare Graves and Beck...and julian has tons of good reading on it...i have done a lot of reading trying to educate myself on the important aspects...and i really appreciate all of the insightful posts on consciousness and scientific theory...etc...

plus, as you know, dzogchen actually made me realize how important it was to deal with the body, mind, and voice...and much of what i did i did in that way...dealing with conditioning the good old fashioned way...when it arose...i faced it...AA helped with that too...

but i am certain that i am still recognizing and integrating all the ways that conditioned beliefs have affected me at even deeper levels...and i do feel more integrated...i am really enjoying interacting with others in real life...the fear is not there anymore...and i am understanding what TT was explaining concerning the way the mind works...the patterns of thinking, etc...

what an amazing journey huh? i feel like...i have been leaping up the side of the mountain...if you get what i mean...lol...i was there and now i'm here...lol...it's all good...and way cool...

happy new year my friend...joy, always, star...

Re: Love of Knowledge...

http://brucealderman.gaia.com — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:53:56 GMT

About what to read next, yeah, I do think it makes sense to go in order. I would recommend Knowledge of Time and Space and Visions of Knowledge next. Visions is a small book, but poetically and powerfully written in parts, KTS is bigger and more involved, but I found it rewarding.