Even a relatively minor action, if undertaken with a conscious awareness of how imprints make us see an otherwise "neutral" or "empty" world as we do, will lead to tremendous results.

Why do you make knee jerk decisions? Why do you make bad choices? Why dont you take the time to reflect on your life and start making some different choices? New goals? And ultimately, how do you control your mind so that you feel more objectivity, happiness and peace?

Ive researched these complex questions for years and Ive finally found an explanation that makes sense and has opened my eyes wide open. This way of explaining our minds, and ultimately whether we live our lives filled with peace and happiness comes from some of the most ancient and important Asian teachings.

Your mind records about sixty-five discrete images or imprints in the space of a finger snap. These imprints enter a place in your subconscious. All these imprints reside in your mind like a vast repository. Some stronger than others.

For example, money is a tool you use in life that has been imprinted over and over in your mind almost all your life. All these imprints have flowered over the years. Every action, thought or word has planted an imprint in your mind, which is the gate of our own awareness of ourselves. The strength of imprints in your mind also depends on your intentions, emotions, self-recognition...etc.

Your imprints determine what and how you perceive the world around you.

Say for example you have known someone for a while and you decide he or she is irritating. You have labelled them as irritating. You have been influenced by a history of your mind imprints to come to this conclusion. Some stronger than others. If this person reminds you of your irritating father and he yelled at you last night, this particular imprint is very strong. There could have been a host of different emotional past imprints that help you define this person as irritating. However, another person finds this person as wonderful, another finds this person compassionate. They have also had different imprints affecting them throughout their lives.

So let me try to fit all this in with the first paragraph of this entry.

If we become consciously aware of our imprints, and instead of seeing an irritating person we empty our mind of imprints, we will be able to see that person as a clean slate or objectively, and perhaps in time learn to like them. It is our perception and judgement supported by years of imprints that is fooling us. Once we see someone in the present and we use a neutral attitude towards them, we release the flood of potential past imprints that have formed our perception. Thus objectivity, understanding and perhaps compassion have a much better chance of emerging.

This theory applies to everything in life. You may think that a particularly rainy day is completely ruining your day. In grade two you fell off your bike during a storm and broke your leg, hence one of many, many imprints of rainy days, bad weather, dark clouds. etc. But the rainy day is just that, a rainy day. Perhaps another person is gathering drinking water from this rain day and is incredibly happy. If you come to understand that the rainy day is not personally attacking you and look at it from an empty or neutral mind, a peaceful feeling will develop and the rain and ensuing rainbow will eventually look incredibly beautiful to you.

The more you become conscious of your imprints and the more you practise creating compassionate, loving and honest imprints, big or small, the more life rewards you with moments of peace and wonderful experiences.

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