I am ... therefore, ... Namaste

I was trying to explain to a friend how Descartes' "I think, therefore I am" has been refuted, argued upon, contradicted and disputed by many philosophers. What follows is my two cents worth on how Descartes' philosophy does not hold true anymore.
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Thinking is what I do all the time. There is this abundance, habitual plethora of thoughts that occupy my mind. Quite often, monstrous thoughts invade the peace that I try to achieve. These monstrous thoughts could be "pushing my frenemy down the stairs, and falling like a slinkie", or "assassinating my frenemy", like "pushing her off a cliff".

Growing up in a Catholic school, as young as eleven years of age, I had difficulty in embracing and accepting the teachings of our Religion teachers. The nuns taught us that these monstrous evil thoughts are mortal sins, because just thinking of them is already committing the deed, and this I could never accept.

What if I am thinking of donating a million pesos to my favorite charity, this does not deserve a reward. Just thinking about a good deed does not actually mean that the good deed was done. Therefore, my monstrous thoughts do not deserve a reprimand, because I did not act on these thoughts. They are JUST thoughts and my thoughts do not define who I am. Hence, "I think ... is not who I am."

So does that mean that what I do with my thoughts is who I am? This is for another blog.
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Please read the article that follows.
http://vividlife.me/ultimate/26828/i-am-therefore-i-think-by-gangaji/

Reading it gave me a better understanding of who I am not. I label myself and think that is who I am. I am a wife, a mother, a dentist, a foodie, a painter and a dreamer. I can also be a friend, a fiercely loyal friend as described by dear Tess. I could be just one of these or all of these. But most of all I am a soul, whom I have named betsisanders.

Namaste.

betsisanders painting / 2009

 

NAMASTE... is a common spoken greeting or a salutation in South Asia. It is derived from Hindusim & Buddhism, from India to Nepal. It has a multi-religious or else common usage where it simply means the following. I noticed a lot of Thais doing this gesture and saying "namaste"... I thought they were just such a polite race or people.

It means.....
"I bow to you."
"I bow to you that is inherent in you."
"I respect the divinity within you that is also within me."
"The light withing me honors the light within you."
"I salute the God within you."
"I know the Spirit in you and my spirit are one."
"All that is best is Divine in me greets that which is Divine within you."

 

[taken from October 2009 post, Namaste]