Some Directed Processes

These are some directed processes, in the sense that one may look as directed by these processes. These processes may be done in conjunction with 12 STEPS OF MINDFULNESS. They may go to conclusion quite fast.

Please keep in mind that, in looking, one simply recognizes what is there. If nothing is there then one recognizes that nothing is there.

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KHTK Process #1

“Look around in your mind and spot something that is trying to grab your attention.”

“Accept it non-judgmentally, and experience it without resisting.”

Repeat these steps until there is nothing new that is trying to grab your attention.

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KHTK Process #2

“Look around in your mind and spot something there.”

“Accept it non-judgmentally, and experience it without resisting.”

Repeat these steps until there is nothing new to spot.

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KHTK Process #3

“Look around in your mind and spot unfinished communication that is hanging around.”

“Accept it non-judgmentally, and experience it without resisting.”

Repeat these steps until no unfinished communication is hanging around.

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KHTK Process #4

“Spot something that another may not want to look at.”

“Accept it non-judgmentally, and experience it without resisting.”

Repeat these steps until nothing new is coming up.

“Spot something that others may not want to look at.”

“Accept it non-judgmentally, and experience it without resisting.”

Repeat these steps until nothing new is coming up.

“Spot something that you may rather not look at.”

“Accept it non-judgmentally, and experience it without resisting.”

Repeat these steps until nothing new is coming up.

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KHTK Process #5

“Spot something in your mind that is exhausting to look at.”

“Accept it non-judgmentally, and experience it without resisting.”

Repeat these steps until nothing new is coming up.

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KHTK Process #6

“Spot something in your mind that you are willing to re-experience.”

“Accept it non-judgmentally, and experience it without resisting.”

Repeat these steps until nothing new is coming up.

“Spot a postulate you made for future that you would be willing to experience.”

“Accept it non-judgmentally, and experience it without resisting.”

Repeat these steps until nothing new is coming up.

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KHTK Process #7

“Spot something that you or somebody wouldn’t mind forgetting.”

“Accept it non-judgmentally, and experience it without resisting.”

Repeat these steps until nothing new is coming up.

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KHTK Process #8

“Spot something that you or somebody would permit to have happen again.”

“Accept it non-judgmentally, and experience it without resisting.”

Repeat these steps until nothing new is coming up.

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Glossary

Directed Process
A directed process simply provides some assistance to a person in looking, with the proviso that the process does not imply that there must be something to be found in that direction.

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December 13, 2011 – 11:01 PM Categories: Self-Improvement | Comments (3)

MILESTONE 6: Mixed Operations

To practice Mixed Operations, go to the link

MATH MILESTONE # B1: MIXED OPERATIONS

When the various operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are present together in an arithmetic expression we have mixed operations.

Counting is the beginning of computation.

Addition is “counting together,” and therefore, it is an operation of first order. Subtraction, being opposite, or inverse, of addition, is also an operation of first order.

When addition and subtraction are present together they may be carried out from left to right in that sequence. An operation on the right may be carried out first only when there is addition to its left.

Multiplication consists of repeated additions. Therefore, multiplication is an operation of second order. Division, being opposite, or inverse, of multiplication is also an operation of second order.

When multiplication and division are present together they may be carried out from left to right in that sequence.

In mixed operations, second order operations always take priority over first order operations.

Multiplication, division, and parentheses (which group operations) make up the individual terms. “Plus” and “minus” separate the individual terms from each other in an arithmetic expression.

Always compute the individual terms first before you compute the arithmetic expression completely.

Thus, the concept of terms automatically enforces the precedence of second order operations over first order operations.

Understanding this logic involved in reducing mixed operations is very important. Only when you understand this logic, do the various “formulas” about the precedence of operations make sense.

Here are some videos on this subject from Khan Academy.

Introduction to Order of Operations

More Complicated Order of Operations Example

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December 13, 2011 – 1:22 PM Categories: Mathematics | Post a comment

MILESTONE 5: Division

To practice division mentally, go to

MATH MILESTONES #A5: DIVISION

Division is the opposite of multiplication. If you already know the various techniques of multiplication, you can learn to divide easily.

Suppose there are 30 pennies on the table. How many times can you take 6 pennies out? Picture yourself taking out 6-pennies at a time. You can do so 5 times only before no pennies are left on the table. You may also observe that 6 pennies multiplied 5 times results in 30 pennies

Now tell me rapidly: Out of 30 pennies, how many times can you take out

  • 5 pennies ?
  • 30 pennies ?
  • 1 penny ?
  • 0 pennies ?

If you thought of 30 divided by 0 to be “30” or “0” then you need to review the definition of Division. Once again imagine that there are 30 pennies on the table. Now take out 0 pennies. How many are left? 30 pennies are left, correct? Now take out 0 again, and again, and again. You may do so hundreds of times, and still there will be 30 pennies left on the table. Can you see that you may take 0 out of 30 an unlimited number of times? In other words, 30 divided by 0 is infinity.

The operation of division computes how many times a quantity (divisor) can be taken out of another quantity (dividend). That result is called the quotient.

When the division is exact, that is to say, the divisor can be taken out of the dividend an exact number of times, the divisor is called a factor of the dividend.

When the division is not exact, a remainder is left after division. When the remainder is further divided by the divisor into portions less than a unit, then we get fractions.

Both factors and fractions are taken up in subsequent milestones.

A proper understanding of division helps one round up all the earlier concepts in math. By the time one completes the Elementary School, one should have developed the ability of divide mentally with single digit numbers. This understanding then forms the basis of middle school math.

Here are some videos from the Khan Academy that explain division:

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3: More long division and remainder examples

Level 4 division

Partial Quotient Division

Partial Quotient Method of Division 2

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December 12, 2011 – 10:19 PM Categories: Mathematics | Post a comment

The Unknown Influence

Reference: Religion

“Unknown influence” is the most fascinating factor that has always occupied human interest. While browsing through the Wikipedia I came across the following explanations, which I have presented in slightly modified form.

A Phenomenon is any observable occurrence.

The Noumenon is a posited object or event that is known (if at all) without the use of the senses.

Numen means, literally, “an influence perceptible by mind but not by senses.”

Senses are physiological capacities of organisms that provide inputs for perception.

Human physiology is the science of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of humans in good health, their organs, and the cells of which they are composed.

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Those subscribing to the explanations above do not look at mind as a sense organ. Buddhism presents a very different viewpoint. It looks at mind as just another sense organ like the body. See Observation, Experience and Looking.

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Numinous is an English adjective describing the power or presence of a divinity.

Divinity refers to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in the world.

Transcendence refers to the aspect of nature which is wholly independent of (and removed from) the physical universe.

Immanence refers to theories, in which the divine is seen to be manifested in or encompassing of the material world.

The Divine presence basically boils down to an unknown influence.

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The unknown influence could simply be conceived as something the mind perceives. However, the conception of this perception gets complicated when mind is not conceived as a sense organ.

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December 10, 2011 – 2:13 PM Categories: KHTK | Comments (4)

Observation, Experience and Looking

Observation is the activity of receiving knowledge of the outside world through the senses.

Experience is observation of some thing or some event gained through involvement in or exposure to that thing or event.

Looking is the use of sense organs (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind) to observe and experience what is there.

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Please note that mind is defined here as a sense organ and not as a computing machine.

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From What Buddha Taught:

A word about what is meant by the term “Mind’ (manas) in Buddhist philosophy may be useful here. It should clearly be understood that mind is not spirit as opposed to matter. It should always be remembered that Buddhism does not recognize a spirit opposed to matter, as is accepted by most other systems of philosophies and religions. Mind is only a faculty or organ (indriya) like the eye or the ear. It can be controlled and developed like any other faculty, and the Buddha speaks quite often of the value of controlling and disciplining these six faculties. The difference between the eye and the mind as faculties is that the former senses the world of colours and visible forms, while the latter senses the world of ideas and thoughts and mental objects. We experience different fields of the world with different senses. We cannot hear colours, but we can see them. Nor can we see sounds, but we can hear them. Thus with our five physical sense-organs-eye, ear, nose, tongue, body-we experience only the world of visible forms, sound, odours, tastes and tangible objects. But these represent only a part of the world, not the whole. What of ideas and thoughts? They are also a part of the world. But they cannot be sensed, they cannot be conceived by the faulty of the eye, ear, nose, tongue or body. Yet they can be conceived by another faculty, which is mind. Now ideas and thoughts are not independent of the world experienced by these five physical sense faculties. In fact they depend on, and are conditioned by, physical experiences. Hence a person born blind cannot have ideas of colour, except through the analogy of sounds or some other things experienced through his other faculties. Ideas and thoughts which form a part of the world are thus produced and conditioned by physical experiences and are conceived by the mind. Hence mind (manas) is considered a sense faculty or organ (indriya), like the eye or the ear.

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December 10, 2011 – 11:16 AM Categories: Self-Improvement | Comments (3)