Memory Phenomenon

Understanding the phenomenon of memory is very important in breaking the chains of suffering because it's the attachment to “I“ that wants to only remember what's pleasurable...

The phenomenon of how we remember things and constantly bringing them into the present is simply that, a phenomenon. Although this happens without it being realized, when it is realized it changes the way existence is viewed. The memory of how things truly are gets distorted in a way because they are viewed through the conditioning in place; conditioning that mostly manifested in constantly seeking pleasure. Think of this, when someone dies no one gets up and says the person was a SOB, what's usually said borders on making the individual a saint regardless if when alive the person was a SOB. This is the memory phenomenon in place and until it’s realized life is spent constantly seeking making up pleasurable memories; the mind doesn't like unpleasant memories so it makes up one's to remember things pleasurable. This is part of the survival instinct engrained in us. Those who remember painful events also use them to find something pleasurable, even if to just push them away, hence this is why one reaches outside themselves for comfort.

Nobody reaches for anything for any other reason but to provide comfort, in this comfort seeking there’s so much unconscious suffering. Comfort pleasure, pleasure comfort, these two go hand in hand and until this is understood they'll continue to cause unconscious suffering. Understanding the phenomenon of memory is very important in breaking the chains of bondage because it's the attachment to “I“ that makes one only remember what's pleasurable. Even to the points of its own destruction “I” seeks pleasure, just look in any rehab or detox. Every drug or drink of alcohol taken had the lure of pleasure associated with it or it wouldn't have be taken. Understanding this isn't limited to just those things, this goes for anything that's reached for. The mind defaults to what's familiar and it uses pleasure as it's lure. Until this is realized you will continue to use memory to make everyone a saint; at least that's what's said when they die...