Dahn Yoga in California

I see the brain as similar, in some ways, to a computer. Granted the brain is far more complex and can be modified through self-directed intention, which is certainly not the case with computers. However, I think it is a useful analogy to think in terms of the brain possessing an operating system.

Every brain, like every computer, has an operating system through which it processes the programs it receives. If you have not been able to create your life as you really want, then perhaps you simply can’t run that program on your current brain operating system. To do so would be like trying to run a current computer program on a version of Windows from the 1980s.

Your operating system is the system of beliefs and preconceptions through which you interact with the world.

At the time, it seemed as it these questions that occupied my mind were haunting I like a dark specter, but now I have come to see them as a gift that allowed me to really get to the underlying nature of life, in spite of the pain involved.

No one likes problems. Nevertheless, all of your problems are a blessing. They all exist to help you realize your true self.

When facing any problem, remember that the problem it-sell is just an illusion that stems from the false self created by the ego. Most people make the critical error of focusing on the problem itself, which ironically just brings more of the same into being. What really matters is not why or how the problem is happening but your relationship to the problem. One thing is definitely true—you will never be able to hate your problem out of existence. What really matters is your attitude about it. To upgrade your attitude, you must first consider how your brain is operating in relationship to the problem.

Being the A student he was, he sincerely wanted to answer the question. He could not find an answer; he just stared at the ceiling.

“What is the purpose of our life?” I asked.
“Do you know?” he returned.
“I don’t. That’s why I am asking.”
“Let’s stop. There are so many other questions to solve.”
“But everything hangs on the answer to this. It is the first thing to solve,” I said.

Not too much later, my roommate requested to live in another dorm with someone else. It was no wonder, given my obsessive behavior and my brooding nature. Most of my peers avoid¬ed me, my grades suffered, and I had no sense of direction.