Some articles which I found insightful.
http://theendofseeking.net/Labeling%20and%20Natural%20Functioning.html
The mind is a wonderful tool and it has brought us so much -
computers, internet and BitTorrent. It does have its place. Mind
function and thought - under 'proper adult supervision' - is there
doing its job. It is it's Natural function. There is no 'me' in any
of that. No problem. No suffering. No separation. No Worries.
An engineer sorting out a machine that does not work, or
designing a water tower that needs to be built, or me figuring out
how some electrical wiring works - all Natural Functioning. But
even there, the resolution often lies in non conceptual awareness -
the pure looking, without thought - a moment of clarity, space,
stillness. Great insights can occur then. Like with Einstein. Or
small insights, like with the electrical wiring.
The Natural Functioning of Seeing is there, without a separate
concept of 'me'. The Natural Functioning has always been there. The
Natural Functioning of the Seeing itself is a Functioning of
Awareness which is beyond brain function - the 'no-thing' that is
beyond the brain. How many things would be seen without the
Aliveness, without the Awareness?
Then the thought 'I see' comes up, or the thought 'I think',
which brings in the apparent separate entity 'I' and attributes the
seeing/thinking to that. But the seeing, which is a function of
Awareness, has already occurred. There was no 'I' there at the
instant of seeing.
The vast bulk of our life is Natural Functioning and occurs
without thought. Even if 'we' are thinking of something else at the
time the Functioning still occurs. We do not need to think 'chair'
to register the chair, or think 'door' to register the door. There
is a knowing there which does not need the words or the concepts.
If we come across something that we do not recognize, or does not
make sense, the mind is used to help sort that out - that is
Natural Functioning. There is nothing personal in that - no 'me'
there at all in this Natural Functioning.
We walk around the city, drive cars, clean our teeth. We see
stuff - and only a very, very small part of which we label. Mostly
we just see - and the knowing is there without reference to the
database in the head. You see a red light and stop the car -
without having thoughts about red lights, deceleration or
remembering which one is the brake. All without reference to the
'me', or any reference point. You drive into a sudden 'opening' in
the traffic stream - by seeing, then acting, as one - without a
mental process of thinking about it.
We learn stuff - and the mind helps a lot in that. Then as
learning progresses - thought drops away, the concepts drop away -
leaving just the Functioning.
Roger Federer playing tennis is pure Natural Functioning. Even
though the mind was involved in developing these skills, the mind
function has fallen away - all that is left is the Natural
Functioning and knowing - without reference to the past and without
labeling/conceptualization and without any 'me'. He does not think
'ball' every time he sees one. He does not even need a concept
called 'ball' - who needs a concept when you have a knowing about
the actuality?
Using the mind in this way is Natural Functioning. It is the way
we learn and is built into us. It is our Natural Functioning. Just
as learning is built into the cats in their 'catty' way - as their
Natural Functioning.
You can look at a clock and tell the time, but without the
translation into words and concepts. Just seeing.
Labeling takes us into conceptual thought, references to the
past and in the main adds nothing to what is already seen and
known. Knowing that the name of a fish is 'Guppy' and its
scientific name is Lebistes reticulatus adds nothing to what has
been seen. We do not understand anything more at all - but we think
that labeling is necessary and think that it is knowledge.
Labeling a certain sensation/feeling as 'anger' or 'anxiety'
takes us into conceptual thought, into the past and the future and
away from the Actuality.
'Witnessing the anger' as a 'spiritual practice' does nothing at
all as that is purely conceptual. The anger does not exist - it is
just a concept. 'Anger' is just a label and labeling it as such
does not bring us any more understanding of what is actually there.
The Actuality is the feeling/sensation/energy movement and not the
label, the concept - 'anger'.
Add to that the 'witness' that does the 'witnessing' - is also
conceptual and a label that adds nothing. The actuality is that all
there is - is 'seeing' - there is no entity doing the seeing - pure
seeing by awareness itself, which is not an entity. Labeling and
conceptualizing makes it appear as if there is a separate entity
there.
The vast bulk of our life is Natural Functioning and is without
labeling - only a very, VERY small proportion of what we see is
labeled. We survive very well with minimal labeling as there is an
effortless, instant knowing there. The knowing is already there
with the seeing. How else can the label be added, literally as an
afterthought, yet again?
Having said all that - there is a place for words, labels and
conceptualization.
But not in 'running the show'.