There is something beautiful about Detachment.
I can't really explain why but I love the concept. The main reason is probably because I realize how futile it is to hold onto things. Now this is very different from the way that I was raised. There was a love for things in my family. Even now, I have a lot of stuff...but I am aware that it is just stuff. If my house burned down tomorrow I would almost feel freed by the experience. That's a terrible thing to say but I understand after meditating on this subject and really absorbing it what detachment is really about...as well as the many misleading connections people have made between sin/being rich as evil. A Universal Teaching Reading St. Teresa of Avila's book reminded me of how the clergy of Christianity practiced Detachment. Rome really had a huge selection of traditions to draw from in order to create Christianity (I will share a blog on that subject next month. The Jewish tradition does not emphasize Detachment based on my Research. The Tradition must have come from Buddhism. With the vastness of the Roman Empire they definitely were eclectic and added to their religion from a lot of different sources. The fascinating part is that they only held the clergy to the standard of detachment by requiring them to say vows to give up goods of their own. Yet, I never really thought about it as being similar to the Buddhist tradition until I read Teresa's account. Why Is Detachment Important In Buddhism it is the attachment to material forms that cause suffering. Everything in this world is temporary. We might try to make it permanent but very little withstands the test of time. Even if something, such as the Great Pyramid of Egypt, remains after centuries the meaning is lost. When we attach to something and identify it with ourselves we suffer. Yet, things in this world are meant to break and dissolve. That is the Natural Order of this world...energy and matter is constantly being broken down and the parts reassembled into something new. That is how nature has always worked and that is how it will eternally work. There is a beautiful balance to Mother Nature but the Crone aspect of nature comes to everything in this material realm. Our True Essence is not of this material creation...our Eternal Nature is something that exists outside of this reality and projects itself into this world. We, technically speaking, never fully leave Spirit (heaven). A very small part of who we are inhabits each incarnation. As Yeshua so brilliantly said...we cannot take our riches with us to heaven. Another example of this is the story of the Hungry Ghost in Buddhism. Craving is all that the Hungry Ghost knows...to the point where it thinks that it's sole purpose is to crave and try to fulfill that craving. Yet, that craving can never truly be fulfilled. The Effect Of Attachment When we become so attached to an item that we think it's a part of who we are it causes suffering. My father in law, for example, has an issue with collecting music CD's and movies. He hasn't opened the movies but he has stacks and stacks of movies. He also has stacks and stacks of books. There is barely room to move in two of the bedrooms of his house. He can't let them go. He also has a garage full of boxes that he can't bring himself to let go of because he might need them to store his collections. Things, in a way, brings a tangible sense of security to people in an uncertain world. When we have things that we value or identify our personal identity with we tend to be posessive and defensive of that thing. For example, even though he hasn't watched the movies my father in law will not let anyone borrow the movies. He's afraid they won't come back. The problem with attachment to things is that we then need to make an income to pay for where we store them which requires a certain amount of work. Then we stress and worry about keeping our job. If we collect a lot of things we might have to get a new job to buy a bigger house and there are a myriad of other issues that can happen. There is a fear that something might happen to our stuff. As a result, that attachment leads to a lot of suffering. A life with less things is less stressful. Again, I can't say that I am a model for this because I have a lot of stuff....but I'm not attached to it anymore. I realize that I can start over completely if I need to...there is plenty in this world and I have access to plenty of things. I can replace most of what I have. That's where the idea that people who have a lot of things- which rich people almost do- are actually miserable. They are constantly worrying how to maintain their lifestyle and have to fight for the money that they have. This causes a great deal of fear...that's why they have issues 'entering heaven' not because of the money. Money is an inanimate object that symbolizes an exchange of energy...not the root of the evil. Conclusion Accepting the temporal nature of this material existence brings a great deal of peace. When we can release our need for things we can find a deep peace. That doesn't necessarily mean that we have to throw everything away. Instead, we can practice the Marie Kondo method, hold an object and ask ourselves if the object brings us joy. Getting rid of the baggage that doesn't bring us joy is a wonderful way to experience expansion and release. However, taking it further and realizing we don't need any of this stuff to be happy...that if we were to lose it all we would continue to exist and we would find a way to live comfortably again. We live in wonderful times and we truly have a lot of help and resources at our fingertips. We should be grateful for that but also realize that none of that is important. What is important is the experiences that we cultivate...enjoying the sweet good moments and letting go of the temporary bad experiences. We can't take any of this stuff with is so why should we let it make us miserable now?
0 Comments
Emotional intelligence has become a big thing in the upper echelons of corporations. Yet, what is emotional quotient and what is it's value?
If you look the term up an emotional quotient is the product of an evaluation of emotional intelligence usually given in an exam. Talk about a test for which you can't study or prepare! At least with an Intelligence Quotient you have a little training! Yet, it's been show that those who are emotionally intelligent are more likely to make larger incomes. They are more likely to become entrepreneurs and later on CEO's. What do they have that the rest of us don't? In our current society it's the people leading corporations that are looking for an edge on their competitors who are doing research into this topic. Yet, it appears to be mysterious. Why do some people just seem to 'follow their guts' or 'follow their hunches' and succeed? Yet, there are teachers who talk about emotions and the Mind. Becoming the master of our own emotional tides is something that has been taught for centuries by Hindu and Buddhist monks and even Yeshua (Jesus). Being in tune with our emotions is completely and utterly necessary for being healthy and happy human being. All of us have a responsibility to improve our emotional intelligence. Fluidic Emotions In dreams our emotions (often associated with the subconscious) are usually represented by the ocean or a body of water. How we interact with that body of water is very important. This was demonstrated to me in one of my Mountain Top dreams which I shared in a previous post here: (http://bridgetkorns.weebly.com/blog/3-dreams). I offered an interpretation at the time but that concept has continued to bloom within my mind over the course of the last nine months. In fact, I'd say that this was a point in my life where I made a personal decision and it took me on a path of spiritual development I never imagined. (I will cover that in my next blog). In the Mountain Top dream I saw two courses of action...on one side was a thrashing ocean that was destroying everything along the shore. On the other was a river passing through a canyon peacefully. People from all nations were gathered there peacefully watching. Heaven and earth was united as the Sun set over the river setting it aflame with golden light flanked by the canyon...the earthly reflecting the heavenly. A short interpretation of this dream is that the Ocean represents the people who are letting their emotions control them. The ocean has a mind of its own destroying everything. On the other side, the water is more peaceful, naturally directed and reflecting the divine light of spirit (the setting sun). Psychology And Emotions While I put a little bit of a spiritual spin on this I have traced this type of instruction on emotions through most religions. Although one could make the argument and come at this subject from a primarily basic psychology point of view. Yet, although it's more progressive then the rest of the scientific fields Psychology hasn't quite come to an understanding of emotions. Most psychologists are still working off of the Mechanical Universe perspective. Society currently believes that emotions can be treated with medicine much like a common virus because they arise from misfiring chemicals in the brain. The field of neuroscience completely and utterly ignores the realm of psychology for explanations. Just look at this article that explains the reasons people have OCD is because a part of their brain is 'dysfunctioning' as though it's a computer hard drive in need of repair without any regard for the idea that the reason people hold onto their fear has to do with conditioning (how their parents taught them): http://www.sciencealert.com/this-could-explain-why-people-with-ocd-can-t-overcome-their-urges. Scientists legitimatize the purpose of Emotions. They believe that emotions are primitive responses to stimulus that are completely unnecessary in today's world. The cave man learned fear because he was hunted by predators leaving us to deal with the wreckage his existence left behind. Emotions are seen as the enemies of the common man. After all, it's so much more logical to do our best to be a fleshy robot. We even see the idea of emotions as being inferior in movies. The Vulcan's in Star Trek, for example, learn to repress all of their emotions in favor of logic. The suggestion is that Vulcans are superior to humans. (I will explore the different pop culture exploration of emotions in a future blog). I don't agree with point of view that emotions are inferior left overs of the cave man or that behaving like an emotionless robot is the next logical step in humanity's evolution. The reason the logic is flawed is because it out a very possible component. This component has been talked about for years in many religions in a variety of ways. Yet, because religion has fallen from favor because it was used as a control mechanism for monarchies and governments for hundreds of years...science refuses to consider the possibility of a soul or the wealth of material those pursuing spirituality upon those paths have gathered. If humankind ever dares to imagine that the subconscious is the Soul and that consciousness arises from the soul...perhaps they will start to understand emotions. For now, with the idea that everything is a by-product of a mechanical process we can't expect this to happen. Ways To Work With Emotion In my metaphysical wondering's I discovered this chart. I have no idea the source because I just wrote it down on a scrap piece of paper and taped it to my desk approximately three years ago. The belief is that most disease arises from emotions. Anger = Weakens the Liver Grief = Weakens the Lungs Worry = Weakens the Stomach Stress = Weakens Heart and Brain Fear = Weakens the Kidney The idea that sickness can arise from an emotional state of being, that in effect we create it our-self, is something that the book The Secret suggested. I experienced disannonce with this suggestion. Like most people I considered disease something that happened to us or that was inflicted upon us by God for some failure on our behalf. The problem with what The Secret had to say was that it was an incomplete teaching and as such created a great deal of grief for those who might realize the truth but not know what to do about it. Here, then is a little insight on how to work with these emotions so that when they become out of whack they don't harm the body. There are three ways of dealing with emotions...although, I'll say that only one is truly conscious. Knowing how to work with our emotions is vital information for anyone who wants to become more peaceful. Yet, I would say, do not expect it to happen over night. Recognize where you my fall in the next three groups. You might see that you have a little bit in common with both A and B. These are just gross generalizations that I am providing so there is no hard or fast judgement's that can be passed I could count myself among all of three states at some point of being in my life. Some of us do fluctuate, mostly between the first and second grouping. The only people I've heard talking about the third idea are Gurus from India (of all things), Daryl Anka when channeling Bashar and Buddhists. Letting Emotions Control You This is a level a lot of people operate on...this is the churning uncontrolled sea. These are the toxic people walking around our world. Emotionally, they are flooded all of the time. People that exist on this level think that their emotions control them. They fly off the handle when someone cuts them off in traffic. When they are sad they state it's because of a problem with their deficient brain. They claim they are angry because they are PMS'ing...but they are angry most of the time. They stay in their emotional states of being for long periods of time. Unwilling to let go of the emotion or discharge that emotional state of being. Some might find a temporary reprieve in expressing themselves artistically or through exercise. More than likely they won't stick to the discipline for long as it will require more work to burn of the excess energy. In this way of living life and dealing with emotions there are very high highs and very low lows. This is not a peaceful or predictable state of being. When in this state it's very easy to fly off the handle emotionally for even the slightest reason or even no reason at all. There is an extreme sensitivity. When in this emotional state we stumble from one emotional roller coaster to another. We feel out of control so we want to hear about the bad things that are happening to other people so we feel better about ourselves. We try to exert control over others and the situations we are in...trying to make the outside better in an attempt to fix our chaotic inner world. There is a lot of suffering when in this emotional state. The one good thing about this state of being is that at least the emotions get expressed in some form. This allows the person to discharge them so that they don't get built up in the body to cause a physical disease On the other hand, when operating from this state of being a person is more likely to be diagnosed with a mental disorder. For example, a person who is flooded with anger (anger management problems) might slam the steering wheel so hard they injure themselves. Often, people who are at the mercy of their emotional state beat themselves up...sometimes this can result in anxiety or insomnia. Often times, the people who allow their emotions to control them act in irrational ways. This can cause poor relationships and the person feels very isolated...which only increases their dysfunction. Their erratic and sometimes violent behavior pushes other people away. They also define themselves by their emotions. I'm depressed. I'm moody. I'm emotionally sensitive. I have anger management problems. Repressing Emotions This is a stagnant sea that unpredictably becomes stormy. Stagnant waters, by the way, cannot support sea life. This, in some ways can be worse than those who are controlled by their emotions. These are people who want to behave like Robots. We see rampant Repression of Emotions throughout Western Society in many forms. This is why people try to control or lessen their emotions with booze, drugs and any behavior allows them to escape how they feel. These are the people who develop eating disorders an attempt to control their body...because the rest of their life feels as though it's out of control or as an attempt to 'feel good' when in a bad mood. The goal, for these people, is not to feel unpleasant emotion. Religion has been, for the most part, one of the driving factors in repression. Somewhere, the memo regarding detachment became confused. Instead of really working with emotions people decided to go against the Natural Order and pretend they didn't have drives or urges. In some weird way, they thought detaching from their humanity would make them more "pure" or "godly". This is why really religious people have a major problem with the natural sexual urges. Most nuns, monks, priests, etc. usually take on vows where they give up anything that might 'be of this world.' This association has inevitably become part and parcel of being 'holy.' Yet, by abstaining from all temptation of 'worldly influence' they completely remove themselves from the world and create a false reality rarely helping others who are not in their small cloistered realm. How that's supposed to be a servant to humanity I can't comprehend (although, some good has come out of it). Even without religion we see the Athiests discounting emotion. They believe in the idea of Transhumanisim. The advocates of Transhumanisim has taken to disowning the natural human experience to a entirely new level. Believing in the Mechanical Universe idea they that the only way for humans to evolve is to leverage technology with their biology...basically they want us to become Star Trek's Borg. The less human without the emotion the better. While people can be very functional in this state of being...Repression is not truly working with the emotion. In fact, they are the ones most likely to build up the energy in a part of their body and become sick. They turn the energy inward and use it against themselves. After all, we are taught not to take our emotional angst out on other people. Emotions cannot be banished or ignored as though they don't exist. In fact, when they are ignored they come out in distorted ways. This is the case in domestic abuse where the abuser goes into a state of repression, lets it build up, and then explodes on a repeated cycle of behavior with their victim. Emotions are what makes us human and denying them is an attempt to deny what we are on the most basic level. When we try to fight them they come back even bigger and scarier. When we ignore our emotions on a daily basis they come on more urgently. Bottling up emotions only leads to big explosions...it's similar to filling a balloon with helium until it explodes. These seemingly irrational bouts are the release of years of suppression and repression of emotions on the person. Often, it manifest itself as some sort of emotional or nervous breakdown. Sometimes people can repress their emotions for years. I know I did. I froze out my emotions for much of my teens and twenties. That can make the explosion of emotions when that person hits the tipping point much worse. The unsuspecting person the Emotional Repressing Individual explodes on is often completely mystified by this bizarre change in behavior. The Emotional Repressing Individual apologizes for the explosion, saying they don't know what possessed them to say or do those awful things...then they go right back to repressing their emotions. People who repress their emotions can be psychologically abusive to those closest to them. Some might be able to keep it under control and be so sporadic it's not noticed. All of it depends upon the amount of stress in that person's life. The degree of functionality of people who repress emotions is high. All of it depends on the level of how extreme the emotional repression is and how long it takes between the cycle of repression/release. Some can also learn to release the emotion through action...any type of physical activity. Most highly functional people repress their emotions are capable of being in relationships and succeed in groups use this method of coping with emotions. Emotional Detachment Disorder First, let me explain that yes, there is a Psychiatric diagnosis called Emotional Detachment Disorder. In that case, a person becomes emotionally detached from a situation because they are overwhelmed in a traumatic situation. They simply can process the extreme form of emotion that they are feeling. Then they have problems forming any type of emotional attachment to anything for fear of the same experience. I just want to make it clear that the Detachment I'm about to talk about is totally different. Healthy Detachment The Buddhist point of view on emotional detachment is very different. During meditation is when I learned the discipline of working with my emotions. I had no idea that the result of the meditation was that I would start to working with my emotions. Emotional Detachment doesn't mean that you don't feel the emotion. No, it is the choice to consciously explore the emotion when it comes up and then let it go. With practice the emotion becomes an old friend. We become aware of when that emotion rises up to get our attention. We explore the source and the cause. Then we take action, thank the emotion for it's help and let it go. Emotions are like soap bubbles. They are very elusive when you try to grab them...the source will dissolve if you handle them roughly. Then you are left wondering what the heck 'put' you in a bad mood. Instead, when an emotion comes up you can greet it like an old friend. Gently, you examine the circumstances that caused the emotion. Did you wake from a nightmare? Did something that happened with a friend remind you of a past experience? Once you know the source you can then choose consciously how to respond. When you do respond...the emotion realizes it's message is delivered and it evaporates. Fear, for example, is a big emotion with which people struggle. When fear comes up we can explore it, sit with it...ask where it came from and what it wants us to do...instead of repressing it we take the advice it offers. An Example of Healthy Detachment From My Life In a previous blog I described when I went to the Emergency Room in an Ambulance. After years where I have been practicing the discipline of meditation to reduce cluttered thinking...I was able to switch into that peaceful state of being during the emergency. Normally, I would have tried to repress the fear. I would have tried to force myself to walk to the car while I hemorrhaged. I might have lost a lot more blood and possibly passed out...and possibly died. Fear can be your greatest instructor. The amount of fear I felt while bleeding told me this was a very serious issue and I needed to respond appropriately. My Fear was extreme, but once I made the choice to call an Ambulance it lessened to where I could not feel it anymore. The experience was very transformative. I had applied my practice in real life and it worked beautifully. On another occasion, when I was going to be late for a training class I negotiated with Fear. Fear told me not to bother, that I was going to be late and that I would be rejected as a result. I negotiated, what is the worst that can happen...rejection is not painful. I might never see the people there again. I chose to own the fact that I was late...and Fear insisted that I prepare. I formed a strategy on how to handle the situation when I arrived. I simply apologized and sat down as though I owned the place. Were they going to physically throw me out? Nope, they didn't. The tactic might not have worked if I was part of a combative or competitive work place...but I work at a union job where everyone has to be very tolerant. The teacher simply looked surprised, calculated what to do and decided the best choice was to act as though nothing was wrong. This is working with emotions. Exploring them, accepting their message, acting on that message to the fullest of our ability and having a conscious choice. Emotional Detachment doesn't mean you control the emotion. This doesn't mean you are freed of emotion forever. Instead, the emotion becomes your intuition...your emotional barometer guides you as it was meant to function. Intuitive Communication In my previous post, emotional barometer I explained how emotions can be used as an intuitive tool of inner communication. (http://bridgetkorns.weebly.com/blog/emotional-barometer) Consider working with your emotions as a form of directly communicating with your Soul or Higher Self. Many people believe the subconscious, from which emotions emerge, is our Soul. This is the part of us that science can't explain. This part always remembers everything that happens to us...which is why hypnosis can be effective when a eye witness doesn't remember details of an event. When you tap into the souls view of that event it remembers astounding details. These emotional checks with your Higher self are important because they can act as a guide as you navigate your life. If you have a lot of fear about applying to a certain job... you should explore that fear. Ask, where did you come from Fear? Why are you here alerting me about this job? If it's just the interview process you're afraid of then push through. Then it is a matter of weighing the risks and benefits of social interaction. Perhaps the fear is of rejection. This indicates that you need to work on areas of rejection...most specifically healing the times that you have been rejected in the past. You learned something about yourself...a part that needs to be healed so it's well worth exploring the Fear. If you find that you fear the job itself...and discover that you really don't feel up to what it requires and that in your mind it requires a great personal sacrifice with the only motivation being more money...there is your cue that the job isn't going to work out in the long run. The fear is telling you that the job is not for you. Either way, whether you learned that there was a part of you that needs to be healed or that you were about to make a mistake...you learned from that Fear. Eventually, when you work with them emotions don't come on so strong. Your Higher Self realizes you are getting the message and doesn't flood you with the extreme emotions. Since you listen and apply what you learn from them emotions become more like gentle whispers. There is a working relationship...emotions become more gentle and less a roller coaster. A balance is achieved which brings a great deal of mental peace. A Religious Example I stumbled across this in my own personal experience as I walked my Spiritual Path. Yet, now that I have perceived it makes complete and total sense. All of that which no one could explain to my satisfaction before...is explained. I see it in all regions. I see the distortions of this teaching in all religions, spiritual approaches and people. On that note lets look at the most commonly accepted religion in the United States: Christianity. In Matthew 8:23-27 and Mark 4:35-41 we see the same story. Clearly, this was a very important teaching. Everything in the New Testament has a dual purpose...to express an idea in parable and also tell a literal story. When we view each passage and event as both being literal and symbolic we uncover the secret teachings. "Whoever has the ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 11:15 and Mark 4:9). When looking at the story as allegory we see this archetype of a body of water. Again, this archetype represents the subconscious and emotions (which are naturally subconscious unless we chose to consciously work with them). Yeshua was sleeping in a boat while they were crossing a lake. A storm comes up and the disciples wake Yeshua because they are afraid they are going to drown. Yeshua then comments on their faith asking why they are afraid and calms the sea. The fear of the disciples disturbed the water. Yeshua was in a state of being where he worked with emotions. Therefore the outer world reflected his calm faithful inner world. The outer world reflects the inner world. This is how the saying, "As within, so without. As above so below," can be applied in our daily lives. Change yourself and change the world. In Revelation John saw the Sea of Glass "And I saw what looked like a Sea of Glass glowing with fire and standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name." This was reflective of his mental and emotional state after he conquered his lower self (the beast). I will go into the meaning of the beast in the next post...which might blow your mind. I know it blew mind once I realized the meaning and magnitude of the dreams I've had int he past nine months. Conclusion The turbulent sea of the subconscious. Many of us do not know how to work with the Sea of our Emotions. No one teaches us and most of our parents don't know how to work with them.. Society views them as being primitive and unnecessary in our current experience. If you see the world as terrifying, unpredictable place....then that is your emotional state of being reflected back at you and it's time to re-frame your paradigm. That's a good time to start putting on other peoples goggles by reading books written from perspectives you have never considered. Yet, that is how you start working with Source and with your Higher Self (soul). They are our connection to God. Your emotional state of being is a form of communication. The more you listen and take action appropriately the more you will be working with God and not against him. Emotions are our natural state as God/Source made us, they aren't remnants of a inferior state of being, and they serve a very important purpose. To try and thwart them or erase them from our existence would be a huge detriment to our society. There is a curious thread that I have discovered through many religions and faiths. I will meditate further on certain concepts related to this thread in future blogs. I know that I am not done with this subject but I want this to be the foundational blog where you can trace the idea through the many religions with me.
There are many people who do not believe they are of this World. They look at the suffering, the greed and the wanton destruction of other human beings in horror. They denounce their responsibility and their connection this world in a number of ways. Some believe their souls originate from other universes or dimensions. Some believe our species was created by another species (Annunaki) and that the human body is imperfect (Lloyd Pye gave interesting persuasive lectures on the subject). Others believe because they are born of God (even those who might believe they have extraterrestrial souls would be the same) they are not of this world. Yet, we are here. Why? When I see "N.O.W." representing "Not of this world" on the window of a big raised truck with ultra expensive accessories such as after market wheels, rims, exhausts and other performance parts. I have to smile at the apparent contradiction. Perhaps, that person is merely denying their relationship and renouncing the rest of humanity but he certainly hasn't turned his back on the material aspect of this world. This idea might go back to very ancient times. I'm going to go through all of the different schools of thought and religious ideas that express what I feel is the purpose behind this...the in depth meaning of being Not Of This World. Join me on pulling this very interesting thread... Tribal Traditions of America Sacrifice is a very important part of Native American cultures in both the North and South. The Maya sacrificed people and blood believing that it would appease their God's. In many tribes they offer a different sacrifice. Often, when they are working with the Spirits of the North, South, East and West they offer physical items that are of great value. Tobacco and corn meal are two most common. There is a commonality between tobacco and corn meal. These two items are the result of work in the field. This is often grown by the tribes and required a lot of personal toil. Anyone who has grown a garden knows the time, patience and effort that it requires. In that way it is something that is of a lot of value to the individual being the material product of their effort. Watching each plant wither or grow to abundance is a matter of pride. To offer those to the spirits is to give up one of the most valuable possessions that we are attached to in this world. This shows a great deal of humility and sacrifice of self. This is a show of giving something the individual is very attached to up to The Great Spirit/God. Hindu In the Bhagavadgita, an important Hindu text, attachment is a central theme in the story of a warrior. Here is an excerpt from a really good article on the subject by Jayaram V (http://www.hinduwebsite.com/attachment.asp): "Desire is the cause. Attachment is the result. Once attachment is formed it keeps the desire alive by inflaming it. Thus desire and attachment create a complete circle in which beings become caught and experience a wide range of emotions." (The source of the image of the Ouroboros perhaps?) I recommend reading the entire article but here is one little other excerpt that pertains to this little thread of information I've traced through all religions and practices. "Attachments have great significance in spiritual life. The first few lessons that you will learn in spiritual life is about how you have grown fond of this world, how much the world has grown on you, and how you can cut those bonds so you can feel comfortable with yourself and your aloneness." Judaisim In Judaisim we find that animals and bread (grain) were offered to God in the Temple. Both were offered within the tabernacle. The offering of the lamb, for example, was very important. For most people their livestock were their livelihood. Lambs were not only used for meat but for their wool from which clothes could be made. There are charities today trying to give Goat's to the poor in Africa because that goat with it's milk they can drink and from which they can make cheese can be a life changing difference. Wealthy used to be measured by the amount of live stock a person owned. In Judaisim there were assignments to each type of animal that could be sacrificed based on the Sin that the person wanted to release. Birds were for minor sins...and lambs for major sins. Sins occurred any time the individual broke Sacred Law. Whether that was lusting after someone's wife all the way to murder. To atone for their sin the person in the community would travel to the temple, either bring their own animal or pay the people selling sacrificial animals. They would then take it to the Levites to sacrifice on the Altar within the Temple for them. Their sin was transferred to the animal leaving them pure. Again, we see the individual sacrificing that which they are most attached. Buddhism Here is where I had my aha moment with this thread of information. In Buddhisim there is a clear emphasis on Detachment of the worldly. The belief is that all of the stuff that we are attached to in this world keeps us within Samsara- the cycle of reincarnation. Attachments are the source of all of Addictions. These attachments arise from the sense of groundlessness we have in a perishable experience. To feel solid and real people attach themselves to certain things such as food, drugs, alcohol, social situations, sex, etc. Detaching with the wonder of this world doesn't mean you cannot appreciate it...it just means that you let it go. You realize that it's a temporary moment in the overall experience of your imperishable soul. What causes us to return to the world is our desire for our material attachments. By practicing detachment and not being attached to the material world, eventually, you will not return to Earth. We can appreciate being here, in the moment, appreciating the different activities but we won't have any desire to return to those attachments. Christianity We find a similar idea to detachment in Christianity. Jesus says to his followers in John 17:14-16 "I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world." When we look at this it's easy to think this is said because Jesus is from God. Yet, that presents a contradiction. He says that we are all the Sons and Daughters of God. Therefore, all of us are not of this world. When we think of a worldly person what do we think? If you type the phrase Worldly Person into Google this is what you get: 1. Of relating to, or devoted to the material world especially in contrast to spiritual concerns. 2. Experienced in human affairs. This gives us the answer to our question of what Jesus meant. He is saying that he and his followers are not attached to the material world. They are not someone devoted to material affairs. For his day and time this was very different from most people. Most people were concerned with the human idea of worldly success. Even now we have people associating themselves with the idea that, "He with the most toys or fortune is the winner. " Naturally, anyone who was saying different would be seen as an enemy that needed to be blotted out. There are many times when Jesus tells his followers not to be worried about material affairs. In Matthew Jesus tells the disciples not to worry about food because God provides birds with food. He then tells them not to worry about clothes, either, because God provides. Muslims In a recent talk at the Philosophical society Azam Nizamuddin talked about the Jihad- al-Nafs. He explains that in one of Rumi's (a Muslim mystic) books there is a story where the soldiers came back from a battle. He told them, "Now that you are back from the lesser jihad it is time that you focus on the greater jihad." Nizamuddin then explains that 'the greater Jihad' is the battle against 'the self.' The Jihad- al-Nafs is the struggle against the soul. (We see a similar idea in Judaisim with the character of Jacob who struggles against an Angel...and indeed the name Israel means 'he who struggles with God'). Here, in Azam Nizamuddin's presentation is where we find a statement that is very similar to the Buddhist concept of Detachment: "Man has three enemies, the world, the devil, and the soul. Be on guard against he world through renunciation, against the devil by disobeying him, and against he soul by abandoning desire." In light of the Hindu passage above, we know that Desire is what leads to attachment on a Soul Level. The teachings of Islam are in agreement, then, with this idea that in order to Not Be Of This World ending the circle of desire and attachment is a vital spiritual goal. Edgar Cacye Now the next one comes from the Edgar Cayce material. Which has helped me to look at different religions and ideas from a non-dogmatic and unifying perspective. This was never offered in any books I read on the subject but comes from my own interpretation of the readings. First, lets state that if there is an Atlantis it predates all of the religions we currently know. There is a curious bit of information that Edgar Cacye imparted when he was talking about the Atlantian and post Atlantian phase. Many people believe that the end of Pisces is the end of this Atlantian period of human history. The idea, many believe, is that we have been dealing with the fall out from what happened in Atlantis. In the time of Atlantis and immediately after human souls had pushed their way into the material world. A new body, or root race, was born in Atlantis because it was seen as wrong to push themselves into the bodies of plants and animals uninvited. These new forms in Atlantis, however, when the people chose to incarnate into them were flawed. The people, because their soul influenced the process, carried over attributes related to the experiences they had become attached to as animals or floral/fauna. Casey said that people would still have tails or eagle eyes, leaves, flowers or fur. The attachment to the experience of the material world is what had caused the souls to remain on Earth and return. A very complex purification ceremony was developed to help heal these people of what looked like deformities in their new bodies. This was a central part of what Cacye said the Priest Ra-Ta did in Egypt. I include this to argue that the idea of detachment from the material world experience may predate all religions. This universal expression might come from an ancient school of thought that has permeated humanity from the first souls experience in the material world. Nuns/Monks In all faiths you find people who separate them from all others. They live a life of isolation where they have taken vows against having material wealth, sex, and on other subjects. In all ways, they are renouncing their 'worldly' nature. These are usually seen as the most devout and the most seeking of their faiths. Whether it's a Catholic Priest, an Indian Guru or Buddhist Monk the practices are usually the same. Isn't this odd that all of them renounce and remove themselves worldly/material interests? I think the need for detachment from the worldly is plainly a key component in all of the most religious members of every religious and spiritual school of thought. I don't think this is a coincidence. Conclusion This post has weighed heavy on my mind. I have been very excited about writing it for some time. I believe if we start to look for the commonalities between religions...that they might all have their source in the very same story...perhaps this world will be a better place. Source has no attachment to names. Most of humanity is tired of Wars using those names as justification. I will post the story of the soul, as I see it, based on all of the threads that I have pulled through the various religions in my next post. Unlike in this post and the post I will be writing on Snake Symbolism (another uniting symbol/teaching) I will not write that story quoting the different religious and spiritual schools of thought. What I want to emphasize here, in this post, is the idea that souls were seduced into this material reality. They weren't native to it which is why so many might feel they are Not Of This World. Yet, the key teaching in all of the worlds teachings and spiritual teachings it to remove ourselves from this world is to release our attachments that keep us here. That is why when I see some guy in a lifted truck with Not Of This World on his big fat gas guzzling look at me vehicle...I smile and laugh. The teaching is lost when you try to say it only applies to a small group. This teaching of what keeps us tethered to the material world so we do not return to Source is our attachment to the experiences here. We find it in all of the ancient traditions starting with sacrifices of our most valuable worldly possessions to Spirit and God. Then we find it move from a physical offering to a mental lesson and practice...because the physical offering was a misunderstanding of the concept. To me this is one of the most important teachings. To some, it might be confusing. I will go into depth on how I have let go of my attachments in a future post. I just wanted to start off with this foundation concept so I can refer people back to it in future blogs on how I achieved that detachment and how that is purifying. A Note on Comparative Religions When I write pieces like this it often makes me think about the conclusions most people reach after taking a Comparative Religions course. Most reach the conclusion, through that study that religion is all farce. That they are all based on the same worship of the same nature spirits. Why is it that I look at these same religions, see commonalities, and come to a different conclusion? What is different about my thinking? To me, this occurs because the adherents of the Comparative Religions Studies take a pseudo-scientific approach of anthropology. They look at the people who practice these religions but they remain on the outside. They do not dare to think like them...they remain in what they consider a detached bias state. However, by assuming that no religion is the 'right way' they introduce a natural bias against all religious and spiritual practices. They fail to grasp the importance of the core teachings and to see the relevant importance of the commonalities. They become distracted by all of the side teachings that aren't really focused on teaching people how to live happier more fulfilled lives. This is why I come to a different conclusion. I come to each school of thought, try it on like a hat and see the similarities...from that perspective I can penetrate that school of spiritual thinking to the core principals and compare those instead of being side tracked by ritual or dogma.
Current Events
The reason I'm posting this now is because it speaks to the moment in human history. I believe that most of what is 'energetically' stuck will be worked through by April. Yet, I see a lot of people suffering because of their attachment to the ideas and beliefs that our country is reviewing and synthesizing at this moment. I realized that to me the greatest virtue in the United States is for everyone to share their truth. When everyone is brought out of the shadows and allowed to share their truth we become stronger as a nation. Too long in our learning institutions, in our businesses and in our government have people been silenced and pushed into the shadows. Their views might not be popular with the more vocal people but they resonate with a part of the population that has remained Silent. Group think is a killer. Corporations know this because of their research on the topic. They try to nurture diversity in an environment where everyone is required the same attire and look the same while being treated as robots or just a number. The irony of this is evident but the truth of it is so obvious...when everyone is of one mind there is no creativity. Usually, the person with the biggest ego ends up running the show. I could and probably will do an entire blog on this subject. Invoking emotion is the surest way to inspire Group Think. What I see in the United States right now is a huge emotional reaction as peoples paradigms and beliefs are challenged. Such are usually violent if a person hasn't been taught how to work with their emotions. Dissonance when someone holds a particular belief can be very painful. Yet, the United States was founded on diverse opinions and beliefs. We have always reinvented ourselves by nurturing these diverse ideas, debating them and being reborn much as the Phoenix. The Founding Fathers were definitely not of one mind. Buddhism and Detachment I never realized how important detachment is or how it played a role in Buddhisim until I was listening to Scott Mandelker discuss Sotappana. Sotapanna is stream entry. I had always thought of Buddhisim in the way Sakyong Mipham and Pema Chodron discuss it with their Shambala Institute. They focus more on realizing that this world is Maya, illusion, and that being attached to the illusion can bring pain. They also teach that the mind has to be trained. Yet, when Mandelker was talking about this subject he told a story. A friend of his wanted to release carnal desires. He went to the extreme of Buddhist Monks where they go and look at dead bodies to release any attachment to desiring the physical body. Then Mandelker's friend wondered why he wasn't able to 'perform' in a relationship to his girlfriend. There is a psychological issue called Dis-associative Disorder. I do want to express here that extreme detachment is not healthy. Anything of course, that is taken to an extreme is going to be bad and unhealthy. The idea of detachment being the 'gift' of Buddhsim came up in a lecture by Peter Woodbury which I will attach at the end. Experiencing Detachment First let me explain that Detachment is not repression. In Buddhism they allow the feeling to flow through them and then release them. At first I didn't understand what was happening. Why wasn't I having the usual overwhelming emotional responses to situations? Heck, why wasn't I having the usual emotional response to my body not behaving properly. I was on my way to the hospital in an ambulance. There was a bit of worry...but mostly there was calm. This was not my usual reaction. Even as the technician tried three times to start an IV at the hospital blowing out a vein and literally digging around with the needle in the top of my right hand...I felt the pain but it was distant. This was not a normal response to a crisis! I appeared to be the Observer within my own mind. I could sense the emotions, the uncertainty, and the experience that I was having...but I wasn't attached to them. I accepted the emotions and the pain as messengers, which they are but I wasn't reactive. I silenced my inner narrator a long time before...my life was not a story that needed to be explained or entirely understood. Just a series of experiences that i do not try to quantify, justify or analyze. Yet, this was different. Instead, in this space created between the event and the emotional reaction was a detached Observer...I was able to synthesize all of the data and it wasn't based on my emotions. I realized there was a detachment from what was normally an emotional event. This state of being became a reality for me every moment of every day. I knew something changed but I wasn't really sure what had changed. Then I began to come across more information on detachment. I realized I was experiencing my emotions but I wasn't reacting to them. Without that knee jerk reaction I was able to retain a sense of clarity of the situation. As a result I was able to come up with better solutions and responses...and I wasn't drawn into the old emotional patterns. The sense of freedom was immense. How Did It Happen? I don't know if this spontaneous detachment has to do with my meditation practices. Most of these I have created naturally on my own. I'm not a part of any school nor have I have ever attended classes on the subject. For years, I practiced the Shamabla teaching of meditation that Sakyong Mipham provides to train the mind in his book. This requires focusing on the breath and releasing thoughts that come up. This is how my 'inner narrator' ceased to exist. Now, I mostly practice what I call the Light of Heaven meditation (which is similar to a Dao meditation. I discovered that today while watching a lecture on Dissolving Methods by Don Myers: https://youtu.be/6nlOXcOLka0 ) every day. This meditation is focused on releasing emotions and energy blockages that I can sense with my sore muscles...sometimes images or thoughts will come to me in the process and I use the Shambala teaching of 'letting them go.' Other then that I do my thinking meditations which I usually share in blogs. My goal was never to achieve detachment it just happened naturally on it's own. Detachment Allows Perspective I have discovered that not having an emotional reaction to events (especially politically) is extremely beneficial. This has given me the perspective to see how many people who are ruled by their emotions experience so much Suffering. The idea in Star Wars...Fear leads to Hatred, Hatred leads to Suffering... is very true. The sad thing is they really don't teach how not to fall into that trap. The Jedi appear to repress emotions which isn't really the way at all. Strangely, in this Detachment I found the deepest well spring of love. I don't see people's emotional reactions to events as anything more than a form of suffering. When I realize they are suffering I feel a great deal of compassion for them no matter what 'side' of the issue they are on. I also know these people are choosing, often on a subconscious level, to suffer. I will enter into that meditation which will reveal another chunk of what I realized in the next blog. Computer Metaphor The emotions were never supposed to control us with knee-jerk reactions. When we let the Mind (ego), a part of which Emotions are, control us it becomes a habit we are not aware of...and then we are in chaos and we suffer. Too long we have thought in the Mechanical Universe point of view that we are our Minds. Most of us don't even bother studying the mind or learning how to use it even though there are thousands years of information on the topic.. When we let go of this concept it suddenly becomes clear... The best way to describe this is if our Mind is a Computer and Emotions are Programs. When we detach from those emotions and see the Mind as a Tool of the Soul...we gain a different perspective. We are no longer victims of learned emotional reactions (programs). We must learn how to use a computer in order to actually be able to benefit from it. Meditation is learning how to use the mind. Emotions are tools...they are programs alerting us to a new email, a new YouTube video, or a new article of interest. They are little messengers that act as a sensor. The mind itself is a tool...it is 'similar' to a computer interface through which the Soul works that helps it "view" the world. We can choose the filters and the hue of the world by working with our mind...just as we do when we choose a background image for our computer screen. Yes, really, we absolutely have control our minds, the filters and the programs that we experience. The data we input into is is our beliefs...than it filters everything based on that to reinforce whatever belief we have accepted. Psychology has proven this by studying the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. Sense we do not think we are in control of our mind...that it controls us...it isn't functioning properly. We let the emotions, the programs, do what they want without our influence. Pandora is popping on and off for seemingly no reason with random songs distracting us, our word processor shows up for a while but we don't have very long to type out a thought when...ooh an email has come in... How can we make any sense out of that chaos? All of these programs are playing at once and it's just a cacophony. Often the soul is stuck de-fragmenting the interface during dream time (which is why people become psychotic when they don't dream/sleep). Meditation helps us to gain an understanding of the programs. We learn to turn them off and on at will or leave them off entirely. The Emotions when they pop up draw our attention to something new but we choose if we react to the latest video on YouTube or continue to focus on the drawing we are creating in Paint. This is just a really small metaphor for it all but it's easy for anyone to understand. Detachment is a way to start interfacing with the mind in a way where we start using it for the function it was created. Conclusions There is a subtle dance between the Mind and our Soul...just there is a subtle dance between our Soul and the Divine. The mind is just an interface for the Soul...when we stop identifying ourselves with the Mind (computer) we can become aware of the Observer (person using the computer)...or Soul. When we start exploring the Soul that was created in the image of the Creator (Active forces of the universe)...we can start exploring God and when we explore God we eventually discover Source....it is an inward journey through self. Our mind is always connected. We just need to stop looking with the Mind for the other parts of our Being because it's not the mind that is connected but our Soul. We will never learn the answers to our questions if we keep looking outside for answers...or looking for outsiders to explain ourselves to us. Very few people even bother finding out who they are...let alone what Beliefs they've fed their mind. In my next blog I will cover the concept of the folly in trying to connect our minds into one unit. I guess, in a way, it will be another meditation on Group Think and Good Versus Evil but from a much different perspective. In the following videos there will be a girl named Anita explains her method for detachment...she mostly talks about being attached to other people. Yet you can be attached to anything...cigarettes, chocolate...or television. She shares her method. After that is a lecture by Peter Woodbury that mentions Buddhism and detachment so you can fit this into a different perspective. |
Author:
Thank You For Visiting
Brave Soul! May Your Journey On The Path Of The Seeker Bring You Joy and Peace! I'm currently posting every Saturday. With a new addition the family I have pre-scheduled most posts through December 2022. Full Moon Posts will contain up-to-date content when I can get to them. Thank you so much for your support and understanding! This is a place where you can encounter new spiritual ideas that have helped me develop as an Individual On The Path of the Seeker. Take or Leave this information as you see fit. Archives
April 2024
|