Try to Understand Instead of Mind Critiquing - (2868)

When somebody does something that agitates our mind and some of our egos. It is better to say to the mind: "Be quiet and let's focus our quiet attention on this issue to try to understand it. 

When we try to understand it we will see the event from their shoes and from many different angles especially from the angle of the work on ourselves.

When we try to understand instead of our mind criticising and judging, we generate creative comprehension, we free up some will and become more conscious.

We also feel very different and so much less mediocre and negative.

This is a really good key that is easy to overlook and not apply. Applying it makes a big difference.

End (2868).

Have a Good Day Work this Way! - (2781)

If we work and conduct our day by this process we can have a good day!

End (2781).

Notes on Good Analysis - (5372)

Introduction

This post presents some notes on analysing the "I" in a way that leads to separation and comprehension.

Notes

General

In simple terms analysis is a tool of mystical death. It is more aligned with death than with life.

It is used to disassemble and reveal the basic components of an object or of a system.

Analysis in life is also used to reveal the functions of each part that makes up a system.

Analysis reveals the secrets of things and helps us discover where processes and events went well and didn't go well.

Analysis is often used to debunk certain beliefs and to test the value and strength of proposals and ideas.

Analysis breaks a process down into steps so that the process can be learnt, taught and repeated.

Analysis is always performed by the intellect. Never by the emotional centre. 

The mind for some reason as we all know is the one that spoils new ideas, initiatives, love and many other things that are inspirational and emotional in nature.

In summary, analysis is a tool that can reveal aspects of the truth. This is, why it is used in the work of  dissolving the ego.

Breaks Down and Allows Knowing

Analysis breaks things down into steps or parts. The whole is always greater than its parts. The whole looks very different when it is broken down into its parts. 

When we break an ego down into its parts we can work on each part. A large ego taken as a whole looks overwhelming and impossible. But broken down to its parts, dissolving it looks possible.

When we analyse any egoic reaction or desire we get to find out what it really wants, how it functions, what logic or reasoning it thinks by, what it says and does, what it perceives, what it feels and so on.

Analysis gives us something to focus on. We can then focus on for example, its thinking process, that is its reasons, and then further analyse them asking ourselves more questions about its reasoning. 

When we analyse thoughts we do so by asking several questions. One of the best questions to ask: "Is it true?". Another very good question to ask is: "Who is thinking that?".

If we know what an "I" wants, we can understand why it does the things it does and says the things is does and uses the centres in the way it does.

The most important piece of knowledge to know about the ego is what its core value. That is, what value of the essence is at its very foundation. The core value is at the heart of the desire of the ego and it is what the ego is trying to satisfy in duality, that is using external rather than internal means.

The result of analysis is further separation and laying down the road to comprehension.

Dissipates the Clouds of Illusion

One of the roles of the intellect and analysis is to dissolve illusion. When we analyse any ego we will get to the hypnotic grip, which is the part of the ego that does not make sense and that is the part that is often is ridiculous and is plainly wrong. 

Analysis will expose to our on eyes the lie of the ego and as well as its errors. Each ego is a lie, and is  in someway erroneous in its functioning and in its end results.

End (5372). 

Lust and Anger - Main Components of Modern Sexuality - (2575)

Introduction

The following is an edited and adapted section of a document that a fellow missionary wrote on the defect of anger.

Modern Sexuality

The common modern form of sexuality today is one that is founded on the two columns of lust and anger.

It seems that what people these days exhibit in many areas of daily life, especially related to sexuality, is this combination of lust and anger.

This makes sense as the three largest "I's" that we all have are lust, anger and pride.

I think that the most common and also the strongest combinations are: pride and anger, pride and lust and anger and lust.

It is also these combinations that hold a person's level of Being low.

Four Levels

There are four levels of manifestation of the anger-lust combination which follow the three ways anger manifests, which are with the: mind, word and body. 

There are two aspects to all three ways in which anger manifests. These anger directed either against ourselves or against others.

First Level - Word

The first level of manifestation of the anger and lust combination, is in the word. Here the word is used derogatively when speaking about sex. 

Swear words are all related to sex and many jokes that belittle people, and are spoken with ill-intent (anger) have to do with sex or the sexual organs.

There is also an aggressive way of about the sexual act and during the sexual act which comes from anger.

This level follows the anger in the word manifestation. 

Second Level - Mind and Body Related to Ourselves

The second level of manifestation concerns the fulfillment of sexual pleasure through one's own mind and body.

Often aggressive thoughts of various intensity and actions towards oneself are used to arouse the sexual center. 

Third - Mind Ourselves and Body Others 

This third level is expressed in the sexual act through different intensity levels of aggression. Here anger and lust first manifests within the person through mental forms and is then directed outwardly to affect the body of another person.

Fourth - Mind Others and Body Others

The most manifest of the four levels includes activities that submit the physical body of others to torture and cruelty in order to experience sexual pleasure. 

End (2575).

Know what the "I" Wants - (2719)

If we can work out with observation and reflection what any "I" within us wants, we can understand why it does and says the things that it does.

This is really important information. It is well worth sitting down and going within using refined and steady attention, and find this out.

Once we find it we will understand so much more.

The next question to answer is why does it want that. Finding a deep answer to that question will tell you everything that you need to know or lead you on a path of inner inquiry, that will tell you everything... 

In the end any "I" that we have is an excellent teacher...

End (2719).

Notes on Good Separation - (5375)

Introduction

Following the series of posts about the steps of dissolving the ego, here is a post on the stage of separation.

Notes

Separation is the result of many conscious efforts of observation. It is actually a conscious action that is based on conscious knowledge and faith.

The ability to separate from any "I" comes from having observed an "I" and having understood the teachings about the pluralised "I" and the essence.

The observation of any "I" takes us to clearly understand that the internal state we experience as a reaction to a given event comes from a psychological "I". That is, a psychological person living within our interior.

That psychological person has it's own agenda and way of thinking, feeling, speaking and doing.

Before our self-observation reaches this point of maturity, we don't really know that such internal states come from a psychological "I" within us.

Basically, it is when through self-observation we have established knowledge of the predictable nature of this psychological person. We know everything about the environment, the triggers, the before, the during and the after of its manifestation. We know all that it will think, feel, say and do or not do.

Good self-observation takes us to separation. That is to be able to clearly know that there is an "I" trying to manifest through our human machine and that we are not that "I". We are the free essence. 

The next step is to exercise conscious will to not identify with that "I" or psychological person knowing that it is not our free essence. Knowing that it is a conditioned fragment of essence wishing to manifest, and it is not the thinking, feeling and acting of the real 'me', the free essence.

In other words, it is the "I" within us that is suffering, crying, protesting and feeling negative and upset.

It is also fundamental to understand that the free essence is really us and holds our correct and particular true response. 

To be able to separate any "I" from ourselves, we need to have knowledge of a few fundamental points. These points are the following.

• We are the free essence.

• The feeling of the free essence is the joy to be alive. Negative thinking and feeling is not the free essence thinking or feeling.

• We are a plurality. That is, many different "I's" live within us. None of them are our free essence.

• We become the "I" and stop being the free essence when we identify with the identity of the "I".

• To be the free essence is to be awakened. To be the "I" is to be asleep and to have forgotten ourselves.

 • It does not matter if we have 100,000 different "I's", what counts is that we know that we are neither of them and we can be the free essence all the time.

• To not identify is to separate.

• We are always better off not getting identified.

The key of separation is to tell ourselves many times, "I am not this way of thinking and feeling, this thinking and feeling is NOT of me the free essence." then make efforts (great efforts sometimes) to let that way of thinking go and bring the virtues and values of the free essence to respond to that situation.

End (5375).

Four Stages of Jealousy - (2412)

Introduction

Here are some basic notes on the "I" jealousy. The inspiration for this post comes from a document a fellow friend and missionary prepared on the defect of anger. 

Types of Jealousy

There are a few different types of jealousy. The differences between them all reside in the environment in which they appear. 

There are also degrees of jealousy, that go from slight suspicion to full obsession and violence.

Here are some of the most common types of jealousy and a little of their characteristics: 

● Passionate Jealousy: within sexual relationships, protective and demanding priority. 

● Religious Jealousy: within religions, exclusivity, protective, demanding dedication.

● Political Jealousy: within political parties, exclusivity, protective and demanding loyalty. 

● Family Jealousy: within the immediate or extended family, demanding of love and fairness.

The pattern that we can observe here, is that jealousy functions to protect the quality of a relationship, by blocking or minimising the presence or influence of outside factors. Essentially jealousy functions to secure the quality and integrity of a relationship. Which is a correct thing to do, but the way it goes about it, is not right the way. The way the essence trapped in the “I” jealousy does things often destroys relationships instead of protecting them. 

The major reasons for this action of exerting control as the pattern shows, are mostly due to security. Jealousy seeks control to be able to preserve the benefits that come from the relationship. These benefits are physical and psychological. However, the jealous person often does not see these reasons, instead they see other reasons of a subjective type.

"In our last chapter we already broadly studied the processes of envy, whether they are religious, passionate, etc. We should have full consciousness of what envy really is because it is only by understanding in depth and in an intimate way the infinite processes of envy that we manage to do away with jealousies of all types.

Jealousy destroys marriages, jealousy destroys friendships, jealousy provokes religious wars, fratricidal hatred, assassination, and all types of suffering." 

Venerable Master, Samael Aun Weor - "Fundamental Education". 

Jealousy within close relationships is one of the most common forms of jealousy in our society. 

This type of jealousy has 4 stages: doubt, distrust, aggression, and violence. See below. 

Passionate Jealousy

Underneath passionate jealousy is the fear of losing one's sexual partner. It starts manifesting through various small doubts, then it escalates to distrust. This is where activities of inquiring and investigating, even a type of spying can occur. A very covert kind of stalking may also occur in this stage.

Later jealousy moves onto aggression often expressed using offensive and insulting words that often ends with physical violence. There have been many murders throughout history motivated by jealousy.  

In Shakespeare's Othello, the workings of the “I” of jealousy are clearly shown from start to finish , where Othello out of control with jealousy, murders his wife Desdemona, who was portrayed in the play as noble and actually innocent of Othello's accusations.

A jealous person makes themselves psychologically unwell. It is so often the case that a jealous person believes that they love their spouse or partner, but really, they are only desperately trying to protect their personal security or perceived property, and maintain control over it. 

End (2412).

Karmic Psychology Doesn't See the Remedies (2671)

As posted before we all have a definite psychology of karma.

When we are in a karmic situation we have a karmic psychology. Which among a few different things does not allow us to see the many remedies available, and if by chance we do get a glimpse of a remedy, we don't feel like taking it up.

The main thing karmic psychology does not allow us to do, is to give to others, which is really truly where we will find the remedy for our difficult situation/s.

The remedy for our selfishness and self-compassion is to be found in giving time and energy to others, so to help or benefit others and in considering and feeling compassion for others in difficulties worse than ours.

End (2671).

Everyone Works on Themselves Just NOT Always Seriously - (2670)

As an instructor, I have heard many people say that they are working on themselves. A lot of those people have given up their Gnostic studies now and some have gotten themselves into problems... 

I use to be skeptical and cynical when I heard those words. I would tell myself that they are not really working, they think they are but they are not. Though, sooner or later I would find myself in situations which were due to a lack of work on my part... Another instance where judgement does not work...

Now days though, I tell myself that everyone is working on themselves and really everyone is. It's true isn't it that everyone does do some kind of work on themselves, and everyone is interested in getting better at something and being better at something.

The only difference that I have discovered, is that it is very rare to find those that are working seriously on themselves. That is, those who are truly pushing towards dying in themselves.

If someone says that they are working on themselves I tell myself you and that is really good. No envy, no judgement and no disbelief - more good-will.

We are working seriously on ourselves when there is a clear heart felt goal in place to dissolve an ego, we are working consistently towards, and we have yearning to dissolve it in the shortest time that our efforts will allow.

The above are the parameters that we need to know about to work out if we are working seriously on ourselves.

End (2670).

Maturity of the Path's Fellow Companions - (2453)

To be a companion of others walking the path requires maturity. I would even say a spiritually oriented type of maturity.

As anyone walks the path, what is hidden to themselves and maybe to others, has to come out, and become as visible as necessary, for as long as necessary, so that it can be overcome.

On the path, what matters is that the hidden baggage we are carrying comes out. It doesn't matter so much how - only that it comes out.

Some stages of the path are too difficult to walk while being weighed down by hidden baggage. So the baggage must be dropped. 

People always get stuck on how the baggage comes out and on the nature of what is coming out. 

This is immaturity and the 'how' and 'what', is not what is important. What is important is that what comes out is overcome, transformed and dissolved.

People who lack maturity get disappointed, upset, lose faith and stop their own work...

The truth is we all have a lot of ugly hidden baggage that needs to come out, and be transformed into strength and light... 

It is all transitory, it is all about stages, it passes quickly to reveal something new and so on and so on. To get stuck is to be sleepy in our consciousness because we are forgetting our own Being and our own work.

Do we know what is hidden in us and has to come out yet? Have we worked enough to be able to handle what is hidden in us? 

To understand the above points is maturity.

An even greater degree of maturity is required, the closer we are to others walking the path. 

We as companions, are often directly affected by what comes out of the person walking the path or the person working seriously on themselves. 

This can be difficult to deal with and requires drawing on our own consciousness, work, virtues and strengths to transform and deal with it.

To be a companion, a friend of fatih, a brother or sister of the path, implicitly means to see a lot of darkness before the light shines and to go through a lot of hardship before easier times come along.

All of this requires SPIRITUAL maturity.

End (2453).

Breathing Notes - (2368)

Introduction

This post presents some interesting points to do with the breath.

Notes

Window into our Internal State

Everyone's breath is the perfect indicator of their internal state. That is the quality of their thoughts and emotions.

Our internal state affects the ease and pace of our breathing. Maybe our in-breath is affected more than our out-breath or vice versa. The interesting thing is that there will be a reason why.

After discovering the various breathing patterns while we experience certain internal states, we can know a lot about the internal state of others by observing their breathing.

After we have studied our breath and the connection it has to mind and emotion, an intuitional sense that feels what others are experiencing through their breathing develops. 

The breath to internal state connection does not lie. Even if a person says that they are fine and all ok, yet their breathing is frantic, they are not all ok. 

Of course every ego with the internal states that they create affect our breathing and make us to breathe in a particular way. Every ego has its breath. Anger has its breath, lust has its breath, fear and anxiety both have their typical breathing patterns.

Factors to observe are the depth, frequency and variation in the general breathing pattern.

Our breathing changes significantly more when we are just about to do something. If we are able to notice this change, we can know the internal state in which we or another person are going to do something.

Breathing can be used to positively condition our nervous system.

Breathing is a bridge between our body and our psychology. Working with the breath means we can affect both the body our psychology. If we are unwell psychologically speaking we can help ourselves by changing our breathing. This is a very important skill for ourselves and others. Sometimes that is the only way we can help others.

Relaxation

To be able to relax on command in the most difficult moments of our lives is a tremendous skill that we must give ourselves. If you want to give yourself a gift - give yourself this gift.

Try to breathe into the body. Making our breath to extend to our extremities, that is our fingers and toes. When we do this we bring vitality to the whole body.

The breath can take away pain. Maybe not all the different kind of pain, but it can certainly soften many bodily pains and discomforts.

Calm and controlled breathing brings you back to homeostasis and allows us to really relax. Deeper and better than watching TV, scrolling on your phone etc. etc.

Long out breaths activate the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous system which relaxes us.

There are several kinds of breath:

• Ordinary Breath: which is mostly suffering and stress.

• Warm Breath: which is medicine for the body and mind.

• Cold Breath: which is produces inertia and laziness.

• Hot Breath: which produces agitation in the body and mind as well as discomfort and itches in the body.

• Supporting Breath: which is cool and stills the body and mind.

• Refined Breath: which extreme high quality, combining warm breath with mindfulness. 

Breathing

Our breath can be made to spread out to every pore of our skin. Our breath must first of all fill the interior of the body and then extend out to every pore.

Feel the breath in your lungs and heart, liver and intestines, rib-cage and spine. It must have an effect all over the body.

This kind of breathing keeps the body healthy and at ease and expands the mind.

Pain

When there is pain, focus on the breath going past the pain. Breathe to make the breath go past the pain to other parts of the body. That is past the sore knee and onwards towards the feet and toes for example.

The breath suppresses pain while mindfulness suppresses the five hindrances to meditation, which are restlessness and worry, laziness, doubt, ill-will and sense desires.

Make the good breath sensations to spread through the body. As these sensations accumulate and fill the body, rapture is produced.

Look after the breath. Cultivate it and care for it. It is a very good friend that will be there to help us in whatever endeavour and occasion of life.

Mind

Our breathing reflects our life situation - we have to listen to it. 

Observing our breath is a very good window of self-knowledge, as it allows us to know ourselves. It is the bridge between body and mind. Observe the body to know the mind.

When we are still, we get knowledge from the body, when the breath is calm we get knowledge from the breath, when our mind is still we get knowledge from the mind. 

Still body, to still breath, to still mind is the process we must work by.

A deep awareness of the body is brought about through the breath.

To increase our mindfulness of our breath and in general, we must evaluate the breath. 

Evaluate the in and out breath. Evaluate the inner sensations of the breath. Look at their intensity of tingling. These are the points by which we can evaluate our breath.

Continue to spread the breath to the entire body, moving through all the parts of the body, the blood vessels, tendons, organs, bones even to every pore of our skin. 

Doing this actually increases communication throughout the whole the body. Thus bringing the body together more in unity with our consciosuness.

Evaluation allows us to refine the breath and make it more harmonious, which in turn creates a harmonious state of mind.

End (2368).

Stuck in the Sensations of the Senses and the Centres - (1888)

At the end of the day what the different "I's" are looking for and what we as the free essence get stuck in, are the sensations of the senses and the sensations of the centres.

If we examine it carefully,  we see that the "I's" produce certain sensations in our centres that we enjoy being reproduced. Especially the negative type of emotions such as sad nostalgia, loneliness, sentimentality, relationship break-downs etc.

The "I's" also build up a lot of structure and meaning on the sensations of the senses. We get attached to these meanings and the pleasure of these sensations.

We can help ourselves to get free by focussing on perceptions, the perceptions of the consciousness that see past these sensations. That is perceptions on realities and values that are much more important than being stuck on sense sensations and the sensations of the centres.

End (1888).

The Tenants of Good Comprehension - (5371)

Introduction

This post presents some points to do with the comprehension of the "I". Some general characteristics of comprehension are also covered.

The Midday Sun, the pinnacle which is what comprehension is in the process of dissolution.

Points

General 

Comprehension of the "I" is the most difficult part of the work of dissolving an "I". 

Comprehension is the middle stage (Observation, Comprehension and Dissolution), it represents the peak of the dissolution process.

Comprehension is our work to complete. While dissolution is the work of the Divine Mother. So we mostly have to do it alone, with whatever degree of consciousness we have.

When comprehension is complete the "I" is ready to be dissolved. Comprehension is the process of extracting the essence from the bottle of conditioning that traps a fragment of essence.

When comprehension is complete there is detachment from the "I". The process of comprehension is really the act of the free consciousness penetrating through the conditioning that has trapped a fragment of essence.

Comprehension is creative. That is, it always brings something new. True comprehension contains the elements of discovery. 

Creative comprehension brings new energy and new or renewed hope. It also brings new depth, new insight and adds momentum.

Comprehension is something very elastic and multi-faceted. What we understood yesterday we may not understand tomorrow, and what we understand today we understand differently from yesterday.

When we comprehend something we can approach and explain the same topic from multiple angles.

Comprehension is something alive and dynamic, many have said, if we are working in the same way as we were five years ago, we are not really working. Our way of working will always change as our comprehension changes.

Preparation

Observation and separation are the preparation for comprehension.

It is difficult to comprehend something when we do not have any knowledge of how it works, what it does and what it actually is.

To know, we need observation and observation implies a degree of separation. To comprehend we need a degree of separation to not want to ‘be’ that ego. In not being that ego can advance our comprehension of it. 

For comprehension we need the understanding that we are not the "I". We are the not behaviours and conditioning of the "I". we are the free essence. Without this knowledge and understanding we can not 

For the work comprehension harbouring a spirit of wanting to see, understand so to be liberated for our Inner Being and others is the most helpful.

Knowledge

Comprehension represents the acquisition of a significant amount of knowledge regarding the conditioning of the "I".

Knowledge of of the origin of the "I". How it was created and even when and where.

Knowledge of why the ego is the way it is and the why it has the nature that it does.

Clear knowledge of the opposite of the "I".

Clear knowledge of what to do instead. 

Clear knowledge of the exact antidote of the "I" that when applied definitely displaces the "I".

Clear faith and conviction that we don't need the ego.

We see the "I" as a poison that we don't wish to eat.

We know why we are using that ego for and what the payback is.

We keep the ego for a reason. Because it is useful. 

A Powerful State

Comprehension is direct knowledge and power. 

This knowledge is deep knowledge to the esoteric and even ontological level of the conditioning that has trapped a fragment of essence. This power is will-power over that conditioning.

Comprehension is actually a new state of consciousness in relation to the "I" being worked on.

It is actually a state of action. That is definite consistent forward action taken to dissolve an "I".

Comprehension is shown in facts.

Comprehension is increased by taking action against the manifestation of the "I". That is by stopping the "I".

State of weakened hypnotic grip.

State of quickly letting go of the ego. 

A state of non-identification of the "I".

State of disbelief and questioning.

State of being pitted against the "I".

State of active counteracting the "I".

A definite work towards dissolution. Dissolution is held firmly in mind and heart, and is always looked towards.

It is not a state of condemning or judging or moralistic viewpoints.

Indicators of Comprehension

We are able to not do what the ego wants and has done in the past.

We do not slip backwards into identification with that ego. There may be instances of slight identification or intense identification but they are short lived and happen less and less going forward. 

 

Feelings of freedom from that "I". 

We easily see the same "I" in others and we understand them. We do not criticise them or condemn them. We don't feel annoyed or bothered by others having the same "I".

Much less or no fear of that "I".

We are ready to face the Typhon.

We know exactly what the opposite of that "I" is and we are able to do it.

We also know exactly the way to respond to a given situation without that "I". 

We have obtained a balance between the virtue and the defect. For example, with anger the opposite is sweetness, kindness and serenity as well as force and conviction. Comprehension gives us access to all of these qualities without the conditioning of the "I".

You Will Find

You will disbelieve in the ego as the solution to life's circumstances.

You will see significant amounts of shifting,to the point that you will be actively onto dissolving that "I". You will no longer be a friend of that ego.

You will no longer 'need' that ego.

You will know what to do instead.

You will be able to displace that ego on command.

You can approach the ego from several different angles and each angle will carry a significant relevance and meaning. 

Results

This is the most important part of the work of the dissolution of the "I". It is mandatory and constitutes elimination of the "I". It makes the ego dead to us.

Dissolution is the esoteric formality of actually removing the structure of molecules within us that trap a fragment of essence. Dissolution removes the bottle so that the essence is unable to get trapped in it again.  

Post (5371).

Study Fiercely what we Dislike and Fear - (2305)

To get free of fear and dislike we have no other remedy but to fiercely study what we dislike and fear.

To come to know something really well, is to bit by bit come to like it. 

That is then when the magic happens... As soon as we like something fear and hatred begin to really disappear.

End (2305).

Unity Always Does Unity - (2169)

We have to know about the principle of unity so that we can work with it in ourselves and understand others when they are working with it. 

Unity will seek out other isolated parts and bring them into the 'one'. Or unity will allow other isolated parts to join it. However, if some of the isolated parts do not want to join the unity, the unity allows them to be as they are and not create duality by fighting against them and going to war against them. It just respects and reunites creating unity with that which is available to unite with.

Just like water, on a flat surface. The many small puddles of water attract each other to form one large puddle of water.

If for some reason one small puddle can not join the others because of a physical barrier, all the others that can join will join, and that small puddle it will remain as it is. The other puddles will not attack it and create a tremendous divide. It is water like everything else, just that it is over there.

We have to be the same, try to unite with people but if one or more are being difficult and don;t want to, just let them be and stay with unity and wait for later. Don't lose unity within you and be against them or anyone else.

The same thing applies with the egos that we have within us. With mystical death all the egos unite into the one essence.

End (2169).

The Cowardly Angry Hero - (1816)

Master Samael wrote that many war heroes were actually cowards. I always found that difficult to understand, and a little harsh.

One day though, it made sense...

Many of these 'heroic' charges in war come from anger, where fear is right there behind the charging anger.

Anger charges and fear gives powerful reasons to charge.

One is so scared that one launches oneself against the enemy. Out of sheer panic and not knowing what else to do...

One is so scared of what the enemy may do that one launches oneself against the enemy, to not have to face the unknown and in an attempt to control what could come next...

One is always scared of the enemy's retaliation, so out of fear, one goes all the way, charging until the defeat of the enemy.

One out of fear charges against the enemy to die quickly and not have to face the horrors of conflict.

One of out anger at not being able to do deal with one's fear, charges at the enemy, hoping that it will all end one way or another...with victory, defeat or death...

Because of fear of the possibility that we are cowards, anger comes to the rescue sending us charging to provide proof to everyone that we are no coward...

Both flight and fight exist in our nervous system and both are the same response with different faces. The response to stress.

End (1816).

The Tenants of Good Self-Observation - (5370)

Introduction

This post presents some points to do with self-observation.

The Sunrise, the start of the dissolution process.

Points

Foundations

We do not know ourselves. We know very little about ourselves.

We only know a bit about our personality, and about some of our egos. As far as our essence and Inner Being is concerned we know less than 'very little'.

This lack of self-knowledge is not a permanent condition, it changes dramatically when take up serious self-observation.

To know ourselves brings power over our reactions and responses to the impressions and events of life.

We can not change anything we do not know...

We can not control anything we do not know...

To know ourselves is the most important thing to do in life.

To know ourselves profoundly is to draw closer and closer to awakening. Those that are awakened profoundly know themselves and are consummate athletes of self-observation.

Real self-knowledge is the knowledge of ourselves as soul and spirit. This is Gnosis.

Preparation

To observe ourselves we need the intention to observe ourselves.

It is a consciousness action. That is, something done intentionally.

In life we don't ever go into an event and try to know more about ourselves. We just go through the event, and it may happen that we learn more about ourselves or it may not...

No justification.

No mercy - no excuses or nice interpretations - strictly facts.

No judgement. No mental narration saying how bad or good we are. Just the use of attention and observing the physical and psychological facts.

The truth of the facts is what liberates. Even though this seems harsh it is only ever the truth about ourselves that can lead anywhere helpful for ourselves and others.

Motivation or Spirit

The reason to observe ourselves is to liberate ourselves.

The spirit of self-observation is to arrive at comprehension. With comprehension comes liberation.

The intention to observe produces observer and observed. Without this intention to observe, that separation is not produced and we don't 'see' or observe anything.

Identity

The right identity is the one that comes from identifying as the essence wanting to know itself, to liberate itself from the many conditionings it has created over time. 

The identity of a truth seeker about ourselves is most helpful.

Identities such as: 'a victim of a cruel upbringing', one who has experienced too much in life, 'a sinner', 'a saint' etc.etc. are of not real use. 

When we get identified our ability to observe ourselves stops.

The intention to observe creates separation, thus connecting us to the next stage of the work which is separation.

Particulars to Observe

The five centres. Observe carefully the processes that take place in the five centres when any ego is using them. The essence and the consciousness also use the five centres. Through the centres we come to know both the ego and the essence.

Observe where our attention is, and what is it focussed on. 

Observe our breathing. The state of our breathing shows us our psychological states.

Observe our spoken and internal word. The words we use externally and internally are direct doors to know the true nature of our psychological processes.

Observe that every ego has an environment, and a trigger. This is we must observe and know.

Observe that every ego is a recurrence. Every ego in its manifestations has the same lead up, development and ending.

Observe the before, during and after any egoic manifestation. We must know the symptoms, the mechanical manifestation, which is the way it tries to achieve its goals and its ending, which is the way it transacts with other egos.

Observing the consequences of the ego manifesting within us and within our life, is something we also must do and come to know profoundly.

You Will Find

That we are often cruel and cold. 

That we lie. 

That we carry many contradictions. 

That we do not keep our word. 

That what we tell others not to do what we do. 

That we daydream. 

That our consciousness sleeps amongst so much distraction and identification. 

That we can't remember what we ate for lunch yesterday and very little about today's psychological processes.

That we 'skin others alive' within our interior. 

That our mind never stops. 

That we do not remember ourselves. 

That there is so much that we do not know about ourselves.

That because we don't accept our own plurality we don't accept the plurality in others, and unrealistically expect more than others are capable of.

Results

This is the most important part of self-observation - that is, what self-observation leads us to.

The result of self-observation should take us to arrive at the clear and self-evident truth that every human being is plural. That human beings, especially ourselves are fragmented and contain a plurality of "I's".

Good self-observation will expose that what we are thinking and feeling that is producing inconvenient results in our life comes from an ego within us, that is mechanical and recurrent. 

This knowledge that it is a 'psychological person' within us producing those thoughts and emotions  produces separation within us. We can now see clearly that is it really an "I" or psychological person within us thinking and feeling those things. 

We come to know directly that those thoughts and feelings do not come from our free essence, but from our a part of our essence that is conditioned. This conditioned fragment of essence reacts mechanically based on the same environment and impression triggers.

This separation then leads us naturally to comprehension as we work further to not identify with it, and to do the opposite of it.

End (5370).

More Anger Processes - (1808)

Here are some egos that in combination with anger. Remember that anger is an effect ego and behind it, there is always a greater cause ego. 

There is also an egoic state that links the 'cause ego' to anger. Working or separating from the link ego or state avoids anger.

The diagram below shows some of these cause and effect (anger) relationships.

There will always be one more relevant for us to work on at any given time...

Examples

pride 🠊 impatience 🠊 anger 

anxiety 🠊 impatience 🠊 anger 

frustration 🠊 exasperation 🠊 anger 

self-importance 🠊 humiliation 🠊 anger 

self-love 🠊 frustration 🠊 anger 

self-importance 🠊 lack of respect 🠊 anger 

self-importance 🠊 aggressiveness 🠊 anger 

self-importance 🠊 intolerance 🠊 anger 

frustration 🠊 aggressiveness 🠊 anger 

envy 🠊 intolerance 🠊 anger 

gluttony 🠊 impatience 🠊 anger 

laziness 🠊 annoyance 🠊 anger 

vanity 🠊 embarrassment 🠊 anger 

impatience 🠊 intolerance 🠊 anger 

End (1808).

Process of Anger - (5330)

Below is the way anger develops within our human machine.

It starts with the presence of some desire, which can be from any ego.

There is always an ego behind anger. 

The stronger the ego behind anger the stronger the anger will be.

The role of anger is to remove an obstacle that appears.

This process develops within seconds or sometimes within one or two seconds. So to study it, we need to be very alert!

The strategy anger uses can be to defend the desire by criticising, attacking, belittling, being sarcastic, raising our voice, walking out, etc. etc. All the strategies though, will have the common aim to defend or push through the fulfillment of the original egoic desire, which we may know or not know.

End (5330).

Don't Make Pride or the Sense of 'Better Than' So Important - (1324)

We can't make the sense of pride that we have - of 'being better than' to be too important.

I have found the more important we make it - the more we suffer and the more controlling and even fearful we become. Which is something that really 'rubs people up the wrong way' and is not a way of starting and or keeping any relationship.

We have to dissolve that 'sense of being better than'. 

Dissolving it all starts by making it less important and then a bit less and then even more less, until it is so not important to us anymore. 

We have to get to that point that it is not that important for us anymore to go around uphold the sense of us being better than that treatment we receive, than that person, that that condition, than that reply, than that mistake that we made, etc. etc.

End (1324).