T.O.L. # 4

The Lower Triangle

      Attachment-Non Attachment
Ego

The lower triangle and its pathways are depicted below 
and have a lot to do with:
 Our survival needs, Monkey or Narrow Mind and our emotions such as anger, lust, desires, habits and compulsions. Above Ego reside our growth needs, Spacious or Big Mind and our notions, concepts, ideals, beliefs, discrimination and discernments. 
Ultimately we hope to be where

"Discernment is choiceless." Krishnamurti,

 And when we arrive at the Wisdom sephira we realize ...
We are all one though not the same The Ancestors
or InterAre Thich Nhat Hanh 

We are aiming for rising beyond our lower survival to our upper growth needs (Maslow.) To open the Love sephira (also the heart chakra) is key which is one of the most challenging of all the energy centers. However, first we have to subordinate our shadow (evil inclination,) monkey mind, ego, attachment to the object of our desire and the tricksters to the Higher Self. Spiritual practice of any sort as long as its done for its own sake and for the purpose of going inwards is vital!

The Three Deadly Sins of Karma are Judgment, Ego and Attachment to the object of our desire (be it "stuff," knowledge, fame, power, sex ...) All except Judgment reside in this lowermost triangle. For most of us Judgment is an even bigger challenge to Spacious Mind as it easily falls victim to Narrow Mind.

The figure above describes all the polarities we are faced with. Netzach or the Non Attachment sephira also has to do with our interpersonal relationships 

with the Talking Beings but also the Still, Growing and Wild Beings as well. We are karmically accountable to all of them and to do them no harm.

This sephira is also about having an unconditional positive regard not only for ourselves (self-worth) but for others.  The Ancestors stress that mastery of Netzach is key to the evolution of moving our vibration energy upwards to the sephira of Love. The figure below from ancient wisdom can help us.

Ego is like a chameleon, always changing colors ever more deviously as we ascend the vibrational hierarchy. The Ancestors teach that we are here to enjoy Kingdom or Malkut responsibly and not to lead a life of austerity.

The way to God is through the senses!

and ...

What you resist will persist

What you destroy destroys you

What you defeat defeats you 

What you sanctify sanctifies you

Kabir possibly talks of the greater challenges of spiritual practice if one withdraws from the responsibility of JOY - the subject of the next few blogs. 

According to Jung we cannot get rid of Ego although it is possible transiently in Unity Consciousness or the Oneness Experience when the Knower, the Known and the process of Knowing all fuse into one ecstatic but usually fleeting experience. Clearly there are advanced practitioners who can control, attain and maintain this state whereas most of us get it by grace when we become the sunset, the dance, the music, the orgasm, the childbirth, the scientific discovery or the art piece we are viewing (some of the commonest causes of the Maslow's Peak Experience.) We live in a world of duality but once we have had this samadhi like experience we know what its like when the reality of our oneness manifests.

The Ancestors

Non Attachment or Netzach and the balancing of Hod's "Attachment" - its counterpart - emphasize the challenge of relationship in our world of duality. Hod counterbalances Netzach so that we don't give away our energy or even material objects to scavengers and protect ourselves at the same time. The easiest rule for us is to do something for its own sake and in relationship try to;

Give without remembering and take without forgetting

The Ancestors 

(and at the same time have gratitude which is spiritual practice in itself.)

Click to highlight the links then play 

-_MP3s/20_Judgement.mp3

-_MP3s/07_Tilling_the_Soil_of_the%20Soul.mp3