THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE SOUL # 5
EGO'S TRIAD
Ego forms a triad consisting of Ego's self-cherishing, Desirous attachment (or attachment to the object of one's desire) and Judgment. These all overlap but it is useful to distinguish them. Ego in general is always grooming the persona. It wants pride, power and fame and even when it gets them it wants more, often leading to greed. It also wants the "stuff" of Desirous Attachment and Judgment makes it feel better about it's little self.
EGO
"God cannot be realized if there is the slightest trace of pride." The Upanishads
"Any motivation bound to an ego motive can buy you another lifetime." Yoga wisdom
It is better to do the right thing than not to do it but this action will be karmically neutral or negative.
"All must be done for its own sake not for any reason of outcome and it is a continual arriving. All is a journey and not a destination"
"God does not measure results only the trueness of intent and the fervor of effort. This is why there is such joy in daring one's best."
""God is not out for numbers." The Ancestors
DESIROUS ATTACHMENT
"Give up owning things and being somebody. Quit existing." Rumi
Rumi is telling us to attend to our needs and not our wants. It is the want that is our enemy and not the need. Desire is normal but attachment to it is not spiritually transformative unless the desire is for "becoming" more of who we truly are. Moreover, simplifying leaves more time and energy for inner rather than outer work.
JUDGMENT
"Whenever you see a worthy person endeavor to emulate him/her. When you see and unworthy person then examine your inner self." Confucius
When we point fingers, we need to remember that three fingers are pointing back at us. We project our own shadow onto others so we can feel better about our shadow. We would be unable to recognize a bad trait in others if it were not also a part of our own shadow or evil inclination.
There can be heavy karmic consequences if we judge others.
since at the end of the day when we cross the veil and meet with a spiritual tribunal, Matthew warns ...
"Judge not that you not be judged For with what measure you judge, you will be judged and for what measure you mete it will be measured to you again."
When we judge, depending on our evil inclination or shadow, we may gossip, slander and character assassinate or covet what someone else has. Covetous may lead one to want what someone else has or prevent them from getting what they want or even destroy what they already have. Hence the commandment; "do not covet your neighbor or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Witchcraft and Sorcery arise from a heart of envy.
MONKEY (NARROW) MIND
Monkey or Narrow Mind sits on our shoulder continually chattering messages of delusion. It resides in our primitive, survival brains and is linked to the sympathetic nervous system - Flight of Fight.
Flight or Fight has now taken over our daily challenges when it was designed to help us manage a survival situation. Monkey Mind connects us to our harmful emotions; anger, hatred, vengeance, our desires, compulsions, habits and addictions. We default to Monkey Mind unless we control it is with meditation or any technique of going inwards.
Spacious or Big Mind on the other hand is our higher consciousness. It resides in the prefrontal lobe of our brains and facilitates our; notions, ideas, ideals, concepts, beliefs, discriminations and discernments. Advanced mediators have more neuronal density in the prefrontal lobe and default here using the survival response for when really necessary. Spacious Mind connects to the parasympathetic nervous system and a relaxation response and also allows access to the "Field," our guides and our dreams by opening the Third Eye or sixth chakra.
THE SHADOW OR EVIL INCLINATION
"We have a light and dark (shadow) side to our nature. To make a choice, inclination for both good and evil must operate freely. The dark side of our nature must be properly confronted, neither dismissed nor conquered but acknowledge for what it is, even valued as such." The Ancestors
Just like Ego and Monkey Mind, Shadow also has its place. All three must be controlled but also appreciated in their proper place.
"S/he who has no evil inclination at all cannot give perfect service. What counts is to restrain the blaze in the hours of desire and let it flow into hours of prayer and service."
The Talmud
In this way we can turn potential transgressions into merits.
"The soul is like an orb inside which are two worms - a blue one and a red one which move constantly. The blue represents good and the red evil. These components balance the soul. A balance of the two is essential for all souls to exist.
If there is only blue
or good, the soul cannot long survive
(presumably spiritually - there has to be tension in our choices for spiritual growth.)
If there is only red the person deserves not to survive."
Credo Mutwa (Zulu Sanusi or prophet.)
There is a Native American legend about a grandfather talking to his grandson and explaining to him that in every person there are two wolves fighting for domination. The one wolf represents good and the other evil. The grandson asks his grandfather; "who wins?" His reply; "the one you feed."
STORE CONSCIOUSNESS
AND THE SUBCONSCIOUS
Store Consciousness arises from the accumulation of both the good and bad experiences from our past lives which become part of our
soul's unconscious memory. The bad ones are the skeletons in the closet of our subconscious minds from past unskillful incarnations. It is controlled by spiritual pursuits.
The Subconscious itself records everything we do or say or is done or said to us regardless of whether it is positive or negative. No matter what we think we think we will usually act out what resides in the subconscious. These depend on our life experiences and conditioning from cradle to grave. The best way to help the subconscious is to only talk in positives. If one wants to be healthy we should affirm that: " Everyday in every way I am getting healthier and healthier" rather than - "I never want to be sick." The subconscious can best be reprogrammed in an altered state in meditation or around sleep when the conscious mind is on hold. Imagination and the senses are key to this reprogramming. In addition, the detail provided during the process gives permission to your guides to act on your behalf according to the context of your request. We need to ask in detail in order to receive. For this, it helps to stimulate the senses, for instance with music.
TRICKSTERS OR DARK FORCES
The Ancestors teach that if we ignore the presence of tricksters we do so at our own peril. They add, that their best defense is in making us believe they that they do not exist.
"The light and the dark each exist. The ambushes are clearly marked and can be guarded against if we are aware. The contest is fiercest when the stakes are high. Expect to be challenged in all of your weaknesses." The Ancestors
I like to think of it as:
Mosquitoes at the picnic at the beginning of our journey of spiritual transformation.
Wasps at our spiritual picnic when one gets beyond the lower three chakras (including ego) and are opening the fourth or heart chakra.
Rattlesnakes, when we are getting close to mastering the sixth and seventh chakras.
The higher we go the more tricky they become. It gets harder not easier.
Ego also is like a chameleon, always changing colors and shapeshifting to make us believe that what we are doing is for the greater good and not for its self, with a small s.
Subordinate Ego to the Higher Self,
Monkey (Narrow) Mind to Spacious or Big Mind
our Evil Inclination to our Good Inclination,
and,
the Tricksters or Dark Forces to the Higher Self, our Good Inclination and Spacious Mind with the help of our guides.
These tenets go a long way to helping us:
Spiritual practice to make us aware
"A person who cannot see him/herself, cannot be redeemed. We can only be redeemed to the extent that we can see ourselves."
The Talmud
Know and understand the laws of spirit which are as real as the laws of gravity.
"With all your strength get knowledge." The Ancestors
Do everything for its own sake not for reason of any outcome.
Try to see the Divine spark in everyone.
Forgive.
Practice random acts of kindness for their own sake.
This will lead to more gratitude which causes joy and can be in itself a form of spiritual practice.
"I do not know what your destiny will be but one thing I know; the only ones among you who will be truly happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve." Albert Schweitzer
No comments:
Post a Comment