EGO'S THREE DEADLY SINS #1

THE THREE DEADLY SINS OF KARMA

sELF CHERISHING (of the small self)

DESIROUS ATTACHMENT

JUDGMENT

The search for the Real, True or Higher Self or soul or that part of us made in the image of the divine is at the core of all spiritual motivation whether we know about it or not or do anything about it or not. The Higher Self or Soul cannot be realized in the presence of a dominant ego.   

Until you empty yourself of pride, God cannot be realized.

We discussed this same topic in the prior blog on how to navigate the apocalypse by turning to spirit. The purpose of this blog is to dive more deeply into the subject because it is so important for our karma.  The ego is one of the greatest detergents for those of us on the path. It helps, for ease of explanation, to divide them into the three categories above all of which can overlap with one another. All three are centered around our Third, power Chakra of Ego. Energy maps to spirit can help tell us where we have been, where we are now and where we still need to go. 

EGO’S TRIAD  

“To know the real Self to be one’s own is the greatest attainment… To know wrongly the non-self, such as the ego, to be the Self is no attainment at all. One therefore should denounce this perception of taking the non-self for the Self.” Sri Sankaracharya

"S/he who loses himself, will find himSelf." Matthew

THE YOGA CHAKRAS

The Chakras below the diaphragm comprise our survival Chakras: 

The first; flight or fight. 

The second; regeneration of the species. 

 The third; Ego or the self-cherishing persona 

- our power center and how we make our way in the world. 

These hold us back from moving energy into the heart chakra above. The yogis teach that the heart chakra is the most difficult one to open. 

Kabbalists say that when the student has mastered Tiferet, representing love at the heart of the tree, the student can then teach him/herself. 

Above the diaphragm are our growth chakras:

 The fourth of love.

  The fifth of creative expression. 

The sixth or Third Eye of intuition. 

 The seventh, the Crown, our connection with the Field and divinity.

The symbol of the Heart Chakra in Yoga is a hexagon. The three mini-triangles above on the hexagon relate to our Higher Consciousness, Awareness and Awakening into our "Becoming" slowly closer and closer to the Higher Self.

 The three lower mini-triangles point downwards, towards the lower, survival chakras and Ego below the diaphragm. Ego comprises: 

 self-Cherishing (with a small s)

 Desirous Attachment

Judgment 

These can also be represented as a Triad

and can be affected adversely by Monkey Mind, Shadow (our Evil Inclination) and Tricksters. 

“The Light of lights looks always on the motive, not the deed… the shadow of shadows, on the deed alone.” W.B. Yeats

Non-attachment and realizing the nature of impermanence of all things is key I helping us to subordinate ego to the Higher Self. Everything around us is in the process of being broken.

Keep to the source of living waters.
Do not think to store in cisterns
for they will break, and crumble and the water will be lost.
...

“One day the people came to the master and asked: “How can you be so happy in a world of such impermanence where you cannot protect your loved ones from harm, illness and death.” The master held up a glass and said. Someone gave me this glass and I really like this glass. It holds my water admirably and glistens in the sunlight. One day the wind may blow it off the shelf or my elbow may knock it off the table. I know this glass is already broken so I enjoy it incredibly.” Achaan Chah Stab

Many of the challenges we face arise out of our sentient existence and the temptations of being in a sensory body. When we leave for the "Elsewhere" we lose the sensory body. The yogis teach that we are bound by the yoke of ego and any action linked to ego can have karmic implications. We are born again and again (the continual wheel of samsara) because of the mishandling of our sentient bodies and our sensory bound existence. We are here to enjoy things fully but responsibly.

The Ancestors say that it is better to do good deeds even if linked to ego rather than doing none at all. Nevertheless, these "merits" may be karmically neutral or even negative depending on the intention.

Emperor Wu asked, “I’ve built temples and ordained monastics; what merit is there in this?”
 Bodhidharma replied, “No merit.”

“In the samadhi that comes at the end of reasoning and discrimination no such thing as “I” exists but it is extremely difficult to attain as “I” consciousness lingers so persistently. This is why humans are born again and again.” Sri Rama Krishna

Jung doubted that the Western Mind could ever truly get rid of Ego. It is usually fleeting in the Oneness Experience or Unity Consciousness when the Knower, the Known and the process of Knowing fuse into one thing. Maslow called this a Peak Experience. It cannot be programmed and usually comes for most of us through grace. Whatever the stimulus, this oneness experience, ecstasy or rapture is temporary and we soon come back into a sense of duality. The challenge is to be aware of this duality and still endeavor to see the divinity and our oneness in and with others and all the Beings of nature.

 Doing things for their own sake and without any personal agenda is the crux of ego subordination. Our deeds must be done for the greater good of all, including ourselves, without consideration of any reward or pay back. 

THE TREE OF LIFE

“A net is spread out for the living (the net of temptations) and everything is given on loan...(impermanence).” Rev Akiva

There are Three Triads on the Tree of Life with ten sephirot or energy centers.

The Five Loves designated by the small hearts expand and the other five of Fear restrain or contract. Will and intention in the center hold the balance.  The First Triad above is the Triad of Becoming (Self-realization) and Keter, the Crown is balanced by Wisdom and Understanding.

The Middle Triad of Love is balanced by Judgment and Mercy.

The lowest Triad of Ego is balanced by Attachment and Non-Attachment of the self-Cherishing Persona and Desirous Attachment. 

This Triad, as well as Kingdom below it, comprise our survival Sephirot or energy centers. Kingdom represents the planet and the struggles we have responsibly navigating the challenges of being in a sensory body on earth.

Resignation leads to Detachment. Detachment is not the same as Non-Attachment. Resignation is a giving up as opposed to surrender which is a giving in to something bigger and more important than one’s little self.

 

Concerning detachment, one of its paths leads to a lifeless world without enthusiasm or hope, a place of indifference where one could become ensnared in hidden traps of dejection and despair, where one no longer cares to love nor dares to trust.

 

Detachment can lead to, hopelessness, doubt, disbelief, denial, desperation, depression and despair. 

 "Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of truth and knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.” Goethe

The red lines on the T.O.L. accentuate the pathways involved. Judgment is not part of the T.O.L.'s Ego Triad. (In this blog Judgment  is considered part of Ego's Third Chakra.) Judgment, because its a harder nut to crack, requires heartfelt-ness. Ego's Triad on the T.O.L. is balanced by Attachment and Non-Attachment. Love's Triad is balanced by Judgment and Mercy. It is extremely difficult to discriminate or discern with an open heart and sweeten the judgments as well as ... to walk for a day in another person's moccasins.

 Non-Attachment is key to opening us up to the Love sephira above it in the Tree's center. This is because Non-Attachment does not only apply to self-Cherishing and attachment to "stuff" but also to our relationships. These should be governed for their own sake alone and not for any agenda, hidden or otherwise.

 All of the three deadly sins of karma, however, follow us up the T.O.L and challenge us especially Judgment. For this reason the five fear energy centers are also sometimes called the Five Judgments. 

 

ENERGY AND VIBRATION - MORE ESOTERIC EFFECTS (C)

The mystery invites us to surrender to what is inexplicable, to what we cannot really know and yet how the not knowing fills us with wonder and awe…

…We are not limited by the laws of the natural world. We are subject to, but not constrained by them.

"Miracles happen not in opposition to nature but in opposition to what we know about nature." Augustine of Hippo

"There are two ways live your life. One that nothing is a miracle and the other that everything is." A. Einstein

Spiritual practice should help us find our mission, purpose and destiny  or archetype. This is at the heart of the hero/ine’s journey. If we lose our self, as in the little self or ego, we can find our Self (Jesus) as in the True Self. Connecting with Self is not selfish – quite the contrary. It will lead us to better serving others and the planet.

You must free yourself to be your Self.
Do not be captive to the demands of false duty.

Release yourself from what you are not accountable.

 Be attentive only to the responsibility of what compels.
Bestow blessings, refuse burdens.
What makes you beholden enslaves you.
What makes you grateful blesses you.
What you touch, touches you. 

What you let touch you, enhances or diminishes. 

Anything or anybody who does not make you more of who you are, makes you less of who you are. 

Life is really all about healing the planet and the Four Beings of nature be they Still, Growing, Wild (and domestic) or Talking. At the end of the day its about helping others.

"We are here to help others. What on earth other are here for I do not know." W. Auden

In other words Karma Yoga - service oriented yoga - the Mother Theresa archetype. 

Isaac Luria, a 16th century Kabbalist, teaches us about Creation and the shells, shards or husks that contain Holy sparks arising from Kabbalah's Contraction or Tzimtzum. This process has been likened to the Big Bang. Its understanding can help us recognize that all living and inanimate things contain holy sparks. Everything that we encounter contains Holy Sparks waiting to be liberated from their husks. How we do this is through mindful living and by practicing random acts of kindness in all that we do. Depending on our intention, our actions can release these Holy Sparks from their husks. We need to go back to the Beginning, the Big Bang  and Luria's explanation of how creation came about to explain what he meant.

THE BIG BANG

In brief. "After the initial expansion, the universe cooled sufficiently to allow the formation of subatomic particles, and later simple atoms. Giant clouds of these primordial elements later coalesced through gravity in halos of dark matter, eventually forming the stars and galaxies visible today."

 WASTE AND VOID (Tohu Va Vohu) IN GENESIS

 
Prior to Creation, there was only the Light of Infinity filling all existence within the "Waste and Void - a wild, chaotic potential also thought of as a murky emptiness out of which creation took place."

"The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." Genesis.

According to Kabbala, creation occurred in three stages.

The mysterious void place - that if filled only with God nothing could exist and if empty of God nothing could exist. Hence it is sufficiently empty of God to allow for the possibility of existence and filled with God to allow for the actual happening of existence.

 CONTRACTION #1

As above, the Creator had to contract Him/Herself in order to enter the potential space required for creation to take place. 

Contraction describes the first step in the process in which God began the process of creation by withdrawing His total essence but inserting just enough of it to allow for Creation.  

At that time vessels were created in the empty space. The Creator poured His Light, the "Light of Infinity" into them. These vessels contained the Holy Sparks of creation. However, they were not strong enough to hold the light. They shattered and were carried downwards, held within these husks. 

It is said that through this light He emanated, created, formed and actualized the multiverse through the Ten Sephirot (energy centers) of the Tree of Life. 

THE SHATTERING OF THE VESSELS (Tzimtzum) #2

Were a consequence of the Light of Infinity required for creation being introduced within the "Waste and Void." This occurred in a relatively tiny space, in a split second but the vessels of creation could not contain the power of that Light. This "Shattering" has been  compared to the Big Bang. The shards or shells (Klippot) which contained and held the Holy Sparks of creation represent the archetype of evil. Every particle in our physical universe, every structure and all beings have shells or husks containing sparks of holiness (Think of the nutritive value of a nut being held in its shell. The shell has to be broken in order to release the nut i.e. the Holy Sparks.) 

This is not unlike the Zen Buddhist approach to doing everything that they do with mindful excellence.

 REPAIRING THE WORLD (Tikun Olam) #3

is the liberation of these concealed divine sparks exiled from creation during the Shattering of the Vessels. 

Our task, according to Luria, is to release each spark from the shell and raise it up, ultimately to return it to its original state. The way these sparks are raised are through acts of loving kindness, of being in harmony with the universe, and through higher awareness. It is our mission in this world, (the world of repair,) to uncover these holy sparks and release them back to their source. 

"There is no sphere of existence, including organic and inorganic nature, that is not full of holy sparks which are mixed in with the kelippot (shells, husks) and need to be separated from them and lifted up.”  Isaac Luria

“The strength of the forces of holiness and the destruction of the shells or husks that imprison holy sparks depends upon joy.”

"Joy is not incidental to your spiritual practice, it is vital."

  Rev Nachman

Where there is joy, there is light. Where there is gratitude there is light.

“Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.” 

Teilhard de Chardin

Joy is a strong word and implies something greater that happiness, equanimity, serenity, inner peace, harmony or balance. Spiritual practice can help us to "repair the world" with any of these qualities and through a greater mindfulness.

Practicing random acts of kindness is empowered by gratitude which can create equanimity. 

We all have a vital role to play in the ongoingness of creation. 

Magical powers are not necessary for this to happen and can be a distraction if they are not used for this healing.

ENERGY AND VIBRATION - MORE ESOTERIC AFFECTS (B)

PARANORMAL ABILITIES 

Synchronicity

Jung first described this phenomenon. Simply speaking this occurs when an inner, mind event corresponds to an outer event. For example one is thinking of a good friend from college whom one has not seen in many years and the phone rings with him or her on the line. This arises because of a strong emotional bond between the two. It is not coincidental but is a result of the receiver picking up psychically on the intention to call.

Alternatively it may be scripted by the "Field" or one's guides. For instance one may be looking under "Spirituality" in a bookstore and the right one almost jumps off the shelf by managing to get your attention in some way.

Coherence 

Was first brought into the limelight by the Maharishi. The Maharishi university claimed that when a critical number of people in a city meditated, the crime rate would drop. We know that coherence occurs during group meditations where the sum of the parts is great than the whole. Coherence around a person or a group does spread beyond the immediate environment and can even affect the supernal realms. Indigenous peoples understand the power of coherence since rituals are often done in community - it takes a village. 

Religious communities who meet in churches, temples, mosques and synagogues can create coherence. Prayers for peace or rain may be more effective than skeptics allow.

The Heart Math Institute have show that when there is coherence due to a parasympathetic nervous system "relaxation" response, the Heart Rate Variability stabilizes. The heart appears to be a "spiritual" organ having more output and affects going to the brain than input from it. 

Super-fluidity (being in the “Zone”) 

This is when events that may be quite complex proceed and unfold perfectly on their own accord for no apparent reason.  Competitive athletes strive to get into this zone for their performance. It seems that that some mystical power from "Field" is conspiring to assist the event.

More advanced Paranormal Abilities include:

Precognition, Telepathy 

Telekinesis 

Clair/voiance/audience/sentience 
Remote Viewing or Distant Diagnosis, Distant Healing  
Connecting with Field, spirit guides, dreams 
and trance-channeling 

Telekinesis is the ability of someone to move objects psychically. That someone is not really doing the job. The result is coming through the diviner's guide/s or another "Field" effect. The rod itself may point correctly but has no power rested within it and nor does the diviner without the Field. 

"Whatever being comes to be, be it motionless or moving, derives its  being from Field and Knower of the Field. Know this." Bhagavad Gita

Remote or distant viewing has been studied by the the Russians, the C.I.A. and Stanford University and found to be evidential. Someone talented in this ability can be placed in a lead chamber without any influence from the outside world and a volunteer sent to a place with features that would be easy for anyone to describe. The remote viewers were found to be incredibly accurate in their descriptions. 

Distant diagnosis occurs through a similar mechanism through a skilled psychic, shaman, medical intuitive or others.

There are numerous double blind studies showing that distant healing works even when placebo is discounted and the sick person does not know that healing has been administered.  The effect is so significant that if it could be marketed as a pill it would be negligent not to administer it. 

Everyone's gift will be unique so that we should not strive to replicate those of others but honor our own and develop them, even if they seem less masterful and compelling. No single person will have all or many of these abilities. We need to acknowledge and practice our strengths - each to his/her own. Clair-sentience is common to many. If we ignore that feeling, whether its a feeling in the gut, shivers running up the spine, hair standing on end, goose (or truth) bumps or anything else we may do so at our peril. These primal experiences are still with us to keep us safe. Never override them with one's intellect. The same can be true for warning dreams, whether coming from the subconscious, the Field or scripted by our guides.

 

ENERGY SYSTEMS - THE EFFECTS OF MASTERY (A)

These maps to spirit give us an idea as to where we have been, where we are now and where we want to go.

Each experience is a moment between moments, a dancing in the mystery of the void
…. where one encounters the Source of power.

In a prior blog we talked about the Oneness Experience or Unity Consciousness and how it resembles Maslow's Peak Experience. In addition there are others effects that indicate we are attaining some degree  of mastery.

KUNDALINI'S POTENTIAL

Apart from these phenomena mentioned in the prior blog; (heat, vibrational energy, creeping sensations, tingling - usually rising up the spine, light experiences, inner sounds, smells, an empty mind, transcendence, being transported beyond oneself, feelings of intense love, empathy, compassion, out of body experiences, spontaneous movements, paranormal powers, paralysis, falling, shamanic states, connecting with spirit guides or ancestors et al ...) There also may be: 

Becoming, Self Realization/Enlightenment.

For the yogi or others committed to spiritual transformation Self-

realization, Enlightenment or Becoming (a term the Ancestors prefer) 

is of major import.

Initiation. 

This especially applies to shamanic rites of passage. 

In indigenous communities the energy is channeled for initiation of the 

shaman with the use of entheogens (especially in the Americas) or 

with drumming and dancing (especially in sub 

saharan Africa.) 

Magical powers.

Magical abilities including control of fire (that goes beyond fire 

walking) and shape shifting are usually unique to shamans in 

indigenous cultures and Eastern adepts. 

Some Westerners have also mastered these abilities. These also include 

trance states, trance-channelling and out of body experiences.

Healing States and Spontaneous Remission of Disease. 

The Inner Healer is part of the soul and has incredible capabilities. 

The more we connect with the Creator, the

Higher Self as well as faith, belief, trust and surrender the more we 

empower the Inner Healer and subordinate the fear that sabotages the 

miracle of healing. Even spontaneous remission of diseases that 

have defied the best of what Western medicine has to offer, is possible.

Shaktipat. 

 is the ability of a guru or a spiritual avatar to mobilize the 

Kundalini by imparting it to the student, usually with touch. Shaktipat 

is a process where, through grace, a guru can transfer this 

energy and vibration to a devotee who is ready.  This 

cannot be imposed by force nor can the receiver make it happen. 

San Bushmen healers were 

said to shoot "invisible arrows" into an initiate having difficulty 

breaking into the trance state to help them attain out of body spirit 

flight. Their process may be similar to Shaktipat.

"Psychosis."

Spiritual crisis can occur with the radical, uncontrollable, movement of 

Kundalini in the body. This mislabelled "psychosis"  is a serious side 

effect of  Kundalini energy overwhelming a spiritual neophyte 

or others that have no guidance about how to recognize and handle 

this calamity.

 Lee Sannella, a psychiatrist, wrote a book on the Kundalini 

Experience showing how its misdiagnosis could lead not only to

ineffectiveness but the abortion of a vital spiritual process,

as well as the side effect from anti-psychotic drugs. 

Time, space and matter comprise our physical universe and the source of power lies beyond the material, beyond time, space and matter.

OTHER EMPOWERMENTS RELATED TO MOVING KUNDALINI

"Out there beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing, there 

is a Field. I will meet you there." Rumi

 In addition to Self-Realization or "Becoming" (a term the 

Ancestors prefer) some other phenomena

just short of this advanced state include;

 Being, Awareness and Awakening,

contact with the “Field” and receiving downloads from spirit while 

awake or asleep.

More intimacy with the Self/Soul, one's 

destiny as well as contact with one's guides especially in dreams.

The strengthening of Faith, Belief, Hope, Trust and Surrender.

When we open our heart chakras and embrace compassion 

and empathy a natural consequence is developing more  

forgiveness, gratitude, happiness and meaning in our lives.

In other words ...

As our practice deepens, we rise up the Tree of Life or the chakra hierarchy and our transformation increases as follows. 

Initially we temper our fears and our lower survival, energy centers. Next, we begin to experience increasing levels of humility as we subordinate ego and become non-attached to the material and the grooming of the persona with "stuff." 

Then we encompass more love and have the ability to see the divine in others as we open our hearts. We "Sweeten" our judgments and when we judge, we judge the action and not the person.

Eventually we become more truly expressive of our real Selves and whichever core strength we possess. We get in touch with this signature strength, or better still our true destiny path given to us by the Creator. 

Just below the crown we subordinate doubt, denial, cynicism, resignation, detachment and hopelessness to hope, faith, belief, trust and surrender and even develop a personal connection with the Infinite One. We may also develop more intuitive powers from opening the Third Eye or the sephira of Wisdom.

Walk the path with awareness of both the something and the nothing, of the realm of what is sensed and known and the realm of what is neither sensed nor known.

Each experience of this awareness is a moment between moments, a dancing in the mystery of the void….where one encounters the Source of power.