EGO’S TRIAD  #5

DESIROUS ATTACHMENT 

Keep to the source of living waters.
Do not think to store in cisterns; they will break and crumble and the water will be lost.
Cup your hands and drink deeply and often and you will have health and joy.

When we cross over to the 'other side' we take nothing with us. All we take are our experiences and our karma. Material attachments can also hamper the soul’s journey during transition after death causing the spirit to either become earth bound (lost between the worlds) or to inherit a lower vibration in the Astral.

On the other side of the veil everything we acquire will be scrutinized against the polarities of need and want. We release more spiritual energy if we get rid of clutter. Every now and then we need to look through our belongings and make sure that energetically, that they belong to us and we do not belong to them. If one has not thought of or used anything in the last few years, give it away, sell or dump it. I am always surprised at how much lighter and freer I feel when I clean house. 

There is nothing wrong with desire, it is the attachment to desire that is the issue. 

It is the want that is our enemy and not the need.

Steve Jobs once instructed his employees that their task at Apple was not to give people what they needed but to tell them what they wanted. Many bottom liners follow this mantra. 

 It can be challenging not to be overwhelmed and trapped by the allure of materialism and all those new, shiny, compelling commodities that inundate us. They are designed to wear out more quickly than previously and be replaceable rather than fixable - the latter often being more costly. Planned obsolescence has been taken to a much higher level of sophistication. The excuse is the ever ongoing, so called improvement of technology. Is this just a trap to give us less control and make us lazy or possibly technology for the sake of technology alone rather than practicality? 

We may be compelled to buy the latest version and dispose of the older one because the new is contrived to be sexier but not necessarily any better and sometimes worse. It may be good to be aware that we are being manipulated to continually buy, even borrow to purchase and spend more money than we should.

"Use it up, wear it out. Make it do or do without" Unknown

'Fast fashion' is now prevalent because of compelling, cheap clothing mainly from China. It is often worn only a few times and then hopefuly donated rather than discarded or forgotten.

“Where there is too much, something is missing. - Chassidic Saying.
Yes, the disguise of plenty. The Grail is not there.”
Gene Kelly

When we have not earned or worked hard for our money, Kabbalah talks of The Bread of Shame… If we have too much while others have little we may feel somewhat shameful. Those that are fortunate to have a lot can make use of this bread of shame, by becoming philanthropic and giving some of it away, preferably doing so anonymously.

We should be attached to our spiritual transformation and all that is involved in our Becoming but not to 'stuff'. 

Consumerism by default, often occurs at the expense of the planet's sustainability. 

As a surgeon I have witnessed the astronomical increase of disposable and costly products. When I first began my surgical career the instruments we used were durable and were sterilized. These have now become disposable ? on the pretext of defects in sterilizing creating legal action as well as them having possible subtle improvements in performance. There should be a creative way around this but the market always bends toward profit. There are times when disposable instruments are essential for various reasons.

Expiration dates on medications seems to be getting slowly shorter and shorter. Pharmaceutical companies would not spend money on researching expiration dates especially when they benefit from making them shorter. Under controlled conditions the military is storing drugs for emergencies since they are effective and safe.

“By attributing worth to tangible objects man becomes attracted to them; attraction brings desire for them; desire leads to competition and dispute. These create anger and the result is delusion. Delusion completely overcomes man’s sense of right and wrong.” Srimad Bhagavatam

The more "stuff' we accumulate the more time, money and energy we spend maintaining it rather that doing something meaningful for our spiritual growth. Too many possessions and clutter get in the way of our spiritual work. 

There is always enough as long as one is free from the compulsion for more. Narrow mind is about having – Spacious mind is about being.

K.I.S.S.

A good mantra for us all to follow.

Keep it Simple, Stupid

“Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill, keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt, chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench, care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner...”  Tao Te Ching

Re  "... care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner...” 

We should not concern ourselves about those who have much more than we do. 

“Should the other climber steal your sack and your purse and wax fat on the one and heavy on the other, you should pity him. The climbing will be harder for his flesh and the burden will make his way longer. And should you in your leanness see his flesh puffing upward, help him in a step, it will add to your swiftness.” Unknown

Many of us feel we need to keep up with the Jones'. Ego can make us inherently more competitive in order to impress or prevent feeling like a loser. This is often because of a delicate ego and a feeling of inferiority. 

“Everybody feels inferior in some way or other. And the reason is that, we don’t accept that everybody is unique. There is no question of inferiority or superiority. Everybody is just one of his/her kind - comparison does not arise.
The moment you accept yourself as you are, without any comparison, all inferiority, all superiority, disappears. In that total acceptance or yourself you will be free from these complexes - inferiority, superiority. Otherwise you will suffer your whole life....


Just be yourself, that is enough… Osho

God wants you, to be truly you. You were created for that.