Honor Feelings, But Question Them

We have to honor our feelings. They point to our values. But, we can on our own or in therapy examine them. Often the feelings were embedded in a poor environment and do not currently reflect truth. To never question feelings is to be reactionary and robotic. Thank God we have an intellect. It is a useful tool. Balance is all!

Feelings

The best definition I've found for feelings is that they are "automatic value judgments." When someone expresses their feelings to you,  you can respect that they feel that way. However, it is an automatic value judgment and may not be currently valid. It may even be an irrational value judgment. 

You must acknowledge your own feelings, as well as others. But, you can question your own feelings, and other's feelings as to their current validity. The feelings may or may not be rational or practical. 

So many of our feelings were programmed when we were children. They often reflect the environment we had in our childhood. If the childhood environment was crazy or abusive, those feelings may be counterproductive in the outside world. Those values were only valid for surviving in that crazy family and are currently counterproductive. 

Therapy is excellent at unearthing repressed feelings. It is good to unearth them, feel them, and process them.  I personally respect my feelings, but I question them, and if I find they are not reflective of the truth I now know, or on reflection don't find them practical or productive, I let them go.

Ego Is Just A Tool

I see ego as just a manifestation of Being or Self in a focalized point. It is just a necessary tool of Self to have experience. Without form it is difficult to say we could have experiences. As a tool, the ego can be used ignorantly or wisely. Without following the prescription to "know thyself" we are ignorant. We think we are the body which the ego identifies with. As the ego develops it identifies with the personal characteristics. 

If through curiosity or suffering, the ego starts to look at itself, it can see its limitations and conditioned beliefs. It can dismantle itself. If done well, the ego takes the back seat and acknowledges a greater Self, or Being as the true and Original I. Then it is just a friendly tool used by the body/mind to survive and serve.

Instinct vs Ego

While animals have fairly set instincts designed for their survival, the human baby arrives with very few instincts. This lack of instincts is quite positive in regards to our adaptability. It's made us quite successful as a species. The downside of this is that we are programmed by family and cultural environment. This vast variety of influences creates tremendous differences between the values of human groups. 

As any of us knows, what we have instead of instincts is ego. And that is where our troubles start. As a replacement for instinct, ego is just as sticky and intransigent as instinct. 

Being one species, but with egos instead of instincts, it is difficult for us stay at peace. It is easy for one culture to see  other cultures as evil, less than human. They don't think like we do, so they must be eliminated. 

There is no easy way to change our ego. As a replacement for instinct, it will fight to the death in order to protect itself. Most of us think of our self more as an ego than a body. That's why we die in war. 

The awakening of people into non duality where we can see the ego for what it is, tends to make people more peaceful. Seeing the ego for what it is, is often experienced as a death. But on the other side is a oneness with others that may bring peace. Tolerance is much easier when the ego is seen through. May we all die before we die. Peace.

Thought is not the enemy.

Thought is not the enemy. It is what we think that is the enemy. We are all conditioned with thoughts that are not our own, thoughts based on fear and past trauma. When thoughts are refined by the search for truth, peace happens, relaxation happens, a quiet mind without conflict happens. 

The ego remains but it is in the background, a tool to be used by Self as needed. David Hawkins says that you treat the ego like a friendly pet. It doesn't rule the house, and it is also not the enemy when it knows its place. 

Relaxation

What I have found is that if you seek truth, and if you are willing to work at it, and face the dark night, you will find relaxation happening as a result of clarity. As the truth is discovered, relaxation happens automatically. I have never had to work at relaxation. I have only searched for truth. Relaxation happened as a result. So did a quiet mind come on its own as truth was known.

Love vs Religion

Love is fluid. Religion is rigid. 

Karma

You have karma as long as you think you are the doer. When you realize you are not the doer, how in the hell could you have karma?

World Is A Projection

Everything is a projection in consciousness, granted. But, only those beings that have a metabolism have consciousness. Only those beings with metabolism are self conscious. The rest is the playing field. A soccer team cares who wins. The field does not.

A Peaceful Place

"I am" is the fundamental expression of awareness. It is not personal. To become personal there has to be an object. For example, "I am Joe. Or "I am sad". Or "I am male," or "I am female." 

Nisargadatta recommends that we contemplate that simple "I am" without any other object. This keeps it impersonal. The end result is that eventually one identifies with impersonal awareness. This identity shift removes one's personal identifications, which removes us from much suffering, and quiets the mind. 

So, if you are looking for a simple meditation that works. This is a method that anyone can use and do anywhere. The result is that one can say "things happen, I do not do them." The person remains. It goes to work, eats, sleeps, has good days and bad days, but the impersonal self remains the focal point, and that is a peaceful place. 

Ego Nothing?

Compared to the Absolute, the small self is a nothing. It's a construct. But, it is an emanation from source, and it is due some respect. I have found that it is only people with a strong ego that can confront the fact of its 'nothingness." Defensive people don't have enough ego to confront its limitations. Paradoxical, like all subtle realities.

Misery

With realization, the small self knows he always was, and always will be That. And that's when the misery ends. 

Existence Always

The only conclusion I can relate to is that a power has always existed. Existence implies awareness. Awareness of objects constitutes consciousness. Everything else in the universe is the creativity and exploration of the original power.

We Are The Hologram

Consciousness is everything that exists as a projection in awareness.

Presence is Fundamental

Just observe whatever you are experiencing and notice that whether it is thought, or irritation, or joy, it is being experienced in presence. You are that presence regardless of what you are thinking or feeling. The presence is always there, no matter how much the experience changes. Recognizing this, the only conclusion one comes to is that you are that presence. Nothing more to know.

Intent

"He who calls on me by whatever name, is mine, and dear to me." Same goes for whatever method one chooses. It's the intent that matters, not the method.

Ego Is Secondary

A healthy ego knows it is not the top dog, it's just a tool to navigate the relative world. An ego that acknowledges it's secondary status to the Self, God, the Absolute, is helpful, not harmful.

Relative World and Ignorance

If you are the Absolute and know it, then of course there is nothing to wake up from. But, the whole reason there is even a term "enlightenment" is because we live in ignorance of our true Self.

Any normal human being does have something to wake up from, assuming he realizes his ignorance. Dream or not, there is a relative world, and our human selves live in it. We can play the game in ignorance (nothing to wake up from), or we can get off our butt and try to get to the truth. 

We Need Our Intuition

We are so closed in with materialism that it isn't questioned. It makes us discount our intuition. Then we have to work and learn to the point where we can see what happened to our souls when materialism took over. We end up begging our intellect to give us a little permission to experience what is beyond the intellect. Tough nut to crack!

Intuition and Authority

I have always followed my intuition regarding authority. In spiritual matters, I have always sensed a teacher that resonates in my heart, whether I understood that teacher or not. Over 50 years of study I have found that my intuition was right on. I never put a teacher above my own mind and heart, but did in humility learn from those I found to have deeper understanding than I.