Tagged: dishonesty
When the mind is, BEING is not.
If someone has the desire to become “better” in spirituality, that person will only feed himself with greed.
If a person wants to become “good” by reading books, taking classes or joining a religion; that person will only be full of concepts, ideas, about being “good.”
If a person wants to “make effort” to go to “heaven”; certainly he will make his current Life, full of hell.
The above does not follow the conditioning of the “office world.” I am not saying not to DO the above. By all means DO it. Have the experience of it, so the words above have a new meaning, for the above will not be another belief, another concept.
In the “office world” if someone wants to be “better”, that one needs to take classes, certifications, read books, gather concepts, ideas to talk the talk. It is about gathering information.
That does not work in “spirituality” or better yet, living Life with joy.
DOING things to become someone else is not the answer. Joy is not in becoming someone in the future, but in BEING now.
The word BEING may be one of the most difficult “concepts” to grasp. It is not a concept. It is an experience.
When the mind is; BEING is not.
BEING is not defined by actions. Actions are defined by moral standards, laws, commandments, etc. Those laws are not standards for “goodness,” they are just agreements to live by as a society.
Every cause has an effect. This is not human law or morality. This is the way Life moves, changes. Most of the time humans are concerned in pursuing their wishes, desires, wants, etc. Nothing wrong with that. However, also be courageous enough to take the consequences as well.
“Many times I do not know what could happen out of an action, but whatever happens, I will be there.” That may be labeled as maturity.
This level of natural commitment does not arrive when making “thoughtful decisions,” for we will be hunted by our moral conditioning.
This is good, that is bad. This is wrong… That is right.
If in our core, we act based on morality alone, repression is unavoidable. Our society loves people who “sacrifices for others,” you may get a prize; but deep inside you, there will be dissatisfaction.
That is why it is of great importance to observe who I AM, at that moment. If I am not willing to take consequences, for whatever they are; then I need to understand that my wishes, wants, desires, etc. are not deep enough. They are just mental thorns, torturing for lack of awareness.
“Spirituality” is busy trying to cover BEING with DOING.
If I am with a group of people, and I AM uncomfortable with someone in the group, typically, I could blame that to the other person. I can add mental reasons to explain my feelings. That is to sleep while being awake.
Understand that a button inside you have been pushed. If we are AWARE of that, then there is opportunity for that sensation to continue its path. If it arrives, it must go.
If I am not aware, then I will cover that with some spiritual practice such as: “I should be good, gentle with everyone.”
By covering who I am for the sake of following some moral standard, I have started to build inner dishonesty.
I am not saying not to be nice although I am feeling uncomfortable. I am saying to be AWARE that the issue is with me and I need to identify that. This is how we become our own spiritual guru.
This could be a deceiving “practice,” or it could be a source for inner honesty.
Inner dishonesty behind “spiritual practices.”
Many will repeat that “BEING is before DOING.” Many will understand that AWARENESS is not a practice, yet as a “new spiritual teaching” is being put into words, the first thing most everyone wants to DO is to “put it in practice.”
Please observe that this is not “wrong,” neither “right,” but you could only practice what you can intellectually understand and that is prone to distortion when we are talking about the immensity of Life.
We could hear that “Life will work for you if you accept it as it is, if you flow with it.” Then, we want to practice that because it sounds pretty good, because it makes sense, because a “super Guru” said so, or perhaps because “we want for Life to work for us,” etc.
Any of the above reasons will bring inner dishonesty. As a matter of fact, any reason behind our “practice” is dishonest, ego driven. We are not BEING. We want to DO what we AREN’T to become something desirable in our minds. DOING does not change BEING.
John was fired from his comfy job. He was very angry; however, he is a “spiritual person,” and he recalled the teaching of “accepting what Life brings.” He wanted to put that teaching into practice at that time.
“John, how do you feel… It must be pretty hard on you, right?” Asked one of his friends.
John replied:” Not really. I accepted it. Life works for me.”
John’s friend was impressed. What a guy! So spiritual, so calm, so cool… such an angel!
Nevertheless, John was angry. Inside he was burning with anger, but he made himself believe that he has “accepted” what Life brought. His meaning of acceptance was simple: Not to make a fuss of it. John wanted deep inside for Life to “work for him,” perhaps by giving him a nice job in the future, so he was willing to try that “teaching.” He had nothing to lose.
As days and months passed by without any apparent external change, John became irritated, he lost hope and he was snappy with others around him.
John couldn’t hide his true self anymore.
His dishonest acceptance, was never acceptance. It was another way to try to control Life, so “it works for him.”
John’s DOING was not according to BEING, his current BEING.
That is how spiritual teachings are misunderstood. We come from our conditioning of “making things happen,” and to “DO something to change things, change the world, change ourselves.” Change happens as we allow it. That is all, but our ideas, ideals, taboos, beliefs, traumas will not let that happen. Acceptance, surrendering in Life is not known by the dictionary.
The type of acceptance that is necessary to flow with Life, does not come from intellectual understanding of the word “acceptance.” It does not come from our willingness to practice that “virtue.” It comes through the assimilation of Life experiences. It is an opening in our Ego mind, a hole drilled by Life itself when there is no resistance, repression in us.
The art of Living Life, that is “spirituality,” is not learned by following books, quoting spiritual phrases from spiritual gurus, or by enrolling in a spiritual class. All of that is conditioning from the “office world.”
I am not saying that it is “bad,” I am saying that all of that is conceptual teachings, intellectual understanding, information. To truly KNOW, we need to experience the process of Life’s teachings; in a word; to be AWARE of it. It is happening in front of our noses all the time.
Busy in trying to change what is happening to us, we will buy any sort of “magic formula” to change our destiny, rather be AWARE of who we ARE. What is going on outside is only reflecting what goes on inside. Life is the biggest mirror, but yet we could be blind to its reflection.
If we cannot be AWARE, then to “practice” the teachings of someone may be our necessary beginning until we let go the conditioning of the mind. Until then, inner honesty will be hiding from our Awareness.
Ahnanda shares the path of discovery within yourself. This is not the path of “how to do it.” This is not the path of “teach me, I’ll pay for your services.” Become aware that change is happening. Through that, learning and teaching become one, and so unlearning. Student and Guru become one and so “spiritual” lineage. Life and “you” become one and so the Totality. Observe it, acknowledge it, enjoy it, let it happen… Tantra is hiding under those words, and that is a close as we can get when something is beyond a definition.
Until January 2nd! 🙂
Words to confuse…Dishonesty to believe
Being is hidden behind words. The mind will not allow a strong ego to show himself as he is. To “save face” is important to maintain the integrity of the ego driven mind.
Words can be used skillfully and that skill is confusing. Out of that confusion, ego has the perfect scenario to continue his work behind the curtains.
Ahnanda says that love is when you are not. Someone else may quote that “love is to put yourself into someone else’s shoes to know his needs.” Yet another will quote their guru and say “love is empathy.” Then comes the Buddhist mind who does not use the word “love” but “compassion.”
Who is right?
The analytical mind may express that the “definition” that Ahnanda has given is worthless, if you compare that with well known Gurus who have written many books in spirituality. The analytical mind may say that the Buddhist tradition has existed for many centuries already and it must be right…
That is how a seeker confuses himself. That is how a word, the definition, to be “right” becomes more important than the experience behind the word. That is how “second class knowledge” becomes the source of authority.
That is how self-delusion starts and dishonesty will remain in the seeker’s path.
Which definition is the right one? I want to “practice” the “right one,” so I can be “right.”
That is ego in is utmost realm.
What is the difference between compassion and love?
What is the difference between love an empathy?
Trapped in words, we don’t see the reality of BEING.
Practice of any definition will not make you the definition.
Observe who you ARE. Observe what you feel.
The dishonesty of trying to live the definition of a word or a phrase is not love. Your mind is just trying to understand a word and that is the issue, the problem…
Do you understand what “you are not”?
When you “are not,” then you can be in “someone else’s shoes.” Not before.
When you “are not,” empathy flows because you are not just “you.”
When you are not, “compassion” is there for those who ARE something. You understand, you have empathy, you can put yourself into their shoes because you have been there, but now that you ARE not… you are love.
Otherwise, you are pity, you are “helping others,” you are “practice” of compassion or empathy, and that cannot be love.
Everyone is “right and wrong” at the same time. Seekers decide who is “right” or who is “wrong” and they have the reference of their own conditioning, their own pre-conceptions, their own beliefs… That is why there are many Gurus, many Gods, many “right” paths… offering different flavors according to the taste/consciousness of every seeker. 🙂
Dishonesty is the only illusion
In my “career” as a “seeker” I have been involved in many paths to search “something” such as : Peace, happiness, purpose, heaven, God and the list goes on.
The above “spiritual search” is driven by the same “I’ which is looking for something different in the “mundane” such as: Wealth, power, fame, beauty, possessions, etc.
Do we see that the “driving force” is the same?
It is the “I.” Even when we say: “I am peace.”
The “I” lingers there in the background for identity. The word “I” is not “bad.” If we use it by feeling part of the Totality, then it is inclusive rather than the exclusive use that we typically give: Separation.
If I have to put everything I have learned so far in a word or phrase, that could be honesty with myself.
Why should I believe in something that I don’t feel?
Why should I believe is something that everyone else “sees as true”?
In that realization, I will honor my own perceptions.
It may be an illusion, but I want to find out by myself. Learning is included in that experience and with that a new consciousness.
Change in consciousness, does not come by accepting someone else’s explanations about life, what is good or bad. It comes through an experience that life may be offering but many times, we are not willing to open the door and experience the teaching.
For example, meeting someone for a life partnership may be desirable, but If our feelings do not agree with that, even though that experience may be desirable or “good” or any label, then that experience may not be for us yet. There is something inside which we may call “consciousness, guardian angel, superego, etc.” which could be our own measure of inner honesty.
It may be different for someone else.
The obstacle is that many times, that “guardian angel” may be surrounded by many voices inside ourselves, which are fighting for supremacy: Emotions, ego, beliefs, taboos, etc.
When we see the above, we could realize the need to “heal” from all those voices, which are not allowing us to hear that “inner feeling.”
That is what I may label, “honoring our role in life.”
Another example?
If I observe that to experience death is part of living, then why should I be dishonest with myself by believing things or doing things, which are not what I feel?
Granted. Many times it is about a compromise with “others” who may be experiencing another perception of “reality” of life, but the bottom line in my finding so far, is to still hear that inner feeling when the inner chatter and reasoning are gone.
Living life with joy, is related with learning to listen to that silent voice of destiny. The turmoil is “outside,” pushing into different directions. We could call those: Traditions, cultural and religious beliefs, emotional traumas, hang ups, etc. To respect those means not rejecting them but at the same time to hear our own pristine calling in life.
To allow life (God) to take us where we are meant to be, by listening to that inner voice; could be the greatest degree of honesty there is.
In that utmost honesty, there cannot be room for an illusion.
Exploring the Depth of Living 