Tagged: ideals
The idealistic mind dwells in extremes
Through contemplation in Nature, we could understand that there is no straight tree or straight line, no matter how straight it seems to be. Nevertheless, we seem happy with the ideal of a straight line.
We live in a world of ideals. We strive to reach those, but we will always be short. Ideals are unreachable.
The ideal of having a mind capable of completing all tasks with accuracy is broken, when several tasks appear at once.
Ahnanda: “ The world is in a hurry. Here, it is easy to lose focus and forget. My mind is focused on a task but then the phone rings and as I answer it, another person appears taking my attention, at the end; I forget to complete my former task. That juggling of many things at once is stressful. Frustration may set in followed by some anger.
Is there a way to focus the mind and not lose my cool?”
Mathias: “That is a matter of knowing priorities. Take your time. The world may be in a hurry but not you.”
Miguel: “That which has attraction will take your complete attention.”
Mathias: “Always find beauty, even if what is in front is referred as ugly. There is something there to be appreciative about. Find it. Feel it. That will keep your mind focused.”
Ahnanda: “ That reminds me about the symbol of yin and yang. There is a small black circle like an eye, in the large white area and vice versa. That means to me that there is a seed of beauty in ugliness and ugliness in beauty, for one side fuels the other.”
Miguel:” While in contemplation, find beauty then feel it with your senses, finally feed yourself with that experience. Make it part of you. Integrate it.”
Although the ideal is that beauty is completely different than ugliness; in Life itself both perceptions are mingled together, they originate each other, feed each other. The mind lives in the world of ideals. The mind looks for what is attractive, beautiful and typically, rejects that which it considers ugly. That rejection preserves a recurrent experience.
A man may look for a beautiful woman. Interestingly, I have noticed that once that experienced of greater beauty has saturated his mind, an increasingly less attractive person will be looked for. The mind knows extremes. That saturation is synonym with obsessiveness, which degenerates into compulsiveness. It is a disease of the mind.
Life supports what is complementary to create unity. However, we don’t. We seek distinction, uniqueness through separation.
Distinction of what? Our own ego to embellish it.
That separation ends up in isolation. Interestingly, that is the time when we look for meaning in Life.
Will be taking a break until May 30. Until then! 🙂
The danger of ideals
There is the ideal of being a saint. Although, it is impossible for all to be saints. There is the ideal of Democracy as the best political system. The ideal of education is to create wholesome individuals despite the reality of being just trained to become employed. The ideal of peace is absence of war. The ideal of love is to attend to the needs of another… and so on.
Those ideals remain in our heads as the “right thing” to DO, to BE, etc.
Those ideals, do not meet the reality of “what is.” Thus, there is constant conflict. The “ought to be” is not “what is.”
IS our way of solving issues with others or ourselves, guided by ideals? Then, there is no care for others or ourselves. To care means to meet someone in what he IS NOW, not in what he should BE according to an ideal. It is not the action in itself, the DOING which shows true care. It is the feeling behind it. We have forgotten that, and believe that DOING is enough. That feeling must be unconditioned to be real. Otherwise, it is fake.
We can give some money to an indigent. Did we give based on the ideal of “being a good Samaritan”? Then, we are fake. Want to make points to go to heaven? That dishonesty will take us to hell instead.
Did we give because something inside moved us without further reasons or ideals, without expectations, without ulterior motives? That may be real, “what is”. Only we know that.
BEING real will not take us anywhere in society. It will not allow us to move ahead in society or the afterlife.
Being real is unexpected, unlearned. It comes from an empty mind and an open heart. That sort of BEING is not understood in society, for it does not make any sense. It is not “reasonable.” It is crazy.
The support of ideals will make us respectable, comfortable, powerful… but fake. Proselytizing those ideals will make us dishonest, for sooner or later we will not be able to honor them.
Living life fully by expressing our authenticity means in a practical way, to be free from ideals.
Fight to survive
Our society is built upon the idea of separation. There has to be a nemesis to make our Life interesting, to have a purpose.
Humans have developed their little colorful country flags, their little national anthems and the idea that they are “representing” something “special” over everyone else. That sense of identification is misguided through chauvinism.
It is team A against team B. It is “Me” and what I am identified with, against everything else.
To separate, we could use jerseys of different colors, the color of our skin, or ideas. Anything helps to make a separation.
That idea of separation is in our core. When “I” am not representing “my” country, “I” am representing my town, my church, my political party, my “ism,” my race, my social status, my education, my age group, my sexual identity….
It is that idea the one that needs to be flushed out from our system for the repercussions are tremendous. This is a matter of consciousness.
I can litter the streets because those are not “mine.” It is “my” country but my separation mode is different now. Among same countrymen, the streets, the Ocean, the air are not “mine.” Those are “mine” only when someone from another country, someone “different” wants something with them.
That is the stupid idea deeply ingrained which books do not talk about, nor the priest, the religion or the politician.
Those only “talk about” peace, unity, love… Cheap talk.
When we ARE separation, how could we be united? By DOING something?
That conditioning of “survival of the fittest” is flawed as most humans believe it is.
“I” cannot survive without the other things around for the “other” things are truly part of “I.”
Pollute the air, pollute the Ocean, displace animals from their habitat… What happens then?
In our society, economic interests are first. We live in this human made realm to compete. That is our fight to survive.
That is the extension of the conditioning.
With the above in mind, how a man will act with a woman when united in sexual intercourse?
In separation.
Deep down it is a fight. A competition. A struggle to subdue the other. It comes natural! Although we may label that as “love” or “making love,” or use another “nice” label. We cannot hide who we ARE.
Anything a “modern” conditioned man DOES will only reflect who he IS.
So, am “I” preaching to “change,” to be someone else by “practicing” some idea? NO. I am merely stating my perception. It is just a perception.
Change does not happen when I try to DO the opposite of what “I” understand to be “wrong” to make it “right.” That is infantile.
Change happens when I can clearly see who “I” AM without any additional emotions to defend or condemn myself. Just SEE it completely.
For as long as we do not SEE it, we will only believe it or we will not.
We will add yet another belief in our deep and huge bag of beliefs, that sooner or later will be lost in forgetfulness. All we will have left then, is another “nice” talk about Love, Peace, Compassion, Unity, etc.
The mind can live with the ideal, but “reality” cannot.
The game of opposites
Opposites drive Life into movement. “Life changes” is the consequence of opposite energies.
Want to be “spiritual”? Want to be “good”?
Non-spiritual and “bad” has to be experienced. Thus, It is to be “bad,” “bad” after all? 🙂 It is a matter of time.
We will find people with opposite virtues/weaknesses, characters, perspectives, experiences, skills, etc. That is what is necessary for movement in the World to occur, yet; our conditioning will judge and label what is not considered “right” through our standards.
God needs the Devil. Police needs crooks, politicians need masses, day needs night… Get the picture?
Those apparent opposites work as “One,” practically it is a unity.
We say: “Body, mind and spirit,” to define a human being, but all of those separating labels cannot divide what is meant to be ONE.
Our minds will affect the way our bodies feel and our bodies, the perception of the mind.
For most the word “spirit” is not experiential. It is only a nice label to throw in there to “look spiritual.”
Nevertheless, whether we dissect a human into 20 types of bodies and 500 chakras, everything works as a unity. It is ONE.
Our education, our learning is based on information. That is second hand knowledge. That is worthless to understand Life, but for the human world, it is priceless stuff.
Once a human being is sold into the ways of society as the only “Life,” then he will not be able to connect with Nature, with Life itself.
In some minds, a concept is real: Triangles exist and so numbers. An” ideal” such as “justice” is supported, the unchanging ideal unable to fit “what is.” Life has its own “justice” which has very little resemblance to human justice. It is merely the experience of the opposite. We say “my karma.” One side of the full experience.
“Spirituality for the masses” keeps teaching its followers how to avoid change. How to stick with an ideal. “Summer is good. Don’t go into Winter for that is bad.” That creates inner dishonesty. A believer believes Summer to be the “right” thing, but he cannot stop the process of living Winter in his own skin.
The procession of the opposites is bound to pass by, it is the 2 faces of the coin which makes up ONE coin. Every time we choose one side, we cannot avoid the other to show up. It is a matter of time.
We have learnt to separate opposites, but from another vision; those opposites are complementary.
Every human experience has an opposite. Every Life journey will go through that trip. Today saint, tomorrow sinner. Where is the middle line? There is none… or we could make up one and label that as our “morality.”
Our conditioning to believe in labels don’t allow us to see the continuity of the rainbow: Different colors, even opposite of each other making up ONE white light.
The conditioning of imitation
“You should be like your brother, a good student, obedient and respectful…”
Parents may not realize it, but comparisons will leave deep scars in the “bad” son. Correcting is one thing, but comparing with another is only showing blunt rejection of a particular individuality. The “bad” son must imitate the “good” one to fit the standard. The unwilling separation (good/bad) made by the parent with his progeny, will bring further issues.
We have learned to imitate to gain acceptance. There is always a “model” to copy and to follow.
We experience consequences when acting. If we are AWARE we will learn from our own actions as well as other people’s activities. However; that does not happen very often, that is why a “role model” is important in our society. We just need to follow, imitate. That “authority” is the IDEAL, the standard. That person could be an athlete, a politician, a religious person… All IDEALS. Their behaviors in turn, must fit expectations of that IDEAL for them to continue as “role models.”
Therefore, imitation is the avenue for “success.” Our personality, our BEING may not fit the IDEAL, but our behavior must fit in. That creates hypocrisy, dishonesty. Our DOING is not the same as our BEING.
In the spiritual world, we have the image of Jesus (or some other realized being) to follow, even though we have never met him. There are expectations of what Jesus should have been like. There is this ideal of a “saint” which is painted in the minds of mainstream society. Society is interested in the IDEAL not in the person behind Jesus.
We are conditioned to imitate an IDEAL.
Tantra is sold to the masses as the IDEAL of blissful sex. What the masses shouldn’t know at all costs, is that sex is a personal experience. What is blissful for you, may not be for someone else. The IDEAL of “bliss” is sold, comparison arrives and a “problem” is created. Thus, someone should sell the “solution” or better yet, the IDEAL of a solution.
Do you know why the IDEAL of a solution is better than a complete “solution” itself?
The IDEAL continuously sells… we are always close to the full solution, but not quite yet. A “solution” once applied and proven cannot longer sell.
Imitation is based on an IDEAL. The IDEAL is something that cannot be reached. That is the appeal of it. The masses strive to get the IDEAL of a “saint,” a “holy man,” but it cannot be reached for the IDEAL is not “real.”
Nevertheless, for many imitators, there is no better “reality” than the IDEAL.
Living through IDEALS, we are unable to let go of the mind.
Living though IDEALS we believe in a world which only exists in our minds.
For instance, the word “Love.” It is an IDEAL. The use of that word in a speech could make us look “good,” “caring,” etc. Love thy neighbor, Love the world, Peace and Love, Love and Light… All pretty IDEALS.
What is “real” cannot be put into words, cannot be defined. Once we understand this deeply, we will not try to find meaning in the words that someone says, but we will go right into the feelings, we will feel someone and what we feel will not be put into words…. But we will know.
Then, Love may have a different meaning. 🙂
Questioning ideals
You may ask: “When I question myself for the ideals I have, I will look for the “right answer.” Isn’t that a way to go back to the mind?”
That indeed is a great question.
For instance, we may question ourselves if “Marriage is a “sacred institution” or just convenience.”
The mind will go on into finding the “right answer.” The research will start, the quoting of authorities will follow, the comparisons and statistical data will be there to support the “right answer.”
That is the way of the “Office world,” supported by “data.”
Someone who has understood the trickiness of the mind, is not concerned with the “right answer.” What matters is to observe if you truly feel that marriage is a “sacred institution.”
If you do, then embrace the other side as well: Marriage is a convenience created by society. When we embrace both ends, then we are open. There is nothing that we reject about it. We are at ease.
“But… why learn to accept the opposite, the contradiction?”
Because in Life all opposites are one.
You see, in the “Office world” we are taught to make a selection, to show our support to a particular idea. In doing so, we reject the other side; thus we create a duality. If we embrace one side and reject the other side, then we have defined ourselves. EGO likes that.
“Why?”
Because it makes it alive. Observe those who fight for ideals. They are defining themselves. Society likes that for it is easy to label someone. Their rejection to that which they do not believe to be right, good, true, will sooner or later be experienced by them.
History has some examples: Malcom X, Martin Luther King, “Mahatma” Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln… Observe their ideals, observe their support for those ideals and how the opposition took their lives.
For the masses, those individuals are “heroes.” That label is alright, but observe how their ideals are not living at this time.
They fought for justice, peace, equality, non-violence… Interesting fight to obtain non-violence. Those ideals are not “real” at this time, many years after their death. We could say that “we live better” that there is “more equality,” “more peace,” etc. but the issue is not the ideal, the main issue is within the human being. To “act” peacefully is the works of a con artist. To BE peaceful is something not known by most of humanity.
Observe how their fight, their rejection created their destiny. However, everything is perfect as it is, for their acts were part of the process of evolution of human consciousness. AWARENESS of that process, brings the understanding to open up in Life.
To try to change the world is infantile. To try to change “yourself” is ego driven. What is the need to change things when Life is change and you are not separated from Life? Become AWARE of it.
The way of the “Life walker” is not understood by the masses. This “inner revolution” has nothing to do with recruiting the support of people to “win.”
The ideals are left aside, the “right answers” discarded for what matters is the feeling of embracing all, the Totality.
“Why?”
When you are all, you cannot cease to be.
But before being all, we need to be nothing.
That may be the journey.
Digging deeply into ideals
Is education truly “education” or it is about “training”?
Is marriage a “sacred institution” or just convenience?
Is God for everyone or just for few, selected ones?
I could go on. Those ideals later become beliefs and those beliefs are mental walls to define ourselves, to make us static entities in a world of constant changes.
Whatever we believe to be, creates our purpose. Observe that ideals are just clouds without consistency, our “invention” created through conditioning.
That is why, to become aware of Life through a different perspective, we may need to dismantle that conditioning, starting from our sacred ideals, what we believe to be “right,” what we vote for, support and use to dress up our “I.”
That is an inner-revolution.
As we can see, Self-realization is not hidden in worshiping or in embracing a religious practice of beliefs. It is not about getting a Ph.D in psychology either.
Nothing to DO, nothing to accomplish. No goals, no purpose, no desire…. But this has no relationship with being a renunciate of the world, no!
It is the complete opposite! It is about inner fulfillment, to harmonize with the Totality, into what is.
We could be “complete” when we are One with everything.
If it sounds “magical” it is because language doesn’t allow me to express that there is no separation, but a mind made rejection separates. That awareness does not depend on something that “I” can DO to change things to fit “my” concept.
That awareness happens when there is no definition of ourselves to ourselves and others. You are comfortable with BEING without defining it.
Empty of “I.”
Another way to describe that “I” is in finding our self-defining words, what we “believe to be.”
Mind, ego, “I,” are intimately related with ideas, ideals, beliefs which in turn will bring emotions which will separate our mind, from our feelings. That is the inner layer of the onion, the core, the seed; from that “seed” other categories of duality are built such as: Body and soul, male and female, black and white, educated and ignorant, young and old, etc. Those separations come from the seed: Mind vs feelings. Ultimately the meaning of words do not separate, but the emotions that come out of it.
Because our mind is controlling our free BEING, we live in continuous imbalance: Ideals, beliefs, taboos, hang ups become “reality” but they are all in the conditioned mind.
Do we see that? 🙂
Exploring the Depth of Living 