Tagged: moral
Relative Polarity in a mental world of absolutes
The truth is not absolute neither relative. Then, what is it?
“Something” neither relative nor absolute…We could call it “nothing.”
In Life we could see that every scene has a polarity.
That polarity is what is known as “good,” “bad,” “right,” “wrong,” “sinful,” “virtuous,” etc.
The majority of people are so caught up with those labels which are so deeply ingrained through “education,” that trauma will be experienced in their lives.
All those apparent “opposites” are complements of each other. All those opposites are there, because the other side exists.
There is no way for fear to exist without the existence of courage. There is no way for love to exist without hate.
What is courage in the “normal” realm of duality? Less fear. There is a degree, a constant movement that we label in different ways. If the scale of experiences is between 1 and 10, Courage is 1; fear is 10. Indifference is 5.
A person experiencing fear is closer to courage for after the number “10” is reached (fear,) then number “1” will come into the experience. That is why, the range of experiences is not truly a straight line with 2 different ends, but those ends connect to each other in continuity. The range of experiences is truly a circle and because there is a continuous movement in that circle, it becomes cyclical movement, just like the 4 seasons, just like day and night, just like low and high tide, just like young and old, left and right, up and down, etc.
If the above is fully understood, then a person experiencing indifference has a long way to go before reaching hate or love.There are many experiences in between. Intensity is in the extremes.
Observe the range of experiences, observe that every individual is in a different stage, a different degree from the extremes. If someone has experienced one extreme, without a doubt; the other extreme will experienced.
A religious person who has experienced one extreme of Life such as an ascetic Life style, will experience immediately after that; the opposite, and from that point, the movement will continue. For the untrained observer, that person is only reaching a “balance” from being “out of balance” but note that it is only the degrees of change of experiences, which are moving, that is “going from 10 to 1” in the cycle.
“Balance” exists at every moment, at every position in the range of experiences and for that, we may need to learn to embrace the opposites, rather than judge them or to prefer one side and to despise the other, for if we are aware that we are one side of the equation, we are also the other side. We are both sides…The light and the shadow.
The fox entered the property of the farmer and ate a chicken.
From a human perspective, the chicken belongs to the farmer. The fox committed a crime. The fox is “bad,” a “criminal,” and the “poor” chicken “good.”
The human perspective is not “reality” but merely a perspective. From the perspective of the fox, the chicken was food. To eat that chicken was “good” for the fox. From the perspective of the chicken, that was a “bad” thing. Do we see the polarity in that scene?
Moralists will engage in labeling one side of the polarity as “good” without realizing that “bad” is needed to be there as well.
That scene of the fox and the chicken is void of human morality. That is the way Nature, Life operates.
In Life it is all one event, the chicken is part of the fox now. Life continues on. A chicken may eat worms. Life continues on.
But a human… a human will kill the wolf just because the fox entered his “private property,” and ate his “possession.” He “bought” the chicken with paper money as if Nature cares about the exchange rate. 🙂
Every experience in Life will bring a polarity to be aware of. If we could for a moment set aside the labels of “good, bad, right, wrong,” etc. from our vocabulary, we could observe a different perspective, a different reality.
We could observe that every truth, every single truth is not an absolute, but a perspective based on a particular state of consciousness.
The above realization could be the beginning for the “Life walker,” the seeker, to abandon the path of denial, repression and judgment, for the one of simple openness to Life. That is the path of integration.
Cyber morality
Mitch bought a pair of tires for his bicycle on-line.
They were a good deal!
A week later an email confirmed that Mitch had already received the tires.
Mitch did not get anything. Mitch called the company a day later after going through their “black and white” system of questions on-line.
“Where is my stuff?” was the right selection to get the company to call Mitch within 5 minutes…
Ms. Bianca explained to Mitch that it was the policy of the company to wait for a week before sending a replacement order, for the tires could be with a neighbor! Nevertheless, she was going to send a replacement order immediately…Ms. Bianca emphasized that it would be appreciated if Mitch completed a survey about his experience on resolving this issue, which he should have in his email inbox in no time… 🙂
Mitch was happy. Mitch assured Ms. Bianca that he was going to complete the survey. Mitch was going to receive the tires exactly in a week!
Three days later, a neighbor showed up into Mitch’s place with the tires…
Mitch went to the website to stop the shipment of the replacement tires. He was able to find the “I don’t need the items” option in the system.
But… the items needed to arrive first before they were sent back AND because to return “something that Mitch didn’t need anymore” wasn’t the company’s “fault,” Mitch needed to pay the shipment back to them.
The moral/ethical question, ladies and gentleman is:
Should Mitch return the tires or not? 🙂
If a poll is open, we will have many “Yes” and many “No.”
Shall the “right” answer be “Yes and No”? 🙂
Certainly that cannot be the case.
Someone has to be “immoral” and the other side “moral.” 🙂
That is exactly how we label someone in any “big moral issue.” We judge. We think we are right.
Our belief is supported by some religious idea or some philosophy that we made up and labeled as “reason and logic.”
To be called “right or wrong” is of no consequence in living life, when we understand that every action has a return. Our human labeling has no consequence but to inflate or deflate someone’s ego.
Our morality based on “black or white” teachings that we have learned, could assure us that “we are right.”
Life however, could demonstrate otherwise… but we will not realize that or just overlook what is happening.
All we care about is to get the label: “ You are right, Mac!”
A week later, Mitch received a coupon to save money in his over due car oil change. The week after that, the passenger power window in his car wouldn’t open. Mitch drove the car to the dealer twice before it was fixed…however, his car was under warranty, and so he did not pay anything and got a free car wash… 🙂
Cause and effect in action… but humans are so caught up into being morally “right or wrong.”
By the way, what was Mitch’s decision?
That is a huge mystery to this day… 🙂
The “morality” of ego
When “I” started to have problems within, that was the time when those problems manifested “out there” as “I” will relate with “others” all the time.
Dealing with “others” is what we call to have a relationship.
Nowadays, it is an ego-based relationship.
The most external view of a relationship is observed on how “Jack deals with Jill” everyday.
Jack is like this. Jill is like that. Obviously issues will come up between them.
Could we fix those issues?
Maybe. 🙂
We could create a “code of conduct.” Something delineated so Jack could know that he is “going over the border” and Jill could feel safe from a harsh interaction.
Moreover, we could make that code of conduct into a moral standard and just to add holiness into it, we could say that those are God’s “rules.”
Jack: “You have parked in my parking spot.”
Jill: “ That is not my car.”
Jack: “ Do you know who that may be then?”
Jill: “It is not my problem.”
How could Jack react to “win the fight”? What he could say?
Without any “moral codes,” Jack could insult Jill or even do more than that… Jack could unleash his own “Satan” from deep inside.. 🙂
But, with a “moral code,” Jack will think twice before he reacts harshly.
Jack thought within a second: “Uhhm… I feel like beating her up. No one dares to talk to “me” like that! I just asked her a simple question! But, I was taught to love my neighbor and to give “the other cheek” in cases like this for if “I” do something wrong, “I” may get punished by God. I could be damned forever…If i give the other cheek, I may earn Paradise…What a test paper!”
Jack learns to repress. Nevertheless, Jack could use that incident as an example of how wonderfully he is “transforming.”
He is giving the other cheek. Jack has remained “silent” even though he was verbally attacked…. Hallelujah!
In another consciousness, all issues start with oneself and finish right there.
Jack to cashier at store: “ You must be new here…”
Cashier: “No I have been here for 2 years.”
Jack: “ I don’t recall seeing you before…”
Cashier (getting a little upset): “Either I am not here when you come here or you don’t pay attention when you come.”
Jack (feeling the “ego” distress from the cashier): Yeah, that must be it. I typically don’t pay attention…
Cashier: 🙂 smile…
Jack: Have a great day!
Jack didn’t react. Jack didn’t think about “becoming good.” Jack didn’t follow any code of conduct.
Jack was empty of “self.”
The cashier smiled. She was happy. Jack was smiling. The “ego” door was open. Everything went through it.
Walking around with a defined personality does not allow someone to blend according to the circumstances. That “blending” does not require thinking. It just requires intuition.
A “moral” person is truly someone without ego. Otherwise, the “moral codes” surrounding an ego-driven personality will only enhance and protect ego.
That “morality” becomes a serious “immorality” in the long run.
Observing Nature to learn about life
A whale moves its caudal fin (tail) from left to right to propel itself forward.
A seagull flaps its wings up and down to able to fly.
Moving forward and flying through the “obstacles” in life could be accomplished if we learn that lesson from Nature: The opposites have their own timing. If we respect that timing and allow for one side of the different dichotomies in life to express themselves, we are assuring that the complementary side will arrive in a “healthy” way.
Someone could have good health and not knowing what is “bad” health; that person could enjoy his experience or not. Then, a disease could arrive which will allow that person to know what is “bad” health…. The option after that is good health again; how do we move through those moments, how stable our attitude remains will assure that the experience of moving forward to the right to then move towards the left side of life as a fish does, will be appreciated and enjoyed as the experience unfolds.
A seagull cannot chose not to flap its wings down. “I just want to flap my wings upwards,” that cannot be done for wherever there is upwards there must be downwards, wherever there is a God, there must be a Devil; wherever there is sin, there is something moral, etc.
Interestingly enough, English does not have a word, which is the exact opposite of sin. That is because that word is a religious concept.
When our minds are full of concepts, then our lives are not connected with the “reality” of Nature and the Universe, but rather some man-made invention which even though could exist, is not “real.” That is how our feelings become disassociated with life and our mind takes over.
A triangle is a man-made concept. Through that concept we could create many things, nevertheless; triangles do not exist.
Then, Christians could use that concept for example; to depict the trinity: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Usually a triangle is used to represent this concept, which supports the concept of the existence of a triangle. A concept may be useful, but not necessarily real.
When we use these concepts to lead our lives, we will find ourselves in different predicaments, for our interest will not be in finding virtue within but to comply to a man-made law.
When we observe Nature and the works of Nature, we could run away from the workings of the conceptual mind and free ourselves from that illusion which is a driving force in our day-to-day living.
The above is not a “belief” but it could be made if there is no experience from the readers and then, merely repetition of words, that is information; a “concept” will prevail.
When life is conceptual and mind made, then all we can hope for is to gain information.
Information is not the same as to know. Knowing requires to “be,” that is to experience something by not being the observer, but by becoming engaged, merged in that which is to be known. That is, by living life without prejudices, ideas, beliefs, taboos and all of that.
Question: Honesty for Spiritual growth
“Dear Brother, I thank you for your honest opinion and efforts towards spirituality. Coming from Indian origin and being conservative, we always look for others’ affirmation for any of our actions. Being a BK is no different, the same thing is followed. But the problem is there is a struggle(BK or otherwise) between the actual experience(the truth if I can say so) and the outer self (the outward behavior to please others). If one doesn’t go by the group, he is considered as half-cast or rebel. There is a clash as there is a feeling for the need of a group for spiritual progress (away from purely materialistic group). When people see your experiences, articles they get support for their inner selves which is longing to express the emotions, freedom, struggles. May be one should have that courage to be honest with oneself to progress spiritually (BK or otherwise). If we don’t we are losing our time by just believing a set of principles as real effort. Because many teachers/seniors speak of following the principles with more and more sincerely, because there principles helped them, but to put them explicitly as support systems only (not the effort itself) for spiritual progress would make the lives of spiritual seekers a lot easier. It would be good if you can elucidate the fundamental qualities needed from your experience for progress for a spiritual effort maker.”
Dear reader,
Thank you for your great question. As you mentioned, there is this pressure to conform, to be part of something in order to “move on.” Everyone is caught up in that in one-way or another: At work, in the religious gathering, in a society with determined set of values and traditions, etc. The consequence of not following is to be “alone.” Are you ready to experience that? 🙂
The answer comes when we realize that this is happening. That realization will bring the way out of that situation when the time arrives, if it arrives.
That right moment is something for every individual to recognize.
If the above sounds “very general,” it has to be in that way, for this blog is read by many individuals from different viewpoints and state of consciousness.
From avyakt7’s own experience, the truth is in yourself. This sounds like a cliché; and it is, if you have not experienced the third level of consciousness, the self. Perhaps there is more to it which avyakt7 hasn’t experienced yet, so avyakt7 does not hold anything as “absolute,” avyakt7 is open to “learn.” Knowing the inner self will give you that closeness to God.
When you are committed to Spirituality, which means that you realize that there are many weaknesses within “you” which are lingering there due to lack of greater consciousness; then change will be on the way. The issue is “you,” the solution is in “you.” The path is honesty, sincerity in your dealings with yourself.
Usually religions and methods are there to “protect us” from that “outside” that you mentioned. It feels reassuring when others feel and think like you; but there is danger in that as well, it is called self-righteousness.
When you want to plant a shrub or a small plant that will become a strong tree later on; you will probably use a stake to support that shrub. Religions are that stake. That protection will be there but that stake will need to go away for the tree to find its own strength. Others will need that stake as long as they live. There is variety that is why, there cannot be “the answer.”
The purpose of that stake is to allow you to gain greater consciousness.
From my experience, Christianity gave me the teaching of being “accounted for.” That there was a God who could help me if I was “good.” That I needed to recognize my “sins” and change my behavior. Through Brahma Kumaris, I learned about my own vices. From my experience, all the methods/principles taught by the Brahma Kumaris are meant to recognize sex-lust and anger and to transform them into feelings of benevolence to all. Celibacy is not a repression but a choice of a lifestyle in a different consciousness which obviously will not apply to everyone. There is variety.
Through other teachings, I have learned about the inner self.
There is no such a thing as one teaching being “better” than another, but teachings come from different states of consciousness and they will be beneficial as long as the individual matches that consciousness. In this way life becomes a school. Our state of consciousness will change. Life is change.
Take a look at your life and see if you have learned what you need to learn out of your current religion, belief or “ism” that you follow; if you say “yes” but then go back to the old pattern which brought you there in the first time; you will know that you were not honest with yourself.
That is the way to find out. It could be risky.
Taking the “stake” out is a big deal. You will find out if you are capable to stand up despite the storms, the hurricanes of life… Are you ready for that? You decide the timing. No one should pressure you. If you are not ready, that is OK as well. Every tree is different.
As long as there is appreciation and gratitude for all of those experiences, which are teaching us different things in life, we could grow.
Let us just remember that everyone is playing their own role in life. Mine is unlike anyone else’s and so is yours. See where you fit in this “movie of life.” That is your honesty, your sincerity, your gift to humanity.
Best wishes!
Exploring the Depth of Living 