That which is not used becomes obsolete, whereas what is resisted - TopicsExpress



          

That which is not used becomes obsolete, whereas what is resisted is kept in the forefront of attention. Thus, the creative principle of change initially entails a thorough recognition and consequent discarding of old “tapes”, or storyline scripts, that we have used to assemble, reinforce, and perpetuate our sense of self, the one we have taken to be the central character — “me”. In other words, it involves identifying and then eliminating what doesn’t work... Rather than waging a prolonged battle with this fictional entity we have created over the course of our lives, we can simply cease granting it any enduring and concrete reality by shifting our attention to awareness itself — in other words, shifting our attention to being aware of being aware, prior to the whole narrative and architecture of personhood, as well as the ensuing complication that artificial edifice implies. This “house-cleaning” can be initiated by first developing the capacity for calm abidance in silence, where we can better inspect the subterranean elements of our psyche that have been driving behavior and affecting our relations without our conscious knowledge or consent. As we become more accustomed to calm, silent abidance, there is more possibility of open space between perception and reaction, and it is in that spaciousness that we are able to detach enough to begin to “see the forest through the trees”. From the detached vantage point provided by such stillness, we can then delve into our original motives that led to the creation of our current circumstances. Without clarity here, any effort to make substantial life changes that we might undertake will be tainted by old uninspected and chaotic influences, which will in turn hamper our necessary clarity and integration, compounding our sense of frustration and inner division. The entire structure of our desires and their ramifications needs to be confronted, seen through, and released, to avoid the classic trap of “spiritual by-pass”. We need to honestly and thoroughly inspect what it is that we have we been doing which is chronically sabotaging our core heart yearning. Once any conflicted programming is recognized and the “bugs” eliminated, we cease to fuel dysfunctional patterns. For that reason, all unconscious mental and emotional habits and their causal negative conditioning need to be brought into the light of day and revealed for the obstructions that they are. In this conscious process, “old tapes” naturally become obsolete when we cease investing in them. This is why the wise suggest that we “empty the teacup” before filling it again with the fresh tea of projected changes. Once re-aligned with our heart’s true desire, we are ready to combine sincere intent with undivided attention. Solidifying this combination through persistent positive reinforcement is the key to success in terms of making skillful changes in our life and relations. It is an uncompromising yoga in that respect, which requires steady devotion in order to reap results. With the noisy onslaught of conflicting messages and the relentless bombardment of media-driven distractions that characterize today’s social environment, honing one-pointed concentration is more of a challenge now than ever, but what is the option? Certainly, establishing relationships with those who will support our goals is a great help, and hence the Buddhist ideal of “sangha”, or community of truth lovers. Shared spiritual intimacy with good friends has real power to carry us through the ups and downs which we are bound to encounter. A qualified guide who has already traveled the path we wish to tread can also be helpful in terms of pointing out blind spots and potential dead ends. Furthermore, wedding our refreshed and awake intent to the “Cosmic Will” can help to insure that our motives remain pure and on-track. Such “union” is no obscure mystery, but really a matter of aligning thought-energy with the order of the universe. This can be done by us “stepping out of the way”, so to speak, and letting ourselves be lived by Love. After all, what other force in the universe would have our best interests at heart more than Love? ~Bob OHearn theconsciousprocess.wordpress/2013/01/14/how-to-change/
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 07:39:50 +0000

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