Archive for resistance
The Power Of Surrender
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When you hear the word “surrender”, what’s the first thought that pops into your mind? With the Western mentality that you need to plow your way through life, like a bull in a China Shop, it’s understandable that the thought of surrender might be associated with weakness, helplessness, hopelessness, subservience etc.
The Buddha said that our greatest source of suffering is our resistance to what is. What is, is. You’re stuck in traffic and you resist it. While the outside conditions don’t suit you, you internalize them so that the chaos on the outside matches what is on the inside. Your blood pressure begins to rise. You are worried about being late for work, the look your boss might give you, etc.
You resist what is, as though the resistance in and of itself will change the situation in which you find yourself. I say, the opposite is likely happen. Do you ever notice how one negative experience often precipitates a series of them? That’s because we attract energies that resonate with our own. If you’re angry, you will attract angry people. When you are filled with love, you will draw to you loving people. It’s that simple. There’s only one problem that people run into when faced with this concept. It is their inability to change states quickly and effectively.
So how does one go about changing states? There are many techniques that can literally at the drop of the hat take you from explosive rage to a deep inner calm. I’ll share some with you at a later time. In the meantime, it’s important to first learn to let go of our resistance to whatever we associate as negative experiences, by learning to surrender to the moment. There is a deep sense of peace that can fill you when you quit “trying” so hard to change the outside world or even “trying” so hard to change yourself. When we resist, we inadvertently block the flow of energy through our chakras, causing imbalances and disease of the body, mind and spirit.
One method you can practice to achieve a state of surrender is to silently repeat to yourself, “nothing can be done by me, right now”. Then notice the pressure and your psychodramas dissolve within you, as you surrender to what is happening on the inside or outside. Understand that I’m not saying that nothing can EVER be done by you. I’m not suggesting the idea that vegetating in a catatonic state is the ultimate act of surrender. What I’m saying is surrender is a state where you are neither plagued by a thought of the future, nor a thought of the past. You are in the present moment and you can accept whatever is happening, without connecting it to any past experiences. Instead of saying “why does this always happen to me?” you’ll know you’ve surrendered when you can say in a state of total acceptance, “this is happening to me”.
Breaking Down The Ego
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In his book, The Infinite Self
Our fears are nothing more than the manifestation of the ego and in order to quit succumbing to its capricious desires, we need to learn to trust in our spiritual infinity. For many people, their egos rule their lives, laying out lists of things and desires to be acquired. If you just bought a fancy new car, well, you may be flying high for about a week, but sooner than later, the insecure ego jumps back in with its endless demands of “get me this”, “get me that”.
The first step to breaking down the ego is understanding that you are not your ego. Your ego is a behavior that you exhibit. You are an infinite being and an eternal energy. It’s just that for many of us, our ego personality may be fearful and resistant, getting in the way of tuning into that all knowing part of us, the higher self. So, our heightened state of awareness and our intrinsic sensitivity to the world around us will be stifled and held back through the grips of the demanding ego.
Second, by learning to quieten the mind through meditation, we can begin to tune into that infinite part of us. Only then do we begin to understand that we are far more than our intellect and rational mind. When your mind dominates you, you are filled with inner dialogue that causes so much mental “noise”, it is difficult to tell apart a warning that comes from your higher self and the fearful ego personality. When the higher self warns you, “don’t go down that street” or “turn left at the street corner”, it is a spontaneous and unemotional experience, that comes from a source of love. When your ego tells you to do or not to do certain things, it does so because it fears entering into a situation that would contradict its views and have its authority challenged, even by your higher self.
The ego has a need for self-importance. It wants to make itself into a God or Goddess, to glorify itself and compete with others. Your ego tells you that you aren’t attractive enough, then commands you to go out and buy a sexy outfit to prove your beauty, by attracting a number of admirers at the club. The ego is also very lazy. It likes to be comfortable and it wants you to serve its needs continuously. You may decide that you will start an exercise routine and a few days later, your ego will come up with all kinds of excuses why not to continue.
Stuart Wilde believes that the ego can be brought into submission through self-discipline. The discipline of rising early. He suggests getting up at 4am and walking in a forest for an hour, for a period of 3 months, in rain or shine. The ego will protest violently at first. It wants to be warm and cozy. By you doing anything to contradict the ego, you are strengthening a higher part of yourself that refuses to be constantly assailed by its wants. Incorporating some form of meditation into your daily routine is also a great form of self-discipline. Wilde recommends meditating 24 minutes a day (one minute for every 24 hours), preferably at 4am, if your ego doesn’t manage to convince you otherwise. If that doesn’t tame the lazy ego, I don’t know what will. Speaking of which, tomorrow morning, I’m rising at 6 am! Baby steps…
