Self-esteem and self-love 

Beyond our notions of right and wrong, there is space. I will meet you there

– Rumi –

I read it several times, each time trying to look at it from different angles, trying to understand why it is on his desk, as if it were his personal appeal to the visitor - that he would meet him in this mysterious space. I'm too tired to think, but the stupid thing is staring right at me. I read it through the prism of my views, and still did not understand anything. What does Mark think this means, I thought. Maybe for him this is something like an ideal or a truism? A declaration of love and compassion? I talked to him. I've seen the books he paraded around to let people know he likes them. I have a pretty good idea of ​​where he is right now in the spiritual realm, and I know exactly how he is progressing. What I don't know is what he thinks about the meaning of Rumi's quote. It's like hanging beautiful Chinese calligraphy on the wall, not knowing that it says "All white people are goats." But Mark seems to speak English. Maybe it's a gift from Colman Barks? I couldn't think of any other explanation.

After all the courtesies - how wonderful my book is, and how everyone in the office takes it from each other - we sat around the conference table, each armed with a notepad, pen, bottle of water and various other types of equipment for convenience and productivity. Mark sat at the head of the table with Megan on her right. Janet and I sat opposite each other somewhere in the middle. Rosaleen, Mark's executive assistant, sat at the end of the table with a calendar, diary, notepad, and a copy of the Radio-TV Interview magazine spread out in front of her.

Everyone except me knew why they were here. These people are involved in the promotion of authors - reviews, talk shows, radio interviews, articles, and so on. We're here to prepare me for a radio blitz interview, which is great, they told me, because I can do it sitting at the kitchen table in my underpants. Mark and his people know why they're here, but they don't yet know that their efforts won't be rewarded, even if I had been warned about everything in advance. As tempting as it is to give radio interviews while sitting at the kitchen table in just my underpants, the apparent purpose of this meeting - I'm promoting my book - will not be achieved. So why am I wasting people's time here?



I'm here to find out the true target - the one behind the visible one. I don't do anything based on what is visible, but on trends and currents. I was asked to meet, this coincided with other plans, obviously it was worth it for some reason, although not yet established. What is this reason? Who knows. We'll see. Or not.

“Some of the questions were asked by people in our office,” Janet said. Most of them I found on the internet. I just surfed the spiritual news websites and looked for examples of such questions to ask a supposedly enlightened teacher. I will write everything down, and if no one minds, to get down to business, let's concentrate and tune in to the process. We don't give you any specific limits, but it would be better if you could lay out a small repertoire of clear answers and a few control techniques. We provide radio stations with actual recordings and suggested questions that presenters like to go by, but the topics can go pretty far beyond that, especially if there are incoming calls. Your ability to direct questions into familiar territory will determine whether your words are clear and understandable or vague and distorted. All clear?

- It feels good.

– We will take care of the intro, atmosphere and the like later. Right now we just want to ask various questions and see what happens. Ready?

- Question number one. Is it possible to have an experience without knowing who is experiencing it?

She looked up from her notes, waiting for my answer. I stared blankly at her. Behind my stupid expression, stupid brains swarm in an attempt to understand the meaning of what was just said. After a few seconds of hard thinking, I was able to articulate the following:

- Sorry?

“Uh, I don’t think I understood the question.

Is it possible to experience...

- Say it differently, please.

You cannot ask the presenter or caller for...

- I understand. Sorry. I don't know what to do with this question.

- Shall I repeat?

I heard the words, I just didn't get the meaning or intent of the question. Can you rephrase it?

“That's what we're trying to find,” she said, “plugs like that. We hope we can show you that a matter that seems off-topic to you can simply be gently moved back into your area of ​​expertise. It just won't happen. You must practice. That's why we're here.

- I guess it's the same as saying "Can you ask a question without knowing who is asking the question?" Right?

Janet nodded uncertainly.

- The question can be shortened to "Is it possible be without knowing what you are there is?" or "Is it possible to do it without knowing who is doing it?". This is either rubbish or a joke, don't you think?

“Hmm, I don't know,” she said. “But you can't say that to the caller.

I looked at Mark, he just shrugged.

- for me it sounds like this: someone asks if it is possible to exist without knowing one's true nature. The original form of the question gives it the appearance of a normal question, and the way I rephrased it makes it rather ridiculous, but that's essentially what the question is about. "Can I not know my true nature?" It is rather difficult to answer such a question without giving the impression that you are making fun of the questioner. Can't you move on to the next question?

– Eh, let's see… Is enlightenment a natural step in evolution?

– Oh, good question. The answer is no. If enlightenment has anything to do with evolution, it is its collapse. That is, I believe that the question meant the evolution of reborn individuals, or the evolution of species, but the answer is the same either way. Evolution is change, and enlightenment is the truth that never changes. Evolution takes place in a larger context than everyday life, but it is still contained within a dual context. In other words, evolution, growth, development, change, whatever, is all part of the dramatic representation of duality. Enlightenment is not.

“But wait,” Mark said, “isn't enlightenment the end of an evolutionary line?

“You may be asked related or clarifying questions,” Janet explained.

“It's all right,” I said. - Funny question. Will I myself experience growth beyond the realization of truth in this life? No. Will I be reborn again in a state of ignorance, in other words, will invisible forces make me fall asleep again? No. The question implies the existence of a differentiated true self as a separate being, which is, er, not a completely correct assumption. Differentiated and true mutually exclusive things.

“Then who are we talking to?”

"You mean Jed McKenna?" I have no idea. Dream character.

Are you enlightened and don't know who you are?

“I don’t know, it doesn’t matter, I don’t care. You talk about reconciling the dream state with reality, as if to sum it up. Everyone seems to fall for this hook, but you won't succeed. Truth and lies are irreconcilable. Truth exists, lies do not exist. A lie is only a mirage that exists only in the eyes of the observer. Truth and falsehood are not opposites, not like black and white in the yin-yang symbol. The true "I" does not exist, and there is nothing to say about the false one. We cannot insist on something true that makes sense in light of what we know because we don't know anything. Again, differentiation and truth are mutually exclusive, not two halves of a whole.

"Oh, that's not bad," said Janet. - Excellent poignant remarks. A bit long for an answer, but it can be adjusted. That's what we're doing here: making your speech clear and concise. There is good material here. Very interesting. Okay, next question. If love is all there is...

- It won't. Next question please.

- Sorry?

- Let's skip this.

- You do not want to answer ...?

“That's not a question, it's a veiled statement. But still, there is no question that starts with "if love is all there is" that I can answer. I couldn't even answer this one: "If love is all there is, what's your favorite color?"

What is it about love...

“Look, I don’t want to bore you guys to tears. Do you really want an explanation for every question I don't want to answer?

“I think so,” Janet said. First of all, we don't get tired of it. Secondly, it helps us find ways to control the format of the open question. I'll let you know if we get bored.” She smiled.

“So what is it about love?”

“It has nothing to do with love. One could also say: "If intense gamma radiation is all there is," or "If oak plywood is all there is." The real question is, "If my beliefs are correct, how does that fit in with your beliefs?" I don't have any beliefs and I can't answer a question based on someone else's beliefs. It's like asking, "How does freedom fit in with my limitations?" No way. If the question were, "Is love all there is?" then we can try to answer, but we can't just take it on faith that love is all there is.

“Okay, is love all there is?”

- Certainly. If someone wants to call "everything that is" love, no one forbids him to do it. Personally, I don't see how one can practically use this for awakening purposes, but you can call it whatever you like: God, Universe, Consciousness, Tao, Mind are the most common examples. Why not love?

She smiled but reproached me.

- You seem a bit arrogant.

“I know it looks like arrogance, but it's really something else, and I'm doing my best to present it in a reasonably acceptable way.

She looked at me sternly.

"But you're not good at it, are you?"

- It all depends on what you want the result.

“Are you willing to give an interview to promote your book?”

I smiled.

- Next question, please.

“Hmm.” She looked at me mockingly. - Good. Non-dual philosophy states that...

“There is no such thing as a non-dual philosophy. Let's try the next one.

“Wait,” Mark said. – There is a large community of nonduality around the world and online. And Advaita, about which you spoke well, actually means "not-two", non-duality.

“That's right,” I said, “but that doesn't mean that there is such a philosophy. Nonduality is not a philosophy, or if someone turned it into one, then he created a false advaita for personal or financial gain. Nonduality is not a philosophy, it is a concept. This can be compared to two dimensions. You can understand 2D conceptually, but it has no practical value in 3D reality, and if you want to enter 2D, you need to leave 3D and your 3D self in order to do so.

“That kind of statement sounds like a final verdict,” Mark said. “It can turn a lot of people off.

"Which brings us to the root of the problem at this table," I replied through a double yawn that cracked my cheekbones. If I don't piss people off, I won't do my job. It's not bragging, that's the way things are. I beat them. Beat to wake me up because somehow they asked me to. But that dynamic doesn't work here. Here I have to ask people to trust me, rely on me, and buy my book. I don't want to ask people to trust me or rely on me. I don't know how or why.

Do you want people to trust you? Megan asked with a hint of doubt in her voice.

- Not. It's not about trust, it's about self-determination. Here we are all sitting with one seemingly common goal of book advertising, but my priority is not to sell books. My priority is to express my thoughts as well as possible, and this takes me in a completely different direction. You guys want me to be a glossy book cover. And I'm here to find out if it's possible to do someone a favor by taking part in advertising a book, but now I'm sure it's not.

This has earned me four pairs of unhappy eyes. These guys were hoping to get a big check from the publishers, and I'm in their way. Mark spent a few more minutes explaining the advertising process again, in case I misunderstood something. They think "Bad Thing" could be a bestseller, but bestsellers don't just happen - they require careful preparation and development.

I kept no secrets from them. I explained to Mark all the steps we had taken to keep me out of book projects. I am a private person, I told him. I did my part - I wrote one or two books, which, apparently, I had to write, that's all. I guess he still thinks I'm deceiving him or myself, since we continued like I didn't say a word. I know it's inappropriate for a business meeting to bounce back and forth like that, hesitate and talk nonsense, so I tried to look attentive and nod in the right places, but it was difficult. I was very tired, I was very hungry, and no one spoke my language.

- let's try to continue and see what we have, what we can deal with

Megan spoke up.

here is the question. How to live deeper in the present moment?

I carefully felt the question in search of meaning, and returned empty-handed.

- For what?

Why do you want to live deeper in the present moment? What does it mean?

“I’m working on being more fully present…

– More fully present where?

“In the present moment,” she said, as if it were obvious. – In now.

– What is it now? Real, uh, time?

“Yes,” she said curtly, as if she were talking to an idiot, which she might well have been.

Again, fatigue threw its shroud over everything, so I could not tell if I was so stupid, or I found myself in a space of stupidity.

Do you want to be more present in the present?

“Yes,” she said. “I am trying to deepen my awareness, to live more fully in every moment.

I felt like I was in a Monty Python scene.

- May I ask why? I asked uncertainly, trying not to offend, but a little curious as to what she meant by this deeper awareness.

“To live more fully in every moment,” she said slowly, helping me to absorb it. – To be in deeper contact with your life.

to be more in touch with your life. And how will you succeed?

“Deepening my awareness,” she replied with irritation, and it finally became clear to me that the conversation was going in circles, and I was pissing her off for no good reason. Someone sold this woman something, and now she comes to me excitedly to ask how it works, but I have no idea what she's talking about.

"I don't know why anyone thinks they can ask me about living in the moment." I politely tried to leave the discussion.

I often wonder how many people there are in the new age community who have had some experience with drugs, acid, mushrooms and everything in their younger days and would like to have those experiences again, maybe even make them permanent. It seems to me that many teachers and technicians are becoming fashionable in the spiritual environment as they promise people the hope of reviving their old psychedelic glory days. If this woman, Megan, was my student, with whom I could speak openly, I would tell her to stop fooling herself and go and take acids if she wants to. I've already said this to dozens of people. First find out what you really want. If you don't, you will continue to have a Pavlovian reflex every time you hear the ringing of a new spiritual charlatan entering the city. If you want to revisit those inner spaces that drugs give you access to, then stop brainwashing yourself with all sorts of placebos and go and find your mushrooms. If you can't find them, or you're afraid, or you're ashamed, then join Stan Grof or Michael Harner, or whoever provides a viable alternative path.

“But you are a spiritual master, aren’t you?” Megan asked.

- No, not at all. Quite the contrary.” I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I don't want to get into such a discussion. If someone calls and asks what I think of a new teacher, or technique, or book, nothing good will come of it. I will either remain silent like an idol or appear offensive, which I know is not good.

“Okay,” Janet suggested, “we can just provide you with a stockpile of ready-made answers to use when something like this comes up. Something like "I recognize the merits of such and such a teaching," or "I deeply respect this book." You know, having a set of answers ready is preferable, but not required. I'll jot down a couple of ideas today and we'll put together a list of what you'll like.

I didn't bother to tell her not to worry.

"Oh, that's a good one," she said. "Free will or predestination?"

“Hmm, really, I don’t want to deliberately complicate things, but this question is also unacceptable.

How is this unacceptable?

- He is not independent. It sits on top of various assumptions that were not initially tested. It presupposes the presence of other things that are held to be true, but which cannot be held to be true. You see, here's the thing: there is only one right question for every person at any given time. My job is to help him discover the question, not answer it.

“So said Jed McKenna,” Janet laughed. "You're not one of those frivolous teachers, are you?"

I'm sure a lot of people don't think so. That is why verification was necessary. My ideal learning environment has a structure and an established process that does not involve asking questions just for the sake of asking questions. For me, this is just aimless chatter, and not interesting at all. Of all these questions, not one was from someone who is stuck in a certain place and is trying to move forward. None were from someone looking for the key to open the next door. All this is spiritual onanism, which can only be expected from people who are afraid and strengthen their ego. Therefore, I do not wish to enter into this kind of non-constructive dialogue any longer. It won't benefit anyone. I'm used to dealing with hungry, desperate, serious people. I'm not going to play tricks and play like a strict mentor or crazy sage just to gut the tourists. It's the most wonderful and fun thing in the world when you take it seriously, and the most horrible, poisonous filth when you don't.

“I'm sorry I took your time.

Mark caught up with me at the elevator when I was trying to figure out which button meant down. He thought the meeting went pretty well for a first run and that we should definitely meet again. I smiled and nodded. Then he started talking about a group of people in Queens with whom he was going to study the Bhagavad Gita. He said that they had a meeting today and asked to come. I began to refuse, explaining how tired I was - a bad day, not getting enough sleep, still a long way to go home and all that, but he insisted, and I had such a mess in my skull that I agreed.

17. Gith life.

What an insignificant weakness in battle
possessed you, son of Prtha?
It does not lead to heaven - to shame! -
you, aria, is not befitting.

Do not give in to cowardice
it's none of your business: you're a warrior!
Leaving the pity of the pitiful heart,
Stand up for battle, Destroyer of Enemies!

- Krishna, Bhagavad Gita -

Curtis and I got off the train at the Jamaica station, hailed a cab, and ten minutes later were at the address Mark had given. The meeting was in the basement of a church, Catholic, but not really - some kind of new upgraded version that still doesn't allow female priests, so not that upgraded. At the end of the hall, juice and a tray of lean biscuits were on the table. The stained false ceiling, the enamelled brick walls, the buzzing fluorescent lights and the cracked linoleum flooring all took on a milky coffee hue from years of exposure to cigarette smoke, giving the impression of an urban mortuary where alcoholics anonymous have met for decades. The long plastic tables were sticky, the identical plastic chairs were slippery, the air was stale, I was tired and hungry, and as if all that wasn't enough, Curtis was hilarious.

The tables were arranged in the form of a large square, and thirty-odd people were placed around them in two, and in some places three, rows. The OM symbol, cut out of cardboard and wrapped in foil, was suspended by a thread from the ceiling. Curtis asked me what it was, but I wasn't in the mood to explain the sacred syllables to anyone right now, and I probably wouldn't be able to. A tall, thin man in his thirties with a ponytail and glasses stood diagonally to my right and addressed the audience.

“Good evening, everyone,” he began, and damn it, he was cheerful too.

Beyond notions of right and wrong, there is space. I will meet you there.

- Rumi

Imagine,” he said, “the planet is a single organism that meditates.

Like this?

Very simple. So how do you meditate?

I concentrate on something and observe my thoughts and emotions. The way they come and go

Here. Now imagine that people are the thoughts and feelings of the planet Earth. We are born and we die, and she is aware of us.

And why should she?

Why you asking?

I want to understand who I am.

Yes, but what is this "I"? And how long have you wanted it? You didn't always want to, did you?

Not always.

When you were not even three years old, this "I" was not. And there was nothing to understand. And then it appeared, and you understood: there is “I”, and there is everything else. And then - - many, many more things. Feelings, emotions, thoughts, fears. You became aware of them. You said to yourself: "I want" or "I'm afraid." But even then, you still didn't want to know who you were.

And what about the planet?

Well, how? “The earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the abyss…”

Yes, stop it!

Okay," he laughed. - The body of the Earth appeared in the Cosmos, but there were no living organisms on it. It was just matter, a set of various elements of the Mendeleev system, like other planets of our solar system. These planets are dead. "Shameless and empty."

So what about meditation?

Don't interrupt! Meditation is still a long way off. Plants first appeared on Earth, then animals. Animals, unlike plants, were already able to feel, but were not yet able to be aware of themselves. They lived and live by instincts. So it was with you up to three years, before the appearance of your "I".

That is, the planet went through the same stages as me, only the terms are longer?

She is still going through them. We can conditionally equate the life of the Earth from its appearance to the appearance of a reasonable person to your life from conception to the appearance of your "I". Man became rational gradually - in the process of evolution, - but after all, the life spans of the planet and man are also incomparable.

And all this time the planet was meditating?

No. In fact of the matter. She only started meditating when people first started doing it. But the question "Who am I?" arose much earlier. The body of the planet is a large single organism in which everything is interconnected. Plants, animals, people are different cells, tissues and organs of this body. This is a single system. And the consciousness of the planet is exactly the same. It is located within living beings - in each at its own level. And as soon as some kind of impulse arose in one person for the first time in history, it arose in the consciousness of the planet Earth. As this impulse spread to other people, it strengthened in her mind. You can't say exactly when you first asked the question "Who am I?" “At first it arose somewhere very deep inside you. Gradually it began to take up more and more space in your mind, until it finally led you to the need for self-examination.

But after all, many people still do not ask them?

Yes. And in your mind in the same way there are parts that are not given to them. You can't say that your whole being is concerned only with this. Some part of you is only worried about your safety, hunger and other basic instincts. It is in you and always will be. Some part of you is indignant and angry, and perhaps even eager to fight for your ideals and principles. And your "I" is able to move between all this. To be one, then the other. It is so?

Yes. But I try not to be there for a long time, in these parts.

Why?

Because I think it's pointless. War breeds war. This is mathematics.

When wars go on in the world, in fact they go on in the consciousness of the planet. Just like they can go inside of you

But this is what another part of you says - rational. She weighs and analyzes. And she is stronger than the one who wants to fight. But even now there are people who have it weaker. And they are ready to fight out of good will, not under duress. When wars go on in the world, in fact they go on in the consciousness of the planet. Just like they can go inside of you. And they will stop only when the rational component of the consciousness of the planet becomes stronger and wider than the militant - that is, in fact, when there will be more people in whose minds common sense prevails over anger than those who have the opposite. And this will be a natural development. Non-violent.

Or maybe violent?

Certainly! But then it does not lead to development. In the mind of a person, this violence manifests itself in the suppression of one's own emotions, anger, physical needs, in violent attempts to stop one's thoughts, and so on. And it usually ends badly. All this should not be suppressed, but realized, accepted and moved on. Nevertheless, many people try to suppress it, if not in themselves, then in others. This is violence. In relations between people, this manifests itself when a more spiritually developed person forces a less spiritually developed person to act as he does. When he imposes his point of view instead of just being, as I call it, a "silent example." We can observe the same thing in the conflicts of entire states: when the more developed countries impose their undoubtedly higher values ​​on the less developed, they commit violence. And, as a result, we observe rejection, rebellion and aggression in response to such imposition. And such an impact cannot lead to any development. On the other hand, if more developed countries and more developed people preferred to be just a “silent example” for the rest, this negative would not exist, on the contrary, they would like to imitate, and then they would really contribute to global development simply by the fact of their presence. A similar manifestation of violence is various kinds of dictatorship and mass attempts to remake human nature. Including religious ones. In a person it is impossible to destroy everything that is inherent in him from the very beginning, but it is possible to teach him to be aware of these parts of himself and work with them without the use of violence. More and more people are gradually coming to this conclusion, and when there are really many of them, the consciousness of the planet will move to a new level, and development will go much faster. In the future we will have one world and one government, you'll see. It's unavoidable. It's just that the consciousness of the planet will acquire wholeness and unity in the same way as each person acquires it in the process of his practice.

It turns out that politics is just an external reflection of the processes taking place in the consciousness of the planet? The same ones that happen in mine?

Yes. And not only politics, but in general everything that happens. World power is just a mirror. If you take your inner world as an example, then the power over yourself that you gain during meditation is the same. She has no boundaries. You notice every thought, every emotion, every physical sensation. You notice how they are born and die, and you remain. Nothing can escape you. "Big Brother is watching you." In the context of your inner world, Big Brother is you, your Witness.

Everyone must go through internal and external militancy, through attempts to remake everyone around, through disappointment and skepticism, through awareness of all human suffering.

Well, you gave an example. "1984" is not the most pleasant version of the future.

These horror stories are quite appropriate. Not every person finds inner wholeness. Someone, on the contrary, can become a psychopath or obsessed with some idea. In this case, it is not the inner Witness that gains power over him, but this idea. The anti-utopias described in the books are examples of such a state. But if "Big Brother" only watches and does not interfere, does not exert violence, then there is nothing wrong with him. He's just looking. The people who have reached a certain level should be in power. Until this happens, the world power will be actively fought. In fact, this is the struggle of the consciousness of the planet within itself. When those who should be in power, they will not be fought, since there is no point in fighting those who do not use violence, but are simply an impartial Witness. There will simply be no need for violence on the part of the authorities, since the level of people by that time will also rise significantly. One of the key commandments that Jesus Christ left us: "Do not judge." Everyone is free to go their own way. Everyone has to go through internal and external militancy, through moralizing and trying to remake everyone around, through disappointment and skepticism, through awareness of all human suffering, and so on. Some people do this by going inside themselves using various practices. Someone denies all this in himself, and therefore looks for reasons outside. But eventually they too will come to meditation, because trying to solve their problems outside of themselves will not bring results. When most of the world's population begins to solve their problems inside, and not outside, power will no longer be needed. And this will be the erasing of the last boundary.

Between world power and people?

Yes. In a world where everyone is aware of their responsibility for everything that happens to them, and does not project it onto others, there can be neither violence nor deceit. This will enlightened world. Whole and unified. But there is only one way to bring it closer. Guess what?

Own practice...

When you are angry, you are anger. When you are in thoughts, you are a thought

Exactly! Everything that happens in society is just an external reflection of the processes that take place in the consciousness of the planet. But what is the consciousness of the planet? It consists of the minds of the people living on it. Me and you Evolution is us. There is nothing outside of us. The consciousness of the planet is also us. You can get into this beautiful world without violence and deceit right now. You just need to learn how to tune in to it. Your body is a vessel. You can choose what you fill this vessel with. When you are angry, you are anger. When you are in thought, you are a thought. But both are temporary. It has a beginning and an end. And if you identify yourself with this, then you also have a beginning and an end. But you can choose a different role. You can watch all of this. Watch how anger and other emotions are born and die in you, watch how the same thing happens with your thoughts. And while you are watching, the planetary consciousness is watching with you. At this moment you are one with him. And immortal.

Isn't that what is meant by the fruit of the "tree of life"?

Very similar. Biblical myths in this context become very interesting. Think about what is common between God and man?

The knowledge of good and evil that gives us the ability to create.

Let's say. What's the difference?

That we are mortal, but God is not.

But we have already come to the conclusion that our mortality is determined only by the point from which we look at life, with what we fill our vessel. And that there is nothing outside of us.

What then?

Attitude towards a person. The key issue in the Bible is free will. God, like man, knows what good and evil are. But man resists evil.

Is God not?

God does not interfere. He is in eternal meditation

And is it - yes? Look around. Look at the history of mankind. The eternal cry of a man disappointed in God: “How You allowed it? If you exist, intervene, stop the evil!” But God does not interfere. He is in eternal meditation. He allows everything to be. He allows life to create itself, granting it all-encompassing free will. Animals do not know good and evil. Man knows good and evil and opposes what he considers evil. And God just loves.

Loves and tolerates evil? Strange combination.

Not evil, but free will. Love does not accept violence. The one who truly loves does not limit or dictate his own rules. Only the one who loves is able to give another the right to choose between good and evil. In this sense, God is absolute love. It is the non-resistance to evil that makes it so.

I can't deal with evil.

It's great if you choose good. This is the manifestation of love in you. But the inability to come to terms with evil is a manifestation of fear. You are afraid of evil because you are afraid of death. You know that since evil exists, it can turn against me. And you fight. But at the core is fear.

And what can I do about fear?

We have already discussed this. Explore yourself. Whoever ceases to be afraid - cognizes Love. Who knows Love - will be able to give to others free will. Whoever gives others free will will become an example for them. And help you develop. To stop being afraid. To know love. To give others free will. For it is said: "Love." For it is said: do not judge. And then there will be no boundary between us and God. Do not be afraid.

7 myths about love. Journey from the Land of the Mind to the Land of Your Soul by George Mike

Beyond your imagination

It sounds simple, but your attachment to these notions is very deep. Your ego is "buried" in your subconscious. Attachment to many of these notions is simply beyond your constant awareness of time and space. Your ego will seriously resist your attempts to go beyond the idea and get to your values. One of the signals of this resistance is the thought: “But I can’t just disinterestedly give love left and right, this is something from the realm of fantasy!”

It is necessary to do inner work on "attention" and "awareness" to see the representations that you use to suppress your "I". Then you will begin to understand how you are using these beliefs to block your values, and this will help you recognize that others are also using their beliefs to suppress their values. If, for example, you have learned think that competition is good and necessary, it stifles your values ​​and ability to cooperate. This means that you have not yet realized that competition breeds fear, while cooperation is an expression of love. Competition is a manifestation of the ego, and therefore it is contrary to the nature of your true self. If you think that being angry is normal and sometimes even helpful, you will notice that it suppresses your values ​​and ability to empathize with others, because you cannot empathize with others if you are angry at their mistakes.

If you believe that life is a race for survival in which the fittest wins, this notion will stifle your “value of giving” and your ability to serve others. At the crucial moment, you will satisfy your needs, not the needs of other people. And only when you begin to understand how beliefs suppress your values, you can consciously correct them, get rid of them, exclude or change them. Or you can go straight to the heart of your Self, where you will always find the power of the energy we call love, and begin to clear a path that leads through the thicket of your ideas into the world of your behavior. And as love is expressed in forms such as caring, compassion, and cooperation, hundreds of learned beliefs such as “me first,” “they’re wrong,” and “there are only winners and losers in life” will slowly die out.

Again, some form of meditation and self-reflection is needed. Only then will you begin to see the truth about all representations, which, as we have seen, lies ironically in the very word "representation." The presentation is a lie. Representation is what we create and attach ourselves to when we lose the awareness of truth. When you understand that ideas are essentially illusions, they will go away and you will discover your innate sense of truth. You already know what the truth is. Here you just get in the way of the learned system of representations.

That's why even "self-image" doesn't help much in the long run. Yes, it seems to give you a boost of "power of confidence", that it injects a jet of "power of achievement" into you. But then it starts to drain, and the doubt that should exist under the attachment to any self-image will get a chance to float to the surface (if not, then most likely it slowly eats away at you from the inside). It is much better to know the power of truth and let it become the basis of your life. When you know who you are, what is the source of peace, love and pure joy, you do not need to have any idea about it. You don't have to search for certain states or reach them. You do not need to impose a system of ideas about yourself on yourself. You don't need to be attached to a self-image based on the idea, because soon it will become another form of ego. When you "know" the truth about yourself and live with that truth, self-image no longer plays a role. Then you don't have to spend your time and energy confirming and maintaining a set of self-image. The “power of representations” is a weak power that is next to the power of truth.

But we adopt many ideas and then cling to them. And we do not realize how much power they can deprive us of in everyday life. This means that we don't challenge our view systems too often. Let's give a couple of examples. Perhaps our culture is based on three of the most common modern beliefs. They exist in almost every society. But they are wrong.

The first common notion: real happiness can be bought

For many people, this is an obvious lie. Happiness from some acquisition always dissipates, leaving behind only a desire for more. And desire is not happiness, it is dissatisfaction. But even when we seem to know this, we still act like we need to buy ourselves happiness. This notion is so firmly and deeply ingrained that we have become completely blind to the reality that our craving for a new purchase is a symptom of a lack of happiness.

Second common notion: success is achievement

For many people this notion is still true, but for more and more people it has become an obvious illusion. This idea does not let us out of the process of struggle and effort, we have to constantly look for accomplishments in the future, and therefore always be dissatisfied. Success is not a struggle or dissatisfaction. Rather, it is the ability to be content within yourself at any given moment, and still do the right thing, in the right way, and with the right intention.

The third common notion is that your feelings are determined by other people.

Well, here we go again. This is an illusion, and until you fully realize that this is an illusion, you will see yourself as an eternal victim and will never know the truth that only you determine your own feelings and that you can change your feelings always and in any situation. Now this is the empowering truth. But remember, you don't have to trust me. Choose for yourself.

These notions are easy enough to refute, but the attachment to them (and false association with them) is so strong that the ego will fight back when you try to get rid of them and live differently, in accordance with the truth. In fact, when you make such an effort within yourself, it seems that you die a little. And the ego will look for cunning ways to hold on and survive. You'll have thoughts like, "Well, I'm not sure, maybe a little competition isn't scary...maybe security is all about money...after all, only a person can be angry!"

As we have seen, the most popular representation we all use is "I am this body." Getting rid of just this idea is like a little death. The notion that "I am the form I take" gives rise to the notion that death is inevitable. It is to this representation that we are most attached, and around it we create the most fear. But are we dying? Will your end come? Most likely, most people will answer in the affirmative. And only a few will say that only the body dies, and the "I", the soul or spirit continues to live. Others will say that it cannot be known. And then there are those who will say that they will not die because they have some “internal experience” of their immortality, their infinity, their eternity. In the absence of such experience, the best way out is to say “I don’t know.” No one can prove that this is so, but just as no one can prove that after the death of the body there is nothing more.

However, you know from your own experience that everything comes and goes. Nothing remains. And you know that when you hold on to something that has come to you and that you don't want to let go, life becomes miserable. Maybe "unhappy" is too strong a word. You may feel uncomfortable at first. Then vulnerability. Then stress. Therefore, attachment is at the root of suffering. And when you are attached and suffering, it only means that you are not your true "I", that is, you do not live a real life. When you get attached to something, you slowly choke yourself...with your own attachments. At this time, stress builds up, and the fear of losing gradually increases. It's like you're killing yourself while you're living, and thus you're missing out on your own life. Therefore, "death while living", which means only consciously letting go of all your attachments, is a way to live ... truly! And when you let go of all your attachments, you finally become your true self.

Only in this way can your true self and true love be revealed, because all fear will go away. All the attachments that you used to surround and suppress the light of your heart will go away. Only then will you be truly free. Only then can you give unselfishly. Only then will you find true happiness. All this sounds simple and clear in words, but, of course, in reality, the application of this in everyday life looks different. Therefore, every day it is necessary to take time for reflection and meditation.

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The poet Rumi created incredible works of oriental poetry that were inspired by the ideas of Sufism. His poems and sayings for many centuries inspire people to love and faith. We have collected the best sayings from Rumi that will be able to touch the depths of your soul.

  • Make friends with smart people, for a friend is a fool
    Sometimes more dangerous than a smart enemy.
  • Close your eyes, let your heart become an eye.
  • I lived on the edge of insanity, wanting to know the reasons, I knocked on the door. She opened. I knocked from within!
  • Try not to resist the changes that come into your life. Instead, let life live through you. And don't worry about it turning upside down. How do you know that the life you are used to is better than the one that will come?
  • What you are looking for is also looking for you.
  • This world is mountains, and our actions are screams: the echo from our cry in the mountains always returns to us.
  • Whenever you trust not words,
    And the truth that the heart knows,
    Yes, the heart that ignites from the truth,
    There would be no limit to miracles.
  • In the mirror, as you know, the opposite is true. But without it, we would never see ourselves!
  • You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the whole ocean in a drop.
  • There is a field beyond the notions of right and wrong actions. I will meet you there.
  • If every hair of mine became a tongue, I would not express gratitude even a share!
  • My religion is Love. Every heart is my temple.
  • Without your words, the soul would have no ears; without your ears, the soul would not have a language.
  • When the world brings you to your knees, you are in the perfect position to pray.
  • You, wise one, first know the essence of things, do not trust a deceptive appearance.
  • What seems like a stone to an ordinary person is a pearl to a knowledgeable person.
  • Without a vigilant heart, you and I will hardly achieve what we passionately dreamed of.
  • This is a very subtle concept: everything that you love is you.
  • The worst loneliness is to be among those who do not understand you.
  • The Almighty answers in three ways. Says "yes" and gives what you wanted. Says no and gives what is best. Says "be patient" and gives the best.
  • Whoever has great love has a great test.
  • Let the heart be the eye. And with this eye you will see a different world.
  • You will become that to which your aspirations are directed, for "a bird flies with the help of wings, and a believer flies thanks to his aspirations."
  • Be who you are. Or be who you appear to be.
  • Than to lie or distort, keep silence - you will hear the sound of wondrous music!
  • If you cleanse the heart of rust, prayers will reach any height.
  • Everything is torn where it is thin, and only a person breaks from rudeness.
  • Always add a word of thanks to any phrase - "God willing" - then go.
  • They say that there is a door that opens the passage from heart to heart, but what is the use of a door if there are no walls?
  • You have the presence of that which will exist when these stars are no more.
  • Bare boughs, seemingly dormant in winter, secretly work in preparation for their spring.
  • This world is mountains, and our actions are screams: the echo from our cry in the mountains always returns to us.
  • And with the thought that is born in the hearts, one can plunge a hundred worlds into dust.
  • When troubles pile on you one after another, when they bring you to an unbearable state, just don't give up! Because this is the point where the course of events will change.
  • Die before you die. Be born while still alive.
  • The world is so full that words are empty...
  • As soon as you accept the misfortune sent, the gates of heaven will open before you.
  • Before you train your tongue, train your heart. Because words come from the heart, come out through the tongue.
  • Visit your friends often: paths that are not walked are overgrown with thistles and thorns.

The poet Rumi known as Mawlana created incredible works of oriental poetry that were inspired by the ideas of Sufism. His poems and sayings for many centuries inspire people to love and faith. We have collected the best sayings from Rumi that will be able to touch the depths of your soul.

  • Make friends with smart people, for a friend is a fool
    Sometimes more dangerous than a smart enemy.
  • Close your eyes, let your heart become an eye.
  • I lived on the edge of insanity, wanting to know the reasons, I knocked on the door. She opened. I knocked from within!

Try not to resist the changes that come into your life. Instead, let life live through you. And don't worry about it turning upside down. How do you know that the life you are used to is better than the one that will come?

  • What you are looking for is also looking for you.
  • This world is mountains, and our actions are screams: the echo from our cry in the mountains always returns to us.

Whenever you trust not words,
And the truth that the heart knows,
Yes, the heart that ignites from the truth,
There would be no limit to miracles.

  • In the mirror, as you know, the opposite is true. But without it, we would never see ourselves!

The Almighty answers in three ways. Says "yes" and gives what you wanted. Says no and gives what is best. Says "be patient" and gives the best.

  • You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the whole ocean in a drop.
  • There is a field beyond the notions of right and wrong actions. I will meet you there.
  • If every hair of mine became a tongue, I would not express gratitude even a share!

My religion is Love. Every heart is my temple.

Without your words, the soul would have no ears; without your ears, the soul would not have a language.

When the world brings you to your knees, you are in the perfect position to pray.

  • You, wise one, first know the essence of things, do not trust a deceptive appearance.
  • What seems like a stone to an ordinary person is a pearl to a knowledgeable person.
  • Without a vigilant heart, you and I will hardly achieve what we passionately dreamed of.

This is a very subtle concept: everything that you love is you.

The worst loneliness is to be among those who do not understand you.

  • Whoever has great love has a great test.
  • Let the heart be the eye. And with this eye you will see a different world.

You will become that to which your aspirations are directed, for "a bird flies with the help of wings, and a believer flies thanks to his aspirations."

Be who you are. Or be who you appear to be.

  • Than to lie or distort, keep silence - you will hear the sound of wondrous music!
  • If you cleanse the heart of rust, prayers will reach any height.

Everything is torn where it is thin, and only a person breaks from rudeness.

Always add a word of thanks to any phrase - "God willing" - then go.

They say that there is a door that opens the passage from heart to heart, but what is the use of a door if there are no walls?

Why are you in prison when the doors are so wide open?

  • You have the presence of that which will exist when these stars are no more.
  • Bare boughs, seemingly dormant in winter, secretly work in preparation for their spring.
  • This world is mountains, and our actions are screams: the echo from our cry in the mountains always returns to us.
  • And with the thought that is born in the hearts, one can plunge a hundred worlds into dust.
  • Die before you die. Be born while still alive.
  • The world is so full that words are empty...
  • As soon as you accept the misfortune sent, the gates of heaven will open before you.

Before you train your tongue, train your heart. Because words come from the heart, come out through the tongue.

Visit your friends often: paths that are not walked are overgrown with thistles and thorns.

When troubles pile on you one after another, when they bring you to an unbearable state, just don't give up! Because this is the point where the course of events will change.