A general missive on the use of tools

[Guest guest]

Dear Group,

 

I was initially responding to a post, and then I realized that what I was

going to be writing was a general, in a way, more philosophical response to some

things that have been standing out to me in the group lately. And now I know

some of you will wonder what this witch is doing in your midst.

 

I can't quite feel comfortable with the idea that "thoughts" are the bad

guys. I'm not sure that I believe that thoughts and the ego are equivalent; in

fact I'm pretty sure they're not. We were born on this earth of four or five or

ten elements and directions, depending on what culture you're looking at,

and often these elements and directions are viewed as direct corollaries to

human qualities. For example, Fire representing East and Spirit, and on the

human level, energy; Water representing South and the Soul, intuition,

feelings,

psychic and visionary abilities and such; Earth representing the West, and

the physical body, groundedness, reality creation, etc.; and Air representing

North and thoughts, ideas, points of view, etc.

 

 

To me, none of these are "bad" or "good" except in how they are used. How do

the Tusnami victims find relief. Because Amma decides to do something, and

through using ideas and words, She can extend that idea outward where it

becomes powered by feeling and energy, and then becomes something to help

another

or many others. These things which plauge us ~ thoughts, feelings, our sense

of energy, our physical selves, are also our tools; they are gifts we all

were given to weave our Story on the Earth plane ... so what kind of story will

we create, participate in, or advance?

 

When I was a young woman, I was terrified of my own thoughts. Now I know,

this was just fear and egotism turned in on itself. I have experienced

paranoia, and it is not just a feeling, but a physically crushing, tingling

hot/cold

sensation, as if your own Self were turning in on you. Once I told my

painting teacher in response to something she said to me, "Oh I can't think

very

well." (The truth was that I was afraid of my own thoughts and didn't want to

use my ability to think.) She said, "oh, yes you can, Linda. You have a very

good mind." Her words, a thought, an act of compassion, born of caring for me,

opened up a whole new world for me, a world where I could allow my thoughts

to blossom, to take wing, to become paintings and stories and songs...to

become the work I did with others during my "career." Why did I do the kind of

work I did, when I knew I had no retirement, when I knew I could make more

money

even being a typist (in DC, typists get paid very very well)? Because I had

a thought that I wanted my life to stand for something, that I wanted the

work I did to have meaning and be more than a paycheck.

 

In my early '20's, I stood at a crossroads, between two thoughts and two

courses of energy direction. Was I going to pursue music or art? The question

itself was a thought. I never stopped doing music, but my decision was about

time and energy, and feelings. Was I going to go to college and study art or

would it be music? I knew that with an infant, I couldn't do both. When I

choose art, that choice, that decision, that action, all based on a thought

(and

some feelings) took me down a whole different road than the one I would have

traveled if I had decided to study music. When I had my daughter, I thought,

"I am not going to have her experience what I did as a child. She will not be

abused or afraid." I thought about it, and I chose to break the cycle. Did I

still make mistakes? You bet. I had a lot of blind spots I didn't know about,

but my daughter was never afraid of being herself, of speaking her mind, of

being different, because I thought about it.

 

I have stared into the heart of evil within myself, and I know what it is

and what it isn't. It isn't about the tool; it's about the intent. Jai Ma ~

Linda

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Amma agrees with you..its not thoughts, or even ego that are the

problem, it is rajasic and tamasic thoughts and ego. Satvic or clean

ego is the goal, cause Amma says as long as we have a body we have

an ego!

 

Ammachi, nierika@a... wrote:

>

>

> Dear Group,

>

> I was initially responding to a post, and then I realized that

what I was

> going to be writing was a general, in a way, more philosophical

response to some

> things that have been standing out to me in the group lately. And

now I know

> some of you will wonder what this witch is doing in your midst.

>

> I can't quite feel comfortable with the idea that "thoughts" are

the bad

> guys. I'm not sure that I believe that thoughts and the ego are

equivalent; in

> fact I'm pretty sure they're not. We were born on this earth of

four or five or

> ten elements and directions, depending on what culture you're

looking at,

> and often these elements and directions are viewed as direct

corollaries to

> human qualities. For example, Fire representing East and Spirit,

and on the

> human level, energy; Water representing South and the Soul,

intuition, feelings,

> psychic and visionary abilities and such; Earth representing the

West, and

> the physical body, groundedness, reality creation, etc.; and Air

representing

> North and thoughts, ideas, points of view, etc.

>

>

> To me, none of these are "bad" or "good" except in how they are

used. How do

> the Tusnami victims find relief. Because Amma decides to do

something, and

> through using ideas and words, She can extend that idea outward

where it

> becomes powered by feeling and energy, and then becomes something

to help another

> or many others. These things which plauge us ~ thoughts,

feelings, our sense

> of energy, our physical selves, are also our tools; they are

gifts we all

> were given to weave our Story on the Earth plane ... so what kind

of story will

> we create, participate in, or advance?

>

> When I was a young woman, I was terrified of my own thoughts. Now

I know,

> this was just fear and egotism turned in on itself. I have

experienced

> paranoia, and it is not just a feeling, but a physically

crushing, tingling hot/cold

> sensation, as if your own Self were turning in on you. Once I

told my

> painting teacher in response to something she said to me, "Oh I

can't think very

> well." (The truth was that I was afraid of my own thoughts and

didn't want to

> use my ability to think.) She said, "oh, yes you can, Linda. You

have a very

> good mind." Her words, a thought, an act of compassion, born of

caring for me,

> opened up a whole new world for me, a world where I could allow

my thoughts

> to blossom, to take wing, to become paintings and stories and

songs...to

> become the work I did with others during my "career." Why did I

do the kind of

> work I did, when I knew I had no retirement, when I knew I could

make more money

> even being a typist (in DC, typists get paid very very well)?

Because I had

> a thought that I wanted my life to stand for something, that I

wanted the

> work I did to have meaning and be more than a paycheck.

>

> In my early '20's, I stood at a crossroads, between two thoughts

and two

> courses of energy direction. Was I going to pursue music or art?

The question

> itself was a thought. I never stopped doing music, but my

decision was about

> time and energy, and feelings. Was I going to go to college and

study art or

> would it be music? I knew that with an infant, I couldn't do

both. When I

> choose art, that choice, that decision, that action, all based on

a thought (and

> some feelings) took me down a whole different road than the one I

would have

> traveled if I had decided to study music. When I had my daughter,

I thought,

> "I am not going to have her experience what I did as a child. She

will not be

> abused or afraid." I thought about it, and I chose to break the

cycle. Did I

> still make mistakes? You bet. I had a lot of blind spots I didn't

know about,

> but my daughter was never afraid of being herself, of speaking

her mind, of

> being different, because I thought about it.

>

> I have stared into the heart of evil within myself, and I know

what it is

> and what it isn't. It isn't about the tool; it's about the intent.

Jai Ma ~

> Linda

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Fantastic, Linda! And fantastic Linda. Wonderful to read and ponder.

 

Did you see Swamiji's answer to Sadhu Maa on the goal of life and

creativity?

 

 

On Jan 23, 2006, at 8:13 PM, nierika wrote:

 

>

> Dear Group,

>

> I was initially responding to a post, and then I realized that what I

> was 

> going to be writing was a general, in a way, more philosophical

> response to some

> things that have been standing out to me in the group lately. And now

> I know

> some of you will wonder what this witch is doing in your midst.

>

> I can't quite feel comfortable with the idea that "thoughts" are the

> bad 

> guys. I'm not sure that I believe that thoughts and the ego are

> equivalent; in 

> fact I'm pretty sure they're not. We were born on this earth of four

> or five or

> ten elements and directions, depending on what culture you're looking

> at,

> and  often these elements and directions are viewed as direct

> corollaries to

> human  qualities. For example, Fire representing East and Spirit, and

> on the

> human  level, energy; Water representing South and the Soul,

> intuition, feelings, 

> psychic and visionary abilities and such; Earth representing the

> West, and 

> the physical body, groundedness, reality creation, etc.; and Air 

> representing

> North and thoughts, ideas, points of view, etc.

>

>

> To me, none of these are "bad" or "good" except in how they are used.

> How  do

> the Tusnami victims find relief. Because Amma decides to do

> something, and 

> through using ideas and words, She can extend that idea outward

> where  it

> becomes powered by feeling and energy, and then becomes something to 

> help another

> or many others. These things which plauge us ~ thoughts,  feelings,

> our sense

> of energy, our physical selves, are also our tools; they are  gifts

> we all

> were given to weave our Story on the Earth plane ... so what  kind of

> story will

> we create, participate in, or advance?

>

> When I was a young woman, I was terrified of my own thoughts. Now I 

> know,

> this was just fear and egotism turned in on itself. I have 

> experienced

> paranoia, and it is not just a feeling, but a physically crushing, 

> tingling hot/cold

> sensation, as if your own Self were turning in  on you. Once I told my

> painting teacher in response to something she  said to me, "Oh I

> can't think very

> well." (The truth was that I was afraid  of my own thoughts and

> didn't want to

> use my ability to think.) She said,  "oh, yes you can, Linda. You

> have a very

> good mind." Her words, a thought, an  act of compassion, born of

> caring for me,

> opened up a whole new world for me, a  world where I could allow my

> thoughts

> to blossom, to take wing, to become  paintings and stories and

> songs...to

> become the work I did with others during my  "career." Why did I do

> the kind of

> work I did, when I knew I had no  retirement, when I knew I could

> make more money

> even being a typist  (in DC, typists get paid very very well)?

> Because I had

> a thought that I  wanted my life to stand for something, that I

> wanted the

> work I did to have  meaning and be more than a paycheck.

>

> In my early '20's, I stood at a crossroads, between two thoughts and

> two 

> courses of energy direction. Was I going to pursue music or art? The 

> question

> itself was a thought. I never stopped doing music, but my decision 

> was about

> time and energy, and feelings. Was I going to go to college and 

> study art or

> would it be music? I knew that with an infant, I couldn't do  both.

> When I

> choose art, that choice, that decision, that action, all based on a 

> thought (and

> some feelings) took me down a whole different road than the  one I

> would have

> traveled if I had decided to study music. When I had my  daughter, I

> thought,

> "I am not going to have her experience what I did as a  child. She

> will not be

> abused or afraid." I thought about it, and I chose to  break the

> cycle. Did I

> still make mistakes? You bet. I had a lot of blind spots  I didn't

> know about,

> but my daughter was never afraid of being herself, of  speaking her

> mind, of

> being different, because I thought about  it. 

>

> I have stared into the heart of evil within myself, and I know what

> it is 

> and what it isn't. It isn't about the tool; it's about the intent.

> Jai Ma ~ 

> Linda 

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha!

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Mata amritanandamayi

>

>

>

>

>

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