Guest guest Posted August 8, 2006 Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 As I passed through weeks of hectic activities involved in lot of things - I noticed I had no sense of " suffering " . I had no suffering, even though some of the things that I had passed through included anger, arguments and fights. I had no suffering even though many nights I slept much less than usual and slept in conditions that were less than ideal. I had no time for mediation, prayer or spiritual reading yet, I felt no need for any of those. Things passed around me, events, incidents happened, they affected me, they moved me, I responded, I acted, I made decisions, plans succeeded, plans failed - yet, I didn't feel suffering nor did felt much " effort " in my acting. As if I was just a part of the world and it was only the world that acted through me. Later, I did experience suffering again and I wondered what the difference in the external situations/conditions was and inner condition, perspective, outlook or thinking when it lead to suffering and when didn't. I also wondered what actually I do see as " suffering " after it became clear to me that I was not " suffering " even when I was passing through anger, rage, fights, and arguments and ...even tiredness, fatigue or sadness [low energy]! Now after some examination and reflection, I think what I call as " suffering " is the same thing that is commonly called stress! And, thus in my view: No stress = no suffering and, Suffering = stress --- Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_%28medicine%29 About the time of Selye's work, the gradual realization dawned that such concepts as anxiety, antagonism, exhaustion, frustration, distress, despair, overwork, pre-menstrual tension, over-focusing, confusion, mourning and fear could all come together in a general broadening of the meaning of the term stress. .... Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and release of stress hormones including adrenaline/epinephrine and cortisol. Sympathetic nervous output tends to divert bloodflow to the large muscles - the body 'thinks' it has to run away from something or fight something: the so-called 'fight or flight' response of ancient evolutionary heritage - and bloodflow is correspondingly less to the bowel and other non-muscle organs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety Anxiety is a complex combination of negative emotions that includes fear, apprehension and worry, and is often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, nausea, chest pain and/or shortness of breath. Anxiety is often described as having cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components (Seligman, Walker & Rosenhan, 2001). The cognitive component entails expectation of a diffuse and uncertain danger. Somatically the body prepares the organism to deal with threat (known as an emergency reaction); blood pressure and heart rate are increased, sweating is increased, bloodflow to the major muscle groups is increased, and immune and digestive system functions are inhibited. Externally, somatic signs of anxiety may include pale skin, sweating, trembling, and pupillary dilation. Emotionally, anxiety causes a sense of dread or panic and physically causes nausea, and chills. Behaviorally, both voluntary and involuntary behaviors may arise directed at escaping or avoiding the source of anxiety. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antagonism Antagonism is defined as hostility that results in active resistance, opposition, or contentiousness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 8, 2006 Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 > > As I passed through weeks of hectic > activities involved in lot of things - I > noticed I often had no sense of " suffering " . > > > I had no suffering, even though some of > the things that I had passed through > included anger, arguments and fights. I > had no suffering even though many > nights I slept much less than usual and > slept in conditions that were less than > ideal. > I noticed that often " suffering " occurred when I was attempting to " review " " what happened " and when it was actually happening. When it was actually happening, I was usually to 'absorbed' in it to experience it as " suffering " ! I noticed that the " review " of " what happened " and " what it means " was often much more [psychologically] painful and [psychologically] damaging than what " really " happened! I noticed that to experience " suffering " ; I had to really see myself as separate, distinct entity to which things had happened, were happening or were 'going to happen'. When I was in middle of a " real " happening I was often too involved to feel myself separately from what was happening and thus lacked the experience of 'suffering'. I noticed that " suffering " was a very distinct physical and mental activity whose patterns were very different from other things. At the minimum it required me to feel the 'separation', to feel the 'division'. At minimum it did require me to see the 'other', see the 'fear'. And, at minimum it did require me to experience 'helplessness' at one end feeling the " need " for the things to be different at the other end... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 8, 2006 Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 [...] > I noticed that " suffering " was a very > distinct physical and mental activity > whose patterns were very different from > other things. > > At the minimum it required me to feel > the 'separation', to feel the > 'division'. At minimum it did require > me to see the 'other', see the 'fear'. > And, at minimum it did require me to > experience 'helplessness' at one end > feeling the " need " for the things to be > different at the other end... > It did require me to me 'helpless'... It did require me to feel 'powerless'... It did require me to feel like a 'victim'... It did require me to see NO Exit, no way... It required me to feel 'trapped'... In common, worldly [non-spiritual, non- philosophical, non-evolved, non- learned] scenarios, it happened... - As I visited a shop and saw things that " couldn't " buy! The feeling was very different when I saw things that I could easily buy! - As I heard my seemingly 'irreplaceable' superior passing the blame of their [often unrecognized] inefficiencies and lack of skills to myself and other team members. The feeling was very different when I heard this kind of talk from my juniors or my 'equal' colleagues where I 'knew' I did have power to address them as I desired. - As my wife made great efforts to remind me of the money that 'I don't have', 'the profit that I didn't make', 'and the opportunity that I missed' and things that I can't buy! The feeling was very different when I was thinking of things that I could buy, things that I could do with money that I do have! - As I my wife blamed me for same thing one thousandth times that I knew were false and as I remembered how I " can not " leave my wife and how I " have to " possibly hear things like that again and again. The felling was very different when one of my friend said things like this and I knew " could " easily leave that friend. - As I saw woman and remembered what I " can not " do because I am married! The feeling was very different when I thought of things that " could do " because I was married, things that I " do have " because I am married! I noticed that stress often occurred when I focused on the negatives, the things that aren't there, things that could have been there, thing that should have been there, things that I can not do, things that I can not have, route that I can not take... Whereas, whenever I focused on what I " can " do, what " can " have... the feeling was very different. I felt empowered, I felt enthusiasm... yes, I felt no stress, I felt at home, I felt happy... --- I also noticed that there were really places, people and situations which aroused more of the one [positives, " can do " , " can have " ] or another [ " lack " , " absence " , " failed " , " can not do " , " can not have " ]. And, I also saw that both these tendencies can easily become habitual, addictive and self-enforcing! I noticed that there can indeed be people, friends, surroundings, company, groups that can " empower " or the one that can " drain " out... Yes, I DO know that you can " work " on it! Yet, I saw that [external] " input " can indeed play a great role! I saw that I am not really a really separate island and I don't live in the world totally isolated, uninfluenced and totally 'independent' of my surroundings... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 8, 2006 Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 Nisargadatta , " adithya_comming " <adithya_comming wrote: > > [...] > > > I noticed that " suffering " was a very > > distinct physical and mental activity > > whose patterns were very different from > > other things. > > > > At the minimum it required me to feel > > the 'separation', to feel the > > 'division'. At minimum it did require > > me to see the 'other', see the 'fear'. > > And, at minimum it did require me to > > experience 'helplessness' at one end > > feeling the " need " for the things to be > > different at the other end... > > > > It did require me to me 'helpless'... > > It did require me to feel 'powerless'... > > It did require me to feel like a 'victim'... > > It did require me to see NO Exit, no way... > > It required me to feel 'trapped'... > > > > In common, worldly [non-spiritual, non- > philosophical, non-evolved, non- > learned] scenarios, it happened... > > - As I visited a shop and saw things > that " couldn't " buy! > > The feeling was very different when I > saw things that I could easily buy! > > - As I heard my seemingly > 'irreplaceable' superior passing the > blame of their [often unrecognized] > inefficiencies and lack of skills to > myself and other team members. > > The feeling was very different when I > heard this kind of talk from my juniors > or my 'equal' colleagues where I 'knew' > I did have power to address them as I > desired. > > - As my wife made great efforts to > remind me of the money that 'I don't > have', 'the profit that I didn't make', > 'and the opportunity that I missed' and > things that I can't buy! > > The feeling was very different when I > was thinking of things that I could > buy, things that I could do with money > that I do have! > > - As I my wife blamed me for same > thing one thousandth times that I knew > were false and as I remembered how I > " can not " leave my wife and how I " have > to " possibly hear things like that > again and again. > > The felling was very different when > one of my friend said things like this > and I knew " could " easily leave that > friend. > > - As I saw woman and remembered what I > " can not " do because I am married! > > The feeling was very different when I > thought of things that " could do " > because I was married, things that I > " do have " because I am married! > > I noticed that stress often occurred > when I focused on the negatives, the > things that aren't there, things that > could have been there, thing that > should have been there, things that I > can not do, things that I can not have, > route that I can not take... > > Whereas, whenever I focused on what I > " can " do, what " can " have... the > feeling was very different. I felt > empowered, I felt enthusiasm... yes, I > felt no stress, I felt at home, I felt > happy... > > > > --- > > I also noticed that there were really > places, people and situations which > aroused more of the one [positives, > " can do " , " can have " ] or another > [ " lack " , " absence " , " failed " , " can not > do " , " can not have " ]. > > And, I also saw that both these > tendencies can easily become habitual, > addictive and self-enforcing! > > I noticed that there can indeed be > people, friends, surroundings, company, > groups that can " empower " or the one > that can " drain " out... > > > Yes, I DO know that you can " work " on it! > > > Yet, I saw that [external] " input " > can indeed play a great role! I saw > that I am not really a really separate > island and I don't live in the world > totally isolated, uninfluenced and > totally 'independent' of my > surroundings... > absolutely. now: can you swallow it all up with your open heart? .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 8, 2006 Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 > > > As I passed through weeks of hectic > activities involved in lot of things - I > noticed I had no sense of " suffering " . > Involved in hectic activities, I was often full of thoughts! Yet, none of these thoughts seemed as a 'problem', none of these thoughts created stress or suffering. These thoughts were aligned with what I was doing. I was doing, what I was thinking and in fact, these thoughts were empowering me! They were energizing me; they were filling me with energy, enthusiasm, passion! They were guiding me and they were giving me ideas for actions... I was acting as I was thinking. Thinking and acting were one... and, there was Peace. Even, when I in fact was externally " fighting " ... it felt un-stressful! It felt like peace! And, then after a bout of thinking and doing the thoughts, after doing what I thought, the thoughts will stop on its own. As if the mind was " resting " ... and, what then was felt was what I had previously called Peace, Love, Enlightenment, Nirvana... except that it was not the result of any " spiritual " practice, a spiritual sadhna or prayer. It was just the mind running its course from high activities to effortless relaxation and ease! Other difference was that I had no 'preference' for this state of 'no thought' over the period when I was vigorously engaged in activities. I noticed that I truly enjoyed these bouts of high activities and 'continuous' thinking... even when, these bouts contained many emotions and not just " happiness " , " pleasure " of " feeling of success " . Among other things, I noticed that not just feeling happy, laughing and giggling... I loved " crying " too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 8, 2006 Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 > > > > As I passed through weeks of hectic > > activities involved in lot of things - I > > noticed I had no sense of " suffering " . > > > > Involved in hectic activities, I was > often full of thoughts! > > Yet, none of these thoughts seemed as > a 'problem', none of these thoughts > created stress or suffering. > > These thoughts were aligned with what > I was doing. > Other thing that I noticed was that felt " good " about the " purpose " of these vigorous " none stressful " activities. I felt that it was indeed the " right " thing to do. It was what I " should " do. I felt an Inner " yes " to what I was doing... Doing things with this alignment with the 'inner purpose', 'inner yes', 'inner truth'... I felt empowered, " charged " and even seemingly " great efforts " felt like... " no effort " ; even hectic turn of events... felt like Peace! The experience was very different than that of my involvement with things that I found not aligned to my " inner truth " [or I call also call them my " inner belief " ]. I found that things that I called my " professional " " work " often lacked this " empowering " " purpose " ! My boss and colleagues here and elsewhere tried to teach me that only reason I am with the company is because I want to earn money, only reason company keeps me because they think I can help them make more money and only reason that company is in business is for 'profits'! I realized that this 'vision', this 'purpose' didn't really " empower " me! It reduced my " work " to simply a means of getting " money " and the " idea of money " didn't seem very empowering to me. It seemed more like'slavery' and 'bondage' and less like a peaceful, liberating, " good " , " right " , " just " , " fair " ... " compassionate " , " kind " idea to which I can find a total Inner yes to! In fact, I found most ideas around " money " quite less than empowering, in fact, in many cases I found them " draining me " out! I found them disempowering... as the guys tried to teach me how can I " take advantage of " the tax loopholes [and laws] to have more money, how can I time the market and make more money from stocks, how can I buy a home and then sell it for big profits simply by getting it painted and fenced by hiring a " staging " agency to decorate it with paintings, furniture that will be removed once the sale is over. In fact, most of them seemed like " legal " " cheating " to me; an idea for which I could not find an inner Total " yes " ! IT amazed me that guys after guys on TV, radio, newspapers and rest of the media was trying to " teach " who to quickly become millionaire, make huge profits by doing X, Y or Z and how very few talked about teaching how to create a more " value " , more resources for the society - an idea that I might have found far more " empowering " . I found that I can accept money as the side- effect of creating value but, I did not feel " empowered " by the idea of working or doing something just for the sake of money! I found that idea downright " disempowering " and I felt if I was to earn money that way quite likely it was at the expense of someone else. It was an idea based on " exclusion " and based one the firm principle of 'me versus the other'. I saw that in these scheme, in order for me to win someone has to lose. This was an idea I could not find a total " inner yes " to... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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