Fear, prayer and . . . slumber.

[Guest guest]

>>What I'm getting from your explanation

is that the examples I gave (praying, sleeping etc)

are sins against myself as they internalize the fear I feel and

make it even stronger? Is this accurate?

 

 

 

As far as I am concerned, any sin we

commit is primarily against ourselves

only. Rest of what we do [even if it

went to cause some harm,] can be only

termed as ignorance and not sin.

 

 

Difference between a sin and ignorance

is that when we commit a sin

by falling out of our own integrity.

And, we KNOW it every time we

fall out of our integrity. We know it

because we lose our inner peace

whenever we fall out of integrity.

 

 

Thus, we get punished for a sin at the

very time we commit that in addition to

any suffering that it brings in future

as once started the 'sin cycle' keeps

breeding more of the same. Fear breeds

more fear, greed more greed and lust

more breed and because our conscience

knows of our having fallen out of

integrity - it also grants another

types of suffering.

 

As I see it, heaven and hell are both

within. 'Living in sin' is only hell

there is and living in peace, love

[sustained by integrity] is only

heaven.

 

It is my experience that we can't

enter heaven (peace, love, inner

happiness, compassion, forgiveness)

without exiting the hell (fear, greed,

lust).

 

When we find ourselves inside a

hell, first thing to do is. . . to stop

doing what caused us to enter it. If

fear, greed, lust is what brought us

here, then, it is pertinent that we

stop feeding them because once 'fed'

not only they get stronger and sink us

further into 'sin hell'; but, feeding

them now ensures their future

occurrences too.

 

A sincere truthful inquiry is one way

that we untangle the knots of fear,

greed, lust, petty selfishness and re-

discover our zone of integrity. Genuine

spiritual Courage is another and often

both the Courage and a sincere inquiry

is required. It is my experience that

as long as we continue to be only

interested in petty selfishness - we

can't have real courage and without

having a real courage we can't live a

life of integrity. And, without living

a life of integrity we can not have

peace. Thus, in a way, our extreme

selfishness ensures a 'living hell' for

us and only after allowing sincere

willingness and courage to rise above

that; we gain the ability to enter

peace in a sustainable way.

 

 

Getting into prayer or anything else,

while still being fearful inside not

only nullifies the benefits that such

an activity might have; it also causes

a " split " as part of us is fearful and

another one which is trying to pray.

 

A split causes immediate pain and

suffering; in addition, it also delays

the recovery because only a part of our

energy [and Consciousness] is now

available to SEE, examine and

understand the fear. We discover that

when we are ONE and we give our full

attention to seeing, examining and

understanding fear - fear often

disappears on its own and is replaced

by reason, logic and intelligence.

 

 

Thus, giving full attention to

whatever we feel [be it fear, greed or

lust] and looking DIRECTLY into it is

much more preferable then attempting to

hide from it in prayer or slumber. Only

thing that such prayer or slumber can

ensure is 'forgetfulness' and not

understanding and recovery.

 

Such forgetfulness merely insures having to

live the same experience over and over again

as we have still not understood it.

Whereas, direct seeing and

understanding a fear resolves the " mystery "

behind it, {which are often just

some erroneous thoughts]. That

understanding then, grants us freedom from

having to live the same experience again.

 

 

Thus, in summary, genuine spiritual

courage and little bit of 'self

sacrifice' is essential in order to

move beyond sin. And, as I see it, much

of our pain is caused a sin... i.e.

because of living out of integrity.