[Sri Ramakrishna] pride and more...

[Guest guest]

> If there is one thing i have tried to gain (from Jnana Yoga/Vedanta) is

> that by trying to remain a witness to atleast some of my thoughts and

> emotions, is progress on the spiritual front. When i say " I am proud " the

> " I " has identified with the pride, pride has enveloped the " I " . But if " I "

> remains a witness and can recognise that pride seeping in, it isn't half as

> bad as being proud and not recognising it at all.

 

I agree that can be helpful. I always try to remember to surrender to God the

results or consequences of my thoughts--whether they are thoughts of pride or

shame, so-called good thought or so-called bad thoughts.

We really cannot control what thoughts come to us. Are they even really " our "

thoughts? Just as we cannot claim ourselves as the agents of action, so we need

not claim " doership " of our thoughts. By surrendering the results of thoughts,

we might avoid planting them as seeds for future actions, " good " or " bad. "

Of course the same thoughts keep recurring, and the same surrenders--at

least patience develops, if nothing else.

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Dear J_R; Thank you very much for your encouraging letter. I have recently

found that instinctively I have been looking at my negative thoughts as if

it is being thought by another side of me , like a split personality. If I

get angry I start looking at something in me is angry or jealous, scared

etc. It does two thing. one is, I become more objective than subjective.

Second it does not affect me as intensely as otherwise and I am able to

control the emotion without getting involved in it. Now I need to look at my

positive thoughts the same way.

Anup

-

" J_ R " <j1958r

<Ramakrishna >

Sunday, November 25, 2001 4:48 PM

[sri Ramakrishna] Re: pride and more...

 

 

> " Anup Lahiry " Spiritual pride; This is my problem. I have nothing

to

> >be proud of but even when I read your mail,or read a good passage, part

me

> >gets proud. I think I am better than the next guy, at least for trying.

> >Then I regret feeling this way. But to my surprise even that regret gives

> >me a sense of pride " at least I am aware enough to regret. I have

started

> >to pray for the humility. Any thoughts. Anup

>

> i would like to share with all what has helped me personally, which may or

> may not help others...

>

> If there is one thing i have tried to gain (from Jnana Yoga/Vedanta) is

> that by trying to remain a witness to atleast some of my thoughts and

> emotions, is progress on the spiritual front. When i say " I am proud " the

> " I " has identified with the pride, pride has enveloped the " I " . But if " I "

> remains a witness and can recognise that pride seeping in, it isn't half

as

> bad as being proud and not recognising it at all.

>

> This may seem a minor point, but i do believe it is more than half the

> battle won...

>

> To remain a witness to all of our emotions, thoughts, acts, is ultimately

> identifying with the Eternal Witness within...and putting a distance

between

> our personalities and the Witness within. Closing the gap between the

> Witness and the personality of " I " and " mine " is the aim of Jnana Yoga.

For

> one who is rational and not given to much emotion, that Witness is pure

> Spirit. For someone who is more feeling, that Spirit can be a Christ, a

> Krishna, a Rama, Ramakrishna.

>

> So Dr Lahiry " my " " humble " opinion is that since you have recognised the

> emotion of pride, you are witness to it and you, the real you within, is

not

> proud at all..

>

> For ultimately, we cannot be what we observe.

> We cannot be what we see...and you " saw " your pride.

>

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