emotional life of spiritual being [warning -- long]

[Guest guest]

sadhvi, ok if i comment? this is a topic of interest to me.

 

this question is a very good one.

 

non-reactivity as a constant condition, maintained over the

lifetime of a human being, is a goal, or an ideal.

 

we can attain this if we are in a coma, but we don't want that. we

want a state of relative balance. we don't want to over-react. we

don't want the suffering of the instant karma, or the pain of the

emotions themselves at the moment of reaction -- fear, anger, etc.

 

when situations are within the scope of our management ... or we have

emotional distance ... then we say, we don't react, we respond. we

have some slack to operate. but non-reaction [as opposed to being

responsive] is related, but a different state.

 

when you are in a samadhi of a certain order, everything appears

as if it is at a distance. the mind is very, very quiet. things happen

and you don't care. you feel everything, but you don't get "hurt."

this is also called dispassion, but i prefer less fancy words. "i

don't care." there is no anger in that. god or the infinite being is

making it happen. i am not at all moved, although, i feel great

movement within myself. in fact, i don't even think in terms of

myself, or the word "I" ... things are only happening. beyond that,

things don't even appear to be happening, even though there is

apparent movement. there is no sense of the normal boundaries and

sense of self traveling in social or physical space.

 

people achieve this as a state that arrives and fades, as any state

must do. there are also claims of this as a permanent state. by

permanent if we look at the span of a human life, we mean a short blip

of time. it is very interesting to have this as a goal, as opposed to

a status. i have observed people that claimed it then failed

miserably, and often, publicly.

 

there is also a mystical order of expression. "i am in a permanent

state." this might mean, i am in a state beyond time, so i cannot

express myself with temporal language, so i speak in ultimates. this

unfortunately can be misleading to the earth-bound ones. "there is no

time." this is factually true, as time is an invention. but today i

experience that, and tomorrow i am in a rush. why? i must get to work,

so i can make money, because without it, i am afraid i will die. we

can socialize reality, but that is not why we are on this quest.

 

any understanding is subject to change. some have claimed a permanent

understanding, either revealing our own misunderstanding, or seeking

to control others via a sort of spiritual intimidation. "my awareness

is permanent and fixed." the briefest self-reflection and we know,

this is not true for us. our entire existence is marked by change.

 

our emotions and thoughts are in constant motion, interacting with

this world [which some say is only thought as well.] the point is:

motion. we move. if it is abrupt, sudden, even violent, or dark, then

we call it a reaction.

 

our bodies and minds will indeed react as long as we are

alive, not in intense samadhi, or in a coma, or unconscious. they are

of the nature of movement. god, or nature, instinct, or some force,

will make us react, even if it is so sudden that it appears to come

from outside ourselves. does this mean we failed in our efforts to

not-react, or that we are learning at a broader level? what do

put attention on? now, what if i react? do i care? planets explode,

fires burn, and i am concerned about controlling my reaction. where

does the action begin. was it from within myself, or from without?

what is the difference? forces pass through the human mind-body-space

and beyond, the body appears and disappears. who reacted, things

appeared to happen, then they are gone. if there is no who to react,

obviously it is beyond volition, it is force itself.

 

the difference in samadhi than the other states is that you are

aware, no, you are the emanation of awareness. all you see is your own

expression. interestingly, in the silence we see there is even more

movement, it is only moving at a completely different level, many,

many events are occurring simultaneously.

 

we can minimize reactions, but we serve ourselves by keeping in mind,

this is a relative degree of growth. we accept it, we want it, but we

don't rely on it, we are aware this life is mysterious and vast. there

is no volume, there are no others, this is not a predictable universe

beyond a very limited range. the state of "knowledge" is not

information, it is more like, simply no questions, complete

satisfaction, relying on un-owned spiritual power alone, without

physical comfort.

 

as swamiji said, we need all the help we can get. non-reactive

responses are a consequence of everything from getting your thoughts

and life in order, reducing negative karmic effects, to getting a

decent nights rest. we can get that, we need to chip away at it with

dedication like a fine art. we cannot however claim it, or rely on any

permanence. and there are times when non-reaction is not the highest

solution, even, despite the models we have accepted. any state can

slip and slide. for example, non-reaction can slide into laziness

or weakness. vigilance is required. there is truly no answer, there

are only your deepening questions and your commitment to your highest

ideal, which itself, can, and indeed should, evolve, as your

expressive and comprehending mind catches up to your spiritual awareness.