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swordsaint
29 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 16 2015 : 11:59:12 PM
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Dear members,
ever since I started sincerely progressing in my practices (SP and DM) I've started experiencing symptoms ie. more relaxed, peace, joy, less re-action to stressful events etc.
The thing is that before this I have also been a follower of the typical self help strategies that advocate an aggressive and competitive attitude towards others in life, and that in order to get ahead you need to beat the competition into the ground be rigorously hard on yourself etc. I do this through listening to Audiobooks and I was listening to Robert Greenes 33 strategies of war. While I enjoy the audio book somehow certain things it say does not resonate with my inner peace and when I go out into my work I prefer to be kind and give positive energy to all those I meet. However some doubts arise..am I being knaive? will I fall prey to politics if I'm not constantly watching my back all the time?
So somehow I don't know the right approach to take and I feel a disconnect between the two ways of thinking. Can these philosophies co-exist and can they be adopted simultaneously? Should they? Or is surrendering to the divine even a good idea while at work and trying to earn money etc?
Kindly do let me know your thoughts,
Yours in love and kindness.
Regards,
Swordsaint
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Charliedog
1625 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2015 : 02:31:30 AM
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Hi Swordsaint,
I don't know about your other self help strategies. What I do know is that it is important to listen to yourself.
At the moment you have found your inner guru, you have the ability.
Ask in meditation and you will receive an answer.
When I read your post, you give your own answer already...
Being kind and positive to others is not naive, radiate love and kindness from your heart, it is who you are.
Edit: my own experience is, when I left my state of defence, my contacts became more open, more honest. In the beginning I felt vulnerable. But very soon I noticed that most people would like to be his or her self, without walls around. When you open up, they trust you to open up themselves.
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Edited by - Charliedog on Apr 17 2015 05:55:16 AM |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2015 : 02:47:46 AM
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"This process of awakening does not remove the natural functions of competition and self-defense. It elevates them to a higher plane by reducing the darkness on all sides." --Yogani
One thing is that samyama, if done properly, influences our actions in such a way as to be morally self-regulating. So if I'm treating money like a sutra, and thereby releasing its essence into stillness, there will be a natural gravity that pulls me the direction I need to go.
I think the ultimate competition is not defeating my enemies, but rather intriguing them to love me. What greater victory than to bring those who once conspired against me into my fold. Makes me think of the saying: "Kill them with kindness." Not that kindness is weak or meek. I think the magic resides in blazing ahead into greater power, which is always closer to the eternal. |
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ak33
Canada
229 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2015 : 09:22:36 AM
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| As you practice more and your mind becomes calmer, your perception power will increase. In my experience I have found it is easier to see peoples true intentions when I am not being driven by my own desires, insecurities etc. Then you have the choice to be kind regardless, that is true compassion. |
Edited by - ak33 on Apr 17 2015 09:23:45 AM |
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jonesboy
USA
594 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2015 : 10:21:15 AM
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Hi Swordsaint,
I think you are in a very good place.
I too use to look at everyone as competition. My team and then everyone around me. How can I be better than them? How can I be better than everyone around me to get noticed and promoted?
What I noticed is that motivated me for about 30 minutes. It was also hard thinking of way's to be better than others. It also didn't feel very good.
What I have found is finding way's to be of service is the easist thing to do. Finding way's to help without being worried about being noticed for it. When you do that, ideas come easy. It is easy to find way's to help someone in need. When you are being of service to your team, your boss, your department or whatever it may be. You are engaged, helping, working and believe me because you are not saying look at me as you do this everyone is noticing you.
Because you are being of service and helping others it makes you feel good. What you feel IS your experience. This is a powerful way of opening the heart and improving how you experience your day.
I have a wise friend who helped me when I was going through a tough time. She recommened two books that really helped improve the quality of my life. Loving What Is by Byron Katie and Real Love by Greg Baer. Both amazing books that will help you in many amazing ways.
Good luck my friend.
Hope this helps,
Tom 
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swordsaint
29 Posts |
Posted - Apr 19 2015 : 07:59:56 AM
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First of thank you all for taking your time to respond my query.
Charliedog:
Over the last week I did ponder the question based on your advice to my inner self. I felt a deep feeling of security a sense of 'dont worry you are taken cared of' so I will just do what seems natural to me without worrying about if it's going to cause me to lose guard. However I will still try to my best to be as careful as possible. Especially when navigating the hostile waters of the corporate world.I've been betrayed and framed before and it was a horrible thing to go through.
Bodhi Tree: I've not yet to begun samyama as I'm still self pacing through SB and DM I hope to take on samyama within the next two to three months. I can't wait to see the effects it would have on my daily life. Already SP and DM has transformed my everday experience I wonder what samyama would do! If it truly can turn everyone to support me by my acts of kindness that itself is a boon.
ak33: What you say is very true. By making me calmer one simple thing it has let me to do is not 'defend' my point of view or not 'add' unnecessarily to the gossip and negativity around me. That itself has led me to good places. I am also better perceiving others intentions it's as clear as night and day.
jonesboy: I get you have come from a similar place before..and yes I also felt the same way, going the competitive route will motivate you for a short while but after that you will feel drained and tired. I will try your method of giving positive service and serving everyone around me (even if they have been bad to me in the past) and see how that would impact me, I'm sure it would make me feel good as you say. You are also the third person to recommend me to read about Byron Katies book. Will definitely check it out.
thank you all once again! I'm truly truly grateful for your advise.
Regards,
Swordsaint
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jonesboy
USA
594 Posts |
Posted - Apr 20 2015 : 11:21:14 AM
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Hi swordsaint,
If you don't mind I would like to share with you something that really helped me. The first few steps of Insight Dialogue from Gregory Kramer and how this can help with your mindset.
I would like for you to try the following whenever you talk to someone. This is also very powerful just walking down the halls at work or through a store for instance. Doing the following is how I experienced the Witness for the first time.
Pause is a reminder to yourself, given inwardly, to stop for a little while. But what stops?
It’s the habit mind, the compelling intrigue of your own thoughts. So pause is a call to stop and shift fully into awareness, into the here and now. At this moment, you may notice what thoughts, emotions, and sensations are coursing through you, with all of their elements of desire and aversion. Pausing can illuminate what’s happening with you as you listen or talk to others. Pausing corresponds to meditation practice itself.
Relax is an intention you bring to the tension you find in your body when you settle into the pause. You may notice what the tensing is related to as you feel into the tightness or contraction with curiosity and acceptance. With a scary thought, you pause, relax, and begin again. You let everything be and invite the part of your body that’s tense to let go.
You turn toward whatever you’re holding in your body and simultaneously toward your mind with loving-kindness and compassion. You let it be and let it go again and again.
Open involves extending the friendly acceptance and mindfulness you cultivating in your personal meditation practice to the external world and specifically to those you’re engaged with in communication. It’s an agenda-free receptivity toward the external world that may be first cultivated personally, independent of others. Opening to nature can be a good place to begin, providing a context in which you can feel very safe in opening. You
can open to a forest or an ocean, the sky or the desert, or even a flower. Open your heart – extend loving kindness where you like. You might go for a walk in the rain or find a place where you can open to a star-filled night.
Open is the big one. As you are walking with your awareness in your body, Your heart open to everyone. You can just say open or you can open it with love to others. Again what you feel is the quality of your experience. This is a very powerful method that I do all the time. It can be very beautiful.
Good luck!
I hope this helps,
Tom |
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Dogboy
USA
2193 Posts |
Posted - Apr 20 2015 : 12:22:48 PM
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This is beautiful, Tom!  |
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pkj
USA
158 Posts |
Posted - Apr 20 2015 : 2:49:50 PM
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| Tom, Beautiful, thanks for sharing. |
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swordsaint
29 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2015 : 12:33:25 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by jonesboy
Hi swordsaint,
If you don't mind I would like to share with you something that really helped me. The first few steps of Insight Dialogue from Gregory Kramer and how this can help with your mindset.
I would like for you to try the following whenever you talk to someone. This is also very powerful just walking down the halls at work or through a store for instance. Doing the following is how I experienced the Witness for the first time.
Pause is a reminder to yourself, given inwardly, to stop for a little while. But what stops?
It’s the habit mind, the compelling intrigue of your own thoughts. So pause is a call to stop and shift fully into awareness, into the here and now. At this moment, you may notice what thoughts, emotions, and sensations are coursing through you, with all of their elements of desire and aversion. Pausing can illuminate what’s happening with you as you listen or talk to others. Pausing corresponds to meditation practice itself.
Relax is an intention you bring to the tension you find in your body when you settle into the pause. You may notice what the tensing is related to as you feel into the tightness or contraction with curiosity and acceptance. With a scary thought, you pause, relax, and begin again. You let everything be and invite the part of your body that’s tense to let go.
You turn toward whatever you’re holding in your body and simultaneously toward your mind with loving-kindness and compassion. You let it be and let it go again and again.
Open involves extending the friendly acceptance and mindfulness you cultivating in your personal meditation practice to the external world and specifically to those you’re engaged with in communication. It’s an agenda-free receptivity toward the external world that may be first cultivated personally, independent of others. Opening to nature can be a good place to begin, providing a context in which you can feel very safe in opening. You
can open to a forest or an ocean, the sky or the desert, or even a flower. Open your heart – extend loving kindness where you like. You might go for a walk in the rain or find a place where you can open to a star-filled night.
Open is the big one. As you are walking with your awareness in your body, Your heart open to everyone. You can just say open or you can open it with love to others. Again what you feel is the quality of your experience. This is a very powerful method that I do all the time. It can be very beautiful.
Good luck!
I hope this helps,
Tom
I'm going to try to apply this at work for a week or so and see how it goes. It's truly beautiful and as I was reading those steps itself I felt myself pause and be aware and there was inner silence.
Thank you Tom |
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Charliedog
1625 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2015 : 05:45:13 AM
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| Beautiful |
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swordsaint
29 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2015 : 12:26:29 AM
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Question:
Is this process you are referring to the same as the rising of the inner witness which Yogani speaks about?
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Charliedog
1625 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2015 : 07:38:52 AM
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Answer:
Yes it is.
When you follow these beautiful steps, you become more aware of your inner silence or inner witness.
When practiced you will be more and more aware of your patterns and reactions.
Then it will be more easy to open up yourself, because you know more about yourself.
That is witnessing, seeing your habits, thoughts....
At a certain moment automatically the steps will be taken.
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Dogboy
USA
2193 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2015 : 08:31:49 AM
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This also correlates to surrender; in that pause outlined in the above passage, your attention rests on whatever is and then open to surrender. At my current stage this happens automatically, which amazes me still. Surrender leaves you wide open for the 'come what may'.
Edit: wording |
Edited by - Dogboy on Apr 23 2015 09:37:22 AM |
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kumar ul islam
United Kingdom
791 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2015 : 5:33:33 PM
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Mental state paradigm transition- Advice welcomed
