Saturday, 26 October 2013
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How does one overcome the pollution of anger without resisting it? Since it has been said that trying to control the anger shows a lack of understanding. Does this mean allow our anger to manifest, but pay attention to it?
Accepted Answer
Control means to restrain, to not physically express anger or whatever negative emotion manifests itself in our three brains. This is the first step with comprehension, since as the Sufi initiates teach us: "Silence is the tongue of forbearance."
When we comprehend to a degree how anger is destructive, and that to feed such emotions through words or evil glances will cause harm, we in turn march on the path towards deeper understanding.
The more we restrain ourselves from feeding the desire, the weaker it becomes. With just reason Prophet Muhammad taught: "The strongest among you is he who controls his anger."
After we have restrained ourselves from physically acting out anger, we must go deeper and not react within the mind and heart. This, we can say, is the true challenge. Vigilance (muraqabah) in practical life and contemplation (mushahdah, witnessing within meditation) is what will guide us towards deeper stages of comprehension.
When we comprehend to a degree how anger is destructive, and that to feed such emotions through words or evil glances will cause harm, we in turn march on the path towards deeper understanding.
The more we restrain ourselves from feeding the desire, the weaker it becomes. With just reason Prophet Muhammad taught: "The strongest among you is he who controls his anger."
After we have restrained ourselves from physically acting out anger, we must go deeper and not react within the mind and heart. This, we can say, is the true challenge. Vigilance (muraqabah) in practical life and contemplation (mushahdah, witnessing within meditation) is what will guide us towards deeper stages of comprehension.
For thirty years I sought God. But when I looked carefully I found that in reality God was the seeker and I the sought. -Bayazid al-Bastami
Accepted Answer
Control means to restrain, to not physically express anger or whatever negative emotion manifests itself in our three brains. This is the first step with comprehension, since as the Sufi initiates teach us: "Silence is the tongue of forbearance."
When we comprehend to a degree how anger is destructive, and that to feed such emotions through words or evil glances will cause harm, we in turn march on the path towards deeper understanding.
The more we restrain ourselves from feeding the desire, the weaker it becomes. With just reason Prophet Muhammad taught: "The strongest among you is he who controls his anger."
After we have restrained ourselves from physically acting out anger, we must go deeper and not react within the mind and heart. This, we can say, is the true challenge. Vigilance (muraqabah) in practical life and contemplation (mushahdah, witnessing within meditation) is what will guide us towards deeper stages of comprehension.
When we comprehend to a degree how anger is destructive, and that to feed such emotions through words or evil glances will cause harm, we in turn march on the path towards deeper understanding.
The more we restrain ourselves from feeding the desire, the weaker it becomes. With just reason Prophet Muhammad taught: "The strongest among you is he who controls his anger."
After we have restrained ourselves from physically acting out anger, we must go deeper and not react within the mind and heart. This, we can say, is the true challenge. Vigilance (muraqabah) in practical life and contemplation (mushahdah, witnessing within meditation) is what will guide us towards deeper stages of comprehension.
For thirty years I sought God. But when I looked carefully I found that in reality God was the seeker and I the sought. -Bayazid al-Bastami
To clarify:
Since beginning the Gnostic work, there has been a discernible decrease in the volatility of our temperament. We attribute this to the acknowledgement that as our Anger flares, we become a sort of witness to the accelerated consumption of Christic energy that we have . In a sense we are an oil lamp that has been turned up too high, thus causing the burning of excessive oil along with an unclean flame that gives off a pillar of black smoke. The space around the lamp (our physicality) becomes blackened by the soot of our rage and our lamp becomes empty of Christic oil. This is a devastating loss of oil of which much effort and works went into producing. We become aware of the mismanagement of our flame in those times when our Anger runs hot and we then do our best to turn back the flame in order to preserve our precious oil and to preserve the cleanliness of our environment.
We hope this example serves to clarify the question of whether we are properly implementing the Observer and Observed in our work to eliminate the multiplicity of the "I."
Thank you.
Since beginning the Gnostic work, there has been a discernible decrease in the volatility of our temperament. We attribute this to the acknowledgement that as our Anger flares, we become a sort of witness to the accelerated consumption of Christic energy that we have . In a sense we are an oil lamp that has been turned up too high, thus causing the burning of excessive oil along with an unclean flame that gives off a pillar of black smoke. The space around the lamp (our physicality) becomes blackened by the soot of our rage and our lamp becomes empty of Christic oil. This is a devastating loss of oil of which much effort and works went into producing. We become aware of the mismanagement of our flame in those times when our Anger runs hot and we then do our best to turn back the flame in order to preserve our precious oil and to preserve the cleanliness of our environment.
We hope this example serves to clarify the question of whether we are properly implementing the Observer and Observed in our work to eliminate the multiplicity of the "I."
Thank you.
Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah,
the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book,
and to loose the seven seals thereof. - Revelation 5: 5
First of all, this is a wonderful website. I thank all of those who contribute, and have contributed, to it.
On to my questions:
How does one accomplish not resisting what the ego is doing while also not identifying with the effects?
For example there is a lustful thought in my head, that then turns into an emotion, that then turns into some sort of action. All the while I see this happening as it is happening but don't resist. Isn't the fact that the ego has reached the level of action mean that I have identified with it? Does ego reaching the level of action, or the level of emotion mean that I've already identified with it?
What does not resisting and simultaneously not identifying with ego look like?
If the ego has influence on us is this an indication that we have already identified with it?
For example, someone slaps me in the face. I have the thought of "How dare you." This quickly turns to anger and I respond by some negative action. Isn't letting the ego have its way with me non-resistance? Then again not identifying with ego would be seeing the thought but resisting the emotion, and if resisting the emotion of anger failed then resisting taking action would be the next line of non-identification.
I hope you can make sense of this post as it is clear, even to myself, that I am confused.
Please help if you can.
-Miguel
On to my questions:
How does one accomplish not resisting what the ego is doing while also not identifying with the effects?
For example there is a lustful thought in my head, that then turns into an emotion, that then turns into some sort of action. All the while I see this happening as it is happening but don't resist. Isn't the fact that the ego has reached the level of action mean that I have identified with it? Does ego reaching the level of action, or the level of emotion mean that I've already identified with it?
What does not resisting and simultaneously not identifying with ego look like?
If the ego has influence on us is this an indication that we have already identified with it?
For example, someone slaps me in the face. I have the thought of "How dare you." This quickly turns to anger and I respond by some negative action. Isn't letting the ego have its way with me non-resistance? Then again not identifying with ego would be seeing the thought but resisting the emotion, and if resisting the emotion of anger failed then resisting taking action would be the next line of non-identification.
I hope you can make sense of this post as it is clear, even to myself, that I am confused.
Please help if you can.
-Miguel
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