'Resistance' Articles
Much spiritual teaching today extols control and resistance. But resistance comes from the idea of struggle. That we need to ‘attain’. Resistance is statis and what you resist you anchor yourself to. Hold your principles. Those things that engage you more with life. Recall your instincts and act.
If everyone learnt the simple lesson about the cycle going full circle then life would be so much easier. It would be less contentious. Less argument and struggle, less stifled. More dynamic. More healthy for people in general. If blood flow stops we die. So perhaps flow is good. Flow is positive, resistance is negative. Stagnation. Flow is change and growth and opportunity for correction.
Attention creates reality. It is a mighty power. Example, at any given time when you are at odds with another. Is it not also true that their is something good about them? Like opposing magnets? You can flip poles with a change in focus
The secret to mastering diplomacy is really not much of a secret. Your not actually opposed to who you disagree with.
“At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice.” Maya Angelou
Nature of Resistance
I find that just as in physics, resistance plays a big part in spirituality as well. What we resist isn’t removed by our resistance, and much of orthodox religious teaching seems to extol resistance, denial, asceticism. I suppose they can create a supportive context for spiritual growth, but these days in most cultures there really isn’t any support for that. I find the more I strive to achieve a goal the more resistance I experience both internally and conversely externally. Do you experience this resistance? Where does the resistance come from? It comes from the idea of striving. That we… Seek More
Conditioning
Conditioning is a terrible thing to overcome, and in identifying it we resist it. It was all we were taught to do… not identifying the source, that primal world that we still come from. We didn’t arise by accident. No body does. Accidents are human, but even that is not defining. Accidents are human, but humans aren’t accidents. We can see that source. We don’t, because we look elsewhere. All the great traditions basically say the same thing. We look elsewhere for a solution, and fail to find it because it isn’t elsewhere. It’s right under our noses. It’s in… Seek More
Resistance: Essence and Form
About changing essential nature… I can turn water into vapour. It’s in waters nature to become vapour. You interact with it, but you don’t change its nature. The sun makes it vapour also. It is a part of what we consider “unseen” but it is very much the essence. It’s spirit. The sun also turns oceans water into salt. Isn’t change a big part of nature? It separates an essence from an essence, but change is in form not essence. Love is an essence. We love many, and who we show love to may change or not as we choose.… Seek More
Resistance and Principles
What is the difference between resistance and principles? Principles manifest as essences, and they don’t block you. They empower you. To say I believe that love is the highest ideal. What does love as the highest ideal prevent you from? Really nothing. It engages you more in life. It’s like saying food is good for you. Another principle, and it enhances engagement. If it’s struggle to uphold them, then you should perhaps review the root of the principles. I find those “painful” principles are deviations from a core truth. They aren’t wrong, but they aren’t necessarily right either. What is… Seek More
Instinct to Overcome
If you do a thing and you do it right the first time, what must you learn? Really nothing. That is not defining of the human condition, but we make it a part of it. Mostly, because as I have said before, we are taught to resist our problems. When all you have is a hammer everything winds up looking like a nail. Sometimes we even resist our resistance, vicious cycle but true. The wild life isn’t superior, neither is the disciplined. There is not a differentiation, there is only life in all it’s amazing diversity. I have dealt in… Seek More
Helping Others
Let’s focus for a moment on resistance. Withholding. If a child reaches to me in fear and I reject them, what do I gain? Nothing. So is it in my best interest to be cold? If an old person sits in hunger and I have more food than I ever need, but I won’t share with them, am I better off? Is there any way to better things in selfishness? Where does greed heal? Where does hate make strength? Never. I could look at past events and say that the world is hateful. I have plenty of reason to believe… Seek More
