Hate

What a strong word! 

Yet, hate is out there.  Hate seems to arise from a classic mistake:  The inability to see above your level.

http://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/02/just-stranger-in-strange-land-part-2.html

Fear arises. 

Then, from fear, the creation of “the Other that must be destroyed for the world to be better. “  Classically seen within the extreme fundamentalist practices of any religion.   

Look at the wars today. 

What about several notches lower?  What about dislike? 

Out of dislike comes unkindness. 

Many years ago I was uncomfortable with very overweight individuals. 

Some of this came from my parent’s comments about overweight people when I was young. 

Later I sat with this dislike.  What I found was this dislike was my projection.

I was afraid of my own “hungry ghost,” my own tendency toward overconsumption.  

I was projecting this lower level of being onto others. 

Now I see the overweight individual as perhaps more happy than “the thin.”  Maybe the term “fat and happy” has some merit. 

Actually, I feel there is a lot of sadness.  Perhaps what I really see is that overweight individuals tend to be more forgiving of others. 

When I was a kid I was flabbergasted that people were unkind to each other. 

I still maintain some of that “innocence.”  But, now, at a higher level of understanding. 

http://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/04/innocence-to-sophistication-to-innocence.html

I now realize that unkindness usually arises when the ego is threatened. 

Remember, there are only 3 basic emotions; a pull towards, a pushing away, and ignorance. 

http://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-three-emotions.html

It is fine to have preferences. 

Within radical acceptance, we accept the whole person.  We may dislike some parts of their behaviors or actions, but we love the whole package. 

The corollary to radical acceptance is also we have an obligation to leave, if we don’t love the whole package. 

Here, I am talking about intimate relationships and life partners. 

But, what about “lesser relationships?”    

What about colleagues or “friends” where we really don’t like the whole package?    

Again, perhaps, we might inquire about the origin of that dislike. 

Is it us?  

Are we projecting part of ourselves that we don’t like very much, our hidden shadow? 

Perhaps we are not seeing above our level?  Fear arises. 

Now we can bring back The 3 Commandments: 

There is only One Source.  Love Everything.  Have Fun. 

The problem is often within Love Everything.  There we find the classic errors. 

http://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-second-commandment-love-everything_24.html

How do we find out what is really going on? 

I like to start with Metta and Tonglen. 

http://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/02/gentler-meditation.html

Metta helps the generation of love. 

Tonglen may help in the burning away of the ego. 

Powerful stuff. 

Then I use meditative sitting, and often journaling about those feelings of dislike. 

There are difficult people, perhaps those with personality disorders, and those who are psychopathic and truly dangerous. 

Within radical acceptance we can make a choice to spend time with hateful toxic individuals.  That is a very high practice. 

But, only do this if it does not hurts you.  Only if you are strong enough. 

But, there is no reason for hate. 

Really, there is no reason for dislike. 

They are all You. 

There is no “Other.” 

We are all parts and pieces of this great unfolding of the Cosmos. 

All is Source. 

When you hate, or dislike, you are only hating or disliking your Self. 

It is said that the only cure for hate is Love. 

I believe that is true. 

And, the only cure for dislike is also Love. 

When we fully love ourselves with radical acceptance, there is no hate or dislike. 

Wishing you all the ability to see deeply.

The ability to see truly. 

Out of deep true assessment arises Wisdom. 

Out of Wisdom, arises Compassion. 

Namaste

Love

Musing this morning.

What are the parts of love?

 

Perhaps gratitude, forgiveness, kindness. 

Love as a verb?

Practicing gratitude as love. 

Gratitude for everything that is given to us, both large and small. 

Gratitude for being alive in this body-mind. 

Practicing forgiveness as love. 

Forgiveness for perceived transgressions. 

Forgiveness is not forgetting. 

Could it be that people are doing the best they can?

Can we practice radical acceptance?    

Yet some individuals need to be kept in places where they cannot harm others. 

That is also part of radical acceptance.

Can we turn forgiveness into gratitude?

Perhaps that might be too hard for some…

 

Practicing kindness as love. 

Even tough love can be done with kindness. 

What about love as a feeling?

Love for our children, for our life partners, for our dearest friends…

Maybe love as feeling connected. 

Is love the opposite of loneliness? 

Ultimately, we are Love.

We are Source. 

We are the embodiments, and the emmindments of Source. 

Source appreciating Itself.  

All the Beauty…

All the Ugliness…

Everything-That-Is…

Everything-That-Is-Not…

Dissolving into Source.

Wisdom arises…

Putting back on that overcoat of ego.

Walking in the world... 

Practicing Compassion, Gratitude, Forgiveness, Kindness…

Thank you

for walking with me….

Loneliness

Ever feel lonely?

Perhaps even within the presence of family and friends? 

Took a strange trip to the lower world within a meditative shamanic journey. 

Met my whale guide and was then suddenly rocketed up into the upper world.  

Then felt present in all three worlds;  lower, middle, upper. 

“I” exploded in all three worlds, like a fireworks exploding. 

The experience of “self” ended as particles drifting and occupying all the Cosmos.  

There was no “I” and no “Other.” 

Loneliness arose. 

This statement formed:

 

“The loneliness of the individual, reflects the loneliness of Source as One.” 

I wrote about the First Commandment:  There is only One Source. 

And how that can be “boring.”

http://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-first-commandment.html

This feeling of loneliness that many of us feel may be related to this experience. 

Therefore, the corollary to this may also be true.  

This was the second statement that formed:

“The drive to connect with others, reflects the drive for Source to become “the 10,000 things.” 

The drive for Source to appreciate itself can only be done through creating an Other, a place for Source to hide away from itself. 

Not fully sure of the depths of meaning of this journey. 

Will need to take time to continue processing further.

Perhaps, the next time you feel lonely, consider that this may be one of the basic drives of being human, because it is one of the basic drives of Source. 

Namaste

Keep Music Evil

We have talked about sex, drugs, even guns. 

We are just missing Rock n’ Roll! 

Yes, I know Anton Newcombe founded a record label with a similar title. 

Let us consider this title more broadly. 

When I was growing up in the 60’s Rock n’ Roll was the evil music that would rot our brains, make us take drugs, have wanton sex, and destroy our lives.   

Well maybe Rock n’ Roll helped the enjoyment of drugs and sex.  

However, for most of us, these enjoyments did not destroy our lives. 

In every age, the older generation tends to look down on the new music of the younger generation. 

Jazz was the evil music of the 1920’s. 

Many in my generation have difficulty listening to rap music, and may condemn it for violent imagery and misogyny. 

Yet, older music may be taken up by the younger generations in addition to their new music.  My boys, ages 26 and 31, like to listen my generation’s Rock n’ Roll! 

 

Personal taste in music is a mystery. 

People of many generations love opera.  Yet, there are so many forms of opera, classical, modern, even Rock n’ Roll! 

Many love classical music.  Yet, some may hate certain types of classical music.  I have heard complaints of music being “too pretty,” or music being “too discordant.” 

Remember, before the 1840’s, Beethoven’s music was considered too avant-garde. 

Those who have trained deeply in music often hold music differently than others. 

Some of us get into was once called “High Fidelity.”  Currently, we label such individuals as “Audiophiles.” 

We want to get our music systems to play various media, streaming digital, CDs, vinyl, at such a high resolution that it sounds like listening to a live performance! 

Most of us run out of money before we get there. 

The trick is to be satisfied with what you have, without going bankrupt. 

Let us get back to Keeping Music Evil. 

I see that this as part of the natural evolution of societies. 

Music of the younger generations are at the leading edges of change. 

Us older individuals often have difficulty with change. 

Change can be frightening. 

I make it a practice to listen to all kinds of music. 

Listening to the music of the current younger generation allows me to take the pulse of the leading edges of our growth. 

I may not always enjoy all the music. 

What I do find is that the longer you listen, the more you might find it interesting. 

Listening to the music that the younger generation loves, may help us to develop more lenses, so that we may all see more clearly.  

http://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/02/introduction-and-confessions.html

Maybe yes.  Maybe no. 

Contemplate your own answers to questions, may they be big or small. 

And Keep Music Evil!