“Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you.” ~ Roger Ebert; American film critic, historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author.
Becoming acquainted with your own emotions at a deeper level is a sign of strength, it is the most important step in knowing yourself and your value as a person. How you feel, why you feel that way, how did that feeling emerge, and what is causing it; see, all these are extremely delicate and essential for all human beings, for your thoughts are biased and they can deceive you, but your emotions under the microscope of your own inner understanding cannot, and in fact they will build your intuition powers and your strength as an individual human being. This is a MUST DO to achieve all growth–i.e., spiritual, mental, and physical.
In my own experience: Once you connect with your deeper emotions, a transformation happens, you hold the greatest power, and you become a beast.
“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” ~ Confucius; ancient Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher.
When a baby is born, he’s born pure and flawless, untainted by beliefs, dogmas, opinions, corrupted views, and all that which separates human beings and makes them design stupid differences and all kinds of hatred; however, as he grows up and leans on subconsciously ignorant parents (which might be good or bad, but still ignorant) to teach him and guide him, he thus builds himself from the inside and generates identity and value to himself based on the process of growing up with those parents and in that environment. When that baby becomes an adult, he does things, interacts and connects with the world around him, quite often not knowing why he does anything he does, hence, he does not know himself in deep, just on the surface, and this causes him to suffer and bring all sorts of problems to himself and his life.
And, of course, the mediocre society, culture, nation, people around him does not help, cannot help really, because they are ignorant as well. This is the process of real sin we are all tied to, or as Buddha puts it: “Pain is the outcome of sin.” His life then becomes a mess, he gets anxious and stressed, he believes himself to be unworthy of success, his mind shrinks, his heart becomes polluted, there’s no critical intuition or sixth sense, he falls prey of his own beliefs and theories, etc. etc.; consequently, he creates more distance between himself and other human beings, and he separates himself from nature–i.e., from animals, from trees, from mountains, from rivers, from the air he breathes, and so on and so forth.
In short, he becomes ignorant to his connection with the whole of creation and he finds his identity in what he thinks he is. Thoughts become his world, he follows thought and he praises thought, so his entire life revolves around thoughts from the past and the future (for thought only belongs to the past and the future, and the only reality is the present Now).
It can last for generations without conscious awareness of it. Don’t let it ruin your kids.
And in this stupor, the grown man now cannot understand why events, relationships, ventures, and all interactions in his life go wrong and bring him stress and suffering, and make him doubt himself and devalue himself. But deep inside he knows something, some real essence, even if his own thoughts do not know it; he knows at a deeper level that he is worth, that he is good at something, but the problem is that he cannot bring that value up to the surface and use it to connect with the world–so in this way he is basically in a prison that he built himself by putting his value on his thoughts, when his thoughts, or ego, cannot help him reach that real inner value he has. Then, obviously, frustration and violence (mental, emotional, and physical) take over him, control him, drive his destiny.
But the cure for this has been in him all along, he just did not notice because he was always connecting and praising his thoughts like some god; and this cure needs remembrance, for if he is to get the truth out of him then he needs to remind himself of the truth. And this is the truth the baby knew long ago, and that the baby still within him knows. His real value and the wisdom to discern everything that goes on with him and with his life. The truth to drive his destiny. The truth to all bliss.
To get and embrace this deep inner truth, he needs knowledge, but not any knowledge; but this he needs, self-education of where he really came from as an energetic or spiritual being, self-education of the science of the atom which makes all matter, self-education of the society he interacts with ever day, self-education of the emotions he has and why he thinks what he thinks, ad infinitum. Some call it “Knowledge of Self.”
Discovering yourself is a journey and not a destination, and it will help you understand the road to success on anything you search in your life, it will open your sixth sense and you will see magical things with your heart, you will experience things you haven’t experienced before, things which thought cannot help you experience, things beyond the physical properties you experience every day.
But you need to remember who you are and the real value you have. This is done ONLY through acquiring the right knowledge that can shock your current thinking and erase all your wrong beliefs of yourself and of the world around you. It is destruction of the old you, to thus build the new and powerful you.
As Buddha said, “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and with your own common sense.” And as he also said, “No one saves us but ourselves, no one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
“If you don’t think your anxiety, depression, sadness and stress impact your physical health, think again. All of these emotions trigger chemical reactions in your body, which can lead to inflammation and a weakened immune system. Learn how to cope, sweet friend. There will always be dark days.” ~ Kris Carr; best-selling author, wellness activist and cancer survivor.
Don’t think you will be able to pay the mortgage coming up? The kids are being kicked out of school? Someone called you something you don’t like? You lost your job? Someone close to you died? You engaged into a conversation with a moron who has a very small mind? Your reaction is everything in life.
I am not saying is easy, mind you. I am not saying you shouldn’t care, mind you.
I am indeed saying that you should always think clearly, and do not become trapped by thoughts of destruction which can alter your mood and behavior thus making the problem even worse. See, when you laugh at the problems presented in your midst and to the nonsense other people do, then you become stronger and resilient to deal with whatever happens in your life, your mind elevates and you see above your own problems, you come up with imaginative ideas and great solutions to further progress. And so quite often, consciously or subconsciously, we allow stress to obscure our thoughts and cloud our judgement, but there is something very simple humankind can do to raise themselves above all this. Creativity is the all-cure process which comes in many forms. But a process you must enjoy. And so this is the greatest tool of any creator.
“If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.” ~ Pat Riley; American professional basketball executive, former coach and player.
When our energy to keep going is drained and we feel exhausted, heavy thoughts and emotions overwhelm us, and our minds, without our knowledge sometimes, start narrowing in size blinded by clouds of polluted confusion; then, as we all know, we create the dark concept of failure, which, obviously, being a construct of the exhausted mind, does not really exist but it only springs from our ego. And when the mind becomes exhausted and overwhelmed by thoughts of failure, self-pity arises and takes over our thinking, kills all rationale, and poisons our ideas and behaviors.
But in this state of absolute stupor, we cannot see the true reality, that the chemistry, the neuronal circuitry of our entire nervous system has been compromised and directed to bomb our bodies with toxins to make us have darker thoughts and to see only sadness and misery, and in turn these neuronal connections drive toxins into our cellular make-up to thus attract unhealthy habits and illnesses into our system/organs, hence, it is why we become sick and also moody. And this can either happen consciously or subconsciously.
Now, there is something which can override this system of poison or toxic processes, and it all starts in your mind, is free and extremely powerful, and you do not have to go and take outside medicines of any kind; because this remedy is in you already, IT IS YOU, but perhaps you have not noticed it because of all the negative processes consuming you when confusion strikes and the illusion of failure is created within your mind.
Oh, so that’s what happened to humanity! See, when you laugh at the problems presented in your midst and to the nonsense other people do, then you become stronger and resilient to deal with whatever happens in your life, your mind elevates and you see above your own problems, you come up with imaginative ideas and great solutions to further progress.
What can override this system of dangerous proportions taking over your whole body and wreaking havoc within your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, is just the simplest, silliest thing, “LAUGHTER.” This means seeing above your own problems and nonsense from other people, so you can realize that you are not your problems, so you can realize that you are the reaction to your problems; therefore, you are always in control, whether you know it at the moment or not.
Don’t think you will be able to pay the mortgage coming up? The kids are being kicked out of school? Someone called you something you don’t like? You lost your job? Someone close to you died? You engaged into a conversation with a moron who has a very small mind? Your reaction is everything in life. I am not saying is easy, mind you. I am not saying you shouldn’t care, mind you.
I am indeed saying that you should always think clearly, and do not become trapped by thoughts of destruction which can alter your mood and behavior thus making the problem even worse. There is always a solution, and you will only find it if you can remain stress free. If you still do not find a solution, find another idea and move onto something else. Put your whole energy into something new.
Laughing through your problems or seeing them as something that is beneath you, will make you stronger and clearer of mind to use rationale and think sharper. Remember the toxins being dumped by your nervous system that I mentioned at the beginning, the loads of poisonous chemicals going throughout your system and affecting your whole molecular make-up when you feel overwhelmed by stress…?? This is nullified and cleaned instantly by a bigger perspective, by laughing or seeing beyond your problems.
It is like a system of pipes: If you add garbage and toxic waste, then, the pipes will be grimy and clogged, spreading diseases to whomever is nearby; however, if the pipes are clean and washed of all toxins, then, they can run smoothly and they will be working perfectly. Inside you, the system is just like that, and laughing at your problems (however large or small they are) will clean those neuronal pipes running throughout your entire body, it will bring energy that is healthy and positive and then it will spread that same energy into your very cells and into your very thoughts, thus giving you ideas that are clear, solutions that are efficient, and behaviors that are constructive. A better life overall.
This is one of the most important things to understand about life, because quite often one ignores it or forgets it. But if you are able to remember this in the moments when you are confused and exhausted mentally, in those moments of stress and tragedy in your life, then, you will rise yourself above all that and grow your mind and human spirit to not only better your own life, but to spread and affect others around you with this godlike quality of laughter and joy through the challenges of life.
The God-Man exists, is not just a crazy idea; however, it lives beyond mediocrity and filth, because it is in fact your higher mind, and it does not dwell in any mental and emotional garbage.
“The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci; inventor, painter, sculptor, architect, scientist, musician, engineer, philosopher, anatomist, astronomer, geologist, botanist, and historian.
We live in an information-based society, and so everything we do is based on what we understand of ourselves, of others, and of the environment. That information is translated into understanding, and it all must be seen through our physical senses. This is how we lead our lives; break-ups, divorces, wars, bullying, unhealthy habits, nonsense of all types, as well as good decisions of course–it is all based on our either narrow understanding or clear and deep understanding. Understanding deeper than what is the superficial will manifest bliss into our lives, it will open our minds and hearts to the profound meaning of things, events, and to all that happens in our environments; to be stress free, and of clear minds, to accept and elevate above the nonsense and mediocrity of the world.
Somewhere in New York City, present time. Around 2 am.
The apartment is truly a mess: TV bashed in, things strewn on the floor, mirrors hanging on the wall cracked in two. The apartment of a really angry and miserable person, a person who sits perfectly still on his living room chair now, a person whose thought is clear and peaceful now, a person who had a real awakening and feels… different…
Jesus!!!– What da hell?!– What happened?!– What am I doing…?! Why did I do that…?! … Who am I…?? Am I one or two…?? I feel… I dunno. I think I feel better now. Jeez– But who or what was that…?? I didn’t recognize him. Man, this is crazy, and it was like I had a demon in me. Perhaps a demon I had all along, but I had not realized it before. But–But everything is so clear now. And I don’t feel guilty. I feel… I feel free, my mind feels so light, unburdened from the demon who was just a few seconds ago wreaking havoc. The one who did this… in my mind and in my apartment…
My life. I have to do something about it, now that I can see clearly… God– My head. I have to stand up from this chair and walk around, be more in the present and try to emotionally connect to myself… Ah!– Funny. And to think I had to hit rock bottom and try to kill myself to see this clearly, to think this clearly… “Shiva, The destroyer”–The old must be destroyed to build the new. Ordinary must be replaced by extraordinary. The mind elevates and the spiritual being is realized fully. That’s the way of Shiva– That crazy book, from that crazy guy, it had it right all along. Yeah, I was so stupid. Why was I that stupid…?? I don’t remember. Praising those superficial people, wanting to be like them instead of being myself, eating like them, believing what they believed, visiting the places they visited. Shit– I can fly now, and I can be myself, and I feel more confident than ever… Yes, definitely! This is the start of a new life for me!
“Shiva, The Destroyer of The Old and Builder Of the New.”
Several minutes earlier. Climbing the stairs up to his apartment, taken by devil, really angry and cursing the very air he breathes…
Goddammit!– I can’t… God– I can’t even breathe now. Jesus– The steps of the damn stairs! I see blurry. What is this?! Why now…?? My heartbeat is really pounding this time. But I just… It was just some fun like always. I loved the adrenaline. The drugs. The dancing. The illegal racing. And the girls… Damn you– I’m not… I am better than this! I am… I just want to die. Fortunately, I have that gun still sitting in my room. Gotta try again. Thought things would be better, but they are–they are… not… The guys!– My so called friends. Shit!– SLAMM!!
I can’t even see clearly. Dammit– This is the living room. And this rage! GGOODD!!! Fuck!… Oh, shit. Why me…?? … But, yeah. It’s the only solution… What is this? My mother gave me this for Christmas. Never used it. Still has the fucking bow… My mother. She probably doesn’t need me that much. What da fuck is my role in this family?! I’m a loser anyway… It’ll all be over soon… SMASH!!! I hate this TV! It brought me so much confusion and I didn’t even know it back then. I always hated myself for being the way I am!… SMASH!!! Well, there will be no bad luck from breaking this shitty mirror now that I will be fucking gone, will it?!
SMASH!!! SMASH!!! No one will treat me like that anymore! It will stop all the pain and this… FUCKING RAGE! SMASH!!! … Yeah, and I wanted to start my own business! Selling what?!–stupid real state?! I didn’t even go to high school!! Look at all this shit– These stupid marketing plans, and these contracts… GOD!– Where’s that fucking gun?! … Here it is… The cold grip, the solution to my problems, fast and painless… Jesus! My–My hands. I can’t–I can’t make ’em stop shaking!… My thoughts. Too fucking loud! And my heart doesn’t stop! AAGGGHHH!!!–
BBAAAANNGG!!!— (…and so the bang of the gun was loud, but it slipped his clammy hand just in time, and shot through the window into the dark and fateful night…)
“To know yourself as the Being underneath the thinker, the stillness underneath the mental noise, the love and joy underneath the pain, is freedom, salvation, enlightenment.” ~ Eckhart Tolle; spiritual teacher and author.
Being in the present is not a concept, an image, or a word that our mind can create, like it creates the past and the future. Enlightenment, or higher spiritual awakening, can ONLY be realized through the communion with our own biology, our inner essence of the divine; however, most people search for Enlightenment outside of themselves, or even in their own minds, by filling their minds with knowledge, by doing good acts, by following spiritual teachers and hoping Enlightenment attaches itself to them, but, of course, this is a serious mistake.
The mind, the ego, does not have anything to do with higher spiritual awakening. Find out what does.
- Asa Rodriguez - 