Will I feel happier if I work with non-dualism?
Happiness is a human emotion, not a true state of mind. Emotions are flaky things. When people use words such as 'happy' it's hard to even figure out if they're describing the same thing as another person. Very subjective, very individual. . . like everything else here.
A non-dualistic practice will require that you confront the ugliness of the ego thought system. This spiritual path is a gentle one, in the sense that you can go at your own pace. It's also a brutal one because you have to face the difficult truth that all the 'good stuff' you're striving for and all of the 'bad stuff' you're trying to avoid is all part of the same package. And when you get to the part where your very self-concept is called into question, well . . . that's challenging.
However. This is not a path you are walking alone. And, because it's based on Truth, the more you practice the more peaceful you will feel. No, happiness and peace are NOT the same thing at all. As you practice this path, you will come to see that even in your unhappy moments, you can still be very much at peace.
Most people who seem happy all the time are (a) probably in denial and (b) probably faking it! The dualistic nature of this world/body/mortality format requires that everything (including emotions) be defined by an opposite. Happiness is defined by states of UNhappiness. You can't feel one without experiencing the other.
The Peace of God is not like that at all. This is a state of mind that has NO opposite. It's always present and always available. When you begin to glimpse It, you feel a comforting sense of recognition, a feeling of coming Home. This state of mind is your natural state. As you return to it, you are returning your mind to the way that God created it. The more you practice and the more you become aware of this state, the more effective you will become at overlooking the illusions of this turbulent world. This is not the same thing as simply denying suffering; it's a re-defining. You will start to see that people in this world suffer, not because the suffering is real, but because they have defined themselves as creatures capable of suffering. They have made a self-concept that could not have come from God.
As you become more and more aware of this peaceful state, you also become more sensitive to your own errors. Small judgments and grievances that you used to be able to live with for years and years now begin to feel like heavy burdens. But the discomfort lasts only until you make a different choice of perception.
As I've written before, this path is not for everyone. This path is for people who have begun to see human life as a flawed concept. This path is for those who are losing hope in the current events of the world. If you believe that humans were meant to be happy all the time, get over to the closest new-age bookstore as soon as possible! If, however, you have begun to suspect that happiness is over-rated, you may want to TRY this stuff. If you've noticed that the more you join with others the more peaceful you feel, this may be your path. If you have observed that your judgments of others may not be as justified as you once thought they were, non-dualism may be your cup of tea.
And if you're still not sure, would it hurt to ASK?
A non-dualistic practice will require that you confront the ugliness of the ego thought system. This spiritual path is a gentle one, in the sense that you can go at your own pace. It's also a brutal one because you have to face the difficult truth that all the 'good stuff' you're striving for and all of the 'bad stuff' you're trying to avoid is all part of the same package. And when you get to the part where your very self-concept is called into question, well . . . that's challenging.
However. This is not a path you are walking alone. And, because it's based on Truth, the more you practice the more peaceful you will feel. No, happiness and peace are NOT the same thing at all. As you practice this path, you will come to see that even in your unhappy moments, you can still be very much at peace.
Most people who seem happy all the time are (a) probably in denial and (b) probably faking it! The dualistic nature of this world/body/mortality format requires that everything (including emotions) be defined by an opposite. Happiness is defined by states of UNhappiness. You can't feel one without experiencing the other.
The Peace of God is not like that at all. This is a state of mind that has NO opposite. It's always present and always available. When you begin to glimpse It, you feel a comforting sense of recognition, a feeling of coming Home. This state of mind is your natural state. As you return to it, you are returning your mind to the way that God created it. The more you practice and the more you become aware of this state, the more effective you will become at overlooking the illusions of this turbulent world. This is not the same thing as simply denying suffering; it's a re-defining. You will start to see that people in this world suffer, not because the suffering is real, but because they have defined themselves as creatures capable of suffering. They have made a self-concept that could not have come from God.
As you become more and more aware of this peaceful state, you also become more sensitive to your own errors. Small judgments and grievances that you used to be able to live with for years and years now begin to feel like heavy burdens. But the discomfort lasts only until you make a different choice of perception.
As I've written before, this path is not for everyone. This path is for people who have begun to see human life as a flawed concept. This path is for those who are losing hope in the current events of the world. If you believe that humans were meant to be happy all the time, get over to the closest new-age bookstore as soon as possible! If, however, you have begun to suspect that happiness is over-rated, you may want to TRY this stuff. If you've noticed that the more you join with others the more peaceful you feel, this may be your path. If you have observed that your judgments of others may not be as justified as you once thought they were, non-dualism may be your cup of tea.
And if you're still not sure, would it hurt to ASK?
posted by AWB @ 2/05/2011 05:28:00 AM
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