The Delight In
Exploring Inner Territory - Vimala Thakar
As
long as we cling to the idea that this is "my mind, my own, personal
mind," we will have a strong tendency to look as good as possible. But if
we observe the mind from a non-personal viewpoint, from the perspective from
non-ownership, simply observe our minds and how they function, we will be less
trapped by judgments.
To
be attentive to the psychological structure, doesn't mean we must disappear
somewhere and give up all relationships, responsibilities. The art is to stay
within the movement of relationships, to continue with work, to be a
responsible citizen, and to be attentive to the play of the mind. But we'll
have to be very alert, for the mind is subtle, wily, full of tricks.
It's
a tremendous thrill to see the beginnings of anger or jealousy or greed, not
simply to be caught unawares when the emotion is full-blown and has us in its
grasp, but to see the first tiny movements of emotion. Where does it spread,
what does it do to our behavior? Just as there is joy in exploring an unknown
wilderness, there is a delight in exploring the inner territory, in watching
the volcanoes explode without any movement of defense, judgment, sense of
ownership.
If
we have never observed anger in ourselves from subtle beginnings to full
explosion, we will always be caught in its force. We may try to suppress the
behavior of anger, but still it will do its damage and we will not be free of
it.
Attentiveness
without any movement of the defense structure has its own intelligence. But the
automatic tendency is to bring in defenses, judgments, and to move from
observation to justification, evaluation. [...] All the explanations,
justifications may be true, but they prevent direct perception of what it is
that anger does to our bodies, to relationships, to the work we do.
If
we defend any emotion, anger, fear, jealousy, we own it, we cling to it, and we
accept a life in which emotional imbalances can wreak whatever havoc they like.
About the Author: From
"Spirituality and Social Action: A Holistic Approach"
