Open-Secrets

Category: Questions

  • The Psychodamic Power of Space (Emptiness)

    I want my space. You’re in my space. I’m spaced out, you’re spacey. And while I’m at it – give me some space. It appears space is important to us.

    In the West, the notion of personal space is important to people. The space we live in, the space around our body and our psychological space are some of the spaces that concern us.

    The Buddhist see space (emptiness) as the nature of reality. The average Joe on the street of Mayberry, USA probably doesn’t give too much thought to his body, the street he is walking on, the city he lives in and the planet he lives on as fundamentally being space or emptiness.

    Then again, many Buddhists and other spiritual seekers and practitioners may not have an articulated understanding of the psychodynamic power of space and how it affects ego structure.

    In his book, The Void – Inner Spaciousness and Ego Structure, A.H. Almaas articulates a very precise understanding of the nature of space (emptiness), its relationship to ego structure, and the function of space for transformation of the soul.

    Without the functioning of space, real change and transformation is not possible. The accepted understanding of change involves the application of effort and concepts in a particular direction to produce a desired result. This is not transformation, but more reworking the surface of things.

    Space removes the effort, erases the concepts and establishes an orientation to complete openness and allowing. This is the ground for transformation – no concepts, no ideas, no preferences, no positions, no self-image – anything and everything is possible.

    Next time you hear the word space – ask yourself – What is this person really saying? If I want my space, what’s that really mean?
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    Items of Interest

  • âkâsha – mahâkâsha

    Seth-garland

    According to ancient Indian tradition the universe reveals itself in two fundamental properties: as motion, and as that in which motion takes place, namely space. This space is called âkâsha (Tibetan: nam-mkhah) and is that through which things step into visible appearance, i.e., through which they possess extension or corporeality. As that which comprises all things, âkâsha corresponds to the three-dimensional space of our sense-perception, and in this it is called mahâkâsha. The nature of âkâsha, however, does not exhaust itself in this three-dimensionality; it comprises all possibilities of movement, not only the physical, but also the spiritual ones: it comprises infinite dimensions.

    Image by Seth Garland

  • Grok Your Life

    Life is journey, or so they say. I tend to think of it more as a process of understanding that is fueled by revelation and discovery.

    What is Life – a big question many have pondered, debated, argued and fought over. Let’s leave that one for another time. What is our life? What is our life about? What is the focus of our life? What do we want from our life?

    Is our life just a stream of events or circumstances? Even if we see our life as a cradle-to-the-grave series of events, what connects the dots? Well, we do. but is our life merely a continuum of bumbling, stumbling happenstance?

    So, maybe the question could be – what is the organizing principle of our life? Where are we coming from? What are we attempting to get, accomplish, understand or grok?

    Do you know this word – GROK?

    Grok means to understand so thoroughly that the observer becomes a part of the observed—to merge, blend, intermarry, lose identity in group experience. It means almost everything that we mean by religion, philosophy, and science—and it means as little to us (because we are from Earth) as color means to a blind man. – Stranger in a Strange Land

    I think this word helps to discriminate how people are oriented. Most offspring of this modern age are conditioned to consume experience – running from one experience to the next only to gobble or slurp something down.

    A few still aspire to the Greek aphorism Know Thyself.

    My experience is that many people feel that knowing themselves is too analytical or takes too much effort. Knowing one’s self is more about grokking and less about Freud. Too much effort? – possible translations: I’m lazy, boring or not worth the effort of knowing.

    There is also a very large segment of the population suffering under the delusion that they already know themselves. Asking these knowledgable souls about their motivation, actions, reactions, thoughts, feelings, and etc. is like – well, you know. (It is the rare individual these days that can speak three sentences without using those three words – like,you know – half a dozen times).

    Well, you know – folks that suffer under the delusion of knowing themselves generally answer questions about themselves by quoting history, the party (family) line, or simply stating – that’s how I am. All in all a perfect illustration of not knowing one’s self.

    Knowing one’s self is less about details and specifics as it is about grokking. Gestalt can be viewed as a part of the total grokking process.

    So – less thinking and more grokking.

  • Ignorance is a Rut in the Path to Enlightenment

    Bullheaded

    So, we’re seeing here that the most elementary, most external requirement for growth is the willingness to let go of what you believe should happen, what you believe things should be, what you believe will make you happy.   –   A.H. Almaas

    How many ways are there to express ignorance or stubbornness? How often do we find these two traits in the same person?

    Very few people are capable of learning physics, chemistry or any other advance subject on their own. Few would even attempt to do so. It’s common sense to seek guidance and instruction when delving into something complex or subtle.

    It’s interesting how many of us, on the spiritual path, think we can do it on our own. I’m not talking religion, dogma or doctrine here. I’m talking about one of the most complex and subtle realms of exploration one can engage. And yet, many of us believe we can do it ourselves – we believe we know what direction we need to go. When it comes to inner growth, everyone all of a sudden seems to be a class-a psychic.

    Freud proved that ego is first and foremost a defensive structure, a coping mechanism. It is a universal phenomenon that the mind that the ordinary person identifies with is fundamentally a “groove machine.” It keeps running in the same circles and will continue to do so even when we believe we are going in a different direction.

    That’s why it usually takes a great deal of suffering or something radical to wake us up. The ordinary mind is not going to leave its rut until it becomes so painful that change is not an option.

    Think this is not so? The biggest rut is believing that we are separate individuals. The number of people challenging or giving up this fantasy are few indeed.

Open-Secrets