The following pieces address programs that we might have to look at, study and consciously shift when necessary. These programs are considered hindrances and obstacles to our clarity and happiness. Just as mist, fog and clouds block the sun from shinning. Without that bright, clear insight and wisdom, we’re gullible and unconsciously identify and believe in anything in our culture, religion, educations and parents.
Negative, obstructive programs hinder our happiness and wisdom. They fester and spiral if left unnoticed. If we pay attention, we’ll realize that these beliefs are dependent. Meaning, they need to be fed to be sustained and continue. We enable them by thinking, remembering and adding feelings to them. Also, we seek out others to enable each other.
It is not enough to be self-aware. We can be aware for others, lessen or even raise understanding and prevent them from running these programs. If we don’t consciously shift these programs, they ‘ll build up momentum. In our old age, we’ll turn into the undesired traits of our parents: anger, manipulative, controlling, victimization ect.
There are two types of negative programs. The 5 hindrances hinder our meditation and clarity and the other generates negative mind set.
5 Hindrances
What causes distortion of realities and blocks the sun from shining are these 5 hindrances
Since we don’t know how to direct and sustain our focus, our mind is pulled and pushed in many directions. The resultant blockages are these:
- Sensual desire. This is like a bowl of water, mixed with ink: it darkens the mind. The greatest desire is for opposite gender of attraction. For some people, the addiction and cravings, fester and out of control. They constantly captivate their attention, leaving little rooms for other parts of their life. To combat this, we can train our mind to associate the beautiful with the unattractiveness, such as phlegm, fat, sinuses, oozing blood and rotting flesh. In this way, we reduce something beautiful to its reality. So, when the mind does have thoughts of sexual desires, we also see the ugliness. The mind is not likely to be drawn in or be pulled away.
- Ill-will. This is when we have ill intentions towards arising thoughts, images, and memories about a person or thing or ourselves. Anger and resentment, if left unchecked, fester and consume us, just as prolonged heat hollows out a log.
To combat this, we remember how our blood pressure rises, our mind spins out of control and we end up regretting what we said or did. In this case, with the practice of mindfulness and tuning into feelings, we catch our triggers early and have a plan of action. To really reduce anger to the point of not disturbing our mind, we need to find ways to shift our perceptions about the issues that we hold so passionately.
- Drowsiness. This mind is like having slimy moss covering its surface. One of the biggest obstacles in meditation is drowsiness. It’s like wading in thick mud. There are ways to counteract it:
- Don’t focus and feed the thoughts that give rise to drowsiness.
- Move our positions, rub our arms and face but remain seated
- If not, get up wash your face and stretch.
- If that doesn’t work, do walking meditation.
- if not, take a nap.
- Restlessness/worry is like having the surface being ruffled by wind, creating ripples to the mind. Try walking meditation. Shorten the distance, if the mind is really chaotic. Otherwise, try releasing pent up energy or emotions through exercise, singing, dancing or swimming in the ocean.
- Doubt is don’t know what to do. It’s like muddy water: the impurities of the mind. Seek wise perspective of a trusted friend, mentor or teacher. Just because we know, doesn’t mean we know. Knowing something does not automatically translate into changes of behaviour or a shift in perception and mind states. Changes require effort and a carry through in our speech and actions using effort and mindfulness.
If our mind is impure with ink, slimy moss and mud or if it’s bubbling and rippling, we cannot see reality as it is. Put effort in to being alert and watch out for the mind’s fabrications.
Be prepared for persistent refocusing
Carrying
What we carry can be on many different levels. Most often we carry the past forward into the present– old injuries, injustices and past insights. Sometimes we run these programs for sympathy, acceptance or self-identification.
Being in the present with mindfulness will alleviate the burden.
Flow with the experience as it is happening.
When we are reacting to, thinking about, or talking about an issue, we make it stronger by feeding it and carrying it forward. Any habits or recurring patterns that are fed will grow and be maintained.
Projection
Projection is a mental process where we project our inner programs onto another person. We expect them to have the same definition of love, of boundaries or respect. When we don’t understand or don’t want to take responsibility for how we feel; we project and blame. For example, we might be conditioned through movies or religion to define a teacher to be wise, calm and collected. But in real life, we encounter a teacher who has some human emotions or has a liking for some foods. This display of behavior goes against our conceptual belief and we get disappointed, angry and abandon the teaching.
Another classic example is the phenomenon of falling in love. We meet a person, whether in person or online dating, who seems to sound right, together with the right combination of mind and body. We then decide we have found ‘the one’. Once labeled and boxed, we then get blindsided with the activated programs and the other starts to glow. Eventually, as time goes by and we get to know more about the person, especially in conflict situations. That person is now not who we thought they were. In fact, it was our projection that we were in love with. The person we know 6 months or 2 years later, is the actual person.
Parents should be more aware of this process to limit their control as they face their fears. If left unaware, we will turn out to be a copy of our parents: manipulative and controlling in the attempt to control our projections.
Labels
Work is not work
But conscious mindful hours with interactions
Every greeting, every instruction
Beware of labels
Kids are not chores and duties
But mindful nurture and care
Every kiss, every hug
Beware of labels
Irritation is not annoying
But mindful attention of body sense feelings
Every knot, every unpleasantness
Beware of labels
Loneliness is not an emotion
But clear insights into the dynamic of mind processes
Every feeling, spontaneously with every feedback thought.
Beware of labels
Pay attention to how we label and categorise our moments. These are our attitudes. From labelling we unconsciously fall into our habitual way of perceiving life. For example, if we see work as work, then we don’t want to be there, every moment is a resistance. But if we realise that every moment is to be lived and is ample opportunities for insights, then a chore is now full of precious, real and conscious moments of possibilities.
Be very aware of labels. What is just an unpleasant feeling initially in the morning can be labelled as a resentful annoying feeling. The mind then will searches externally for the cause, resulting in distortion, projection and blaming.
Labels and definitions are our perceptions of reality, our filters. They are our first level filter before it becomes story making and distorted fabrication. So, refrain from labelling.
Let the tree be just a visual image of light and shapes.
And stars are just twinkling lights, not a constellation.
And sunset is a display of colours.
If we have to label because our mindfulness is not strong enough to have space between moments, then label positively. The beautiful sunset can arouse gratefulness and joy, leading to Jhana, then immerse into the feelings.
While definitions of people and life allow us understanding and we feel safe within the known; it is also our limits, our bindings. If we have wisdom, we use them as tools; but if we don’t, we believe and identify as them.
We are not our definitions
We are not our beliefs
We are not our feelings
We are not our consciousness