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Part 11
My body and “I”
We have concluded that man is more than a body. Man is a personality, an individual, a unique particle of the Spirit, which follows its evolutionary way beyond the evolution of matter. Now it's time to talk about the "relationship" between our personality and body. Within the framework of matter, a person's personality has a physical body, which has a sufficiently developed nervous system that allows our "I" to operate in the physical world. We can say that we are the "operators" of our bodies. It allows us to use matter to improve our personality, our Spirit. How exactly does this happen, and what opportunities does a physical body give us?
If we consider our "I" as a particle of the Spirit, the bearer of our personality, we will see that our only need is the need for development. It is due to evolutionary necessity, the principles of the Being itself, which is constantly evolving and changing. The word “Being” here means everything that exists as such. The Being is based on the Great Principles: “Good, Life, Progress and Reason. These Principles give everything that exists a possibility of existence, constant improvement, desire for creation, and the ability to be aware of itself. They exist simultaneously and inseparably from each other. Without the Principle of Life, there would be no life itself, no form of existence as such, in any of its manifestations. Without the Principle of Good, destructive forces at some point would prevail over creation, and everything would perish. Without the Principle of Progress, existence would not have an incentive to develop and would have disappeared at some point, without mains, without future, without meaning. Without the Principle of Reason, all that exists could not be aware of itself, would not be able to direct evolution in the right direction; chaos would reign around, which has no conditioning and meaning” (article “A look at mysticism, materialism and pantheism”, Popular spirituality and science journal "Our space").
These Great Principles are the guarantee of Life as a universal principle, an impulse that is contained in absolutely everything. Nothing stands still, because the absence of change is the face of degradation and death. And I'm not talking about death in the physical sense we are accustomed to. Physical death is not the end of existence, but only the transition of one life from another. I'm talking about non-being, as a kind of antipode of the Being. At the same time, it is important to understand that there is no non-being since it does not define itself; but it exists as a kind of idea within the Being itself, which enables it to develop. Termination of life and development within the Being is impossible; but if the Being suddenly stopped developing, it would disappear. This idea acts as a certain principle of resistance of Life, thanks to which Life simply does not stop.
I am talking about this to show that the same principles operate inside our Universe, as well as inside our "I". The need for development is within us, as a universal principle of Life. We can say that our “I”, our personality, has no other needs. And here the question arises: how to make our Spirit develop, what incentive should be offered? Inside our Universe, such a stimulus is the ability to act within the framework of matter. Our particle of Spirit, universal and immortal in itself, finds itself in very difficult conditions, where, thanks to the body, it acquires a lot of new restrictions and needs.
Our body needs food, sleep, safety, at least minimal comfort. And this is only if we talk about physiological needs. A person, as a sufficiently developed being, has higher-level needs, such as social needs and respect, as well as creative, cognitive, and aesthetic needs. At the top of this pyramid is the need for spirituality, which is precisely the impulse for perfection that flows from the Spirit.
To meet these needs requires a person should make decisions and take action. This allows choosing in favor of due and to improve morally. In other words, the body gives a person an opportunity to overcome delusions and resistance in the form of manifestation of certain imperfections in the Spirit. Each person at the moment of the birth of his “I”, that is, at the moment when he acquires his particle of the Spirit, becomes sentient. Thus, he receives a certain set of qualities, which he should improve. Among these qualities, there are both positive and negative. Though it is better to see negative qualities as insufficiently developed positive ones. Matter provides us with appropriate conditions to develop these qualities.
For example, we can take such a quality as courage, or desire to help others. If this quality is not sufficiently developed, it manifests itself as cowardice. A prerequisite for its manifestation is a certain threat. For the Being, such a threat is the idea of non-being. It is also embodied at the level of matter in the form of a threat of death. Since our personality, our “I”, our Spirit, is invincible, and since nonexistence cannot realize itself, then the body comes to the fore. There are many threats to our body in the material world, and as a defense mechanism, it has a self-preservation instinct. The threat makes the instinct work, it causes fear, fear makes a person make certain decisions. In the face of danger, he can show cowardice or courage. By showing courage, he improves the qualities of the Spirit, his personality; showing cowardice, he misses this opportunity. It is according to this principle that all the necessary qualities develop.
Part 12
What is it important to understand?
First, it’s important to understand how the world works and how this whole mechanism works. Secondly, to understand what our place in this mechanism is, and how we should act to perform our functions properly. Only after understanding this man stops moving "blindly" and begins to live consciously.
Understanding that our "I" is not only our body, becomes the key moment in the correct perception of ourselves. The second key point is understanding that meeting the needs of our bodies is not the aim of our life. We only meet these needs to maintain the vital functions of our body, which serves us as a tool for the development of necessary personality traits, and nothing more. Awareness of these two most important points allows us to live as a person should, - to live a full-fledged life of the spiritually developed personality. Only by fulfilling our functions as a particle of the Being, that is, by improving spiritually, we can fully live and develop. When this development slows down, it leads to unnecessary suffering and makes our difficult path even longer.
Living in a modern consumer society brings us both benefits and sufferings. It is natural for a person to get carried away, and very often in the pursuit of material goods, we simply postpone our lives for later, and our whole life becomes a pursuit of things. Since childhood, we hear phrases like: "When you finish school ...", "When you finish college ...", "When you get a job ...".
We are always looking for a brighter tomorrow…waiting for the day when all our materials dreams will come true.
And there is nothing wrong with this dream as such if we don’t do anything mean to make it come true, and we do not lose our happiness in pursuit of it.
What is more, by persuading ourselves that we become happy only when this dream comes true, we at the same time assert that without it we will remain unhappy. And this is the greatest delusion.
We have everything for happiness right now, and his true happiness is to follow our destiny. Everything else is just the background. Spirituality allows us not to lose sight of the main thing and be happy. It prevents us from drowning in consumerism ... With the right approach, you can make your life full and happy right now, without giving up other important goals.
Part 13
I am a warrior
We often hear that every person is a warrior. And I agree with that. What does it mean to be a warrior? First of all, evolution is always a struggle. Everything fights for Life, and man is no exception. Only with the emergence of sentient beings, this struggle acquired a new meaning. Sentient beings fight against ignorance and delusions, struggle to know the objective reality. This is their main aim. They fight for their spiritual development, fight against imperfections, fight for a better future for the whole world. Such a struggle is the impulse of Life itself, there is no place for hatred in it because nothing deserves it. Man fills himself with good, and so there is no room for evil in him. This is his struggle. A person who knows that he has come into the world for spiritual development sets his priorities differently, ceases to be an egoist. People, who put their spiritual development in the first place, often run counter to the values of our consumer society, as a “thing” is an intrinsic value in such a society.
From the heart
Some time ago I read an interesting philosophical text that made me think a lot. It is called "From the Heart". It explains that each of us is a Man with a capital letter. For example, there is such a quote: “You have to be humble in your needs. Nothing extra". When I read this for the first time, I immediately wanted to object: “And I have nothing extra. All these things are very dear to me and I need all of them, and even this little thing that has been lying in my dusty corner for ten years". The essence of this phrase was revealed to me later. We can paraphrase a quote from the text and say that a person should be content with what is necessary.
Let me explain. Firstly, we are not talking about asceticism. This doesn’t mean that one should sit in rags and eat bread and water. The point is that each thing has its purpose, and you should not act like a hamster and stuff your cheeks with everything that comes across, "just in case". If you can find a worthy use of this or that thing on your way, then take it, and if not, then let it serve another person. Each thing is your assistant and your friend. And should you invite a friend and then say that you do not have time, and offer him to stand quietly in the corner? It is the same with the things we own. Respect them and their path, allows them to be useful, do not throw them into a far corner. And the best way to save a thing from such an unenviable fate is not to take too much. Perhaps this is more obvious when we talk about food: if you are greedy and take too much food, you will not have time to eat all, and food will be wasted. It is the same with all things: while a thing is lying in a corner, it cannot fulfill its purpose. Thus, it is wasted….You should respect things. Modesty is the key to respecting the world.
Secondly, when we claim that we have nothing extra, we thereby say to ourselves: "I need all of these things" And since we owe much more things than we need, we spend a lot of time and effort on servicing all these things. We serve things, and things necessary to service these things. Plus, we are consumers of a large number of services - and for these services, as well as for things, and for things to maintain these things, funds are needed. As a result, many of us find ourselves in a vicious circle, when we work exclusively for the sake of maintaining our well-being, and it is no longer things that serve us, but we serve them. In a consumer society, where well-being is an indicator of success, things take the leading role and are a measure for a person himself. To avoid such a deplorable situation, one should remember that a thing is an instrument for achieving a good goal, and nothing more. It is necessary to think about the welfare of people, but it is even more necessary to realize what it is for. A person who does not need to make two ends meet can spend more energy, time, and money on a good cause. A successful business is a blessing if it is aimed at good goals and if these goals are achieved by good means. The main thing is to remember what is the main goal, and not to turn your instruments into your masters. Alas, this is typical of many of us. We should always remember that when we work, we earn a living, we exchange our life hours, our life potential for money, and money for things. It is worth seriously considering in which case it is worth it and in which it is not.
Part 14
A poor man met a stranger on the road. The stranger said: “I have an unusual gift - to manage time. Tell me what you want and I will name the price". "I want a nice house and a car, ” - said the man. The stranger replied: "I will give you a house, but you will live 10 years less than you should, and for a car - 5 years less." "I’m still young,” - the man thought, "let me live 15 years less, but tomorrow I will have a great life.” So, he thought and agreed. But as soon as he received a house and a car, he died.
This is just a fairy tale, but you wouldn’t want to be that poor man…
Thus, the third point, which follows from the second, is fear of losing "necessary things". Very often the boundaries between necessary and unnecessary are erased. It’s hard to distinguish, what is necessary for you, as a rational being, a particle of something larger, and your body; or what is necessary for your soul and your ego. It’s hard to understand, what is temporary and what is eternal.
To avoid this trap, we should remember that a body is also our tool. A very important, but still a tool - and therefore its satisfaction is not our goal. The body does not need luxury; it needs proper care to keep it functioning normally to follow the Great Oughtness. The body is given to us by Nature for a time and good purposes. We must remember this. It is natural for the body to be afraid of cold and hunger, but even in such a situation, only the body is deprived of what it needs, and not the person himself. “You have everything you need. It's in you. Nature has given you everything so that you can be who you should be. Never forget about it. You have and will, and strength, and courage in abundance, and everything else that is necessary for a man and a warrior" (From the heart). It is impossible to take away the necessary from a person, it is in him from the very beginning. And even taking away everything from the body, including life itself, it is impossible to take away what is necessary from a person. It will remain with him. Therefore, one should not be afraid of losing anything. There is no such force that is capable of taking something away from us.
The fourth point is the desire to gain what is already yours and to hold on to what cannot be kept. We cling to the familiar: our home, our property, our habits, our way of life. We cling so much that we elevate them to the absolute, and most of all we are afraid of losing them. There are two important aspects here.
Firstly, this is only a temporary refuge for your body, and anyway, it will leave you just as it came. A person will come into this physical life and leave it, and he will leave everything physical that was with him there. Therefore, these things are worth appreciating, but not clinging to them. After all, this is the same as taking a train but holding on to a lamp post on the platform. Get on this train and let the landscape flash outside your window. It should be so. Everything you need, your baggage of good qualities, you take with you anyway; leave the other where it belongs. Let the lamppost stand on the platform and shine for others who are still waiting for their train. Secondly, everything around is a part of you. And the train, and the platform, and the post, and the people on the platform, and the landscape outside the window, and the starry sky overhead - all yours. Let it go in one form, and you will immediately find it in another. Even more, nothing can be lost and nothing can be gained, because everything is one, and everything was, is, and will always be with you. All that a person can and should do is to improve what his hand touches. Only in this aspect is it possible to acquire a new one - to improve what you already have. So instead of the old, you get a new, more perfect one. This is how evolution proceeds - when more perfect forms are born from previous, less perfect forms. And man can and should be at the peak of this creation, be its life-giving force. Therefore, you should not be afraid of anything, and you can safely do what is due.
The fifth point is the desire to fit more into your body than it can handle. The body is material, and its capabilities are limited - unlike yours. Man is both a drop and an ocean. The body cannot contain more, and a drop is enough for it, and man is eager to know the ocean. Allow your body to do its work, and allow yourself to go your own way, realizing that the man’s path is more important than the body's path. Enjoy the ocean, and do not try, sitting on the shore, to fit it into a plastic bucket. Do not try to collect the stars in a net, but reach for them. A body has its destiny, and man has his own. Little things for your body - great things for you. Each person walks the same path with other people and the world. And everyone is endowed with everything they need. On this path, losses are imaginary, and gains are eternal. All we have to do is to remember about a worthy goal - “desire to protect, help, fix, make people and the world better. It makes sense to exist for the sake of such a deed” (From the heart). By liberating psychologically, we are liberating spiritually.
Part 15
I am the main force of evolution
What does the correct perception give when you realize that you are the force of evolution? This question is extremely broad since it affects absolutely all areas of our life. I would like to dwell on just a few points.
So, imagine a person who has found his spiritual path and lives for the good of the world. What is he like? I'll start with the most important aspect. Correct self-perception allows you to live life effectively, for the good of the world and yourself. A person lives every day consciously, acts consciously, cares about the world. He is the role model for others and their support. Such people are the pillars of the world who hold it on their shoulders. They live every moment of their lives for a reason.
Of course, such people are also able to support themselves. They have no spiritual rush, they are not looking for the meaning in life, their place, and purpose as they have found all these. They are not looking at heaven asking about their lives. They have already found themselves, understood the meaning of their lives, and calmly and confidently follow the chosen path. They are reliable and predictable in a good way because they have already made the right choice when they set foot on their path. When they face an obstacle on this path, they are not puzzled, but they do what they should.
They do not question themselves whether to lie or to tell the truth, to help another person or to run away cowardly, to betray or keep their word, etc. They have made this choice - the choice in favor of morality, development, and Life. They had made this choice within themselves, within their "I", their personality, long before their body collided with it. You can always rely on these people because they will not deceive, betray, leave you in trouble or act mean. For them, such a question simply does not arise. They live as they should for the good of the Being. This gives them confidence and strength to overcome any difficulties. They do not lose their heart, do not give up. They are warriors on guard of the good, because every person is born like that, without exception, and they realize this.
In addition to internal balance and deep morality, the correct perception of oneself allows you to overcome your shortcomings and vices effectively. Understanding that our personality, our "I", is invulnerable and immortal, helps to overcome fear. Fear is a manifestation of self-preservation instinct that comes from the body. Self-preservation instinct allows our body to survive, adapt to environmental conditions. This is an instinct for our body because our body's task is very simple: to survive and procreate. It needs safety, comfort and has other needs. All of its functions are ultimately aimed at this. Often a person tends to confuse the purpose of his life with the tasks of his body. He forgets that his goal is to improve and maintain Life in the long term, while the task of the body is survival and comfort within the framework of one physical life.
There is no further development for the body, and it knows nothing but its functions. Therefore, in case of danger, it gives the command "run", in case of hunger - "eat", in case of fatigue - "rest." And that's okay for it. And it will give the same commands, no matter what. Our body doesn’t know that for the sake of a good goal and the development of personality, it happens that a person has to overcome fear, endure hunger, and overcome fatigue. The body, no matter how paradoxical it may sound, does not care what will happen to the person himself, to his personality, or others. It is easy to guess that if a person listens only to the call of his body, then the soldiers will not defend their homeland in battle, rescuers will not save anyone, no one will share a piece of bread with the hungry, etc. The life of our body is extremely selfish by its nature, and the life of a person is directed towards something completely different. The one who understands this behaves with dignity.
Such a person does not abandon a friend in trouble because of cowardice, does not lie and does not steal for profit, does not act mean to save his bacon.
The one who understands that he’s much more than just a body can live as a man should. He can overcome vices. He knows that the command “do what is good for the body” comes from the body, and this often goes against the purpose of his own life. Knowing this, he can say to the body: "Hold your horses." He can overcome fear and temptation and do the right thing despite this temptation. He does not follow the lead of the "up-to-the-minute desires" of the body but acts for the good of his personality. He doesn’t live the way cattle does, as what is good for cattle is not good for man. And if it was different, then we would be cattle, not people. The right perception teaches us to live as we should, to overcome vices, and to be different from cattle.
Part 16
The right self-perception allows us to perceive other people correctly and respect their path. If we understand that we are all inextricably linked parts of one living system, it provides the basis for true love for people. There are no more friends and foes, but there is only a reflection of yourself in every person and any other sentient being that has ever lived and will live. You are the Universe, which is now looking at itself through the focus of your consciousness. And the other person next to you is also You-the Universe, only it looks through another focus. It's like two eyes - a person looks with both eyes, but each eye looks independently. And a person learns through both eyes, and he needs both, and it cannot be said that one person looks through one eye, and another through the other: there is only one person, and his personality is one.
The same is true about the Universe: it is born through each of us, absolutely everyone who is sentient. Everyone is a part of a single whole. We can say that each person is you, only looking through another focus. Can you not love yourself and not help yourself, and not wish the best to yourself? Thus, there is no difference among people, just as there are no two personalities behind two eyes. Therefore, "He who desires good, should desire good equal to the world" (Twenty Days). There is no difference between small and great good as everything is one. Anyone who understands this can love other people, wish them well, and do them no harm. The one who understands what the path is and how uneasy it is to follow this path respects the path of other people. He understands how hard it is to gain knowledge. He understands that our body is always behind our personality and our experience, and therefore treats everyone with respect and understanding.
The right self-perception allows, in particular, to learn to empathize with others. A person who has already found his path, his duty, and walks confidently and calmly in the proper direction, without emotional rushing and empty sufferings, feels the great blessing and support of the entire Universe. He is no longer alone. Everything in the world supports him because he is within the flow of the due and he is open to the world.
He has the heights of heaven in him, and nothing can take it away, as well as his powers to accomplish the good, as well as the great Life inside him. It lives through unity and it lives through him. He is like a rock, and all the hardships are only clouds that break against this rock. His "I" is indestructible and immortal, there is no fear in him, and he is happy with the real happiness that is available to man. He sees the beauty and pricelessness of every moment and is involved in the accomplishment of Life. Isn't it a miracle to create life with yourself? He cannot lose anything, because everything is a part of him, and he gains the best with every breath. When you feel all this, you can understand how difficult and painful it is for those who have not yet found it. How hard it is for them to break through ignorance, how lost they are, how hostile the world around them seems to them. Is it possible not to sympathize with those who feel so much worse than you? How can you not wish them happiness and deliverance from suffering? How can you reproach them for the fact that their ignorance generates pain and evil? There is no place for hatred, and nothing deserves it. Everything deserves only compassion and goodness.
Part 17
The right self-perception contributes to health improvement. Man is a single organism with the world. What happens when the connections between the private and the whole are broken, when a person puts obstacles between himself and the world, departs from what the due? In doing so, a person refuses the help and support that Nature gives us. This is most clearly seen in the matter: the refusal of the necessary leads to illness, exhaustion, or death of the body. Refusing, for example, from food or air, a person dies. If a person incorrectly perceives himself and the world, erects internal barriers, then he seems to cut off oxygen for himself at the energetic and spiritual level. This has the same detrimental effect on him as the refusal of oxygen for the body. A person loses the support of Nature, is exhausted spiritually, energetically, and mentally. Needless to say, this kind of exhaustion directly affects his physical body. The opposite is also true - the deeper a person realizes himself and his place in the world, the more he is open to the world, the deeper his immersion in the “stream”, the more he can receive from Nature. Thus, if we know how the world works and what our function in this remarkable organism is, we have the key to the perception of ourselves. This allows us to prioritize everything correctly and has a positive impact on all areas of human life.
Many more positive practical points come from the right perception of yourself. For instance, it allows us to build healthy relationships not only between a man and Nature but also between people in society. Relationships that are based on mutual respect, love, morality, empathy, and understanding of universal human goals. The proper attitude to the world and life helps to establish both the inner world of a person and the outer one - his relationship with other people. These are interpersonal relationships, and relationships in the family, and society, and at the level of different nations and states. The elixir of eternal life exists, and it is contained in each of us. In everyone - in our common “I”, which knows Life and strives for its eternal perfection.