Now that I have lost most of your attention as i did mine in the last few weeks I will now take another step further into the deep recesses of my unconscious, those hidden closets where the skeletons hide and the secret of secrets lies dormant. Yes dare to a tek this next step where together we will leap into the unknown, over the precipice into the abyss, I dare you, Nah, I challenge you to join our hands and minds and take this leap of faith into liberation of the mind, body, spirit and soul; do not worry it is not a suicide wish, it is only the closing of one chapter and the opening of another. When I talk of Liberation, you might ask, what are we liberating from? And I say to you nothing so dramatic as the liberation from your conditioned thoughts and consciousness, you greed, hate and ignorance, your sour habits and your attachments to old faded dreams that still raises your flag pole and ejaculate. Yes liberation from you sense of arrogance and pride, you slothfulness and apathy, your indulgences and self aggrandizement. If you are still with, by now you have an idea of what I am talking about when I the idea about Liberation; absolute freedom from this realm of existence, this cycle or Life, Death and Rebirth.
Man, you and I, our feet nailed to the floor from the day we learn how to say Ma, Dada or whatever else that first came to our innocent infant minds. From then on our parents takes over how our future and destiny would be like, then as we get older the neighborhood friends cousins and aunts and uncles chip in with good intentions in order to help us along in becoming a wholesome entity and later yet they were replaced by teachers and schoolmates, the barber and the icecream man, the milkman and the postman and they all chip into shaping your mind to become wise and awakened. And the story of your life expands further into your college and highers education institutions where they drum into your head more and more knowledge till there is no more room up there.
Then one sunny Indian Summer day, as you sit quietly along the shore of Lake Michigan at Green Bay in Wisconsin, lost in a thoughtless state of limbo, you attention is caught by the sight of a dead lake trout, large but with most of its flesh torn away leaving its bones exposed to the light. You had an epiphany, your mind stops, the world around you stops, time stops and even the ripples on the surface of the lake ceases to dance. Life is impermanent and all that is alive will finally decay and die, this is the cause of your suffering, (or one of them). The fact that you know this is bound to happen, that death is imminent is what makes it a great cause of your suffering; this is in effect the price of being a human, we think.
Most modern minds dispute Descartes's axiom, " I think, therefore I am." This famous phrase is not far from the historical Buddha's utterance, "So long as there is an 'I', life is suffering." Hence the simple logical argument is to remove the 'I' from the picture, but the question is, How? Since the dawn of history man has been grappling with this dilemma, how does one detach from oneself, or that which one thinks as and speak from as the'I'? "I Am That," the God of Moses declared of Himself to the Prophet on Mount Sinai in the appearance of a burning bush. " I Am the Lord, thy God and I Am a Jealous God!" Like hmm.. why would God want to say that? Jealous of what? or whom? Thus began my take on religion, yet another epiphany, some time later in my adult life. Religions offered numerous unanswered questions for me but i abide by their dogmas to be the truth as I am but a part of the whole of the mystery yet to be unraveled, if ever in my lifetime. hence I have often declared to myself, I am spiritual, not religious.
So now that I have a glimpse of an idea at what i am liberating myself from, The next on my agenda has been how to go about it and it has taken me over forty years now give or take and I am yet any closer towards my goal. I am still searching which direction I should be headed as my psychic compass keeps spinning this way and that, now south and then north, just when I am headed East, I find myself looking to the West and not to mention the ups and down of a roller coaster ride of a journey I have been taking all in the name of self discovery, getting to know the truth of who I truly am. Thus whenever I utter the word 'I', I have a pretty good idea of who it is that I am referring to.
Monday, April 27, 2020
Sunday, April 26, 2020
My take on what is Nirvana.
Many are asking the same question as our ancestors had asked themselves, "What is the meaning of life?" My answer has always been that, 'Life has no meaning until we give it one.' The meaning we give our self for our own individual existence makes for the true meaning for own individual existence on this planet living among the rest of humanity and the rest of sentient beings. We each and everyone of us create our own meaning, through our own understanding, perceptions and consciousness which originates from within free of conditioning and preconceived ideas from without. Most of humanity exist as drifters following the course set by others before them or by those they perceive to be their Gurus and teachers, their mentors and guides, which is not wrong or right but still is not of their own self discovered truth which according to their own innate nature. Truth comes from within manifesting from the ground of one's own individual ground of being, one's heart and soul and not from external imports no matter how right it may seem; no two are the same when it comes to the nature of truth. This ground of primordial being resides within in the heart as the essence of who you are before your parents conceive you to be. To discover this living truth you have to be able to unlearn, shed all that has been fed to you as you grow up into maturity for who you think you are is not who you truly are; most ancient teachings has testified this principle of truth. It is entirely up to you to begin your own journey towards elf realization or self discovery and until you come to a definite conclusion of who you truly are, you will be nothing more than just another drifter in the highway of life.
Most of us stare outwards for answers while the truth we are looking for lies within; our own truth. We keep looking for answers like window shopping going from one teaching, one faith one method, one teacher to another never looking within us and trusting what we find there. The great teachers of old had each warned us that the phenomenal world is an illusion, it is Maya, it is fleeting, it is unreal and most of all impermanent, subjected to change and decadence. What is permanent and lasting is who you are and who you are is not the result of what you perceive yourself to be from without it is inherent within you, it is you. o have undoubted faith in yourself takes a whole lot of 'soul searching', seeking, and right understanding, it is like peeling an onion layer by layer getting rid of the veils of ignorance that you have accumulated to be your truth from external influences, right or wrong.
Being eclectic in your choices and being able to sit and let go of that which does not bring you any closer to your own inner being, the truth within you is the beginning of your journey of self discovery. A great teacher once said, "Do not take to be the truth that which you read, or taught to you or that which you perceive from the actions of others, but within yourself find truth." Religions,philosophies, science and the whole works that man has manifested over the ages are still not the whole truth, the whole truth is the one that you come to realize for yourself as an unshakable and immovable ground of your own primordial ground -your Dharma Position as the Buddhist calls it. It is upon discovering this state of being that you manifest your truth, this is your Lion's throne from where you express your truth to the universe and the universe will respond to you accordingly.
What the Buddhist calls enlightenment is this final stage of self -discovery or self realization, that there is none above nor below that is greater than you, for you are the Universe, you are as the Hindu calls it Brahman, you are God; however you lord over no one and nothing for you are no greater than the ant crawling at you feet. To become completely liberated you have to abandon all concepts, big or small, high or low, right or wrong, you cease to be who you think yourself to be..."you' are no more. This annihilation of your self is Nirvana. In attaining to this state, you have stepped consciously out of the cycle of life , death and rebirth; game over.
"Before Enlightenment,
chop wood, carry water.
After Enlightenment,
carry water chop wood."
#Nirvana,#Enlightenment,#Life and its meaning.
Most of us stare outwards for answers while the truth we are looking for lies within; our own truth. We keep looking for answers like window shopping going from one teaching, one faith one method, one teacher to another never looking within us and trusting what we find there. The great teachers of old had each warned us that the phenomenal world is an illusion, it is Maya, it is fleeting, it is unreal and most of all impermanent, subjected to change and decadence. What is permanent and lasting is who you are and who you are is not the result of what you perceive yourself to be from without it is inherent within you, it is you. o have undoubted faith in yourself takes a whole lot of 'soul searching', seeking, and right understanding, it is like peeling an onion layer by layer getting rid of the veils of ignorance that you have accumulated to be your truth from external influences, right or wrong.
Being eclectic in your choices and being able to sit and let go of that which does not bring you any closer to your own inner being, the truth within you is the beginning of your journey of self discovery. A great teacher once said, "Do not take to be the truth that which you read, or taught to you or that which you perceive from the actions of others, but within yourself find truth." Religions,philosophies, science and the whole works that man has manifested over the ages are still not the whole truth, the whole truth is the one that you come to realize for yourself as an unshakable and immovable ground of your own primordial ground -your Dharma Position as the Buddhist calls it. It is upon discovering this state of being that you manifest your truth, this is your Lion's throne from where you express your truth to the universe and the universe will respond to you accordingly.
What the Buddhist calls enlightenment is this final stage of self -discovery or self realization, that there is none above nor below that is greater than you, for you are the Universe, you are as the Hindu calls it Brahman, you are God; however you lord over no one and nothing for you are no greater than the ant crawling at you feet. To become completely liberated you have to abandon all concepts, big or small, high or low, right or wrong, you cease to be who you think yourself to be..."you' are no more. This annihilation of your self is Nirvana. In attaining to this state, you have stepped consciously out of the cycle of life , death and rebirth; game over.
"Before Enlightenment,
chop wood, carry water.
After Enlightenment,
carry water chop wood."
#Nirvana,#Enlightenment,#Life and its meaning.
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Taking a walk on the dark side...
Woke up from a dream where i was an actor about to perform my show before a very large audience, however i have not even memorized a single line of my act . It was a musical and I was telling myself, no problem, i can wing it but as always as the dream wore on i started loosing confidence and could not even find a decent pair of pants to wear or a transportation to get me to the show. I woke up feeling relieved that I was only dreaming as i was at a lost on how to fulfill my role. If Jung had still been alive i could have written to him for some answers, but as it is, it looks like I am just going to keep figuring it out on my own or I might get lucky and find someone interested in dream analysis and unravel my dreams for me. What is interesting for me is the similar theme of me not being able to complete or fully carry out my goals, often obstructed by my weaknesses and lack. It is also similar to the recurring dreams i have been having of not being able to get home or reach my destination. It is not that bad when I consider that there was no danger involved and I would often end up with a whole new environment and people in my dreams. One thing I realize for sure thus far is that I have no full powers over my dreams, like I am trapped in uncertainties, unable to take charge or command of any given situation. Whatever is my psychic state while in my dreams, I do feel them in my waking state often, but i always allow for them to manifest themselves without too much attachment to their significance for better or worse. I figure my mind is always in the process of working out something, perhaps from the past or perhaps into the future. Like reading Jung's works I let them slide into their own state of existence, appearing and disappearing like clouds in the empty sky of my own consciousness. I have long ago realized that getting attached to what arises randomly or otherwise in my consciousness is like falling into a state conscious limbo and accomplish nothing worthwhile. It is best to merely observe their coming and goings with detachment, not getting sucked into identifying with or rejecting of what they embody or manifest. I fully accept the fact that all of these arise from my own consciousness and I am the observer making choices of attachment or detachment to what comes and goes.
Human consciousness is a very deep, wide and unfathomable subject, at least i have come to realize thus far. It covers anything and everything that we experience within and without and then some. Waking consciousness is just the tip of the iceberg while the rest lay boiling and broiling or in some case dormant beneath the surface waiting for some stimulus or flint stone usually in the form of an emotional or psychological outburst to trigger a reaction and unleash a content in the form or anger, chaos, jubilation or even pure insanity. What lies beneath the surface is like the primordial gunk that has been accumulating for eons of our human evolution and existence. From the primitive cave dwelling man to what we are today the human psyche has evolved through its basic instinct for survival and leading to its lordship over its environment and other sentient beings, to reaching a psychic level that has enable us to reach out for the stars. We no more sit at the cave mouth staring at the skies every night, we have come very close to touching the stars.
This is the journey of the Collective Consciousness of the human spirit (soul), we have left our mother's womb, and the the dark cold cave of our ancestors and now we are a part of a evolving entity reaching further outwards beyond the reach of any ordinary human consciousness in search for answers - to what? This is in itself a mystery of the ages, like what exactly are we looking for? Yes we are looking for more space, more resources more food more this or that for our creature comfort, but deep inside the question is still laying like a burning ball of fire; what it is exactly the we are looking for in this life, thus far? Is there and answer out there that will satisfy us in the end? Or will we as a species drive ourselves to the point of no return, of self annihilation, or perhaps discover a complete and perfect enlightenment of no return to this realm of existence like the Buddhas. The choice is ours to be made, collectively or as individuals, what would we choose to pursue? The freedom from bondage of attachment to the impermanence of or the liberation from this cycle of life, death and rebirth?
From the beginning of our human evolution man has instinctively looked up to the skies like there is a savior up there waiting for him to call upon and liberate him from this life of impermanence and suffering. There are those who however look within themselves instead and discover the the source of this liberation from within, as the"Temple of the Living God, is within." These venture on towards self discovery, looking for answers from within themselves through various forms of age old form and techniques that would help to quiet the wandering and fleeting mind to allow for a direct and clear perception of the inner truth that lies deep within the unconscious, where the primordial data lies like old files waiting to be excess- ed. Only those who are awakened to the truth and free from the conditioning of so called normal life, can penetrate into this mystery. The door into the unconscious is unfathomable to the lay mind, or the mind that is trapped in blind faith and false hope, in ignorance and blindness.
Human consciousness is a very deep, wide and unfathomable subject, at least i have come to realize thus far. It covers anything and everything that we experience within and without and then some. Waking consciousness is just the tip of the iceberg while the rest lay boiling and broiling or in some case dormant beneath the surface waiting for some stimulus or flint stone usually in the form of an emotional or psychological outburst to trigger a reaction and unleash a content in the form or anger, chaos, jubilation or even pure insanity. What lies beneath the surface is like the primordial gunk that has been accumulating for eons of our human evolution and existence. From the primitive cave dwelling man to what we are today the human psyche has evolved through its basic instinct for survival and leading to its lordship over its environment and other sentient beings, to reaching a psychic level that has enable us to reach out for the stars. We no more sit at the cave mouth staring at the skies every night, we have come very close to touching the stars.
This is the journey of the Collective Consciousness of the human spirit (soul), we have left our mother's womb, and the the dark cold cave of our ancestors and now we are a part of a evolving entity reaching further outwards beyond the reach of any ordinary human consciousness in search for answers - to what? This is in itself a mystery of the ages, like what exactly are we looking for? Yes we are looking for more space, more resources more food more this or that for our creature comfort, but deep inside the question is still laying like a burning ball of fire; what it is exactly the we are looking for in this life, thus far? Is there and answer out there that will satisfy us in the end? Or will we as a species drive ourselves to the point of no return, of self annihilation, or perhaps discover a complete and perfect enlightenment of no return to this realm of existence like the Buddhas. The choice is ours to be made, collectively or as individuals, what would we choose to pursue? The freedom from bondage of attachment to the impermanence of or the liberation from this cycle of life, death and rebirth?
From the beginning of our human evolution man has instinctively looked up to the skies like there is a savior up there waiting for him to call upon and liberate him from this life of impermanence and suffering. There are those who however look within themselves instead and discover the the source of this liberation from within, as the"Temple of the Living God, is within." These venture on towards self discovery, looking for answers from within themselves through various forms of age old form and techniques that would help to quiet the wandering and fleeting mind to allow for a direct and clear perception of the inner truth that lies deep within the unconscious, where the primordial data lies like old files waiting to be excess- ed. Only those who are awakened to the truth and free from the conditioning of so called normal life, can penetrate into this mystery. The door into the unconscious is unfathomable to the lay mind, or the mind that is trapped in blind faith and false hope, in ignorance and blindness.
Vision 2020 - Malaysians are going blind.
The first day of the fasting month of Ramadan begins today and Muslims all over the world are on an even of the deeper lockdown on top of the COVID -19 lockdown. No food or water and no smoking for that matter. My home State of Penang has been doing well with not new cases being reported for the past week, however the lockdown is still in effect and the people are observing it as best they could. I have given up on paying too much attention to who or what or where of the COVID-10 scenario worldwide albeit in the aspect of politics, economics. social, or religious perspective. There is so much take on the pandemic that it has become a tale for the history books to tell in years to come; however the truth will never be told. Like the 911 event in New York, there will be conspiracy theories and cover ups till the day when it all really makes no difference anymore for the damage is done.
On the personal level, I find myself pretty much procrastinating at doing any significant productive venture and most of my hours are spent wasting away on NETFLIX watching one series after another on top of movies and documentaries, this and hours on fb; I feel sometimes like I am already dead and waiting for the trial to begin. Oh I do have to do house chores like cooking and laundry, feeding the cat and the birds, watering the plants and taking out the garbage, shopping for groceries etc; and off course reading up on Jung and and doing my meditation and yoga exercises, and not to mention doing what i am doing now, posting this Blog entry. In making this entry, boring as it may seem. itis so as to be able to look back and have a good idea what had been during this era of home lockdown and COVID-19. during the fasting month of Ramadan of 2020.
On the spiritual level if I may call it such, I feel like I am not as drawn towards making any great effort in diving deeper into the uncharted waters of my inner being or my psyche or psychic levels as Jung wold have put it. I am however making an attempt at understanding Jung and his thoughts on the matter through reading his works but with a little more detachment and more or less simply browsing through, picking out what I can make sense of and letting go of what is not relevant. Perhaps I keep reminding myself, I will make another run through in reading the works and slowly get a handle on what Jung is saying to me. Perhaps it is another waste of effort and time in this pursuit to understand a monumental work on psychology, but as far as time is concern what better time then now, when you are trapped in your home and carrying out your devotional duty as a Muslim during this month of Ramadan.
"I am of the opinion that the psyche is the most tremendous fact of human life. Indeed it is the mother of all human facts; civilization and its destroyer, war " - C.G.Jung.
As I read Jung i am beginning to realize more and more of how much I really need to understand my inner works, the relationship of my body, mind and spirit, (soul). It is great to learn the ways of Vedanta and or the teachings of the Buddha in regard to life, however without the understanding of how the human mind actually works from the most scientific and psychological perspective, it can be just as confusing and a touch and go at the most when put to practice. The human consciousness, (unconscious) as is admitted by all schools of the sciences, philosophical as well as religious, is the most mysterious and impenetrable entity to study and fully understand. Yes, on reflecting upon the matter i feel like I am merely crawling while learning how to walk is yet a thing of the future where the human psyche is concern. Yet something tells me that this I need to learn and have good handle on if I were to have a strong and impeccable knowledge of who I truly am.
According to TRT News, Global death toll to date is 190000 and climbing, just for the record on this day of the first day of Ramadan,2020. The aspiring date for the country as a whole, Vision 2020 the brainchild of the former twice PimeMinister, Tun Mahathir Mohammad and what a vision it has turned out to be so far as the country still reeling from the effects of mismanagement and corruption, to down right daylight robbery by the previous governments and the fate of the people dangling in the wind of economic uncertainty, racism has and is still being used as a political leverage for those who has no agenda to promote in order to gain power; Malaysia's Vision 2020 is turning to be her worse nightmare. Then again what good does it do to moan and groan over spilled milk. nothing happens without a cause, it is said, the Malaysian themselves are the cause of their own demise, or so it seems.
#C,G,Jung,#COVID-19,#Penang,#Vision 2020.
On the personal level, I find myself pretty much procrastinating at doing any significant productive venture and most of my hours are spent wasting away on NETFLIX watching one series after another on top of movies and documentaries, this and hours on fb; I feel sometimes like I am already dead and waiting for the trial to begin. Oh I do have to do house chores like cooking and laundry, feeding the cat and the birds, watering the plants and taking out the garbage, shopping for groceries etc; and off course reading up on Jung and and doing my meditation and yoga exercises, and not to mention doing what i am doing now, posting this Blog entry. In making this entry, boring as it may seem. itis so as to be able to look back and have a good idea what had been during this era of home lockdown and COVID-19. during the fasting month of Ramadan of 2020.
On the spiritual level if I may call it such, I feel like I am not as drawn towards making any great effort in diving deeper into the uncharted waters of my inner being or my psyche or psychic levels as Jung wold have put it. I am however making an attempt at understanding Jung and his thoughts on the matter through reading his works but with a little more detachment and more or less simply browsing through, picking out what I can make sense of and letting go of what is not relevant. Perhaps I keep reminding myself, I will make another run through in reading the works and slowly get a handle on what Jung is saying to me. Perhaps it is another waste of effort and time in this pursuit to understand a monumental work on psychology, but as far as time is concern what better time then now, when you are trapped in your home and carrying out your devotional duty as a Muslim during this month of Ramadan.
"I am of the opinion that the psyche is the most tremendous fact of human life. Indeed it is the mother of all human facts; civilization and its destroyer, war " - C.G.Jung.
As I read Jung i am beginning to realize more and more of how much I really need to understand my inner works, the relationship of my body, mind and spirit, (soul). It is great to learn the ways of Vedanta and or the teachings of the Buddha in regard to life, however without the understanding of how the human mind actually works from the most scientific and psychological perspective, it can be just as confusing and a touch and go at the most when put to practice. The human consciousness, (unconscious) as is admitted by all schools of the sciences, philosophical as well as religious, is the most mysterious and impenetrable entity to study and fully understand. Yes, on reflecting upon the matter i feel like I am merely crawling while learning how to walk is yet a thing of the future where the human psyche is concern. Yet something tells me that this I need to learn and have good handle on if I were to have a strong and impeccable knowledge of who I truly am.
According to TRT News, Global death toll to date is 190000 and climbing, just for the record on this day of the first day of Ramadan,2020. The aspiring date for the country as a whole, Vision 2020 the brainchild of the former twice PimeMinister, Tun Mahathir Mohammad and what a vision it has turned out to be so far as the country still reeling from the effects of mismanagement and corruption, to down right daylight robbery by the previous governments and the fate of the people dangling in the wind of economic uncertainty, racism has and is still being used as a political leverage for those who has no agenda to promote in order to gain power; Malaysia's Vision 2020 is turning to be her worse nightmare. Then again what good does it do to moan and groan over spilled milk. nothing happens without a cause, it is said, the Malaysian themselves are the cause of their own demise, or so it seems.
#C,G,Jung,#COVID-19,#Penang,#Vision 2020.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Retrospecting my past works.
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| The knowing of oneself is the end of suffering -J. Krishnamurti. |
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| ".Finally it should be remarked that emptiness is the great feminine secret. It is something absolutely alien to man; the chasm , the unplumbed depths, the Yin." -C.G.Jung. |
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| " The absolute is beyond space, ..do not identify yourself with the body,... identify with the formless and surrender to it. "- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.. |
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| "The characteristic of the subtle body is consciousness, ...only prana comes and goes...the idea that I am the body is ignoranse, your true nature is pure, luminous consciousness." - Sri N. Maharaj. |
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| "It is only when give up forcing or controlling anything that you get the kind of control you wanted, but never knew existed."- Lao Tzu |
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The best way, the effective way to bring inner strength , inner calmness and inner peace and with that we can handle all problems more realistically more effectively, So I believe, warm heartedness, compassionate heart, is the key factor for meaningful life." - H.H. The Dalai Lama. |
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Are you still with me?
Have been holding back from writing for a while now simply because there is just so much happening that I did not want to dive into the middle of it joining in the chaos and confusion that has engulfed the mass around the world with yet m ore to come. It is short of the declaration of WW3 that could top off this whole scenario that humanity is facing today. For once man has a common enemy which has just about brought him to his senses or at least to most as there are still those who whose pride and arrogance yet still held high against the unseen killer that has no discrimination towards colors, creed or religious it denomination. However it is no sense into going into the details of it but needless to say mankind has been dealt a blow and is facing a catastrophic consequences if and when this pandemic ends.
With this ongoing scenario as a prop I have decided to take on reading C.G. Jung's, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious as a study. It is no easy read no doubt but I will try to make as much as much sense as I can as Jung's works has always been an intrigue to me. I believe that with a better understanding of the psychology of the 'unconscious' I will have a deeper understanding of my quest for understanding who I truly am. Thus far having covered more than half the book I am just beginning to have a grasp on the nature of the unconscious and how i has the affect on my conscious mind as well as my dreams, perception and my insights and instincts etc. Somehow I feel like this is the final cap to my quest for the answers to the question - who am I? A question that I have asked myself for over forty to fifty years of my life. It is not that I expect to find any easy answers or rational explanation as far from it seems the more I understand Jung the farther I find myself from reaching a conclusion.
Instead of finding a clear answer to my questions about who I am i find that I am being introduced to new and formative characters that I never knew existed in my psyche. Characters like the 'shadow', the animus and anima, the Dore, the 'trickster' and a host of others that somehow and often time influences my the choices I make, the decisions, as I said before my dreams and imaginations etc. The influence of the unconscious upon my conscious or thinking mind may be subtle and imperceptible often times but I hope to become more aware and open to receiving these influences as much as I can such it will help transcend this phenomenal existence and reveal a deeper meaning to life than what i am being exposed to to be real. As when I say, I am whole, what does it truly mean to be whole, complete and perfect? I have had my own inkling as to how far or how deep the meaning can be but here is what Jung has to offer on this subject
"I use the term "individuation" to denote a process by which a person becomes a psychological in-dividual, that is a separate, individual unity or "whole." It is generally assumed that consciousness is the whole of the psychological individual. But knowledge of the phenomena that can only be explained on the hypothesis of unconscious psychic processes makes it doubtful whether the ego and its contents are in fact identical with the "whole." If unconscious processes exist at all, they must belong to the totality of the individual, even though they are not components of the conscious ego. If they were part of the ego they would necessarily be conscious, because everything that is directly related to the ego is conscious. Consciousness can even be equated with the relation between the ego and the psychic contents. But unconscious phenomena are so related to the ego that most people do not hesitate to deny the existences outright."
I realize that to understand Jung's works is no easy matter however I feel like most of what he has been saying thus far has some connection to my own studies and i have read Jung before while in college but never truly made it a study as I am trying to now. I have been trying to study my dreams too of late more so than in the past cause dreams intrigues me and sometime I look forward to going to bed simply because I looked forward to dreaming. There was a time in my younger days when I was able to practically orchestrate my own dreams like a movie director. I would dream of being a cowboy, or Tarzan of the Apes and so forth and true enough in my sleep I would be riding and running through the forest. Then in my adult life I had a few really serious dreams that I cannot forget so vivid and intense they were. If there is any issue that is recurring in my dreams of late, it is the fact that I will find myself trying to get home or somewhere and never making it. It is like I am lost along a long journey and finding it harder and harder to find my way home. However this does not mean that the journey itself is not interesting or even challenging.
In my last memorable a few nights ago I dreamed that I was ordained a Buddhist monk in the Zen Tradition and short while after still in the same dream I was also ordained in the Tibetan Tradition. I woke up feeling good about the dream but at the same time perplexed. I can understand being ordained a Zen Monk but why a Tibetan Monk? The ceremony was no small matter, it was an elaborate affair and i knew most of the people at the ceremony and felt being ther dressed in the Black Zen monk's robes and later the Safron and maroon colored robes of the Tibetan schools...I still maintain at heart I know i am a Muslim by faith and so the dream has thrown yet another curve ball for me to juggle with.
Hence my dreams alone has made me wonder where does it all comes from, dreams, weird thoughts and images, crazy ideas and out of this world imaginings, where do they originate from? What makes one dwells more so on negative traits and thoughts than positive ones? Why does one assumes or even projects the worse towards our fellow man more so than wishing him the best of possibilities? What is fear? Why am I jealous? why do I envy? why do I steal and covet what does not belong to me even when i realize that it is wrong? What makes me say things i do not mean, think of the things that I never even dream of being capable of normally, why do I act in such a manner that hurt others and myself?
to be contd...
With this ongoing scenario as a prop I have decided to take on reading C.G. Jung's, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious as a study. It is no easy read no doubt but I will try to make as much as much sense as I can as Jung's works has always been an intrigue to me. I believe that with a better understanding of the psychology of the 'unconscious' I will have a deeper understanding of my quest for understanding who I truly am. Thus far having covered more than half the book I am just beginning to have a grasp on the nature of the unconscious and how i has the affect on my conscious mind as well as my dreams, perception and my insights and instincts etc. Somehow I feel like this is the final cap to my quest for the answers to the question - who am I? A question that I have asked myself for over forty to fifty years of my life. It is not that I expect to find any easy answers or rational explanation as far from it seems the more I understand Jung the farther I find myself from reaching a conclusion.
Instead of finding a clear answer to my questions about who I am i find that I am being introduced to new and formative characters that I never knew existed in my psyche. Characters like the 'shadow', the animus and anima, the Dore, the 'trickster' and a host of others that somehow and often time influences my the choices I make, the decisions, as I said before my dreams and imaginations etc. The influence of the unconscious upon my conscious or thinking mind may be subtle and imperceptible often times but I hope to become more aware and open to receiving these influences as much as I can such it will help transcend this phenomenal existence and reveal a deeper meaning to life than what i am being exposed to to be real. As when I say, I am whole, what does it truly mean to be whole, complete and perfect? I have had my own inkling as to how far or how deep the meaning can be but here is what Jung has to offer on this subject
"I use the term "individuation" to denote a process by which a person becomes a psychological in-dividual, that is a separate, individual unity or "whole." It is generally assumed that consciousness is the whole of the psychological individual. But knowledge of the phenomena that can only be explained on the hypothesis of unconscious psychic processes makes it doubtful whether the ego and its contents are in fact identical with the "whole." If unconscious processes exist at all, they must belong to the totality of the individual, even though they are not components of the conscious ego. If they were part of the ego they would necessarily be conscious, because everything that is directly related to the ego is conscious. Consciousness can even be equated with the relation between the ego and the psychic contents. But unconscious phenomena are so related to the ego that most people do not hesitate to deny the existences outright."
I realize that to understand Jung's works is no easy matter however I feel like most of what he has been saying thus far has some connection to my own studies and i have read Jung before while in college but never truly made it a study as I am trying to now. I have been trying to study my dreams too of late more so than in the past cause dreams intrigues me and sometime I look forward to going to bed simply because I looked forward to dreaming. There was a time in my younger days when I was able to practically orchestrate my own dreams like a movie director. I would dream of being a cowboy, or Tarzan of the Apes and so forth and true enough in my sleep I would be riding and running through the forest. Then in my adult life I had a few really serious dreams that I cannot forget so vivid and intense they were. If there is any issue that is recurring in my dreams of late, it is the fact that I will find myself trying to get home or somewhere and never making it. It is like I am lost along a long journey and finding it harder and harder to find my way home. However this does not mean that the journey itself is not interesting or even challenging.
In my last memorable a few nights ago I dreamed that I was ordained a Buddhist monk in the Zen Tradition and short while after still in the same dream I was also ordained in the Tibetan Tradition. I woke up feeling good about the dream but at the same time perplexed. I can understand being ordained a Zen Monk but why a Tibetan Monk? The ceremony was no small matter, it was an elaborate affair and i knew most of the people at the ceremony and felt being ther dressed in the Black Zen monk's robes and later the Safron and maroon colored robes of the Tibetan schools...I still maintain at heart I know i am a Muslim by faith and so the dream has thrown yet another curve ball for me to juggle with.
Hence my dreams alone has made me wonder where does it all comes from, dreams, weird thoughts and images, crazy ideas and out of this world imaginings, where do they originate from? What makes one dwells more so on negative traits and thoughts than positive ones? Why does one assumes or even projects the worse towards our fellow man more so than wishing him the best of possibilities? What is fear? Why am I jealous? why do I envy? why do I steal and covet what does not belong to me even when i realize that it is wrong? What makes me say things i do not mean, think of the things that I never even dream of being capable of normally, why do I act in such a manner that hurt others and myself?
to be contd...
Tuesday, April 07, 2020
You are not afraid of Death?-
There has been an increase in spiritual as well religious postings in the Face Book of late, has people become more Divine conscious due to the threat of the COVID -19 pandemic? Perhaps the fear of death and dying has hit closer to home and it has made most weary of what might happen if one is infected and the question of preparedness to meet the Maker, or heaven or hell has loomed up in the minds of many. Death has become a pandemic issue to most, and those with any thoughts and ideas about the nature of death are beginning to come forward to share their take on this age old subject that has plagued mankind; all that lives must die is the norm. In no other religion is the subject more predominant than Islam where most of the religious leaders and teachers are up in arms with the threats of hell as the main theme for the masses that has been neglecting the call. Sometimes i feel this is all there is to it; fear. It is uncanny how these religious teachers can describe to the very detail of how bad hell fire is as though they have gone and died and experienced it themselves. For a Muslim it seems to die is the pits!
Heaven is for those who have observed and lived by the Five Pillars of Islam and of the faith in the Six revelations of which most good Muslims I know of adhered to throughout their lives and often I envy them their faith and commitment to it. Off course there is no guarantee even if one does, that one would end up in heaven if one observes these precepts as one's human character is never perfect in words thoughts and deeds, being human. Then there are those that dare to venture out of the religious box to discover the truth for themselves, perhaps myself included; I find myself walking the thin ice, or the tight rope of faith. Am I right or am i wrong, and my soul is on the line for whatever the answer may be, and sometimes it is the most torturous moments when these questions arises and they do more often as I get older and death is around the corner if not the next. This COVID-19 lock down, stay home and observe social distancing has added a time factor to the scenario as it gives me time to further dwell on the subject in more thorough and detailed manner than I normally would with all the time i got, and this I am doing.
And it brings be back to square one, the question that i have been grappling with, the Koan, the Mondo; who am I, or who is this I that is afraid of death. It seems sometimes I am more afraid of death than God Himself, like death is my ticket to being with my God. What is also most disturbing in my mind is what comes after. I have grown up living among the people who has been preaching the wrath of God in the form of hell fire most of my childhood and now adult life and my mind has attached to this idea like it or not. Having spent almost my entire adult life in self=searching, self -discovering and quest for the truth, i find myself still bogged down with a deluded sense of doubt. This doubt arises to haunt me every time I read or hear the the preachers and teachers laying it thick over the religious doctrines and consequences of not being in the fold of the believers and the faithfuls. It is scary, the least to say, even for a stubborn 70 year young man who had take many a wrong turns in life that most people would cringe from had they been aware of it. Yes even for one who had once or twice pointed his middle finger up into space aimed at the Maker.
Am i afraid of death? off course i am and he who says otherwise is either a fool or a liar or he or she has discovered the ultimate truth for himself of his true nature. " I Am, That, I Am." I am the beginning and the end, Alpha and the Omega; I am the Complete and Perfect Enlightened Being, I am death and life all rolled into one, I am good and evil like the flip side of a coin, I am gone beyond, the concept of having been gone to the the other shore, 'I' Am, No More. These thoughts though they come to me as naturally as my fingertips could tap on the keyboard to write them down are still infected by the doubtful egotistical mind, the habitual conditioned mind, the mind that created the fear of death and the rest of the causes for suffering. This dual thinking mind that for ages the great ones have attempted to understand and overcome has been the downfall of many a great Saints and Prophets alike throughout human history. Those who have been able to crack the Golden Egg are today either worshiped as Gods or raised to the Greatest Heights of the Perfect Man, like the Prophet of Allah, or the Complete and Enlightened Being like the Buddha, or condemned to death like the Christ.
"Man cannot stand a meaningless life..." - Jung.
" I want someone to tell me. answer if you can, I want someone to tell me, what is the soul of a Man."
"Son of God" - Hans Zimmer
Who Am I?
#COVID-19, #Jung,#Son of God,#Death
Heaven is for those who have observed and lived by the Five Pillars of Islam and of the faith in the Six revelations of which most good Muslims I know of adhered to throughout their lives and often I envy them their faith and commitment to it. Off course there is no guarantee even if one does, that one would end up in heaven if one observes these precepts as one's human character is never perfect in words thoughts and deeds, being human. Then there are those that dare to venture out of the religious box to discover the truth for themselves, perhaps myself included; I find myself walking the thin ice, or the tight rope of faith. Am I right or am i wrong, and my soul is on the line for whatever the answer may be, and sometimes it is the most torturous moments when these questions arises and they do more often as I get older and death is around the corner if not the next. This COVID-19 lock down, stay home and observe social distancing has added a time factor to the scenario as it gives me time to further dwell on the subject in more thorough and detailed manner than I normally would with all the time i got, and this I am doing.
And it brings be back to square one, the question that i have been grappling with, the Koan, the Mondo; who am I, or who is this I that is afraid of death. It seems sometimes I am more afraid of death than God Himself, like death is my ticket to being with my God. What is also most disturbing in my mind is what comes after. I have grown up living among the people who has been preaching the wrath of God in the form of hell fire most of my childhood and now adult life and my mind has attached to this idea like it or not. Having spent almost my entire adult life in self=searching, self -discovering and quest for the truth, i find myself still bogged down with a deluded sense of doubt. This doubt arises to haunt me every time I read or hear the the preachers and teachers laying it thick over the religious doctrines and consequences of not being in the fold of the believers and the faithfuls. It is scary, the least to say, even for a stubborn 70 year young man who had take many a wrong turns in life that most people would cringe from had they been aware of it. Yes even for one who had once or twice pointed his middle finger up into space aimed at the Maker.
Am i afraid of death? off course i am and he who says otherwise is either a fool or a liar or he or she has discovered the ultimate truth for himself of his true nature. " I Am, That, I Am." I am the beginning and the end, Alpha and the Omega; I am the Complete and Perfect Enlightened Being, I am death and life all rolled into one, I am good and evil like the flip side of a coin, I am gone beyond, the concept of having been gone to the the other shore, 'I' Am, No More. These thoughts though they come to me as naturally as my fingertips could tap on the keyboard to write them down are still infected by the doubtful egotistical mind, the habitual conditioned mind, the mind that created the fear of death and the rest of the causes for suffering. This dual thinking mind that for ages the great ones have attempted to understand and overcome has been the downfall of many a great Saints and Prophets alike throughout human history. Those who have been able to crack the Golden Egg are today either worshiped as Gods or raised to the Greatest Heights of the Perfect Man, like the Prophet of Allah, or the Complete and Enlightened Being like the Buddha, or condemned to death like the Christ.
"Man cannot stand a meaningless life..." - Jung.
" I want someone to tell me. answer if you can, I want someone to tell me, what is the soul of a Man."
"Son of God" - Hans Zimmer
Who Am I?
#COVID-19, #Jung,#Son of God,#Death
Sunday, April 05, 2020
C.G. Jung - Revisited.
Almost a month now that i have refrained from making a post like ever since the Virus hits the fan in the pandemic way. My mind has been sent in a spin as i am faced with new challenges and exposed to new possibilities. The Azan or call to prayer is coming from the State mosque even as i am typing and in itself i know that the call would not draw too many to the mosque due to the restrictions. The Muezin or caller even sounds sad and distant as though God Him -self is observing social distancing. I vowed no to write about the pandemic but it almost seem impossible as the subject is attached to my consciousness like a virus. So here I am making an effort to jump start my blog entry after a few weeks of retreat from this, what has become a habitual although somewhat rewarding activity.
I have been spending a whole lot of my time entertaining my Face Book friends and also watching movies on Netflix while also listening to music and lectures on You Tube; the normal things most of us do when at home and more so these days when forced to stay at home. I am also taking my time reading the works of Carl Jung a very tough read as most who attempted to would testify.I am now working on his works on the Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, translated R.F.C Hull. This is one of the books from the complete or almost collection of Jug's works I have which I stumbled upon and bought from the 'Jimat' or Trift Store a second hand outlet that belonged to the Salvation Army. My daughter loves going to this store to find good quality second hand clothing. It is not an easy reading as I said especially when I have my two adult children to content with due to the lock down. My daughter has just been laid off from work by her boss for obvious reason and my son finds out that he has to do work making sales online.
So I am going to share a little of what i have read of Jung that has resonate my own self discoveries over the years.
"I usually describe the Supraordinate personality as the "self" thus making a sharp distinctive between the ego, which, as is well known, extends only as far as the conscious mind and the 'whole' of personality, which includes the unconscious as well as the conscious component. The ego is thus related to the self as part to whole. To that extent the self is superordinate...Because of its unconsciousness component the self is so far removed from the conscious mind that it can only partially expressed by human figures; the other part of it has to be expressed by objective, abstract symbols. The human figures are father ans son, mother and daughter, King and Queens, God and Goddes. Theriomorphic, ( Gods having animal forms), symbols are dragon, snake, elephants, lion, bear and other powerful animals, or again the spider, crab, butterfly, beetle, worm, etc. These lead to the geometrical figures like the circle, the sphere, the square, the quaternity, the clock, the firmament, and so on. The indefinite extent of the human unconscious component makes a comprehensive description of the human personality impossible...."
The above quote just about encapsulates the beginning lines of my lifelong mantra or mental auto suggestion which i have been evoking for many years now,;
"I am Whole, Complete and Perfect,
Strong and Powerful, Loving and Compassionate..."
Jung's quote has now put the word 'whole' in my Mantra on whole higher level or lower for that matter. The 'I' or the self too has become more clarified in its nature in relationship to the whole.
The ego has been placed in its own state in comparison to the rest of the self and the whole. Its not that I had grasp whatsoever in the past of these statures of the human personality, it is so well put by Jung in this case, which is why he is known as the," Poet of the Mind." To understand Jung is like unraveling the mysteries of the Universal Consciousness itself.
I have been spending a whole lot of my time entertaining my Face Book friends and also watching movies on Netflix while also listening to music and lectures on You Tube; the normal things most of us do when at home and more so these days when forced to stay at home. I am also taking my time reading the works of Carl Jung a very tough read as most who attempted to would testify.I am now working on his works on the Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, translated R.F.C Hull. This is one of the books from the complete or almost collection of Jug's works I have which I stumbled upon and bought from the 'Jimat' or Trift Store a second hand outlet that belonged to the Salvation Army. My daughter loves going to this store to find good quality second hand clothing. It is not an easy reading as I said especially when I have my two adult children to content with due to the lock down. My daughter has just been laid off from work by her boss for obvious reason and my son finds out that he has to do work making sales online.
So I am going to share a little of what i have read of Jung that has resonate my own self discoveries over the years.
"I usually describe the Supraordinate personality as the "self" thus making a sharp distinctive between the ego, which, as is well known, extends only as far as the conscious mind and the 'whole' of personality, which includes the unconscious as well as the conscious component. The ego is thus related to the self as part to whole. To that extent the self is superordinate...Because of its unconsciousness component the self is so far removed from the conscious mind that it can only partially expressed by human figures; the other part of it has to be expressed by objective, abstract symbols. The human figures are father ans son, mother and daughter, King and Queens, God and Goddes. Theriomorphic, ( Gods having animal forms), symbols are dragon, snake, elephants, lion, bear and other powerful animals, or again the spider, crab, butterfly, beetle, worm, etc. These lead to the geometrical figures like the circle, the sphere, the square, the quaternity, the clock, the firmament, and so on. The indefinite extent of the human unconscious component makes a comprehensive description of the human personality impossible...."
The above quote just about encapsulates the beginning lines of my lifelong mantra or mental auto suggestion which i have been evoking for many years now,;
"I am Whole, Complete and Perfect,
Strong and Powerful, Loving and Compassionate..."
Jung's quote has now put the word 'whole' in my Mantra on whole higher level or lower for that matter. The 'I' or the self too has become more clarified in its nature in relationship to the whole.
The ego has been placed in its own state in comparison to the rest of the self and the whole. Its not that I had grasp whatsoever in the past of these statures of the human personality, it is so well put by Jung in this case, which is why he is known as the," Poet of the Mind." To understand Jung is like unraveling the mysteries of the Universal Consciousness itself.
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