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Wednesday 27 February 2019

Improving Upon Our Weaknesses



Written by Mathew Naismith

I wrote the following to further explain where I was coming from in relation to my last post, Human Existence - A Balancing Act

"Indeed my friend, we are one despite our differences in culture and mind. Because I am not into what is good and bad, wrong and right, negative and positive, unlike the western mind in control, there are no negative or positive tags in relation to the western and eastern mind. As I will explain in my next post, both the western and eastern mind has a vital part to play in life for they are apart of life."

Also:

"Look at this way, the western mind most often desires to separate the physical/materiel world from the spiritual, only desiring to be of the spiritual or material world. The eastern mind doesn't do this as it is of oneness, a oneness that sees a connection between the material and spiritual world in the absence of separation and division.

The western spiritual mind often determines that the material world is unbecoming as the western mind is quite critical within its judgement. The eastern mind isn't critical within its judgement but simply observant of what can be improved. As it is stated, the western mind will build upon its strengths while the eastern mind improves upon its weaknesses. One creates balance, the other an imbalance!!"

In all honesty, how many western minded spiritual people do you know desire to separate the spiritual world from the material world? I really don't think being spiritual is to do with separating one from the other more, in truth quite the opposite. The sense of oneness to start with is the realisation that everything is connected and of one. Yes, it is difficult while becoming spiritually aware that the desire to feel more in harmony, secure and loving, is more desirable over and above anything else that doesn't fulfil these desires but we must avoid this occurring. The desire to dispel everything in some way that isn't of what we desire to feel is quite strong.

Let's be honest here, the western mind is going to have a far harder time of becoming spiritually aware than the eastern mind, this is why it is wise to get to know your eastern mind. The western mind is perfect for getting to know the material world as the tools created to do so by the western mind is unlimited, as the eastern mind is perfect for getting to know the spiritual world.

Yes, as of the eastern mind, the western mind has its place, problems only occur when the western mind takes over from the eastern mind in all of us. Considering that the western mind is of taking control, and the eastern mind is of releasing ourselves of control, it is by no mistake that a predominant western mind will take control of what the eastern mind controls. The funny thing is, the eastern mind never works by taking control but of releasing itself from control, within this action, the human self is released from its various limitations that control creates.

Control means to take power to direct or determine; to determine a result in accordance with the control expressed thus limiting all expressions to certain variables or values.

As the western mind will no doubt take offence to what I am stating here, the eastern mind won't, even when stating that the western mind is better at knowing about the material world than the eastern mind. The eastern mind simply sees this as something that needs to be worked on, not just something to express disdain towards unlike the western mind that is a lot easier to offend than the eastern mind. What is the western minds strength? Knowing about the material world. Where is the world at, at present in relation to the eastern and western mind? The world is obviously predominantly expressive of the western mind. What ability does the western mind focus on the most? Its strengths while even deliberately ignoring its weaknesses, at times at any cost!! A good example of this is the environment we are destroying, the very thing humans rely on for their existence. Yes, the Chinese are destroying their own environment as well, only because they are predominately expressive of  the western mind to compete in a western minded controlled world.

So what is a western dominated world focusing on the most? Its strengths, which is control, power, material wealth and global dominance, etc, also, anything and everything that doesn't pertain or is relevant to its strengths. This is why westernised spirituality, even when based on eastern spirituality, is often used to take more control and gain more power while in the material world. The western spiritual mind simply primarily focuses on the spiritual is in relation to taking more control, not what eastern spirituality is about, releasing ourselves from control.

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” – Lao Tzu

 “As spiritual searchers we need to become freer and freer of the attachment to our own smallness in which we get occupied with me-me-me. Pondering on large ideas or standing in front of things which remind us of a vast scale can free us from acquisitiveness and competitiveness and from our likes and dislikes. If we sit with an increasing stillness of the body, and attune our mind to the sky or to the ocean or to the myriad stars at night, or any other indicators of vastness, the mind gradually stills and the heart is filled with quiet joy. Also recalling our own experiences in which we acted generously or with compassion for the simple delight of it without expectation of any gain can give us more confidence in the existence of a deeper goodness from which we may deviate. (39)”  – Ravi Ravindra

“Life is a balance between holding on and letting go.” Rumi

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need." Tao Te Ching

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