MALEVOLENCE

MALEVOLENCE

Unless we see the face of malevolence in its extreme form, we do not understand its nature or appreciate its full horror and we make excuses for its more subtle forms, especially as it appears in ourselves.


photo: with thanks via http://www.ffonts.net/Malevolent-z.font

Why Guilt Often Backfires

Why Guilt Often Backfires

When we act from guilt, our motivation is to make ourselves look or feel better, not necessarily serve or benefit the other.  Because we are not trying to give but trying to get something from the other, they experience us as predatory or manipulative. They will react by withdrawing  their approval or complain and demand more.  In either case, our attempts will backfire.

photo: with thanks via Maarten Maarten Appel on facebook

SEPARATION

SEPARATION Understand that if you look at the rest of humanity and say: "I'm different, I'm this but not that, I'm part of this not that" then you cling to separation, to a separate identity, to illusion. And you suffer from alienation, hatred and fear. If you want an identity that distinguishes you, that is "better" than the identity of the other, then what are you doing on the spiritual path? Drop the talk about nearness, union and gnosis. This path is about all or nothing. There's nothing half-hearted or partial about this endeavour. There's no exclusion, exception, or choice. You have to accept All of it - the profane and sublime; the base and noble; the dark and light; the ugly and beautiful; the pain and joy. You have to embrace the alien, the enemy, the tormentor, the other as yourself. This is Union. All else is separation. photo: with thanks via Maarten Maarten Appel

HEALING

HEALING Self-pity, resentment, fear and despair exacerbate disease. if you think you are unique in your suffering; if you are asking why me; if you have no faith and you think I cannot do what is required to go through it, then you are aiding your disease. It is natural to experience these emotions when one is very sick, but understand that indulging yourself in them will make you sicker. Accept the totality of the situation and yourself. Then deliberately choose gratitude, forgiveness, trust and faith to heal. and Allah is the best of Providers and Healers. photo: with thanks via Maarten Maarten Appel

Gratitude For The Petty Tyrant

Gratitude For The Petty Tyrant If there is someone in your life who drives you to distraction but with whom you cannot or will not sever ties, then this person is your "petty tyrant" (PT) in the words of Carlos Castaneda. One way to work on your relationship with this PT is to deliberately seek out what this person does for you for which you are grateful. Every time you have a resentful or violent thought about the PT, deliberately seek a reason to be grateful to this person. Initially this will be take effort. But overtime, you will find it less of a struggle and you will find more and more reasons to be grateful to the person. Eventually, the gratitude will become more effortless and spontaneous and it will wipe the grime of resentment from your vision. And most amazingly, you will find more and more things the PT did in the past as well, for which you are grateful to them -- things that you had never seen before. In other words, your gratitude in the present will transmute your resentment and not only change your present but also change your perception, experience and narrative of the past! Even if this person continues to irritate you, the intensity of your emotion will be milder, you will find it easier to restrain yourself during a trying interaction, and you will get over your irritation faster. You will find your heart filled with more and more love for this same person. SubhanAllah! image: with thanks via Maarten Maarten Appel on facebook