I’m so thrilled to be logging into our new Be Here Now community! My first post is about what’s happening in my inner life as of late.
I am one of those sensitive beings that has been working through some negative emotions especially in relationship to people in my life. Anger, resentment, bitterness to name a few…
A few days ago I was trying to tie ‘Love Serve Remember’ into a project I was working on so I went browsing through Ram Dass’ Teachings page and found this great story about Maharaj-ji’s 3 Teachings. The article definitely spoke to a lot of what I have been feeling around relationships with people.
Since reading this story I have been sitting in ‘loving awareness’ around my negative emotions and I’m having a very interesting journey inward.
I’m curious to hear more about anyone else who might be exploring this realm and hearing about your experience.
Thank you for sharing! What a beautiful reflection.
Every moment I find as an opportunity to practice remembering to love everyone, serve everyone, and remember the unified god within us all.
Anger, resentment, and bitterness for example, can often make us feel less connected to everyone. I find doing funny tricks like imagining Maharaji’s face on folks I’m disagreeing with can help. “We’re all just god in drag” after all!
Thanks for your response Mangala. It’s lovely to see how you are able to handle those kinds of situations.
What I’m finding is that the negative emotions are seeking to connect me to myself.
The relationships are a good mirror so they aren’t so personal.
The resentment is letting me know that I’m not getting something I need and if I don’t do something about it then bitterness will take root and hollow me out.
As you were saying disconnecting me from others and myself.
Anger is letting me know that I need to act.
Accepting my state and being through it definitely makes it easier to love everyone from a real place and I’m grateful for these experiences as they are serving me and leading me to truth.
It’s all very icky and I often want to run away though so maybe putting Maharaj-ji bobble heads on people is a good middle ground I could incoporate
Thank you for sharing your reflections on this. I think it’s a very common thing, to feel at odds with the teachings when we are sitting with our very human emotions, and I too understand what you are saying. I have found it fascinating to observe my unconscious narrative, the voice that runs through my head and how, at times, it isn’t exactly the most pleasant company - and that how, when I remember to see it all as the path, including the people who I find challenging, a huge space opens up and I am freer with myself and with everyone else. Remembering it and interrupting myself with the teaching is the key.
I remember, I think it was around 2016 or so, there was a lot of vitriol around a certain political figure who was onctentious, angry, and who engaged in a lot of criticism and what felt like hateful rhetoric. This person was causing a lot of damage. Somewhere I heard that Ram Dass also found this person difficult. His response was to put that person’s picture on his altar and include them in his prayers/meditation/reflections. When I think about the call of loving kindness meditation, that is the core, to wish that all beings are happy, healthy, and live with ease. It is a story that has been a guidepost for me, something I come back to when I feel upset or judegment arising about someone whose actions or policies seem hurtful to others.
I just posted a meditation in the thread about our favorite Ram Dass recordings on pure light. It is a great one for this because as we connect with our own heart light he points out that this light is in everyone’s heart and he goes through lists of people we come across in our days… a bit outdated… but still relevant… and a reminder for me how to be in the world rather than feeling so separate alone and judgmental…
Hello beautiful people
Yes, I’ve come across those moments in time were I get caught up in my distortion of the mind & want to push away from what is about to unfold.
Once had a young man approach me on the street wanting directions. He had ripped clothing holes in his shoes & was dirty. So I directed him & as he walked away I judged him. Suddenly I hear “judge not as he is a son of God”.
So I began to envision him as Aladdin. My prospective completely shifted. And I suddenly run into him again . He ran up to me & said I made it! He was radiant full of joy.
I witnessed Gods presence in this young man .