Pain and Suffering

The other day my friend Mathias was telling me that Life offers opportunities to change the direction in our Life. The signals may come from different places, people or events. We just need to “listen” to those signals.

There is a huge difference between “listening” and “hearing.” Those who actually listen will have an experience which could make them change their current path. However, many times that experience gets buried through thoughts, beliefs and conditioning which will take over and eradicate that new seed which was ready to grow and blossom. In a few words, we will become unconscious, sleepy. Those who only “hear” on the other hand, will continue moving on in “automatic” pilot for what they heard is not part of their experience yet.

Nevertheless; for those who listened and yet forgot, the body will react to remind us, giving another chance. Many times we still do not listen to it. What is the result then?

Pain. That is another signal.

It has been said: “When emotions express themselves, there is liberation. When they do not, the body aches.” That is another opportunity to “Listen.”

Mathias also shared with me that there are 2 types of pain: 1) Pain due to “purification,” that is when a person changes into a new being which could be observed when a child has new teeth, when a boy becomes a teen (psychological distress) or even when the vibration of our physical body changes into another element (“5^th Dimension” comes to mind) and then the most common one, 2) There is pain due to stubbornness.

Those types of pain are part of the human experience, but stubbornness is a trait which many times reflects rigidity and as my friend Mathias said, “Perfectionism and Rigidity are intimate friends.”

Whenever we experience physical pain, there is the experience of it but eventually it will go away. The mechanism is exactly the same as pleasure but in the “opposite” direction. When the mind comes to play this “game,” the anticipation of more pain (future) or the memory of it (past), is known as suffering. Observe that suffering is in a way the unnecessary extension of pain. Now, what could be the equivalent of that in the side of pleasure?

Any guesses? It is called addiction. Yes, it is another mind “game” for the most part.

Where pain and pleasure are facts of Life, suffering and addiction are optional. What makes it so hard to break away from those if intellectually, I see the issue?

It is the depth of the habit. (For how long, how many times, how integrated it is in our life, how dependent we have become, etc.) For that reason many religions including the Brahma Kumaris, will make an emphasis on the type of habits that we introduce in our lives, for eventually those habits will break the delicate balance between health and sickness, whether physical, or psychological.

However, when we have a set of daily habits which are clean, wholesome and positive, many will fall into rigidity, perfectionism and again the fine thread of balance and harmony will be broken: Discipline vs. Flexibility.

As we can see; rejection of pain or pleasure is not the answer, for that duality is meshed together through fine golden threads of balance. That balancing act between pain and pleasure, is something which cannot be spoken or put into commandments, for everyone is in a different journey. Some have labeled that balancing act as “the middle way.”

Brahma Kumaris: The path of regeneration – 1

When we hear the word “regeneration,” there could be many assumptions as this word has different meanings. In this article, we are using the meaning of “restoration.”

That is the same word that could be applied to the restoration of mental and physical health of an addict. In fact, many BK followers may have addiction issues, which the BK path will subside.

When we hear the word “addiction,” immediately we think drugs, sex and alcohol. That is true, but there are more, in fact; we could express that what BK knowledge labels as “vices” are truly addictions, habits which even though we could understand mentally, there is no change whatsoever in our BEING.

Just like many addictions are treated, there will be periods of using the common medicine of repression. Many will make those repressions into a Lifestyle.

Some individuals are addicted to relationships. They crave the security that these bring; although it is imaginary. There are people addicted to low self esteem, as these boost their sense of martyrdom, of feeling as a victim which will give them a pep vibe, which is necessary for them.

What is the common ground of all addictions? The sense of self absorption, isolation.

Why deal with the world and with others, when we can get our fix, that which is so important in our lives to function; through some other means which is much lesser complicated?

The sense of guilt, shame and fear will exacerbate our need for comfort. Pleasure “little treasure” will come to the rescue.

Observe the structure of a yogi life, observe the structure of the BK life to understand that by denying all those “little pleasures,” the door for indulgence is shut down.

That is the methodology to deal with an addictive personality. Even society uses that method; although there is no recognition of those “vices” as potential addictions, which are supporting our self absorption.

In fact, the BK life style will give the sense of improvement, as those “addictions” will not have the opportunity to come up: A typical BK is a busy individual. Whenever there is “free time,” (little pleasure) there is “seva” (service) to help. That breaks the habit of self absorption, which eventually brings other popular mental ailments such as depression, which is very popular in our times.

Everything may seem fine, until the “method” is no longer followed. What happens then? The habit comes up even stronger than ever.

That observation was pointed out in the Murlis; whenever a follower left then it is said something like: “He became even a stronger sinner than before.”

Methods are meant to stop the behavior, but the tendency is still there. Someone truly has changed, only when the addictive behavior changes when the method is no longer followed. That is something to observe and take note.

What is the solution then? There are many and all depends on the individual make up. This is not a “One size fits all” type of solution. Nevertheless, the observation of repetitive behaviors will give us the tools, to avoid the consolidation of a habit into a sanskar. (Will continue.)