Stimulus responsiveness

Today morning I noticed a passing general remark about one of my book, made by a person without actually reading that book or without knowing much about that book. This acted as a kind of stimulus for my machine (my ordinary mechanical self) to react to, and created within an emotional disturbance.

At the same time, there occurred a process of inner direct seeing, how an automatic response arises in the machine against the stimulus that comes in the moment, and that it is not mandatory to be one with that believing that mechanical re-action to be 'real'. There was a clear choice either to fall to that re-action or to choose to be under the energy of 'impression' that was coming through the third state of consciousness.

However, there is no question of being negative or judgmental toward that person, as G. I. Gurdjieff says, one does thing believing it to be true (though it may not be true in reality), and no one does anything deliberately that he believes as wrong.

Then, that emotional disturbance got surrounded by the consciousness, and that disturbance silently melted into the consciousness and the entire thing (surrounding consciousness and that emotional disturbance) became something different, became a whole, leaving no trace of disturbance or judgment behind.

It is one thing to put a thought or 'Work I' against inner disturbance and 'buffer' it, or to improve or make the response of one’s machine better and more appropriate from the utilitarian point of view (often it is necessary, and which the modern education systems and usual self-improvement techniques do), but it is quite another thing to be separate and detached from the response of one’s machine. 

The work on 'ceasing to be a machine' begin with the readiness to face the discomfort, and with the direct and clear inner seeing and separating from one's mechanical reaction and choosing to be under the energy of 'impression' that is coming through the third state of consciousness in the moment. And then, accepting that disturbance as a part of oneself and letting it to melt into the whole (all encompassing bigger "I"). This process is a beginning of the transformation, it is like experiencing observed and observer as one as J. Krishnamurti says.  It weakens machine's ability to re-act and strengthens the ability of that bigger "I" to prevail.

Eventually, after a long time, when this practice becomes one's way of life, one ceases to be a machine, one 'dies' and makes the way for the 're-birth'. I have personally experienced that there exist persons in whom no mechanical reaction arise against any stimulus (beyond any need of transformation) and there always flow a stream of love and compassion irrespective of the nature of the stimulus being confronted.

- 17/05/2018

Identification and Work on Identification

Identification

Identification is the chief obstacle to the third state of consciousness. Identification means, “the process of losing oneself; becoming one with a particular thought, emotion, impulse, outside object, situation etc.; and in that moment not having ability to keep the sense of Self separate and detached from that thought, emotion, impulse, outside object, situation, etc.”  When one is identified he becomes entangled into, lost into the thing he is doing in that moment. Identification is opposite of consciousness.

For instance, when we are watching live World Cup Final Match, at critical moments of such match how much identified (lost) we become!  Or when two people are arguing heatedly over something or trying to prove something vehemently, how much identified they become with their words, opinions or arguments!

Work on identification

        

When one understands the reasons and causes behind one’s identification, a way may open up for him to work on it. When one studies the interests and passions of the emotional parts of one’s four Lower Centers, one will come to know about one’s identifications. Interests and fascinations of the emotional parts of Centers are very intense, and when they are active it produces a strong identification in one. Another reason for identification lies in one’s Chief Feature. The Chief Feature is made up of one’s emotional attitude towards oneself. One is so much one with the Chief Feature that, sub-consciously one takes it as one’s self, and this is one of the chief root causes of one’s identification.

So, if one studies one’s fascinations coming from the emotional part of the Lower Centers and can verify one’s Chief Feature, and try to understand one’s identification in that connection by comparing one’s inner state in the moments of intense identification with normal moments when identification is comparatively less, one will be able to understand identification practically by taste, and then, one can bring in the effort of Self-Remembering, and try to be separate from the emotions that keeps one identified.

The effort of separation means observing one’s emotion in the very moment of its occurrence, and understanding that it is just an emotion and not the reality and it is not mandatory for me to be swayed by it, and trying to keep one’s sense of self separate from it. So, in short, recognizing one’s identification in the moment, the effort of Self-Remembering (trying to be more awake in the moment), observing and separating from one’s emotions; all these four efforts together, constitute the practical work on identification. 

Unnecessary Brooding

Today, when I just casually called up my client, he told me about his reservation for the report that I earlier submitted in connection with a certain event happened in his company, and he told me that he has asked for another professional's written opinion about the legal interpretation involved in the matter.

Initially, there occurred inner chattering in my mind about the talk, and about its consequences, and so on.

Then, I realized that this is just a mechanical stimulus reaction of my mind, and told myself, "I need not believe this unnecessary brooding about the matter, let it come". As such I am confident about the interpretation of legal point involved in that matter.

Further, I told myself that that professional may have another interpretation on the matter. But, so what? All professionals have right to opine, and the opinions of two professionals on the same matter may differ, and each professional have right to act on his own best judgment.

One should never panic about any matter so far as the action is according to one's own conscience. Just don't believe unnecessary inner brooding occurring in the mind about any such matter and relax, whatever may happen, it would be good. 

(Occurred yesterday, on 13^th November, 2017 and wrote last night)