Archive for the 'Mastery' Category

The Quickening – The Acceleration of Spiritual Evolution and Consciousness on Planet Earth

The Quickening is a phenomena being used particularly in spiritual circles to describe a building of energy toward a particular destination. This build up of energy could be compared to the build up of an audience before a rock concert or the gathering of energy as an athlete or groups of athletes prepare for an event. In this case the Quickening refers to the direction of the planet’s group consciousness as a whole. This is not to say that it is everyone’s destiny. It is more to say that this is where the biggest “waves” are happening at this part of the galaxy.

The Quickening or for that matter any acceleration of energy is about pressure. It is simply a build of momentum and direction. Spirit refers to a subtler energy and because it is subtler it is able to penetrate into more substances. For example if we were to look at a stone: it’s energy is quite dense it’s structure is unable to mix with dirt very well. Spiritual energy refers to an energy that is finer than air – it is able to mix with and infuse with dirt, stones, humans, this planet and the kitchen sink. For this reason spiritual energy is said to be everywhere and in everything. This is also congruent with the practice of raising our vibration. What we are actually doing is making our density finer. The finer or subtler we are capable of becoming the more options we have to move our consciousness around the place. We also gain the opportunity to shift into a different dimension which is essentially what the Quickening is about.

Alchemy describes everything as being on the path to the original Source – give or take a couple of scenic routes and rest stops. Being true to ourselves seems to minimize the rests stops, decrease time spent in areas that aren’t congruent with the our truth and generally accelerate our journey toward the Source. This is expressed on this planet as more people wanting to realize life purpose, have meaningful relationships and generally waste less time experiencing things that have little meaning to us. This would also be the reason why interest in personal development, spiritual growth and so on is becoming more popular. When people are unsatisfied they either put up with it or look for answers. The growing trend in interest towards personal and spiritual development means that there are more people looking for answers. The really interesting thing is that people are finding them. There was a time where the personal and spiritual development field was looking a little flaky. There was a lot that seemed like pure fantasy and other stuff that people just found too difficult to integrate into their daily lives. The desire for methods which were effective and applicable for everyone, began to manifest the resources that we have available today. In truth the door to the higher self, spiritual realization, emotional mastery and effortless manifestation has always been there for everyone. It is just that understanding how to open that door is becoming easier and simpler. This too is something that is becoming more obvious as we seek to be true to ourselves.

There is a period of adapting where the body and mind in general is “stretching” and getting used to accommodating the expansion of consciousness. The body is learning to be open to the finer and faster frequencies of energy. This energy has always been available to us – the ears and eyes of our body and mind are just learning to see and hear it. It’s part of our truth and so as we seek our truth it is revealed. Energy is a communication – a cause and effect. Whether dense or subtle all energy interacts. Our body and mind is simply learning to interact at another level. We are adding another dimension to our consciousness. We are not necessarily detracting or diminishing the denser realities – we are simply adding more. Hence the term expanded consciousness.

Having issues within relationships, workplaces and so on is not always directly the issue with being true to ourselves – more to the point it is the perception that we are unable to experience certain truths while in those relationships or workplaces. Sometimes we may need to close those doors in order to open up others. Sometimes we may need to work with what and where we are in order to gain the wisdom which is inherent in all experiences. This enables us to experience a part of ourselves that perhaps had been hidden. The external world of experience leads us to the internal world of cause and effect.

Work with this exercise for adaptation to the Quickening:

Observe yourself. Notice your posture, breathing, thoughts and emotions.

Let the thoughts, feelings and emotions come at you as fast as they need.

Grasp nothing. Allow all that comes to ebb flow.

Invite it to come faster. Seek to comprehend nothing. Let comprehension come and go.

Let thought and feeling, sight and sound to move through you at the speed of light.

Intellectualize nothing. Let ideas, thoughts and inspiration come and go.

Let go of letting go.

Allow yourself to be open to the full acceleration of consciousness.

This method is seemingly the opposite of the detailed investigation which occurs in deep observation. In actual practice they are the same. Acceleration and deceleration of energy is happening simultaneously in our consciousness. By specifically following the path of acceleration we are simply directing the mind to one specific stream of what exists in the consciousness. When we come back to our “normal” consciousness we find that our range of motion has lengthened and expanded. It’s all about stretching the mind. With each stretch we explore new knowledge and ground, moving closer and closer to inner freedom. This is what the Quickening is truly about.

Hieu Doan

*Those of us who are experiencing tumultuous times may notice that this exercise helps to create a feeling and aura of inner peace – in spite of the chaos. In essence this is because the practice tunes us into the frequency of the Quickening. We are connecting and moving with the flow instead of resisting it.

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The Power of Mindfulness Pt2

The power of mindfulness is the opportunity it provides us to experience inner peace, but peace can only come from meeting with each aspect and part of ourselves. Often during seated mindfulness meditation we only face certain aspects. Daily life where we are busy, have stimuli that we react to with stress, interaction with people and so on brings up a different type of experience to be mindful to. Often practitioners may experience deep levels of transcendence and as a result peace during seated meditation and then totally lose it in every day life. This experience has been noted from some very experienced meditators, monks and ascetics as well as lay practitioners. What has occurred is that the mind has not yet been given the opportunity to move through the energetic frequencies of everyday life.

When it comes to meditation it is a huge trap to believe that there is nothing to gain from everyday, “mundane” and stressful experience. Our children may be crying and yelling, our boss may be antagonizing us, we may be concerned with finances, traffic and the general state of the world. Even more worrying we look at ourselves and we observe that we have these petty concerns, we are jealous about the neighbor’s new lawnmower, we are still fuming at that red Volkswagon that cut us off and we’re beating ourselves up for not getting all our “stuff” together. This sure doesn’t seem like the spiritual growth that we’ve heard about! The pain seems even larger because our silent, daily meditation seems to be going well. Our practice then feels futile. On the one hand we find peace when we find sanctuary and make time to meditate on the other hand this does not seem to carry out into our every day life.

In our deepest meditations when we experience a sensation we learn to observe it and so we gain the opportunity to move deeper into it. Without the sensation or “object” to observe we lose the opportunity to release our attachment and so the sensation still has power over us. We need to look ourselves square in the eye without flinching. The integration of this into daily life is exactly the same. When we feel petty, jealous, angry, sad or whatever physical sensation, we observe objectively. We feel the feeling of being repulsed with ourselves, we feel the feeling of being angry, or jealous, or sad. We observe the feeling of wanting these feelings to go away, we observe the feeling of being a “bad person.” Meeting ourselves in this way provides the same experience as any meditation experience does. The opportunity to make peace.

Peace allows the “other”, the aspects of ourselves to be as they are.

The basic method of integrating mindfulness into everyday life is to observe your obvious physical movement as you go about your day. Notice how your muscles tense and relax as you drive your car, walk, do the dishes, talk, shower, go to the toilet, watch television and so on. Watch how you feel when you meet friends, when you walk past a stranger on the street and when you are daydreaming. Be sure to include as much as possible all of your different states. There is no state that is not appropriate to apply mindfulness to. They are all after all expressions of you.

Being mindful does not need to be a rigid practice. Play around with it. It’s a tool for empowerment not to make life a chore. Practice being fully involved in a discussion and then just take a moment to observe yourself. Practice eating your food with mindfulness and observe the texture of the food, the taste and how your body is feeling. Allow yourself to be deeply involved in watching a movie and then afterwards observe how your body posture and internal sensations are feeling.

Surrounding your mindfulness practice, it is valuable to remember to come back to the frequency of nurturing, love and generally feeling good. The practice of mindfulness is essentially a method of guiding the mind to realize that our physical and mental states are more than what they appear to be – but let’s remember that in our quest for truth, enlightenment and empowerment we are essentially seeking happiness. So during the journey make sure to refresh the spirit, revive the body and nurture the mind. This will ensure that the journey is one that sustains.

Hieu Doan

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Finding Yourself, Finding your True Self – Personal and Spiritual Transformation

Finding your “self” is the experience of realizing what is important to you. This may be a many layered process which take us through questioning ourselves, our relationship with people and the world and can lead us to find what some call our “true self.”

Creating life that is based on our true principles, beliefs and values as opposed to carrying the values of other people, society or structures can be a complex thing. As soon as we come into contact physically, mentally or emotionally with anything, be it an ideal, a feeling, a sound, principle or concept our consciousness both physical and mental reacts. Whether our reaction is in the negative or positive we create a link to that experience. This forms part of our relationship with that experience from now on. Over the course of our life we are connecting with experiences at every moment, and so relationships are being formed, moved, transformed and shaped constantly. Each thought that we have elicits a sensory reaction and the first reaction that will arise is the one that has been programmed from similar thoughts we’ve had in the past. In essence while we may think that each thought is new, the reaction to them is actually old. This presents a deeper meaning to the statement “living in the past.” Like wise when we have feelings of emotion and react to them whether we choose to express or suppress we are still “dancing” within a relationship with that sensation. It is still the “past.” This is interesting because often we may believe that we have transcended an old pattern simply because we are choosing a different way to react. In truth the pattern still has influence and control over us, it’s just that we have chosen to react in a different way in order to deal or adapt in a manner that we believe is healthier or wiser.

Transcending a pattern of reaction whether to emotions, thoughts or feelings does actually mean going “higher” or leaving it behind. Transcendence is actually a state in which we have chosen to experience internal freedom in spite of being smack bang in the middle of our patterns. We are the eye of the hurricane but we are also the hurricane itself. The freedom we experience comes not from running away but from facing ourselves and using this opportunity to find true power. The first steps of facing ourselves brings us the experience or perception of being buffeted by the “hurricane” of our self. We get blown around because we are not used to being in the intensity of emotions, sensations and thought. We may feel fear but the truth is that this cannot kill us. We cannot die here – and so inevitably if we stay, remain conscious and allow ourselves to be vulnerable and sensitive, then we will learn to fly within the hurricane. We learn to make our minds and body flexible enough to move with the hurricane and eventually it becomes like walking on solid ground. Another remarkable thing happens at the point that we learn to be the hurricane – we realize that these gale force winds were caused in large part by our resistance to them. Our minds have been like magnetic fields reacting with other magnetic fields which cause chaos. By allowing our own field to become congruent and smooth with what already is two fields become one, and so we experience unity. When we become unified then we gain another opportunity – one of looking into the reflection and seeing our “true” self.

Any description of the “true” self is one that will never compare to the actual experience and in a sense it is almost futile to speak about truth because words being words can carry only so far into the realm of actual feeling. The actual experience of the “true” self is indisputable simply because when something feels so right we are so in the moment the thought to doubt never arrives. It is similar to what one of my first meditation teachers related to me. He said “People only come to meditation when their lives are in pain. Then they look for answers. When life is good they do not need to look for answers – they just live.” Experiencing the “true” self is similar to this. Purists often argue that the “true” self is representative of absolute truth because it is eternal, it never changes. My own experiences of the “true” self do not necessarily support this argument either way, however one thing that I have experienced is that just looking into the window of eternal or infinite is more than I believe I can truly comprehend at this point in my life. Even at it’s furthest reaches, there is more and when I reach that point there is still more. The infinite is an experience that offers literally infinite wisdom and knowledge however I feel humbled by it, not by any means master of it. Through humbling ourselves I believe that the infinite allows mastery to be realized through and inside of us. It’s not something that we develop, it’s something that we allow to be recognized by learning to look and listen.

In order to find we do need to seek, however in seeking we must make sure to observe the seeker, because it is the seeker that transforms and reveals the “true” self.

Hieu Doan

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Mastery

The way of the master is to understand the greatest opportunity in every moment. It is not necessarily about being skilled or unskilled, educated or uneducated, it is more about potential. Mastery is about reaching for potential even when the skill is small, it is about stretching the mind even when education is little. The mindset of mastery sets our consciousness for realizing the fullest potential possible at any given moment.

There is no one “trick,” technique or “secret” to realizing empowerment, just as there is no one way to enlightenment. Eventually the work needs to be done, the aspects of darkness need to be enlightened, the weak needs to be strengthened and the illusions transcended. All paths have the potential to reveal to us the principles behind how our minds work, and at any stage along the way we will have the opportunity to see that many, many paths can lead to self-mastery and empowerment. The difference will always be whether our path takes the direct road or the indirect road. Continuously choosing ignorance will eventually provide opportunities for truth simply because the glaringly, obvious reality that we are not happy or empowered will one day be too massive to ignore anymore. When the pain is too great then we will look for answers. Continuously choosing truth will mean that in each given moment we are taking the opportunity to reveal empowerment and enlightenment, no moment is too special or too mundane. In truth like a special mentor Dan Millman said “there are no ordinary moments.”

Variety is the spice of life in that it provides a kick in our perception that pushes us to experience differently than what we are used to. We are forced to adapt and feel in other ways. Perhaps we will feel clumsy, stupid or inept and these moments also offer the opportunity to bring and realize empowerment and enlightenment. It is after all one thing to feel empowered doing the same things that we always excel in, feeling in control and perhaps better than most. It is quite another thing to find empowerment when we are for the 100th time singing out of key at karaoke, showing our two left feet at Irish dancing or wearing our mother’s favorite purple polka dot sweater. The thing is that without these situations that bring out the aspects of ourselves that we have not had a chance to develop, we quite simply would not develop them.

It is only when we do things differently that we see more of ourselves. It is truly a gift that for those of us that are interested in personal development that it is so readily available for us to experience and reveal our inner selves. “Different” doesn’t need to be as dramatic as nude modeling or stand-up comedy. It could be as simple as listening to some different music in the privacy of your own home. It could be dancing to this different music. It could be taking a bath or reading a book. It could be doing some gardening or talking to a neighbor. It could be not talking to anyone for a while. The opportunity of any of these experiences is not in what it is but in what it bring out of us. The more aspects of our selves that we bring empowerment to the more we realize mastery. As this development progresses it becomes obvious that mastery has little to do with our skill or education level, but with our willingness to strive always towards our potential. This is perhaps the greatest skill of all and the beauty of it is that all those other skills and knowledge seem to come far easier when in this mind state.

Look at a dog running to catch a ball. It is not discouraged that it might not catch the ball, it is not losing sleep over the fact that it missed the ball 5 times yesterday and it is certainly not going to let any of those past experiences stop it from going for it this time. The development of ball catching is pushed to it’s potential because a dog allows itself to go for it. The same thing can be observed in babies and children. Before they develop the “maturity” to consider how they might fail and what that means they just go for it and so they learn at a phenomenal rate. Adults on the other hand have a reputation in general for being slow learners if they even take that road at all! More than the flexibility needed to do swing dancing, more than the rapport needed to do stand up comedy and more than the physical action required to even wear something different – more than all these things, the greatest obstacle is the mind that feels like it has something to lose. As long as we allow the mind to prevent us from experiencing then we have already lost. We have lost the opportunity to experience, and look at what we have decided to keep. We have chosen to keep our fears intact and who we believe ourselves to be untarnished. Instead of realizing empowerment through changing our perception of ourselves we are striving to keep our self-perception unchanging. The irony is that if we are really so content to not move an inch then why are we on the path of self-development at all?

Mastery is a mind state. This state makes the difficult easy because it is a mind state that is not adverse to failure. It creates no more fear than is already present, and with the fear that is already present it chooses to move forward with courage anyway. This is a mind coordinated for success. Every step is simply a step closer. Doubts will be doubts but are not hindrances unless we do not continue to move forward, and so the power of doubt is made impotent. As for mistakes, these are results and offer the opportunity to develop sensitivity and focus. They are a refinement in progress.

Masters assume that continuing steadfastly on their path will bring them the knowledge and experience, and therefore the ability to achieve their goals. Knowing this allows them to put everything else in their favor. Their mind state is optimized for success and so their bodies are optimized for success. Everything is geared to take advantage of any opportunities that should arise – and because they are ready for opportunities – they see opportunity everywhere.

One of the reasons that the master’s mind state works so well is the unshakable confidence that they have. It doesn’t matter if others are doubtful, it doesn’t matter if we ourselves have doubts. Let the doubters and doubtful thoughts do their thing, and we will continue to do ours. This type of sustaining, all-weather confidence lends energy and clarity to the mind. Knowing that we can achieve success allows us to be calm and centered. This allows the body and mind to optimize oxygen and energy co-ordination more effectively which again increases clarity and energy. Each attribute helps the other. This is the meaning of a coordinated approach. This is the meaning of mind and body being as one. It is a unity, the same unity that we see in a dog leaping for a ball, or a baby learning to walk.

Hieu Doan

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The Power of Experience

There are no concepts or theories that can ever compare to actual experience. Experience is the truest and deepest teacher because it allows feeling and sensation to penetrate our being to the core and allow us to realize true meaning and power. Perhaps just as importantly experience is the difference between dissecting what works and what is fantasy.

When so much in the spiritual and personal development arena is puffed up by words and promises the only thing that will directly cut to the core is experience. Experience, actually feeling and living the reality of a theory or concept will immediately clear the table of all that is not real. What is left is solid and tangible. The opportunity that this provides us is two-fold. On the one hand it provides us with a foundation upon which to build further skill and on the other it presents our intellectual and doubting mind with results. From these results we sow the seeds of confidence and this confidence in turn fuels and sustains our practice. This is the cycle that ultimately brings us to our goals.

The first fundamental of all practice and therefore experience will always be focus. Without focus our energies and mind are scattered. We may have direction, we may have ideas and knowledge, but without focus all these are rendered impotent. Focus is the energy and mind state that allows us to integrate our other skills and knowledge. After focus we must realize awareness. Awareness is the art of listening and it is the only way we have of understanding the “canvas” upon which we are creating. Without awareness or listening it is like having a conversation and not knowing what the other is saying. The communication becomes ineffective. Where ever we are on the path these two fundamentals must be entrained into us. Our mind and body must be guided to experience the feeling of focus and the feeling of awareness. It is only through this experience that our consciousness can receive the knowledge at the deepest levels of mind and body. Without this integration we will always lack focus and awareness and without these developing other skills is a relative waste of time. They will have no foundation to stand on and no way of assessing their potency.

When the foundation is built and by this I mean experienced solidly then there are many paths or branches available. There is the path of Enlightenment, Realization and Alchemy. There is the Hermetic path, the path of Magic and Metaphysics, the Astral path or the path of Yoga. All these paths require their principles to be internalized through experience to truly be understood. Otherwise they are merely metaphors, stories, concepts and theories. Without experience it is easy to argue about the differences of these paths for they surely do seem very different. Through even the most rudimentary of experiences and actual practice it is easy to understand the one true source that underlies them all. This unifying essence is the mind which through all these practices is being moved, stretched and shaped. It is learning forms and formlessness. It is experiencing the finite and the infinite, yin and yang and the Tao. Through experience whole books of lore can be proven to be dead ends or a single phrase can show the way. Eventually all the texts and teachings will give way to the experience of the inner-tuition that is true and alive knowledge and wisdom.

The journey to the top of our mountain is achieved when we stop to reflect on the way we are going. Reflection is listening. Listening is observing the effects of our experience. Through honest and open reflection we are able to navigate our path. Is it likely that we will progress in this direction? Do we require the development of other skills? These are the questions that come from honest reflection and the answers provide us with the opportunity to go further.

Sitting at the bottom of the mountain it can be easy to dream about the peak and perhaps not as exciting to think about picking up the rucksack and taking those first steps. Even less exciting can be the prospect of sore muscles and aching breath, but it is only in experiencing the mountain that we can develop mastery of the mind and body. Sitting at the bottom we merely develop mastery of dreaming. Furthermore it is only through taking the climb that we may discover that we are able to not only climb the mountain but perhaps fly from its peaks. Potential is only realized when we stretch who we are and experience all that we could be. All of this lies in the province of practice and practice is experience.

Hieu Doan

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Spiritual Integration

Integrating spiritual realities into our lives requires at least in principle two things. The first is to send our consciousness through the window that opens and allows exploration of the spiritual realms and then we must train our physical body to experience and open up to this reality. Developing the psychic senses is a clear way to look through the dimensional windows, but in many ways this is simply the gathering of knowledge. The opportunity that a psychic sense such as clairvoyance offers us is to see clearly and truly how energy and entities are interacting and so understand how to affect the result. Likewise a skill such as clairaudience allows us to listen to the guidance of entities and energies and so understand how to create and manifest in a particular direction. The development of these skills is not by any means mandatory for spiritual development, they are simply extra tools for enhancing the journey. All of us have the ability to feel and observe and this is the most important principle of all.

In seeking peak experiences, spiritual realizations and empowerment we are actually seeking union with the true self. The true self is the peak, it is empowerment and it is spiritual realization. The process of observing and feeling allows us to move through the layers that obscure the true self from perception. This is the experience of realization and it is also the experience of true peace. When it comes down to it, it may be said that what we are truly seeking is inner peace and although the paths to realizing this experience are often different the principle is always the same. It is about meeting each atom of experience and allowing it to be exactly as it is. This reality of allowing an internal experience to be exactly as it is, is the energy of peace. We feel and perceive any particular energy and we do nothing. In doing nothing we allow these entities or energies to be exactly as they are. We ask nothing of them and so they experience peace and that peace is being formed and realized from within us. It is being created and shaped within us. The reason why we train our minds to become formless is so that we can take the shape of whatever form is manifested within us. When we hold our form there is a clash as two forms meet. When we allow our form to move and shift then there is no clash, only peace. As our consciousness is directed to connect with more and more energies and is given the opportunity to create peace, less fear arises simply because we know that we can meet and experience whatever comes our way. Without fear our mind and body becomes clear. Through this clarity the experience of our true self becomes effortless and furthermore because the experience has come through directly connecting with everything that comes our way integration occurs at the deepest levels of our being. There is no gap between spiritual and “normal.”

Since the accelerated way is through developing the psychic senses and then turning them within, we need to be aware of times when the development of these senses requires balancing with the physical body grounding and integration. In short I would recommend at least 3 times a week practicing grounding work. The essence of grounding work is connecting to the physical body, feeling and observing it and bringing the mind fully into it. The easiest way is to just observe the body during physical movement. Anything from walking, doing the dishes, showering or doing up your shoe laces. Observe your posture, the way you hold your weight and balance. Notice and objectively observe any physical tension and areas of relaxation. All physical manifestations are connections to consciousness and it is through these connections that the mind integrates with the body. The process of experiencing the physical and alternately experiencing the spiritual and subtle allows the realization of a consciousness that is expanded. Directing the mind to move between the spiritual, mental and physical provides the opportunity to observe the movement, the landscape and the spaces interwoven beneath and through these elements. Within these spaces and flows exist the essences that connect spirit, mind and the physical. Experiencing these paths of power allow us to find a unity between what we have previously perceived and experienced to be separate levels of consciousness. This unity and integration opens up the experience of spirit within the body, the physical within the mind and the mind through the spirit.

Integration is where real empowerment exists because it brings the experience back home to where we live. It is perhaps the most sustainable and realistic means of spiritual life because it does not seek to leave a single iota of being behind. All is met, the dark, the light, the ego, the personality and the higher self. With each meeting there is an opportunity for mastery through the experience of looking straight in the eye of whatever energy it is that exists there. We feel and choose to be open and the feeling and experience is allowed to be as it is. What is gained is a consciousness that is opening to a realization of truth.

Hieu Doan

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Illuminating the Dark ~ Part 2

When the light of consciousness communicates with the dark, a reciprocal interchange occurs that results in understanding. It is this understanding that leads to true inner peace and spiritual integration. It is vital that we control the potential arrogance of our egos enough so that we allow this communication to take place. The ego wishes to perpetuate a belief that it is in control. The truth is that the ego knows but a fraction of what full consciousness is capable of receiving. A decision needs to be made as to what it is that we truly seek: real knowledge and empowerment or the ego’s fantasy of superiority and control? If we are to choose real knowledge and empowerment then we must remain aware and each time we are given the opportunity to choose between ego or truth we must choose truth.

The path of truth will takes us through whatever lies in it’s way. This means that many times we will cross through what we perceive to be ego. The difference is that it is the goal of pursuing truth that is taking us there not the pursuit of elevating the ego. When we tap into the consciousness of pure awareness and allow it to communicate with the dark and the places that hurt emotionally, we are allowing these aspects to “see.” We are lending them vision and through this vision they realize what they truly are – whole.

Incorporating the practice of seeking out the dark and bring light to it is valuable because it is easy especially when making progress in “higher” arts to forget, ignore or pretend that all aspects of being are in alignment. The castle comes crashing down when we go so high, but have no foundation to stand on and eventually we realize that the foundation is not something that we can ever do without. Tibetan Buddhism has a practice called ‘Tonglen’ in which a practitioner embraces and welcomes all the world’s suffering and pain into themselves and projects love and compassion back. This conscious directing of the mind to seeking pain, suffering and darkness shifts the consciousness from one that usually avoids pain to one that is looking for it. The main goal here is find the places within us where we hide our pain and suffering. This then gives us an opportunity to heal it. It’s important to fully meet those parts of us that hurt and to really feel and experience them before moving to heal them. It is the same as any communication, the more we hear and understand the more effective and real the process will be.

Eventually the practice of illuminating the dark will reveal a level where we experience light and love opening up from within what we perceived as pain, suffering, boredom, mundane or so on. This is the space within which we realize our true self which exists and knows empowerment and peace in every moment and experience. Continuing to work with this consciousness, to deepen, listen, speak and understand the communication gives us the opportunity to create with power, meaning and purpose here and now on this planet.

Hieu Doan

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Emotional Mastery Pt 1

The gatekeepers between the personality self and the true self are the emotions. In truth the journey between personality and truth is simple – we move our consciousness from “here” to “there.” This principle holds true for any spiritual realization from the most basic fundamental of awareness to the most incredibly profound experience of oneness with the universe. The shape of the path of truth is straight, it is our steps that are crooked. As we straighten our steps the way becomes simple.

Movement of the consciousness reveals many layers and levels of the self. Each level expresses itself with certain feelings and sensations that ultimately control us through the emotions we attach to it. While one direction of mind will elicit an emotion of joy, love and bliss, others will reveal emotions of pure frustration, irritation and fear. The really interesting thing is that each of these emotions, whether we perceive them as positive or negative can, if given the opportunity, absorb us and so prevent us from moving further along the path to our true self. An emotion that is perceived as positive will not only be thought of as such, it will be felt, and sometimes quite strongly. This often provides an even greater challenge to pass than the so called negative emotions, as pleasure has it’s own way of taking away the motivation or desire to keep on moving. It caresses us to stay here a little bit longer. It convinces us that this is what we are looking for. On the other hand painful emotions prompt us to move on and learn, and if we have the tools we will continue studiously to use them to transcend.

Recognizing that our mind and body reacts to pain with aversion and pleasure with craving is the first step to mastery. Recognition must come in the form of observation of the body and mind, then at the juncture that body and mind meets, consciousness is given the opportunity to move through and perceive spirit. Through observation of mind and body we will notice that with each sensation that arises an emotion connects to it. As our observation becomes refined and sharp we notice the birth of this emotion. Observing deeper we notice the space before the birth and we move through.

Emotional mastery requires that we move in the direction of fully understanding all emotional energy. This means that rather than retreating from the experience we enter into it. This is the true meaning of detachment. To retreat is not detachment. To retreat is to fear or avoid the meeting of emotion and experience. Detachment is to be able to fully connect with emotion and experience and keep our consciousness clear. In this state our consciousness does not add to the experience. It does not add the perception of emotion, it does not add the perception of good or bad. It simply experiences reality as it is. When consciousness exists at this place, mind and body walks the path to the true self in a straight line.

Hieu Doan

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Emotional Mastery Pt 2

What is important is to move the consciousness in the direction of emotional mastery. This movement will be refined and strengthened through the nature of it’s intention, and in time the movement and the path will become one.

It is important to understand that mastery is ultimately about control, and control is about sensitivity and the ability to respond to this sensitivity. Imagine trying to hold water in your hands. If you grasp your hands tightly into fists then the water will be lost, but if you cup the water gently in your hands then you may retain it all. Control is like this. We need to develop our sensitivity in order to feel and see the nature of our emotions. Understanding this nature allows us to direct the shape of our minds. When we can consciously assume the shape of an emotion then we can enter this gate. Through this gate we may find yet another subtler manifestation of this emotion and we are given the opportunity to refine our consciousness further. Eventually we come to the beginning and move through.

Taking the shape, being open, detached and formless are all essentially the same thing. By being formless we take the form of whatever energies we meet and being detached we do not add anything to the equation. Being open we accept into ourselves that which we experience and taking the shape we become one with it.

The reality of being detached means that we will feel the whole spectrum of emotions. Right, wrong, ugly and the rest – none are too good or too bad. In observing objectively the emotion and observing the thoughts and beliefs that come along with that emotion we are learning the nature of the key. Developing the ability to remain sensitive and formless we move with the shape of the emotion and we become that key.

While many of us will experience difficulty in feeling and connecting with emotions that they may perceive as bad or even evil, such as hate, jealousy, anger or grief, others will also notice that it is the pleasurable emotions that they do not truly want to let go of. Simply let go and know that the experiences of pleasure and pain are always there. We do not need to become afraid of losing them and in fact this fear keeps us from experiencing the moment of reality that is here and now. Within this moment of reality there lies the opportunity for realizing our true self, but we must continue to move through with consciousness what we are experiencing inside.

Hieu Doan

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Emotional Mastery Pt 3

Understanding the structure of an emotion occurs through observing the physical feeling, location and shape of the emotion as it manifests within our body. This same principle holds true no matter what the emotion is, the differences occur because each emotion will have a different form and the mind will perceive it’s ability to understand this form through it’s experience of the form. For example the emotion of shame will feel different to the emotion of anger, guilt will feel different to the emotion of hate, love will feel different to the emotion of astonishment. Each emotion has a certain shape, tone, frequency and physical feeling. By learning to first become the shape we learn how to move the shape. Instead of it controlling us, we learn to have control. Step by step, learning to control and direct one shape at a time we become master of our emotions.

Each of us will have certain emotions that we have difficulty in facing more than others. What is important is not so much what these emotions are, but that we continue to use the same principles to master them. A dramatic and profound difference occurs in our lives when those emotions that once controlled us no longer do. When we are able to have enough will to face each of our emotions then this intent provides us with the direction that we require. Sustaining this movement regardless of fear and doubt will gradually develop our mind into the key that allows us full movement through these emotional gates. With each gate that is mastered other emotions will become easier. It is like we have more shapes and forms to work with, and our mind becomes easier to direct along certain planes. The next level of learning is to guide the mind to shift from form to form and dimension to dimension without pause. As this progresses new levels of depth will be revealed which provide the opportunity to further hone the nature of our “key.” Likewise new spaces will be revealed between the forms which provide openings into new realities and experiences.

The mind and body needs to at all times remain sensitive to it’s own nature. There is always the tendency to change experience from what it is, and this tendency needs to be investigated from the most surface level of the intellectual mind to the deepest level of physical and bodily sensations. If consciousness strays too far from the experience of the emotion then we lose the opportunity to learn how to transcend it. Similarly if we allow the mind to become transfixed on a particular aspect of emotion then we can avoid seeing what else exists within it. The key is to always remain observant, alert, to seek new areas of feeling and experience and also to investigate the areas of feeling that are most familiar to ourselves.

Of all the skills available in the personal and spiritual development fields perhaps emotional mastery is the one that is the most deeply fulfilling. Having control over the energies that provoke us, inspire us, make us fear and make us love means that we are able to create meaning, inspiration, purpose and empowerment at will. In essence we become our own master no longer subject to the strings of our emotions and feelings. As our mastery increases we learn how to generate and transform emotion and yet walking further along this path we also begin to experience a reality where “what” emotion we are feeling is not as important as “how” we are experiencing it.

Hieu Doan

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