Welcome to The No Dojo No Kata - No Meat No Dairy No Egg No Chemical No Cooking No Chopping No Killing - Ninja ... Kata ... Dojo. TNDNKNMNDNENCNCNKNKD for ... short, very ... very ... short
the 5 sheaths & 9 elements of enlightenment & how to kill yourself (without harakiri) to end all suffering
"Our purpose is to Die, that He may be reborn in us." ~Galatians, the holy bible. Truth is... we are not here to possess & take, to destroy & enjoy, but to surrender & give, to learn & grow, for this world is a sacred Egg out of we are meant to Hatch.
You are not the false (ego / separate) self, you are the True (Spirit / united) Self, for the body is only an avatar. You are beyond mind; you are unknowable.
You are the observer, not the doer; a Being not a Doing. The Spirit of the soul, a no-mind, and definitely ... a nobody. In other words, you are the watcher of a nameless & formless actor(s) who is playing a temporary brainwashed & delusional ego character with a prescribed name, height, nationality, religion, god(s), job(s), traits, skills, hobbies, likes and dislikes.
(Ego-self is always limited, but Soul does not see that. Soul can not only mend these imperfections, but appreciate them as they are. The material world was, is, and will remain smeared with conflicts, flaws, and drama, as lofng as body-mind identification remains. Self realization removes all inner therefore outer separations & conflicts)
Why are you here in physical form? Because you need feminine-concept body-mind manifest (worn / mask / veil / acted / scabbard / represented by falling earth & water) to unite with masculine-concept unmanifest soul-Spirit (wearer / face / veiled / actor / sword / represented by rising fire & air) to overcome dualism which lead to duality therefore ego / illusion of separation between masculine-concept (dry earth / hot fire / extrovert / sensing / thinking / judging) and feminine-concept (wet water / cold air / introvert / intuitive / feeling / perceiving) in the first place.
Besides, opposites attract, which is why masculine unmanifest leads to feminine manifest.
Without the suffering of great separation, you won't be able to "understand" that you are more than just a little soul, for just as pleasure cannot be without pain, unmanifest cannot be without manifest, and Union cannot be without separation. In other words, to go up then you must first go down; to go out then you must first go in.
You can see how illusory dualism is through the natural balancing within duality: going with feminine water (pleasure) will ultimately lead to masculine fire (punishment), and vice versa: going with fire (diligence) will ultimately lead to feminine water (pleasure). Feminine manifest is simply inseparable from Masculine unmanifest!
Therefore the more the attachment, the more ego / illusion of separation therefore dualism therefore karmic debts (sins / misses) therefore descent therefore duality therefore suffering there is.
Duality causes the most pain due to selfishness caused by the physical senses and mental thoughts (yes those drain energy and cause suffering regardless of polarity). In other words, you had to put yourself as a seemingly separate character to suffer just enough to let go of the illusion of separation. However, the more you use your mind (at first) and do your spiritual practice, the less you must suffer to realize this delusion.
The flesh is the catalyst to God realization, because it enables the most understanding through suffering of selfishness especially through the evil of problems (fire) and temptations (water), otherwise foresaking the ego (seemingly separate self) through sacrifice of the physical senses, then the mental thoughts.
We are free to do what we want, but we are not free of the consequences because what goes around comes around. Question is whether we can renounce those desires otherwise bear their consequences. Truth is there is (eventually) only one path: we suffer enough therefore learn to endure better then to desire less, usually starting with some discipline training for life (survival, success, enduring / surrendering desire during problems) then eventually against life (renunciating / surrendering desire during temptations).
The ego is just a mask - with dense damaged spectacles - to operate in this world by playing a role, but we have worn it for so long that we forgot who we actually are. We are not here to suffer our roles as characters, but to enjoy them as actors and even more so as the audience. In other words, we are just tourists on a short trip and the more we prolong it the more we have to pay to go back home. The trick is learning how to be the increasingly detached audience or tourist.
This lifetime is another chance for liberation from the ego (separate body-mind therefore separate soul identification) self by renunciation otherwise continually struggling with enjoying (more like suffering) the abundance of karma (good or bad luck) to experience. If we are not liberated from the self inflicted bondage due to selfishness in this life time, then we must try again in the next one, which may be in a lower realm / plain of consciousness (such as Naraka loka / Hell, being one of 7 lower realms) to match our resultant level of consciousness, of which the fires (of hell) refer to conversion into a lower density / higher subtleness or frequency element (through the trials of problems & temptations) therefore full detachment / liberation.
We all have a lower purpose: the Soul planned a journey for each and every one of us (body mind / ego self / character) to take. However, we all also have a higher purpose: liberation from having any purpose by settling the karma caused by the ego self.
Either way, being in the path of return preferably with its sadhana (discipline training),which enables the ability to surrender (endure shortcomings and renunciate) and preferably faith in the power of the elements and especially in a higher power beyond the 5 elements in control of bondage & fate based on one's actions, which aids in renunciation of worldliness especially pleasures (entertaining the senses) to minimize the need for endurance is key. Without this, we become unaccustomed and unprepared for the inevitable drama of duality. Once we succeed at enlightenment, then we only see the wonders of unity.
Spirituality's true aim isn't avoiding hell nor receiving good fortune, but terminating attachment / possessiveness therefore individuality / separation therefore desire therefore reincarnation to experience any dimension, including heaven, and it sure as hell isn't originally about separating people according to idol (or direction 🤭) or method.
In fact, it's really as simple (though not as so so to do) as neutrally observing thoughts and senses (surrender) rather than following desire (especially for the deadly 2: survival & pleasure instincts) or resistance to them into selfishly thinking or sensing (therefore being the thinker or senser ego mind) to ascend (karma surplus) to avoid suffering caused by descent (karma deficit). This in itself is a discipline, and doesn't necessarily need a separate "discipline". Spirituality is in life itself.
However, most need a separate discipline to get them into the habit (while satisfying higher desires such as compassion & critical thinking, wellness, logical thinking & knowledge, and lower desires, such as survival & sex 🤦), and to erase more luck (ascent). Therefore, disciplines are not supposed to be designed for profit because that just complicates life and creates more channels for accruing karma deficit (mostly negative) through following desire (and making others do the same) for more thinking or sensing.
Either way, going up is a lot harder than going down, so one better seek assistance even if just by satsanga (spiritual company), for humans thrive on positive connections, and toxic ones affect us by spreading harmful attitudes & behaviours, just like fungus.
This is a definite & complete guide that guarantees to help you die (without harakiri), for you are a nothing, a no-mind, and definitely ... a nobody.
By the way HaraKiri translates to Muladhara (root foundation / hara) cutting (kiri), because that is what samurai used to do: literally pierce it as a code of honor for dishonoring their daimyo (great land landlords / warlords) by surviving a lost battle. Other cultures like Christian Crusaders (via Knights Templar) and Ottoman Empire (via Janissaries) had a similar honor code.
However, some were not interested in serving their daimyo as samurai, so became shinobi no mono (person that hides / steals away) and later also became ninja(one who survives & endures). Some of them may have lost their daimyo so became rōnin then ninja. Both of those probably comprised Iga clan closer linked to Zen Buddhism - Buddhism & Shintoism (current day Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu) as they are closely linked to Samurai schools. Some of them might have not been either and simply have been assigned to be covert operatives with superior stealth & infiltration tactics & skills (probably Koga clan, closer linked to Sun tzu of Taoism which already influenced Shaolin monks as Lin Kuei rooted in Chinese Buddhism). However, Shaolin monk refugees probably became Yamabushi (mountain warrior monks) who appear to have influenced them somehow. Ultimately, they worked with basically one shōgun (commander) named Tokugawa to end all the feuds that lead to the unification of Japan.
Ninja were constantly in the midst of the battlefield, yet so close to nature, both within and without. The art of Ninjutsu is extremely close to the elements themselves in its kata (forms), kamae (postures), sabaki (movement), kuji-in (finger positions), kuji-kiri (finger cuts), kokyū (breathing), shingon (oral invocation), thinking, and feeling (of the elements). Go here for the ancient & original 9 Element Takamatsu Den Ninjutsu.
Here are some resources to help you know more about Ninjutsu:
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There are basically 7 elements / chakras / frequencies / vibrations / energy-centers (which in Yoga are usually expanded upon as 8, in Ninjutsu as 9) in 5 sheaths / koshas (tight veils) in spirituality that ANY religion (therefore discipline; go here to see just how same all religions are) are originally aimed to assist you to experience (not reach, because you are Spirit / consciousness who is already there but must simply realize them). They are more subtle (less physical then less mental) as you go up the chart above / down the list below.
Each element can be used to realize self (selfishly) or Self (non selfishly); former causing suffering (less with higher element: earth to air) draining power & energy, and the latter vice versa (less with lower element: air to earth). So Be Yoda (do Yoga) not Darth Vader (do dark veda i.e. dark knowledge).
Please keep in mind that you should never desire or even plan on experiencing the elements, because that too comes from the ego. Simply enjoy the journey by being devoted to your duty (if any) & discipline. However, one should begin by seeking liberation by uniting with the Unmanifest, until automatically not seeking it through Tai Chi / Dhyana (effortless surrender within life itself). "When the seeking ends, the sought merges with the seeker." -Anoop Haridasan. We are here due to desire, and we go back due to desire.
(manifest light to unmanifest dark)
Truth is you already are at all these elements because you are consciousness as all (therefore neither) manifest body mind (light) and unmanifest soul (darkness); question is if are you aware of them through your physical, mental and spiritual experience. This is only a map, and to know what sheath / veil therefore element you are realizing, then you must regularly (not fleetingly) experience it. It is also important to think (preferably critically) & practise some discipline (which will aid in deeper understanding) not just read, because reading without thinking is like eating without digesting. Afterall, no knowledge is better than half.
Yes Russian dolls / Shiva Lingam / Kaaba / Vatican / etc. are all based on removing the veil / peeling the Onion
You are born (please keep in mind that physical age does not determine your element due to past life efforts, but it usually takes a minimum of 10 years after birth to realize it).
Element 0: ego level 10 (10th kyu).
- Element 1: power (capacity) or rin / "I am" / inner peace / physical earth or chi or di or bhoomi / dry / root or Muladhara (source foundation / powerplant) chakra / blocked by fear / dieties Brahma the creator, Savitri, & Dakini-Sakti / "l am" mantra / beginner mind / ego path: survival instinct or self defense / Spirit path: Love by simplicity, efficiency of senses by austerity, being modest (down to earth) / sense of smell / solid / texture / grounding / tailbone / anus, rectum, appendix, large intestine, & adrenals / solid food excretion / vertical linear movement / body's flesh & bone with its anus center / concept of mine (attachment) / Shakti: serpent source of downwards spirit to matter life force / red / kundalini good masculine right meridian (Pingala), falling-matter manifest-symbol feminine / physically & conservatively self defensive element / ego level 9 (9th kyu). Dominant caste: Shudra (laborer / servant). Laukika: that which is lost in translation / interpretation or never transferred to the shallow types (commonly knows as infidels). Ba Gua: earth.
=== Sheath 1 / Anna Maaya (very strong physical illusion / you now realize that you are a body with its 5 output organs - attachment to sense objects / mine) ===
- Element 2: energy (vital creation energy sexual fluid originating in Bindu) or pyo / "I feel" / life / physical water or sui or shui or jala / sacral or Swadishtana chakra / wet / blocked by guilt / dieties Vishnu the maintainer, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Rakini-Sakti, Matras, Vaikunthadhama, & Golaka / "vam" mantra / life / ego path: pleasure instinct, lust for life, emotion (energy in motion), lust lead procreation / Spirit path: Love by partnership, efficiency of action by delegation & teamwork, adaptation, playfulness, easy-goingness, humor, cooperation, partnership, art (beauty & gentleness) / sense of taste / liquid or cold / structure / remembering / hips / gall bladder, urinary bladder, stomach, small intestine, kidneys, & sex organs / food digestion & liquid food excretion (urination) / diagonal circular movement / body's blood with its heart center / concept of my (possession) / Yoni: downwards life force / orange / kundalini evil feminine left meridian (Ida), falling-matter manifest-symbol feminine / emotionally & adaptingly community defensive element / ego level 8 (8th kyu). Dominant caste: Vaishya (merchant / provider). Laukika: that which is lost in translation / interpretation or never transferred to the shallow types (commonly knows as infidels). Ba Gua: water.
=== Sheath 2 / Prana Maaya (strong emotional illusion / you now realize that you are a body that feels with mind's 5 input senses - attachment to thought objects / my) ===
- Element 3: harmony (order) or toh / "I do" / war / physical-mental fire or ka or huo or agni / hot / solar-plexus or Manipura chakra / blocked by shame / Brahma granthi (knot) / "ram" mantra / ego or Spirit path: perseverance, justice, ambition, aspiration, logical or rational thinking, leadership, competitiveness, order, control, courage, passion, proactivity, prevention, protection, heroism or villainism, deception, initiative, willpower, enthusiasm, diligence, meticulousness (attention to detail), thoroughness (completeness), health or self care, researching & experimentation, Love by harmony, efficiency of action by knowledge, planning, & strategy / purgatory or lower astral dimension or plane (e.g. demons or animal massacres) / sense of sight / lava or heat / pattern / planning / chest / liver, spleen, & pancreas / food combustion / horizontal depth (front / back) linear movement / yellow / body's heat with its hypothalamus center / concept of me (individuality) / Agni: upwards return force / kundalini evil masculine left brain (Pingala), rising-energy unmanifest-symbol masculine / proactively & offensively defensive element / ego level 7 & 6 (7th & 6th kyu). Level: Sadhak (one who practices discipline of enduring life). Guna (quality): tamasic (darkness / involution) to rajasic (revolution / passion). Dominant caste: Kshatriya (warrior / leader). Taiden / Itihasa & Purana: sense transfer / that which is remembered. Ba Gua: fire.
- Element 4: healing or sha / "I care" / outer peace / mental air or fu or tian or vayu / cold / heart or Anahata chakra / blocked by grief / Vishnu granthi (knot) / "yam" mantra / lingering mind / ego or Spirit path: intellectual or critical thinking, conscience, love for philosophy & questioning everything, thoughtfulness, feeling vibrations, divine charity, ability to manifest, faith in unity & mastery over destiny, Love by care / 4D or 4th or astral plane or dimension (e.g. ocean sound) / efficiency of reaction by compassion & forgiveness / sense of touch (feeling) / vapor / purpose / shoulders / heart, lungs, & thymus / horizontal (sideways) circular movement / body's air with its lung center / Shiva: source of upwards matter to spirit return force / green / kundalini good feminine right brain (Ida), rising-energy unmanifest-symbol masculine / disappearing element / ego level 5 (5th kyu). Dominant caste: Brahmin (priest / seer). Shin-den / Sruti: Spirit transfer / that which is felt (cannot be communicated). Ba Gua: heaven.
=== Sheath 3 / Mano (lower mental / astral or higher spacial / occultist / intellectual) Maaya (high mental illusion / you now realize that you are a mind that thinks & understands - attachment to body (earth, water, & fire) / me - physical freedom) ===
- Element 5: intuition (knowing without reasoning) or kai / "I express" / almost non mental ether or ku or akasha / throat or Vishuddha or Lalana chakra / blocked by lies / abode of diety Bharati or Saraswati / "ham" mantra / no form / being elementful or dual (masculine & feminine), intuition (inner voice of knowing without thinking), automatic knowledge absorption, only ideas & principles, honesty / sincerity, commonality perception, common sense, natural or open mind, sense mastery & detachment (no copying), creativity of expression / 5D or 5th Dimension or Ethereal or Etheric Plane or Causal Plane (e.g. bells tinkling) or Spirit World / ability to live without food & water, quick regeneration or fountain of youth, neutralization of experiences, concept of I the Soul / Love by open-mind / efficiency of knowledge & action by intuition / sense of sound / void / throat / thyroid & parathyroid & trachea / blue / body's life force with its Muladhara center / any form / kundalini masculine & feminine (Pingala & Ida) / formlessly unpredictable element / ego level 4 (4th kyu). Ku-den / Smriti: intuition transfer / that which is heard. Ba Gua: thunder.
=== Sheath 4 / Vijnana (higher mental / etheric or theosophical / mystical / wise) Maaya (medium mental illusion / you now realize that you are a mind that feels - attachment to body (earth, water, & fire) / me - physical freedom) ===
- Element 6: awareness (consciousness) or jin / "I see" / non mental 3rd-eye or Ajna chakra / blocked by illusion / dieities Parama (supreme) Shiva or Sidha (enlightened) Kali, Rudra (destroyer) or Shiva (that which is not) granthi (knot) / "sham" mantra / 6th sense / no mind (experiencing no thoughts nor senses) / being elementless, non duality (no separation between worldly masculine & feminine concepts), middle way, sense of inner life force, prediction of the future (psychic abilities), neutrality, being a non dual(ity) objective observer of the dual(ity) mind, Soul Plane (e.g. flute sounds), Sushumna (central meridian) activation, link to non-conscious & subconscious & higher conscious, sidhi (paranormal power) experiencing, understanding of I the Soul (experience of not being the mind nor its thoughts or senses), realizing Higher Self or immortality or transcendence of death & fear or being embodied soul (jivan-atma) / Love by non dual awareness / efficiency by non-judgement / pituitary (which relates to feminine ida channel & magnetizes the crown fluid into milk) & hypothalamus / indigo / beyond mind element / left & right & center meridians (Ida & Pingala & Sushumna) / ego level 3 (3rd kyu). Level: Sadhu (one who practices discipline of renunciating ego's desires). Guna (quality): rajasic (revolution / passion) to satavic (evolution / goodness). Ba Gua: mountain / tai chi.
- Element 7: synchronicity (link realization) or retso / link between emotions & reality / ego level 2 (2nd kyu). Ba Gua: lake.
=== Sheath 5: Ananda Maaya (weak soul illusion / you now realize that you are a soul -attachment to mind (fire, air, & ether) / I - mental freedom) ===
- Element 8: creation (manifestation) or zai / immovable mind / realization that mind manifests limitless concepts therefore limitless forms of corresponding matter therefore complete detachment and/or ability to manifest matter, mind mastery / Bindu / ego level 1 (1st kyu). Ba Gua: wind.
- Element 9: enlightenment (realization of light) or zen / "I understand" / blocked by attachment / crown or Sahasrara chakra / "om" mantra / enlightened mind / embodied liberation (jivan-mukti) or Master / King with crown or realization of Spirit or Self or godhood or unity or non-dualism or the great void or all is one or one is all or One or The Ultimate or The Absolute or The Highest or The Most High or The Unknowable or The Almighty or Shiva or Brahmam or Buddha or Wu Chi or Christ or Allah or Ruach Ha-kodesh or Amen Ra,rebirth, divinity, beginning of divine ascension, awakening, coming to consciousness, higher experience of liberty or moksha (liberation) or samadhi (integration), nirvana (exhale), advaita (all is one), vedanta (ultimate knowledge) or non dualism (non seperation from Source essence), satori (direct experience of perfect peace), attainment of sidhi (complete understanding) / self mastery, union of Shiva (unknowable darkness / unmanifest) & Shakti (knowable light / manifest), non conditional mind, unconditional love, love (for all / for good & evil equally / "love thy enemy"), understanding We the Spirit, bliss, inner peace, true happiness, awareness of not being the individual soul, Kundalini awakening, cosmic consciousness / Love by unity / efficiency by non-separation / skin & hair & pineal (throne of God, which relates to masculine pingala channel & electrocutes the claustrum fluid into honey) / violet / ego level 0 (1st dan). Level: Sidha (one who practices mastering ego's desires). Guna (quality): satavic (evolution / goodness) to beyond both (liberation). Ba Gua: wu chi.
=== you are reborn realizing that you are One (Shiva) with All (Shakti) souls, minds, bodies, events, thoughts, & feelings - detachment / We - Spiritual freedom ===
(Sensei comes from "sen" + "shin" meaning enlightened mind or heart or Spirit)
In other words:
Ascent is from to: - 1) Mine: associating your body to other bodies regardless of intrinsic values / traits (attachment). Other words include earth (why on earth are we here) / constance / body / physique / technique. - 2) My: associating your mind to other bodies regarding intrinsic values / traits (possessiveness). Other words include water (what do you see, the canvas or the liquid), mind, tactics, knowledge, and philosophy. Level: Sadhak. Quality: involution to revolution. - 3) Me: not associating your mind to anything other than mental intrinsic values / traits (individuality). Other words include concepts, and principles. - 4) I: not associating your mind with yourself (player of individuality). Other words include energy, attitude, spirituality, practise. Level: Sadhu. Quality: revolution to evolution. - 5) We: not associating with anything or anyone (non individuality). Other words include air (how do you see it; is it seperate or connected), unity, and liberation. Level: Sidha. Quality: evolution to more evolution.
In other words:
After breaking: - 1st wall: body over bodies (element 1 & 2 & 3 / survival & cooperation & order). Ida / mental / negative passageway activated. You realize yourself as a body of the play seeing different bodies - 1st person perspective. - 2nd wall: mind over body (element 4 & 5 / No Form / insight & compassion & creativity). Pingala / vital / positive passageway activated. You realize yourself as a character of the play, therefore see no difference between other bodies instead seeing different characters (body-minds) - 2nd person perspective. Level: Sadhak. Quality: involution to revolution. - 3rd wall: soul over mind (element 6 & 7 / No Mind / oversight & Soul Realization). Sushumna / awareness / central passageway activated & Kundalini awakened. You realize yourself as an actor of the play, therefore see no difference between other characters (body-minds) - 3rd person perspective. Level: Sadhu. Quality: revolution towards evolution. - 4th wall: spirit / god over soul (element 8 & 9 / detachment & Self Realization). You realize yourself as the audience / director of the play (you no longer identify as (or in) a separate body / mind / soul, but as the one whole Energy with body, mind, & soul in you), therefore see no difference between other actors (souls) - 4th person perspective. Level: Sidha. Quality: evolution towards more evolution.
- Mind / Generator or Creator of all / Brahma / Yahweh / Al Khalik / Father manifest - Body / Operator or Maintainer of unity / Vishnu / Elohim / Al Mosawir / Son manifest (e.g. Adi or Adam / Gautama / Moses / Jesus / Gabriel)
2) Yang (white / good / masculine / He / Father / unmanifest / unknowable Darkness)
- Soul / Destroyer or Saboteur of illusions / Shankar or Mahesha / Ruach Ha-kodesh / Al Momeet / Holy Ghost unmanifest (e.g. Shiva / Buddha / Satan / Christ / Allah). Requires dharana / sadhana / discipline training especially surrender. Level: Sadhak. Quality: involution towards revolution.
3) Tai Chi (Yin Yang / higher energy / harmony) - no body (no physical senses) nor mind (mental thoughts) identification (non duality - illusion of wordly separaton) - pure bliss. Results in meditative state (dhayana / dharayana) / being an embodied Soul (jivan-atma). Level: Sadhu. Quality: revolution towards evolution.
4) Wu Chi (unknowable energy) - no soul (owner of character) identification / The Great Death (non dualism / illusion of separation from Source essence) - pure liberation. Results in samadhi / nirvana / enlightenment / experiencing the unknowable / merging of All (light & dark) as One / being a god or manifestation or image of God or avatar or operator (Vishnu) or an embodied Liberation (jivan-mukti). Level: Sidha. Quality: evolution towards more evolution.
In other words:
In other words:
Once you awaken to the truth of delusion. Yet, just like a movie, it still somehow feels real.
You, just like the universe - one or a million stars - are always complete and yet also always becoming. Everything is completely perfect and always becoming completely perfect. You become the embodiment of the unknown. You realize you are the void.
Channels & Intersections
Each endocrine gland (testes / ovaries, kidneys & adrenals, pancreas, thymus, thyroid & parathyroids, pituitary, thalamus & hypothalamus, pineal) is in the front corresponding to its energy-center (intersection) in the back. Therefore, the glands (influenced by life style including food, chemicals, company, climate, body posture (kamae / asana), finger positions (in / mudra), movement, thoughts, reactions, experiences, etc.) influence the elements (especially influenced by surrender), and vice versa.
However, ascending up the chart does not mean going higher physically so much (since all the chakras are important), but higher in frequency / lower in density / deeper into energy (less physical then less mental). Also, this description is basically as per Ninjutsu lineage, but knowledge (theory) is objective, and truth (experience) is subjective, so the experience of the elements (e.g. colors, locations, count, etc.) may be different for you.
The most important elements are the 1st (root) and the 6th (3rd-eye). Root because it emphasizes inner peace through minimalism of meeting basic needs (nature has enough for everyone's needs, not everyone's greed), it is used to minimize blood pressure, anxiety, & lower body temperature, as the break on spiritual energy when it becomes overwhelming, and converts the crown fluid in the sacrum (sacral chakra) from liquid into gas to go across the 33 vertebrae back into the crown to activate the throne of God (pineal). 3rd-eye because it is the command center which when activated is used to see past the limited 0.0035% of light spectrum.
The reason there are 2 kyus (ego levels) for fire element is because air element is the half leap or beginning of stepping out of the ego (physical to mental / astral), for physicality is primarily made up of light-energy (photons) known as Shakti (roughly meaning light energy) made up tetrahedrons.
Also, this element is at the heart (2 halves combined horizontally) and star of david (2 opposing triangles combined vertically) both of which denote union (non dualism therefore non duality) because it is the bridge between the 3 upper unmanifest (masculine / soul) elements and the 3 lower manifest (feminine / body) elements at the center of the mind-matrix as the non-physical mind (intellectual) element that can be used as the primary aid in unlocking the non dual 3rd eye by understanding non duality, for everything can be used selfishly / badly or nonselfishly / goodly therefore aiding in removing duality of good or bad etc. for knowledge is objective (physical & common), but Truth is subjective (mental & personal).
Therefore, this is where Shin-den or Sruti (experiencing the Ultimate) happens: Spirit transfer / that which is felt, for feeling is the mind's heart's function. This why heart also denotes heaven in the ba gua of Taoism because it truly is the key to experiencing heaven, not only due to the astral (mental / non physical) dimension where it resides, but because spirituality is mostly about how we respond (to problems & temptations), and this gives the ability to respond beyond the dual physical elements of water (aversion) or fire (aggression) into lightness (air) through understanding & non selfish reaction. This is the ultimate aim of (traditional) martial arts: to persevere in learning how to respond efficiently: cleverly yet calmly, compassionately, intuitively, & mid-wayingly (non instinctively).
(really Love disguised in color
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜💗)
However, all elements are also represented by the drawn heart which denotes love because it represents non dual therefore non desiring (nor resisting) Consciousness (Spirit), but at different frequencies or densities with varying levels of desire due to the illusion of separation between masculine & feminine in the form of unmanifest & manifest therefore masculine & feminine in the form of good & bad etc. due to density.
Kundalini actually loops back to the heart after breaching the crown because there are still the vasanas (tendencies) to master even after enlightenment. The heart chakra is therefore the first and last after Self realization. Not only that, but the heart has a powerful EMF (electro-magnetic field) especially according to emotions, which then affects & is felt by others. Finally, there are more neural messages from heart (air) to others such as brain (fire) then there are vice versa; yes the heart is the true Central Processing Unit.
Also, all of the elements must be activated because each corresponds to a different area of the brain, but most (9 out 10 that gives exceptional intelligence / talents) are activated upon kundalini's breaching of the 6th element (Ajna).
Life force (ether / 5th element) is the energy of matter which are (negatively charged) electrons revolving around (positively charged) protons. This is stimulated by surrender / being a (neutrally charged) neutron / objective & centered observer / operator / actor / player to activate the circulating energy charges (wheels / chakras) of atoms to revolve from involution (matter / darkenss) to evolution (spirit / lightness).
In terms of the nadies (meridians / channels), the center channel (Sushumna) is the neutral one to activate for Kundalini (brain pit coil) awakening, while the the other 2 are the right positive (Pingala / mental power) and left negative (Ida / emotional power) coiling around it then meet at 5th (vital power) then all (along with Sushumna) meet at the 6th (awareness) element. Kundalini flows through the channels (masculine right and feminine left): right (earth) to left (water) to right (fire) to left (air) to both (ether) to both along with central at the 3rd eye then switch in the brain (masculine right channel pingala becomes left brain and feminine left channel ida becomes right brain). Some people think pingala is feminine because it starts on the right, but it does not end up on the right which is really what matters.
More info on that and how everything is consciousness (omnipresent omniscient omnipotent Energy / God / Divinity) but humans are the only ones able to realize it here. More info about how everything is elements besides just energy centers, including matter (earth to water to fire to air in ascending amount of heat), geometry, astrology, gender, brainwaves, vibrations, brain sides, personality type, temperaments, body organs, body types, and gods @ https://photos.app.goo.gl/sEoaVigMURKkuWuh9 .
Illusion
Even though samadhi means integration of the 5 elements (body-mind) into any of the 5 elements which means non existence as body-mind upon clearing all karmic debts, Maaya is not actually illusion, it is the cause of illusion (of separation), which is the cause of ego (identifying as that illusion) via the mind via its thoughts & senses. Matter represents opposing yet always coexisting attributes (e.g. good & evil) of energy, only highly separated / "egoized" via mind even though they are inherently both always together. Yes the greatest irony of life is that the closer / denser things are, the further / more seperate things seem. Matter - upon introspection & experience therefore knowledge & understanding - actually is the catalyst to uniting with Shiva / Divinity / Oneness where Truth is clear. Ultimately, Shakti is Shiva, and Maaya is Truth.
For example: sugar appears to be good (tasty) to some but bad (harmful) to others but is neither because it contains glucose (good / energy) & fructose (bad / poison). The 2 polar opposites cannot ever be separated, even though they seem to be by the mind due to the ego due to maaya. What is good for you is bad for someone or something else and vice versa. This paradox is a peek at the Unknowable Ultimate Unity.
The more the ego the more the perception of physicality (matter / separation) rather than spirituality (spirit / connection). Therefore everything is same energy: from same atoms in decreasing density (solid, liquid, heat, air, ether manifested as emotions, thoughts, & willpower) to mind (conscience & intuition) to soul (consciousness) but is perceived differently by the mind according to the influence of the ego. Therefore everything is sacred, connected, and single Energy, but it is the ego that separates that to perceive everything as mental concepts (darkness) and physical matter (more darkness).
For example, in decreasing frequency (or consciousness or awareness or observance) / increasing density / shallower energy: milk can be buttermilk to curd to yogurt to paneer to butter to cheese, but is same; love can be presence (objective awareness) to caring to spiritually-religious devotion (informed / form indifferent) to commitment to passion to sex to extreme-religious devotion (uninformed / form affixed) to attachment, but is same.
The problem is that our Higher Self / ethereal dimension soul that put different portions of its conscious energy in different places is not that spiritually evolved and that is why we see ourselves as vehicles / characters therefore see more separation therefore suffer therefore cause suffering.
The goal is to raise that consciousness so while here and if we were to come back, we see things as Spirit therefore equally therefore do not suffer therefore cause it, rather help alleviate others of it.
Nastiness inside reflects nastily outside. Love them when they deserve it the least, for that's when they need it the most. Therefore, just as you wouldn't give your body away to some passer by, there is no need to give your mind away so others may abuse & manipulate you without even touching you. Disrespect & unappreciation comes from an immature & arrogant mind, and only those that are unhappy with themselves are mean to others. It's always a reflection of their own character and their related attitude about it & life. Even if it's not about their personality or psychology, one's maltreatment is at their own (karmic) loss, so dont make it yours too. As an avatar, only You control you. Besides, if you also treat them badly then you give them the notion of being right and therefore continue the cycle; be the example you wish to see.
In other words as following: we do not see things as they are, we see things as we are (as per our perception as per our level of growth). We can only see things as deeply as we see ourselves. We can only love as deeply as we love ourselves, communicate as deeply as we are self aware, and behave as well as we are healed. We are not at war with each other, we are at war with ourselves and projecting that onto the world. The less whole we see ourselves, the less we go from inside to outside, and the more we try to fill that void from outside to inside. The more of a person we see ourselves, the more personally we takes things. The less lightly we see ourselves, the less lightly we take everything. The more emotional we are, the more we fear fear, therefore the more we lie, then we lie about not lying, because we are ashamed of being ashamed.
The inner war is actually the war due to dualism (inner separation) between unmanifest (masculine concept) and manifest (feminine concept), which causes - due to duality (outer separation) - the outer war / balancing / cancellation of separation between masculine (earth & fire) and feminine (water & air). As long as those are not One due to manifest - feminine concept - which causes ego / damaged spectacles with the illusion of separation / damaged perspective therefore lack of unmanifest - masculine concept - then this inner war will always manifest into outer war (therefore drama) between masculine & feminine elements to remove their separation.
8 Limbs of Union
This raising of consciousness / obtaining higher portion of Source conscious energy is done though a combination of 8 limbs prescribed by the great sage Patanjali: 1) yamas:outer restraints such as kindness (not needlessly harming others) and moderation (limiting if not minimizing if not eliminating pleasures). Moderation works better than prohibition because otherwise resistance feeds temptation.
"No one knows just how bad he truly is until he has tried really hard to be good.". So don't try to be good, try to be Nothing because no matter how disciplined we are, we all slip up, then we all pay the price anyway. So if not renunciate then just endure. In other words if you cannot enjoy simplicity, then enjoy complication ^__^
2) niyamas:inner restraints such as self study.
3) asana:body postures. The body influences the mind therefore soul.
4) pranayama:breathing techniques. These aid in releasing stress and toxins, and increasing energy by improving digestion along with increasing lung capacity and oxygenation.
5) pratyahara:sense withdrawal / practicing austerity (simplicity) such as reading a book instead of watching a movie.
6) dharana:effortful concentration commonly known as sadhana, which eventually should be effortless / unattempted (you can call it dharayana). Status: learning to endure hardship to enjoy bad karma / merging with evil or Yin.
Status: being a Sadhak. Guna (quality): tamasic (involution) to rajasic (revolution).
7) dhayana:effortless surrender (meditative state) within training and life itself by being the detached observer meaning Soul realization leading to unbroken practise (the actual meaning of tapas / tapsaya) such as austerity due to detachment from the senses.
Status: learning to renunciate while fully enjoying all karma, good and bad; realization of being embodied soul (jivan-atma) / being in harmony or Tai Chi (higher energy). Stage: being a Sadhu. Guna (quality): rajasic (revolution) towards satavic (evolution).
8) samadhi: integration (non existance as anything seperate) after Spirit realization or enlightenment, which is rebirth / the beginning of a new life. Status: influencing others to full enjoyment of all karma; realization of being embodied liberation (jivan-mokti) or avatar or image / manifestation of God (sometimes referred to as being a god) / experiencing & being medium to God or Wu Chi (the unknowable). Stage: being a Sidha. Guna (quality): satavic (evolution) towards no guna.
Austerity actually exists in varying degrees in all the 8 limbs, but especially in #5. It is very important because emphasizes taking one's need (not greed which Mother Nature cannot support), which applies not only to physical resources, but to knowledge including spiritual method. Also, simplicity is critical in spirituality because otherwise the mind gets cluttered because of too many thoughts (including maintenance) and senses to engage which depletes energy, and because the simpler things are, the more effort & concentration (effortful concentration) therefore awareness (effortless surrender) is acquired. Last but not least, the more the renunciation (therefore austerity) the less the suffering.
Reading for instance requires sitting alone quietly, and that brings loneliness, boredom, and dreadfulness. There is a part of us (body-mind self) that cannot stand that because it always requires constant feeding, constant stimulation, and constant gratification. There is another part of us (Soul Self) that actually appreciates loneliness, boredom, and dreadfulness. It cannot be fed nor gratified nor stimulated. That is the Destroyer (of illusions, of separation).
The 3 Levels / Qualities
A Sadhak endures (evil), a Sadhu renunciates (worldliness), and a Sidha radiates (Love).
There are basically 3 levels / stages of enlightenment in descending order of importance / decreasing level of attachment. They involve surrender mind's desires one way or another, and they all prevent descent (deficit / losing karma) in descending order, and aid ascent (positive / gaining karma) in ascending order. The more the attachment the more the desire for related thoughts and senses therefore the more the descent therefore the more the suffering.
Our higher (Self) purpose is to settle our karmatic debts / karma mala / sins (misses) by observing all experiences of the body-mind. To do that we must be detached by losing the fear of losing anything by Self realization (therefore wholeness through courage therefore Love and empathy, not fear therefore hate and apathy) descendingly important as follows:
1) renunciation of body identification / my & mine / dependencies. This is due to attachment / possession over other "sense objects" and overcoming that is commonly called detachment. Without this, there is strong attachment therefore sensual slavery therefore constant physical ailments & ill health (aided by dullness / heaviness - being tamasic / earth element). It includes aspects of yamas (especially moderation) and niyamas (especially endurance). There will also be ill will (fire element: resentment therefore anger therefore vengeance therefore hostility) / aversion (water element: distraction through pleasure and disrespectful & apathetic behaviour) therefore negative karma accumulation and unsuitable solitude. This causes most suffering because the more you pursue pleasure while avoiding pain the more you become attached to its objects therefore experience pain. Overcoming this is mind realization / being a Sadhak (one who practices discipline of balance & endurance due to feelings of excess desire - balancing & enduring ego self's desires). Quality: involution to revolution.
Physical freedom is obtained by a formless & elementful open mind and knowledge, especially relating to the pain of pleasure, and its pursuit.
2) renunciation of mind identification / possessiveness / worldliness / me / monkey mind (leading to restlessness - being rajasic / fire element). This is due to attachment / possession over one's body and overcoming that is called dhayana (effortless surrender). Without this, there is constant mental desire therefore constant suffering. It includes aspects of dharana (effortful concentration). This prevents the need for endurance due to the karma deficit created especially negative. Overcoming this is Soul realization / being a Sadhu (one who practices discipline of surrender of temptations (renunciation) - eradicating ego self's attachments). Quality: revolution to evolution.
Mental freedom is obtained by being elementless (beyond mind) by endurance of life (surrender desire during problems) & respect, especially towards different characters and their natural imperfections therefore detaching from one's own.
3) renunciation of all separation / judging then separating / I then We to the abundance of all that exists through the senses & thoughts leading to calmness (being satavic / air element). This is due to attachment / possession over one's mind (role / character), and overcoming that is commonly called moksha (liberation). It includes aspects from niyamas (especially austerity & contentment), pratyahara (austerity), and dhayana (effortless surrender) therefore samadhi (integration). Without this, there remains doubt (air element) about a higher power beyond the senses. Overcoming this is Spirit realization (Death) / being a Sidha (one who is liberated from ego self's desires - mastering ego self). Quality: evolution to more evolution.
Spiritual freedom is obtained by renunciation (surrender desire during temptations).
4) survival (necessary for Self realization), preferably by fulfilling our lower (self) purpose of doing what body-mind is designed for according to its dominant elements in order to righteously make a living along with a fulfilling life without need for pleasure, or suicide. Without this there is .. death.
(The true hindrance to overcome is attachment / possessiveness due to preference therefore mental or physical desire to entertain the mind through thoughts & senses i.e. brain or eye candy)
Maaya (that which causes illusion of separation) therefore duality therefore preference therefore attachment / possessiveness therefore dualism therefore ego (identifying as separation) therefore I the soul owning me the mind / character therefore more preference therefore more possessiveness / attachment therefore me the mind owning the body therefore desire therefore more possessiveness / attachment therefore more desire into body owning my objects then mine (my objects or I kill you) therefore suffering in the forms of greed, gluttony, jealousy, pride, and lust therefore more resistance therefore suffering in the forms of fear, anger, hate, and sadness therefore more suffering for others. Reducing attachment / possessiveness therefore resistance therefore judgement therefore separation therefore ultimately, desire, is what must be done.
Life is the one that is painful therefore is a Sadhak's tendency to practice painful discipline because he still has attachments therefore must balance pleasure with pain otherwise surrender desire during painful problems & challenges (otherwise effort to try to prevent those), endure efforts (and slavery) to attainment, and endure energy lost during attainment. After all, thoughts & senses drain energy regardless of pain, physical or mental.
Escaping from suffering is like a donkey infinitely encircling a pole because of a rope keeping it attached. Donkey is the coward, pole is the suffering, rope is the resistance, and encircling is the bondage of suffering due to resistance due to attachment of ego self / body-mind identification where duality (illusion of separation) lies.
In other words, a Sadhak is still going round in circles (pain for pleasure then pain again), but gracefully, enjoying whatever life has to offer.
A Sadhu is not only detached from yang / good / pleasure, but also from yin / bad / pain. It is a common misconception that in order to ascend that one must go against the ego by enduring pain, but that is needed for the path of life. You will therefore often find a Sadhu disconnected from society due to being disinterested in worldly matters be it pain (improving mentally or physically) or pleasure (therefore the pains resultant and required), and in efforts to prevent and clear karma deficits. In other words, a Sadhu finally is ascending through middle way by losing attachments therefore desire for sensual or mental indulgence (painful or pleasurable) therefore preventing further karmatic debts.
(The more attached to pleasure you are, the more you resist pain therefore the more of it you will attract and resist then attract again. The more attached to pain you are, the more you resist pleasure therefore the more of it you will attract and desire then resist again)
When it comes to Teacher or Warriordharma, the embodied soul should continue to endure knowledge, skill, and strength needed to teach or force the ego out of the enemy especially if the task is physical. Enlightenment is all that matters because as Sun Tzu said "If you know yourSelf, then you will win all battles.".
A Sidha still has desires because still has (less) ego self identity, but is detached enough to need not follow them. This is because the less separation one sees (higher consciousness therefore non duality therefore towards evil from good) the less judgement therefore the less attachment / attraction therefore the less desire therefore the less need one has for anything. A Sidha fully acknowledges that the more one is attached (therefore follows desire), the more one is in bondage to the thoughts and senses which drain energy with or without problems & challenges (which are inevitable). The biggest difference is that a Sidha has sustained surrender (during problems and temptations) enough to minimize losing karma then almost clearing almost all karmatic debts. Therefore, a Sidha is often more connected to society because of a more indifferent state to the suffering of life (pushing through with endurance against the ego's judgements of pains associated with improvement or indulgence), and to be an influence to others. To a Sidha, the pains and pleasures of life are both equally blissful, so enjoys them more openly but without needing to due to detachment.
Sometimes, enough suffering (or trying to avoid it) causes us to give up and indulge or run away and hide or have suicidal thoughts, which may seem like renunciation. True renunciation is only when you are really convinced that life (especially pleasure) is pain, and finally renunciate, aided by faith in a higher power beyond the 5 senses, therefore are ready to embrace the (relatively less) pain needed to transcend it.
The ironies of discipline training is it is sometimes too focused on endurance, which is needed most within life itself, even though path of return is about overcoming selfishness through detaching from life especially leaving its pains & pleasures therefore not needing it much. Second irony is it often leads to attachment to the discipline, regardless of whether it helps overcome the tendency to indulge in desires (sensual or otherwise, pleasurable or painful), which becomes accepted anyway because of conditioning to the resulting pain due to endurance. The third irony is it can cause too much pain (be it physical or mental) anyway (which often results in pleasure, therefore pain again), when that is actually life's job.
Therefore, renunciation of worldliness (detachment from desires, higher or lower) becomes more and more obvious to pursue even just as backup. This is austerity discipline training, and is neither mentally or physically painful as the earth / root element practice. One needs to cultivate the habit of being the detached and neutral / objective observer (which also enables endurance, even better because you are learning to be the objective observer of body-mind without using them to respond with) to any thoughts & senses in a completely minimalistic environment (no thought nor sense stimuli, preferably in solitude, eventually with no system or props such as chair) to learn to embrace boredom without need for mental (or physical) masterbation (yes especially pleasure). This needs tons of time (therefore sacrifice, but much less, and within activity if done properly), commitment, and consistency. However, the most amount of energy is actually cultivated in this case, because you otherwise lose energy when sensing and thinking (althiugh being healthy helps). Austerity is also the most required in this day and age because of constant bombardment with knowledge and entertainment.
You may ask but how will one attain a karma surplus just with renunciation of worldliness alone? Because each day, if one goes a little more towards renunciation than entertainment (minimalism) along with endurance of course (if any), then eventually one ends up with a surplus. However, what matters regardless of pain or pleasure is being in a meditative state, which will make it easy not to indulge, otherwise even easier to endure the pain of pleasure.
Achieving the above requires sadhana (discipline training) especially through renunciationbecause that is what prevents karma deficit especially negative. If you don't need it then no need to do it (but you actually need it until completely losing the ego). It includes aspects from all first 6 limbs of Yoga.
However, a balance (although less emphasis) of enduranceis recommended to keep body-mind healthy.
Ranks & Brotherhood / Sisterhood
It is critical in your journey of enlightenment to simulate seeing & doing things from the person perspective that is higher than your current (e.g. simulate 3rd if you are at 2nd). For example: instead of judging someone as good / bad, first see that it is the character they are playing (not them), then see that character is just a different combination of elements therefore frequencies (just different character - nothing absolute, not better nor worse, not good nor bad) therefore with different traits.
Also, no matter what habit a person has (such as lying), there is no need to make it absolute by labeling them by it as a trait (such as liar) because they may change, and it helps to aid them do so by not labeling them, instead by blessing them. Also, nothing is absolute because all is relative and on a spectrum of extremes; so just as nothing can be entirely masculine / feminine, no one can be entirely good / bad or miserly / kind. It also depends on the circumstance such as time, object, location, preference, etc. As an actor (soul), all characters are equal, essential, and coexisting parts of the same play. Therefore, there is no preference between this and that character.
The older (as soul) someone is, the higher is his element, therefore the more developed he is physically (health, ability to survive & self heal), mentally (ability for skill, knowledge, & intellect), and spiritually (energy, morality, composure, caringness) - but decreasingly so from spirit to body. Anyone who is older is your father / big bro or sis / Senpai / Sihing / Bade-Bhai or Bade-Bahan / etc., younger is your baby / small bro or sis / chota-bhai or chota-bahan, and same is your brother / sister.
The age (spiritual progress) is determined by effort in this life or the previous one because the chakra progress is stored (yes saved like in a video game). The chakra progress is never lost, but bliss or suffering is reflected in one's selflessness through maintained discipline anyway.
However, all are actually the same (brothers / sisters) because all are same souls (therefore Spirit), but at different stages of realization through reunciation and endurance: work, training, knowledge, introspection, and preferably influence by teacher (Major / Imam / Priest / Qess / Sensei / Kru / Sifu / Saya / Lama / Guru / etc.) / master (General / Alim / Pope / Rabbi / Soke / Ajarn / Dai Sifu / Sarar / Dalai Lama / Sadhguru / etc.).
Even if everyone is not same Spirit, everyone is a unique expression of soul seed with differing challenges & gifts (knowledge, skills, traits) that he/she can share or influence others with. Just as the amount of energy in the Universe is constant, the amount of it in any individual is also constant (but reduced by the ego).
Everyone who is still mortal is so due to lower consciousness therefore more lower elements until becoming immortal with more higher elements especially beyond the mind's last 5th / Ether therefore less selfishness / attachment. It's not about balanced elements, although that helps experience and cause less suffering, it's about not being them as mind always implies attachment therefore duality therefore imbalance therefore desire. Difference between soul and Spirit @ https://nodojoninja.blogspot.com/2021/03/thiest-vs-atheist-gnostic-vs-agnostic.html .
A very learned & experienced philosopher, teacher, mentor, vegan activist, environmentalist, unifier, minimalist, ascetic, writer, blogger, vlogger, yogi, martial artist, bar bro, calisthenics practitioner, jogger, traceur, acrobat, swimmer, climber, trekker, and DIY junkie by the name of Mowrad Rownak Flowrendo once said:
We all have all elements but imbalance happens when one element is more or less than the other elements, which creates problems in personality therefore life therefore fate. The upper elements feed the lower elements (up to an extent afterwards consume them), while each lower one consumes each one directly above, a lot like how elements in nature, plants, & animals (and even humans) feed to / consume from / depend on each other.
However, even though the directly adjacent elements fight / consume each other (after a point from above), the indirectly adjacent ones support / feed each other. That is, the directly adjacent good masculine dry earth fights / consumes evil feminine wet water & vice versa, evil feminine wet water fights / consumes evil masculine hot fire & vice versa, evil masculine hot fire fights / consumes good feminine cold air & vice versa. On the other hand, the indirectly adjacent good masculine dry earth supports evil masculine hot fire & vice versa, and evil feminine wet water supports / feeds good feminine cold air & vice versa.
In summary, opposite gender elements oppose each other, while same gender elements support each other. This is in reflection of the actual war between masculine concept unmanifest (God / Spirit / Shiva) with feminine concept manifest (ego / matter / Shakti) in order to realize that they are One (they just seem separate due Maaya - cause for ego / illusion of separation).
One cannot change behavioural patterns of body-mind if one is body-mind because you cannot fix that which you cannot see. Therefore, renunciation (being in a soul level of awareness over body-mind's thoughts & senses without following them, in life) is the best way to see them to change them.
Emotional healing is restoring the element of energy: water. You will only grow once you take responsibility for your history & destiny, otherwise constantly feel betrayed & victimized therefore eternally continue the cycle of fear and hate. "If you don't heal from what hurt you, you will bleed on people that did not cut you."
Release the venom; forgiveness is the only antidote. Doing something is easy, but doing nothing (such as ignoring, otherwise forgiving) is hard. If you don't give the gifts back (ignore the assault) then at least let it go later (forgive the assault). Gifts refers to the opportunity to clear your karmic debts (rise) through endurance, thereforefore giving offenders your sins. In other words, there's no need to even kill them with generosity, cause most people are not even worthy of your attention, and the gift is obtained simply by endurance.
"People choose to fight when they may simply take the high way… naturally you drive faster on a highway." -Jad Jawhary
Truth is that problems either make us bitter or better, wounded or wiser. Most of us chose the former, because it is easier to react instinctively, as a victim. Therefore fate (of sabotage or growth) is a choice, not an accident.
One technique is to imagine the times anyone hurt you, and instead of reacting with anger (left fire brain) or sadness (right water brain), acknowledge that as long as there is life then there is ego therefore good & evil. As long as good exists, then evil will also exist. Do this visualization / self hypnosis many times until you feel the emotion is gone. It also needs a deep relaxed mind for it to work. Another method is gong healing, because the sound works on harmonizing the water element in the body where emotions reside. Either way, unless you can forgive (if not ignore), you will keep bottling up then bursting out those emotions into your destiny.
Spiritual ascension is aided by having morebalanced elements especially through the help of detachment of awareness / 6th element over mind. However, it is more about detaching from / transcending (audience / Spirit) the character without being obsessed by not over-loving (attachment) nor over-hating (resistance) than it is about choosing / changing it (actor / soul). This is done by constantly studying & observing it (along with possibly idolizing role models / idols) meanwhile maximizing going with its higher frequency / lower density (fire, air & ether) desires while minimizing going with lower frequency / higher density (earth & water) desires. As the Samurai saying goes: "7 zen (enlightenment), 3 ken (sword / technique / knowledge / skill)" meaning being detached / centered / non dual (neither masculine earth & fire nor feminine water & air) is much more important for solving and especially preventing problems.
By so doing, one loses ego / selfishness by raising karma and minimizing it from falling, so it is not about changing or improving or even adjusting (although those help) the character you are playing. It is however important not to have it too extreme of any element cause that is insanity and you will face as well as cause too many problems.
Consciousness, therefore command over the ego self will prevent it from causing much suffering to itself or others and if it does, then the ends should justify the means (for the greater good). One should not be slave to their thoughts and emotions, especially lower desires. If one is slave to their ego, then they will be slave to others too. "The first and noblest Victory is to conquer oneself." -Plato. Some tips on that here especially under Mental Conditioning.
The losing of the ego brings about awakening of spiritual super powers that help alleviate others of suffering such as the ability to heal or intuitively obtain information therefore help others with suitable solutions. In the same way the excess of ego brings about material "super powers" that cause a lot of suffering for others. An example would be someone with too much fire element that he is too impatient & controlling therefore constantly shouting and cussing at people for not getting things done immediately, or someone with too much water element that she always hides (or throws even) other people's stuff simply because they don't look nice.
This imbalance of the elements of the mind influences the body too as shown by the 3 doshas (best understood as disease) based on the 3 gunas (in this case for character rather than evolution): tamasic to earth to kaffa as fat, rajasic to fire to pitta as fit, satvic to air to vatta as thin. This is also shown in Sheldon's type identifier: earth as cerebretonic as ectomorph / thin, water as visceretonic as endomorph / fat, fire as somatotonic as mesomorph / fit. This is also represented by Jung's Myers Briggs Type Identifier as the method of Attention, Knowledge, Action, Reaction due the dominant element from the left / right brain for each leading to one of the 16 personality types.
These elements are also what combines to dictate the most suitable dharma / moral duty from the 4 varna for each person: Warrior / Teacher / Merchant / Worker. In fact, especially as per Shaktism, there are numerous gods / dieties (possibly as many as 330 million) from which to perfectly match each unique individual's ideal character to aid in Self actualization. More info here.
1) earth creates simplicity, minimalism, & spatial awareness. Too much and one is stingy (although there could be other factors) and over conservative, too little makes one unaware of surroundings lost in the sky of memories & fantasies. 2) water creates cooperation, adaptation, humor, pleasure, memory, friendliness, & fun. Too much and one is lustful, full of gluttony, & overly playful, while too little makes one shy or unfriendly. 3) fire creates order, knowledge, passion, diligence, & ambition. Too much and one is too combative, confrontational, rigid, and controlling, while too little makes one disorderly, lethargic & lazy. 4) air creates intellect, compassion, philosophy, & critical thinking. Too much and one is lost, disoriented & unaware of one’s surroundings, while too little makes one superficial, apathetic, & full of false useless knowledge. 5) ether creates creativity & intuition. Too much and one is too disinterested in life, knowledge, & the world in general, while too little makes one concerned with petty details & excess knowledge. 6) awareness: enables one to be aware of the mind in order to balance its elements / overcome slavery to them, which is done through surrender (objective awareness over the mind through its 5 senses & thoughts). This is usually started with sitting postures such as seiza (vajrasana) or sawari gata (sukasana) or fudoza.
I recommend you try 3LAW Meditation to help you identify your element imbalance by contacting me @ www.NoDojo.Ninja. Either that or just have a KoFi :)
Enlightenment (Element 9) - Crown
"The most beautiful and profound experience we can tap into, is the experience of the Self." -Anoop Haridasan.
Enlightenment refers to 9th element (which is actually Spirit's birth / beginning of a true life). The reference to light can refer to awakening of the dormant serpent (Kundalini) power (Shakti) in the brain through activating the central awareness (Sushumna) channel to allow a higher voltage to travel to the higher consciousness element (9th / Sahasrara) from the lowest consciousness element (1st / Muladhara).
When one has almost cleared all karmatic debts, mind realizes Oneness / Truth / Ultimate / Divinity / yoga (union) / tai chi (higher energy) / kung fu (self mastery) / All is One & One is All. Even after this realization, illusion of separation therefore suffering will continue if sadhana is not sustained, although the less the illusion / attachment the less the suffering.
Light is simply the lack of dark, and good only exists due to its relation to bad, just as a black background is necessary for a white foreground.
Nothing is true (all is false because all causes illusion), everything is permitted (there is no right or wrong, good or evil, hot or cold, up or down, right or left, etc.). Life is perfectly imperfect & imperfectly perfect. Good leads to bad, & bad leads to good. Death leads to life, and life leads to death. Pleasure leads to pain and pain leads to pleasure. Order is necessary for chaos and chaos is necessary for order. White is lack of black, and black is lack of white. Those two polar opposites are complementary (in fact inseparable), and one cannot exist without the other.
To go up then you must go down, and to out then you must go in. To be One with everything, you must let go of everything (detach). To unite with everything you must seperate Self (Spirit-soul) from self (body-mind). To know Self you must disidentify from self (thoughts & senses).
“All good & evil lie in sensation, which death brings to cessation. Death is no burden when present, but brings burden when anticipated. Death does not exist while we are present, but we do not exist when death is present. We do not exist separately, for we are formless, eternal, integrated. We (Shakti) are One (Shiva).” ~Mowrad Rownak Flowrendo
Death is more accurately of the ego therefore identifying as anything separate. When that is completely done by erasing all karmatic debts, then an individual will no longer remain in this dimension, and integration of the 5 sheaths will be fully into any of the 5 elements. In other words, Spirit will be all that remains, and that is the ultimate liberation.
(originally was: beyond ideas of infidelity and fidelity therefore supporting a religion of love, but changed by the interpreter to avoid offending those with a religion of form i.e. attachment to their religion)
That is the Law of Oneness / natural nature of nature / marItal art: all positives have negatives (temporary, changeable, require struggle & complexity, and eventually unsatisfactory), and all negatives have positives (help appreciate & realize the positives, help improve physically, emotionally, mentally, and help make change challenge and worth), all is equal, all is the same, all is One. Everything is just protons (positive) and electrons (negative), 1s and 0s, atoms that agreed to hold space together in different densities. However since the Divine is beyond the senses therefore knowledge therefore comprehension of the mind, you must rely on experience, but use knowledge to guide you there.
The outer battle of duality is due to the inner battle of dualism because outside, everything seems separate due Maaya - cause for ego / illusion of separation. This is the result of dualism / separation between masculine concept unmanifest & feminine concept manifest / Spirit & Matter / God & Body / Yang & Yin / Shiva & Shakti / blade & chalice / up & down / inside & outside / etc. When masculine-concept unmanifest (actor soul) is realized to be feminine-concept manifest (acted body-mind), one becomes neither therefore is Liberated as the Non Dual Divine / Pure Consciousness.
Enlightenment and the Path of Return / Path of Purity / matter to spirit required for it is represented by countless symbols from countless forms of spirituality (religions) from countless walks of life:
Hexagram of Judaism's Star of David / Seal of Solomon symbol
(more pictures regarding left / upwards / male & right / downwards / female brain)
Tai Chi / Higher Energy - symbol from Taoism with
fire / rising / unmanifest / good / white
merging with
water / falling / manifest / evil / black
Freemasonry symbol
Pentacle symbol of Paganism especially prevalent in Wicca AKA Pagan Witchraft, where the circle / center usually represents Spirit. In Islam, "Spirit" refers to 5th / ether element and the crescent next to the star refers to the unknowable darkness - God (Allah).
This good physical masculine dry earth element of power is supported by the evil masculine hot fire element of harmony, but opposed (after a point) by the feminine elements, especially the evil feminine wet water element of energy.
A lot of people associate this negatively to (therefore get emotional about) survival as in the attempt at not dying. However, it is nonsensical to leave this element because survival is an inescapable part of life. Why else do we have a root chakra? Life is in fact full of perils, and the more civilized our lives the higher our chances of death.
Technology does greater damage in a subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) manner, and it solves problems at the expense of new - more complex - ones, therefore increases stress and damages health due to imposing an unnatural lifestyle. Technology also gives more venues for indulging in thoughts and senses, therefore makes suffering more attainable through descent (karma deficit) especially upon encountering problems and changes (which do happen, most frequently with that which is thought made). Thanks to technology, we are almost always in comfort & survival (if not pleasure) mode because we are always either eating (usually for pleasure), sleeping, being sheltered, or working (or - sometimes virtually - procreating).
However, this element is the basis of austerity / simplicity, which is where the term "down to earth" comes from, which is the basis of spirituality because it emphasizes meeting one's need not greed which nature has no room for. Besides, going with any desire even the necessary needed (for survival) only causes karma deficit (descent), so austerity is critical.
This element exists in varying degrees in all 8 limbs of Yoga and is the most important catalyst and resultant of spiritual practise. It also is the powerplant from which the Kundalini Shakti (serpent power) ascends through the intersections / chakras and channels / nadies.
It is called Power / Seat of Shakti for a reason. Spirituality begins and is regulated at this element.
Energy (Element 2) - Water
This evil physical feminine wet water element of energy is supported by the good feminine cold air element of healing, but opposed by the masculine elements, especially the good masculine dry earth element of power.
This element is about art, adaptation, cooperation, playfulness, humor, being "chill" (easy-going), and enjoying life such as nature, weather, music, beauty, and company through the senses (smell, taste, sight, touch, sound) but temperance / self-restraint should be applied so that it is moderated (preferably minimized) so it doesn't cause pain or excessive suffering (to self or others) through addiction, disease, bloating, cramping, fat, drunkness, stupidity, weakness, or cruelty. However, they almost always go in excess because of compulsiveness (usually due to instincts) because of low consciousness. "If little is not enough, then nothing is." -Epicurus.
It may be ironic to know that people with the strongest sexual energycan have the strongest spiritual energy especially for healing. However, this requires being on the Path of Return and Spiritual Practice (especially surrender) to awaken from physical (survival to pleasure instinct to ambition to inspiration) to mental (intellect & compassion) to ethereal (intuition) & ultimately, to Spiritual.
This is a feminine element proven by the fact that women are more inclined towards pleasure especially sexual but do not generally pursue it, mostly due to the lack of courage (Element 3) including fear of being judged, punished, or rejected.
Generally, women have longer drive while men have stronger drive, and this does not only apply to sex, but any activity whereby women usually endure more quantity (e.g. cross country running) while men endure more intensity (e.g. track and field). In fact, the people known to live the longest are usually women, which has a lot to do with their natural inclination to be more attached to life as they are here to support life, alike Mother Nature.
Women don't seem too interested in enlightenment 🤷🏻♂️ it's not in their nature and most are forced into it rather than pursue it, because women are Mother Nature / Shakti meant to support life, not transcend it. However that's ok because life is needed to pursue liberation 😁 Without life, we wouldn't learn that body mind identity / ego self (where duality / illusion of separation / selfishness lies) is only good for one thing: suffering.
However you cannot blame them cause water element is less dense than earth, so it feels right anyway. Even then, when water is balanced just enough with earth, one finds himself to be capable of enjoying the simplicity of nature.
There is a saying "women are a dime a dozen" which holds true for women if left to their nature because they tend to be more emotionally unstable (moody) and flakey especially without inner work therefore tend to follow emotions especially pleasure instincts rather than principles. This leads us to the saying "a man's word".
However, not all men are reliable and principled, but more likely so. In the same way, not all women are emotional and whimful, but more likely so. This is why women are often associated with shopping bags. In fact, around 70% of spendings are attributed to women. Also, women tend to need to talk (and gossip) more due to their emotional needs, because they tend to be more emotionally driven (less disciplined).
As Billie Eilish said: good girls go to hell because they only embrace the good but resist the bad, therefore making urges even stronger and becoming fearful of what others think and losing integrity by lying and following the crowd rather than their own authentic inner calling. They then lie about lying, are ashamed about being ashamed. "Standing there killing time, can't commit to anything but a crime. Peter's on vacation, an open invitation. Once the waters start to rise and heaven is on her sight, she'll want the devil's team on her side."
Worrying about what others think is extremely unhealthy because it leads to an existential crisis. When someone does not care for their higher purpose (soul) of liberation, nor about their lower purpose (body-mind design), they will do what others do or want them to do instead of acting with integrity by listening to their true inner calling. This will lead them to hate themselves (more like hate not being themselves) which leads to aversion through pleasure seeking (e.g. food and sex), numbing of the senses (drugs, smoking, and alcohol), and suicidal tendencies.
The greatest weight one can ever lose is the weight of others' opinion. As Sting preaches: be yourself, no matter what they say. "If you care about what others think, you will always be their prisoner." -Lao Tzu. People do not know you well enough to know what is best for you, nor do they always have your best interest in mind; they mostly only care about their benefit (especially pleasure) and perpetuating themselves. "Caring about others is an asset, but caring about what others think is a liability." -Steve Siebold. "If you live in harmony with nature you will never be poor; if you live in accordance with what others think you will never be rich" -Seneca
The most narcissistic people are actually those who are most emotional, because they are the most self absorbed since superiority (body-mind identity / ego-self) breeds anxiety. They tend to be the most impulsive, not even knowing what they themselves want, following their emotions wherever they may take them, without thinking of others or even of the morrow. They are the most defensive and likely to lie because they fear fear itself (such as what others may think of the truth about them).
Since work occupies a central chunk of our lives, it is important to know enough about the character (personality tests, horoscope, etc.) we are playing to know which dharma is best for us. Otherwise, we tend to fill our void with pleasure. The right job gives meaning to our lives.
Being addicted to emotions can be a sign that someone has connected to others - especially family members - in drama and crisis while growing up, and is now seeking similar chaos and instability through their career and relationships which they are accustomed to for a sense of connection (drama for comfort) because they cannot function in peace, or to distract them from deep unresolved feelings as escape.
(Beware of those who lack discipline, especially women because they will otherwise definitely drain your time, money, and life force)
Harmony (Element 3) - Fire
This evil physical-mental masculine hot fire element of harmony is supported by the good masculine dry earth element of power, but opposed by the feminine elements, especially the good feminine cold air element of healing. This is proven by the phrase "Knowledge (fire) is power (earth)."
"Offence is the best defence." Fire element is referred to harmony in Ninjutsu not only in reference to order, control, & consistency, but because "prevention is a ton of cure" since proactivity is what prevents problems such as violence as Sun Tzu (master Sun) of Taoism teaches. The best way to achieve peace is by defeating the enemy before the war has even begun. "To fight and conquer all your battles is not supreme excellence, but in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."
Also, courage is what enables one to be honest, trusting and loving, which are the basis of a harmonious coexistence. As Osho said "You cannot be truthful if you are not courageous. You cannot be loving if you are not courageous. You cannot be trusting if you are not courageous. You cannot enter reality if you are not courageous. Hence courage comes first, and everything else follows."
Courage spurs Love (Unity) therefore liberation therefore bliss which is the antidote of fear which spurs hate (separation) therefore bondage therefore suffering. So, this is where the pursuit of enlightenment begins; that's why spiritual practise starts out systematically & effortfully (dharana) with prescribed words, forms, & rituals.
It is the nature of the mind to fear and even ridicule liberation, because it is its Death. It makes all kinds of excuses and imaginary futures to avoid it, no matter how absurd, and they often are.
It is a masculine element proven by the fact that men tend to have more bravery therefore initiative therefore more likely to approach others (especially women, especially for sexual reasons), are more confrontational (therefore more involved in combat), and have stronger spiritual aspirations than women (proven by the fact that there are more gurus / enlightened men than women, and more of those involved in spiritual practise in the first place).
(Cowards deny the truth about things because they fear fear, they fear their own feelings, while the brave embrace them no matter how hurtful they are)
(It is better to be slapped with the truth than to be kissed with lies)
In fact, most enlightened women are so only due to life's hardships which forced them into discipline (especially endurance), not due to any spiritual aspiration therefore practise. Therefore, the lack of a difficult life - especially for women - often disables the attainment of liberation. "Sometimes the devil allows a life without trouble. A comfy & dandy life.. why turn inwards towards God? Their skin like a jail cell, so soft & smooth, like there's no need to leave."
Men also tend to be smarter (as in less emotionally motivated), more logical & rational than women. A man for example would not endure the hellish pain of child birth just to endure more pain of raising a child. Instead, a man would probably kick a woman out of his home before such a thing happens, even if it means abstaining from intercourse all together. The irony is that men have a more powerful sex drive ... so that might not be the case.
Being involved in battle is not always due to lower egoistic motives however. Aside from being important for survival, it has other motives as shown in this post.
This is also where we sometimes go in our dreams (it is called purgatory) due to obsession with worldly problems or indulgences.
Healing (Element 4) - Air
"Doubt is the first step to true faith."
This good mental & non physical (astral) feminine cold air element of healing is supported by the evil feminine wet water element of energy, but opposed by the masculine elements, especially the evil masculine hot fire element of harmony.
Since this is the element of feeling, feeling vibrations (including thoughts) is obtained at this element. You will see throughlies (& character) through feeling the vibes.
(real eyes realize real lies)
As proactive as fire element is, this element is even more so because it influences others to instill compassion in the first place. Also, a Teacher actually teaches good values.
Healing powers are especially awakened upon internally healing past wounds which will also prevent descent through further karmic debts (resistance of evil causes suffering which leads to causing it). Aside from the actual ability to heal others, it refers to beginning to stepping out of the ego. Alot of people think that this is love, but all elements are about love, only this one is about love for others through compassion / caring.
This is a feminine element, proven by the fact that around 70% of vegans are actually women, and men are generally more capable of atrocities such as mass murder, genocide, rape, destruction, slavery, etc. Yes women are naturally more inclined to moderate their pleasure to prevent pain for others than to prevent pain for their own selves.
This is the birth of the ability to not only have love for others and knowledge, but accurate knowledge (to be accurate) by critical thinking i.e. the ability to question everything.
This element gives the ability to care enough to not only give people endless knowledge (including postures, techniques, etc.) / products / services, but to enable them to think so that they acquire and/or create knowledge / products / services themselves. "If you give someone a fish you feed them for a day, but if you teach them how to fish you feed them for a life time." It is simply evil to have someone rely on you for anything.
This is where manifestation truly starts. Thinking is the ability to manifest one's reality, for the heart has a very effective EMF (electro-magnetic frequency).
Thinking manifests, but in the Path of Life is limited due to karmic debts to settle first. You can prove this with the placebo effect where the body heals simply because its mind believes it has taken the right pill. This is as opposed to a nocebo whereby the body acts negatively in accordance with its mind's negative beliefs. The subconscious's function is to take a belief and convert it into biology (manifestation into the body). However the body influences the mind which influences one's destiny.
Also, Li lau tzu warned to beware your thoughts for they eventually become your character , which becomes your destiny. This is supported by what Gautama buddha said "What you think you become" which is amplified in the Path of Return because of less karmic debts to become the element you model (act on), but it actually does mean manifesting what you think.
Due to the responsibility of mind for matter, but especially due to it being uncomfortable to think, many people think that thinking is bad, but feeling / enjoying the senses is also thinking, only more shallow, especially because it has come from a thought (past or future), and often leads to more attachment or resistance especially without detachment made possible by sadhana, knowledge, and depth of thought (insight, hindsight, foresight, oversight).
Intuition (Element 5) - Ether
This good & evil almost non mental feminine & masculine formless element of creativity is supported by all the elements, especially masculine fire of perseverance and feminine air of compassion.
Aside from being natural by a natural lifestyle and having access to all prior elements preferably without a big gap between the masculine fire & feminine air in order to activate both channels needed, this is about formlessness (no clinging to any - physical - form), especially because of losing more physical attachments - i.e. earth (survival stress), water element (pleasure & memory pain), & fire (control & planning suffering). Therefore, it enables you to be creative because you will no longer be attached to a particular form or method or system of procedure of doing things.
So intellect helps to see the underlying mental principles for any physicality (any object and its shapes / techniques / postures) to ultimately reduce reliance on thinking via memory (water element), researching & planning (fire element), and thinking & questioning (air element), but sadhana helps even more.
Since this is the element of hearing, then intuition (inner voice of knowing without thinking) is obtained at this element. It is a common misunderstanding that intuition makes one impulsive and whimful. Though people with intuition may not make sense and be mysterious (even seem crazy), they do not act out of instinct (especially not the pleasure one), but out of higher intelligence & judgement. They are disciplined enough to manage their emotions (if any), and are of a very relaxed, sound, and stable nature. This element acts mysteriously because it is without emotion nor logic, but simply makes one feel like it's the right thing to do through a mystical feeling called common sense which actually comes from ether (not to be confused with logic).
Women are often superior to men in this element due to naturally stronger non-physical air element (kindness & compassion) and possibly along with long hair which acts as antennas (more info here). That is why female assassins are called kunoichi (ku is ether, no is of, ichi is one / unity).
Not putting effort to realize this element means that you will overthink & therefore be too slow to handle danger. One better feel (not think) the right thing to do.
More importantly, you will otherwise be ignorant&self-righteous (therefore judge others), seeing "your" religion or practise or specific method of practise as right while others' as wrong because you won't see the underlying common mind manifested principles (that ultimately manifest that physical form). This is the cause for a lot of lack of peace within therefore without.
This element gives one the ability to be a formless ninja, not only in combat (by utilizing any element in movement) but in life and achieving any mission because it enables one to take up any role or disguise necessary such as priest / fighter / farmer / cleaner / mason / poet / etc. needed for action or information. In other words, one will become much more effortless & efficient in achieving their goals.
Last but not least, you will automatically absorb knowledge (from the void), as in realizations will automatically come to you.
When this element and the related kurma nadi (turtoise meridian) are activated, the Bindu (8th element)'s secretion is turned from poison of degeneration to nectar of regeneration: ambrosia (nectar of the gods) / amrit (nectar of immortality) / madya (divine wine) / soma giving rise to the fountain of youth and the ability to live without food & water, and to a big extent even oxygen.
This frequency is actually where our full conscious energy begins to exist before incarnation (before and after death) in the etheric realm of the mind (ether & air). This is where our Healers, Counselors, Teachers, and Classmates are to help us recover, learn, and plan our next life. This is also where our akashic library containing records of all our past lives exists. This library and all souls (even the Self realized) can be accessed by bypassing the brain's filters through surrender, mediumship, or hypnotherapy. The dead in this realm and higher can communicate with us through slowing down their frequency, but not all can or want to do that.
Now you know why the blue pill (the color of this element) in The Matrix represents staying in it: because the ethereal realm does not allow one to truly experience the suffering of the ego self therefore to renounce it by transcending the physical senses and the mental thoughts by eliminating duality therefore dualism.
Awareness (Element 6) - 3rd Eye
As a mystic poet once said: why sell our eyes to buy a posh painting? That is exactly what we did though: we sold our soul (3rd eye) for human eyes, and it is time to get it back.
After body-mind energy efficiency is continuously achieved through natural posture, natural movement, natural diet, detoxification, order, kindness & compassion, and formlessness & intuition, then activate the 3rd eye (6th / soul / no mind element) that sees clearly through the illusion of separation of Nature (the 5 elements), to realize that is actually Spirit in disguise, for again: real eyes realize real lies. This is why in ancient practices, we bow to everything and everyone, because all is sacred, All is One.
Although mastering the physical senses with their fixed forms by being able to do the same thing in countlessly different ways is awesome, one still better master the mind by not being the individual ego character.
This is because the ego mind always has element imbalances & attachments, so one better be able to be centered / detached enough to be the higher actor soul consciousness (unmanifest within manifest) in order to be neither shadow (manifest body-mind) nor light (unmanifest soul) by minimizing karmic debts through suffering to self and others therefore finally realize to be the fully ego-less therefore desireless Watcher of the actor Himself (neither manifest nor unmanifest).
In other words, while intuition means one will be natural / elementful / beyond any specific physical elements (form / shape) in combat or life, (spiritual) awareness over mind means one will be centered / detached enough to be supernatural / elementless / beyond any specific mental elements (mindset / approach) in life. This means that one will finally be able to step out of their character (due to naturally dominant elements) that determine his/her actions therefore karma (cause, action, fate).
Stress kills. Aside from causing fight or flight response therefore adrenaline & cortisol therefore tension therefore fatigue, stress causes a defensive mechanism similar to that against pathogens, but instead of killing them, it kills healthy cells therefore causes aging. Also, we usually respond to stress by masking the pain through pleasure (water) or vengeance (fire), which often leads to more problems therefore more stress. Spirit (more below) filters the information coming from outside to neutralize the response.
You will realize that you are a soul by knowing that you are not the mind (by eliminating / not being the dual 5 elements) therefore not having to constantly follow it (aided by balancing the elements to minimize suffering to self & others). You will experience no mind (no thoughts nor sensations), see beyond the body's two eyes (mind's eye), and have 6th sense by predicting the future (since it is planned but not set). This can be very easily summarized by a quote by lau tzu (old master) Li Er:
Surender to change your predisposition to change your perspective to change your emotions to change your thoughts to change your behaviour to change your habits to change your character to change your destiny
Spirit to matter: the soul (unmanifest Shiva) seeks to express itself uniquely (with its own strengths & challenges) as gross body manifested through the subtle mind (manifest Shakti). The increasingly gross (words to actions to habits to character to destiny) are founded by the increasingly subtle (senses to experiences to actions to memories to impressions to emotions / vibrations to thoughts / attitude).
Matter to spirit: surrender is the process of source seeking / back tracking / reverse engineering needed for increasing consciousness (manifest Shakti to Unmanifest Shiva) for behaviour therefore destiny adjustment therefore liberation. This is done by objectively observing the increasingly gross: thought to sense patterns (hearing to feeling to seeing to tasting to smelling). A more conscious person is more open to character adjustment therefore adjusting destiny and aiding in liberation.
By the way did you know that Noob Saibot is actually the reversal of the last names (Boon Tobias) of the creator of Mortal Kombat, and that too was done without his own knowledge?
Synchronicity (Element 7) - Correspondance
Let go (of ego self's survival & pleasure instincts) in order to Grow. You get what you are, not what you want. Give love you get love. Give yourself you get Yourself. The vibes you give are the vibes you get. Vibe lack you get lack.
Synchronicity refers to Law of Attraction / Law of Correspondence (as within so without, as below so above) where you see a strong link between emotions and outcomes. The mind is like a radio device, so whatever frequency you tune it into, it will attract through emotion (energy in motion) like tuning it into a radio station.
For example if you're sick and allow yourself to be overwhelmed by taking medicine and being bed-ridden all day instead of acting normally and going out there, or at least get up and exercise (and fast too preferably) then you will probably remain sick for a long time. Same modeling concept; just act and feel how you want things to be, for we get what are not what we want.
The more you are in the present (through any Yoga especially Karma Yoga) the less you suffer and the more you ascend and have things happening in your favor. However, the more you desire the more you have things out of your favor because attachment leads to fear which leads to attraction of what is feared. Ironically, that starts with the desire, but to Die, therefore suffer less therefore almost magically acquire more (be do have).
However whatever is in you favor may not always appear as such because what we sometimes crave for is the pleasure of being great (talented, knowledgeable, or strong). How will you shine if you are irritated at every rub? Pressure makes diamonds, crushing makes wine, pressing makes oil, and darkness sprouts trees. Challenges give strength, complexity builds wisdom, and persistence piles perfection. We are also often brainwashed to think we must work super hard to get what we want. Either that, or we may addicted to pain, possibly because again, we may be addicted to the pleasure of being awesome, or to detachment from inevitable drama, or simply to drama itself. Either that, or you are being tested because a certain level of mastery is needed to properly achieve the end goal desired.
One can say well if you study and practice hard then you are more qualified then you should earn more. Ideally yes, but we are not in an ideal world. However, one thing is for sure... people respond to energy in the right way. As Buddha said: "Win in your mind and you will win in your reality" "When things change inside you, things change around you.
The more we chase after stuff, the more we imply we don't have them, and the more we imply we are separate from the universe. The Universe doesn't want us to chase after stuff, the Universe is Us. We just have to know Ourselves, then everything is not only ours, but is Us.
If you are the Universe, then you already have everything. Desire is rooted in attachment (to stuff, to body, to mind / character); you lose that desire therefore fear therefore suffering when you realize you are already All.
Therefore, don't believe you have what you want, nor even know you do, but be it for we get what we are, not what we want.
Like attracts like. Desire of the ego creates (not has) a low frequency (check chart below), which also ultimately leads to a low frequency due to feelings of Shame, Guilt, & Fear therefore suffering therefore attracting correspondingly low wave frequency & events.
This is why instead of being anxious about a problem therefore indulging in some distraction in the form of a guilty pleasure then hiring wrong help and getting even more problems due to said anxiety, one should appreciatively calm down then solve it with a cool, clear & calm mind that goes from inside to outside rather than outside to inside. Embrace failure, for it is always part of the success equation.
You reap what you sow, which includes mind (the soil) with its thoughts (the seed) and emotions (the sun), not just action (the water). An attitude of gratitude means always vibrating at the frequency of Neutrality, Acceptance & Love (as in being in the now) which creates high frequencies due to feelings of Joy, Peace, and Enlightenment therefore attracting more of the corresponding frequency objects and events. "If you want what you have, you get what you need.".
This is why spiritual people give without expectation: because it keeps frequency high, which also attracts corresponding frequency results. Expectation (more selfish means more "bad" / egoistic actions therefore more "bad" / egoistic results) lowers frequency therefore attracts correspondingly low frequency results. So, thoughts (energy) create emotions (energy in motion) which creates karma (energy in vibration).
Therefore back to the endocrine glands and how they effect the elements: your company and what you eat etc. has an effect on your emitted vibrations. So regardless of whether food was declared to be humane / organic or your clothes were declared to be sweat-shop free, you should do your due diligence because everything will affect your vibrations, including your consumptions, thoughts, body posture, words / writings / affirmations (e.g. mantra / shingon), and finger positions (e.g. mudra / in) .
(frequency chart; in ascending dimension / frequency due to inversely proportional descending brainwave frequency - gamma to delta)
However, Law of Attraction does not always work because of subconscious attitudes such as expecting something, not feeling worthy, or actually being attached to misery. Either way the aspiration to Die is the key to minimizing thoughts, being in the present therefore always keeping a high frequency, and bridging the gap between what you imagine having and having imagined. The less the selfish intention & (therefore) karmic debts the better the connection to Universe.
"What you seek is seeking you.". The Universe gives what is needed to match the frequency of what one focuses most of their attention on. Therefore, it is critical to do your sadhana at all times to rise by erasing enough karmic debts to instantly attract. Then, what must be done (if anything) by any character (including the one you are playing) to achieve the desired result will be natural, effortless, and intuitive.
Attraction techniques (also called "autosuggestion" / "affirmation") include Visualization (mental rehearsal: imagining and feeling it very clearly and thoroughly), Swishing (mentally replacing what is not desired with what is desired), Modeling (replicating postures, positions, behaviours. E.g. Mudra / In), Mirroring (being near idols and those who have attained what is desired), and Incantation (repeating words for what is desired as if it already happened, preferably in writing. E.g. Mantra / Shingon).
Even then, the more pleasure you pursue, the more selfish you are, and the lower frequency you have, therefore the more matching frequency you attract. Regardless of Cause (selfishness), Action (pursuing survival or pleasure), and Effect (causing pain therefore getting it), it's about matching the frequency of the mind.
The more you are able to endure / cope with pain (surrender desire during setbacks) otherwise renunciate, the more altruistic therefore the less selfish you are, therefore the higher frequency you resonate at, therefore less karmic debts / karma mala / sins (good for good or bad for bad) to settle. Whether you get a lot ("good") or a little ("bad") is not important, liberation from ego self (separate body mind soul identification) therefore inevitable suffering of dualism therefore duality therefore rebirth (especially to a lower dimension / plain of consciousness) is.
Karma (Law of Cause & Effect) is decided by the mind according to frequency, but to keep that frequency high to experience a higher realm / plain of consciousness (such as Svarga loka / Heaven, being one of 7 higher realms) one needs to learn to endure otherwise renunciate. Each and every pleasure is pain for self or others (therefore self, cause that's same). However, regardless of why that effect happened, that resulting pain must be endured, which is not so easy. Most people indulge in pleasure (again) to cope (even if it means retaliating by causing pain back to others), then they go down the slippery slide just to pile up more abundance (of pain to enjoy).
Abundance is not limited to enjoying good karma, it is enjoying all karma (all the vast array of thoughts, emotions, actions, events, and objects), which we are here to lovingly appreciate. Ultimately, complete enjoyment of all this abundance to experience is what matters, regardless of how it feels, for there are no bad feelings, there are feelings that we aren't good at feeling. True abundance lies in valuing all that we have.
Wealth is not measured by having all that we endlessly want, but by having ending wants. As Buddha said: health is our greatest gift, and contentment is our greatest wealth. Success is getting what we want; happiness is wanting what we get. "By desiring little, a poor man makes himself rich." -Democritus
Last but not least, you got to have adamant faith; believe it can happen, otherwise only see obstacles. "Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will." -Suzy Kassem.
Either way, "shit happens" (especially in an increasingly unnatural, idiotic, & immoral world) because seemingly separate drops of water (subjects / minds & objects / bodies) that are part of one Ocean (universal Energy) always interact to form a whole, which often necessitates sadhana (check below) to increase mind's resultant frequency to prevent it from going down again. "Life is what happens when busy making other plans."
"Without a fight, winning was worthless. Naa, the fun wasn't in the having, it was in the getting. I score lotsa wins, but not always. And when I do win, it's something to savor." -Kano. The steeper the climb, the better the view. Ultimately, fulfilment is in the journey itself, and the difficulties simply make it more worthwhile. What stands in the way is the way. He who loves walking will walk further than he who loves the destination. Most people dont even start, less don't continue, even less give up, and the least are the last ones standing... the Winners 🏆. Winners are just losers who would not give up.
Life includes both light & dark / good & bad, so to truly relish life then learn to enjoy both by doing your sadhana. More info on synchronicity here.
Creation (Element 8) - Bindu
Only non selfish (Yoga / God realization driven) acts (not desire driven) can wipe off the fog of connection to Universe, otherwise attachment (even to feelings) will only block Connection. In other words, the more karmic debts you have to settle through surrender / the longer the sin or (selfish) desire queue, the longer you must wait your turn to manifest your chosen reality (then wait yet again if you were selfish with your merits).
"You are what you manifest yourself to be." The All is mind. It is only logical that through the illusion of separation of energy (unity) into duality (matter) that mind creates (when it knew itself as mind, through its thoughts, possibly influenced by the devil) a myriad of previously unimaginable things like cuisines, chairs, computers, phones, TVs, buildings, missiles, airplanes, ships, cars, robots, internet, video games, VR headsets, boob jobs, etc. & will continue to do so.
Therefore mind too (when mind knew itself as God / Spirit / Self) has created philosophies, religions, martial arts, (beneficial) yoga forms, insects, plants, animals, humans, and even nature and the elements themselves.
Mind is everywhere and everything.It is the software of the hardware, where electrons (negative) revolve around protons (positive). The CPU is the brain, which controls the physical (hardware). Even though life force (the subtelest of all physicality) is still of the mind, it is too subtle and small to measure, even by a microscope, and its weight is said to be around 10 to the power of -28 grams.
The problem with mind is it is the Creator, so it creates imaginary futures which lead to fear and increase their chances with that vibration. The trick is to acknowledge the possible scenarios that cause fear, take precautions, then turn them into past by replacing them with the imaginary future scenario desired, then bring it to present to ascend and manifest through joyful action. Be do have: that's the formula. "We suffer in our imagination more than we do in our reality." -Seneca. "There isn't a single person who isn't capable of more than he thinks he can." -Henry Ford
However, failure or success still won't prevent mind from desiring because it is always in past or future, so focus on overcoming that tendency through presence (surrender). Failure will especially help with that (it provides more growth, mentally & spiritually), so appreciate it more so.
Mind manifests matter. This simply means that nothing material is true / as it seems, only Consciousness / Divinity / Energy because that has been actually split by ego to manifest materialism which makes things seem separate.
In terms of elements: this is the location of the point (Bindu) of unity (one) that splits into multiplicity (many) to create the illusion of separation (matter), and which can be used in reverse back within to unity. This is the source of youth (via 5th element) and spiritual experience (via 6th element), until the point transforms into a drop via ejaculation due to passion or attraction for pleasure or reproduction, which also robs one of the energy of creation (manifestation) otherwise first available at air element.
( Tao Cosmology; more Taoism @ https://photos.app.goo.gl/Cv51xXBGsb42Qj1w6; here dualism is represented by the 4 elements (rising unmanifest masculine as air & fire v.s. falling manifest feminine as earth & water) and duality is represented what manifests through the senses )
Air element (masculine unmanifest yang & feminine right brain) is manifested as moon (feminine left meridian & feminine right brain) which complements water element (feminine manifest yin & feminine left meridian).
Fire element (masculine unmanifest yang & masculine left brain) is manifested as sun (masculine right meridian & masculine left brain) which complements earth element (feminine manifest yin & masculine right meridian).
With regards to manifestation of any kind, don't expect to be able to do much of it without a sattavic (calm & one-pointed) mind - as apposed to drained (tamasic) / cluttered or oscillating (rajsic) - which requires constant sadhana and surrender especially for renunciation (info below). After all, the lower the brainwave frequency (lower stress & activity), the higher the energy frequency.
One thing to remember in attaining a sattvic mind is that the mind is influenced by the body, so one way is to calm the mind by calming the body through a sattavic diet (non animal product - except if if needed therefore surely halal / kosher from raising to transporting to slaughtering - or overly spicy), good posture, along with stillness otherwise with smoothness of motion, which requires a good amount of concentration (connect mind to body) and awareness (connect soul to mind).
Elements 6, 7, 8
The following quote by the Buddha (enlightened one) Siddhārtha Gautama summarizes elements 6 (awareness), 7 (syncronicity), and 8 (creation) in the same order:
However "What you think (therefore do) you become" is more related to creating your destiny through creating your character through your thinking (mindset, beliefs, visualizations, incantations, actions especially modeling & mirroring techniques etc.) therefore awareness (element 6) over the mind is emphasized. As Li Er lao tzu said, one should be aware of one's thoughts, for they ultimately create one's character therefore destiny.
Sadhana, Meditation, & Karma
It is not selfish to seek growth, for one changes the world by changing himself. One cannot change himself and especially others by changing the world. The path is inwards, then outwards. "When a clown moves into a palace, he does not become king; the palace becomes a circus."
Sadhana is means for enlightenment / ascension through self discipline which is 3 kinds in ascending accuracy with increasing consciousness: discipline to work on getting what ego wants (Path of life), discipline of endurance / surrendering desire of ego self for not getting what it wants (beginning of Path of Return), and discipline of renunciation / surrendering desire of ego self's temptations. Meditation comes from Latin for measure, and means objective (non dual / subjective) observation / awareness / consciousness of soul over mind ('s thoughts / sensations), which you can call dhayana or dharayana as shown above, and is same as surrender (renunciation to endurance of thoughts & senses). The act of meditation itself is a manifestation Modeling technique meant to mimic being God the ego-less & non-dual observer, while worshipping is a Mirroring technique to become one with what is worshipped. Karma means cause, action, and effect, all of which are one.
Liberation is detachment (less desire is more detachment) through overcoming attachment (losing fear of losing anything by knowing Self) through ascension. Self in is ultimately void of mind especially its 5 senses therefore suffering, which can be realized by renunciation and endurance of all pending karma, both good and bad. Ascension is raising consciousness through middle way (neither desiring nor not desiring) through a meditative state (dhayana / dharayana / objective observation of mind's thoughts and senses), which requires discipline for surrender therefore cultivating more discipline and eventually being meditative (non dual therefore non desiring) within life itself.
The trials are challenges: temptations / problems to cultivate Spirit (perfection) through non dual middle way
Discipline is going against the ego (body-mind identity) for any form of meditation (renunciation / endurance). It is needed because that's how one practices effortful concentration through going against the ego (sadhana through first 6 limbs of Yoga) because otherwise it would be same old indulgence (going with the ego), eventually manifesting as effortless meditation (dharayana) then in life as soul (dhayana), especially the ability to renunciate otherwise endure during hardships (enjoying all experiences of karma). Only the disciplined are free, the rest ... only slaves to their emotions.
Enduring bad karma can be resembled to paying debts for money that you borrowed (therefore "suffering"), and enduring good karma can be resembled to receiving money for money that you lent (therefore "enjoying"). However both should be objectively enjoyed to be free of all karma.
(Your job is to make the best of what you are handed, for the happiest dont have the best of things; they make the best of them)
The whole idea from spiritual evolution is to separate the Spirit / Consciousness (Us) from the mind (especially its senses). In other words, We got to know the difference between Us and our physical senses (emotions) & mental thoughts, for we are not body-minds (nor are we even souls).
Animals do not have the awareness to realize that the mind thinks or feels (they think they are the body; evident by habitually and instinctively following the senses), but humans do (evident by being able not to follow it i.e. detach from it). The highest consciousness animals have is at the sacral (swadisthana) chakra, and plants have an even lower consciousness (they identify by the species).
Therefore, humans are meant to do more than just be the mind by following its thoughts or senses, and that is to transcend them by not following them by objectively observing them (meditation) by going against them (sadhana) because if they go with them then they still are being them. However, even if one "fails" and goes with them, then one must try again to meditate by observing the resultant body-mind's thoughts and senses without judgment.
As you can see in the chart, each chakra has a mantra / sound. Another mantra for the Third-Eye (soul) is SHAM and for the Crown (Spirit) is OM. However, soul and Spirit are actually one (in fact all is one); things only appear seperate due to the ego (seperate self) due identifying as maaya (cause for illusion of seperation).
Hertz (Hz) is measure of frequency in cycle per second. Meditation's goal is to lower brainwave frequency especially from Beta (14 to 30 Hz) to Theta (4 to 8 Hz), that is from the mind's senses (survival, pleasure, coupling & materialism of the root & sacral) to mind's intellect (knowledge, planning, learning, understanding, & caring of the solar-plexus & heart) to life force & higher consciousness (principles, conscience, intuition & 6th (future) sense of the throat & 3rd-eye) to Nature (divinity, bliss, & liberation of crown). At a point of raising Kundalini energy, what you think happens and what happens you think.
Minimizing energy expenditure is also important. More info on that in this post.
Easy meditation possibly prevents negative proactive karma (following the senses), possibly prevents negative reactive karma (although unlikely), raises spatial awareness, raises energy for healing & protection, and conserves energy. Difficult meditation (sadhana) aids in preventing negative proactive karma through austerity / simplicity / renunciation (due to the discipline built going against the senses), erases karmatic debts (raises karma), aids in preventing bad reactive karma (therefore deletes karmatic debts again during hard times endured), conserves energy, raises energy for healing & protection, and depending on activity: raises spatial awareness, and develops body-mind.
Either way, meditation is always somewhat difficult because you are training to be the objective (therefore centered) observer - God - rather than the subjective (therefore off sided) responder - ego. Some training is better than none. What really matters is awareness over body-mind's thoughts & emotions which enables detachment therefore contentment.
However, that does not mean that one should not meditate during good times; it is even more important because otherwise more attachment therefore extra resistance happens. You got to make sure you use (not abuse) objects rather have them use & own you. You still should do your training to be prepared for life so that when problems (that threaten / take your survival / health / comfort / pleasure / freedom / patterns / morality) do happen, you already have the antidote: sadhana. Afterall, Truth is a pathless land and can only ultimately be realized during surrender of desire during temptations / problems ("evil"). Fear is rooted in attachment, which you lose once you realize to be One with all by losing the notion of separation (ego).
As you live life,in whatever you do, you should respond selflessly (as non dual spirit Self) therefore not only morally (although minimizing the 7 deadly sins remain a priority), especially without excessively being in the past (memory) and future (imagination or expectation) by foresaking self (as ego self) as much as possible in order to truly realize the elements therefore the Self. The mind always wants what it doesn't have (or doesn't want what is has) due to always being in past (water) / future (fire). "Comparison is the thief of joy."
When it comes to ego self: minimize earth (survival) & water (pleasure) elements, moderate fire (knowledge, logic, strategy, order, health & fitness), air (intellect & compassion), and maximize ether (intuition, formlessness, principles).
Training can actually be done through ANY practice (e.g. Martial Arts, Yoga, Calisthenics, Nature Survival, etc.) of any religion especially if they are internal (aimed more at enlightenment than achieving any desired goal) as long as they (in ascending order of importance): 1) involve postures & movements to protect, develop, and minimize usage (especially force) of body. 2) principles to realize to develop and minimize using mind. 3) problems & challenges to respond with energy efficiency to (endure) in order to develop & maximize energy. One who practices surrendering desire during hardships is called Sadhak (loses body identification). 4) scale back on following ego mind's desires (renunciate) especially pleasures to minimize pain in the first place. One who practices renunciation of desire is called Sadhu (loses mind identification).
One who succeeds at detachment and experiences the loss of all seperation including soul identification is called Sidha (attained sidhi: complete understanding / enlightenment / self mastery). Sidhi also means paranormal power, but that is actually before enlightenment.
This is especially to develop discipline therefore endurance and renunciation (the original meaning of Islam) to mind's desires through its reactions to life's challenges: problems and temptations (which lead to those thoughts & senses aside from problems again). Just as there are endless bottles from the same holy water, there are endless rivers (and sub rivers / strains) that flow back to their ocean essence.
Ultimately, when a desire (agonist) arises you will go neither with it nor its resistance (antagonist) because you will prefer neither good nor evil.
At the end the content does not matter (it's not the religion / field of work or its contents / method, nor the strength or skill or knowledge attained from it), for it is only one of the many means for mind by mind to remove mind (therefore ego). The idea is that it should help lead you to experience the elements up the chart / down the list above from form, to mind (no form), to no mind (soul), to enlightened mind (Self / Spirit / God). So attachment / possessiveness therefore ego / separation / selfishness therefore desire therefore life is the reason for all our suffering.
The trick is to maximizeforesaking desire (especially the low frequency / higher density)of the ego no matter what you do because even though the ego (therefore its desires) will somehow remain (as attachment therefore ego self therefore separation therefore duality leads to it), your job is to simply realize the body-mind to only be an avatar of the Spirit. As long as there is any identification as body-mind, then the mind and therefore its desires will continue to exist.
The more we go with desire (especially low) the less we are liberated. One should learn to guage what is necessary for pursuing transcendence of limited self identification therefore suffering to self and others.
Therefore, it is normal to have desires or goals because one cannot exist mentally therefore physically without them, but if one were to go with them then one should only go with the moral, minimal (in amount & in intensity, e.g. knowledge in one's field), and higher (e.g. knowledge for liberation), and they shouldn't be reason to be happy because happiness is an illusion of duality because thinking & sensing is suffering (drain energy) and there is no life without problems & shortcomings anyway.
However the more you disidentify from body-mind the less desires you can have because of liberation from limited & seemingly separate body-mind identification. In other words, the less separation you perceive, the less of a "me" you are therefore the less desire (because there must be a me to desire - or sense or know - something) you can have.
This is done especially within life (not always ignoring ego's desires, but by minimizing it by minimizing going with them) itself and spiritual practice by going against or being neutral to them because the more you go with the ego (survival & pleasure instincts to knowledge, logic, ambition, & aspiration) to higher ego (compassion & intuition) the more you become the lower / higher ego self and the more you ignore it & go against it the more you become the soul self (conscience & consciousness) therefore the Spirit Self (liberation / integration). Excessively going with the ego will only imbalance therefore prevent the wheels / chakras / elements / energy-centers from activating. However, excessively going against the ego leads to too much suffering, when that is life's job.
In other words, the more you spend time in high density / low frequency energies such as emotions (such as anger, greed, resentment, lust, laziness, etc.), activities (such as food, sex, pleasure, comfort, etc.), and company the higher density / lower frequency energy you are (soul to mind to body). Yes, "you are what you eat", which is not limited to what you put in your mouth.
(If you do not surround yourself with people who inspire you, you have a jail, not a circle)
In other words the more you entertain the senses the more you are a body, the more you entertain knowledge and intellect the more you are a mind, and the least you entertain both the more you are a soul, until you realize you are not two, but One.
"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people." -Eleanor Roosevelt
But one can say: well if I enjoy pleasure (or pain) in moderation, then it is fine and I won't descend. Moderation is indeed important to prevent too much suffering, but you do descend, and attachment is the reason you indulge, evident by the fact that whatever you do (even your moral duty, even your spiritual practice) is associated with some level of suffering (through the thoughts or senses), which life necessitates. Therefore whatever you do should only be justified by survival if not moral duty if not liberation.
Knowledge & skill is intended for one's moral duty, not necessarily for enlightenment.
Knowledge is mostly only good for your dharma / relevant moral duty because it enables you to be more useful in it, but even that should be done without expectation if you ... expect a lot of growth (ironically even growth should not be expected). However, especially deep (non sensual) knowledge helps uplift inspiration (learning through others is true intelligence), discipline (especially with austerity e.g. reading), and influence (content or its source). However, what really matters is applied knowledge (which requires some introspection), which is what turns it into actual practice.
Deep knowledge also helps unveil common principles, and psychological (circumstance, history, guna / Myers Briggs Type Identifier / astronomy-based horoscope, etc.) which helps you in understanding the reason for people's (yourself included) behaviour to especially aid in empathy therefore dousing anger. Knowledge also helps especially in terms of finding a suitable spiritual practice method and how to properly apply it.
Not over ignoring the ego is important because life is a gift, and pain can be a signal for impending death or disease. However, death (of the false ego self) is an even bigger gift, but can only be unwrapped after constantly sacrificing the ego's desires through good company (nature - even if just through diet - and disciplined and/or enlightened beings or their products), endurance, and renunciation.
Therefore the effectiveness of your spiritual practice is not only about quality (discomfort, content & company that feeds higher Self, awareness of body-mind especially stillness and smoothness of motion), but also about quantity (renunciation & minimalism, patience & persistence), and depth (deeper understanding and overcoming superficial viewpoints by realizing equalities through principles).
The discipline is ultimately about minimizing suffering, so it should suit the character, place, and time you are in.
For example if your character is more carefree & lazy (tamasic) then focus more on chants & prayers (bhakti yoga) or austerity (raja yoga). If it is active & enthusiastic (rajasic) then focus more on a physically demanding art (especially external martial art) or charity (karma yoga). If it is more deep & thoughtful (sattavic) then focus more on knoweldge & intellect (jnana yoga), soft art / slow moving meditation (raja yoga), and nature charity (karma yoga). Ultimately, you should know your dominant gender (feminine water & air or masculine earth & fire) preferably via an MBTI test to know whether left or right hand path is suitable for you. More info on the 4 yogas.
Also check your place & time. If wrought with danger of being attacked then take up a martial art. If it requires a lot of lifting then Weight Lifting. If it requires alot of dealing with heights and/or multiple attackers then Running, Parkour, and Calisthenics. If it requires a lot of climbing then Calisthenics and Climbing. If it requires being around water then Swimming. If it is flooded with sense stimulation then a more austere one like Kundalini Yoga would be most suitable.
Don't take it too literally and immediately jump head-first (literally) into excessively risky activities like cliff / wingsuit diving or vigilantism ( unless you are fully trained, and preferably armed ;] ).
As a Sadhak still with attachments, to enable endurance then you may do things that the ego self would not normally do or find very comfortable from any of the 4 paths in ascending order of pain as per your character and capacity: bhakti yoga (devotional chants & prayers) / raja yoga (austerity & solitude) / jnana yoga (deep knowledge & wisdom through willpower, experience, introspection, and intellect), or karma yoga (selfless service / action without expectation of its fruits).
Examples are be quiet / be talkative / be soft-spoken / be loud / read a book (or this long post) / perform in public / do something crazy / make a fool of yourself / eat healthily / fast for days or hours / sleep early / wake up early / sleep very little / don't sleep for days / do difficult postures / leave your cellphone at home / talk to someone annoying / be kind to someone unkind / be forgiving to someone who has wronged you / do something useful for free / give something (to someone deserving) without a return or as an unrequested return / prevent someone (or thing) from suffering / save someone(or thing) from suffering / take the difficult or unexplored path / take up a new skill / try a difficult technique / do same thing uncomfortably / spin till you throw up / ride a scary ride / shower or swim in cold water / endure hot or cold climates / experiment with heights / climb a mountain or tree / trek / do a thoroughly perfect job / train intensely & relentlessly / etc.).
However helping someone (especially giving them money) may lead to assisting in their mischief, so be mindful of that because that is a cause for descent. Besides, it is never really enough.
Meditation comes naturally due to the sadhana. Meditation is not limited to sitting down with legs crossed or "doing Yoga" commonly known as postures such as Sun Salutations (which by the way is a means for honoring the 8 elements before enlightenement & the 8 Limbs of Yoga through 8 postures & 8 points of contact during prostration as a form of worship of the sun as an idol that represents the Light of the soul, and possibly to aid in activating the Pingala since the sun represents it), but is other means for realizing yoga (unity) / tai chi (higher energy) / kung fu (self mastery) / Oneness through the experience of enlightenment as a result of meditation as a result of sadhana.
So sadhana leads to meditation which leads to enlightenment (realization of Unity / Higher Energy / Higher Self / Self Mastery / God / Divinity / Consciousness). Therefore you cannot actually practise yoga / tai chi / kung fu, you can only experience it; you can however capitalize the terms (e.g. Yoga) to indicate their systems (e.g. 8 Limbs of Yoga) therefore forms (e.g. postures as asanas which is only 1/8 of Yoga).
For any discipline (especially risky) you take up, find the progressions through building blocks (e.g. postures) & principles (e.g. movement axis that applies to all its techniques). Do the required physical conditioning and learn to use the mind first.
It should however be uncomfortable (mentally and/or physically painful and/or risky otherwise and/or boring) but not too little nor too much; find the balance. It should NOT lead to any trauma or injury, which will happen if you are not taking progressions preferably with the guidance of a teacher. The teacher should have more related skill, but more importantly more wisdom and intelligence than you to prevent traumas / injuries, but at the same time not allow you to go too easy on yourself.
It should not be too hard because otherwise (especially if you get sick or injured, or worse) will not only stop training, but will probably cope via pleasure (due to aversion to excess pain), which takes you further downwards. Also, you might not be able to carry out your duty to survive or help dependents do so, when that is necessary for enlightenment.
Even though you can practice on your own, it is better with the guidance of a Guru (literally meaning light after dark) / authorized teacher because in the same way that a Formula 1 car is so powerful that it needs a licensed driver to handle especially to learn how to use the breaks safely, life force is so powerful that it needs a guru to handle especially to learn how to apply the breaks on spiritual power which may get overwhelming; no knowledge is better than half knowledge. Also, there could be blockages in Kundalini which a guru can help with. Also, a guru is the best satsanga (spiritual company) possible, which is not only fantastic influence but aids in spiritual aspirations too. Also, a guru can also always be counted on not only to correct false knowledge, but to limit desire for it. Also, a guru aids in spiritual experience and character adjustment just through leading by example and influence. Still, no one is completely free of ego (therefore duality) otherwise they wouldn't be in body-mind, which means no one is perfect and all are prone to sin. It's being on the Path therefore motive that truly matters.
However, direction is more important than speed. That is, it is better to do constantly easy sadhana than do hard sadhana but then go the opposite direction through stress (e.g. anger / prejudice) or over indulgence (e.g. too much food / junk food / too much or too little work / too much sex esp. losing sexual vital fluid / any immoral act). It is even worse to do overly hard sadhana that leads to trauma such as excess pain and fatigue, overwhelming spiritual experiences, injury (especially that disables your duty), or death (especially if you have dependants).
Ultimately, the discipline should be applied against life as renunciation if not into life itself as endurance, which is where most (especially in quantity) of the growth (in the way of balancing karma) is.
Activating the Pingala
What you do in life may be artificial (e.g. involves chemicals / pollution / radiation / unnatural food / toxic company / immorality / too much sitting esp. on the chair / bad posture / erratic movement / etc.) or eventually too easy, which needs proper sadhana to balance out especially for wellness. Wellness assists energy flow (especially for vital processes through Pingala nadi), sadhana, and manifestation.
However, liberation is usually not attained in life because aside from said bad diet (which is not limited to food, but any company) and lack of wellness, there is desire (therefore descent) through earning money, which also enables the masking of suffering through pleasure (therefore descent), which is often unethical (therefore descent) due to money which totally distances consumer from consumed.
By constantly doing your sadhana you will regulate the channels from negative (Ida / left manas shakti nadi / mental power channel / left sympathetic passageway) to positive (Pingala / right manas shakti nadi / vital power channel / body-mind vitality / right sympathetic passageway) to activate center (Sushumna / awareness passageway) to activate all wheels / chakras (especially Ajna & Sahasrara) / revolving life force. Due to our unnatural lifestyle, Pingala channel for prana shakti (life force power) needs to be activated first.
There are other ways to improve prana / ki / life force circulation that you can learn such as KiJutsu, QiGong, Tai Chi Chuan, Tao Chi, and Kudalini Yoga exercises by commenting or contacting me via www.NoDojo.Ninja, or just have a KoFi.
Did you know unnatural soaps are one of the biggest endocrine gland disrupters, which in turn affect your chakras? You can easily make your own soap with a bit of silicon soap molds (see below), lye (sodium hydroxide), and any oil. After getting the ingredients, I recommend following https://www.diynatural.com/how-to-make-soap.
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Either that or get some natural soap :)
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If that's still too much then simply apply any oil which soap is mostly made out of. bacterias' outer layer is also oily which attaches to oil best, but don't forget to remove it using some powder and scrubber! In fact, you cannot go 100% natural otherwise because soap needs lye (yes it's a lie, that it can possibly be 100% natural). If that's still yet again too much then just use water which does most of the work.
Did you know that chlorine is also one of the biggest endocrine gland disrupters? You can very easily and economically replace your shower head with one with a filter, all the while restoring minerals with the mineral beads / stones. Hair also improves intuition because it acts as antennas. Hair also aids in energy levels as it absorbs both solar and lunar energy. More info on that here.
Another trick is to use a clay water pitcher / pot for both removing toxins (such as flouride) and mineralizing your drinking water.
As for toothpaste, you can mix a bit of neem oil with sodium bicarbonate / fine grinded natural salt (rock such as himalayan / sea salt). Either that or neem powder mixed with another kind of oil to make a paste. You can also mix in clove powder which is especially good at disinfection.
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If that's still too much then just use fine grinded natural salt; the saliva will make a paste out of it. It is not as effective but works fine with regular oil swishing and flossing.
Oil swishing should be done with any oil preferably coconut or olive for up to 20 minutes followed by thorough water swishing before any meal. Flossing doesn't need special dental floss; knitting thread will do fine, and is much cheaper anyway. Simply scrape away any residue on the side of each tooth.
Laundry detergent is another one, one that not only threatens our health (carcinogens and skin diseases especially), but the wellbeing of our planet (especially marine life, which ultimately affects us too). Contact me by commenting or contacting me via NoDojo.Ninja or just have a KoFi for instructions (can also be found in products section) on how to create your own natural and eco friendly detergent, without putting a hole in your pocket, too! :)
Regardless of our efforts in minimizing toxins, regular detoxification remains critical in this age due to unavoidable stress, radiation, chemicals and pollution. This is done through a minimum of 17 hours of fasting a day, otherwise breathwork or regular perspiration through intense exercise, drinking hot (preferably not boiled) liquids, possibly eating spicy food, or exposure to hot climates / environments like saunas. More tips at https://nodojoninja.org/home/9-element-takamatsu-den-ninjutsu/ninjutsu-conditioning-training/ especially under Mental Conditioning.
"Peace is kind of happiness where you don’t get that ice cream but also don’t get punished for it." -Jad Jawhary
If there is any desire we need to eradicate following before following all desires of the dual therefore judging therefore desiring ego self, it is temptation. Temptation is a low desire for pleasure which is most selfish therefore causes most suffering for self and others. It includes anything done for pleasure through any of the 5 senses (smell, taste, sight, sound, touch) such as view, taste, sex, drugs, violence, etc.
Either way, sense gratification (following the senses of the mind) especially through luxury, pleasure, & comfort weakens the body, brain & nervous system as well as regresses consciousness (descent) the most. Therefore, simply moderating if not minimizing if not eliminating sense stimulation is required for ascent. Slavery to comfort & luxury is worse than indulgence in drugs, sex, and alcohol.
If there is anything worse than following ego's desire for satiating hunger, it is following its desire for satisfying pleasure, and even worse for doing so while still following its other desires (such as knowledge) during that indulgence.
Whatever desire comes up, the brain splits. Neither glamorize & go with it (flight / right / water / past / lower brain nature), nor obliterate & go against it (fight / left / fire / future / higher brain nature) because what is resisted is persisted; go non dual middle way (soul super-nature).Anything you label as wrong you will only make stronger through resistance, and will come up again regardless of indulgence. So if you fail and allow it to indulge then don't take it personally and realize it to be just the character participating in natural desires like musical bars chiming in the wind. If you are fully present (meditative) without doubts or thoughts of right or wrong or better or worse and so forth (ego self does that), then it will be easier to meditate during cravings (if ever) to abstain from it, and easiest during its resulting pain (including guilt).
Good and bad = high and low frequency, but All is One, just less or more dense. Spirituality is aided by minimizing higher density / maximizing higher frequency obviously otherwise we can just call it materiality. But yes for any temptation (just like any problem) challenge we need neither desire nor resist otherwise the temptation only grows stronger. Neither push nor pull, fight nor flight, antagonist nor agonist. Non dual middle way (dharayana / dhayana) is the way upwards 😁👍🏼🙏🏼👆 until liberation through Self realization by overcoming attachment. Resistance / attachment and following desire especially for pleasure only piles up more abundance of karma to settle before liberation.
Also, no need to be guilty because karma has you covered, so even if you indulge then let the body-mind fully participate in the act without coming out bruised (resistance) and dedicate it to God realization by being fully in the pleasure and its resultant pain (endure), until you develop the awareness to be in the present (renunciate) if the urge ever comes again (although unlikely).
You cannot win the war against the mind with the mind, so if you mentally fight yourself you only will further exacerbate the situation because you are still being the ego mind, worse yet a schizophrenic one. Remember, there is only one mind and all you have to do is simply be its non dual therefore non desiring (nor resisting) therefore detached observer. If you use mind to defeat mind, then you are being your own enemy. This can be resembled to allowing the mind to introduce a trojan horse into your fort then ambushing your forces from the inside.
The path of return is a whole lot less painful because the discipline (of observing, or at least using mind rather than following it, especially its physical instincts) built proactively aids in renunciation (preventing indulgence) and even endurance during its outcomes.
Knowledge definitely helps. For example: knowing that avoiding high calorie food like sweets (and other pleasures like alcohol and ones that get clogged in between the teeth such as dry foods like crisps) means that there's no need to endure the pain of much exercise, nor the hellish dentist drill pains, nor even all the constant brushing and flossing and swishing, which often results in other issues.
For another instance: knowing that most women aren't as pretty as their make up "makes" them (aside from its even more-ugly long-term effects and possible plastic here and there) alongside all the regular hair removal (face - especially eyebrows, arms - especially armpits, and legs - especially pubic area) aside from hiding all the regular discharge (visualize periods, sweat, urea, puss, mucus, saliva, gas, and fecal matter - sometimes unremoved!) along with their stench (sometimes masked), not to mention the massive myriad of mites, plaque, bacteria, germs, & viruses they can easily pass on, they are even less likely to be beautiful on the inside (and this also applies to men). Thinking about (otherwise realizing) greed, gluttony, dishonesty, impulsiveness, laziness, stupidity, injustice, racism, speciesism, anger, mercilessness, cruelty, opportunism, apathy, over-sensitivity (or narcissism), cowardice, weakness, lust, and other forms of selfishness can immediately (although probably temporarily) vaporize that liquid lust for life. "I am not sure how beautiful you are, because beauty is on the inside, and I haven't been inside of you yet."
Lust is a serious disease because simply overstimulating the senses - such as via porn, having similar effects to drug addiction - depletes grey matter in the brain which affects body mind soul respectively: movement (fatigue, laziness, & weakness), learning (memory & cognition), and emotions (self esteem, moodiness, & often causes anxiety, & depression)
Ejaculation (especially regular) itself increases prolactin (leads to erectile dysfunction & infertility) and estrogen (leads to moodiness). Testosterone is also reduced due to losing needed minerals for its production: zinc, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin C therefore causes weakness and stunts healing & growth physically, mentally, & spiritually (aside from descent in consciousness) which affects the ability to protect & provide. In fact, 90% of marriages are affected by porn use, and 60% of divorces cite it.
Indeed... death to temptation!
Real sex is only better because of the energy exchange (especially if fluids are unblocked by contraceptives) but only if both are either sadhaks (spiritual aspirants) or neither. Otherwise then useful for aside from oxytocin hormone due to the added emotional intimacy. There are added drawbacks however.
Lust is not only related to jealousy, sadness, weakness, and anger, but you lose (nowadays probably alot of money but gain alot of germs, mites, & viruses) life force through losing sexual vital fluid especially if not exchanged (preferably with a life partner to minimize problems) which is detrimental to life force therefore health and enlightenment. Otherwise you may give birth to a child you may not be ready (the world certainly is not) to handle, which causes more suffering for you, the child, and others (including nature & its closely tied species).
The energy lost during ejaculation (Swadishtana chakra) is the vital energy of creation, but used to power a vibrator, compared to the same energy that could have been used to influence awakening within thousands of people in the vicinity (Sahasrara chakra) like the one given out by a nuclear reactor. Heck, that same energy can be used to create a god.
If you are interested in learning how to enjoy sex without ejaculation, you may comment or contact me via NoDojo.Ninja, or just have a KoFi to learn Kaya Kalpa and Kegel Exercises. However, sex also needs to be done at a higher level of consciousness, that is without doing it for pleasure or procreation for it to work in aiding in ascension.
Therefore, using the mind to read or realize that helps, but nothing gets rid of the mind like meditation (not being it, instead only objectively observing it) because otherwise there will still be that resistance that keeps attracting those urges.
Thereafter, since you were the mind that resisted those urges, you will still be the same mind that follows them. Deep inside, mind knows not the difference between what is desired / pulled / positive and what is resisted / pushed / negative because whatever you feed emotions into you will ultimately attract. The only fool-proof solution for the mind is the Destroyer - the neutral and non dual Self.
Meditation during cravings (withdrawal of the senses / renunciation) is the second most important meditation you can do (after meditation during indulging in pleasures) because this is proactive as in prevents negative karma (descent), aids in preventing reactive negative karma because of the discipline built, and is a form of sadhana because you are enduring the pain (if any) of not indulging. Yes the more you are able to be in meditation during desires (therefore not indulging by being the sensing or thinking ego mind) the less you must endure its resultant outcomes.
If you fail at not indulging then more importantly, meditate during losing (following mind's desires) anyway. It is one thing to lose a battle, it is another to lose yet another battle (the war). In other words, presence during indulgence & afterwards (endurance) still remains of greater importance than presence during temptation (renunciation). Ultimately, nature behaves with perfect order, and you only need to witness it.
Anyway the less thoughts & senses you engage in (including food, especially old or processed) the less energy you lose, and therefore the less pleasure and energy you need. The walls / barriers minimize sense engagement as well as vibrations or influences, which is why an indoor venue such as Dojo is usually established. So do the right thing and meditate!
However, as per the Right Hand Path: renunciation is what is meant by meditation, as in getting accustomed to boredom. Left Hand Path is more concerned with endurance of evil of life by keeping the mind busyand keeping the body strong to naturally feel good, prevent chance for injury, and for success in worldy dharma (moral duty).
But yes dodging temptations is a little harder than enduring their required effort and resulting pain .. ironically. When Mohammad Ali (Warrior / martial athlete of left hand path) was asked about which is hardest part of training he said dodging girls and parties (renunciation) was the hardest part, not the training itself.
Did you know you better use a carpet or mat during meditation to prevent earthing the root chakra? That's no good cause the energy is supposed to go upwards.
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If that's too much then sit on the ground in seiza (vajrasana) otherwise fudoza (sukasana / sawari gata but with foot under the bum). However, it is best to minimize exposure by meditating indoors because energy is lost through the senses.
Fortune & Morality
As you grow, you experience improved perception and can see the truth (including ego, knowledge, & morals) more accurately. The more you surrender soul (go with ego) the more moral errors / bad deeds (sins) you make therefore the lower you will go therefore the less awareness you have, less elements you experience (less spiritual evolution), and the more you will suffer and have bad luck due to Karma / the Law of Cause Action & Effect / Law of Equivalent Exchange / Nature / Order of Energy. Each action has a reaction that is equal in force but opposite in direction.
However, even if you act morally / do good deeds but still desire anything in return, you will simply have "good luck" but probably remain a materially driven ego because there is the thought of the seperate self (ego), and pursuing anything especially pleasure always costs temporary pain for you or others AND permanent(ly increasing) pain by rebirth into an increasingly physically weak, mentally idiotic, and spiritually immoral world. Don't believe in reincarnation? Check out this post.
Therefore you will suffer anyway because there is no happiness in life/ desire because you remain with a separating perspective therefore suffer, and good & bad cannot be separated (they lead to each other), so you keep chasing a mirage or an imperfect product that is never exactly as you want. Nothing physical nor mental is perfect because they are made up of Energy, which must have both seemingly good and bad to exist in the first place; that's the Law of Polarity.
We are karma: high karma beings don't necessarily seek a result such as pleasure, just as they do not necessarily seek wealth nor even morality.
The real problem with karma is not so much the effect that it brings, it is the constant desire for anything (especially the lower desire of pleasure) including morality due to selfishness due to ego due to maaya therefore being unaccustomed to the resulting pain. No one can be completely free of the effects of karma because no one has absolutely no ego because that means no body-mind identification therefore no existence as body-mind. However, effort must be placed to act for the common-good, for what affects all affects one anyway.
When one is so accustomed to following the ego, one cannot control the body-mind reaction anymore. This creates a domino effect because when one cannot respond right, then one will accumulate more negative karma (descent). This is very serious because it is like having a loan with compound interest that you are never able to pay back. Therefore it is absolutely crucial to do your spiritual practise on a daily basis, which cultivates awareness therefore detachment from body-mind therefore immunity from its unavoidable pains.
Responding right to the effects (especially negative) of your karma is called endurance, and is a reactive / balancing karma. It benefits are multifold: it raises karma by balancing it, builds discipline, and teaches us to stop (over) desiring. "Happiness is not the absence of problems; it's the ability to deal with them." -Steve Maraboli
If you do not do your regular spiritual practice then not only will you have more pending effect / luck (since it raises karma / deletes luck), but you will eventually suffer enough to either start doing it, do something really stupid and possibly end up in jail or hospital (or die), get very unhealthy therefore possibly die early, commit suicide, or go crazy.
Fortune is another way of saying God / Fate / Luck / Karma / Destiny, which comes from cause therefore action therefore effect. Until you can be beyond body-mind through meditation (observing mind rather than constantly following it, especially lower frequency / higher density desires), you will remain body-mind therefore remain slave to God / Luck / Karma. In other words, You determined your fate (effect) cause of what you did (action).
The Law of Cause & Effect / Force of Balance keeps everything in perfect order, therefore it becomes duty (dharma) to do what better be done to prevent suffering while acting morally so that the law is obeyed so that all rights are met & everything is bound together as one.
Path of Life
Path of Ego / Path of Duality / Path of Matter / Path of Darkness / Path of Life / Path of Profanity / Path of Fear / Path of Suffering / Path of Illness / Path of Slavery / Path of Destruction / Path of Hell / Path of Descent / Path of Doom / Path of Sin / Outgoing Path / Spirit to Matter is all about suffering, thanks to the ego.
Constantly pursuing life (especially pleasure) is what really leads to pain, because the more we feel and think (regardless of noticeable physical or mental "pain"), the more we suffer. The more objects of indulgence we gain the more physical health we lose, while the more objects of ownership we gain the more mental health we lose.
Matter is endlessly mutable; it requires: 1) struggle: sensing (learning by reading and watching, etc.), thinking, stress from problems, changes, & egoistic individuals, etc. 2) maintenance:before and after breakdown. 3) hiring maintenance / getting replacement (therefore having to pay for it by struggle, again) 4) ill health:physical: more artificial is more unhealthy & mental: stress & too many thoughts due to too many desires for objects or knowledge 5) suffering to other beings (humans / plants / animals / etc.) therefore more bad luck therefore more suffering.
6) attachment therefore never ending desire for the same and/or variations of endless material manifestations therefore more suffering for one's self & others due constant sensing & thinking, addiction & resistance (e.g. food / sex / porn / furniture / decoration / electronics / clothes / accessories / jewellery / cars / games / movies / serials / sightseeings / books / animals / plants / sports / arts / postures / techniques / etc.) and loop from #1. This is intensified by money, which allows continued & unlimited indulgence in materialism. Maaya has no limit, because the more knowledge / work / materialism you want & have, the more there is to want & have (not only because of ego, but because of changes & technological advancements).
Life with ego guarantees immorality, stress, ill health, injury, sadness, division, deceits, politics, jealousy, anger, death, violence, and all round misery. There is no happiness with constantly following ego mind's desires; there is only slavery. "The secret of life is to die before you die realizing that there is no death" -Eckhart Tolie
Ego is seriously serious business, and without eradicating it you will constantly & increasingly suffer by being a character and by being reborn (yes the soul being invincible energy that cannot die) into an increasingly physically unnatural, mentally retarded, and spiritually immoral world i.e. hell.
However reincarnation is not absolutely necessary because if one does not return to the same dimension for any reason, then he/she must experience the same pain caused first hand in the ethereal realm. Karma works as heaven or hell in both higher or lower dimensions respectively AND in this same dimension AND in the ethereal realm.
Path of Return
"If nothing can save us from death, then at least Love can save us from life." The only path is inside.
Path of God / Path of Unity / Path of Energy / Path of Light / Path of Return / Path of Purity / Path of Love / Path of Bliss / Path of Wellness / Path of Liberation / Path of Generation / Path of Heaven / Path of Ascent / Path of Bloom / Path of Righteousness / Ingoing Path / Matter to Spirit is all about bliss, thanks to GOD.
There is a common misconception that this path is about suffering. That is totally false because the discipline needed to endure mind's uncomfortable reaction to challenges and problems (endurance) is actually needed for the path of life. However pain is actually minimized in the Path of Return because it is about renunciation of worldliness therefore feeling, thinking, and especially problems are then minimized. It really is about finding that non dual middle way between pain and pleasure / discomfort and comfort to minimize experiencing either because the more we want to live, the more pain we must endure. Slavery to the ego mind's incessant desires therefore bondage (within the shadows of the mind of the duality of past & future / good & evil) as ego self is true suffering.
Spirituality is about the path of return (matter to spirit) which has nothing to do with desire (kama),wealth (artha) (as in there is no need for it), and is even beyond duty (dharma) (as in right / wrong of mental duality or body-mind duty / role) as all those come from the ego mind as they are all just thoughts communicated through the senses then end up as thoughts again. It is about renunciation of worldliness through renunciation of following mind's desire for thoughts or senses into thinking or sensing therefore eradicating ego / separation / selfishness, and that often progressively requires experiencing sensations to knowledge to intellect until eventually sacrificing desire - in the same order - for them because as
In other words, suffering of selfishness (leadings to "darkness" in the form of problems / shortcomings / failures / pains and related thoughts and emotions) is often required to take up the path of return. However, even if all your desires are met without fail (though never heard of), then there still will be suffering anyway (due to the pain of sensing, thinking, indulgence, backlash, and emptiness realized). Therefore, fulfilment / happiness can only be obtained from within because that is where the non dual non judging therefore non desiring Self resides, veiled by the 5 layers of illusion of separation.
However, the necessity for the next element (e.g. intellect) requires that you do not desire experiencing all the previous elements (e.g. sensations & knowledge), so the sequence does not necessarily apply for everyone. So if you do not desire to use intellect, then it must be because you do not desire experiencing sensations nor having knowledge. So the element you can experience is only possible if you do not truly desire to experience the elements before it. However no matter how disciplined we are, we all stumble, repeatedly.
If one can not follow desires, then it would be easy. However no one can be fully free of desire, therefore if one decides not to follow any desire (includinghigher one such as dharma), then the least one can do is minimize - if not avoid lower desires (such as pleasure).
If your training does not assist you in understanding & experiencing these elements, then there is no point; find another organization / teacher / method.
Teacher
Even though everyone is both teacher and student at the same time because those are relative terms, growth is endless - physically mentally and spiritually (until Death), and everyone is unique therefore uses others' strengths to compliment his weaknesses to aid in realizing Unity and vice versa, be very careful of the 3 signs that you have a fake teacher (still in the outwards path of matter / path of profanity, not the inwards path of energy / path of purity):
1) charges (desire comes from the ego) or asks for anything (other than necessary; a little ego is ok but none is best) in return (especially money, as that is the root for a lot of evil, and key to endless sense indulgence), especially for ranks (big no; check elements chart above, those are earned) / teaching certificates (huge no; those are earned). His pricing scheme can be very complicated e.g. charges differently depending on people's age, gender, geography, or nationality / number of students at one time / how early classes are paid for / how many classes are paid for etc. and may even change his price last minute.
However, do not expect absolutely no ego because otherwise he/she would not be in body-mind therefore ego-self where duality lies therefore is still is not fully detached therefore imperfect therefore still follows desire (though mostly out of survival and duty / morality) therefore still errs and sins. Also, some enlightened teachers charge but no one knows why, not even themselves; it is intuition.
However, some teachers are Grihastha still (one who is responsible for household & family) and especially if not earning from any other source then they should earn (but ethically). It is only a Sanyasa (one who no longer desires a mate, kid(s), warmth of a friend, beauty of nature. etc.) who can truly not charge. Ultimately, it is he who is truly on the Path that can sacrifice(the best & hardest of all paths of the Path).
Spirituality should ultimately maximize energy but minimize movement, sensation, knowledge, & thought.
2) involves politics by hiding / twisting information & criticizing other forms of spirituality (especially religions or their disciplines) unfairly, and will especially try to keep you away from them for no good reason. He will not only openly accept students and try to keep them regardless of their capacity to learn, but will seek them through constant sales & marketing campaigns, and will even be angry at those who do not pay him a lot of money, angrier at those who refuse to be his students, and angriest at those who leave him especially if it means losing knowledge to "competition".
Spirituality should ultimately maximize energy but minimize movement, sensation, knowledge, & thought.
3) complicates / prolongs the process (through constant complex material manifestations e.g. techniques / weapons / ranks / postures / terms / concepts / stories / characters than you need), without customizing to your unique level and character. The more he is form (less concept / less no form) focused, and the more he is mind (less spirit / less no mind) focused, the more you should stay away. He will even constantly fault-finds and try to lower your self esteem so that you feel obligated to train to improve, while making himself seem perfect (when he is far from it) to make you idolize him & follow his tried & proven (spiritual practise) method. "He who tries to bring you down is already beneath you." You will often realize him being tired after sessions because "It is not overwork that saps your power, it is meaningless work that does."
Spirituality should ultimately maximize energy but minimize movement, sensation, knowledge, & thought.
Unfortunately, most teachers nowadays use spirituality for materialism; this will get you nowhere, and will only prolong your (and others' especially if you continue their lineage) misery. So stay far away if your teacher uses money for anything ego oriented.
Teachers have a big responsibility and can do immense damage because a bad teacher passes on wrong knowledge, bad habits (they lead by example), & bad energy, which are continually passed on within the lineage.
A true teacher will have the exact opposite of the 3 bad traits above.
He/She will have good students (if both accept each other) because he will pass on correct knowledge, good habits, & good energy.
A mentor teaches you how to think, not what to think. He knows that you probably forget upon being told, may remember upon being explained to, probably remember upon being shown, most probably learn upon being involved, and surely learn upon being inspired. A teacher tells you, a better one explains to you, a better(er) one shows you, a better(erer) involves you, and the best one inspires you.
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
-Benjamin Franklin
A true teacher knows that wisdom through experience is more important than knowledge through theory, and uses that to create a spark (to inspire). He helps you become more of who already are, not make you more like him.
He makes it clear that spirituality has the same holy water (knowledge) but comes in countlessly differently sized & shaped bottles (philosophies, illustrations, religions, and practises).
Someone can be an authorized teacher only if they are enlightened otherwise by an enlightened mind (embodied liberation) for you cannot pass on the light which you do not have. Traditionally, the only certificate needed for Teacher is enlightenment itself, which is what makes him/her an embodied liberation, an avatar, a god, a Vishnu, an operator, an image or manifestation of God. However what is more important is remaining in the Path of Return because as long as one is alive, one still has ego (somehow itentified as body-mind) therefore follows desires anyway.
However, even if he charges something, it might not be for a pleasure-based gain, but survival or some spiritual (path of return) cause, so you must be able to distinguish. Regardless of the desire, it still is ego, and the question if it is a higher / lower desire or neither: intuition. Even then, keep in mind that giving back (especially if you are growing) is common sense & a moral obligation (maryada). It can be in any offerings / knowledge / services that are actually useful for your teacher or his/her drill-ground / mosque / church / temple / synagogue / monastery / pagoda / shrine / dojo / classroom / studio / lab / ring / gym / park / garden / website / etc.
Even though being enlightened remains more effective in influencing others, not all enlightened beings have knowledge on the Path. Some may have simply exhausted all their karma deficits (usually ones who have passively built discipline through life's hardships i.e. suffering therefore have become naturals especially at endurance) , and some may have done past life meditation therefore are easily detached. Having knowledge about the Path is almost equally important.
Ultimately though, teacher especially as powerful spiritual company (otherwise any influence / spiritual company "satsanga") is only 1/4 of the equation, and the rest is aspiration (to be liberated, especially aided by stories / influence, and introspection), knowledge (in-depth, about suitable method, and introspection into the vasanas / tendencies to indulge), and discipline (to minimize if not eliminate tendencies / lower & immoral desires).
"Wishful thinking and a mechanical routine of prayer and meditation are not enough to transport a real seeker away from this-worldly propagated trap. Though every Sadhak longs for exactness of information on where one can detect Almighty, steady contemplation and knowledge are essential to reach the higher realms." -Jinesh Narayanan
A good teacher is immensely valuable, and doesn't only help ensure that you improve without getting injured or traumatized, but transfers good knowledge, good habits, and good energy to you (which you in turn transfer to others) which also helps you succeed in all areas of life. Most importantly, a true teacher helps you properly imbibe knowledge by feeling the power and understanding within the words without having to suffer for it. However, one has become incredibly difficult to find these days, and that has a lot to do with fortune / fate / luck / karma (which you are responsible for).
Spirituality is in Materialism
A lot of people get into spirituality as an escape from the pain of materialism, therefore create an alternative form of materialism (which then becomes a business). However, spirituality is quite the opposite: it is about matter to Spirit or transforming the ego / darkness / unconsciousness / self INTO spirit / light / consciousness / Self, and that can only be done by facing the ego and its manifested darkness (pain / sadness / anger / fear / hate / jealousy / irritation / etc.). If not renunciate everything, then you got to dig out your darkness and face it. How else can you tell the difference? "Your job is not to seek and find love, but to seek and destroy all boundaries built against it." ~Rumi
(more Carl Jung & his MBTI / Myers Briggs Type Indicator here)
The path of return / path of purity / matter to spirit has no certain method, form, or size, and is designed to aid you out of life of desire, not plunge you futher into it. Confusion is understandable because a bridge on one axis can be used to cross a river to continue the same path (Spirit to matter), or another bridge on another axis is used to go the opposite path (matter to Spirit).
Ultimately, all forms of spirituality (e.g. Freemasonry / Satanism / Islam / Christianity / Judaism / Paganism / Jainism / Shintoism / Stoicism / Hinduism / Buddhism / etc.) are same. However, some of them (especially in the later periods) have been maliciously modified for egoistic gain (more info @ https://nodojoninja.blogspot.com/2020/09/3-problems-with-religion-since-semitism.html.
Even religions' spiritual practises (e.g. Yoga / Magick / Kung Fu / Wushu / Budo / Traditional Boxing / Western Boxing / Dancing / Chanting / Singing / Reading / Writing / Calligraphy / Dieting / Fasting / Worshipping / Pilgrimage / Charity) are same. More info (especially about worship / prayer including in Satanism) @ https://nodojoninja.blogspot.com/2021/01/how-religions-are-exactly-same-and-why.html
Even material practises (e.g. Mechanical / Electrical / Plumbing / Civil / Accounting / Marketing / Selling / Farming / Hunting Gathering / Nature Surviving / Cooking / Blogging / Vlogging) are all still same. Even if they involve suffering through the destruction of nature, you can balance it out through enduring the resultant negative karma (which is virtually impossible without being in the Path of Return), any sadhana such as doing useful things without asking or expecting a return, and influencing others positively. Sustainability is important indeed, but endurance & renunciation are even more so (see https://nodojoninja.blogspot.com/2021/01/how-religions-are-exactly-same-and-why.html).
The means / sadhana goes back to ANY discipline, even within your field of work because you will have to endure hardships, shortcomings, problems, or egoistic (stupid / immoral) individuals, and you will have to do a lot without asking or expecting any return.
It all depends on you (how you think & observe, act & react) to experience the elements above (therefore ultimately, experience enlightenement).
Materialism is NOT in Spirituality
The path of return / path of purity / matter to spirit should never be reversed / used to serve the path of life / path of profanity / spirit to matter. As (authorized) teacher you should have complete conviction that enlightenment is the purpose of your teaching.
Be careful of spirituality itself, for it is very deep & addictive (because its unlimited manifested knowledge & concepts therefore forms also come from mind, but intended to remove mind) so be careful not to dive too deep into it (or its practise) because you will have the increasing desire (and need) to charge for it, which is ego again, when spirituality is anti-ego.
Being addicted to spirituality is especially a problem especially if not state sponsored because people are seldom interested unless it is a business with various pretty bells & whistles and glits & glam (such as attractive titles (or tities), banners, venue, interiors, tools, decoration, uniforms, badges, stars, belts, rituals, postures, techniques, ranks & certificates to be bought & sold, and other sensually pleasing & ego worshipping (oh the irony!) mumbo jumbo).
Spirituality should never be mixed with business because that means desire of the ego (which only leads to suffering) which then only perpetuates suffering by continuing it (by impure karma & across same lineage) and multiplying it (as a different channel due to it being another ego serving school & religion i.e. venue & form of spirituality). It will ultimately manifest politics due to competition (possibly violence) within and between and within different forms of spirituality (religions).
Also, as a business - due to capitalism and the nature of never ending materialism - you will be obligated to prolong the process by extending physical manifestions (such as postures & techniques) without revealing (and possibly twisting and/or extending) their source mental manifestation essence (such as knowledge & principles), which perpetuates sin for you and your lineage. Not only that but you will have to (cause who is willing to spend so much time & effort therefore money on endless training?) sell ranks and teaching certificates (including online?!) which will damage the discipline even more.
It surely extends the sin & suffering not only due to impure karma, but creates followers that follow the same business oriented thought process, and business means not only earning to cover costs, but earning even more than that to make a profit. As you can see, business entails alot of ego, which should have absolutely nothing to do with spirituality as it is anti-ego.
Finally, all forms of transaction have a failure rate. That is, whatever product / service you provide, there is a chance that it may be useless, and possibly even harmful (which is why businesses charge in advance, because they want / need money regardless of the benefit / harm). In spirituality, that is more so the case because character adjustment and more importantly consciousness raising is not easy and takes time, effort, persistence, strategy, and patience from teacher and especially from student.
Therefore, especially in spirituality, you cannot expect to be able to immediately help someone especially because the method prescribed might not even be suitable (due to disciple's level & character), so asking for an exchange early on is not necessarily ethical (therefore lowering karma) because there may not be an actual exchange, and there may even be harm. Being teacher is a big responsibility because you can end up making people more stressed, aggressive, wreckless, irresponsible, judgemental, or prejudiced if you don't know what you are doing.
I repeat: spirituality is meant to get you (and others) OUT of the path of life of desire of the ego therefore end suffering not exaserbate it by having yet another channel and lineage for it!
Authorization to teach is learning how to teach, but more importantly spiritual knowledge by experiencing enlightenment itself, for that is the true certificate. You should be authorized to teach because learning to be a student is different than learning to be a teacher. This is not only because teaching is a skill in itself (therefore should be learned), but because a proper teacher only identifies a particular student's level & weaknesses then continue from & complete only those without giving out unneeded information (to save time & energy for both), which another particular student may need. Therefore a student (regardless of how good a disciple he is) would only know what he personally needs to know therefore practice properly.
Also, authorization to teach is recommended because it is one thing to have theory about something, and it is another to have experience in it. In the case of spirituality, the mind cannot really experience therefore understand spirituality (because it is beyond mind's 5 senses), so one can only truly teach (and most importantly inspire) after the soul actually experiences it. That is why it is best to teach not only after being educated in the method & subject matter, but also after having experience in it. However, being a teacher of a certain method while admitting to have some but insufficient experience (enlightenment) therefore refusing to be entitled with ranks such as guru / sensei / imam / priest / etc. is moral.
The whole idea of a Teacher is that their aspiration is so strong that they can do the hardest of all things: sacrifice. That is, they give all they have without asking or expecting any return, and by so doing they rise higher and closer to Divine, therefore will have not only higher energy to survive, but higher to manifest.
As long as you are in the path of return (towards enlightenement), then reciprocation / energy exchange does not have to be only in terms of money because everything aids in that path. It can be in any suitable: 1)offering such as healthy high life-force foods, accomodation, training / worship infrastructure / material, sanitary tools & supplies, residence visa, etc. 2) knowledge,for it is power not only through learning how to develop & protect the body therefore infuence the mind therefore further realize spirit, but also develops & minimizes the mind's thoughts & emotions therefore certainly aids in enlightenment especially via elements 1 through 5. It also helps you become a better teacher especially by being able to tap into others' perspective through culture (e.g. how Kaaba is also an idol for a Muslim, parables from Jesus or passages from the bible for a Christian, etc.) 3) service such as protecting / marketing / building / repairing / cleaning / cooking / growing / harvesting / hunting (if necessary).
Spirituality's ultimate aim is to enable you to not need it by responding right to life itself.
Meditation comes as a result of realizing that knowledge about the world is not enough to remain calm, then realizing that thinking to realize the intrinsic values & principles of things to reduce one's thoughts & emotions is still not enough. In other words the seeker first realizes that he is too aweful for the awesome world, then realizes that the world is too aweful for his awesome self, then realizes both are actually aweful, and that's when he starts to meditate to see that both are actually awesome through Unity / non duality therefore attain liberation by going back to Source.
If you are not experiencing the elements, and not responding right long enough, then you need to find some discipline method that works for you, and preferably a good teacher of an authentic & ancient method regardless of form.
Surrender is the process of realizing who you are, and you can do it any time, but you must know you are not the body's 5 output organs, nor the mind's 5 input senses, only their objective observer, one who neutrally neither pulls nor pushes any mind manifested thoughts or sensations.
www.NoDojo.Ninja for some No Dojo Ninja Dojo badass goodies :) & 9 Element Takamatsu Den Ninjutsu / Creative Calisthenics / 3LAW Yoga training (:
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By the way did you know that Noob Saibot is actually the reversal of the last names (Boon Tobias) of the creator of Mortal Kombat, and that too was done without his own knowledge?
It should however be uncomfortable (mentally and/or physically painful and/or risky otherwise and/or boring) but not too little nor too much; find the balance. It should NOT lead to any trauma or injury, which will happen if you are not taking progressions preferably with the guidance of a teacher. The teacher should have more related skill, but more importantly more wisdom and intelligence than you to prevent traumas / injuries, but at the same time not allow you to go too easy on yourself.
As you grow, you experience improved perception and can see the truth (including ego, knowledge, & morals) more accurately. The more you surrender soul (go with ego) the more moral errors / bad deeds (sins) you make therefore the lower you will go therefore the less awareness you have, less elements you experience (less spiritual evolution), and the more you will suffer and have bad luck due to Karma / the Law of Cause Action & Effect / Law of Equivalent Exchange / Nature / Order of Energy. Each action has a reaction that is equal in force but opposite in direction.
hello thanks for sharing this it is absolutely wonderful :D
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