Internal Repentance (Jesus, moral, prophet, marriage, moral)

[RedRain]

I was inspired by the thread on exploring your internal world to make this thread which combines the concept of exploring your internal world with the idea of actively fleeing or shunning certain things you encounter in your internal world.

This concept is a key part to the religion I am part of, Swedenborgianism, the concept of actively investigating your desires and to shun the evil or harmful ones. For Christians, this quote from Jesus is somewhat relevant:

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matt 5:28

I'm just wondering if anyone actively explores there internal world for this purpose. It's really incredible where one can be taken with God.

[Scarlett Wampus]

Well, as I see it repentance as a phenomenon in the psychic (as in psyche, not psi) life of an individual is an incredibly powerful force. Its quite different to mere guilt or regret because it arises with deep sense of responsibility and desire to change. I think its one of the most beautiful things we're capable of.

How the above relates to internal repentance, well with fleeing/shunning desires I think there is a risk that such a practice could become wholesale repression without examining & working with the problematic desire. If the impulse to flee/shun desires is always morally punitive in its nature, for instance fearing the judgement of some God (super-ego), then its very likely to increase neuroses and lead to greater human misery in the long run. If the impulse to flee/shun desires is not morally punitive but rather an open & observant reflection on the misery they can cause then its usually possible to work to resolve them in a healthier way.

As an example, lusting after someone who is not your partner could create unnecessary conflicts in your relationship that lead to loss of intimacy & love. When observing your inner thoughts you may realise a pattern like that is occurring and can work to resolve it in a way which will not hurt your relationship. However, lusting after another could also be due to a lack of intimacy & love in your relationship to begin with, in which case that would need to be examined instead.

[.lava]

Originally Posted by RedRain

I was inspired by the thread on exploring your internal world to make this thread which combines the concept of exploring your internal world with the idea of actively fleeing or shunning certain things you encounter in your internal world.

This concept is a key part to the religion I am part of, Swedenborgianism, the concept of actively investigating your desires and to shun the evil or harmful ones. For Christians, this quote from Jesus is somewhat relevant:



I'm just wondering if anyone actively explores there internal world for this purpose. It's really incredible where one can be taken with God.

is there any other world than internal one?

you know, during the time of last Prophet, there've been wars. when those wars ended Prophet said something like this: small jihad is over now it is time for big jihad. small jihad is physical self-defense. big jihad is war against your ego. so yes, i am in internal Jihad with my ego. in Tasavvof (=Living Qur'an) that is one of the daily works to do.


i am unsure if they tell about daily works but at least to find out about Tasavvof you can visit this site:
Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, the great Anatolian philosopher and the father of the Mevlevi sect

[UltraViolet]

Internal repentance can be as simple as one changing one's outlook on a thing.

Why all the sackcloth and ashes?

[Dunemeister]

Changing one's outlook isn't as simple as it sounds. Doctors frequently note how 90 per cent of cardiac patients, after having had triple bypasses (or worse) are no better off three years after their surgeries. They could have been better off if they would make simple life changes. But for whatever reasons, most don't. They all know what they have to do. They have to change their outlooks on their way of life and act in accordance with that new outlook. But the first part -- changing their outlook -- doesn't happen. These are not stupid people. Perhaps they aren't immoral either. But for whatever reason, making the change is profoundly difficult. And as a result, more arteries clog up, and they suffer more heart attacks (generally fatal).

[YmirGF]

I am not into repentance, in the slightest, but am rather big on acceptance. As .lava asks, is there really anything but inner existence?

As for war with the ego, I am no longer at war, and have not been for decades. The ego is a friend of the Inner self and no longer feels threatened. It's a marriage made in heaven. Well, almost.

[Scarlett Wampus]

Originally Posted by Dunemeister

Changing one's outlook isn't as simple as it sounds. Doctors frequently note how 90 per cent of cardiac patients, after having had triple bypasses (or worse) are no better off three years after their surgeries. They could have been better off if they would make simple life changes. But for whatever reasons, most don't. They all know what they have to do. They have to change their outlooks on their way of life and act in accordance with that new outlook. But the first part -- changing their outlook -- doesn't happen. These are not stupid people. Perhaps they aren't immoral either. But for whatever reason, making the change is profoundly difficult. And as a result, more arteries clog up, and they suffer more heart attacks (generally fatal).

That's interesting. Yeh, actually changing is a very very hard thing to do. Outlook must play a large part in it. Habits, even simple ones, are hard to change too. It all strikes me as rather sad. Poor us!

[zenzero]

Friend Redrain,
You have hit the nail on the head.
BUT,
there is no need to repent if you have understood where you went wrong and be ready to take the responsibility. Karma is what we do with desire and that doing has its effects and we gain or suffer according to that. Similarly if we do something without any desire just like any other being eg. you feel hungey eat something but without any choice not choosing, just accpting whatevr be the circumstances. This is a jouney internally and with awareness one can achive salvation.
Love & rgds

[RedRain]

Originally Posted by Scarlett Wampus