Nyingjé Tso
Tänpa Yungdrung zhab pä tän gyur jig
Vanakkam,
I was wondering this after having lived some experiences in my sadhana (that I won't talk publicly here, ask privately if you want details) that fear an pain weren't a hindrance in spiritual path, but fear of pain/fear of getting hurt is.
The instinctive reaction of the body to back off, and the natural reaction of the ego that react to get attention, all are intended to drive the mind away from the source of pain and seek shelter to other people.
But what is pain ? I have been taught that God Siva is all and in all, in His perfect creation. Siva is as much darkness as He is light, as much He is pleasure and pain, everything is related to Him. Therefore, if experiencing the pleasure o if bowing humbly to the Lingam is an aspect of benevolent Siva, experiencing the pai n we are facing daily is also a way to witness the more terrible aspect of the Lord. So then, It may enable the sadhak to witness everyday Lord Siva in all His aspects.
Just like benevolent ParvatiMaa and Terrible KaliMata. The association of differences make a whole.
Pain can be experienced by hard penances, like Yogis does. Self injury is, however, not advisable at ALL (please, don't ever do that on purpose to you, is seems liberating but it's very harmful for you, mind and body. Seek help)
But we experiment small pains everyday. You cat claw you, or you burn yourself while cooking, all those moments our reactions are immendiate, we move away and express our pain. Our mind is then diverted from anything.
Just like jumping and shouting when seeing a huge spider xD that kind of most basic instinct, that is not consciously conceived and not from our intellect
As an example:
We I do puja, I am always careless with the incense holder. I always end up wit burns on my hands, because burning incense fall on them while I am weaving the dhoop.
First times I was in pain, dropped incense on the floor. I was so focused on my pain, expressing it, that God and Puja wasn't on my mind anymore.
After much thinking, reading sacred texts and Sadhana, I decided to work on accepting the burn. I am always careless with incense, really, this cannot be changed xD I am very terrible at this. And I was very bothered to have dropped the incense and disturbed the puja. So, I worked on not rejecting pain. Blocking the instinctives moves of the body, the need to manifest expressively the pain, instead of running from it, I focused on it as an aspect of Lord Siva. And I waved the incense and get the puja done. It may seems weird but, I felt that what was an obstacle to my practice was transformed into a part of it.
Of course it does not involve purposedly hurting oneself. I say it again, please, don't ever do that !
I wonder then, what is advisable when feeling this fear of pain, should it be physical or emotionnal: to refrain it, erase it, or accept it ? Is there any experience you lived or scriptures talking about this fear of being hurt, and how to avoid it being a distraction from our duties in daily life and devotions ?
Thank you
Aum Namah Sivaya
I was wondering this after having lived some experiences in my sadhana (that I won't talk publicly here, ask privately if you want details) that fear an pain weren't a hindrance in spiritual path, but fear of pain/fear of getting hurt is.
The instinctive reaction of the body to back off, and the natural reaction of the ego that react to get attention, all are intended to drive the mind away from the source of pain and seek shelter to other people.
But what is pain ? I have been taught that God Siva is all and in all, in His perfect creation. Siva is as much darkness as He is light, as much He is pleasure and pain, everything is related to Him. Therefore, if experiencing the pleasure o if bowing humbly to the Lingam is an aspect of benevolent Siva, experiencing the pai n we are facing daily is also a way to witness the more terrible aspect of the Lord. So then, It may enable the sadhak to witness everyday Lord Siva in all His aspects.
Just like benevolent ParvatiMaa and Terrible KaliMata. The association of differences make a whole.
Pain can be experienced by hard penances, like Yogis does. Self injury is, however, not advisable at ALL (please, don't ever do that on purpose to you, is seems liberating but it's very harmful for you, mind and body. Seek help)
But we experiment small pains everyday. You cat claw you, or you burn yourself while cooking, all those moments our reactions are immendiate, we move away and express our pain. Our mind is then diverted from anything.
Just like jumping and shouting when seeing a huge spider xD that kind of most basic instinct, that is not consciously conceived and not from our intellect
As an example:
We I do puja, I am always careless with the incense holder. I always end up wit burns on my hands, because burning incense fall on them while I am weaving the dhoop.
First times I was in pain, dropped incense on the floor. I was so focused on my pain, expressing it, that God and Puja wasn't on my mind anymore.
After much thinking, reading sacred texts and Sadhana, I decided to work on accepting the burn. I am always careless with incense, really, this cannot be changed xD I am very terrible at this. And I was very bothered to have dropped the incense and disturbed the puja. So, I worked on not rejecting pain. Blocking the instinctives moves of the body, the need to manifest expressively the pain, instead of running from it, I focused on it as an aspect of Lord Siva. And I waved the incense and get the puja done. It may seems weird but, I felt that what was an obstacle to my practice was transformed into a part of it.
Of course it does not involve purposedly hurting oneself. I say it again, please, don't ever do that !
I wonder then, what is advisable when feeling this fear of pain, should it be physical or emotionnal: to refrain it, erase it, or accept it ? Is there any experience you lived or scriptures talking about this fear of being hurt, and how to avoid it being a distraction from our duties in daily life and devotions ?
Thank you
Aum Namah Sivaya