Humans are constantly looking for perfection in form when this type of perfection is not possible.
Many seek perfection in their physical expression that will decay and die. Some seek perfection in their status that will mean nothing if at the end of life they did not fulfill their potential to truly know themselves beyond limited form. Others seek perfection in a world that will never be perfect. And some even seek perfection in their, or other people’s, thoughts, words, and actions that can never be pristine (no matter what anyone has led you to believe).
From this attachment and attraction to the illusion of perfection in form/the illusion of Maya (representing a deep longing for the perfection that everyone can sense exists beyond it), people form opinions, preferences, likes, dislikes, aversions, attractions (Kleshas, etc) and everything in between, which causes them to suffer due to the madness of looking in the wrong place for that which can only be found within (before being experienced in all things).
Humans take their attention away from the constant, eternally available state of perfection that they, and all others, always exist within and then bemoan the horrors that they look at. I know this well because past experience has shown me (with much experimentation before I came to my senses lol) that when I place my attention on the world and the illusion, I suffer and I am bound, and when I align myself with what is True, I am free.
The illusion of Maya appears to be strong. And for many, it appears to be so strong that they may never break out of the spell of it entirely, even when they appear to be searching and on a spiritual path…
Many search and search and search for, and then even claim that they find, something that cannot be found outside of them here in this world, getting caught up on developing the powers that come with having a clear mind (for example) as opposed to using their clear mind for True Higher connection…completely missing the jewel of perfection that simply exists within them at all times and can give them freedom far greater than any physical “powers.”
Instead of focusing their attention inward on the only thing that is pure and perfect, many look out into the world with their conditioned and distorted minds and form opinions about the illusion that is in front of them, feel bad about the illusions in front of them, become attached/infatuated with the illusions in front of them, suffer because of the illusions in front of them, and even recruit others in looking for Truth in places that it can never be found in. If you have ever cried when watching a movie, and had your mind shifted and shaped, and your behaviors adjusted, because of the projections that you simply identified with on a screen, please refer to that experience as the same process of looking out into the illusions of the world and taking it to be more real than it is. Everything outside of you is simply a projection on the screen of your mind and body.
Attaching yourself to useless judgments, in passing time (one of the biggest obstacles that most have to overcome) in an attempt to control everything outside of you, leads to no good (more Karma), and definitely leads to only further entrapment within Maya.
You, from living life, may have adopted value systems that help you to perpetuate your constant avoidance of pain and pleasure seeing without your ever even realizing how trapped they make you, and may get stuck wrestling with and playing around with these things for eternity if you never become aware of what you are doing.
Patanjali is very clear, however, that the only way to true liberation (and I vouch for this 100% from experience) is to completely let go of everything in the world from their attachment to your body-mind ego complex. And when I say let go, I mean of everything…I know you want to keep some things (especially your feeling of “rightness”), but you must put it all aside even down to what you or others uphold as dear to your mind within Maya. You must simply connect with the Truth of being in your perfection and let everything else fall away. You do not need attachments to be whole and complete onto yourself. This is the art of Yoga Nirodha.
IMPORTANT QUICK TIP! You may wish to review Patanjali’s 196 Aphorism here for an overview of why this practice is important.
Letting go of all attachments is what frees you from the suffering tied to the cycle of Karma (cause and effect of thoughts, words, and actions), and is what frees you from the projected personhood of ego that covers up the experience of your True Self.
You exist, as you are (yes, as you are) as a perfect being. And so does everyone else. This seeing was Jesus’ main power. You simply have to clear away all the distortions that get in the way of this seeing. Depending on your unique expression, this clearing may involve any number of different things, but it is important that you strive to identify what they are and then take the necessary steps to perform this process of purification.
The first, and most important step is to stop looking outside of yourself and into the world for validation or proof of this and simply go within. Learn some techniques and discard everything except practice and experience. Know the Truth for yourself.
Your Takeaways
Anything, and I mean anything (as pious, righteous, good, pleasurable, noble, admirable, etc as even the “best” parts of human expression may seem) outside of simply tuning into and recognizing the perfection of the Truth that animates all expressions in form that exists to be seen and known, is an illusion.
Not recognizing this is why humans suffer and continue to perpetuate the eternal cycle of suffering known as Karma, and why so few have realized the True Self. Humans are attached to the things they like and hate (and boy do they love to like and hate, even to their very demise and enslavement).
When seen in the context of the Gunas: the “worst” and most extreme case (just meaning that it leads to the most suffering) is being so completely ignorant or Tamasic that one is made virtually inert in ones striving for freedom/enlightenment and, therefore, never attains it. The second “worst case” is seen in those who are striving for freedom but are attached, and remain Rajistic, constantly seeking pleasure, answers, and satisfaction in the world. And the “least worst” case, but still keeping a person attached to form to some extent and, therefore, trapped in the illusion of form, is those who strive for the most “perfect” form that Maya can offer in terms of human expression, completely forgetting that they are not limited to their form and must find liberation from it, even liberation from what can seem to be a perfected version of the illusory self. All of these expressions lead to suffering due to ignorance and attachment.
Being unattached to even a Sattvic state of existence (which is the model for working toward a spiritual life) does not mean that one should strive to do harm in the world (obviously that goes against the Yamas and Niyamas). One is best served, if conscious effort is required, doing good for goodness’s sake, and not getting involved in outcome or even action itself.
Once liberation has occurred, however, “good,” just naturally unfolds (in whatever expression it shows up in without attachment). Rumi once said it most clearly when he stated that “[o]ut beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass the world is too full to talk about.”
Clinging, holding on to, and over-identify with every passing thing in the illusion of Maya instead of dwelling in the direct experience of the eternal Truth of the Self, only leads to more empty illusion in the chaos of Maya.
You are best served, if you truly want to be free, tuning into the full silence and presence of the Truth and just neutrally observing everything else (responding if necessary, but otherwise not engaging).
There can be no doubt, confusion, or being misled by further delusion or illusion in the world, if you simply just let go of your attachments to your illusory projections/perceptions within it and look at life and existence beyond the distortion of your mind.
Thank you for reading.
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