‘First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye.’ (Matthew 7:5) These are the profound words of wisdom from Avatar Jesus. They unabashedly infiltrate our consciousness like a cosmic wave rippling across the Multiverse, reverberating from the inside out. What can we understand from these words that slice through the collective unconscious?
As conscious as we might feel we’re being in our interaction with others we’re more often than not kidding ourselves. The ego we so heavily cling to as if our life depended on it, cannot fathom being ‘wrong’. It would much rather kick, scream, stand on it’s head whilst rotating at a 360 degree angle, do the splits, go lick its wounds in the corner and suck its thumb, than admit to the insensitivity or grievance we have caused another.
All the while exclaiming it’s god given right to be angry because in doing so we’re actually being self-loving. By trying to justify to ourselves and others our actions we gain comfort and control. Our friends support us so we must be virtuous? (I’m sure Hitler would have agreed) If we step back a moment it’s clear to see such interactions are always the by product of our personal perspective and subjective experience. From a Non-Duality perspective everything serves.
It’s amidst this monsoon of suffering the temptation to judge and blame others is at times uncontrollable. We look for shelter from the downpour of hurt and from the loneliness of our pain, which appear so readily in the form of tearful despair. Pushing us ever closer towards the cliff-edge of a ‘Dark Night of the Soul’. Storm clouds amass overhead and a sense of forboding looms in the air not too dissimilar to a dreadful Twighlight movie. We hesitate a moment, pausing to catch our breath upon the periphery of our delusions.
We don’t wish to plunge into shadow, into madness, into the abyss but a part of us knows we must! Gandalf
did afterall! Well ok he’s a (badass) wizard. ‘Why me?’ are the words that form on our lips, we look up to the sky expectedly. ‘Why not!’ the Cosmos replies with a grin. Sometimes we’re pushed into the dark void, a nudge from the Cosmos (it can feel more like a kick up the backside) A sequence of time when hope is swallowed by Gaia Earth herself leaving only a bedrock of bewilderment. Yet we know that a forest is at it’s most fertile just after it has burned and that a radiant phoenix will arise from the ashes if you allow her. That’s when Gandalf who’s even got wisdom trickling down his beard says: ‘All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.’
How then can you be conscious whilst at the same time angry? The simple answer: You can’t because anger is the kind of emotion that robs us of our lucidity, reasoning and more importantly compassion. It motivates us to act. That’s not to say it should be denied, rejected and sent to the gallows (that’s asking for trouble) but perhaps we can learn to find ways in which to express and integrate these emotions productively.
For me I have found both expression, freedom and healing through writing about my experiences and sharing them with you all so that both light and dark aspects of ego-self might become more integrated, whole, exposed and made vulnerable. Vulnerability serves to cultivates great inner strength.
TRANSFORMING THE ENERGY OF ANGER & JUDGEMENT
1. Affirm to yourself I give myself permission to surrender to my anger, I allow any shadow feelings I suppress be directed through creative expression. Through communication our healing journey deepens and unburdens the pain we carry inside our hearts. This requires courage and trust in yourself and the Cosmos which never judges you. Humans readily judge one another but ultimately everything in this Universe is serving a wider often unseen purpose. For instance your anger serves to challenge the loving-kindness of the recipient! It’s nothing to be ashamed of, and is a natural process that shall come to pass.
2. Find a creative outlet such as writing, painting, drawing, playing a musical instrument. By our very nature we are creators. Creation wishes to dance through the artist, you! As such it’s the creative arts that nourish and feed the soul. Art moves us, provokes us, encourages us to reflect, affects our mood, makes us laugh, makes us weep, takes us to the darkest reccesses of our sub-conscious, to places we never dreamed possible. Connecting us to our deeper nature and each other. Find your art form(s) and you’ll find yourself. They’re gifts that where given you which you’re encouraged to share with others.
3. Practice the art of Deep Listening. Compassion will always be a stronger energy force than that of Anger or Judgement. By the very act of listening we ease anothers suffering, there is sometimes no need to offer advice or judgement. ‘…during the practice of deep listening we can learn so much about our own perception and their perception. That is the best way to remove misunderstanding, anger, and difficulties between friends.’ says the wise teacher Thich Nhat Hanh.
4. Envision the person you have confrontation or difficulty with as a young child. (even better if you have a photo of them from their childhood) Despite telling ourselves otherwise we’re all just children of the Universe that sometimes throw a hissy fit when we don’t get our own way! Think about how this person laughed and smiled from the innocence that only a child could know, for even the most depraved of souls was once a child. Connect with the essence of that energy and innocence and send Loving-Kindness. From the powerful Hawaiian healing technique Ho’oponopono which encourages us to accept full responsibility for everything that is drawn into our reality. Affirm in your mind: I love you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.
5. Don’t suffer in silence. Dissolve your feelings by sharing with a girlfriend or close confidant. Studies have shown that sharing and group support help alleviate suffering, mental illness and trauma including feelings of anger, judgement and resentment. Leave the rest to the Cosmos.
