Transformation Redefined

Spiritual seekers aspire to transform - transform themselves, transform their beliefs, even transform others.  As the word transform is a verb and thus has a connotation of “acting”, how do we reconcile that when spirituality advocates “being” rather than “doing”?  Well maybe we urgently need to rethink what transformation means.  Very often, we are eager to see changes in our external world, or more accurately, our outer experiences.  Obviously that has everything to do with our senses as we believe what we see, hear, smell, taste or touch is real.  But we never question whether that is true, and what we connect with our senses may not be as real as you think.  And conversely, what we cannot experience may not be unreal and non-existent.  This has all to do with the limitations of our human ability.  Fundamentally, if the entire universe is manifested from our collective mind, then what is so-called transformation may not necessarily translate into changes in the outer world as those can only be a by-product from changes within.  In fact, often we do not need to change any action at all.  What we need to “do” is to contemplate so that we can truly understand where our discomfort and pain are from.  And from that we can derive the root cause of our distorted beliefs and learn to be compassionate to ourselves.  This is already transformation to the fullest and the rest, by universal law, will naturally flow.

Choices

Life is about decisions.  And the life that will unfold in front of you is the outcome of a whole series of decisions that you have made.  Many parenting books teach us how to guide our children to make good decisions through a systematic thought process.  But in reality, there is really no good or bad decisions but only conscious or unconscious.  And this is not referring to banal or mundane matters, but rather the beliefs we have adopted and the associated feelings.  Even if it is something that we seem to reject, it could well be an unconscious choice of ours to make us feel protected and safe.  For instance, if we cling onto our fear as a result of what we believe in, it could in fact be a mechanism for us to stay alert and fend off perceived danger.  Or if we internalise our anger, we might have a better chance to be a disciplined and good person.

So before you start to dismiss your "bad" feelings or look for ways to transform them, think mindfully whether you truly want to eliminate them.  Are they of value to you because they are your defence mechanism?  Only through understanding of the reasons for their existence and how they no longer serve you, you can really part with them - with friendliness.

Oxymoron and Spirituality

Endless Beginning
Effortless Effort
Tough Love
Humble Pride
Imperfect Perfection
Gateless Gate
Common Uniqueness
Irrational Rationality
Speechless Language
Unconditional Conditions
Choiceless Choice
Solitary Connection
Wholesome Void
Silent Noise
Powerless Power