The Problems of Separation
As long as I believe in the idea of I - creating an appearance of I and Other - there is suffering. And this suffering take many forms, all the ones I recognize in my own life, see in the lives of others, and I am sure many more.
A particular subset of how this is played out is feeling that others impinge on me, for instance through their ideas, behaviors, energy, or just by their plain existence - displaying some qualities that bug me.
I talked with my acupuncturist last week, and she mentioned a healer in town who specialize in separating out other's energies from one's own. As any other approach to healing, I am sure it is useful and has its place. At the same time, it clearly comes from duality and also from a place of believing in stories (those two are obviously the same).
If I don't believe in stories, then there is no problem there. There is only clarity.
Anything that could be labeled "bad energy" or "disturbed" or "confused" or "unhealthy" all comes from stories, in two different ways. First, it is obviously labeled based on a story. And more importantly, when these things come up they seem to do so due to somebody's belief in a story.
I may believe in several mutually contradictory stories, and experience confusion. I may tell myself a story about somebody - including myself - which brings up contraction and hatred. I may believe I am not worthy and act in a way that is not good for my health. And so on.
When we see through these stories for ourselves - when we find what is more true for us in our own experience, the stories are harmless. They may come and go, in ourselves and/or others around us, and they have lost their charge. They come and go with the same innocence as as clouds.
The "bad energies" and "unhealthy tendencies" apparently from others are (a) recognized in ourselves and (b) the thoughts behind them are seen through and revealed as harmless.
When I can see through my own stories, and how patterns unravel when these stories are seen through, I can also see through the stories when they appear in others. They are harmless, either way.
I see the complete innocence in myself and others.
Labels: beliefs, projections, sense of I, shadow, stories