Mastery doesn’t take that long

[Truth Addict]

@How to be wise

I understand what you said in your original post.

The questions that come to mind though are:

• Have you really put your mastery into test?
• What are the emotional challenges that you consider yourself a master of?
• What is the level of mastery that you consider yourself to be at? Full mastery of all emotions? Some and some?

I'm asking all of these questions because I wouldn't think of myself as a master of my emotions unless I am 100% sure.

Of course, you don't necessarily have to answer any of them.

Edited June 17, 2019 by Truth Addict

[OctagonOctopus]

@How to be wise

Good job, Katie Byron is great. I am not speaking on what your life is like, but I do think it is important to keep in mind that it can be a lot easier to master emotions well in a first world country taking advantage of all the things we take advantage of, as oppose to being dirt poor living in a ghetto, or in a third world country. I'm glad I have that contrast, makes me appreciate all I take advantage of now. I guess what I am trying to ask is, do you think you could be homeless, with nothing, no one to turn to, and still find that inner peace?  

[Joseph Maynor]

Emotional mastery is much deeper than white-knuckle clinging to being nonreactive.  Apply the Paradox of Being Reactive And Not Being Reactive.

Edited June 17, 2019 by Joseph Maynor

[Jkris]

@Inliytened1 No matter what you all say beyond certain level I couldn't understand even intellectually that nothing is bad.??? 

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Heard a speech from a realized master in practical life all advaitins adhere strictly to righteousness,virtues,morality as they know they are God only in Nirvikalpa Samadhi and once they are out they are just realized humans and adhere to relative truths and live a surrendered life as a devotee but knowing the absolute truths perfectly.

Another master said bad thoughts won't even appear after realization don't worry.

Purification of mind is very important along with meditation,self enquiry.

The above two I can understand intellectually.

_----------------------------------------

One realized master said all is well and good.See everything as good (even if that is bad)

Hope one day I will get what all you say on all is well and nothing is bad ???

[Jkris]

@How to be wise If you don't go to college what's your future plans on earning - money too is essential for living.unless your parents have amazed you wealth so that you need not worry about that ?

[Hellspeed]

13 hours ago, How to be wise said:

Many people here think that it’s not possible to attain emotional mastery without a decade of meditation. Well, I’m a living proof against that. I started spiritual work less than two years ago, and after doing a lot of inquiry, I’m very close to emotional mastery. These days, I struggle to find anything that can trigger me in any minor way. I’m living in a constant uninterrupted state of bliss, and my mind is usually just blank. I’m not identified with anything really. Even the question who am I doesn’t make that much sense to me, because it assumes that you exist. 

Anyway, I just wanted to provide some encouragement to my fellow meditators. You can reach there a lot sooner that you think. Focus on purging your shadow issues and ego more than just trying to ‘get an awakening.’ That’s one thing that I’ve never aimed for. Yet as I purged my shadow and ego, I found that awakenings just came to me suddenly. 

For example, the day when I disidentified from this body, was when I was going to bed at night, and as I pulled my duvet, out of nowhere my identification to the body just disappeared. Other awakenings also happened at random times e.g. emptiness, love, infinity, god, no time, no space, no world, infinite intelligence and so forth. But I never aimed to get any of them. I just focused on purging my ego. 

Another thing I recommend is to meditate several times a day. For the past year, I did inquiry 40 mins per session, and I did three sessions a day. Basically, morning, afternoon and night time. That way, inquiry was on my mind basically 24/7. I was living it. 

Good luck! If I did it, then definitely you can too!

 

Yes it takes, see it how you see it. And much more in spirituallity.

[How to be wise]

@Truth Addict I don’t need to put my mastery to the test. I allow life to do that. Life will bring me all the trouble. And so far, it hasn’t brought much. Remember, I’m not 100% done yet. But I’m very close to there. I would say a few months more until I’m completely done. 

The way I measure my emotional mastery is through (1) how blissful I’m feeling. Usually the more emotional work I do, the more intense this bliss gets. And (2) how often I get triggered internally with any negative emotions. That rarely happens nowadays. 

[How to be wise]

@OctagonOctopus definitely. If there’s anything in the whole of life that so much as irritates you, you haven’t achieved mastery.

Consider this possiblity: you can be experiencing severe pain or hunger, and still be enjoying it. That’s what I found in myself more and more lately. Suffering and physical pain are independent.

[How to be wise]

@Joseph Maynor I mean being non reactive internally. As in, not experiencing even the mildest forms of a negative emotion.

@Jkris Technically I am a student of a university. I just don’t go there for any of the lessons. I only go there on August when the exams come. So when I finish I will get a degree.

Plus, jobs are everywhere, if you don’t have an idea of how it should look like.

[Bill W]

@How to be wise

Thanks for this thread, it's a good one. I once looked at a Byron Katie video and didn't take to it, but seeing you on this forum and some of what others have said, makes me want to check her out again.

I don't care for all this enlightenment talk and I don't want to try psychedelics. I'm looking for something practical to help me manage the ego and negative emotional states. A teacher like Byron Katie is possibly someone I should pay attention to. I think perhaps teachers with a very simple message get overlooked as we are all perhaps chasing something more complicated for some unknown reason. 

I'd be amazed if someone reaches the levels of emotional mastery you refer to by aged 20. Life still has so much to throw at you, but I can't dismiss what you are saying, not for a second. Good on you. Hope to see you posting still. Well done on your progress. 

[Truth Addict]

@How to be wise

Thanks for the replies.

I was feeling the same as you described three months ago. I was unemployed and basically free all day all night.

I have a job now, and I assure you, it's not the same. I mean, yes, all the mindfulness work, self-inquiry, meditation, and contemplation, etc... are great, and they help. But when shit hits the fan, that's where you truly test yourself.

I'm talking about the practical life. It's easy to be emotionally detached when you're not really playing the game of survival. But it gets harder when your ego is at stake.

I can only speak for myself and about my experiences though. I can't speak for you, your case might be different. I'm still struggling with emotions to this day, although I felt like I had mastered them during my unemployment phase.

Bottom line is that you might want to consider what I said here just in case.

Edited June 17, 2019 by Truth Addict

[RendHeaven]

43 minutes ago, How to be wise said:

I would say a few months more until I’m completely done. 

Ouch.

[AlwaysBeNice]

Ye emotions are natural, anger can be too, clinging not.

[How to be wise]

@Truth Addict Of course I test my progress with the real world. I live with my mom. And as Byron Katie likes to say: “Your mother will show you everything you need for self-realisation.” Meaning, any negative story that you're still running in your mind, your mother will show it to you (i.e. trigger you), and you can run that story through the four questions, and then you come back to your mother for the next piece. She won’t stop until you have no negative stories running in your mind (i.e. emotional mastery). 

And the same goes with your spouse and children. Though you only need one of them.

[Nahm]

@How to be wise That’s some true family wisdom. 

 

You brought this one to mind...

“Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you.”

 

Happy for you sir ??

 

[Jkris]

  X @How to be wise @AlwaysBeNice @How to be wise 

Interesting no minimum compulsory attendance mandatory ? Guess you haven't chosen Engineering,science ,medicine,Finance or business management as your career.

And life in US is much easy compared to other countries leaving aside some well developed European countries,Canada and Australia.

Here is a short list which came to my mind on emotions

Lust,Anger,Greed,Jealousy,Anxiety,Impatience,Intolerance,Pride,Reaction to Insult,Reaction to deadlines( In real life situations),Reaction to Micromanaging,Lies,deceit,unfairness or injustice,Shame,Guilt,Fear,Attachment,likes,dislikes,addictions,loss of money,valuables or dear ones,Inferiority superiority complexes,Domination,facing corruption ( guess need not pay bribes in US),Attachment to the body - Sickness,pain,stress,Attachment to ideology,situations against the conviction vow of morality,values,righteousness.

 

 

 

 

[SBB4746]

Its silly to announce emotional mastery at your age, you have hardly experienced life yet. The next 20 years of your life 20-30 will be the real test when you move out of home, start earning a living and having romantic relationships. 

Edited June 18, 2019 by SBB4746

[Truth Addict]

@How to be wise

I was the same. And I still live with my mother and father.

Being unemployed and without real responsibilities and challenges almost equals a drug high. You probably wouldn't believe that, but I've been through that phase and I know how it works.

I'm not saying that now I'm far from emotional mastery. In fact, I consider myself 90% master of my emotions. I'm just saying that circumstances affect how you feel and react, no matter how convincing it might seem to you right now.

The remaining 10% is the hardest to achieve, and that's where the true test is. That's why it's called mastery, because almost nobody wants to spend energy on mastering this last 10%.

Again, your case might be different, so all of this could be irrelevant for you.

Edited June 18, 2019 by Truth Addict