Shadow Work

[Ya know]

“There is no crime of which I do not deem myself capable.”

― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

Reflecting upon this, how do you cope with it? Lately I'm becoming aware of sinister things within me that make me feel sick. Things I don't want to be yet am. I'm familiar with letting go / surrender but any other tools are appreciated - plus a general discussion on the dark side of humanity.

[Thought Art]

This is a great quote and the more experience I gain in life the more I see this as true.

I am just as capable of evil and devilry as anyone. This is why my compassion has grown to the point that I actually can't be honest about my opinions around normies. I see myself in everyone.

The more mistakes I've made in my life the more my compassion has grown for others.

There is a good book by Sheldon Kopp called "Mirror Mask and Shadow: The Risks and Rewards of Self Acceptance" This was a great book for helping me to accept my shadow desires, past mistakes and the inevitable mistakes I will make in my life. It also has helped me to accept just how harsh and cruel reality can be.

The past few months I've been realizing this especially. My own ability to harm myself and others, to be deluded, and the shadow and sinister desires the exist within myself. 

Let this be a lesson on creating false self images, or false mechanical morality. Reality will smash your self image, your morals etc again and again because there is just too many risks and factors that will show up in our lives.

I have made so many mistakes over the past few years. I don't have many great role models in my life, so I've made so many mistakes I wish I could take back sometimes... But, I can fully accept my ignorance more and more. The more we accept our fragmentation we can move toward greater unity.

I fully accept and embrace the fact that I am not better or worse than anyone else and the people society tends to hate, is actually their own shadow. 

We all have a dark side. I think there are many books. I think the more often you can fully see and embrace and allow yourself to see these negative desires the better. When we can fully accept these aspects of ourselves without acting on them I think that is better. 

What we resist, hate, pitty, lie about, etc I think persists and will eventually express itself in harmful and dysfunctional way. 

We can fully accept reality, our dark desires etc without self hatred.

Self love is after all the highest teaching.

[Bodhitree]

@Ya know The traditional Buddhist answer would be renunciation. The Tibetan Buddhists divide the mind up into beneficial qualities, those leading to enlightenment, and unbeneficial qualities leading to poor karma such as anger, hatred and ignorance. The idea is that you promote and grow the good qualities, and renounce the bad qualities, allowing them to die off.

In general after a few years practicing with them I found it to be a pretty good system. It is based on growing into what you want to be. Of course where the rubber hits the road is in observing yourself, looking at what you actually do rather than what your impulses lead you to think. The idea is that the impulses will take care of themselves, as long as what you actually manifest in this world is beneficial to yourself and others and helps them on their path. 

There is an American Indian story about a grandfather who tells his grandson that there are two wolves doing battle in the old man’s heart, and that one is vicious, spiteful and full of hatred. The other is brave and noble. The grandson asks which will win. The old man replies, the one that you feed. 

[Eternal Unity]

Accepting that All Is One, with all its intricacies. Exploration of the dark side brings you important insights as well as the blissful experiences. Know that you are free to think any thought and follow the truth wherever it leads you.

Greg