Light vs. Dark
Dear friends,
It is easy to see something that is "off" and to focus on removing it. This is of course often sensible, but when it comes to dealing with ourselves, more often than not, such a focus is not the right idea.
It is not, of course, that discipline and willpower have no value—they obviously have great value—but using our will to prevent a negative tendency can be exhausting and somewhat self-defeating.
Suppose you have a paperclip situated exactly between two magnets of equal size and strength. The paperclip would remain stationary. If you wanted it to move in a given direction, you could decrease the strength of one magnet or increase the strength of the other, instead.
So too within ourselves. We can work to repress the negative trait, or increase the other positive pole till the negative aspect has less and less attractiveness.
An example might make this clearer: Suppose you struggle with judgment of others (not that anyone reading this ever judges anyone, right? :-) ) You can work hard to try to quash those feelings via affirmations, telling yourself it is not good for them or you, etc. Or you can focus on compassion, sympathy, and love. If someone is doing something inappropriate, it is because on some level they do not know better, or might know better but are in pain somehow in that moment. Love them as a child of Spirit trying to make their way Home. Love and judgment cannot coexist.
Yogananda said that a room can be in darkness for a thousand years, but the instant a light is brought into it, the darkness vanishes as though it had never been.
Focusing on what is negative in us (or others) can actually give the negative more reality and magnetism. Identifying ourselves with our negative qualities is not helpful. You are a child of Spirit trying to peck your way out of a hard egg shell. Hang in there and don't be disturbed by existence of the shell. The struggle itself is what strengthens us to finally break free and be always and forever anchored in our inner Self.
May we each find the positive more and more attractive until that which binds and dismays us diminishes to the vanishing point by comparison.
Blessings,
David G., manager
For the staff at East West