Do I have to like people?

[Moondance]

Originally Posted by eputkonen

Aversion is a reaction from illusions of the mind.
With the occurrence of enlightenment, aversion vanishes.

The faulty reasoning is yours, because ceasing to be averse because of the deep understanding that there is only the Self...is not the same as kicking a football, chopping an onion, or flushing poop. Sure, it is all the Self...but no judgment is made about the football, onion, or poop...there was not aversion to them.

Aversion can be a reaction from illusions of the mind but not always. Animals are averse to many things - as are babies.

You’ll see that I mentioned ‘certain types of aversion’. If there is an aversion to snakes (for instance), realisation is unlikely to cure this but the intensity of the reaction and its duration will be scaled down. As I said, a spectrum of preference persists in biological and psychologically conditioned body-mind-personalities. Realisation doesn’t completely extinguish this though it can modify it.

I’m certain that you have preferences, Eric. You probably have a sexual preference, preferences for certain foods or beverages, music (surely most of us prefer anything to Barry Manilow), perhaps you are wary of (the aforementioned) snakes or spiders etc.

—————

The faulty reasoning was in the mixing of relative and absolute. I’m pointing out that, yes, ALL is Self (or Source or Reality or Oneness…) And that includes the whole play of phenomenality and its various expressions and relative dualities.

[davidsun]

I think you are either missing or just stubbornly refusing to validate the significances of Moondance's meaningful points, Eric - maybe because you are 'averse' (lol) to their implications - which pertaining to any and all 'incarnate' being IMO.

[sentient]

Originally Posted by Moondance

If there is an aversion to snakes (for instance), realisation is unlikely to cure this but the intensity of the reaction and its duration will be scaled down.

It is not my like or dislike that determines what my reaction or response to a snake is.
It is the nature of the snake that spells it out for me.

One of the poisonous black snake species in Australia is so openly curious that they can come very close, just to see what you are doing.
And when you are well within a striking distance of one, and yet there is an aura of trust i.e. you know beyond any doubt the snake is not going to strike – the situation becomes enchanting. Talking about snakes that are real charmers.

Facing a Taipan is a different story. There is an aura or air of distrust about them as “they are extremely nervous and alert snakes, and any movement near them is likely to trigger an attack”.
They are a knee-jerk reflex type - hair trigger snakes.

[eputkonen]

As a young girl, my mom once was approached by a baby snake in the wild and kept it as a pet. It would coil between and around her fingers...threading itself up and down the hand. She loved it. One day some adults saw it and killed it...it was a poisonous snake.

[davidsun]

Originally Posted by eputkonen

As a young girl, my mom once was approached by a baby snake in the wild and kept it as a pet. It would coil between and around her fingers...threading itself up and down the hand. She loved it. One day some adults saw it and killed it...it was a poisonous snake.

REALLY thought-provoking account. But what is your point in relation to the topic at hand?

[sentient]

Originally Posted by eputkonen

As a young girl, my mom once was approached by a baby snake in the wild and kept it as a pet. It would coil between and around her fingers...threading itself up and down the hand. She loved it. One day some adults saw it and killed it...it was a poisonous snake.

Oh no!
That was a dagger right through the heart, - story.

Whether we do have aversion towards snakes or not can be one of those (culturally created) collective subconscious programs in the background of our conscious minds, which do interpret and give meaning to the experience.

I used to dream about snakes - a lot.
Most often I would have the same dream where I would be standing in front of a big tree with a huge snake on its branches and then some people would come by - intending to kill it - and I would go into an angry-panicky defense mode to save the snake.

I also had the same instant, compulsive (subconscious) knee-jerk panic reaction in real life situations when people talked about or were about to kill snakes.

The other day I read about the Tree and Serpent Worship of Ural-Altaic (Turanian) peoples and true enough - the offerings taken to the Sacred Trees were also for the 'pet' Snake(s) living underneath it.

And the Shamanic healer’s costume would have a symbol of a snake - or a snake in the belt or in the medicine pouch hanging off the belt, as Snake was/is one of the healer’s Animal Spirit Helpers.

And Spiders – My grandmother used to say: “Don’t kill a Spider, for she is your Mother!”

[ajay00]

Originally Posted by CrystalSong

My experience is I love everyone in the Big Picture.

I would say you have compassion for all but love for those you know and are intimate with.

Originally Posted by CrystalSong

However their human identity/personality/ego maybe most unpleasant and I am not required to hang around it.

The ego is unconscious desires in the form of cravings and aversions, and due to the emotional energy invested in it, it is usually quite agitated and ugly.

So I empathise with your need not to hang around it. Compassion and understanding of human nature can enable you to forgive or be patient with egomaniacs driven by strong desires.

[sentient]

Still on about snakes ....

Well, obviously if you come from a background where serpents or snakes are regarded in a positive light or role (script) - then your subconscious reaction to them is likely to be different than if you subconsciously, automatically associate snakes with evil and a manifestation of Satan (script).

And if you had a magical non-dualistic moment in time/space with a venomous snake – the high transparency of the situation enabling you to directly know within each other’s intents (hearts), then the situation turns into a kind of an “enchanted dance” and one might even be able to handle the snake. And then if somebody ‘out of the blue, or from the left field’ suddenly comes in and clobbers the ‘Satan’ to death - to teach you about ‘true faith’ – well ……..

If you are a New Ager, then you probably refer to signs and symbols (script) and think that a snake appearing in your life is an omen of “rebirth, transformation” or something. (Till some indigenous person ‘from the left field’ comes in and ridicules you for it and clobbers your openness and willingness to question and to re-evaluate).

But after awakening?
I see awakening as a shift into a heightened sensitivity & awareness of energy, energy movements and of energy fields and since energy is constantly in a state of flux – anything can then potentially be anything at any time. The snake appearing can be an opening into a non-dual communion shift or it can be the Satan itself or an omen of transformation or something entirely different. Like or dislike scripts won’t apply anymore, only an open question “What Is” does. And yesterday’s answer to “What Is, is already tomorrows lie.

[davidsun]

Originally Posted by sentient

I see awakening as a shift into a heightened sensitivity & awareness of energy, energy movements and of energy fields and since energy is constantly in a state of flux – anything can then potentially be anything at any time. The snake appearing can be an opening into a non-dual communion shift or it can be the Satan itself or an omen of transformation or something entirely different. Like or dislike scripts won’t apply anymore, only an open question “What Is” does. And yesterday’s answer to “What Is, is already tomorrows lie.

Deep!

Though one may still 'like' being 'in' harmonious flow, communion, whatever you wish to call it, with (todays') Life, i.e. with What Is, more than being 'out' of it!

[calisushi810]

We think about "liking" or "disliking" people, but the reality is everyone is shaped by their experiences and expectations ..sometimes the expectation to what we perceive to be our voice and the voice of others to be can be blurred. Take time to explore who you are, and realize other people are like you, doing their best and living their lives based on what they believe. Your similarities with others will amaze you, and you might begin thinking the problems that people have stem from the same type of place you own problems stem. An old maxim is to see the good in everyone , take it further, try to understand yourself and understand others , and the idea of like and dislikes might dissipate. You might begin seeing things in the light where you only have understanding without any haste or angst