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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Religions & Faiths > General Religion

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  #1  
Old 17-03-2020, 11:54 AM
Honza Honza is offline
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How to deal with persistent problems?

Is devotion to a problem a good way to deal with it? They say "love your enemies". Therefore why not love your problems?

If I am finding that issues with 'death' lie at the base of my problems then should I express devotion to death? I am thinking it may be worth a shot.
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  #2  
Old 17-03-2020, 07:54 PM
inavalan inavalan is offline
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"love your enemies" means not to foster negative thoughts and emotions even toward those who'd deserve them, because thoughts and emotions create thought-forms that materialize into similar (negative) situations in your life. It isn't actually about loving neither your enemies, nor your problems.

I don't really know what you mean by "devotion to death" in this context, how would that play out.

There might just be that you have to come to terms with the fact that "death" is unavoidable, and it is just like a wake up from a dream of your inner-self.

Emotionally, is generally very difficult to deal with death. I know, from experience.

Even leaving is often painful. The French say "leaving is dying a little". I remember how emotional was when I changed schools, and neighborhoods as a kid.
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Everything expressed here is what I believe. Keep that in mind when you read my post, as I kept it in mind when I wrote it. I don't parrot others. Most of my spiritual beliefs come from direct channeling guidance. I have no interest in arguing whose belief is right, and whose is wrong. I'm here just to express my opinions, and read about others'.
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  #3  
Old 17-03-2020, 08:11 PM
FallingLeaves FallingLeaves is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Honza
Is devotion to a problem a good way to deal with it? They say "love your enemies". Therefore why not love your problems?

If I am finding that issues with 'death' lie at the base of my problems then should I express devotion to death? I am thinking it may be worth a shot.

it seems silly to say this, but the best way I've found to relieve an obsession is to give in and be more obsessed.
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  #4  
Old 17-03-2020, 08:15 PM
inavalan inavalan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FallingLeaves
it seems silly to say this, but the best way I've found to relieve an obsession is to give in and be more obsessed.
It might be helpful if you elaborated a little on your statement.
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Everything expressed here is what I believe. Keep that in mind when you read my post, as I kept it in mind when I wrote it. I don't parrot others. Most of my spiritual beliefs come from direct channeling guidance. I have no interest in arguing whose belief is right, and whose is wrong. I'm here just to express my opinions, and read about others'.
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  #5  
Old 17-03-2020, 11:07 PM
zastrakoza zastrakoza is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Honza
Is devotion to a problem a good way to deal with it? They say "love your enemies". Therefore why not love your problems?

If I am finding that issues with 'death' lie at the base of my problems then should I express devotion to death? I am thinking it may be worth a shot.

Honza, I think this is very insightful. It reminds me of a guided meditation I experienced once that was helpful to me. As a summary:

You are in your home and happy, doing something you enjoy, when there is an unexpected knock at the door. Happily, you dash over and open it with a smile only to see your worst nightmare standing there. Stunned and a little unsure you invite it in and ask it to sit down. Gathering all your courage, you ask it why it is following you. You begin interviewing it in pursuit of a thorough understanding of what it wants. As you ask more and more questions, your courage rises and your fear dissipates. You find out that there is a message for you and that this persistent problem is trying to tell you something. Trying to protect you from further harm.

In the end, you can let it know you understand and that you have heard everything it wants to say. You can comfort it and thank it for its persistent intent to protect you and help you.

I found this exercise to be helpful and I hope you find it helpful too.

Z
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  #6  
Old 18-03-2020, 08:11 AM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FallingLeaves
it seems silly to say this, but the best way I've found to relieve an obsession is to give in and be more obsessed.
Not silly at all and in fact, it is part of my practice as a Tantrika.

The main axiom of Tantra is "by that which we fall, is also by that which we rise". It is the same methodology used in the past to treat any obsession...like when you are caught smoking in secret, so your parents give you a whole pack of cigarettes with the instruction to chain smoke as many as you can in three hours...or when you are partial to a certain type of food, so that becomes all you eat for a week...after three days, you just can't face it anymore.

The ego loves the "taboo" and doing things simply due to the fact that you know you shouldn't be doing it...which perpetuates the behavior. Give the ego free reign to do whatever it likes and those behaviours will soon fall away by themselves.

As for "loving your neighbor"...I take that as being the opposite of "just don't hate on your neighbor" which means not to give your neighbor any time of day anyway....at least you aren't doing anything to hurt anybody else and that is the best that can ever be hoped for...for some.

As for "embracing death"...the Stoics have cornered that philosophy with "Momento Mori" in that we shouldn't be acting as if we are going to live forever within a physical body...we should accept that death can come at any time, so to get the most out of life means to live each moment as if it is going to be your last...which brings mindfulness totally into the present moment.

A lot can be said for Stoicism...it is a good philosophy really and I regularly check out Marcus Aurelius and the "The School of Life" on YouTube...I subscribe to that channel and check out the offerings a few times every week..

https://m.youtube.com/user/schooloflifechannel/videos
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  #7  
Old 18-03-2020, 09:08 AM
BigJohn BigJohn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Honza
Is devotion to a problem a good way to deal with it? They say "love your enemies". Therefore why not love your problems?

If I am finding that issues with 'death' lie at the base of my problems then should I express devotion to death? I am thinking it may be worth a shot.

Interesting dilemma!

Probably everyone will look at this question differently: their own perspective.

With work related problems: devoting time and energy can be a love obsession.

As for coming to terms with are great 'enemy', that is death, the same I would say would be true.

As for looking at 'death' devotionally, I probably would prefer the word 'exploratory'.
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  #8  
Old 18-03-2020, 02:21 PM
HITESH SHAH HITESH SHAH is offline
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persistent problems

Quote:
Originally Posted by Honza
Is devotion to a problem a good way to deal with it? They say "love your enemies". Therefore why not love your problems?

If I am finding that issues with 'death' lie at the base of my problems then should I express devotion to death? I am thinking it may be worth a shot.

Normally persistent problems are persistent because there is long chain of circular rules which bring you to the same original state even after lot of efforts . I would call this vicious circle of life . Normally person with ignorance , lesser conviction in efforts would get trapped in this vicious circle and will never be able to come out .

However if you the people around the society , many people have overcome such persistent problems (so to say broken the vicious circle) . The common ingredient of such people are
1. They are hopeful/sanguine/positive / less complaining /more grateful
2. They believe in scientific effort (not heretical kind)
3. They are patient and persevere in their endeavors .
4. Their goals are positive ie aimed at ameliorating their own conditions WITHOUT deteriorating others conditions .
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  #9  
Old 20-03-2020, 05:12 PM
ketzer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Honza
Is devotion to a problem a good way to deal with it? They say "love your enemies". Therefore why not love your problems?

If I am finding that issues with 'death' lie at the base of my problems then should I express devotion to death? I am thinking it may be worth a shot.

I don't think there is a wrong answer to that question. If you wish to experience what it is to live while devoted to death than you can do that...might be interesting. Honestly, I am not sure what that would be like or even what it means.
There are those who devote their life to preparing for life after death, but that is not really a devotion to death. Perhaps it is just an attempt to cheat death? Perhaps instead it is life that gets cheated? Perhaps life is something of a road trip? It is certain you will get to the end, it seems it might be nice to experience and learn some things along the way. Whether you devote yourself to death or not, in the end, it will find you and it will claim you as one of its own, wherever you end up.
I am curious.
If the God of life and the God of death are the same God, when asked at death how you spent your life, what you learned from it, how would you like to be able to answer?
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