To engage the world or withdraw from it?

[Honza]

My impression is that the great spirit is more involved with withdrawing from the world rather than engaging with it. If God is principally I AM than the main movement in life is inward rather than outward.

It is like the great spirit is recoiling from the harshness of the world and is huddling up within. I tried engaging the world and I did find it very hostile. I guess others do too.

So what can one do? One can huddle up within.

[HITESH SHAH]

First there is no option - whatever you do till death - it's your engagement with world even as a monk who renounce everything !

Now the notion that world is harsh may not be 100% correct . World can be great and beautiful because it's inhabited by God . May be we may have to discover the hidden God in the world . May be world may have been harsh to give you certain important messages and learning. Renouncing world due to harshness of world may not be the best way to feel/express the love for/of God .

I agree that getting submerged / drowned in worldly affairs without any regard / care for in-dwelling God is definitely not great. The key to successful engagement is balance like cycling which remains in balance when running . The moment you stop cycling , bicycle has to lean one side (which can better be God side than world side).

[Honza]

It is true that there is God in the world, but in my experience not a lot (or not enough), there is far more ego in the world than God. God lies mainly beyond the world or above it. In my experience of reaching out to God in the world I found some very unsavory beings who caused me harm. God stays out the the way IMO. He waits for us to reach Him rather than blast His way through all the ego to reach us.

[AngelBlue]

It's trust Honza , there is more Ego in the world than God.
But I think that's the point.
We are mere mortals living this life and it's mostly based on ego .
He won't blast his his way through ego to reach us.
He made that clear.
The difference is, for some living with ego they see beyond that and become more religious or spiritual and have faith.

[Redchic12]

Jesus said……”be in this world but not of it”

I seem to be living my life like that and find it very satisfying.

Perhaps that will be helpful for you Honza.

[Native spirit]

I just go along with it do I wish to leave this life many times I would say I do
Especially in the last few weeks I would say Stop the world I want to get off

Namaste

[wstein]

Originally Posted by Redchic12

Jesus said……”be in this world but not of it”.

Basically this is the 'best' approach. Similar things are taught in Eastern philosophies.

Originally Posted by Redchic12

If God is principally I AM than the main movement ...

In a general sense a spiritual life is from the inner towards the outer.

With sufficient detachment one can be out in the world yet not feel any need for "recoiling from the harshness".

In the mean time, practicing acceptance can reduce the impact of the harshness.

When one attains sufficient internal spiritual connection, the world falls into alignment with one's inner self (spirit). At that point one need not 'do' anything. Action occurs spontaneously in a manner aligned to one's nature.

[JustBe]

Originally Posted by Honza

So what can one do? One can huddle up within.

I find the world closest to me, represents how I see it and feel about it, so I generally create that space towards myself first. Balance is my true nature so I balance myself with what is. Sometimes I withdraw. Other times I’m engaged. If I treat myself like the seasons and cycles, I find I’m mist contented wherever I am.

[Rah nam]

It depends where the individual is, on there journey.

[Starman]

In my experience it is a state of being whether we choose to be in the world and of the world or choose to be in the world but not of the world. When you feel the presence of spirit constantly in your life, moving you as you exist in complete silence, the world becomes something much different than when we are living solely by our five outward senses and our mind.

Living from our mind human life is very reactive and all we see are external objects, but living within the bubble of divine spirit intuition guides us and our reactions are measured if at all present. We literally see and feel the oneness of being in everyday life. We see things coming and going as a natural part of temporal existence; birth and death are part of that coming and going.

It is a state of being which can be achieved while we are here on earth in human form. It takes undoing all which we, and others, have done to ourselves when we were ignorant of our deeper being. It takes inner work and it is not a withdrawal from this world, rather it is a harmonious coexistence with this world as seen through new fresh eyes enlightened by spirit.

The mind brings with it a lot of heaviness while our deeper being brings with it a lot of light, light in weight and in substance. This is my experience. The problem with the world is that ego is running wild, humble ego and engage in spiritual surrender, and everything changes. We can change our own individual world by changing our own individual attitude.