By Christopher Greenwood
Day 237 – Ownership of our pains
Yesterday was the final day of the retreat in Montenegro. Mohanji concluded with a spontaneous process, which was an expulsion process to release stored emotions, traumas, and anything else we might have trapped inside that we might have collected throughout our life.
The effect was one of feeling much lighter and, for me, much freer and more spacious. Once the process had finished, Mohanji shared more details about it. As he spoke, it made me realize and understand that I’d been unnecessarily collecting a lot of emotional heaviness throughout my life over the years.
This was unconscious – I was just doing it, maybe out of habit. One truth that always stays with me, that Mohanji shares, is that we cannot take anything from the earth. We can’t take anything when we leave. We’ll live here for a point in time. We might have possessions and positions, but none of this can actually leave along with us. Mohanji also shares the story of Alexander the Great. Even he, who conquered many lands, was buried with his hand outstretched outside the coffin with his palms open to show that he left with nothing.
Yesterday, I began to understand that this is the same for emotions, too, after listening to Mohanji explain the process. I understood, and I’m learning that we go through many life events, situations, and experiences. Some we consider good, others we consider bad, based on, you know, pain and pleasure, but in the end, all these experiences come and go. So, I began to realize that we can consider emotions in the same way. I’ve been very happy to collect and hold on to past and painful experiences, sadness, anger, frustrations, jealousies, and all these heavy emotions. Through the process of releasing them, it was a pleasure to come closer to a natural state, a lighter state, which is free from these.
I don’t know how much more is stored inside, but I’m now viewing them like material possessions or ownership. I’m looking at these emotions and events that they’re also not mine. So, to speak, they’ve happened to me and through me, but a more natural state is to be free from these. It gives me a new appreciation for the fact that we came with nothing, and we’ll leave with nothing. It’s only experience.
Mohanji shared that one way to avoid unconsciously collecting more of this is to avoid talking about people and begin talking about purpose, about what we can do in the world, and focus on something higher and avoid gossiping, which binds us with heavier emotions and memories.
Day 238 – Benefit of good company (satsang) 🙏🌟
One of the major understandings, and I would consider it a lesson, or an experience actually, of being connected to Mohanji, being part of the family, and now working closely with him is the importance of having good company in life. The importance of what you would call satsang – people coming together for a common purpose. This is especially important if you have a path or a goal of liberation – freedom from the bindings of the mind.
One thing I really appreciate now is how we’re doing all of the activities across the world, across five continents – 80 countries together. These activities are all doing something for the betterment of the world, making it a better place, and uplifting people’s consciousness and awareness to something higher – from greed, selfishness, and anger to compassion and selflessness. They’re about using our skills to help others. So, all of these activities are positive and rejuvenating, and all we talk about as well as what more we can do. Together, there’s a great focus on something positive, and everything’s directed toward that.
That’s really important because the opposite, that is, comparisons, criticisms, judgements, and all such things, are contracting and also binding. So, I’ve really learned the value of a good company, or satsang. I’ll share, to finish, a translation of a shloka by Adi Shankara. I won’t attempt to say the Sanskrit version because I’m sure I’d make a mistake there, but I’ll read the translation in English, and I’ll also put the quote in the text.
It’s four lines: good company leads to detachment; being in good company leads to a detachment from me, mine, ownerships, or possessions. This is where doing selfless service is really good, doing something for others. That leads to fewer desires. If we have fewer desires, the mind becomes more still, and a still mind leads us to liberation.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 30th July 2023
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