You must except the entire you to evolve emotionally and spiritually
ByI am always amazed at how confused we can be in society about the nature of mankind. We have so many contradictions set up that it is a miracle that some sort of psychosis has not set up in all of our minds. We are human but we will attempt to circumvent parts of our natural human psyche in order to maintain the appearance of a “healthy” peaceful appearance. If you ask most of society in today’s world about the emotion of anger and an act of aggression it would be hard pressed to find many that would not apply a negative connotation to them. I would say it is because we do not consider the need for both in the course of nature. They are both necessary components of our existence. Not only for humans but nature in general.
Why must we bottle up our emotions to be spiritual?
I think so often that in spiritual settings to have a placid, serene and humble appearance is looked on as the ultimate statement of mental balance and inner control. While I do believe that it is possible to reach a state of inner bliss for everyone I don’t know if it is realistic. I say that in the sense of us having the ability to develop that inner feeling of contentment. We view our reality through the window of our beliefs. We all have different roads to travel with different strengths and weaknesses. Is it really realistic to believe that everyone should “reach” one particular state of being when there is such a variability of experience? Is it really an advantage to try and put a lid on anger and aggression when it is natural?
If you ask the average person why they believe aggression and anger is negative they will probably say because they lead to violence. I would say the opposite is true. To bottle up anger is what leads to violence. The expression of anger is meant to show a boundary that may have been breached. If recognized early on anger will stop the escalation into violence. An example is if another party does something to you that makes you angry and you show that look on your face they will usually back off. In this instance a natural expression of anger averted any escalation as it should. If the same person were to act as if they were not angry and the same situation occurs then there may be a potential for violence. But only if it is bottled up.
Aggression is necessary in nature
I believe without aggression there is no growth. Applying the universal law of correspondence we can philosophically view this on many levels. Aggression is necessary for anything to break out of stasis. If a cell is to grow it has to be aggressive. If the most beautiful of flowers are to burst out of its bud, it has to be aggressive. If a child is to be born into the world there has to be an aggressive push. If one makes a major decision in life to change directions, there is an aggression. All these scenarios would not occur without aggression. They all have to break stasis. Violence is a distortion of aggressions. Aggression is necessary for any creative endeavor.
Through out history aggression and anger have been viewed with disdain because of the subjugation of people and wars between nations. Aggression is a creative force. Violence is the opposite and desires to be destructive. It is surrender to suicidal emotion. To confuse violence with aggression is to deny you the ability to grow physically, mentally and spiritually. This is the legacy of a belief system that has built up thoughts of being naturally human as something to avoid. It is though we say in order to grow spiritually one has to deny part of ourselves that make us human. The implication in this thinking is being human is a necessary evil on the way to a much grander evolution. I would say that our society has developed in the violent manner that it has is because of a lack of appreciation for the physical being that is human.
We must embrace our nature
We must change the spiritual and religious concepts that it is grand evolution in consciousness to deny the flesh. How can your soul get the opportunity to appreciate its reason for incarnating when you mentally have a belief that to be human is to be flawed? To believe that the soul is perfection and one must be like the soul in flesh. In order to truly evolve we must embrace all parts of our humanity. Wehave all of our emotions for a reason.They are natural. We should not fear them. We should better understand our emotions and the only way to do that is to acknowledge them when they arise and analyze them and where they came from. We should not deny them or ignore them. To do so will cause them to manifest in destructive ways in the body.
Anger and aggression are natural. These emotions only end in violence when they are not dealt with properly. As a soul in human form we want to experience it all. You will never be able to truly experience your true and total being by trying to “rise above” it. You will evolve only by coming to a full understanding of your true nature.
Wow very profound and it left me wondering and pondering a lot. Thanks – it has been a good while since an article really, really made me think and grow beyond what I have come to know as my current nature.
I am not sure I agree with all that you have expressed here (for me personally that is), but at the same time I do not negate any of it. That is where I believe growth comes from, from each one of us being able to openly share our views. And no one has to be wrong or right.
In the end it is as you say we should be allowed to express how we really feel. And I totally agree that most of our feelings today, whether negative or even positive are often supressed. Right away I think of how many men are usually told not to express their love or appreciation to the fullest, for fear of being used, etc. And the same in a different context of course, is true about the anger part.
The only thing that I struggle with is the “our nature” part, as I think in my personal opinion that this is ever evolving. So while human nature was or is one way, it can change and that growth that we seek is what transcends us from who we were or what we knew as ourselves, to a new form. I think even if we all let go of let’s say anger, we would still not end up as some spiritual clones, as we still decipher the world through our own personal lens. It may just be a peaceful one.
Either way, really, really good food for thought here
.-= Evita´s last blog ..Evolving Being in Action: Julie Riddle =-.
admin Reply:
July 6th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Hi Evita, thank you. I do appreciate you thoughtful comments.
“I am not sure I agree with all that you have expressed here (for me personally that is)”
Trust me I do understand, my concept about anger and aggression is different. I do want to challenge people and provoke them to think outside the box. Does not mean everyone will agree but maybe they will stretch.
The only thing that I struggle with is the “our nature” part, as I think in my personal opinion that this is ever evolving.
When I same something is natural, I don’t mean to say it is a default state. I agree with you that as humans we do evolve. That only happens when we dare to be different. People that rely on the thought of “it’s just the way I am” as the default way of being do not grow. Natural in my sense is that to have emotions are a natural human state. To bound them up and fear the experience is that unnatural state.
So while human nature was or is one way, it can change and that growth that we seek is what transcends us from who we were or what we knew as ourselves, to a new form. I think even if we all let go of let’s say anger, we would still not end up as some spiritual clones, as we still decipher the world through our own personal lens. It may just be a peaceful one.
I could not agree with you more. I think the next evolution for humans is to acknowledge that each of our experiences are unique and be tolerant of someone having that unique experience. That is what being spiritual is about. the ability to recognize an infinity of possibilities that are translated into the finite experiences of humanity. Possibilities so vast that we don’t have words to express them. We can only experience and feel them through our “personal lens.”
Hi Reginald – I agree that we must embrace our full spectrum, in order to evolve, even in order to transcend it. Denial will not allow growth. Our emotions are the most powerful tool in the creative process. As Abraham-Hicks says, they are our guidance system, our compass, to help us determine our vibrational field, and if what we are thinking will take us where we want to be. All emotions serve this purpose, including anger. It is quite useful. The point is not to dwell in it, feeling resentment, but to acknowledge it, and direct our thoughts so we can move out of it. It’s good to pay attention to any emotional signal. If we stuff it down, we hinder our creative potential.
As far as aggression, it is true that life itself is based on it. Though I believe that it is not necessarily tied to anger. It can be, of course, but there is also the aggression that comes from enthusiasm, from the creative drive, just like the flower that wants to blossom. It’s the unstoppable life force pushing through. We definitely need it to get things moving!
I agree with you that being spiritual means having full awareness of our entire human traits. It is by accepting anger, that one can transcend it eventually. I believe that at the higher spiritual levels, one remains calm not because there is denial of anger, but because there is nothing to get angry about, having realized that in this reality it’s all about perception, that everything is impermanent, and ultimately an illusion.
Great post, that will have many stretch their minds!
.-= Palma | Buddha Trance´s last blog ..Darwin and digital evolution =-.
admin Reply:
July 8th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Wow Plama!
You are so on point with all that you say. When one is truly at peace there is no need to get angry. I agree that aggression and anger should not be linked. I was attempting to convey that. I believe that most people do link one with the other. Life is the ultimate illusion. Awsome points as always, thank you.
I agree that repression can cause disease. If I hit my thumb with a hammer I’m going to”bark” very loudly and I don’t care who hears. But if I dwell on it and start hating hammers night and day and obsessing over hammers I will soon be living in my ego-man and be apart from my Higher Self, and as The Oracle once taught me, ‘ Don’t let the ego-man trap you in your mind. Excellent topic. Very liberating!
admin Reply:
July 9th, 2009 at 8:12 am
Hi Marty,
I agree with your oracle. The ego does trap us if we allow it to. It is useful to give us feed back about this reality. However, we have the power to change this reality. And I agree with you it is liberating. The process of learning about our entire being is quite amazing. For me it gives purpose to whatever I may be going through. That realization makes everything bearable. thank you Marty.