Neutrality: The Mindset of Freedom

Many Eastern schools of thought talk about "emptiness" and being devoid, free of attachment, desire, etc, etc.

To the Western Mind, this conjures a terribly uncomfortable image of an emotionless, joyless person, just going through the motions of life without passion. But I assure you, the neutrality I speak of encourages far greater depth of emotion, as it is pure from distraction.

Allow me to present a few examples of this form of neutrality.

1) Man gets in shower that is unspeakably cold, smiles, and simply goes on showering.

2) Woman is bitten by a mosquito, simply pays attention to the sensation until it goes away.

3) Man walks through the woods, as he is not projecting intention, animals will actually approach him, and not be frightened.

4) Woman gets yelled at by coworker. She simply smiles, lets the person vent, and in a detached way reflects upon the situation, seeing what merit the coworker's point of view had.

5) Long term relationship ends, you spend no time mourning, and immediately return to living as you were.

6) You're in a traffic jam. Others are screaming out their windows, honking horns. You take this time to make light of the situation, watching as others get frustrated over nothing.

This all sounds new-agey and crazy. But I assure you, people have been talking about reaching this state of neutrality for thousands of years, before both religion and science were born. So this is the farthest thing from "New Age."

Now that you have some examples of this type of neutrality in life, let me illustrate some of the hallmarks of this mindset.

A: You approach each circumstance as an event unto itself, and simply do your best to play your part, there is no stress involved.

B: You have an unbiased point of view. Even when others strongly disagree with you, you can determine the validity of their argument, without elevating yourself, or demonizing others.

C: You are detached in that, if you do not succeed, you are not upset, you use the set back to determine how to correct your course of action.

D: You are detached to problems. For example, if a loved one dies, you do not mourn, realizing that mourning will not help. You feel no pain, and simply view it as an experience in your life.

E: If you are in a situation, you do not let it effect your mood. For example, you are not attached to your lover. If they are there, you simply enjoy their company thoroughly, no reason to be attached, they are there. If your lover is gone, no reason to be attached, they are not there, so there's nothing to attach to. If your lover may leave, no reason to long for them, they are not around. If you do not have one to love, no reason to feel sad or be attached to the possibility, because that circumstance does not exist.

F: If people say or do hurtful things. Do not react to it, and acknowledge them. You simply take steps to alleviate further assault of possibly.

G: You do not seek comfort. You realize being uncomfortable is an important part of growth, so if you experience something you are not familiar with, and uncomfortable with, you simply enjoy it as an experience, something new to learn from.

H: You are thankful for the circumstances you have that you enjoy, truly appreciating the situation.

I: You are thankful for the circumstances you do not particularly favor, because they are opportunities to grow as a person and make positive circumstances more favorable.

J: You view obstacles and challenges as opportunities to grow, not as dreadful things.

K: You forgive yourself for any action you did not appreciate the outcome of.

L: You forgive others because you understand that they are simply unconscious most of the time.

M: You are aware of the consequence that each of your actions will have. Not only does this apply to making you more aware so you don’t trip or walk into something, you also understand that what you eat and how you behave will reflect your health.

N: You don’t compete with others, or worry about what others do. You simply keep up with yourself.

O: You aren’t attached to circumstances, how you look, what you do, you realize that all things change.

P: Every event is special, no one else, nor could you ever perfectly repeat the exact same circumstance, no matter how similar another may be. Every thing that occurs is a special situation only you can experience in the way that you do.

Q: You are never the victim. If someone splashes water on you, if you are diagnosed with cancer, if you are hit by a car, you aren’t a victim, and don’t worry about how bad things are. You simply do whatever can be done to alleviate the situation, wasting no time on playing mental pictures of how bad things are.

R: From a spiritual point if view, you understand that everything that occurs has meaning. It is either an opportunity for growth, or a display of growth. No matter how outwardly terrible a situation may seem, you understand that though your mind, body and heart can be destroyed and broken, Spirit is untouchable, and is always making progress.

S: You are aware of the outcome of what you’re going to do, how your words, or actions will make others feel.

T: You aren’t worried about popularity contests.

U: When you work to accomplish something, you simply do your best.

V: When busy or rushed, you are not stressed. You understand that no matter how many assignments may be in a row, you can only really do one at a time until you are done. You are simply doing one task after the other, not a million at once, so you are not stressed.

W: You understand that you are responsible for the lion’s share of what occurs in your life.

X: When you are in harmony with the situation around you, things go well. In driving, when you drive where cars are not, there is no accident. In fighting, if you try to force a circumstance on another, they will change, instead let the opponent counter themselves, by recognizing what they are doing, and defeating it at the last instant before they can change. In conversation when you try to force something, you cause conflict. Instead allow things to flow so that you are not dominating. There must be a balance.

Y: You know that when you are in harmony with the universe, you get the Universe’s assistance simply by doing things in a logical order.

Z: You understand that you are both observing the circumstance, and an agent of the circumstance.

TBC

Originally posted by TheGreySwordsman
D: You are detached to problems. For example, if a loved one dies, you do not mourn, realizing that mourning will not help. You feel no pain, and simply view it as an experience in your life.

This is where you go beyond stoicism to things impossible by a loving human. Maybe something to strive toward if it's what you want.

A1: You do not have other things on your mind. Therefore, you can simply enjoy being present in the situation.

B1: You realize you must pattern what you do to the circumstance in order to maintain harmony. For example, if you are walking on uneven ground, if you do not match your steps to the terrain, you may trip or twist an ankle.

C1: You accept all situations without protest. Your actions and words simply perpetuate the harmony of the situation. Realizing protest does little good, you instead utilize adaptation.

D1: By going into situations without bias, you can truly learn from it, picking up messages from the environment and those around you that you would have missed were you absorbed elsewhere.

There are many other hallmarks, but I have included enough to allow a clearer picture to form in your mind.

Neutrality allows us to get the most of of the situation. It allows us to enter into any circumstance without some predetermined notion of it being "good" or "bad." If it is good, we simply observe and enjoy, if it is not, we learn as much as we can.

At no point do we react, nor do with get attached to circumstances, or do we behave in an unconscious manner, or play the victim game.

I will reply later with an in depth commentary on each of those 4.

reply to post by Johnmike



Quite the contrary my friend! My grandmother just died, we were very close, but I felt nothing. Why? Being upset didn't help it. I'm very caring, and try to help others quite often, but I refuse to take on the point of the victim.

I tend to agree that neutrality is the middle point between duality/polarity and the gate to extraordinary experiences. Not swayed by fear on the one side of the gate and desire on the other, but in ones middle, balanced and powerful.

I wouldnt agree that always being in this state of detachement is desirable. The ability to return to it after going on adventurous trips of attachement is whats important.

Just my 2 cents.

nice blog ;-) A....Z

lol Austria has Neutrality..... ;-))))))))))

A: when you wake up in the morning, you feel well.
B: if you say something, the ears are open.
C: you can change your dreams.
D: all your enemies will destroy.
E: the hurt of the world was gone.
F: your family is not your biggest enemy.
G: God is coming back to earth.
H: lies are gone.
I: you understand all your visions.
J: the heart is by the heart.
K: the eternity is now.
L: the bads fall down, where they belong too.
M: our children are saved.
N: Everybody has enough to eat or dring.
O: Words comes near, where they needed.
P: peace in the universe.
Q: questions are answered.
R: see again?
S: souls who are one comes together.
T: people understand the animals
U: only understanding
V: Dimensions are shown up.
W: the wind of god come in all of us.
X: Fear is gone
Y: Silence is gone
Z: ZERO

Nia

ATTACHMENT:

Attachment is one of the primary causes of suffering in the world. It pulls one away from the notion of neutrality.

Most are attached to people, friends, family, significant others. When these people leave our lives in one way or another, we often hurt. Why is this? Because we cling to these people, good times are to be had when they are around. They are kind to us, are there for us when we are troubled.

But the fact is, everything changes. People change, circumstances in life change, relationships change. How many of us can say we have the same friends from childhood? Even if there was no conflict with the person, people move, fall out of contact, and eventually no longer play the role they once did. When these people drift from the main stage of our lives we can feel pain if we try to hold on to them.

People will replay images of times that were shared in their minds, and they will get emotionally invested in these images of the past, and then they will feel loss.

Once a circumstance is over, once a relationship changes, or a person dies or goes away, things won't be the same as they were then. Holding on to these past things is the same as holding on to an imaginary friend, because once a person is no longer in our lives, the memory of them is just the same as that. While our relationships may be real and profound, once they are over, being attached to them causes pain.

So think of it this way, if you are with a person, enjoying their company, no need to be attached, they are already there! Have fun! If a person is no longer there, there is no reason to become attached, they aren't there anymore.

If the relationship changes, and you should come into conflict, you will only feel pain if you are attached to a certain time, or the notion of an outcome. But if you examine the emotion in depth, you will find every time that the pain has no substance beyond mental and emotional clingy-ness.

Many people are attached to items, a cherished trinket from a deceased loved one, a car they always wanted and finally bought, a wedding dress. These are just luxuries. They are things that remind us of a time, or provide us with enjoyment or comfort. But people get too invested in these items. They sometimes may come to serve the item more than it serves them. When the car is destroyed in a wreck, or the memento is lost in a fire, people may feel pain because they are attached to the notion of the item.

But there is no reason to be attached, because if you have it, it is there to enjoy. If you don't have it, there is no reason to be attached to it, it is not there.

Another, more abstract type of attachment is that to memories. Our graduation, or wedding, that Christmas when Uncle Tucker came over. We hold on to these memories, because of the joy they bring. But when we examine the notion more closely, we realize that these things are over, and yet, they still have power over us. A traumatic accident can also leave us clinging to the memory, leaving us emotionally scarred. Many times, I am able to trace my clients emotional scars to circumstances of the past that they are holding onto. Once they have examined the emotion, and the reality of the situation, they are healed, exocized of the trauma.

While we may still feel the effects of a particular day in our lives, holding onto that moment merely robs us of our spiritual power, and prevents us from fully enjoying the moment we are experiencing now.

Attachment comes from the replaying of mental images, conjuring up feelings that we developed from somewhere. But by examining the emotion, and the picture, by transforming it, we can come to rid ourselves of any pain we may be holding on to. In this practice we can understand more of who we really are.

It's important to be conscious of any attachments we may have, and to identify them. When we do this, we find that we are able to depersonalize them, and find freedom in our lives. We can transform an image that holds power over us into a source of inner strength and knowledge.

Even when we make mistakes, we tend to hold on to these mistakes, and project them into the present and future, by holding on to them. If you are learning something, and have difficulty, we tend to think that because we had trouble once, that this will always be the case and we cannot learn and progress from there. This is fundamentally incorrect, and when we look at it from a logical point of view, we can understand that of course someone who has never done something, will likely not be adept at it. This is no reason to hold on to that idea. When we let go of these notions, we find that we are no longer held prisoner by their restrictive might.

This is a form of attachment. When we hold on to an idea, it can prevent us from growing. When we maintain a certain view and it cannot be changed, we find that we are incapable and understanding the situation as it is.

A personal example of this, not long ago, a wren go into the basement. Now, there was no hole, no draft, no way for a bird to ever be in the basement. I was holding on to this notion that it couldn't be a bird, so I was telling people that there was a big mouse in the basement. Upon going down later, and looking at it, it hit me that it was a bird, and not a mouse. But my mindset prevented me from seeing the reality of the situation.

When those anorexic models think they are fat, these is also clearly mistaken, but they cannot see the truth. At one point, they were told to lose weight, or someone that was thin was told to lose weight, and then they took that to mean they were fat. Accepting that as so, they convinced themselves of their girth, though you could count their ribs at 30 paces.

This shows how the power of attachment can have a profound negative impact on our lives. In later replies to this thread, I will talk about the other causes of suffering that exist, and could be prevented by neutrality.

Well you put a lot into those posts, why not just tell people to read the Bhagavad Gita?

It's a wonderful book and the neutrality really is interesting. The only problem i had with the book is that it sort of condones slavery and social classes. (since you're not attached it's not supposed to matter).

The only problem is that you're not supposed to spread this kind of information. If you go around telling people that don't understand these thoughts how to act what do you think they're gonna do?

You're supposed to let people find it on their own so it will have meaning.

Anyway, it's good information. I believe balance is the answer to life..

in a general sense of course.

VICTIMIZATION:

Many of us like to play the victim. The "Why does everything bad have to happen to me?" idea. Or "When it rains, it pours." There are many other notions "I have all this hanging over me!"

These are all illusions. Mental pictures, they're ideas, and they are all unhealthy for you, they cause depression, dress, anxiety, all are reasons people get thoroughly medicated, and are prime causes of illness and aging.

I've seen people knock things over and scream "Stupid bitch...why did she have to put that there?" That is...instead of thinking that it was their fault knocking it over to begin with.

Back to the stuck in traffic example. There's no use getting angry or frustrated over it, you're stuck, might as well enjoy the time you have, relax.

Yet so many people will view themselves as the victims of a cruel world. Even when crimes are perpetrated against you, there is no reason to get upset, and make it an even larger problem that it already is. By focusing more attention on tragedy, we make the tragedy worse than it is.

Of course, it's the programed reaction to stress, trauma, bitching and moaning. If you can't do something, complain. Even if you can do something but don't want to take the effort, complain, make excuses.

We've all seen the pet owner, their dog wants to go out in the rain. They keep cursing at the poor guy, saying he's stupid, they'll get wet, why go out now?

But, we're beings composed of mostly water. We need water to live, we take baths, showers, jump in pools, but getting wet when it rains is so terrible?

These are all just mental pictures. When you have programed yourself into believing something is bad, then you will accept it as such, and in turn, face stress.

Why be a victim? It's an option. You can make a situation as good or as bad as you'd like. It's all up to your interpretation of the event.

It's easy to color a situation as negative. If you feel pain, discomfort, it's not normal, it's certainly not pleasurable, so it gets labeled as bad. As a society, we are taught to shun the uncomfortable.

Those of you who are familiar with my threads have heard this old comparison. In many places in the world, a GREAT day consists of a day when you get both food and water. For the average person in a more industrialized nation, a GOOD day may require a raise, no traffic, good tunes on the radio, good sex, good food, and no annoyances.

The difference lies simply in mental pictures.

I am not suggesting living an ascetic lifestyle out of a cave or giving up your worldly possessions. Far from it, there's no reason for it. What I am saying is that, when you allow yourself to be ruled by your comforts, they gave power over you, and any lack of joy manifests itself in mental pictures when we play the victim.

But we're not victims, and life isn't half so bad as we make it out to be. For thousands of years, every culture said the politicians were ruining the world. Yet, here we are, still alive to complain about it.

By accepting each experience purely as that, an experience, without biasing it with ideas of good or bad, we can get the most out of it, and learn to truly enjoy lives. We as people should all be happy most of the time, and we deserve it. But we will go out of our way to be miserable and angry at the world.

This is part of the symbolism with the Garden of Eden story. The Serpent talked them into eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. You see? They went from blissful existence to misery, once they started to label things as good or bad.

In the Garden of Eden, they still had jobs, there was still hard work to be done. But things were perfect. Can you not see the symbolism of the story? Once people began to differentiate good and bad, they knew only misery.

I will say that I do not follow any particular religious path, but I look for common truths among the stories. When many cultures agree on a truth, I acknowledge it as such, rather than some fringe ideal.

We don't have to be victims, that is a choice.

At the very spiritual level, nothing can be viewed as anything but a pure experience. As soon as we apply labels, good or bad, liberal or conservative, we apply division, and create disharmony among the groups. In this then, we create conflict and misery.

The goal is to create a sense of harmony, yet when we view things as good or bad, we find ourselves as victims of a cruel and evil world.
This appears to be a very childish notion, to me.

It's like the child who says he hates his parents because they didn't buy him a toy. They labeled anything besides immediate delivery of their wants as bad. We are much the same.

To top it off, not only can we select how we view each situation, but many negatives can be avoided altogether simply by paying attention, and acting appropriately. But I'll save this topic for a later reply.

We are not victims, we are the ones who judge a situation as good or negative. The more we divide things and label them, the worse the situation gets.

I'll talk about the other causes of misery that produce suffering in later replies.

REACTION:

Another mindless thing that we do is react, particularly to negative stimuli. The fact is, a negative cause will always have a negative effect, and when we are the effect of someone's negativity, we are giving up our power.

People may say bad things to us, insult us, or threaten us. The instant we react, that reaction will mirror the cause. It's instinctual, habit. When an animal is threatened, it bares it's fangs or submits.

These are the two options with reacting. It always escalates the problem.

When we are neutral to what is being said, or what is occurring, we remove our power from play, and have the opportunity to change the direction of the situation.

It's our goal to free ourselves from the influence of others, while being able to influence the world around us. Each time we react, we are being influenced to go along with someone else's plan, and they are using our power to realize their ends.

I feel that it's important for us to eliminate this instinctual response. Instead of just acting blindly, and making things worse, instead, change the direction of the energy.

It's a well known, almost clichéd idea that "you can't please everyone." It's my experience that many people will be supportive of your efforts, but maybe 20-30 % of the people will be naysayers. They will oppose everything you do, simply because it offends them. They will call you every insulting thing in the book.

You can't let it bother you. If you allow other people to bring you down with their attacks and painful things, you are reacting to them, giving their efforts power. You are letting them steal your thunder, and pull energy from your own efforts.

Now, when you have a more neutral point of view, you can care a less what those people think. Even those that could only be viewed as bringers of peace, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, even biblical figures like Jesus, everyone who talks about peace and love meets tremendous opposition, yet is it such an insulting idea?

It's important to be neutral when others criticize you. This way, you take the personality out of it, you can find any validity their statements may have, and then you can set yourself free of it. There's no reason to let people's words bother you. They are just that, words.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. "

This is what they've said for years, but so many of us forget this meaning.

So we give those who gossip, power. We give those who criticize, power. Why? Because we are reacting. It is their purpose to invoke a response from us, to get a rise out of us. but if we cancel them out, we deflate their schemes.

Now, another side of that is the notion of getting beat up. There is no reason to physically take a pummeling, or socially take a pummeling. There is nothing wrong with being embarrassed or losing face among a certain group. Like I've said, you can't please every one. But enduring nonsense is not beneficial. Nip problems in the bud before they swell, and leave it at that, any further retaliation is simply prolonging the insanity.

That said, if you can prevent issues before they occur, that is being proactive, it is a good thing. But if you find yourself as a living reaction to a person's negativity, you will lose much of your power.

By refusing to react, by refusing to allow your ego to step in, and take charge, you are calling on a high power, and channeling it into your life. There may be periods of strife, but do not worry about them, they come, and for enduring them, you will reap equal rewards. Just remain neutral, and live harmoniously.

An example of reaction would be for a person to badmouth a mutual friend and then you either curse at the person, or belittle the friend. A good way to react is to simply, calmly defend the friend, and change the subject.

Another example would be, if someone is confrontational about your beliefs, don't get defensive, or insult theirs. Simply say that you have a difference of opinion, and end/change the topic. If it persists, it's important to maintain your decision to change topic, rather than waiver and react to their urgings.

The last topic I'm going to talk about as an enemy of neutrality is Mindlessness.

MINDLESSNESS:

Many people go through their lives in a daze, too busy thinking about other things to enjoy life. Example:

A family goes to a park to enjoy the day. But rather than having a picnic, or enjoying the sites, the rush around, to see as much as they good, keeping to a tight schedule. They "Saw" nature, but they didn't experience it.

Other times people will not pay attention to a conversation, and miss important information, or insult the person. When we do not pay attention to a person, we aren't enjoying their company, we're there while their mouths move.

It's also very likely that such a thoughtless person could insult their conversation partner, or take something in an offensive way themselves.

Many accidents on the road, could be prevented, simply by paying attention to what's around you, and driving cautiously. But we all know the person who races around, stoplight to stoplight, riding bumpers, weaving in and out of lanes to get there 3 minutes faster.

Each year, thousands are injured because of thoughtlessness. They burn themselves with the coffee, they slip on the ice, hit their thumbs with a hammer, or any number of other problems.

Why do these issues occur? Because we are not giving them proper attention. When the mind is focused, without a bias about it being enjoyable, it picks up on details. The promotion of awareness is an important thing.

Leaving your doors unlocked in the city is stupid, it invites trouble. But people do so many foolish things, thinking they're saving time, or effort, but really, their minds are on other subjects, and then they cause injury to themselves or others.

Being conscious throughout your day will help assure a safer, more enjoyable journey. Approach each day without bias, and simply, be there. Truly take in the pure experience, and get from it what you can, it's far more rewarding than being distracted.

When we are in a neutral state of mind, we are present, on the task at hand, if we're walking down the stairs, we will not trip. If we're setting down the glass, we will not drop it.

Being neutral allows us the freedom of relative certainty, because it will promote awareness sufficient to deal with changes in environment, and in our lives.

Good post, though I'm with SkyF... living in both worlds is preferable IMO.

There are certain things that can only be experienced with attachment. But it's definitely nice being able to switch over to 'detached' when things go wrong.

This will sound funny, but I quite often allow myself to get frustrated when in traffic. This is because I'm amused at how I act when the emotions are allowed to do their thing. It's like observing one personality with the other, and laughing about the absurdness of it all.

reply to post by Kruel


True enough. I find that sometimes, if I act like I am gravely insulted or angry, suddenly emotions start to rise to match the act. Strange! In times when I am biased, it is as if a new creature manifests itself within me, and acts like an entirely different person.

I have reached varying degrees of the hallmarks I mentioned, it's so strange to think back at the person I used to be, back when I was a very emotionally fragile. It's very strange indeed.

On a somewhat interesting note, some of the texts I have read describe ascetics who attained unnatural abilities, by meditating on a certain aspect of neutrality. Supposedly, people learn to live without food, water, sleep, for extended periods of time, by remaining neutral to the situation, and ideally, being capable of denying death, disease, and many other limitations, by being supremely neutral. Being able to take on forms at will, because the consciousness is neutral to the possibility, and does not acknowledge certain limitations any longer.

While I don't claim to know anyone who has reached these levels, or to have even approached them myself, I do think it is interesting to consider the possibilities. I've found that I can tolerate much greater extremes of temperature without pain or adverse effects when I am in a very neutral frame of mind. Perhaps this is a novice level of what the Buddhist monks who burnt themselves to death without making a sound to protest Vietnam did. Maybe they surpassed the notion of the fire consuming their body being a bad or painful thing.

As far as attachment being beneficial, I don't think so. I think it can be useful to certain people as a learning tool, but eventually you should not require it, and nothing will be missing from your life, except the pain.

Heh, i recognize some of those things in my lifestile and always thought it was strange or that i had some autistic tendencies in my psyche but having the whole detached thing going on i don't see a problem in that .

Anyway, the things you have to watch out for in this state is the danger of falling into nihilism. I have to give myself a regular push to be social and get myself 'out there'. Luckily i have a few good friends around me that understand how i am so i can fall under the social radar for a month or longer and it is no problem when i call them to go visit or anything. That is pretty crucial i'd say, otherwise you could get isolated

The fun thing of it is that the nice emotions tend to stick and the negatives tend to fall away a lot sooner. My mother died last year after being sick for 15 months and i got over it pretty fast. While my family still is working to deal with it. Sometimes i just stop and check if i am really over it or that i repressed it somehow but i really cannot find anything repressed hidden in myself.

Still, i'm not totally there and i don't have the urge to complete the process, im happy where i am, not being sucked into the turmoil of everyday life but attached enough to actually feel the full range of emotions that life has to offer.

reply to post by Harman


Sometimes people confuse this neutrality as emotional distance, coldness, or apathy. What I'm talking about is none of the above. While some of your comments seem to indicate that you understood what I'm talking about, others seem to tell me that you're not entirely on the mark.

The Western mind really has a hard time grasping this state of mind.

When you mentioned nihilism I had to jump in and comment.

There is no moral question raised, this isn't about an absence of morality, or some teenage-type feeling of emptiness or pointlessness.

It's time that I talk briefly on the spiritual point of view behind neutrality in hopes of making this perspective a bit easier to understand.

A neutral person does not cling to anything as entirely necessary. The feeling is that the highest consciousness that is God permeates all things, and in any joy or hardship, you can find this divine quality.

The fundamental nature of the universe is change, everything changes, just as a shirt may get ripped, torn, develop holes, and over time, being used, or deteriorating, it will eventually no longer resemble the shirt it once was. Nothing stays the same forever. This being the case, there is no reason to mourn a friend moving away, or a loved one dying. Change happens everywhere, and eventually, all circumstances will change to the degree that they will be unrecognizable to the familiar situation.

That said, everything is bound through the natural cycle of contribution, collective unconsciousness, flow of energy, and completely permeated with divine consciousness, therefore, nothing is lost. As nothing is lost, there is nothing to mourn.

Spirit permeates all things, all things. This means that while we have come to recognize ourselves as this person we see in the mirror, from a truly neutral standpoint, we are the mirror, the wall holding it, and everyone else. Everything around us is infinitely sacred, as we are, therefore, should be treated with respect, admired, and enjoyed. Even though some entities may be less conscious than us, does not mean we are better, or should take it upon ourselves to awaken them. But some of us may feel that we can toss some bread crumbs here and there, and maybe someone will take interest and follow the crumbs to get to where we are.

This is really what neutrality is all about. It's beyond philosophy. Eventually you come to experience the truth of it in your studies, it may take minutes, hours, years, or lifetimes, but eventually, it will make sense to everyone.

When you as a conscious being actually have a spiritual experience that allows you to feel and for a moment hold on to a truth greater than you can convey with words, then upon that experience you may build faith.

How faith and all this is built, I've mentioned in many previous threads, so I will ignore that topic for now.

Please understand, that while everything is entirely permeated with divine consciousness, everything is sacred, and to be taken care of, treated well, and enjoyed. There is no gap, no thought, or feeling, or idea, or consciousness, or place, or day, or time where this consciousness is lacking, or is greater or lesser. It is all equal, and as such, all important.

With a knowledge that this divine consciousness exists everywhere, even though we may be killed, murdered, butchered, robbed, tortured, while that reality is sad and people should work towards eliminating it, even if such a tragic event should occur, there is comfort in the knowledge that eventually both the victims of the situation, and the perpetrators will eventually find new life, and come to understand that such things are terrible, as you are intentionally harming a person at the physical, mental, emotional level of consciousness. There is comfort in knowing that eventually, even the worst horrors will end, and be no more than a mere blip in a history book, and eventually, have no record at all.

The divine level of consciousness is God, it is the highest knowing and power in the Universe that permeates all things. Just below it is the level of spirit, the highest point where there is distinction between one conscious being and another. Then there is the collective unconscious, or mind substance, or thinking stuff, or infinite intelligence, whatever you choose to call it. Then there is the energetic or emotional level below, and physically the material, physical world.

Matter is the densest of forms, it has a level of consciousness and understanding all it's own.

Existing within matter, as a smaller, more subtle substance, or particle, exists energy. Energy gives shape and form to all matter, and allows movement. This is also where emotion develops.

Even more subtle than Energy, exists the Mental vibration, a higher vibration, and even smaller particle that makes up Energy. It moves Energy, and gives it form.

Beyond and within the Mental substance, which is very subtle, exists Spirit, the highest level of consciousness that finds distinction in the Universe. The development of this consciousness helps to guide the Mental plane. At this level, there is much awareness of the correlation between you, and all.

Then finally, there is the most subtle substance of all. This substance is Divine Consciousness. It does not see distinction between one being and another. It is very subtle, and few have any spiritual experience of it, and most who know of it have only theory and no experience behind it. The Divine Substance is so refined, so subtle, that it doesn't appear to change it all, yet all of the other particles bend and change around it.

Knowing through experience, or at least very well grasping theory, one can understand these things, and in turn, cultivate neutrality, without any of the pitfalls of nihilism, apathy, depression, emptiness, distance, coldness, or any other such feeling.

A person who is neutral works to learn, and experience without judgment, all the while making as much progress in as many directions as possible, either spreading out their efforts, or focusing in on certain areas. It is through progress that one may find satisfaction and fulfillment in life.

It is only when you view neutrality through the spiritual lens that it truly begins to make sense, even though the average mind resists the concept thoroughly.





[edit on 15-8-2008 by TheGreySwordsman]

I don't think the problem is attachments themselves, but when we become dependent on them. Like the old question... do you own your possessions or do they own you?

reply to post by Kruel


What is the point of attachment if you can enjoy the exact benefits without doing such? All being attached does, is make separation unpleasant.

Originally posted by TheGreySwordsman
Sometimes people confuse this neutrality as emotional distance, coldness, or apathy. What I'm talking about is none of the above. While some of your comments seem to indicate that you understood what I'm talking about, others seem to tell me that you're not entirely on the mark.

Like i said, i recognized parts of it not everything . But thanks for the extra explanation, it's appreciated.

reply to post by Harman


Gotcha. Sometimes a bit is lost in translation on internet. I just wanted to clarify my current perspective of what I'm writing about, in the event of misunderstanding.

Although this philosophy may cater to some peoples needs i for one find floods of emotion and unpredictable turns of behaviour very invigorating..but whatever floats your boat in the sea of life i guess..

Heh, had a little case of synchronisiatus today on the word 'Isness' and i think it fits in this topic.

Isness on Google

Isness and the moment

"Isness" is the Moment. "Isness" is what is going on right here, right now, whether I like it or not. "Isness" is happening around, to, and in me. "Isness " is the thoughts I think, the feelings I feel, and the sensations coursing through my body right now. In this Moment.

When I enter an experience with expectations, attachments, or anticipation of what might occur, I automatically place myself outside the "isness"/ the Moment. I have labeled and colored the experience with my expectations. I have moved into the future and out of the Moment. My expectations cover the experience like glue. So my egoic thoughts, feelings, and actions alter the "isness" into how I would like to think, feel, or act. I program not only the experience, but also my reaction to that experience. As ego, I rehearse the Moment and its outcome so deftly that I set myself up for disappointment. In pre-judging the event, the result is modified into something I believe can handle. I also believe it will fulfill my expectations and satisfy my attachment to the outcome. I have sabotaged the smooth flow of what "is". Read on

Isness

Isness - moving beyond the state of neutrality in regards to the polarities; holding everything as equal and the same in Consciousness.

Anyway, just stumbled upon it today but will be reading up on it.


[edit on 25-8-2008 by Harman]