Discipline - Way of Enlightenment

It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.
Gautama Buddha

There are forces that seem beyond my control. Urges that are met every day. These urges include how I eat, how I sleep, how I react to a given circumstance. Sex, power and emotion.

It is best to win without fighting.
Sun Tzu, The Art of War

I deal with these urges through surrender. I find in my life that the more I surrender, the stronger I get. This doesn't mean I give in, it means I give way. I allow them to pass beyond me by bringing my mind to a single point of focus. This is the purpose of meditation but there are many things which can prove an effective way of focus. Anything that engages our mind actively, which meditation does despite it being an apparently passive activity. It requires active participation. It isn't about meditation though but how we live life from day to day that brings us to higher understanding. And in so doing, we can exert control over our responses and reactions. This is discipline and self-mastery.

Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

And isn't self-mastery the key to control of the Ego? Isn't the Ego universally accepted as the roots of the division of the human race? So how often do we practice self-discipline? How often do we resist behaviors which will only feed the ego? Sex, power and emotion. The will to these things is strong, but can't we be stronger? It is simply a matter of self-will, either to these things or away from them.

Yet we engage our habits and desires as if they are who we are.

Freed from desire, you can see the hidden mystery.
By having desire, you can only see what is visibly real.
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Is there really any other way to freedom and enlightenment than to be unburdened of our desires, to exercise discipline over them? Freed from who we think we are, we are free to be who we truly are.

And who wouldn't rather be free than to be a slave.

Namaste,
Traveler in the Dark

In my opinion there is many way of freeing your self from selfishness.
Because we have to face it all our desires are selfish driven.
What all the wise people of ancient time had suggested was an attitude to free your self base in the place and time.
Once some wise man from India suggested that you can also be enlighten living in a flat in London.
This maybe true, but never forget that the true evolution of man is in love.
I have encountered people that where so in love with the world and human, that some time I got tears in my eyes when I think of them. Not tears of sadness but joy and hope.
This people have no clue about meditation or Any other form of this kind.
It is far more difficult to love all human unconditionally than to try to enlighten your self.
I have now understood what it mean to love and sacrifice (warning about this word) your self for other...the road is long and no one will help you but deep in you your soul emit.
You wake up in love, you journey your day in love and you sleep in love...try a little loving.

Originally posted by kacou
Once some wise man from India suggested that you can also be enlighten living in a flat in London.
This maybe true, but never forget that the true evolution of man is in love.

Beautifully spoken and true. Enlightenment can occur wherever we are. In fact it is always right where we are. And love is the evolution of humankind. I agree with my whole heart.

Originally posted by kacou
It is far more difficult to love all human unconditionally than to try to enlighten your self.

Though the natural consequence of enlightenment is love, if it's truthful and real. And sorry if I belabor the point, but that selfless love is also a discipline.
Thank you for your response.

reply to post by TravelerintheDark


Discipline can be hacked by selfishness as natural love can only comes if you focus.
In my view only in being natural that we can reach the unconditional love.
You can focus on love in every day happening, my favourite is to smile or to say hello to people that don't ...this is so revealing.