By: Margaret Barron
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/1684/the-daily-guardian/14
Dated: November 23, 2024
“Feelings are pure – emotions are not”
Many of us think that strong emotions, the highs and lows, are all part of being alive and show that we care. In fact, strong emotions keep us trapped in a kind of rollercoaster ride – stimulating at the time but ultimately stifling and exhausting. Once we have experienced the real depth of feeling that lies at the core of our being; the feelings of stillness, peace, love, and a sense of joy, everything changes. This springs from the recognition that we are eternal spiritual beings – and that we will always survive whatever happens to us in the physical and emotional realms.
Once we have tasted this depth of feeling, everything changes, and we constantly want to return to that place of stillness. We begin to enjoy life without all the drama and emotional exhaustion, and the old patterns of thinking stop running our lives. This requires us to be open and learn about ourselves and what it is that brings up, or triggers, all the emotional reactions. Even well into the journey of spiritual awakening, we can be travelling along quite well and then suddenly, a strong emotion is triggered. This is an excellent opportunity to have a close look at what is really going on.
The spiritual journey is a little like the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. First of all, we need to consume more and more spiritual knowledge. The most important understanding is that I am a being of light, having a human experience. When we have consumed our fill, then it is time to contemplate – build the chrysalis – to go into solitude inside until the knowledge is fully digested and becomes a state of being. Then we will see that spiritual peace will manifest or be expressed as calmness, patience, tolerance, quietness, and relaxed stillness. Love will be shown as compassion, empathy, friendliness, kindness, and joy will reveal itself as happiness, enthusiasm, motivation, jolliness, and cheerfulness. This is like becoming the butterfly – flying on the wings of joy and bliss of being emotionally free of ego, of masks, and of desires.
There is one quality that encompasses all of this, and that is contentment. The aim is for that inner contentment to be experienced no matter what happens. But life has triggers, because people behave in unexpected ways, and that is when we can see how far we have come towards that stage of inner contentment and the power it holds. These triggers show us how much more is yet to be healed. It is meant to be revealed and the drama of life aids us in this uncovering – it is a part and parcel of the spiritual journey. However, as it is not always easy to experience the pain we have held inside, we often make the mistake of continually letting the old patterns of suppressing or projecting strong emotions to take over. It takes patience and courage to sit with the strong feelings and resolve the wounds and understand that the journey and the hurdles we face are all about ‘me’ – no one else. The most powerful state of mind at these times is acceptance. Feel and accept the emotion, witness it, allow it, and release it. Once there is this acceptance, there is an open door to return to the self, to understand and to heal – and on the other side of that is freedom.
Meditation and a connection of the self, the spiritual being, with the Divine and Supreme Spiritual Being, is the key. Nothing is too big for the Divine. This healing energy is the energy that is going to change the world. My change will change the world. This is the doorway to freedom and now is the time for this to happen – to become true, beautiful beings, emotionally free, and full of love, peace, and compassion.
Margaret Barron has a BA
in Adult Education and Training,
and helps coordinate the Education Department
the Brahma Kumaris International centre in London.
