ItalianoMovie transcript - 13. Accepting the challenge
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Part 1: The Enslavement
Part 2: The Reconquest
Discipline. Non-reactive expression of negative emotions. Resurfacing of the deep Mind. Inner Silence.
The four faces of the Pyramid of Reconquest. Tools that act in parallel, supporting
and nurturing one another. Towards the top. Towards the acme.
In our years of work, it is certain that we will fall, over and over again, into various emotional addictions that we carry inside. It’s rare to be able to immediately stop the emotional flood that for so many years leads us to become an emotion, to satisfy a hypothetical irrepressible need. But our Pyramid of Reconquest that we're building is acting, and it is certain too, in spite of our lost battles. By continuing to practice, to build, to replace, one day, the attack of the Opponent will be simply rejected in the beginning, up to disappear. We will recognize with irony and tranquillity the unreal structure to which we gave our consent to keep itself, and we will let it go, as quick as a click of the fingers.
Should we deny it? Not on your life! Forced deprivation is harmful and pointless. We have to transcend them. We have to disconnect them from the control of the Opponent through detachment, and light them under the fire of Consciousness.
What remains? Ourselves. The freedom and joy of being, rather than the slavery of depending, disguised as personal freedom.
In building the Life in which we really belong, it's good to treasure some tips related to the experience of those that, before us, began and continued the same process. Here are a few.
It’s very important not to allow the rise and growth of anger following a non-reactive expression of negative emotions. Anger is a negative emotion itself, highly damaging to the balance of energy in a Field of human Consciousness, and has no sensible reason to exist: it is merely a reaction of the Opponent to the resistance, or failed identification, of the Field of human Consciousness with the Disempowering Spiral it triggered. Develop and nurture as much as possible, within ourselves, the perception of the subtle balance between restrain oneself and repress oneself: restrain oneself means accepting the negative emotion, relentlessly observing it in ourselves, understanding if it should be expressed or let go, and then be ready to a possible expression, at the right time and never in a violent or agitated way. Repress oneself means not to accept the emotion, thus drowning it with rage within us, feeding the cauldron of the Opponent. In our process of reconquest, not expressing negative emotions through repression, or letting repression generate and nourish anger, is futile, unnecessary and harmful.
When the Opponent triggers a Disempowering Spiral, a Field of human Consciousness in Inner Silence is able to recognize instantly, within itself, the appearance of a thought-image that is not the result of its conscious intention; therefore, can stop the process as it arises simply by refusing to feed it, that is, consciously replacing it with a thought-image tied to experiences that you want to live. But if, within us, the interrelated emotion has already been triggered, it means that the Disempowering Spiral was charged with energy; at that point resistance is much, much more difficult, and can easily lead to anger, that is an effect that, as we have seen, does nothing but further amplify the whole pattern.
So what to do?
A good practice is to wrap in the Inner Silence the action we take as a result of emotional addiction. That is, become extremely aware, and therefore observe without judging and with our full attention, what we are doing, or rather, what we are somehow compelled to do. Experience the action in total Consciousness. Look at the effects on our body, our emotions that follow, the effects on the environment around us. We will discover many, many things. We will discover, for example, that we can not interrupt what we're doing, even if we perceive the damage we're causing.
What are you doing?
This sudden flash of understanding, is sometimes enough to change the course of a whole lifetime.
It's up to you to decide to accept the challenge or not. It's up to you to decide whether to live a whole life at the mercy of the Opponent and its addictions, or live the intense, proud, strong, free, happy Life of a Field of Consciousness and Energy that is broken free.
My last gift to you, here, is a story. Read, and return into it, whenever you will feel that your faith wavers.
Everyone then who hears these words of mine
and does them, will be like a wise man
who built his house on the rock.
And the rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat on that house,
but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
And everyone who hears these words of mine
and does not do them, will be like a foolish man
who built his house on the sand.
And the rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat against that house,
and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
Jesus, the Christ
Matthew 7 vs. 24-27
The journey may not be short: it may take years to build a solid, steady structure. In our Life there
are a lot of thought-emotional structures completely managed by the Opponent for its
purposes, and some of them are so rooted within us, so closely linked to our identifications,
that it can take years of work before being inactivated. These structures are nothing more than
our beliefs, our convictions. Those dogma on which we found our lives, those mental
inherited laws on which we conform our actions, those activities that we believe to be an inalienable
part of our being.All things that Death will sweep away like dry leaves.and does them, will be like a wise man
who built his house on the rock.
And the rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat on that house,
but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
And everyone who hears these words of mine
and does not do them, will be like a foolish man
who built his house on the sand.
And the rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat against that house,
and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
Jesus, the Christ
Matthew 7 vs. 24-27
In our years of work, it is certain that we will fall, over and over again, into various emotional addictions that we carry inside. It’s rare to be able to immediately stop the emotional flood that for so many years leads us to become an emotion, to satisfy a hypothetical irrepressible need. But our Pyramid of Reconquest that we're building is acting, and it is certain too, in spite of our lost battles. By continuing to practice, to build, to replace, one day, the attack of the Opponent will be simply rejected in the beginning, up to disappear. We will recognize with irony and tranquillity the unreal structure to which we gave our consent to keep itself, and we will let it go, as quick as a click of the fingers.
People find it hard to understand
that we can eliminate
anything from our lives,
at any time.
John Michael Abelar
What are we talking about? Of all those thought-emotional structures in our lives,
that have bred emotional attachment to their satisfaction. Smoke. Alcohol. Sex. Food. Work. Shopping.
Even the shopping ...that we can eliminate
anything from our lives,
at any time.
John Michael Abelar
Should we deny it? Not on your life! Forced deprivation is harmful and pointless. We have to transcend them. We have to disconnect them from the control of the Opponent through detachment, and light them under the fire of Consciousness.
What remains? Ourselves. The freedom and joy of being, rather than the slavery of depending, disguised as personal freedom.
In building the Life in which we really belong, it's good to treasure some tips related to the experience of those that, before us, began and continued the same process. Here are a few.
It’s very important not to allow the rise and growth of anger following a non-reactive expression of negative emotions. Anger is a negative emotion itself, highly damaging to the balance of energy in a Field of human Consciousness, and has no sensible reason to exist: it is merely a reaction of the Opponent to the resistance, or failed identification, of the Field of human Consciousness with the Disempowering Spiral it triggered. Develop and nurture as much as possible, within ourselves, the perception of the subtle balance between restrain oneself and repress oneself: restrain oneself means accepting the negative emotion, relentlessly observing it in ourselves, understanding if it should be expressed or let go, and then be ready to a possible expression, at the right time and never in a violent or agitated way. Repress oneself means not to accept the emotion, thus drowning it with rage within us, feeding the cauldron of the Opponent. In our process of reconquest, not expressing negative emotions through repression, or letting repression generate and nourish anger, is futile, unnecessary and harmful.
Something in you has an opinion
on something else.
Life does not unfold
according to this view.
The useless reaction to this event
is called rage.
But what if the rage, or negative emotion in us, has had time to grow and manifest without us being
able to stop it?on something else.
Life does not unfold
according to this view.
The useless reaction to this event
is called rage.
When the Opponent triggers a Disempowering Spiral, a Field of human Consciousness in Inner Silence is able to recognize instantly, within itself, the appearance of a thought-image that is not the result of its conscious intention; therefore, can stop the process as it arises simply by refusing to feed it, that is, consciously replacing it with a thought-image tied to experiences that you want to live. But if, within us, the interrelated emotion has already been triggered, it means that the Disempowering Spiral was charged with energy; at that point resistance is much, much more difficult, and can easily lead to anger, that is an effect that, as we have seen, does nothing but further amplify the whole pattern.
So what to do?
A good practice is to wrap in the Inner Silence the action we take as a result of emotional addiction. That is, become extremely aware, and therefore observe without judging and with our full attention, what we are doing, or rather, what we are somehow compelled to do. Experience the action in total Consciousness. Look at the effects on our body, our emotions that follow, the effects on the environment around us. We will discover many, many things. We will discover, for example, that we can not interrupt what we're doing, even if we perceive the damage we're causing.
If there is anger,
know that there is anger.
If there is jealousy, defensive behaviour,
impulse to argue, need to be right,
or emotional pain of any kind,
whatever it is,
be aware of the reality of this moment,
and maintain awareness of it.
Eckhart Tolle
Yet, for some mechanical ideas managed by the Opponent, a single action amplified by Consciousness
like this is sufficient to expose and transcend them instantly and permanently. In our observation,
wrapped in the Inner Silence, the Deep Mind will make emerge and show to us, with clarity and sweetness
that are its peculiar characteristics, a very simple question, that could shake ourselves up to
foundations.know that there is anger.
If there is jealousy, defensive behaviour,
impulse to argue, need to be right,
or emotional pain of any kind,
whatever it is,
be aware of the reality of this moment,
and maintain awareness of it.
Eckhart Tolle
What are you doing?
This sudden flash of understanding, is sometimes enough to change the course of a whole lifetime.
There is a strange, harrowing joyousness
acting with the full consciousness
that whatever one is doing
it could be
the last action on Earth.
John Michael Abelar
Now, it's up to you.acting with the full consciousness
that whatever one is doing
it could be
the last action on Earth.
John Michael Abelar
It's up to you to decide to accept the challenge or not. It's up to you to decide whether to live a whole life at the mercy of the Opponent and its addictions, or live the intense, proud, strong, free, happy Life of a Field of Consciousness and Energy that is broken free.
My last gift to you, here, is a story. Read, and return into it, whenever you will feel that your faith wavers.
I awoke to the sound of the clock ticking loudly on the blue drawer.
I was six and it was my birthday. I let my pyjamas fell to the ground
and I threw them under the bed, then ran down the stairs
wearing only my Lone Ranger underpants.
It was my birthday!
Within a few hours, my friends would be arriving with gifts
and there would be cake, ice cream and lots of fun!
After all the party decorations were detached and everyone had gone,
I played listlessly with my new toys. I was bored, tired and my stomach hurt.
I closed my eyes and I fell asleep.
I saw each day pass like the next: school for a week, then weekend, school, weekend,
summer, autumn, winter and spring.
The years passed, and before long, I was one of the best gymnasts in Los Angeles
high schools. In the gym, life was exciting; outside of it, a general disappointment.
One day, coach Harold Frey called me from Berkeley University, California,
offered me a scholarship to the university!
I could not wait to go to the coast for a new life.
I argued with my girlfriend for this, and in the end we broke up.
I felt bad, but I consoled myself with my university projects. Soon, I was sure,
life was really going to begin!
The college years flew, rich in gymnastic wins. I married my new girlfriend, Susie.
I was so busy with training, that I didn't have much time and energy for my new wife.
In the end, I participated in the Olympics, but my performances were not
equal to my expectations. I returned home and slipped into relative anonymity.
My daughter was born, and I started feeling pressure and responsibility that grew.
I found a job, life insurance salesman, that it took up most of my days and nights.
I had no time for my family.
Within a year, Susie and I were separated; in the end, she obtained a divorce.
A fresh start, I reflected sadly.
One day, I looked in the mirror and realized that forty years had passed since my Olympics.
Where had my life gone?
With the help of the psychiatrist, I had overcome my drinking problem;
and I'd had money, houses and women. But I had no one now. I was lonely.
I lay in bed, it was night, and wondered where my daughter was;
it had passed years since I'd seen her.
I wondered about Susie and my friends of my good old days.
Now I spent my days sitting in my favorite rocking chair, sipping wine, watching TV,
and thinking about the old days.
I watched children play in front of my house.
I had been a good life, I supposed. I'd gotten everything I'd gone after;
so why wasn't I happy?
I sat alone. I had been alone my whole life, it seemed.
I lay back on my rocking chair and breathed, and then I cried soundlessly and bitterly:
"Goddamn it! Why did my marriage have to fail?
How could I have done things differently?
How could I really have lived?"
Suddenly I felt a terrible, nagging fear, the worst of my life.
Was it possible that I had missed something very important,
something transcendental,
something that would have made a real difference?
"No, impossible," I assured myself. I cited all my achievements aloud, but the fear persisted.
I stood up slowly, looked down at the town from the porch of my hilltop house and wondered:
Where had life gone?
What was it for?
My knuckles grew white as I clutched the railing, trembling.
Then my body turned to ice, and my heart to stone.
I fell back into the chair, my head dropped forward.
There were lights I'd never seen before, and sounds I'd never heard.
Visions floated by.
In the end, all sight and sound became a point of light, then vanished.
I had found the only peace I'd ever known.
Dan Millman
from book Way of the Peaceful Warrior
I was six and it was my birthday. I let my pyjamas fell to the ground
and I threw them under the bed, then ran down the stairs
wearing only my Lone Ranger underpants.
It was my birthday!
Within a few hours, my friends would be arriving with gifts
and there would be cake, ice cream and lots of fun!
After all the party decorations were detached and everyone had gone,
I played listlessly with my new toys. I was bored, tired and my stomach hurt.
I closed my eyes and I fell asleep.
I saw each day pass like the next: school for a week, then weekend, school, weekend,
summer, autumn, winter and spring.
The years passed, and before long, I was one of the best gymnasts in Los Angeles
high schools. In the gym, life was exciting; outside of it, a general disappointment.
One day, coach Harold Frey called me from Berkeley University, California,
offered me a scholarship to the university!
I could not wait to go to the coast for a new life.
I argued with my girlfriend for this, and in the end we broke up.
I felt bad, but I consoled myself with my university projects. Soon, I was sure,
life was really going to begin!
The college years flew, rich in gymnastic wins. I married my new girlfriend, Susie.
I was so busy with training, that I didn't have much time and energy for my new wife.
In the end, I participated in the Olympics, but my performances were not
equal to my expectations. I returned home and slipped into relative anonymity.
My daughter was born, and I started feeling pressure and responsibility that grew.
I found a job, life insurance salesman, that it took up most of my days and nights.
I had no time for my family.
Within a year, Susie and I were separated; in the end, she obtained a divorce.
A fresh start, I reflected sadly.
One day, I looked in the mirror and realized that forty years had passed since my Olympics.
Where had my life gone?
With the help of the psychiatrist, I had overcome my drinking problem;
and I'd had money, houses and women. But I had no one now. I was lonely.
I lay in bed, it was night, and wondered where my daughter was;
it had passed years since I'd seen her.
I wondered about Susie and my friends of my good old days.
Now I spent my days sitting in my favorite rocking chair, sipping wine, watching TV,
and thinking about the old days.
I watched children play in front of my house.
I had been a good life, I supposed. I'd gotten everything I'd gone after;
so why wasn't I happy?
I sat alone. I had been alone my whole life, it seemed.
I lay back on my rocking chair and breathed, and then I cried soundlessly and bitterly:
"Goddamn it! Why did my marriage have to fail?
How could I have done things differently?
How could I really have lived?"
Suddenly I felt a terrible, nagging fear, the worst of my life.
Was it possible that I had missed something very important,
something transcendental,
something that would have made a real difference?
"No, impossible," I assured myself. I cited all my achievements aloud, but the fear persisted.
I stood up slowly, looked down at the town from the porch of my hilltop house and wondered:
Where had life gone?
What was it for?
My knuckles grew white as I clutched the railing, trembling.
Then my body turned to ice, and my heart to stone.
I fell back into the chair, my head dropped forward.
There were lights I'd never seen before, and sounds I'd never heard.
Visions floated by.
In the end, all sight and sound became a point of light, then vanished.
I had found the only peace I'd ever known.
Dan Millman
from book Way of the Peaceful Warrior
There are innumerable possible futures.
Accept the challenge, Voyager.
Dismantle the Opponent out of your Life.
Dismantle the Opponent out of your Life.
I wish you all the possible best, Voyager.
Accept the challenge, Voyager.
Dismantle the Opponent out of your Life.
Dismantle the Opponent out of your Life.
I wish you all the possible best, Voyager.
