Resistance in meditation practice

It is unpleasant to get to know oneself.

We don't want to get to know the unpleasant parts of ourselves.

This is perfectly understandable.

We don't want to discover that we are greedy or nasty.

We don't want to discover that we are disgusting or meddlesome.

We don't want to discover that we are miserable.

We want to appear as optimistic, relaxed and sensible,

both to ourselves and to others.

Resistance to meditation practice

is often because we don't want to encounter

the unpleasant parts of our being.

Meditation is not about peace and harmony;

it is not about merging with the cosmic soul.

Such ideas are just bullshit.

Meditation is a method to uncover inner bullshit.

Spirits

Are you possessed by an evil spirit, a lazy spirit, or a stupid spirit?

So many problematic spirits can take you in possession,

egotistical spirits, jealous spirits, greedy spirits...

There are so many crazy ideas and misunderstandings that can take over you

and you are blissfully unaware of this.

The brain works this way, for some strange reason

Later you can hopefully realize that you were a fool,

but right now, right here, inside the illusion,

you are convinced that you see things clearly,

unlike others around you.

You're blinded. You're hypnotized.

You're under a spell.

And there is absolutely nothing you can do about this,

not at this moment.

The Soviet Union carried the greatest burden in WWII

German Military losses in WWII

Africa                                16,066

The Balkans                     103,693

Northern Europe                30,165

Western Europe               339,957 (until december 31,1944)

Italy                                 150,660

Other                               245,561 (including air war in Germany and at sea)

Against the U.S.S.R      2,742,909 (until december 31,1944)

Confirmed deaths of POWs in captivity 459,475

Final battles in Germany during 1945 1,230,045

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties#Footnotes  (Military losses by theatre)

Soviet Union:  Military deaths: 8.7 million – 13.8 million

                      Civilian deaths due to military activity: 13-18 million

                      Total deaths: 21.8-28 million

Germany:        Military deaths: 4.3 – 5.5 million

                      Civilian deaths due to military activity: 1,5-3 million

                      Total deaths: 7- 9 million

US:                Military deaths: 417 000

                     Civilian deaths due to military activity: 1700

                     Total deaths: 419 000

UK:               Military deaths: 383 000 (Including Indians 87 000, Burmese 22 000)

                     Civilian deaths due to military activity: 67 000

                     Total deaths: 451 000

France:         Military deaths: 200 000 (Including colonies)

                    Civilian deaths due to military activity: 350 000

                    Total deaths: 550 000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties

There is hope

It is possible to give up smoking,
even if you are heavily addicted to nicotine.
It is also possible to recover from alcohol and drug abuse.

There are so many alcoholics and drug addicts

who have managed to overcome the addiction,

and who did not replaced it with a destructive religious cult,

or some other wacky activity.

It is also possible to recover from neurotic ideas of inferiority,

meaninglessness and wretchedness.

Such ideas can fade away and lose their power

when they eventually are taken for what they are, ideas, imaginations.

Finally the penny drops:

'I am worth exactly as much as anyone else.

Life is something very important. How stupid I have been.'

It is possible to abandon political and religious belief systems.

You don’t have to be a Nazi for the rest of your life

just because you used to hang out with Nazis in your youth.

You don't have to hold on to neoliberal or conservative ideas.

You don't have to live for career and money.

You don't have to exploit other people.

These are not natural laws.

It is possible to wake up and get out of bed.

There is hope.

Why do we deceive ourselves?

You lie, but this is not something you need to be ashamed of.

All people lie, to a greater or a lesser extent.

And everyone pretends that it is important to be honest.

Observe yourself.

How many fibs do you use a typical day,

how many white lies, how many stupid lies

and how many times did you withheld something?

Also the question why we lie to ourselves is trivial, as I see it.

You feel better when you tell yourself that you're OK.

If you are telling yourself, loud and clear, that you are a selfish idiot,

when you really are a selfish idiot,

then you're throwing a spanner in the works.

For many people are lies and self-deceptions absolutely essential

to make life worth living.

A religion, for example, regardless of how crazy,

provides both consolation and community.

Common sense and truthfulness provides no consolation.

Self-deceptions can also be very helpful for frustrated upper class housewives

who need to keep up the illusion of success

and they can also help losers who need justifications and excuses

for their excessive alcohol consumption.

Negative people may be more realistic than optimists

but optimists live a more enjoyable life.

It is in so many ways better to deceive oneself and have some fun

than to hound for truth.

Truth fundamentalists are such tedious boors.

Nevertheless,

it's much nicer to spend time with people who do not live in denial,

and delusional dream worlds.

So, white lies and little lies are necessary in modern life, I believe.

However, problems arises if you lie too much.

A few glasses of wine now and then is a pleasure,

but a bottle or two wine everyday

you will end up as an alcoholic.

Robert Trivers: Why do we deceive ourselves?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfybu_KJGo4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depressive_realism

Be normal

Act normally.
Use regular clothes.
Say ordinary things.
Smile normal smiles.
Be like an undercover agent.
You're in great danger if they blow your cover.
It helps a lot if you can forget about your true self.
A true self is useless here.
Do not question their views.
Get yourself a hobby.
To be a supporter of a sports team can be helpful,
but do not go to extremes.

How is it, really

If you happen to be born and raised in a right-wing family

or if you for other reasons have acquired strong right-wing views,

then you'll see the world through right-wing glasses.
If you read the Bible, you'll find that Jesus was rightist;
if you study biology, you'll find that life is a dog eat dog business.

We look at the world through colored glasses,

right-wing glasses, left-wing glasses, neurotic glasses,
spiritual glasses, Buddhist glasses, Christian glasses...

What would the world look like, do you think,
if we could take off our colored glasses?

http://www.momentum98.com/colorther.html