Chapter VI
Transforming The Suffering
Releasing The Sufferings
Suffering is transformed as one transforms their Negative Ideas.
However, if you try to "destroy" your Negative Ideas, it will only lead you on a journey of Confusion.
Realize that we are the Mind that is Infinite in Potential. Trying to destroy Negative Ideas will be much like trying to destroy parts of ourselves, which is not possible as consciousness is essentially energy: it cannot be destroyed but only transformed.
What are we Transforming the Negative Ideas to?
We Transform the Negative Ideas towards the opposite of what it is—
Towards Potentiating Ideas!
Negative Ideas VS Potentiating Ideas
Negative Ideas are Ideas that promote the Rejection of The Self.
Self-Rejection leads to Negativities, Fears and Limitations upon our Potential—The Suffering States Of Mind.
Conversely, Potentiating Ideas are Ideas that promote the Acceptance of The Self.
Self-Acceptance leads to Power, Freedom, Creativity, and Potential—The States of Love Happiness
From this perspective, the journey of Self-Transformation can be seen as a journey of transforming Self-Rejection to Self-Acceptance.
Let us look at the following diagram to understand how developing Self-Acceptance can transform The Mind.
Self-Transformation
Transforming The Seed
Negative Idea → Potentiating Idea
Let us use the following example:
i.e. "It is not ok to be lazy" → "It is ok to be lazy."
Let us explore the effects of transforming this Negative Idea towards a Potentiating Idea.
The Roots
Thoughts/Emotions
"I should not be lazy." →"I can be lazy."
"That Person should not be lazy." → "That person can be lazy."
Negative emotions and thoughts to do with laziness will eventually disappear.
(The Leaves) Physical Manifestation
As the the Negative Ideas becomes transformed, the Negative Sensations—pain, stress, agitation, etc.—on the body will gradually dissipate, which will restore the body's natural healing abilities.
The Self is also no longer bound to fulfil the obligations of the Negative Ideas, and will be able to make clearer choices without be driven by their negative reactions.
Isn't it amazing?
By transforming one Negative Idea, you are affecting changes in all Levels of The Self!
To raise the quality of The Self at all levels—from the Physical to the Spirit—is the Greater Work that awaits us.
How to Transform Negative Ideas?
After discovering the Negative Ideas behind our experiences, we can invert it to get an idea of our greater journey.
i.e. "It is not ok to be lazy." -> "It is ok to be lazy."
The journey of Self-Transformation will thus revolve around the lessons of Self-Acceptance.
What sufferings can you experience if you can accept everything in life?
The difficulties of Transforming Negative Ideas
It is difficult to transform a belief.
For example, how difficult it is to change our beliefs about someone that we don't like so that we can accept them?
For example, how difficult it is to accept what we fear?
How difficult is it to accept what we cannot accept?
It is difficult to transform negative ideas because some are so deeply rooted that our mind will resist against us as we try to move them.
It is difficult to transform negative ideas because it can be difficult to discover them—a multitude of Negative Ideas can be hidden within a suffering experience.
That is why the safest and most efficient way to make progress on the journey of Self-Transformation is to take the journey step by step, layer by layer. This is done through developing Stillness and Self-Knowing.
Now, let us observe how Stillness and Knowing can work hand in hand to turn the Wheel of Self-Transformation.
The Power Of Stillness and Knowing
1. Belief
Suffering is Caused from the Attachment to Negative Ideas.
The more we believe a Negative Idea to be true, the deeper it will be rooted in the consciousness.
Thus for the sufferings to be released, one must release their attachments towards the Negative Ideas. Although this sounds simple, it's difficult to do. One reason is the lack of Intention to do so.
Let us look at some possible causes for the lack of intention.
We are not aware that we are Suffering
For example, if we are unaware that Worrying is a state of Suffering, then we will not feel a need to address it. For example, if we believe that by worrying about a problem, we are solving the problem, then one will convince oneself with justifications for suffering. As a result, the worrying continues!
It is by developing Self-Knowing—from the practice of meditation—that one can truly become aware of how one's happiness can be so easily destroyed by worrying.
As one develops Self-Awareness, so will too the wisdom and intention needed for one to transform the Negative Ideas.
We are not aware of the Deeper Causes of our Sufferings
When we only Know the Outer Causes of our Sufferings, we will only develop the Intention to move away from what is making us Suffer in the world outside, i.e. constantly avoiding the people that had angered us or fearful situations.
It is by developing the Knowing that the Deeper Cause of our Sufferings comes from the Beliefs within that we can develop the natural Intention to transform them.
That is why developing Self-Knowing is important.
2. Negative Energy
Developing Stillness is important because the more we react negatively in a suffering experience, the more we are sustaining our attachments to the negative ideas driving it.
For instance, whenever we respond to our Negative Reactions with more Negative Reactions, i.e. with the intention to exaggerate or suppress them, we are only sustaining the negative reactions.
That is why it's important to approach our Negative Ideas with a Still mind, with the intention for greater Understanding and Self-Acceptance.
The Difficulty Of Not Reacting
It can be truly difficult to not be reactive in suffering situations in life. That is why it's important to make time every day to develop Stillness.
When the Mind is Still, one will be able to react less and learn more from their Suffering Experiences.
When the mind is Unstill, one will simply suffer much and learn little.
The Wheel Of Potentation
With Stillness Comes Greater Knowing.
With Greater Knowing comes Self-Transformation.
With Greater Self-Transformation Comes Greater Stillness.
This is how the Wheel Of Potentiation Turns
And it is through this cycle that one can gain the momentum to move forward on the journey of Self-Transformation.
We now Know the Process of Transformation
How do we put it into practice?
With the help of Catalysts!
