Dear friends,
It is perfectly natural to feel unhappy or discouraged because of a set of circumstances. “I had a hard week because…” or “If you only had heard what he said, you’d be annoyed too…” The possible reasons are of course endless.
And some circumstances are clearly harder than others. But we tend to focus almost 100% of our attention on the circumstance, and little on our own consciousness and reaction to those circumstances.
Picture a radio (remember those?). It is tuned to a particular station that you find unpleasant. You could write to the station manager asking that the format be changed. You could plug your ears and try to stop listening. You could break your radio. Or, you could simply change the dial!
There are an almost infinite number of wavelengths surrounding us at all times. We are drawn to tune into some and not others. I could at this moment start listing things happening in this world that you would find quite disturbing. I could also list things that would leave you feeling uplifting and inspired. Both are present at all times, and noticing them or avoiding thinking about them changes nothing about the reality of their existence.
This is not about ignoring things. If there is something you can do about a difficult situation, do it! But 95% of what we stew about is either beyond our control, none of our business, or in the past.
Yogananda said of the work he founded that if he wanted to he could list the flaws of that organization and never finish. But why pick on those loose threads? Making things better is one thing, but disturbing your inner peace by focusing on shortcoming after shortcoming is simply not helpful—to you or the situation. That is doubly true when thinking about ourselves. If you use that information to prod yourself into bettering yourself, that’s one thing. But mostly we mentally run ourselves down and are just left unimproved and feeling terrible.
This is one of the powers of Satsang. In Buddhism, the three pillars are the Dharma (Truth), the Buddha (the Teacher) and the Sangha (Collection of Truthseekers.) One of the best ways to keep your own spirits up is by spending time with others who are uplifting and kind. If you want to be a baseball player, hang out with baseball players. If you want to be a painter, hang out with painters. If you want to immerse yourself in spirit, hang out with those who have dedicated themselves to that as well.
I myself have lived in Spiritual Community for the past 40 years, and would never consider anything else, for the reasons stated above. I find it greatly helps me to keep my radio tuned to those stations I want to bring into my life, and to avoid the noise and static of those stations that would be of no service to me.
May we each develop the strength and discrimination to tune into what is highest and best for us.
Blessings,
David G., manager
For the Gang at East West