Golden Lid of Truth

EsoExo: Discovery, Purification, Awareness, and Reality

                 As a manner of speaking "the Golden Lid of Truth" might be a way a practitioner of the Janna Yoga of old would chose to approach this little essay.     

                I believe that in an English translation from the Rig Veda one may read something like this, "The truth is hidden by a golden lid; remove thou that lid." I also believe that a wise man once said "That which hides the truth is often the brilliance of the intellect." We can make up well reasoned stories, logical stories, probable stories. We might tell those stories to others, but mostly we tell them to ourselves. Those stories often put a lid on the truth; on reality. We are often not conscious, or completely conscious, of the workings of those stories. Sometimes a story comes from another. Sometimes it may hidden in a doing or happening of our culture and we are unconscious of learning from it.

                Stories are good. I like many of them very much. However, even the best of them may convey a distortion, a falsehood, a wrong, a lie. We interpret them as best we can. We benefit much by interpreting  them in the new light of our present knowledge.

                Reinterpretation may be a part of what I call a process of purification. The farther we work that process the closer we get to being able to lift the lid a bit more to see the wrongs for what they are and let in more honesty, reality, and truth into our lives. In the process we rid ourselves of  distortions and wrongs, better our mental health, and see more clearly. We can intend to embrace reality and to let more clarity of understanding into our lives.

                One comes to see more clearly and adopt the intention to embrace reality and to achieve more clarity and understanding. Still, I am reminded that I am on a good road and that it is a long one. We may find that distortions are woven into the wonders and beauties of our very culture. Our culture is the heart of our human society and the totality of its wonders and beauties remain.

                I am reminded that we are on a good road, but that it is along road. We may find that some distortions are woven into the wonders and beauties of our very culture. They are of our making. We can and do become aware of then. This discovery does not diminish those wonders and beauties. But it may help to remind us that the natural process of purification with which we seem to be choosing to co-operate is an ongoing process.

                We feel grateful when we become newly aware of a distortion or wrong in our thinking, and are pleased to proceed in our process of purification. We gradually rid ourselves of another wrong or falsehood. By small possibel steps we improve the quality of realityin our lives and find it good. As we proeed with our proess of purification, te closer we get to being able to lift the lid enough to see the wrongs for what they are and to letting more reality, truth, and honesty into our lives.

              Not every one of us has always chosen to call their process "purification" and there is no need for us to do so, but the word "purification" seems to me, to be appropriate. By our process we gradually (at times quickly) rid ourselves another wrong or falsehood. By small possible steps they improve the quality of reality in their lives and find it good. As they proceed with their process they become able to see wrongs for what they are, and and more able they are to lift the lid to let more honesty, reality, and truth into their lives.

                It is not easy. It's sometimes a joy. It can feel painful, but I have heard of no one dying from the process. Still we have stories we love and may resist any change in them. However, when we become aware of a flaw in one of  our stories, we can be aware that by a little change in perspective we can make that story more realistic, perhaps even true. We may find that we have been unconsciously struggling to keep a loved story intact. With that finding the struggle the struggle becomes conscious and so, more fair.    When we become aware that we are using a lot of energy to keep a story, we may find that we are trying to hold back a truth. We may come to consider a struggle to let the truth out more worth while. 

                Sometimes a mistaken idea caueses problems for years before we take note. In a way it seems like it is trying to be found, but that we don't want to see it. Struggles to hold back the truth may keep coming up for a time before we note them. It seems they are trying to be set right. We can get better at noting them. Sometimes a wrong in a story comes up so suddenly and forcefully that we cannot deny it. We come to welcome these new revelations, though it may still take some time to digest them. We do become more apt at accommodating them realistically. We find that approaching truth often frees us, makes us more able, and a bit stronger.

                The process is a kind of cleaning out of the mind and ought to be done often. There are lots of falsehoods coming toward us and a few manage to get in. We can become very willing to clean them out. We clean them out. Sometimes the process becomes less a throwing out and more a better arranging and filing, a straightening out and putting in better order. As we proceed we have less distortion and more useful reality. We become more honest with ourselves and with others. We often feel happier and healthier for doing so.

                Now all we have to do is consider the nature of our process and practice it. Being willing is a very good starting place because there are things to do. Awareness is an important part of the process. You are on the road when you are willing to be aware. As I write Ibecome more aware that I have a lot to remember and plenty toremember. Being willing is willing is an important early step. Being willing to notice "the lid" is helpful for some. You have the ability and most of the tools already; you can get ready to use them. There are lots of doings you have already done. They may include: being willing and able to detect a falsehood, note a lie, remembering a happening or doing, and much more. Being willing to let go of a wrong, the false, or the dishonest is good. Being willing to correct the distortion is good.      You might, for example, consider how they effected you personally. Becoming aware of letting go of a wrong, the false, the dishonest can be interesting. Being willing to correct a distortion is good. Being willing to co-operate with process of purification and realization is good.

 

                You can be aware of an inner or personal wrong and of a process of righting it. You can be willing to co-operate with your awareness and discovery. You can right a discovered wrong. You can straighten out a discovered distortion. You can be honest with yourself. You can tell yourself the the truth as best you can right now. You can right a wrong. You can be grateful for your process of awareness, discovery, and righting.

                Thanks for reading of the Golden Lid. Beneath the lid is the hidden. Lifting that lid leads to relavation. Your process can make that relavation golden.

                                                                                                rcs

Thoughts 0n Meditation

Esoteric to Exoteric: An Introduction to Meditation

                I am having some renewed thoughts on meditation. I practiced meditation for some time in the past and found it useful and interesting. 

                I am starting to remember some benefits of the practice. One benefit was like the result of a good nights sleep or a nice little vacation. I may be misleading to put it like that. I often felt refreshed after a practice. Another benefit was that after meditating my mind felt more organized and calmer. My thoughts seemed more usefully filed, organized, and prioritized. I remember that my mind was better structured and organized when I had meditated regularly.

                I suspect that meditation can be an effective and lasting way of structuring one's mind. There are a variety of benefits. One becomes more able to effectively focus on that which one has decided to focus. One becomes more alert, aware, and conscious of  one's self and of what is going on around one. Structuring ongoing process and so is meditation.

                I thought of my practice as a regular ongoing doing. It seems it was much about self and awareness. It was a lot about paying attention.

                Much can be learned about meditation online. You can learn a lot about it right here on Esoteric to Exoteric. I expect I will continue to post about it.

                Your dictionary may correctly inform you that to meditate is to ponder, to plan, and intend in mind. You may be correctly told that much contemplation and prayer is very like meditation. And so told that meditation may refer to a devotional exercise of contemplation. Being told all this one may still wonder why one would want to meditate and also how one could do it effectively.

 

                For me meditation is an exercise and a practice much like working- out regularly at the gym. However, one doesn't need a gym or much of anything to meditate. I once heard that a man did satisfying meditation as he plowed his fields. No you don't need a plow to meditate. I have preferred a siren and quiet atmosphere where the chances of interruption were small, but have meditated on a bus. The idea is that one needs very little to meditate, but may have many preferences.

                There are many reasons to meditate and many good reasons to to change ones ways and means of meditation. One reason I had was gaining self-knowledge. another was to broaden my awareness. For some it could be part of a process of purification or much about experimentation. I have been told that the major purpose or goal is, or ought to be the conscious integration of mind, body, and intellect.

            I hope you are beginning to get a better feel for what meditation can be. I also hope to post more about the "why" and "way" of meditation.

 

                For right now here is some more about the "what" of meditation. Consciousness is important to the practice of meditation. Conscious means to have in mind, to be aware. So, if you add focus, you pretty much have the heart of meditation. The practice of focusing attention one  happening, thought, area, field, doing or something is meditation.

                So, meditation is about maintaining the focus of attention on that which you choose, about being mindful only of that which you have chosen. Its the practice of keeping conscious attention on that which you choose to focus, say I.

                It can be a sort of game of getting back to your chosen object of focus as soon as you can when you wander from it.

                Some have called their practice sitting. For some of them the object may be to sit. They may choose to sit for half a hour. Once they have sat for that time, they may feel that they have completed a good practice. They may very well be right.

                Please feel free to comment on meditation or the content of this post in the "comments" window below. Use your name, a name you chose, or you may be anonymous.

It is 7/3/2023 and I have though to add a little paragraph on the benefits of meditation.

                Benefits of meditation can include a deepening and broadening of consciousness and awareness. Your breathing and posture may improve. Your meditation can also become an important part of a kind of purification process; a sort of letting go of falseness and cleaving to honesty and reality.

                

                Its meditation.

 

                Thank you for your reading. You can have your say in the "comments" section just below.

 

                                                        RCS