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Oct
25
Written by:
adminsophia
10/25/2009 12:13 PM
 A. EXPECT NOTHING
1. Expectations are thought-forms we create about people, situations, and events.
2. Here are examples of expectations at different levels.
3. Yet given human nature and Earth life, we have no basis for expecting any of these things.
4. Creating expectations leads us to actions that harm ourselves.
5. Creating expectations leads us to actions that harm others.
B. ACCEPT EVERYTHING
1. "Accept the facts about people, circumstances, and events exactly as they are without wishing or hoping they were different."
2. People violate this principle every day.
3. Discovering and accepting the facts about people, situations, and events is a great help in preventing ourselves from creating expectations.
4. Overcoming this problem requires becoming a truth-seeker/fact-finder.
5. A truth-seeker must have the integrity to set aside all personal ideas, beliefs, concepts, prejudices, wishes, feelings, motives, etc., when they conflict or clash with truths or facts.
6. Fact-finding/truth-seeking is a three-part process.
7. Note: We must differentiate between two types of "wishful thinking."
8. Many people succeed at searching for and accepting facts, but still wish they weren't so.
9. Discovering the truth requires openness, questioning, listening, and experimentation.
A. EXPECT NOTHING
1. Expectations are thought-forms we create about people, situations, and events.
2. Here are examples of expectations at different levels.
a. That your car will not break down while you are driving to work.
b. That the person you invited to lunch will show up.
c. That other people will no misunderstand you and misinterpret your motives.
d. That your child will not embarrass you by getting arrested for shoplifting.
e. That what your religion taught you is true.
f. That your spouse will be faithful to you.
g. That good friends will never lie to you or deceive you.
h. That someone will be there for you when you are confused or hurting.
i. That you will not be unexpectedly and unfairly fired from your job.
j. That everyone you love will still be alive when you wake up tomorrow.
3. Yet given human nature and Earth life, we have no basis for expecting any of these things.
4. Creating expectations leads us to actions that harm ourselves.
a. We become attached to/rely on expectations which don't happen.
b. This then provokes reaction, blame, and painful disillusionment-all our own fault.
c. Expecting nothing frees us from this self-created trouble.
The instructed disciple…beholds of material shape, feeling, mental perception, the impulses, and consciousness: "This is not mine, this am I not, this is not my Self." So that when material shape, feeling, mental perception, the impulses, and consciousness change and become otherwise, there arise not for him grief, sorrow, suffering, lamentation, despair. - Samyutta-nikaya III, 114-119
5. Creating expectations leads us to actions that harm others.
a. We make illegal demands of others based on our expectations.
b. We subtly punish others for not fulfilling these demands.
c. These "energy-attacks" on others unfairly make their lives harder.
B. ACCEPT EVERYTHING
1. "Accept the facts about people, circumstances, and events exactly as they are without wishing or hoping they were different."
2. People violate this principle every day.
a. Here are some examples from ordinary speech:
I wish it weren't cold.
I wish it weren't raining.
I wish I weren't sick.
I wish X were smarter.
I wish Y talked less.
I wish I were younger.
I wish Z would try harder.
I wish the Path were easier.
b. All these sentences are the expressions of lines of thought\emotion which are a complete waste of energy and time, because in every case the facts are exactly as they are:
I wish it weren't cold-but it is.
I wish it weren't raining-but it is.
I wish I weren't sick-but I am.
I wish X were smarter-but he's not.
I wish Y talked less-but she doesn't.
I wish I were younger-but I'm not.
I wish Z would try harder-but he won't.
I wish the Path were easier-but it isn't.
3. Discovering and accepting the facts about people, situations, and events is a great help in preventing ourselves from creating expectations.
a."I wish Y talked less"> "She sure ought to talk less">"Surely all of us have a right to expect her to talk less">"She had better talk less">"If she doesn't, she'll pay for it"
b. "I wish Y talked less, but she doesn't" (fact)>"Talking a lot is what she does">"I won't be expecting her to talk less.">"If I don't want to be around her talking, I will avoid her."
4. Overcoming this problem requires becoming a truth-seeker/fact-finder.
5. A truth-seeker must have the integrity to set aside all personal ideas, beliefs, concepts, prejudices, wishes, feelings, motives, etc., when they conflict or clash with truths or facts.
6. Fact-finding/truth-seeking is a three-part process.
a. We must search earnestly for the facts about someone/something.
b. We must accept without reservation the facts when we find them.
c. We must guard carefully against wishing that the facts were different from what they are.
7. Note: We must differentiate between two types of "wishful thinking."
a. Helpful type: Thinking that seeks to formulate a plan to change something that (1) can be changed and (2) the changing of which would further our higher interests
b. Harmful type: Pointless wishing and dreaming about changing something unchangeable by us and which line of thought is not only not in our higher interest, but against it.
8. Many people succeed at searching for and accepting facts, but still wish they weren't so.
Example: Mary wants a certain degree from a university. She accepts the fact that to get it, she must take a series of courses dictated by the university. She confirms her acceptance by enrolling in the courses and attending class. But simultaneously, she engages in frequent, repeated lines of thought and talking whose theme is wishing that it were not necessary to take these particular classes, resenting that she has to do it, and complaining about the fact. These lines of thought naturally inflame her emotions of repulsion, distaste, resentment, injustice, etc. The practice of dispassion demands that along with actually going to class and doing the work, Mary should scrupulously and assiduously refuse to indulge both thoughts wishing that she did not have to do this, and emotional reaction to such wishes. All she has to do is reason thus:
"Would such an indulgence be in my higher interest."-"No."-"Why not?"-"Because by the act of indulging it, I would be creating thought-and-emotion-forms which would then be my possessions. I would be training my mental and astral bodies to vibrate in a certain way that would be inhospitable to Soul energy and would obstruct my purpose of fitting my personality to receive, absorb, and express Soul energy. Plus, it makes me feel terrible and is is unpleasant and burdensome for others to listen to me complain."-SR
9. Discovering the truth requires openness, questioning, listening, and experimentation.
C. MEDITATION FOR ELIMINATING EXPECTATIONS
1. Search yourself deeply to identify/list all the expectations you have created.
2. Pick an expectation and visualize it clearly.
3. Note how it is a mental "thing" you possess/carry around with you.
4. Note how it is not in your higher interest to have it, and why.
5. Then imagine that it is possible to not need or have it. (Most important!)
6. Feel how much lighter and freer your life would be if it were gone.
7. Resolve to jettison it and replace it with the newly-imagined absence.
8. Conduct this process as if you were organizing and holding a garage sale.
D. MEDITATION FOR ACCEPTING THE FACTS ABOUT PEOPLE/THINGS
1, Identify each person of whom you have created a duplicate thought-image.
2. Note/write down each quality you have attributed to this image.
3. Pretend you have never before met the person and know nothing about him.
4. Observe him as if for the first time; pay close attention to observed facts.
5. Note how his "factual self" differs from your created image of him.
6. Note that the difference is your own projected wishes/hopes/needs/desires.
7. Rebuild your image based on facts; reject your own ideas/wishes.
8. Add new facts you observe/discover to the image; update continuously.
~ Author Unknown
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