Himma
There are three general categories of aspiration within us.
Normally, only one of these is spiritual in character, and this
spiritual aspiration is opposed by, and in conflict with,
expressions of the other two categories - namely, passion and
anger.
The Sufi path involves three broad sets of transformation
with respect to aspirations. One set of transformations
entails reforming passion and anger so they become spiritual
allies instead of liabilities. The other two sets of
transformations consist of the purification and perfection of
spiritual aspiration, especially in relation to the nature of the
modalities or spiritual instruments through which we engage
our relationship with God.
All three sets of transformations involve changes in the
character of the "object" toward which aspiration is
directed. In addition, a transition in the degree of intensity of
aspiration occurs in all three transformational sets. More
specifically, this change in intensity revolves around the
process of becoming less dispersed, and more `gathered', in
our intentions, awareness, understanding and behavior.
Although human beings are born with all three categories of
aspiration, very shortly after birth, for most of us, passion
and anger begin to dominate our lives, while spiritual
aspiration is marginalized and relegated to the background.
There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, but, generally
speaking, the unfolding of spirituality, to the extent it occurs
at all, lags significantly behind the unfolding of passion and
anger.
Passion encompasses all those tendencies within us which
seek to acquire. These acquisitive predispositions are
directed toward procuring more and more: material
possessions, power, money, fame, status, and physical
gratification of one description or another.
Anger includes all the inclinations within each of us which
are directed toward defending the passions against anything
constituting a threat to past, present or future acquisitions.
Hostility, antagonism, malice, conflict and rebellion are all
expressions of anger in action. If one looks carefully at the
situations in which these different modalities of anger arise,
one will detect the existence of one or more vested interests
of passion at the heart of the issue.
By dominating consciousness, intentions, motivations,
thinking, attitudes, evaluations, judgements and behavior, the
activities of anger and passion create the illusion of a self
which is being served by such activity. In other words, our
awareness is mesmerized, or a state of hypnosis is induced in
consciousness, by the activities of anger and passion. As a
result, awareness identifies with them as being possessions
of, and acting on behalf of, consciousness.
Over time, a history of experiences, decisions and behaviors
is generated. Memories are recorded and used by passion
and anger to serve their respective agendas.
This entire ensemble of passion, anger, mesmerized
awareness and remembered life history are the primary
forces which underwrite the existence of the false self or ego.
All aspirations which arise in the context of this ensemble are
seen as aspirations of the illusory self.
This "self" has no substantive reality per se. In other words,
this self had no existence prior to its invention or
construction.
The false self or ego is merely an arrangement of
convenience and circumstance. It is an artificial business
arrangement which has been organized by our various
modalities of passion and anger for purposes of carrying on
different kinds of commercial transactions with the world.
Our God-given capacity for choice is usurped by the
false-self conglomerate. Due to the state of hypnotic trance of
ordinary consciousness, the process of exercising free will,
within our capacity to do so, is arrogated to the false self
through the manipulations, seductions and pressure tactics of
passion and anger.
Judgements, decisions, and choices begin to get locked into
interacting patterns of habit. These patterns reflect, and
conform to, the collective dynamics of the various
components of the false self or ego.
Exoteric values, practices and rituals have two important
tasks to perform with respect to the ego conglomerate which
has arisen. On the one hand, exoteric teachings try to help
the individual close the gap between spiritual aspirations,
which, for the most part, have lagged behind in development,
and the dominant influence enjoyed by the aspirations of
passion and anger in our day-to-day lives. On the other hand,
exoteric teachings try to help the individual bring passion and
anger into an acceptable spiritual balance.
The excesses and extremes of passion and anger must be
constrained. A middle way of moderation must be discovered
which will prevent the individual from transgressing beyond
certain boundaries of spiritual propriety. Acquisitiveness and
its protector must be trained to pursue their activities within
Divinely sanctioned parameters of permissibility.
Exoteric teachings seek to strengthen the dimension of
spiritual aspiration within the individual. At the same time,
these teachings provide a framework of moderation which is
intended to constrain passion and anger provided the
framework is implemented by our developing spiritual
aspiration.
If our spiritual aspiration becomes sufficiently mature, then,
God willing, it begins to influence our capacity for choice.
Over time, if everything goes well, we begin to discontinue
some of the more injurious patterns of behavior generated
through our aspirations of passion and anger.
The Sufi path is not content to merely constrain passion and
anger. It seeks to transform them.
One of the themes of such transformation is to induce
(through Sufi discipline, practices and so on) the individual to
change the character of the object which is the focus of
passion and anger. Instead of using anger and passion to
seek the world, these two modalities of aspiration should be
used to seek Divinity.
However, in order to have a chance of succeeding in
achieving this transition in focus from worldly objects to
Divinity, passion and anger cannot remain as they are. The
intention underlying them must change, and, as well, passion
and anger must come under the sphere of influence of all the
qualities of spiritual etiquette.
Intention must become a servant of God. Everything which is
done must be done for the love of God. Intention must be
purified so nothing remains but the aspiration to please God.
The heart must be trained to collaborate with, and give
expression to, spiritual aspiration. The heart's association
with the aspirations of the false self or ego must be
discontinued.
When, God willing, intentionality and the heart have been
purified, then, by the grace of God, qualities of spiritual
etiquette such as patience, perseverance, forbearance,
compassion, and forgiveness come to ascendancy. These
qualities have, God willing, a transformative effect on
passion and anger, and, as a result, passion and anger come
to serve spiritual purposes.
Under these circumstances, the only aspiration of passion is
to seek, know, love and serve God.
Furthermore, the aspiration of anger becomes a tendency to
protect this spiritual passion from, and defend against,
anything which would undermine or corrupt it.
If God wishes, in later stages of the maturation of spiritual
aspiration, different capacities within that potential become
experientially active. Although the focus of those experiences
always remains God, the structural character, so to speak, of
that focus undergoes various transformations.
Sufi masters speak of some of these transformations in terms
of gnosis, witnessing, and love. In each case, the experience
of Divinity changes. Each kind of experiencing involves its
own mode of spiritual etiquette.
On all levels, God responds to us in accordance with the
character of our spiritual aspiration. When spiritual
aspiration is at low ebb, God's way of relating to us will
reflect the character of that kind of aspiration. As the quality
and intensity of spiritual aspiration undergoes various
developmental transformations, so, too, does God's way of
responding to us reflect those spiritual transitions.
In reality, God does not change, from beginning to end,
during the journey of development or unfolding of spiritual
aspiration. The nature of Divinity always is what Divinity is.
However, as spiritual aspiration goes through various
transformations, our essential capacity becomes sensitive
and receptive to the modalities of experiencing and realizing
Divinity which are consonant with the condition of our
aspiration. Consequently, the way God responds to us is
merely a reflection of the way we relate to Divinity.
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