First Chapter Section 5
If as the result of your life observations or experiences, your consciousness inputs/outputs voice of blame and negative judgment to your consciousness, you will output apathy, boredom, and helplessness which will lead to depression (see the left side of the illustration and the vicious circle). You must realize that all these happen because of skewed observations, perceptions, and your past programming (machinery).
If you change your observation (changing the input) and also set up the new machinery of mindfulness, intrinsic motivations, autonomy, integration, relatedness, and creativity, you will get self determination, healthy curiosity, competency, skills, self–esteem, choice, enjoyment of tasks, more defined goals, improved information gathering, doing it because it is interesting, and achievement orientation as output. This is the right side of the illustration where you create a positive or friendly circle or virtuous circle.
The solution is to change the way you observe the world around you. You must remember this. Again, the solution is to change the way you observe the world around you.
Changing the way you observe information is the first step. A very effective way to reprogram your mind is to develop child-like, and/or naive state of mind. In this book we will show how to develop child-like observation skills, child-like listening skills, child-like learning skills, and child-like connections (relatedness).
Scientific or Psychological Externalizing (“Externalizing” is an approach to therapy that encourages persons to objectify and, at times, to personify the problems that they experience as oppressive. In this process, the problem becomes a separate entity and thus external to the person or relationship that was ascribed as the problem or/and any approach that psychologically takes the subjects outside of themselves and allowed them to see their own unhealthy behavior more objectively) through spiritual paths, meditation skills such as mindfulness, and even Yoga also help with this procedure.
When you master spiritual meditation, there comes a point when insights about yourself, your mind and how it works (basically the left side of your consciousness from our illustration) will flash into your mind and that is when you can dismantle it effectively.
By spiritual meditation, we achieve stability and focus in our mind and correctly observe which elements lead to greater peace and creativity.
It is liberating and enlightening, because it lets go of negativity. Enlightenment means purifying our mind and letting go of those things that cause so much negativity in our lives.This is a universal solution and does not depend on any form of religion or spiritual path.
There is an old story about a famous rabbi living in Europe who was visited one day by a man who had traveled by ship from New York to see him. The man came to the great rabbi’s dwelling, a large house on a street in a European city, and was directed to the rabbi’s room, which was in the attic. He entered to find the master living in a room with a bed, a chair, and a few books. The man had expected much more. After greetings, he asked, “Rabbi, where are your things?” The rabbi asked in return, “Well, where are yours?” His visitor replied, “But, Rabbi, I’m only passing through,” and the master answered, “So am I, so am I.”
Spiritual joy and wisdom do not come through possession but rather through our capacity to open, to love more fully, and to move and be free in life.
(source: A Path With Heart; Jack Kornfield- p. 14)
A path with heart will also include our unique gifts and creativity. The outer expression of our heart may be to write books, to build buildings, to create ways for people to serve one another. It may be to teach or to garden, to serve food or play music. Whatever we choose, the creations of our life must be grounded in our hearts. Our love is the source of all energy to create and connect. If we act without a connection to the heart, even the greatest things in our life can become dried up, meaningless, or barren.
(source: A Path With Heart; Jack Kornfield- p. 17)
An enrichment of personality and a strengthening of character inevitably follow since the three basic elements of mind-that is intellect, feeling, and will develop harmoniously.