The Way of Harmony

Enjoyed reading your posts, jiltedjohn. In my new beginning, I'm beginning to realise more and more the relationship between the redirection of energy as opposed to the denial, or suppressing of it. Perhaps in the same way as selecting which foods to take into one's system, we can choose that which we know is healthy and beneficial or that which may give us short term pleasure but lead to unwanted results. However, it does not seems to be of much help to deny that one is hungry.

Similarly, we have the urge to expend energy to achieve a satisfying result. Now, we can select the short-term PMO model, with all its unwanted side-effects, or we can re-direct ourselves to healthier activities such as creativity, exercise, meditation, etc.. Although perhaps not as immediately appealing as PMO, or even MO, once we begin any positively-oriented activity, it seems to carry us forward with a momentum that we simply need to allow to flow through us.

Mind, body and soul. We let our soul, or highest aspect, take the lead, which it seems many of us on this site are already doing, let it direct our minds to deeper understanding and wisdom, and finally allow our physical nature to undergo a truly satisfying transformation

Keep posting and inspiring!

 

Great thread!

I love your initial postulation. Redirecting any energy so it can create more positive outcomes is such a simple, yet elegant concept.

When meditating, this is the essence to harnessing the immense power of the mind - when the mind is distracted, to accept that distraction and slowly redirect the mind back to stillness is an art (one I am still a long way from mastering )

Let me tell you some context to why this moves me so deeply:

Your post has reminded me that anger is not the only (supposedly negative) emotion we can harness for good... We should be able to do so with just about any energy! So THANK you for sharing this profound thought! I will use it in my quest!

 

Man this is like a lifeline to me. I love the way you present "The Way of Harmony". I've been trying to overcome this for two years now. I've bookmarked this, I really hope that I have the courage to turn to this instead of the instant gratification in the future.

 

Just wanted to say thank you for the amazing wisdom on this and related threads. There is real insight here that my intuition knows to be true, and I'm hoping the rest of my mind will absorb.

 

This is a nice way looking at it, going to try it for sure. Thanks mate.

 

What an oustanding post! I nearly didn't find this, it should be highlighted in the fist page of the get educated thread imo

 

The above helps.

About changing habbits:
The brain is like a forest. If the villagers have a route to the strem, that they use to get watter, then the well-used route gets comfortable. The trip to the streem takes 5 minutes. Their constant stepping prevents the growth of weed and trees. If one day a tree falls on the path, and it gets too hard to cross, the people find an alternative way. It's a hard way. At the beginning it takes half an hour. But with every time someone walks through the new route, he steps on the weeds, brakes a tree branch that disturbs... after two months the path widens, and the trip takes only 10 minutes. After half a year it's so comfortable that it takes 5 minutes. The old route is forgotten, covered with new vegetation.

FAP is the old route.
It's a route I decided to abandon. There's NO "fallen tree" in the way, but yet whenever I feel the thirsty and need to get to the stream (watter stands for relaxation, nice feelings, pleasure) It's not a fight to choose a different way. The new way is currently harder. I know. But part of the good feeling comes from the fact that I'm strong, and I'm creating a new path that is good for me.
So I get up and do some pushups. Or talk with a friend.

I think I'm now ready to avoid ANY masturbation. Not just porn. My wife says that if I set the bar the same place she does (masturbate to mental fantasy once in a while) - I shall be fine. But if a more drastic approach gets me faster to a condition where I react fully and rapidly to my women... I can do it.

A long vacation is ahead of me. I have lots of things to do during this vacation. Repairs in my house. Studying. Physical activity to get me back in shape as 3 years ago, when I was at my best... It's my old route to take my time and PMO all day long when I have such a long vacation. It seems like I have an eternity - so what's the rush?
I end up doing much less than on busy days, so the challange is to switch modes. Change the route. Wake up early although I have no pressing obligations. Do yoga every morning. Ride my bike. Fix something in the house. Do MORE instead of less. Don't postpone anything, don't waste my days.

 

My addiction is the screen. Not only pornwise.

 

What a great thread.

It was a similar attitude that helped me to stop smoking more than 12 years ago; the realisation that my brain was playing a major trick on me - the feelgood from smoking was an illusion, the reality was, deep down I knew I didn't enjoy it. This made stopping much easier, I actually looked forward to stopping.

For those that feel enslaved by their addictions, this is worth remembering.

 

Out of curiosity how long did it take anyone in here to learn the taoist? I tried to pm bit can't seem to find it