The Great Transformer

[organicmama]

Hatred can be irrational, and it has a greater impact on the individual who hates than the person or object being hated. Yet overcoming hatred is difficult because hatred reinforces itself and causes greater enmity to come into being. The most powerful tool one can use to combat hatred is love. Deciding to love what you hate, whether this is a person, situation, or a part of yourself, can create a profound change in your feelings and your experience. There is little room for anger, dislike, bitterness, or resentment when you are busy loving what you hate. The practice of loving what you hate can transform and shift your emotions from hatred to love, because there is no room for hatred in a space occupied by love.
Granted, it is difficult to forgo judging someone, love your enemy, and seek the good in situations that seem orchestrated to cause you pain or anger. But in deciding to love what you hate, you become one less person adding negativity to the universe. On a simple level, loving what you hate can help you enjoy your life more. On a more complex level, loving what you hate sets you free because you disengage yourself from the hatred that can weigh down the soul. Responding with love to people radiating hatred transmutes their negative energy. You also empower yourself by not letting their negativity enter your personal space. Rather than lowering yourself to the level of their hatred, you give the other person an opportunity to rise above their feelings and meet you on the field of love.
Gandhi once said, ?Be the change you want to see in the world.? Loving what you hate sends a positive, beautiful energy to people while spreading peace and harmony throughout the planet. Instead of reinforcing hatred, you become an advocate for love. Hatred responds to hate by causing anguish. But hatred responds to love by transforming into blissful peace.

 

[Miss Critter]

Beautiful! Reminds me of something I heard Marianne Williamson say recently (I'm paraphrasing). You don't get rid of darkness by cursing it or trying to beat it away. You get rid of darkness by turning on the light. Darkness cannot exist in the light, just as hatred cannot co-exist with love.

Nice Christmas message, OM.

 

[organicmama]

I posted that because I've been dealing personally with the issue of someone I do not like very much in my life. (No worries, this person is not a SoWaller, nor are they family!) But this person is pretty much a daily part of life and gets on my nerves. I realize that my focusing on what I don't like about this person takes up more of my energy and time. I also realize that I end up being self-righteous, even when I don't mean to.

It's funny because I work very hard to like most people, or at least find something that I like about them. But what about those people that you simply clash with on all levels? This person has been that for me. And this passage shows me that I need to focus on loving this person.

 

[Danny Burns]

Hatred can be irrational, and it has a greater impact on the individual who hates than the person or object being hated. Yet overcoming hatred is difficult because hatred reinforces itself and causes greater enmity to come into being. The most powerful tool one can use to combat hatred is love. Deciding to love what you hate, whether this is a person, situation, or a part of yourself, can create a profound change in your feelings and your experience. There is little room for anger, dislike, bitterness, or resentment when you are busy loving what you hate. The practice of loving what you hate can transform and shift your emotions from hatred to love, because there is no room for hatred in a space occupied by love.
Granted, it is difficult to forgo judging someone, love your enemy, and seek the good in situations that seem orchestrated to cause you pain or anger. But in deciding to love what you hate, you become one less person adding negativity to the universe. On a simple level, loving what you hate can help you enjoy your life more. On a more complex level, loving what you hate sets you free because you disengage yourself from the hatred that can weigh down the soul. Responding with love to people radiating hatred transmutes their negative energy. You also empower yourself by not letting their negativity enter your personal space. Rather than lowering yourself to the level of their hatred, you give the other person an opportunity to rise above their feelings and meet you on the field of love.
Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Loving what you hate sends a positive, beautiful energy to people while spreading peace and harmony throughout the planet. Instead of reinforcing hatred, you become an advocate for love. Hatred responds to hate by causing anguish. But hatred responds to love by transforming into blissful peace.

If you are able to practice this enough...accept, enjoy, and be enthusiastic about the love you produce from these kinds of trials by transforming your hatred into something more positive, you will draw more love into your life, and project more love into the universe. Regardless of the "others" actions, you then become a difficult target for animosity to find.

And thanks for quoting my signiture line. It has always served me well.

 

[organicmama]

If you are able to practice this enough...accept, enjoy, and be enthusiastic about the love you produce from these kinds of trials by transforming your hatred into something more positive, you will draw more love into your life, and project more love into the universe. Regardless of the "others" actions, you then become a difficult target for animosity to find.

And thanks for quoting my signiture line. It has always served me well.

You know, I was honestly patting myself on the back, thinking, "Wow! I can get along with a diverse group of people from all backgrounds & frames of mind".... Then, the Universe decided to do a reailty check on me & snap my head back into humility by placing this person into my life. It's a lesson in accepting someone on no terms at all and holding no judgment towards them, no matter what happens.

You are welcome.

 

[Danny Burns]

I find that I always receive the perfect lesson from the Source (Universe, God, or whatever name you choose to use) whether I expect or want it when it comes. It is always what I need at just the exact point in my life that I need it.

It has been said that God works in mysterious ways. I don't think they are mysterious at all. I think they are obvious to one who is listening with an open, present mind. There is no such thing as a coincidence.

The lesson you recently learned is one we all could find valuable. When we choose to see these types of things as lessons to be cherished and not battles to be fought and won, the world is a better place. Even the "opponent" you describe can learn from it if he/she will only try. The one who realizes the peacful truth to be found in the change that was made can be an example to the one who does not yet "see".

 

[2bohemians]

OM -- we've been reading several books by Osho. We came across this passage in our reading and thought we would share it with you. It's rather long but seemed appropriate:

Someone has insulted you ? anger suddenly erupts, you are feverish. Anger is flowing toward the person who has insulted you. Now you will project this whole anger onto him. He has not done anything. If he has insulted you, what has he done? He has just pricked you, he has helped your anger to arise ? but the anger is yours. If he goes to Buddha and insults him, he will not be able to create any anger in him. Or if he goes to Jesus, Jesus will give him the other cheek. Or if he goes to Bodhidharma, he will roar with laughter. So it depends.


The other is not the source, the source is always within you. The other is hitting the source, but if there is no anger within you it cannot come out. If you hit a buddha, only compassion will come out because only compassion is there. Anger will not come out because anger is not there.


If you throw a bucket into a dry well, nothing comes out. In a water-filled well, you throw a bucket and water comes out, but the water is from the well. The bucket only helps to bring it out. So one who is insulting you is just throwing a bucket in you, and then the bucket will come out filled with the anger, hate, or fire that was within you.


You are the source, remember.


For this technique, remember that you are the source of everything that you go on projecting onto others. And whenever there is a mood against or for, immediately move within and go to the source from where this hate is coming.
Remain centered there; do not move to the object. Someone has given you a chance to be aware of your own anger ? thank him immediately and forget him. Close your eyes, move within, and now look at the source from where this love or anger is coming. From where?


Go within, move within. You will find the source there because the anger is coming from your source. Hate or love or anything is coming from your source.
And it is easy to go to the source at the moment you are angry or in love or in hate, because then you are hot. It is easy to move in then. The wire is hot and you can take it in, you can move inward with that hotness. And when you reach a cool point within, you will suddenly realize a different dimension, a different world opening before you.


Use anger, use hate, use love to go within. We use it always to move to the other, and we feel very much frustrated if no one is there to project upon. Then we go on projecting even on inanimate objects. I have seen persons being angry at their shoes, throwing them in anger. What are they doing? I have seen angry persons pushing a door in anger, throwing their anger on the door, abusing the door, using dirty language against the door. What are they doing?


I will end with one Zen insight about this. One of the greatest of Zen masters, Lin Chi, used to say, ?While I was young I was very fascinated by boating. I had one small boat, and I would go on the lake alone. For hours together I would remain there.? Once it happened that with closed eyes I was in my boat meditating on the beautiful night. One empty boat came floating downstream and struck my boat. My eyes were closed, so I thought, ?Someone is here with his boat, and he has struck my boat.? Anger arose. I opened my eyes and I was just going to say something to that man in anger, then I realized that the boat was empty. Then there was no way to move. To whom could I express the anger? The boat was empty. It was just floating downstream, and it had come and struck my boat. So there was nothing to do. There was no possibility to project the anger on an empty boat.?


So Lin Chi said, ?I closed my eyes. The anger was there, but finding no way out, I closed my eyes and just floated backward with the anger. And that empty boat became my realization. I came to a point within myself in that silent night. That empty boat was my master. And now if someone comes and insults me, I laugh and I say, ?This boat is also empty.? I close my eyes and I go within.?


Use this technique. It may work miracles for you.

 

[John R]

...and it has a greater impact on the individual who hates than the person or object being hated.

it takes SO much energy and time to be continually angry at/hating someone. It consumes one to where it's all they focus on. If one just lets it flow on by and rise above the situation, one's personal well being will be in such a better place. Concentrate on the good things one has.

All this was said above in one form or another.

 

[organicmama]

In my "confession" on here, I will admit it wasn't hatred or really anger. There was extreme irritation & disgust that "someone like this" was in my own personal space. I say that because I feel my judgment & reaction was even worse than plain anger as I was holding a higher view of myself while condemning this person's behaviour patterns.

My realization of the pattern inside of me has made the issue go away. Even Mr. Clean doesn't talk about this person anymore & he used to be irritated continuously also. I never told him of my literal change of heart, but obviously my change in energy has affected the need to have a continual conversation about this person, plus I feel he has resolved to be at peace also.

Thanks, my SoWal counselors.