Meaningful Work Under Difficult Circumstances

Putting together ones life with the modern world.
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Nefastos
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Meaningful Work Under Difficult Circumstances

Post by Nefastos »

In another thread we briefly discussed the problem of facing challenges in the usual kind of putting oneself to work, and how to surmount that problem. What kind of work can do someone who is temporarily or permanently disabled physically or psychologically?

Personally I see life as Work. I use the upper case initial to emphasize the idea of the Great Work and its relation to everything we do: when working, we should do that in the way that gives respect to our dharma; our work should help the others and make ourselves better persons. As opposition to the work that does not help other beings but whose only reason is to give us money or merit, and which is sought to be done with the least effort, while giving maximum privileges.

Yesterday I happened to see a documentary about rebuilding of the Notre Date cathedral. (Rescue: Inside the Race to Save Notre Dame) It was a very pleasant surprise that the people working in this rebuilding are actually using a blend of the top modern and ancient methods in their monumental task. For example, the beams to use were first sought by using modern methods of analyzing the wood used before, and after that, the same kind of wood was felled by hand & then molded by delicate hand axes &c. I consider this to be the actually sacral & lasting method of working: the one giving the actual lasting (both physically and spiritually) benefit of work. Too cheaply done things rarely last more than a moment, and becomes just more garbage to fill the physical & astral earth with waste. So, the life itself should be Work, instead of thinking that we should first do our lousy & unimportant work as fast as we can, in order to live for real. Of course there are karmic situations where we are forced to do that, but it should not be the basic situation of the mind. One should work hard to unite the karma (possibilities of working & living) with the dharma (possibilities of doing one's spiritual best for the betterment of all). The Work itself should be our mode of living.

After this heavy [pro]logue, how about giving some examples of either challenges of working conditions or answers to those challenges you have come up to? I will be happy to contribute too.
Faust: "Lo contempla. / Ei muove in tortuosa spire / e s'avvicina lento alla nostra volta. / Oh! se non erro, / orme di foco imprime al suol!"
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Smaragd
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Re: Meaningful Work Under Difficult Circumstances

Post by Smaragd »

The difficulty of my situation isn’t that obvious and as severe as in many other cases, but still relevant to the topic I think. This is also quite close to themes we’ve been talking in Phanes just now. As a teenager I started to approach music in very individual way, not minding the lack of skills too much nor the cultural surroundings, that were anyway mostly weak or almost non-existing (the land was scorched by the Piety of the Lutheran Awakening movements hundred years before and the Cultural Christianity and modern atheism planted their withering seeds on top of that). The results of my creative output were probably not that interesting to be heard by a third party as their experimental level was ridiculous. But it served as some sort of way to start processing the damaged relationship to self, the world and the whole existence as I started to find connections between what I was doing and some larger currents of thought. I started to see different directions the different ideas and ideals moved towards, and the psychic and ”heavenly” map of the world and my own direction in it started to gain clarity.

After swimming in the chaos of experimentalism and its private subjective projections, I thought I should start to find more ways to make coherent forms out of it so that it could serve not only myself but others in the way that I enjoyed listening to other peoples music and perceiving strongly presented ideas in them. This lead me to try out different ”traditions” i.e. genres that could give coherent structures to build something interesting. During all this I had very black idea of making something pure, cleansed of the regressed ideas of this and that. Now what has been interesting is that all these genres ended up feeling like plastic pop culture (even black metal) that are not meeting the devotional criteria of the work I wanted to achieve to truly connect the creative work to the devotional life I wanted, and strive, to lead as an occultist. Yes, I still listen to plastic synth music, metal etc. and can find some ”eternal” fires burning in those forms too, like a student of the black aspect usually comes to find the divine in the most ordinary and other in the world. But it seems my own black temperament (more that of an temple ascetic) still tries to pruify the culture, or try to burn all the excess from the piece I hold in my hand to create something more lasting, more eternal. This eternity is still not in the art pieces I might manage to make, but in the ideas they manage to hide withing their folds – this makes the careful crafting process interesting. I would hope the form could also carry the devotional nature more clearly and I’m still struggling with this. I feel like our Western culture has so much detached itself from the wholistic way of religious life that all these many ”genres” are images of that detachment, a distant cries in the valley, bleeding wounds scattered around the body. So there seems to be no ready made place for the kind of music I long to make, so that the music would wholistically belong to the surrounding world and life of devotion. The culture is broken. Still there are some oases in the desert, like our fraternity, where some of these life forms could start emerging little by little and with careful work.

To conclude, I’ve felt the surrounding culture is very important for the Work. Even if there would be no oasis to be seen, one could perceive in the dried up cultures suffering points some potential to set the ancient fires ablaze. I can not work if I don’t see hope for the work to have it’s proper surroundings where it can give something other than just entertain to keep the cogs of meaningless suffering rolling.
"Would to God that all the Lord's people were Prophets”, Numbers 11:29 as echoed by William Blake
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Insanus
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Re: Meaningful Work Under Difficult Circumstances

Post by Insanus »

What are ideals worth realizing and how can you be concrete enough with them to create some measurable changes, right? I think here the magical virtue of silence can help to reveal simply anything that could be better. In situations where physical or psychological or other limitations seem to create overwhelming obstacles for any kind of meaningful progress, patient observation and slowmindedness can sometimes create inner power from nothing. I think we (or maybe it's just me) often think too fast, routinely and too much when just settling to beingness might crystallize the next step in our process without much action at all.
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Tulihenki
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Re: Meaningful Work Under Difficult Circumstances

Post by Tulihenki »

I was thinking that if someone has real limitations can bearing that cross without losing own faith be Great Work itself? Mercy and patience would be the virtues to contemplate - the hard ones.
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Astraya
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Re: Meaningful Work Under Difficult Circumstances

Post by Astraya »

Tulihenki wrote: Tue Jan 05, 2021 12:25 am I was thinking that if someone has real limitations can bearing that cross without losing own faith be Great Work itself? Mercy and patience would be the virtues to contemplate - the hard ones.
I feel the same way. Bearing is important and dynamic work, and when one can link those virtues in it, that's very much the Great Work. This doesn't mean (or should't mean) beeing a martyr but to maintain focus and seeing the meaning in ones limits in life.
“There can be no transforming of darkness into light and of apathy into movement without emotion”
― Carl Gustav Jung
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Soror O
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Re: Meaningful Work Under Difficult Circumstances

Post by Soror O »

Hmmm... I have found that practicing genuine self love is such Work. It's a task which follows one around and cannot be dodged (if one wishes to evolve). Moreover, the more handicapped and cripled one is, the bigger the challenge - and the deeper the reward.
If you want to reborn, let yourself die.
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Nefastos
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Re: Meaningful Work Under Difficult Circumstances

Post by Nefastos »

I approach the question this way: As long as we are human beings, as long as we are alive in any sense of the word, we have at least some buoyancy. Whatever the thing that connects us to the surface of life, that is the thing through which we are also able to work. For working is a mindset and not some specific form of action.

We come to the concept of "karma", which literally means "action". Yet we know that karma also means connectedness, our debt to the world, and that to do "karma yoga" is to work (for the others, that is, for the common good).

As an extreme example, I already mentioned bodily paralysis. Even in such extreme case, in case we can speak, we are able to use that speaking ability to help others. For example, "write" books (by recording voice for others to edit) or, even more easily, audiobooks on some important or helpful subject. Or, in case our mind is not in good shape enough, or in case we do not have any kind of verbally transferrable knowledge (which is a bit hard to imagine, but possible), we can use such a recorder project to train our mind to go through such a terrible state. For example, make an effort to record once a day five minutes, or one minute, of some focused thoughts. (And actually such a heroic and consistent effort would most likely become a best-seller if published afterwards.) To hone the mind & pay the karmic debt at the same time, like one might do doing lifting weights in prison. But prison weight-lifting is not likely to help one's mind very much; mental weight-lifting can do that and it doesn't demand a working physical body. Work is a choice of one's mind and can use whichever instruments we have at hand.

By this extreme example I do not mean to say that one must carry through such an abominable state. I would be first person to understand one's willingness to die rather than remain paralyzed. One thing that I would not understand would, however, be self-pitying choice of remain living but still do nothing but complain. Yet I think that one must try, struggle to make best of our often quite anguishing states of being, and make what little we can to help others with our actually always lacking instruments. For only in that case that we use what little we have, something better can be given to us: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things".

Personally I hate & loath being something as petty & ignorant as a human being, and feel myself being quite "paralyzed" by so many shortcomings. Yet I am very grateful that from an early teen age I have felt that it is only through daily struggle to do what little I can I may someday be something greater than this lump of clay. And since our bodies and even present minds necessarily decay & cease to be sooner or later, the Work must be done with the innermost spirit, which only uses these bodies – physical, astral, mental – as instruments. Especially nowadays when anyone can do mental work and to publish it all around the globe, we can do pretty much anything for work to help other people, be it poetry or art, philosophy or teaching how to grow potatoes. Anyone can contribute. The real problem is ennui, the modern man's self-pity. Which is very understandable, but still only a fatal mistake and nothing more.
Faust: "Lo contempla. / Ei muove in tortuosa spire / e s'avvicina lento alla nostra volta. / Oh! se non erro, / orme di foco imprime al suol!"
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Peregrina
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Re: Meaningful Work Under Difficult Circumstances

Post by Peregrina »

Ave wrote: Tue Jan 05, 2021 2:44 pm Hmmm... I have found that practicing genuine self love is such Work. It's a task which follows one around and cannot be dodged (if one wishes to evolve). Moreover, the more handicapped and cripled one is, the bigger the challenge - and the deeper the reward.
I too think this is a starting point when trying to overcome obstacles. Not getting mad at oneself when learning is slow or focusing is difficult etc is really helpful :D
Though if you're not bothering anyone I think it's better to let the steam out, than use all your energy trying to hide the frustration.
Being more compassionate towards oneself could also help being more patient, which would be the next step in overcoming certain difficulties.
But lack of time management skills and poor perception of bigger pictures..
Well, I guess patience helps learning those skills, but first I should challenge the idea, that I'm somehow inable learning those, which might or might not be true. Then there's the challenge of how to motivate oneself putting effort to attain something that is highly uncertain (and in my world everything seems to be highly uncertain except giving in to temptations of instant gratification). Especially when one is very much skilled in being comfortably numb (this is a coping mechanism I developed during the many years of self mistreat, and now it's often automatic response to stressful situations).
This I don't know, how to shake myself from the comfortable, yet suffocating apathy, because in that state it seems I'm unable to find the steering wheel and take hold of the course I'm heading.
Perhaps visualising how things could be better to gain some energy?
But how to visualise when your head's foggy?
And if I manage to visualise, the images tend to turn really disturbing very quickly, so I usually shut the channel swiftly. Perhaps if I would just try to endure the disturbing images? Perhaps they would fade away over time if I wouldn't be afraid of them? It seems that my fear is the foremost reason which provokes them. But I'm so afraid that I call those horrible things to being if I give them a slightest change to stay in my mind. And the thing that frightens me most is that some part of me wants those things to happen. Well actually no, this is nothing new, but what is new that this desire to let go all sense, control and empathy towards myself and others have grown lately, which is disturbing. I believe everyone must look eye to eye their demons, but only when it's safe enough and I'm doubting myself whether I'm able to face them and still stay constructive.

Hmm I didn't anticipate the course my rambling took, hope it's ok. I believe many others are facing similar issues so perhaps opening up my thinking might even be helpful.
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Smaragd
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Re: Meaningful Work Under Difficult Circumstances

Post by Smaragd »

Peregrina wrote: Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:22 pm Being more compassionate towards oneself could also help being more patient, which would be the next step in overcoming certain difficulties.
This is true. It seems I've only recently started to learn this more in practice when it comes to some grey day-to-day things, and especially being compassionate to more "superficial" aspects in me, like keeping the surroundings tidy etc. There can be found meaningful levels to such seemingly superifical things and thus patience for taking care of them.
Peregrina wrote: Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:22 pmBut I'm so afraid that I call those horrible things to being if I give them a slightest change to stay in my mind.
I’ve understood it is a classical phenomena when one is seriously stepping on the occult path and walking it, that the terrible visions and thoughts are to fill ones dreams and mind. My interpretation have been that it is the initial call for purification. Most of the demonic powers in oneself is thus initially confronted and formed a more clear relationship with. I suppose this is necessary for the later practice that require more focus and perhaps some ritual purity, purity of the mind etc. But until that, I’d personally say the duty is to confront the demons with the help of the central principles. Thus the magic power of thought could be seen more forgiving in this phase, or that the powers are only summoning the demonic hordes that come, if one manages to hold ones ground. One step at a time, I guess, or otherwise even the virtue seeking purity might appear in one of its demonic forms of neurotic attention to purity.
"Would to God that all the Lord's people were Prophets”, Numbers 11:29 as echoed by William Blake
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Peregrina
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Re: Meaningful Work Under Difficult Circumstances

Post by Peregrina »

Smaragd wrote: Tue Jan 12, 2021 7:32 pm
Peregrina wrote: Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:22 pm Being more compassionate towards oneself could also help being more patient, which would be the next step in overcoming certain difficulties.
This is true. It seems I've only recently started to learn this more in practice when it comes to some grey day-to-day things, and especially being compassionate to more "superficial" aspects in me, like keeping the surroundings tidy etc. There can be found meaningful levels to such seemingly superifical things and thus patience for taking care of them.
I've somehow developed a fobia, that if I for example wash my dishes in a very focused manner I will attract more dirty dishes in the future and have to wash dishes as an occupation. :lol:
This is silly, but at times I really believe in all these little threats I find from everyday chores :roll:
Smaragd wrote: Tue Jan 12, 2021 7:32 pm Peregrina wrote: ↑But I'm so afraid that I call those horrible things to being if I give them a slightest change to stay in my mind.
I’ve understood it is a classical phenomena when one is seriously stepping on the occult path and walking it, that the terrible visions and thoughts are to fill ones dreams and mind. My interpretation have been that it is the initial call for purification. Most of the demonic powers in oneself is thus initially confronted and formed a more clear relationship with. I suppose this is necessary for the later practice that require more focus and perhaps some ritual purity, purity of the mind etc. But until that, I’d personally say the duty is to confront the demons with the help of the central principles. Thus the magic power of thought could be seen more forgiving in this phase, or that the powers are only summoning the demonic hordes that come, if one manages to hold ones ground. One step at a time, I guess, or otherwise even the virtue seeking purity might appear in one of its demonic forms of neurotic attention to purity.
I've under the same impression, but that has slipped my mind for some reason. Thank you for bringing it up and deepening my view on this phenomenon. It came to my mind, that perhaps the lack of empathy that I have been experiencing at times lately is a transitional phase from affective empathy to experiencing more cognitive empathy, which is more useful when helping, where as affective empathy is more like resonating with the feeling and possibly going with it, or so I've understood. We'll see.
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