A Treatise on the Mind

Treatise on the Mind.

Oh, hello, fellow humans! Today I am reading the Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma and there was a passage that reminded me of something the hermetics ascribe to: “As within, so without.” Bodhidharma said it a little more verbosely 

“By their very nature, these two mental states are always present. They alternate as cause or effect depending on conditions, the pure mind delighting in good deeds, the impure mind thinking of evil. Those who aren’t affected by impurity are sages. They transcend suffering and experience the bliss of nirvana. All others, trapped by the impure mind and entangled by their own karma, are mortals. They drift through the three realms and suffer countless afflictions, and all because their impure mind obscures their real self.”

In the past, I’ve held these as very interesting teachings, not truly understanding the depth to which they go. It’s nice to think “oh yeah, if I think good thoughts, then I’ll do good things, and my life will be better”. That thought is still only scratching the surface of this Dharma. Would it not be illuminating to understand how deep and weird this really goes?

Manifestation or Transcendence?

There are billions of manifestation techniques out there that teach people how to manipulate the quantum field, the ocean of Alaya, in order to change their lives on the outside. This is what many call “Low” or “Earth” Magick. It’s seen as low because it represents manipulation of the lowest form of density that we are familiar with – the 3D realm. It also happens to be the hardest to manipulate, often taking more time than, say, manipulating a thought or a dream.

The Buddhists were really on to something, though. As were the Hermetics. Follow me in this line of thought:

If I can manipulate the field with magick

And everything is connected in this field

And there’s no-thing that isn’t part of this field

Then is it only matter than can be manipulated in this way?

Why not try to manipulate yourself, your mind, your body, your speech in a way that sends you along the path of transcendence?

This is what the Hermetics would call High Magick, or Alchemy. It’s what the Buddhists Tantrayana or Vajrayana. Literally purifying oneself with Magick, purifying the mind, the body, the speech… Then working on ascension and selflessness. 

Ego Death?

Man, it can get tiring hearing people talk about doing battle with their Egos. That’s literally the exact opposite of the path! How can you think that fighting a critical component of you is going to bring you to the heights of love and ascension?

Of course, we often get things backwards, upside down, and inverted when thinking of how reality works! That’s why there are sages who are here to shift our perceptions in a way that allows us to move a little closer.

Then what the heck is this selflessness that the Buddhists talk about? Don’t I have to kill something to become not me? No.

Selflessness

Selflessness is a deep recognition of the nature of your very mind. It’s a recognition that what appears inside (thoughts, feelings, emotions, dreams, impulses, etc) is mirrored outside (construction, dogs barking, employees getting angry, bosses persecuting, etc). It’s a recognition that manipulation of the “outside” isn’t necessary, directly, in most cases.

Selflessness is a recognition that all the voices inside of you are worthy of being heard. No matter how vile, vindictive, or negative they are. That we’ve spent our entire lives doing the opposite of transcendence – pushing these voices away, building walls in our psyche, and silencing them. 

Anyone whose had a plant medicine experience would be able to describe some type of situation where some of these voices came online; many go through a very traumatic experience reliving some of their darkest secrets.

Becoming the Bodhisattva

What would the Dali Lama or Buddha do if someone came up to them and started shouting? Spit in their face? Well, we know this because it’s happened. The Buddha for one, thanked the person – for he proved to the Buddha that there was not one internal waver, or shift in emotion from love. He gave that person the benefit of his awareness, and being heard. That converted him in one day.

Isn’t the work of a Bodhisattva the same? However, if you were to try to just be that way externally, you’d fall into the Bliss Disease. Meditation without compassion simply leads to identification with higher states, and no ability to stabilize. You get caught in the trap of cycling up and down and never really get to the meat of the situation.

What do you do when your inner critic starts up, shames you, blames you? Tells you that you’re not good enough?

Dealing with the Inner Critic

Of course, becoming a Bodhisattva means more than simply dealing with the inner critic; however, it’s a good place to start. Most people are in one of two polarized states. Either they push the critic away, shut it down, tell it to shut up….or they believe that THEY ARE the inner critic, and succumb to the story and believe all those things.

Neither are good. We can’t push these things away, we also cannot believe them as ourselves. This is in fact what selflessness IS. Having the awareness to realize that you ARE NOT THE STORY YOU HEAR. Then having the selfless compassion to STILL LISTEN TO THE STORY AND GIVE IT SPACE.

All without believing it, or making it mean something.

The Reframe

Finally, reframing the story by helping that inner voice shift its perspective. We need to be very careful here not to make its story WRONG. We need to elevate the perspective in a way that it can accept the new reality, and thus let go of that other story.

For example, imagine you were a coach running a group program. Imagine that you only had one person sign up and there’s only a week left. Now your inner critic is going on about how you need to get more than one because it’s a group program, and they will all know that you’re fake and not successful, then they will hate you.

Accept that gracefully and allow it to feel complete. Then allow your mind to shift to a higher perspective:

“Do I really need it to be a group program?”

“Wouldn’t serving this one person help me learn what is needed anyway?”

“I get to be open and transparent, showing my bumps, and that is leadership to others who are hiding their imperfections”

“Even if they think I’m fake, that’s ok, because deep down I know that I am not”

“For every person that hates me, there are many more that truly love me”

How do you think your inner critic might respond to those?

As Within, So Without

What happens when you make peace with all your inner deamons? When you’ve given them a voice consistently, constantly, and honour their presence?

They come onboard with you, and your mission. Their drag effect disappears. They lighten your load and you float up. The next time you meditate or pray, or go to a retreat, and hit a peak state…you just might stay there.

And the external world changes. Your life, your family, your work, even the dog you walk by who used to bark and growl in anger….they all calm and gain peace.

The Integrated Leader

Aka Bodhisattva. Today is a new age, one of science and Magick. One where we get to be discerning, profitable, and magickal. One where we’ve realized that serving existence doesn’t mean giving everything away (although it certainly CAN mean that). We get to play this game as we want to and honour how it all works. As long as we’re driving forward with creativity, compassion, and divinity… We’re set.

Creativity is the passion that comes from the earth and drives us to ascend and evolve existence as we evolve.

Compassion is the recognition that we are all connected and that exchange, unity, and humility are what it needed to attain selflessness.

Divinity is the force of inspiration that involves spirit in earthly matters.

When we integrate all three of these primal energies we become an Integrated Leader. A Bodhisattva. A sage.

The Prysm Institute of Quantum Alchemy

It is because of this divine inspiration that Stephanie Jaie and I have started The Prysm. It is seeing these energies so clearly, and how they are used to fragment and control humanity. Furthermore, it is our mission to attract those who are ready to ascend, and integrate, and become the new Integrated Leaders of today.

Why not join us Monday, October 25th for a FREE conference? This is the official launch of our school, and we have leaders from all three of the primal energies.

1. Sexuality / Creativity / Eros
2. Compassion / Exchange / Phileo
3. Divinity / Inspiration / Agape

Sexuality, Compassion & Divinity,

Cian Kenshin – Your Head Alchemist