Re: ashram life vs. living in the world

[Guest guest]

" inlovewithreality " wrote:

> My piece followed by my personal story.

>

> 1. I am scared about life in the world (West), because it is EMPTY,

> LACKING SWEETNESS, STRESSFUL, SCAREY, AGGRESSIVE, TOO DIFFICULT!!!

> fast.

>

> I want to live in the west and have a normal life.

> I dont want to stay in India.

> I Want To be Able to GO HOME!!!!

>

> I believe The Work is my solution.

> I believe if I continue to do The Work, I will be able to handle

> Normal Life and even enjoy it!

>

> I Want To Love ALL of reality.

> Tara

Dear Tara,

I used to live in an ashram - the Indian man came to America...

Thank you for your work. It was a great reminder of how I

compartimentalize and determine WHAT is spiritual - and what is not.

You say - I want to live in the west yet you flew back to India.

You say - I believe the work is my solution and yet for me, getting

that EVERYONE I meet was sent to ME from whatever FOR me to return to

what I am (love). I used to make the man from India " special " . Then

I realized - Everyone is the guru.

The work isn't necessarily your solution - your undoing of your

confused thinking is your solution - the work may help, but many

methods will come along to assist you -

for me - I start this day, right where I am - aware of my body's felt

sense and communications to me and I ask - what is it I am supposed to

do this day? I don't know until I ask...

So WHO is aking and WHO is answering your questions?

Where are you putting your faith, your heart, your trust?

Blessings -Jan

[Guest guest]

Dear Tara,

what is a " normal life " to you?

Love,

Am 07.05.2004 um 07:16 schrieb inlovewithreality:

> My piece followed by my personal story.

>

> 1. I am scared about life in the world (West), because it is EMPTY,

> LACKING SWEETNESS, STRESSFUL, SCAREY, AGGRESSIVE, TOO DIFFICULT!!!

>

> 2. I want living and working in the world to be fun, fulfilling,

> supportive, enjoyable.

>

> I want to be able to live a normal life outside of safe ashram life.

>

> 3. Living and working in the world should not be: Stressful,

> exhausting, making me sick, meaningless, only to get money, scarey,

> too difficult for me, overwhelming pressure.

>

> Living and working in the world should be: Do-able, fun, meaningful.

>

> 4. I need to find a way to live and work in the world that suits me.

>

> 5. Living and working in the world is: Stressful, pushing me beyond

> my limits, making me sick & dysfunctional, scarey, empty, aggressive,

> fast.

>

> 6. I dont ever want to experience again, trying to live and work in

> the world and getting so stressed out and physically sick that I have

> to quit and leave for India again.

>

> My story:  When I was in my twenties I met an Indian Guru, then

> totally stepped out of normal life to live in an ashram secluded from

> the world for many years.

>

> Then recently I heard about and The Work. I felt such freedom

> from doing the work and felt that I wanted to participate in Life-The

> World, and not shut out the world anymore.

>

> I left my Indian ashram and tried to make a new start, tried to have

> a normal life, working in a company and living in a small apartment.

> I lasted one year.

> My job felt totally stressful and overwhelming and I thought I would

> have a nervous breakdown.  So I quit, and flew back to India.

>

> I am now in India, doing The Work and trying to get clarity.

> I want to deal with my fears and not keep running away from life.

>

> I want to live in the west and have a normal life.

> I dont want to stay in India.

> I Want To be Able to GO HOME!!!!

>

> I believe The Work is my solution.

> I believe if I continue to do The Work, I will be able to handle

> Normal Life and even enjoy it!

>

> I Want To Love ALL of reality.

> Tara

>

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

You asked a very good question!

What is normal life to me?

I think I believed I should try to act the way everyone else was

acting. Do " normal things " like watch TV, drink coffee....

I will go inside and try to find out what suits Me, and not try to

imitate what I think is normal!!

Thank you for such a sweet question!

Tara

> Dear Tara,

>

> what is a " normal life " to you?

>

> Love,

>

>

> Am 07.05.2004 um 07:16 schrieb inlovewithreality:

>

> > My piece followed by my personal story.

> >

> > 1. I am scared about life in the world (West), because it is

EMPTY,

> > LACKING SWEETNESS, STRESSFUL, SCAREY, AGGRESSIVE, TOO

DIFFICULT!!!

> >

> > 2. I want living and working in the world to be fun, fulfilling,

> > supportive, enjoyable.

> >

> > I want to be able to live a normal life outside of safe ashram

life.

> >

> > 3. Living and working in the world should not be: Stressful,

> > exhausting, making me sick, meaningless, only to get money,

scarey,

> > too difficult for me, overwhelming pressure.

> >

> > Living and working in the world should be: Do-able, fun,

meaningful.

> >

> > 4. I need to find a way to live and work in the world that suits

me.

> >

> > 5. Living and working in the world is: Stressful, pushing me

beyond

> > my limits, making me sick & dysfunctional, scarey, empty,

aggressive,

> > fast.

> >

> > 6. I dont ever want to experience again, trying to live and work

in

> > the world and getting so stressed out and physically sick that I

have

> > to quit and leave for India again.

> >

> > My story:  When I was in my twenties I met an Indian Guru, then

> > totally stepped out of normal life to live in an ashram secluded

from

> > the world for many years.

> >

> > Then recently I heard about and The Work. I felt such

freedom

> > from doing the work and felt that I wanted to participate in

Life-The

> > World, and not shut out the world anymore.

> >

> > I left my Indian ashram and tried to make a new start, tried to

have

> > a normal life, working in a company and living in a small

apartment.

> > I lasted one year.

> > My job felt totally stressful and overwhelming and I thought I

would

> > have a nervous breakdown.  So I quit, and flew back to India.

> >

> > I am now in India, doing The Work and trying to get clarity.

> > I want to deal with my fears and not keep running away from life.

> >

> > I want to live in the west and have a normal life.

> > I dont want to stay in India.

> > I Want To be Able to GO HOME!!!!

> >

> > I believe The Work is my solution.

> > I believe if I continue to do The Work, I will be able to handle

> > Normal Life and even enjoy it!

> >

> > I Want To Love ALL of reality.

> > Tara

> >

[Guest guest]

Dear Tara,

I may as well admit right off the bat that I don't

use The Work to be able to be content under any

circumstance, but I still want to share my story.

A " normal life in the west " , as you describe it,

is the part of the west that I find dysfunctional.

People are so skilled at not listening to what they

need that they are creating hell on earth. But,

fortunately, we have some choice, while remaining

in the west.

I offered a friend help with painting a kitchen the

other day. Hanging up the phone I realized that that

was not what I wanted, simply because he lives in a

small, closed-in apartment in the concrete jungle of

our capital. So I called back and offered help with

his summer house, situated by a lake with a small

sauna on the property. Now there is a difference in

energy connected with this! The first offer would feel

like work, the other feels like vacation.

I used to live in a city, now I'm surrounded by green

with frequent visits from wild animals. I have

a room devoted to " feeling good " - pillows, candles,

pictures, music. I choose what I take in, in regards to

books, movies, TV. I practice qigong. I'm keeping the

relationships that put a smile on my face or in my

heart and letting go of the others. My work is now more

aligned with what I believe in ( " a job that only delivers

a paycheck is too costly " ). I attend courses and workshops

with people that are also looking for a more humane existence.

All these things balance, and then when I want to or

have to get in touch with the crazy stuff, it seems less

crazy - the outer reflects the inner and I have enough

energy saved up to be able to deal with it with calm and

integrity.

In a sense I think I am doing what you are

doing, going back and forth between the worlds, except

I don't go all the way to India to get there. The

concept of normal or not loses the point, it's just a

matter of listening to and respecting my needs and

acting from them.

Happy trip, Tara!

abra

" inlovewithreality " wrote:

> My piece followed by my personal story.

>

> 1. I am scared about life in the world (West), because it is EMPTY,

> LACKING SWEETNESS, STRESSFUL, SCAREY, AGGRESSIVE, TOO DIFFICULT!!!

>

> 2. I want living and working in the world to be fun, fulfilling,

> supportive, enjoyable.

>

> I want to be able to live a normal life outside of safe ashram life.

>

> 3. Living and working in the world should not be: Stressful,

> exhausting, making me sick, meaningless, only to get money, scarey,

> too difficult for me, overwhelming pressure.

>

> Living and working in the world should be: Do-able, fun, meaningful.

>

> 4. I need to find a way to live and work in the world that suits me.

>

> 5. Living and working in the world is: Stressful, pushing me beyond

> my limits, making me sick & dysfunctional, scarey, empty,

aggressive,

> fast.

>

> 6. I dont ever want to experience again, trying to live and work in

> the world and getting so stressed out and physically sick that I

have

> to quit and leave for India again.

>

> My story: When I was in my twenties I met an Indian Guru, then

> totally stepped out of normal life to live in an ashram secluded

from

> the world for many years.

>

> Then recently I heard about and The Work. I felt such freedom

> from doing the work and felt that I wanted to participate in Life-

The

> World, and not shut out the world anymore.

>

> I left my Indian ashram and tried to make a new start, tried to

have

> a normal life, working in a company and living in a small apartment.

> I lasted one year.

> My job felt totally stressful and overwhelming and I thought I

would

> have a nervous breakdown. So I quit, and flew back to India.

>

> I am now in India, doing The Work and trying to get clarity.

> I want to deal with my fears and not keep running away from life.

>

> I want to live in the west and have a normal life.

> I dont want to stay in India.

> I Want To be Able to GO HOME!!!!

>

> I believe The Work is my solution.

> I believe if I continue to do The Work, I will be able to handle

> Normal Life and even enjoy it!

>

> I Want To Love ALL of reality.

> Tara