Where Does Awakening Energy Come From?

Where Does Awakening Energy Come From?

Until I began working with the practical application of the Work through exercises based on Fourth Way principles, I would have argued quite convincingly that my emotions were real. I might have reasoned that emotions need to be expressed, that I had to vent my feelings, and that controlling my emotions had little chance of success, and a wasted effort.

Even more puzzling to me was why anyone would want to hold back positive emotions which are pleasurable experiences. I could understand that in a civilized society many people try to curb outbursts of anger and overt forms of negativity, such as jealousy, despair, or complaining. But why control positive emotions? If someone had suggested that I can choose how to respond to either positive or negative emotional circumstances, I would likely have felt that choosing emotions is artificial and I would be faking it in some way.

We think that negative emotions are produced by circumstances, whereas all negative emotions are in us, inside us. This is a very important point. — P.D. Ouspensky

From using the tools of the Fourth Way system, I have observed that I can tap into the strong energy of my emotions. I have experienced the liberty of choosing and applying emotional attitudes rather than being tossed about by whatever mechanical emotions appear. At first, this felt unnatural and choosing an emotional response felt contrived because my normal reactions – up until that point – were mechanical, automatic and preprogrammed. They had become reliable and comfortable.

A trifle consoles us because a trifle upsets us. — Blaise Pascal

It was an inner freedom I had not experienced before when I realized that I did not have to express a negative emotion. The energy generated by negativity could be channeled into self-remembering, not repressed, but redirected to my aim to awaken. In this Work, not expressing negative emotions has nothing to do with morality, but rather an understanding of how I desire to use my energy. Try choosing not to respond in kind the next time someone in the service industry is rude or angry with you. Rather, bring your awareness to the present moment and observe whether you feel that less energy was expended by responding without negativity.

Another realization was that I did not have to give away the energy of a positive emotion by exuberantly expressing that feeling either. With moderation, I could share the positive energy with others yet keep some for myself which can be used to intensify my efforts toward higher states of consciousness.

All emotions are pure which gather you and lift you up; that emotion is impure which seizes only one side of your being and so distorts you. — Rainer Maria Rilke

Numerous times I have observed that when I indulge in positive emotions, soon thereafter the tide turns and I would consistently find myself unbalanced and expressing negative emotions. One of the most important ideas that has stayed with me from my first introduction to the Fourth Way has been that consciousness both needs and creates energy. It takes a kind of refined fuel to bring my awareness high enough to combine with higher emotional center. With self-remembering and awareness, I can plug up leaks of energy that are largely produced through expressing negative emotions and then redirect that emotional energy to position myself to receive higher states.

Higher emotional connects with the highest part of the emotional center. — The Teacher

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Gandhara Buddha, 1st - 2nd Century CE

Gandhara Buddha, 1st - 2nd Century CE