The Ledge

There are times when all of us feel that we are clinging to a ledge. We know we cannot let go of what we are holding so tightly to or we will fall, and in falling, we will be dashed upon the rocks.

It is why I think climbing trees is such a wonderful thing for children, for they learn to cling, but more importantly, when dangling from the lowest branch and looking down to the ground, they must overcome their fear of the last two feet and drop to the ground.

Hanging there, looking at those last two feet, the four foot tall child sees a drop of six feet. Their center of self, their head, would travel six feet, were it going to the ground. Given the perception of a six foot drop, it makes a good deal of sense to worry about dropping from the branch. The fear is real, and reasonably prudent, but it fits not the reality of the situation, but the perception of it.

So here we are, caught up in perceptions of reality that do not match with the reality that surrounds us. We are afraid, and the fear causes us to cling ever more tightly to the ledge. A huge amount of energy is being expended to hold on to our ledge, and the greater our fear, the more we cling. The more we cling, the greater the energy used, the weaker we become and the more tenuous the grip.

Except there is no ledge, for we are fearing a drop that is only in our minds. We are perceiving what is not there, and we are expending all our energies to do it.

This is the root truth of anxiety and stress: Our feet our on the ground but we insist that we are dangling above space. We may hear this from friends, teachers, clerics, written works, a thousand times, and we will deny it one thousand and one times. Here is the solution: Let go. No fancy techniques, no deep meditations, no chanting, no faith. Open your eyes, look around, expand your perspective to match reality, and let go.

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Balaram’s comment:
Well, you almost completely had me until you said…NO CHANTING! NO FAITH! For you to write with such conviction shows me that you have faith; Yes, faith in yourself. I sense that you do have faith in yourself, otherwise you couldn’t have written such a well constructed piece. Regarding the chanting part; I love chanting!!! For me, a life without chanting would take away one of my most blissful activities. We all absorb what we can, when we can, if we can, and I honestly believe that a man of your spiritual insight can understand…what I’m trying to say. Incidentally, I’ve always admired the wisdom of the Sufi as well as the deceptive simplicity of Zen. I thank you for your feedback and I look forward to more. Tag! You’re it!, Balaram
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My reply:
Chanting is one of the sublime practices, and can place one directly in the presence. The problem with anxiety is that the chanting is applied as antidote. Whilst one is chanting, peace, bliss, union is experienced, the anxiety is quelled. When one suffering anxiety stops the chanting, the anxiety returns.

Because anxiety is a problem of view, of perception, of orientation; the chanting becomes not a harmonization and exultation with the divine, but a blind momentarily imposed. It becomes the object of the problematic view, rather than a tool that removes veils of illusion.

In most mystic systems, the first steps on the path are physical and cognitive:
For example, in Buddhism there are eight limbs.
Note the first two are cognitive transformations, the next three are physio-cognitive bridges.

Wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñā, Pāli: paññā)
1. Right view
2. Right intention
Ethical conduct (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla)
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
Mental discipline (Sanskrit and Pāli: samādhi)
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration
(from Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path])

When dealing with anxiety, most people who seek cure through meditational practices start with the meditation - falsely believing their illness is a lack of peace, when in fact their illness is a false view of reality. Meditation, in fact, is not for the purpose of “getting some peace” but to help forge a being who is the very embodiment of serenity.

The post was written to address the state of anxiety and the route to its removal, not to disengage people from chanting! Among the sufi there is a central practice, wazifa; recalling the 99 names of Allah (see http://wahiduddin.net/words/wazifa.htm). It brings one into direct realation with the divine, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Among most buddhist sects, chanting is a central practice. Sound is divine, chanting is a magnificent expression of divinity!

With my love,

Mu’îd ibn al Nûr