In yoga they talk about samskaras – the thoughts and impressions, hidden deeply in our mind, that are not based in truth. For example, not feeling worthy or good enough, feelings of negative judgment of self or other, feeling unloved, needing to be liked, needing to be right, needing to be in control, etc. Samskaras could also be the rules we carry in our head about how things “should” be; e.g. – “the kitchen sink should never have little bits of food in it,” ‘”there’s no excuse for being late,” etc. We all have rules we live by – even if the rule is to have no rules! The key is in noticing which rules, and which impressions are causing us and/or others to suffer. If we look deep enough we’ll likely discover an untruth buried there.
Once we start realizing the thoughts or impressions that are causing our suffering, we’ll notice over time that it’s the same things over and over that are at the core of our suffering. This is actually much easier to spot in other people than in ourselves! All of us have friends and/or family who seem to be dealing with the same issues throughout their lives. The details of each new incident may change, but the underlying issue is often the same. Can you relate?
Some of us are well aware of our pitfalls – our traps of thinking that trip us up over and over. Some of us have been working for years and years to try and rid ourselves of these traps. And yet, we keep getting caught in the same old, same old samskaras. So we commit to trying harder to rid ourselves of this darkness, believing that’s it through pushing ourselves that we will overcome.
To be honest, I don’t think that works very well. It’s discouraging. Fortunately a wise teacher recently suggested a different approach to dealing with samskaras. Instead of hitting them straight on, she told me to focus instead on ways to bring in more light, more joy. As more light and more joy enter my life, the light itself will work through the samskaras and unravel them on it’s own – without any attention or effort on my part.
What a brilliant plan! I’d much rather focus on bringing in more light and joy, than diving into the depths of darkness to straighten things out. I love this plan and I am committing to it! More light, more joy – samskaras be gone!
~Sue Hardman-Conklin
Questions to Ponder:
- Are you aware of your habits of thinking, your rules, and your impressions that cause you to suffer?
- Have you uncovered the untruth hidden in your rules and impressions and stories you tell yourself that cause you to suffer?
- What is it that brings more joy and light into your life?
- Can you commit to cultivate more positive thoughts, more joy?
I wonder why the personality seems so invested in these old habits and rules that seem bent on keeping me in “suffering mode”. It even gets sneaky, trying a little different angle of the same habit or rule if it senses a change in my strategy to overcome old patterns. So crafty! Instead of pushing away, cultivating positive thoughts and some joy sounds so much more inviting!
Nanette, your comment made me laugh! Yes, the personality is very crafty. Those samskaras are grooves that run deep. Creating new grooves of joy just might be the best way to crowd out those old habits. Good luck! And keep us informed how this works for you.