137. Desire & Unhappiness

©2004 Athene Bitting All Rights Reserved

CXXXVII

Separating from Desire:

A Requirement for the 2nd Degree of Initiation

Lecture based Questions:

1. Draw or describe one of your helpers.

We have hundreds of individuals helping us and waiting to help us. Angels, loved ones (both living and dead), pets, nature spirits, teachers, and Masters. Each contacts us with symbols, colors, mind pictures, and sensations. Still yourself and put pen or pencil to the space below. Start doodling and see what you have drawn to remind you of one of these allies. Or, record something you remember of a spark of light or loving touch.

2. How many lifetimes does it take to transcend desire?

Lots. In fact you never really get over it. You just enjoy it more and suffer less. The hormone cocktail that makes up desire eventually is recognized as a reaction to stimulus. This concept, however, is a booger to wrap the mind around and usually takes hundreds of lifetimes and thousands of adventures.

3. Is all the desire that we experience self-generated?

No. It can be contagious. It's pretty easy to get the greed and territory hormones all worked up when our neighbors are feeling this way.

If we are in cupidity mode, and this is a common stream of emotion for us, then it most likely is self-generated.

When we feel desire/greed, we throw out our Astral cables right and left and onto any shiny or pretty object that we see. We want to take the pretty/powerful/cool stuff all home!

4. Where does desire come from?

Most of the time, it is a simple, natural program of the body designed to collect stuff. When we become truly obsessed by a person or object of desire, then the hormones are raging and we are temporarily insane.

5. Where does it reside in the body?

The brain reacts in the hypothalamus, shooting out hormones that shout, “grab it!” The adrenal glands shift the body into hunting mode. The lymbic system really gets going when the mind latches onto an object, and we then feel the warm flashes of excitement. The entire body and all its parts become flushed with blood and arousal—ready for shopping or whatever.

6. Do adolescents have the most trouble with desire?

I wish. No. Grownups who seem to know better spend their energies flitting from desire to desire. This is correlated to self-esteem/insecurity, gratification, identity confusion, and the need to control.

7. Is desire ever a good thing? What is bad about it?

Alas, my dear, it is never a good thing in the Zen sense. It is the root of all unhappiness. A sister to fear, desire is also a mind-fuck. Our thoughts give momentum to our emotional energies. Unlike fear, however, where we attract what we fear, we don’t attract what we desire, we repel it! Snarf! How frustrating is that?

The Masters often use our desires in order to manipulate us into situations that help others and bring on wisdom.

8. What does it look like in the Astral World?

Desire is abundant in the lowest areas of the Astral Plane. The color is dirty red. Desire thought forms resemble claws, hooks, and pinchers.

From the Solar Plexus, we shoot out those cables of attachment. These look like sturdy black electric cords. These latch onto people and things that we desire to bond with. The more we think about these objects of desire, the stronger and more multiple the bonds become.

The will force is involved here, so the “beak” extends at the mouth and nose area of the face. The size and color of the beak depends on the obsession of a person. The more negative the attachment, the darker the color.

Neediness is also a factor in desire. The solar plexus protrudes a thick, gelatinous extension to the object. This resembles the “leg” that an amoeba extends outward. The texture is sticky and the odor is sickly sweet, resembling decaying meat.

7. Meditation Exercise: Breath of Release

•Sit comfortably so that your body does not distract you.

•Hands are in mudra pose (“jam-and-bread” from the song “Do Re Mi” in the Sound of Music film). We begin with left hand hooked over right hand. RH is palm up, and LH is palm down. Comfortably wedge your hands over Solar Plexus.

•Open your mouth slightly and allow your exhale to be an audible air release, like you do when you are relieved. Repeat this breath five times.

•Unfold your hands and face your palms comfortably to the front, your elbows next to your body. Repeat the breath five more times.

•Turn your hands so that your palms are facing you, your elbows are still next to your body. Say: “Whatever comes to me is blessing and healing. Whatever thoughts God sends to me are correct and well-balanced. Whatever paths I walk are done with good humor and detachment.”

⚢ ⚣ ⚤ ⚥ ⚦ ⚧ ⚨ ⚩

Nyuh Nyuh Nyuh!

”When you bite your lip, it’s a reaction to-oo

Love, u-uv, u-uv.” —Rick Ocasec , "My Best Friend’s Girl"

The path of desire is a major theme on the path of hedonism, which is one of the required paths to enlightenment. First one explores the nature of desire—who what when where and why. Many lifetimes are spent in pursuit of the meaning of life through gratification. After many quests and experiments, the child of God begins so suffer from ennui. The shiny objects of the worldly life no longer satisfy the Astral hunger. So the young soul becomes a Seeker and begins to look for the meaning of life in many pleaces and occupations.

Fear and desire are the emotional states that leave us most vulnerable to manipulation by others. Whenever we make choices from these motives, we make bad choices.

In its instinctive application, desire promotes survival in the physical body. It helps to prevent starvation and it encourages genetic diversity. This is how species evolve. This is how we discover new food sources.

The adrenal and hypothalamus glands send out their stimulating hormones that make the body alert and feel alive. The cause-and-effect thinking process shuts down. Just like fear, desire switches off our logical minds. The only learned behavior that will shine through this hormonal haze is habitual, or, conditioned action. Like fear, when desire takes its hold on the body, we lose what defines us as human. We become reactive animals in survival mode, devoid of our reasoning.

Sometimes desire has no filters or specific targets. This is when there is a hormonal imbalance. We see this take place in addictive cycles and in certain cases of brain damage. In such examples, a person has lost the boundaries of self-image. It’s kinda like a runaway train. The loop of acquisition behavior doesn’t bring satisfaction, but the momentum is hard to break.

Like fear, we can use several tricks to loosen the chains of desire. The first trick is conditioned behavior. The second trick is daily cleansing. The third trick is a belief system that transcends the hormonal condition. The fourth trick is to relax into the emotional situation and to enjoy the feelings with good humor. The fifth trick is to laugh at yourself.

1) Conditioned response is a daily discipline of self-reinvention. During moments of brief meditation, regard items that stimulate desire. Are they worthy of your attention? Would they improve the quality of life? Are these things or people better off being admired by you and not owned by you?

“Let me now express the Divine Idea in my mind, body, and affairs.” —FSS

“God leads the way to my success.”

“God puts the correct response in my mind for the correct occasion.”—JM

“Hundreds of helpers are now working with me to manifest the solution.”

“God solves all my problems harmoniously and with perfect timing.”

2) Daily cleansing of the aura and body of all negativity, doubt, criticism, and fear creates a clean emotional palette for daily success. Even though we might generate new fear every day, negative energies do not have to accumulate in our bodies. Prayer or meditation accomplishes this. Cleansing the heart chakra with Pranic Psychotherapy is very helpful for temporary relief from phobias.

“May all negativity, insecurity, and neediness now be cleansed from my being and my aura. May the energies be dissolved, dispersed and dissipated. May they return to primal essence and only be used for constructive purposes.”

3) Faith creates a lifeline to follow during an emotional white-out. When hormones cloud our ability to think or perceive clearly, our beliefs define what our choices will be. What we believe is what we receive, and when we believe that order, abundance, and fulfillment always rule in our lives, then it is so. Faith must be cultivated. First we say it without believing it, then it becomes a habit or part of our identity. We become validated when what we say manifests. Ingrained in our subconscious minds it finally takes automatic action in our lives perpetually. As we continue to say it, we finally reach the automatic stage of no doubt, and this is where miracles can occur. When we have perfect faith then no distraction can divert us from a good life and wisdom.

4) Relaxing will help to release you from the dithering and chasing of desires. As my guardian angel says, “When in doubt, don’t.” She’s very, very smart, and sometimes I listen to her. I’m getting better at it. The trick here is to slow down your energy and float in the enjoyment of the moment.

“I regard this object/goal as an opportunity for fun and wisdom.”

“I am always beautifully guided and I enjoy perfect timing.”

“God is my perfect supplier and supporter.”

5) Humor drives out impatience and cupidity. When challenged with desire, we sometimes take ourselves too seriously. This sets off the imbalance that creates neediness. You are the favorite child and God loves to give you a beautiful life without limits. Allow the right things to flow to you as you float on the golden sea of contentment.