The Leaking Tap
The demands of living in existence exert great pressure on the vitality of our natural energy resources. Similar to a leaking tap which drains the supply of water from a tank, people deplete their finest energies within the body through giving so much of their precious life to excessive use of electronic devices such as mobile ‘phones, incessant worry, and curiosity as to the plight of others when no action is intended. Everyone needs to know what’s going on in the world to function in everyday living. But it’s to examine where habitual behavioural patterns are spoiling the quality of the life.
Spiritual energy is the subtle quality of stillness that, unless acknowledged in the pause between activities in the world, becomes imperceptible as the restorative power within the being. The experience of living then becomes tense and strenuous, with the person unable to separate from the momentum of the world. Whenever someone loses themselves in aimless thought or imagination, the leaking tap begins to drip. When any situation is emotionalised, such as impatience, rising excitement or even the anticipation of the outcome of an action, the sediment of past unconscious living is stirred. The idea is to be swift enough in the perception to identify the first movement of emotion. Emotion is unable to move when conscious of any inner disturbance. When practised regularly, the space becomes clear to discern what needs to be done.
As power is harnessed within the body, the greater the reaction from the unresolved parts of the emotional self. This is because when a man or woman begins to be more responsible by attending to the problem areas of the life, the self begins to panic. The self, which is the emotional body, is being starved of its supply of vital energy necessary for its survival. Instead of feeding the self as before, the individual is sealing the leaking tap of emotion and consequently becoming more aligned with the source of life itself.
Chinese water torture is the infamous procedure whereby a prisoner is made to endure the constant drip of water on the forehead. The repetition of the impact of the droplets induces severe distress and, for some, takes them to the edge of insanity. In the spiritual practice the task is observe without judgement the dripping psychic droplets of self falling as discarded pieces of yesterday’s unconscious living experience. This is a necessary part of the purification process for as long as is necessary. But it’s to know that whatever has to be faced is determined by the integrity of life itself. No-one has to undergo more than they can bear at any time, for the truth is that we all get through in the end.
The dying for life and love is a solitary affair lived out in the drama of the external sensory world. One of the great truths of existence is this: the person knows in the depths of the being the main challenge of the living life. This is disguised through the many goals, interests and aspirations that surround the person. By turning off the leaking tap for good, this revelation is made real through the merging of any lesser desires into a completion of creative fulfilment.
So beautifully put into words…such comforting underlying principles.