As I mentioned in the recent article about innocent ignorance, willful ignorance, free will and the choices we make in life, we have a Higher mind and a lower mind. Each of these has a strong pole and a weak pole. Knowing the four qualities of our mind is necessary if we are to master life’s lessons.

By being aware of how our mind works, we can know which parts of our mind are dominant in any given situation. That can help us to view the dynamics of what’s happening objectively, and consciously choose how to respond when we confront unhelpful attitudes originating within us or in another. externally.

Because the quality of dispassion is the antidote to the mind suffering through what it’s trying to avoid looking at, cultivating objectivity and dispassion helps us negate countless potential problems. When we can objectively evaluate which parts of ours or another’s minds are in play in any given situation we can see how to be conscious in our responses.

The mind is a dualistic mechanism with two levels of operation. One is the Higher, abstract idealistic aspirational mind which is in direct contact with the Soul. The other is the lower, mechanical, materialistic “reasoning” desire mind which is in direct contact with our emotions and desires. Knowing the qualities of the Higher mind and lower mind assists us in making wise decisions.

The Polarity of the Lower Mind

Because of the dual nature of Mind, both our Higher Mind and lower mind have a strong pole and a weak pole. The lower mind's weak pole is reason and its strong pole is desire. That's why what we want isn’t necessarily going to give way to reason.

We all tend to find reasons why we want what we want. Our “desire mind” leads the way when we are unconscious. The lower mind searches for what it wants, and then finds justifications for why getting what it wants is a good thing, even when it’s not. We can always find a reason for doing or not doing anything governed by our desire mind.

It is easy to see that there are many desires which we can justify that could lead us into all kinds of problems. Two obvious examples are those who desire to hurt another (or self) through destructive behavior, and those whose desire leads them to refuse to grow despite all signals that it's time to give up abusive behaviors and attitudes. When the lower mind has reasoned some desire is good, it will pursue that desire regardless of consequences.

The Higher Mind’s Polarity

The Higher mind's weak pole is intellect. That's why intellect alone is not strong enough to give up a desire that's been reasoned out and justified, including the desire to stay willfully ignorant. As we discussed in the recent series about how much power we have to choose whether to be ignorant or not, willful ignorance is much different than simple ignorance. When someone desires to perpetuate behavior which they need to end, when all the signs and signals of their lives show they need to live differently but they won’t change, it’s willful ignorance. Willful ignorance is always consciously or unconsciously chosen by ego-mind.

The Higher mind's strong pole is the only solution to the lower mind's malfunctioning. The strong pole of our Higher mind is Will, in the sense of Spiritual Will. When we apply our Spiritual Will in any moment through the power of our mind to decide to get out of its own way and let Truth be made manifest, old ways are transcended immediately, and the desire mind and its rationalizations have no hold on our awareness and the choices we must make.

To know the difference between Spiritual Will and ego-will, examine how attached you or another is to perpetuating unhelpful or destructive patterns. When there is a sense of ego-power in a situation, there will always be justifications, rationalizations, and attempts at seduction. Ego will wants what it wants without regard to how good or bad that thing might be. It's only when we can stand aside from our desires and allow our Soul/Spirit to express itself through our Spiritual Will's understanding can we tame our lower nature. It takes practice, but if we are diligent we easily calm the lower nature and experience the loving wise intelligence of our true Self.

Though rationalizations may arise in the lower mind to justify its view, as we learn to apply our Spiritual Will to further our Higher Self, eventually the lower mind's hold on its view gives way. Then our Spiritual Will can focus our intellect to use the power of our Higher Self's ability to choose how to respond to any given thing. When this is at work, we know how to use our Will in applying our Love, Wisdom, and/or Intelligence in Action in ways that benefit us and all we are connected to. When the Higher Will is at work, it serves the greatest good for the Higher Self, the greatest good for one’s community, and the greater good for humanity.

Reprinted on crystalwind.ca with written permission from Robert Wilkinson. Copying this article to other blogs is strictly prohibited. It is copyright protected. 

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