 “THE DISCOVERY OF PURPOSE IS FOUND THROUGH SEARCHING THE INNER REALMS OF SELF” THERE IS A WAY… 道 德 經 BODY, MIND, & SOUL THE PATHWAY TO PURPOSE The Pathway To Purpose (TPTP) starts with awareness.
THE FIRST AWARENESS - ANTITHESIS What is Antithesis you ask? Antithesis is opposites. The universe requires antithesis, in order for existence to exist. Antithesis (opposites) are vital in our lives - Hot needs cold; up needs down; left needs right; pleasant needs unpleasant (and so forth). Without one, we cannot have the other. There are thousands upon thousands of examples of antithesis existing everywhere we look in nature. Sun & moon; day & night; high temperature seasons & low temperature; predator & hunted (just to mention a few). These opposites exist because nature is the perfect law unto itself. When we pause and recognize what nature offers unconditionally, despite mankind’s continual interference, we can grasp the necessity for antithesis to exist for the survival of All things, not just our own survival. DOES ANTITHESIS EXIST WITHIN US? Yes; in order for us to survive we need opposites. The most obvious reason - If we did not recognize danger, we would not survive. Therefore it is essential for us to differentiate between what may create harm or decay, and what will enhance survival. WHERE DOES ANTITHESIS EXIST WITHIN US? The Body: Some obvious body opposites are the left limbs v right limbs; left ventricle v right ventricle; left eye v right eye; left lung v right lung. However, there are other less obvious energy-related opposites, which are shared in the practices of TPTP. The Mind: For simplicity, at this point, let’s refer to the mind as the brain (the functioning piece of the mind). Interestingly, over millennia, humans have embraced the development of the left hemisphere of the human brain (which has developed exponentially) creating a greater ability to think logically. However, somewhere along the journey we forgot to highlight the importance of developing the opposite side - the right hemisphere (in particular the limbic system located in the temporal lobe). This larger portion of the brain has the capacity to store massive amounts of information (both explicitly & implicitly) which dictates our body’s emotional responses (feelings). TPTP shares practices designed to enhance this essential part of ourselves. The Soul: At this point let’s refer to the soul as your intuition, or that inner gut-feeling you get sometimes - that instinctive piece within you which can change your mind in a split second from doing, to perhaps not doing, something. Antithesis exists in the Soul also, which I will highlight later in this blog. TPTP shares practices designed to enhance this essential part of ourselves. THE SECOND AWARENESS - SYNTROPY With the understanding of the principle that antithesis exists, let’s look at the vital role of syntropy and it’s opposite - entropy. SYNTROPY: Anatomically, Syntropy is a state of being which produces a clear signal physiologically between your brain and body. It enables enhanced order to exist. Psychologically, it creates calm emotions, and reduces stress. ENTROPY: Psychologically, Entropy is a state of being, which if left unchecked, produces levels of stress and overwhelm; physiological chaos; a state of disorder. Entropy is our inner fuel gauge. When our overall energy (physical, emotional, and spiritual) is becoming low or depleted, entropy warns us we need to recharge the batteries. HOW DOES SYNTROPY / ENTROPY EFFECT US? Science has revealed that energy exists in all matter (including us), and whenever any system undergoes a change, it is because it was subjected to a form of gradient. It may be a temperature gradient, a concentration gradient, pressure gradient etc, and the gradients are the cause of change. It could be a change of flow in either mass or energy, or perhaps both. Recognizing entropy as it occurs in ourselves, is akin to recognizing the fuel gauge of a motor vehicle - highlighting the depletion of the energy running the vehicle (fuel). When entropy is generated, it represents a deviation from an ideal process - a loss in potential to extract useful energy. When we live an unchecked lifestyle, we open the door to overwhelm, stress, anxiety, depression, and a raft of dis-ease. Whereas, psychologically, syntropy is the holistic model integrating the whole person. As far as health is concerned, the more energy we have available to maintain our overall self, (Body - Mind - Soul) the greater the chance of a fulfilling lifestyle, physically & emotionally, and the greater the chance of natural longevity. Active participation in the process of enhancing your overall health and well-being are vital to sustain a healthy life. THE THIRD AWARENESS - ACTION THE PATHWAY TO PURPOSE ( Practices which guide you to recognize - understand - take action). In 2015 I changed my life. I began painstakingly, yet joyfully, reviewing a cross-section of translations of some thirty religious & non-religious practices alike, and coupled my findings with modern day sporting, business, and highly acclaimed spiritual, practices in order to create a simple, accountable, program for achieving purpose in life. TPTP combines Western Sciences with Eastern Philosophies:
My Journey, thus far 55 years of life in this body, has guided me toward existentialism; acquiring self-knowledge (cognitively & experientially) through self-effort. Comprehending how Western Sciences & Eastern Practices, when aligned, creates an individual’s pathway to purpose & meaning, enables me to live the lifestyle I choose. My life's work & life's purpose are now in alignment, and I choose to share this practice (TPTP) with those who are becoming aware “there is more to life than what has been happening up-to-now.” When you are aligned (physically-emotionally-spiritually), you ‘flow’ through life in all you do. No longer will you battle to get results; nor will you view things as ‘happening to you’, rather than ‘for you’. In Flow, you will lose the victim status created by the ego’s desire to be associated as ‘some-thing’, or perhaps some ‘thought’. You will start to replace ego by acquiring knowing (cognitive learning) & knowledge (experiential learning). These combined self-effort practices lead to an understanding that this thing I call ‘me’ is an ever-changing envelope of DNA, which is essentially made up of 3 separate pieces: Body, Mind, Soul (BMS). By aligning these 3 individual pieces of BMS, we become whole; we become drawn toward that which fills your very essence. WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP IN TPTP? Understanding I am not my thoughts. When we realize a ‘thought’ is nothing but an unprocessed sentence in our head; we understand we can actually hit a pause button and gain time to become aware of our thoughts. Take the next thought you have, and ask yourself “is this thought true?” Is it? Or is the thought something which has popped-up from past experiences, and you are placing it into the present moment? Thoughts are created from present circumstances, but they are generally created to encourage the body to move into a state of survival. This is driven by the brain’s inherent nature to survive at all costs. Test it out for yourself. Write down the next 5 thoughts you have. What are they asking you to do? Perhaps one is saying, “stop reading this blog post?” If so that is because the brain believes it has survived up to this point, so do not venture into unchartered territory, as it may be dangerous = survival mode. There are many, varied, steps in the practice of TPTP, which is the reason I call it a pathway; offering step-by-step guidance through the realms of physical, emotional, & spiritual existence. Through TPTP I discovered my purpose in life, which is to share the knowledge I have acquired from my teachers. Importantly, it is not my intention to force my beliefs upon anyone. If you have any doubts toward TPTP, then perhaps now is not the time for you; however, if you feel just a twinkling of awakening reading this, then perhaps your mind is opening to the possibility that what we have been taught up until now, by our caregivers and community, is not necessarily accurate - or indeed it may be totally inaccurate? As mentioned, My purpose in life is to share the pathway of knowledge, which I have acquired both cognitively and, more importantly, experientially. The practices I share have altered my direction in life, from dealing with the depths of dysthymia in 2015; I am now living among borderless realms of unlimited potential - emotionally, physically, and spiritually. As Ralph Waldo Emerson shared, If you too hear the whisper inside which you alone can hear, drawing you forward toward a ‘better way’ of living - rather than simply existing, then perhaps this is the pathway for you? For more information on TPTP, use This Link. Here you will find practices I share - tools & techniques to gently guide you forward toward emotional awareness, one step at a time.
I currently offer services of Naturopathic Reiki in Virginia USA, as well as Sydney Australia. I offer Life Coaching services globally, through 1 on 1 coaching programs, using individually tailored tools and techniques to develop a state of positive emotional awareness and behavior. More information on Paul Pettit & BMS Here SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE RESEARCH: FROM THE ZOROASTRIAN FAITH (APROX. 2000 BCE) CAME THE VEDIC RELIGION. Evidence suggests that the Vedic religion evolved in two superficially contradictory directions; one evolved into elaborate, expansive, and specialized systems of rituals, while another questioned all of it and emphasized abstraction and internalization of the principles underlying ritual and cosmic speculation within oneself. Both of these directions influenced Taoism, Buddhism & Hinduism (as well as Jainism). A commonality shared by Buddhism & Hinduism is the inclusion of Upanishads (central philosophical concepts & ideas) of Vedas. Allow me to offer my brief overview of Buddhism & Hinduism in order to highlight their commonalities of Sub Ek.- or Oneness. BUDDHISM: The basic teachings of early Buddhism, which currently remain common to all Buddhist practices are: The Four noble truths: Existence is suffering (dukhka); suffering has a cause, namely craving and attachment (trishna); there is a cessation to suffering, (nirvana); and there is a path to the cessation of suffering (Astangika-marga), which is the eightfold path of right views, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Buddhism characteristically describes reality in terms of process and relation, rather than entity or substance. There is a distinct view of cause & effect in Buddhism, in which living beings are in a perpetual cycle of birth-and-death, where rebirth is directly influenced by one’s physical and mental actions (karma). This cycle ceases through transcendence (nirvana). “Blowing-out of the flame (of individual desires & causes of suffering)” Meditation and observance of moral precepts are the foundations of Buddhist practices. The Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) was recorded as sharing the 5 Skandhas, as shown in the Anatta lakkhana Sutta. The upshot is, he taught the following: We think the 5 Skandhas are us, but they are not the real us. They are just guests that we have mistaken to be the host. They are but temporary visitors (guests), which come and go — but they are not the real Sages of the house (the host). The 5 Skandhas can be described as the psychophysical self. It’s the body/mind complex that we usually consider to be our “selves” — it’s what we usually take to be “me”. As I understand this teaching; our thoughts and emotions (part of the 5 skandhas) all flow into the Mind and they also flow out of the Mind — they all arise and cease within the Mind: Therefore because they arise and cease, because they flow in and flow out — they are impermanent — and so they are like mere guests. It is the Real Mind, the True Mind, which plays host to these thoughts and feelings, which arise and cease within us. I am the awareness — “that which is aware”, “that which knows” which plays host to my thoughts and feelings which arise and cease within. Simplified, it is “The Awareness” of your thoughts, which is the true essence of ‘You’ not the actual thoughts themselves. When we think the 5 Skandhas are we, because we think our thoughts and emotions are we — we are establishing a false sense of self in something, which is not. The 5 Skandhas is a false self, also called the small self or small mind. Today this is often referred to as The Ego. A word of caution; The Anatta Lakkhana Sutta teaches the 5 Skandhas is not the real us. This indicates my ordinary mind and body is not the real me, or your everyday mind and body is not the real you. The Anatta Lakkhana Sutta does NOT say there is no ‘self’ Interestingly some practicing Buddhists share the thought Buddha indicated there is no ‘self’, however I have not found any evidence as to this being the case; In fact I have found the contrary. The Buddha introduced the concept of Anatman: no permanent soul, no independent self. Unfortunately some scholars are pleased with making shortcuts, so instead of no PERMANENT self, they say No-self, careless of the ambiguity they are creating in the mind of others. Another statement of shortcuts is: self is an illusion, while the correct concept is PERMANENT or INDEPENDANT soul or self — this is an illusion. To offer clarity on the teaching of no permanent self, I invite you to view your own current physical identity as an envelope of DNA, containing energy of life, and powers within the mind. This unique physical envelope (self) changes over time, decays, and eventually reaches complete disintegration forever. However, the inner energy of the envelope — some call the soul, energy, light, or perhaps awareness, — does not vanish, but rather enters into a rebirth. So, to be attached to oneself as a permanent personal individuality in this lifetime — is an illusion. It is an illusion because attachment to something constantly changing is the product of mistaken thinking, based on ego. In other words the thing called ‘me’ is in constant change during every single second which passes. The ‘me’ a second ago is no longer here (the current ‘me’ is here). When you look at a photograph of your ‘self’ at the ages of 5, 15, 25 and 35, are you the same? No. You recognize the previous version of ‘You’, however this is no longer who you are, because you are the one looking at you. Therefore Buddhism, as I practice it today, does not deny we have an identity from birth, presented in an envelope of ever-changing DNA carrying your current self; but One should be aware that any belief of an own isolated individuality is a product of ego. Ego does not understand that it will vanish forever, so it creates an idea of fixed individuality, the “I AM…” Because this fixed individuality is incorrect, it is important to recognize the ego (the small mind), and be aware of its desire to control. When you associate yourself as being identified with a ‘thing’ or a ‘thought’ (this is me), (this is who I am), you are witnessing the Ego When one understands we (the envelope of DNA) are born to change, each second of each moment, you will begin to realize this cycle is completely out of your control — and it’s time to Just Let Go, be the best version of you in each present moment, and follow the path to which you are drawn. So where does Sub Ek (All ONE) come into play in Buddhism? Buddhism encourages individuals to explore all that is revealed, and draw upon that which resonates with them as being truth. It encourages the youth to chase the follies of false hope, desiring to find happiness in all avenues, leading, eventually, to the true place where it resides; “the only way out is in, said the Adi Yogi.” Through walking the individual path, one discovers they are in fact not alone, nor are they an individual as such, but rather a single strand in the united tapestry of All Things (All strands), which collectively piece together as ‘The One’. * There are a great many books available on Buddhism, which can expand upon this enlightened ‘way of life.’ HINDUISM: To the outsider, Hinduism may seem complex, but the core beliefs of Hinduism are actually quite simple to comprehend. Hindus believe there is only one formless Supreme God, Brahman. When Brahman has form it is paramatma. This is almighty God, whose three main forms are Brahma the creator, Vishnu the sustainer, and Shiva the destroyer. Hindus pursue knowledge of Truth and Reality for moral order and right action; which is promoted through tolerance of All Things (herein we immediately see evidence of Sub Ek). Hindus worship a variety of gods and goddesses who personify aspects of Brahman. They take pilgrimages to holy sites, celebrate festivals throughout the year, and believe that time is cyclical. Hindus acknowledge that, at the most fundamental level; God is the One without a second — the absolute, formless, and only reality known as Brahman, the Supreme, and Universal Soul. Brahman is the universe and everything in it. Brahman is formless and limitless; it is Reality and Truth. This pantheistic religion equates God with the universe. Yet Hindu religion is also polytheistic, populated with a myriad of gods and goddesses who personify aspects of the one true God. This permits an infinite number of ways to worship, based on one’s individual beliefs. Some of the Hindu gods and goddesses include Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, Shiva the destroyer, Ganapati the remover of obstacles, Rama, Krishna, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga, Indra, and Hanuman, just to mention a few. Hinduism is not an organized religion; it has no single, systematic approach to teaching its value system. Nor do Hindus have a simple set of rules to follow (like the Ten Commandments or Abrahamic laws). Indeed local, regional, caste, and community-driven practices influence the interpretation and practice of beliefs throughout the Hindu world. Whilst freedom of practice is present, a common thread among all variations is the belief in Brahman, and adherence to certain concepts of truth, dharma, and karma, coupled with belief in the authority of the Vedas. The key difference between Buddhism & Hinduism is found in what Westerners often call The Soul. In Buddhism the term anattā (Pali) or anātman (Sanskrit) refers to the doctrine of “non-self”, that there is no unchanging, permanent self. This is one of the seven beneficial perceptions in Buddhism, and along with dukkha (suffering) and anicca (impermanence), it is one of three Right Understandings about the three marks of existence. The Buddhist concept of anattā or anātman is one of the fundamental differences between Buddhism and Hinduism, with the latter asserting that atman (self, soul) exists. Whilst this discrepancy exists, both Buddhism & Hinduism teaches, “All Things are interconnected, all are One.” THE ANSWER TO FINDING FREEDOM THE PATHWAY TO PURPOSE Similar to Buddhism & Hinduism, I discovered Taoism; and thus, after 3 years of studying and researching, including the key information of religions as shared by other researchers, I was introduced to what I believe to be a major piece of the guide toward an understanding of how Oneness exists in All Things (Sub Ek), which, once experienced, is beyond any form of success I have previously encountered. It is important to keep in mind, the teachings of THE PATHWAY TO PURPOSE (TPTP) are an offering, a rich guide, to All Things being both, a-part-of and reliant-upon each other. And while I include practices of The Tao Te Ching, which has been attributed to Lao Tzu (meaning old Sage), stemming from somewhere between 400 BCE and 600 BCE, there are numerous other tools & techniques involved in (TPTP). For more information on how to undertake practices of TPTP, use This Link. Here you will find practices I share - tools & techniques to gently guide you forward toward emotional awareness, one step at a time.
I currently offer services of Naturopathic Reiki in Virginia USA, as well as Sydney Australia. I offer Life Coaching services globally, through 1 on 1 coaching programs, using individually tailored tools and techniques to develop a state of positive emotional awareness and behavior. More information on Paul Pettit & BMS Here Paul J. Pettit.
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 BLOG 2
WE ACTUALLY KNOW NOTHING? GO AHEAD, ASK YOUR EGO. Why do we try to be so right about “That”, of which we know so little? Let’s face it folks, if you or I were to place the tip of our forefinger just a single millimeter from our thumb, the gap created is probably the extent to which we know about what there is to know regarding the Universe and Life. So why are we so offended when someone else has a different opinion to ours, lives a differing lifestyle, questions our beliefs, or indeed invites us to change our mind and accept their beliefs? There are primarily two reasons:
EGO Firstly, allow me to introduce you to your Ego. The Ego is the abstract part of you, which associates itself with something tangible, or a thought. When you use the phrase “I am…” you are associating yourself as being something fixed, which is totally impossible. The human being is an ever-changing envelope of DNA and energy molecules, designed from conception to eventually deteriorate. At no point in our life do we remain constant, not even for a millisecond; therefore being fixated as some-thing or some-one, is delusional. I invite you to look at photographs of yourself at age 5, 15, 25 and 35. Is the 35-year-old person the same person as the 5 year old? Or are they an evolution, evolving from the same DNA structure? When we release the concept of “this is me”, we allow ourselves to be anything we choose. By allowing this freedom of choice, limitations are removed and replaced with infinite possibilities. Borders become boundary-less, and time becomes present. Why is it important to be in the present moment at all times? Because we cannot live in the past or future, we can only live in the present. We can only be who we are in this exact moment. Once this exact moment has passed, it is no longer this exact moment; it is no longer present, and we are no longer who we just were. The Ego, is that part within your mind, which constantly attempts to convince you that you are a “something”, rather than an ever evolving being. It draws your attention to the past and says loudly “you failed at that, therefore you are not good at it”. Or “you succeeded at that, therefore you are good at it”. But nothing could be further from the truth. To fail is to learn how not to do something; and to achieve is to succeed in not failing. Both success and failure are necessary antithesis for the other to exist. If you never failed, how would you know you succeeded? The Ego is conditioned thoughts we carry from the past, which are simply that - conditioned thoughts. It cannot live in the present moment, and therefore serves little purpose to the evolved Homo sapiens. The Ego fixates itself with trying to convince you that ‘You’ are something other than self. ‘You’ are intelligent, fast, slow, overweight, underweight, short, tall, amazing, useless, skilled, haphazard, and so on. It wants to label ‘you’ as definitive. When we understand how the Ego works, we start to notice it sneaking up on our thoughts from any-and-all of the 360 degree of directions. The Ego labels ‘you’ in a fixed position which can be anywhere from either end of the scale from “Amazing” to “Useless”. To believe we are definitive, or that 'we know without question', is allowing the Ego to dictate, and limit our unlimited potentiality. Don’t misunderstand me; thoughts are useful because they provide comparison, and an avenue to admit we know nothing – and therefore can be open to learning. Thoughts teach us what worked, or did not work, in our past; and allow us to revise our pattern of behavior accordingly. However, thoughts in the form of answers are only able to supply information of which we are already aware, not information we have never encountered. This is where the ego needs to be checked at the door, to enable your thoughts to be ‘open-minded’ and available toward input from areas previously unchartered by yourself. I invite you to consider the mind as a parachute; it works best when open. The Ego exists because we previously needed it to survive (before our brain evolved to the present-day state). We needed the ego to exist when we were primitive. To put it bluntly, It is a piece of the inner gearing which is now outdated, and is best discarded. It exists by using the parts of the brain that were initially geared for survival, in particular the limbic system. The Limbic System
When the brain feels threatened, it reacts by sending the Ego forward, rather than allowing space to be created within the mind, to investigate the thoughts or viewpoints we are holding; or to allow the thoughts of others to be given an opportunity to be heard. The Ego is the persona, which takes on any-and-all of the emotions falling under the umbrella of fear. Fear, like any emotion, is definitely necessary for survival, however if left unchecked it leaves no space for Love. For more information on how to undertake practices to become aware of the ego in action, use This Link. Here you will find practices I share - tools & techniques to gently guide you forward toward awareness, one step at a time. When we practice emotional stability, rather than existing with unchecked behavior, we live a fulfilling, and purposeful life.
I currently offer services of Naturopathic Reiki in Virginia USA, as well as Sydney Australia. I offer Life Coaching services globally, through 1 on 1 coaching programs using individually tailored tools and techniques to develop a state of positive emotional awareness and behavior. More information on Paul Pettit & BMS Here |
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