In the philosophy of Non-Dual Saiva Tantra (NST) there is neither ‘good’ nor ‘bad’, only ‘is-ness’. The concept of good and bad is man-made in order to label, categorise, and separate - in NST, nothing is either inherently good or bad, all phenomena just is.
This desire to label is our nature as humans - when divine consciousness manifested itself into human form it (willingly) forgot it was part of the singular infinite Consciousness and began to identify with its separateness, existing in a world of dualities. This misidentification with separateness is why we suffer, and why we inflict suffering upon others.
In forgetting that we are already whole and that bliss exists within us, we seek to find our happiness in things external to us, thinking the more we have the happier we will be. But those external somethings never fill that void (or at least not for long), because it’s not a void, only an obscurance of Divine truth revealed through the realisation that you are already whole (ie there is no void).
In believing that I’m separate I become disconnected from others, which invites inflicting suffering on them - their pain is irrelevant if it results in my happiness. By understanding that we are actually one consciousness experiencing life through multiple individual perspectives we remember that we’re not separate, merely both experiencing unique views of the same reality. Realising that I am you and you are me, then your pain is my pain, and loving you is actually synonymous to loving myself.
In forgetting that we are part of a singular consciousness we become disconnected from others. We become ignorant to the fact that we are merely one consciousness experiencing life through multiple individual perspectives. In remembering this, you realise that I am you and you are me, just both experiencing unique views of reality - in the way that different organs are part of one whole body, even though they are separate from one another.
We’re all doing the same thing - trying our best the way we know how, based on our own experience-based world-view. However, we all exist in varying degrees of ignorance, and because we’re each having unique experiences we’ll never agree on a way derived through our experience/separateness. The best (and only) way then is one not based on separateness, but wholeness - connection through love. This is why love is considered a transcendent principle: it is the appropriate response to both love and hate.
When we see that there is a way to view the world other than the suffering-inducing one we’re using, we can let go of our clingings (suffering) and invite blissful freedom.
Sufferings are indications of where we’re being obscured - what story of separateness we’re clinging on to, preventing us from returning to Divine bliss. They are simply information to be used as feedback to help us notice where we are misaligned so that we can navigate back. All suffering serves to protect us, in its own (often misguided) way. Just as touching something hot creates pain to manoeuvre us away from danger, mental and emotional suffering act to protect us. These sufferings point to deep misalignments that will be experienced repeatedly until what is being obscured is revealed. (The equivalent of continuing to touch something hot until you learn better.)
In NST all suffering is welcomed as a blessing because it can be utilised in the process of liberation. This liberation is found in the realisation that all suffering is self-created, meaning the only person responsible for your suffering is you - no one else. If my suffering is based on and how I’ve chosen to view the things that helped create it, then I can choose differently. This is the beauty of human consciousness - the capacity to experience suffering and choose to let it make you better.
By becoming deeply connected to oneself we reveal our divine nature, and so become connected to everyone and everything else through love. By awakening to living consciously and choosing to find the blessings in our sufferings, we raise the consciousness of those around us, and ultimately the collective consciousness.
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