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Rob
Thankyou for the deep and insightful reply to my post of nearly a month ago. Its taken me a while to reflect on how this relates to my struggle of this practice and its capacity to develop and at the same time has the potential to regress the capacity of the ego.
Two of the statements really hit home:
The stronger your ego - or to frame it another way - the more developed your ego is the more effective you are at acting and being in this world of form, whether that's skilfully connecting with someone, lifting 280 pounds or managing your own internal issues without reacting unconsciously. Strength training can be used to develop the ego's core capacities (physical, emotional and mental capacities) and as a result can enhance your ability to act on and bring your life's purpose into greater fruition within the world of form.
I really connected with this statement. I feel the greatest benefit that the practice of strength training has developed for me is this “development of the ego's core capacity”. Physical is the most obvious. Even at a physical level I have found this practice is the most effective and efficient way of developing a physique that is strong, energetic and healthy. What has been the surprise is the emotional, mental, and dare I say it spiritual developments that have happened as a direct consequence of this strength training practice.
I have been taught and read many philosophical thoughts on life and self that deny the strengthening of the ego - that transcendence only comes through detachment and formlessness. It is perceived that if one develops the intent towards greater capacity that these are attachments that are the “Ego-tistical” self seeking. So one interprets the seeking of strength training as an act of strengthening the small self, a selfish practice only to satisfy a vanity that covers up deeper dysfunctions. Im taking this to its extremes, but it is perceived as this intent amongst those who cant see the deeper capacities of this practice.
Which leads to your next statement……
My guess, and perhaps my hope is that this basic ground of being is what strength training is helping to realize more fully. I hope this deep stillness is what is creating a positive shift in your awareness, a shift in a central relationship, has impacted your presence of mind, deepened your meditative practice and increased the vitality you feel within your body-mind.
I've interpreted this as the deeper state shifts that happen as a direct consequence of this practice. After a deeply focused session of weights, with all the tension, fear, energy behind me - what is left is a deep meditative “state”. My body feels most alive either after a deep meditation or after exteme exercise. However what I feel that there is a fundamental difference between the two states. Rob maybe with your experience of both forms of experience that you could outline the difference and similarities that emerge between the two.
My last reflection to your post is related to the “struggle”
There's absolutely nothing problematic with appearance or accomplishments even if they are “superficial.” The challenge emerges in how the ego establishes a struggle and thus a sense of self oriented around these objects. My question is this, your more “egoic” sense of self is struggling with vanity and something deeper. Ego reinforcing and ego transcending as you put it. Fundamentally my sense this is just a more evolved and sophisticated egoic struggle.
This struggle never ends. Even in some of the most spiritually evolved humans on the planet seem to struggle with this. I think my original statement of linking my need for strength with vanity is linked to an ongoing struggle that face us all at different levels of development. I can see this through your words and accept that it will be an ongoing struggle. What can shift is probably my relationship to this struggle - an acceptance through awareness that my ego has the capacity to be more evolved and seek more superficial experiences.
Damon
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