We are much like a hungry frog – a predator waiting for something delicious to come along. Frogs eat what they see because they eat their prey alive. They use their sticky tongue to snap up their quarry and swallow it.
We see something we want and go after it. Sometimes we do not even need to see the thing – just thinking about it leads to our predatory instinct. We go after whatever thing is wanted and even use the phrase; I killed it as a sign of success. Oh, so very much like these amphibians – hungry, cold blooded, thin-skinned, with sticky tongues.
Sticky and stickiness for us refers to our tendencies and habits that are visible and apparent to others. A sticky tongue may refer to a fixed position about oneself or others or things in general. It may refer to a tendency with a deep-rooted habit which is known and seen by others – but it may remain a hidden mystery to you, but it is in plain sight to others.
Our stickiness may appear as a habit of gossip and empty chatter and calumny. Lies, libel, slander, and smears are examples of stickiness. Defaming oneself or other is sticky business. A hidden secret, although hidden leaves sticky marks despite the effort to deceive.
When these instinctual traits are inhibited, we go to one of two extremes – anger or depression. The anger is active, hot energy that we experience as a heightened force that goes nowhere. Depression is active but it tends to run cold energy that leads to despair and boredom, a force that weakens and goes nowhere.
Anger Irritation, Frustration, Despair, Depression
Both anger and depression lead nowhere. We have merely fallen prey to being a victim.
Yes! A victim. We are the prey of our own mind states. We suffer as prey to our conditioned mind. All the above responses of anger to depression are within our purview, but we do not look there. We fail to look within our mental horizon and mistake the material world to be the problem. We blame, shame, judge and point fingers at the material world. We measure the world and conclude that it has done us wrong! This mistake furthers the suffering.
We are faced with making a choice. A choice between the illusion of the material world of empty promises or knowing our true nature. We make a choice to be a frog-like creature and maintain the animal aspect of our nature which keeps us from knowing the transcendent truth.
Our choices lead to either suffering or to liberation. The result of our choices shows us the choices we have made. We benefit in life when we understand the root of our suffering is in the result.
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