Challenges

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Challenges

With tantra yoga one can go beyond the normal rules and restrictions of more elementary practices, actively enjoying pleasure, fully experiencing one's own quirks, and, in a certain sense, even harming others.

One of the things that intrigues me is that people seem to always choose comfort, but love challenges. For me that has come down to helping people as I am able and not creating challenges. However, I also routinely adjust the amount of help I give to others so that they are still challenged. If they do their best then they will likely be successful, but if they slack off and expect others to do for them, then I often permit them to experience the consequences of those choices (which may feel a lot like failure). While this may sound tremendously complex, the truth is that people make it quite clear when they really need more help or when you are interfering where you ought not; I just adjust according to the situation and things generally work out quite nicely.

However, as I consider it, I am hard pressed to see the boundary between helping people less than I can and actually creating challenges for those around me. For me it is a clear boundary at an emotional level (I really am not comfortable with intentionally creating challenges for others), but at a conceptual level there is not such a clear boundary. Aren't I using my best judgement as to what is their best interest in all cases? However, to date I have not crossed the boundary of directly creating challenges for others.

Of course in my wishes for others (or prayers if you prefer), I always wish them growth, peace and satisfaction, getting past their current delusions. In reality that amounts to praying that they encounter the challenges they need. So while I don't directly and knowingly cause their challenges, am I not using my connection to them and those around me to create the challenges they need? Does it really matter that I am passively helping the challenges to develop as needed, not trying to control the challenges? Perhaps.

To really confuse things (at least for me), some of the really great masters seem to intentionally create difficulties for some of their most beloved students. Of course, looking at the results makes it clear that they created these difficulties with the kindest of intentions and the result was always a blessing. While I certainly have not progressed to the point where I am comfortable with actively creating difficulties for those around me, I can appreciate that some can take on that role. I myself rely on God or the higher consciousness to arrange the challenges that others need.

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This page was last updated on March 2, 2008