The Power of Admitting Error

[Geof Nanto]

Paramahamsa Hariharananda...

 

" MISTAKE is not for MISTAKE!  MISTAKE is for CORRECTING! "

 

I love this quote because we are all prone to mistakes and as simple as this message is it is profound.

 

People myself included will make a mistake and out of stubborn refusal to acknowledge it,  give it a life and a power that it never had to begin with and yes even let it dominate our lives for years.

 

To me this quote means Okay you made a mistake take the shot to the heart and admit it, own it, live with it and move on continuing to serve a mistake with our life is the biggest mistake of all, now quit being lazy and correct it.

 

When it comes to practices it is a reminder to always watch our own practice and when a mistake creeps in correct it immediately.

 

I thought this post of Pilgrim’s deserves to be highlighted. For me, what he describes is very important and he didn’t get even one ‘Thank You’ (other than mine just now) where he posted it. For those of us who work in the realm of subtle energies, as our perceptions deepen, it becomes apparent how we are all part of a hyper-complex web of energy interactions. It’s important for me to keep this realm as clear as possible, otherwise my sense of wellbeing suffers. Moreover, the resultant disharmonies in the energy fabric are like poison for meditation.  

 

I was first introduced to the benefits of this practice when recovering for heroin addiction by working the 12 Step program of Narcotics Anonymous. Step 10, “We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.” These steps are proven spiritual medicine and those who fail to take their medicine almost always end up returning to active addiction.  

 

In the decades since then I’ve spent much time seeking further spiritual teachings and lived in various meditation centres, communities etc. From what I’ve seen there – and on this forum too – the adverse effects of not practicing this simple step are blatantly apparent. 

Edited December 21, 2016 by Yueya

[Marblehead]

Well, I'll be damned!  And I read that thread.  Did I just miss the post?  Was I in a shitty mood when I read it?  I don't know.  But yes, I often speak of taking responsibility for all our thoughts, words and deeds.  That includes admitting to and taking responsibility for our mistakes.

[sagebrush]

I have made a very very big error.

Edited December 21, 2016 by sagebrush

[dawei]

When I see the title, 

The Power of Admitting Error

 

I see:

 

The Power of Admitting Error

[Marblehead]

Ah!  A new perspective. 

[cold]

A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.

 

James Joyce writer

[Geof Nanto]

 

When I see the title, 

The Power of Admitting Error

 

I see:

 

The Power of Admitting Error

 

 

Yes, but that power can be either constructive or destructive. For me it's the admission of error and the making of amends where possible that's the key. 

[Geof Nanto]

"Shika knew from his own experience that men hate above all those they have wronged."  ~ Lian Hearn

 

This is something that happens when we fail to acknowledge error. (I've seen it in myself.) It may be part and parcel of politics but its toxicity poisons inner cultivation. 

[Geof Nanto]

Ah!  A new perspective. 

 

Yes, perhaps Nietzsche has some relevant insights?

 

It’s a big digression into the world of theory – and far removed from the practical, achievable step of personally admitting error that was the intention of my OP - but in very real ways it could be argued that it’s the energy of ‘error’ that powers change; that allows the possibility of growth.  

 

As an example of this sort of thinking, here’s a summary of Jung’s Answer to Job written by Brion Emde on Amazon ………

 

 

Jung expresses concern in his Introduction that readers will misinterpret the ideas contained in this book. Jung presents examples of the unconscious, capricious behavior of Yahweh (GOD) who self-righteously proclaims his moral superiority over humankind and enforces a strict adherence to his sense of justice. This self-delusion reaches culmination in the collusion of Yahweh and his 'shadow son' Satan in the undeserved sadistic persecution of a righteous man, Job, in a cosmic wager. Job's principled response to this persecution demonstrates humankind exhibiting a higher morality than shown by Yahweh. Yahweh, reaching a higher level of consciousness, realizes that he must atone to humankind for the wrong he has done. His attempt to make this atonement through incarnation as Jesus Christ is only partially successful. The later appearance of the Holy Ghost is Yahweh's attempt to perfect himself further through a personal incarnation into humankind in general.

 

Jung moves on to a psychological analysis of the Book of Revelation, where the shadow side of the author, the Apostle John, is evident in the torments predicted to befall humankind. Jung's theological ideas are radical and open to misinterpretation. His thinking on the 'problem of evil' and the evolving relationship of God to humankind is the attempt of a wise, old man to make sense of the conflicting images present in the mythology of the Bible.

 

 

(I present the above out of my general interest in worldviews that go beyond the simplistic duality of good versus evil. Although I live in a nominally Christian country, I’ve had virtually no contact with Abrahamic religions and know very little of their theology.) 

[Marblehead]

Nice example Yueya.