On Cleaning

SPIRITUAL PRACTICES AND ATTITUDES FOR MODERN LIVING

- DAAJI

In the third episode of the series, DAAJI answers some of the most common questions he receives about the Heartfulness practice of Cleaning.

"We are programmed based upon our past impressions such that all kinds of things can cause us to open and close. If you pay attention, you will see it happen regularly throughout each day.” —Michael Singer

I will start by sharing the results of a popular study done in 1954 and published in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science: The football fans of Dartmouth and Princeton were given a questionnaire after they watched a recording of a particularly rough game between their teams, as the researchers wanted to understand what the fans thought happened in the game. The results were so variable that the “game” was many different games. The fans had different versions of events, and each version was just as real to each person. Each fan had their own version of reality.

Since then, a large body of research has shown that we see the world through our own filters. Our attitudes, beliefs, and biases define our perception. All of us have this kind of conditioning. We have many blind spots, which stem from our likes and dislikes. They may seem harmless, but our likes and dislikes hijack our awareness. Most of the chatter going on in our minds is because of the constant stream of likes and dislikes.

Next time you are in a busy place, like a restaurant, a crowded street, or an airplane, try this experiment. Watch your thoughts as you observe people boarding the flight. Listen to the chatter of likes and dislikes as you observe their looks, what they wear, what they carry, how they talk, how they stow away their luggage, and so on. Most of us are unconsciously judging ourselves and others. With the Cleaning practice, we can move from judgment to acceptance to compassion to love.