Obsession is a repeated diversion from the Goal, but most often it is a repeated diversion without knowing the Goal.
In the overall perspective, the diversion too is a way in the path to the Goal. For one who is in knowledge of the Goal, obsessions are obstacles, and obstacles have to be won over.
The first ingredient to winning is to be always in touch and knowledge of the Goal. The next step ahead is indeed very subjective. One may engage with the obsessions coming in between to get it out of the way, or disengage from it.
Both ways have their pros and cons. In the former, exhaustion of the obsession gives a relief, but a temporary one. At the same time and most often the obsession builds up further which can take a monstrous shape bringing deep hurt. In the latter, disengagement offers protection, but possibly at the cost of immense stress. Also, mere physical disengagement from the obsession does not guarantee annihilation of the seed of desire which too can spring up unexpectedly any time in the future. There is no short cut in either of the processes, alone.
For beginners, the ‘either / or’ path between engagement and disengagement can bring in more strain resulting in distancing from the Goal. The catch is to be in touch and be in knowledge of the Goal either ways and consider a combination of both as a path to the Goal.
To a beginner, the visuals of a professional or a veteran can be very inspiring, but simply aping one would be engaging in superficiality.
A beginner therefore would surely make progress if he has an internal sense of cheer in him to take the results of his efforts in his stride, with a basic respect and understanding in the tenets of ‘freedom and responsibility’. Without these ingredients included, the journey to the Goal will become a burden, or more clearly he is not qualified to be a beginner to start with.
Along the way, the beginner will have distractions which may turn in to obsessions and which will have to be won over with cheer. He must work on building his wall of faith through the bricks of cheer. Cheer is faith in practice.
Just like a beginner in the game of golf initially develops his game and his love for the game by practicing and playing under fair weather conditions, who then grows to love the game so much that he is willing to practice and play the game in any weather, and also excels to build himself to become a thorough professional in the game. The common aspect between both the beginner and the professional is love, though the scales may differ between both, but the seed is the same from which it all grows. The only variation is in the stage of growth where one is dependent on supporting factors, and the other least dependent or even independent of any supporting factors.
A beginner must have a sense that he is on the path to success, knowing fully well that along the way would come many challenges which he must meet with, and the outcome of which is always helping him to evolve, whether it is positive or negative. He must have a consistent love and respect for the Goal, out of which all attempts must emerge, and even if it may not be possible, his cheer must remain in him to renew the connect with the Goal.
A beginner may even make provisions for his comfort out his love and respect for the Goal, to graduate himself to the level of becoming an amateur and then to a professional,
The errors occur in the form of obsessions when the supporting factors become larger than the game itself and one allows it grow without control, thus becoming a spanner in the wheel. In this situation, the only hope to fight back is remembrance of the Knowledge, to come out from the whirlpool of obsessions. The rest of the comeback mechanism will immediately kick in by itself. Never lose sight of the Goal to beat obsessions !
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