The Evil Dark Twin
Man’s first obstacle is his/her own evil twin called nafs. It is the commanding self that urges his/her to do evil and keep them inclined to it. By itself, it is like shadow that does not have any real existence. It is in fact deaf, dumb and blind. It came to have an existence because of it mingling with the spirit that is the source of all goodness. The connection formed between the two is ever present such that the nafs derived an identity for itself. It now observes, sees and hears through the spirit’s power and desperately tries to keep its enacted identity intact through the effects of the spirit retained in it. Thus, atheistic in nature it dares to take an existential “I” opposite God to the extent that it rejects Him but due to its essence being nothingness, it ultimately turns nihilistic. It is for this reason that certain spiritual paths turn nihilistic because it terminates at emptiness.
The atheistic attitude of the self denies a God along with the concepts and practices related to it. In the material domain it emphasizes this world as the only reality and rejects the other world. Once the other world is rejected the intrinsic values of the person then naturally turns hedonistic, seeking sensual pleasures as the only objective, no other purpose and destiny except for materialistic fulfillment.
A nihilistic attitude assumes that, God- the Ultimate Reality is an illusion along with everything else. Its reality is a Void and annihilation of the self. It renounces both worlds as illusions according to its spiritual purview. In nihilism, life is without destiny, purpose, objective, meaning or having any intrinsic value in the mystical pursuit except for becoming extinct. This is the direct result of annihilation of the I-ness, the personality returning back to zero or void because it is the very essence of the dark-self. (Take note that personality is different from essential personality. Essential personality does not have a self or I-ness. It is the quintessential selfless-self belonging to the atma or spirit.)
One annihilates his/her personality in the all-consuming illusion be it that world or this. In the materialistic scope one exalts the ego and submerges his/her personality in the ego, consumed by the illusion while in the spiritual sphere one annihilates his/her personality itself, becoming nothing or non-existence. In a materialistic perspective it is sensate and atheistic while in the mystical aspect it is ideational, nihilistic and atheistic.
Thus, the dark self is a shadow that is born with you. It does not have any form and so it can appear in any form or taking many forms just like a shadow. It knows you like the back of your hand because it has been with you since birth such that it is totally absorbed in you, believing it is you. When people get possessed by spirits of ancestors or deities, it is the dark self which returns rather than the actual person because the actual person has already been transferred to the spiritual dimensions where he or she will continue to evolve. But this dark self’s time is not up yet in this world of time and dimension. Once the person dies, this dark self is left behind.
This dark self, which had been with you since birth, its very nature is prone to evil and mischief. Once this dark self is knocked out, it attacks you viciously trying to stop your spiritual pursuit so that it can re-enter the body. At this time no prayer, chants, mantra or yantra will work on it because it is not an entity like devils or evil spirits. Only those who patiently persevere in the spiritual path can emerge victorious. When the dark self is purified it is given that opportunity to rise and assume the functions of the spirit thus becoming good, urging you to do good instead. In this case where the dark self is purified, it too leaves this realm the moment one passes away.
This is an excerpt from Three and A Half Coils, Chapter 11 - Beyond.
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