Titan Realm

Week 1: the titan realm

The essence of the titan realm is “I am better than you.” It’s about envy and jealousy. It is based in the belief that you have to prove that you are the best of the best, whatever arena you are in. If you can build a bigger business, have more friends, win more contests, be more famous, or make a better mousetrap, you can claim the place in the world that is rightfully yours. You are deeply jealous of those who you know are not as good as you, but they have more—more money, more friends, more status, more strength, or more fame. You are constantly comparing what you have or what you have done against what others have or have done. Whether it is status, wealth, or fame, power, intelligence or ability, good works, elegance or kindness, it is always a contest, a contest you never seem to win. What you do have in terms of money, property, regard or beauty feels empty. Know matter how much you achieve, the horizon of your ambitions constantly recedes and you are left struggling and striving, driven by an envy or jealousy that never lets you rest.

When you read through the more detailed traditional accounts of the titan realms, you will notice that the descriptions are usually the shortest. Envy and jealousy spread their poisons insidiously—Iago, in Shakespeare’s Othello comes immediately to mind—but there is little more that needs to be said. The poison of jealousy spreads through the resentment, anger and aggression that it engenders. In contrast to jealousy, which is about the threat of loss, envy is about the threat of not having or being enough. That internal sense of not being enough drives the ambition, the aggression, the ruthless need to achieve, whatever the cost to yourself or those around you

Next 6 days: alternation between titan realm and hell realm

During your meditation period, continue with the titan realm mediation, feeling how the the need to achieve, the need to prove yourself, tyrannizes your life. From time to time, recall instances during your life when you knew you were better than others, but they were promoted, they had the deals that made their lives easy, they were recognized for their modest (in your eyes) achievements, and they lived in ways that you could only dream about. 

During the day, on day one, go about your life as a titan. All you notice is where others have more than you. It may be athletic ability or artistic talent, good looks or popularity, money or status, fame or good fortune. It makes you angry, but you cannot do anything about it. The next day, go about your life as if you are in hell. Even though all may be well in your life, you cannot enjoy or even appreciate any of it. It does not matter how well your day is going, life is still horrible. Every interaction is a simmering conflict. You cannot trust anyone to do anything good for you. You seethe with rage at the unjustness of it all. Both realms have a common base in anger.

Alternate one day titan, one day hell being for six days. 

Next 6 days: alternation between titan realm and hungry ghost realm

Continue to do the titan realm meditation and pay attention to envy and its counterpart jealousy.  In particular, notice how quickly reactivity takes over, how quickly you are to compare yourself with others, how quickly stories about injustice, unfairness, shame, and need jump into your mind. 

For one day, go about your life as a titan again. Be better than everyone else and show it in every way you can—work harder, play harder, exercise harder. Have the answer to everything and do everything in your day better and faster than anyone else. The next day go about your life as if you are an abject loser, a hungry ghost. Everything you touch turns to dust. Nothing works out. You are driven by desperate greed. You can never have enough. Any good words from others, any success or achievement, or any good fortune falls into the black hole of your greed for attention and appreciation and makes no difference to how you feel. You desperately hold onto what little you have, even though you don’t find any of it in the least bit comforting or satisfying. Envy and jealousy and greed and neediness are all hair triggers for reactivity. 

Again, alternate one day as a titan, one day as a hungry ghost for the six days. 

Next 6 days: alternation between titan realm and animal realm

In your practice sessions, continue to explore the titan realm, a world based on competition, rivalry, and achievement. From time to time, consider that you are in a different world, a world without competition or ranking. There is no you are better than me or I am better than you. Who would you be? What would you do? Many people find the prospect disorienting. They lapse back to old patterns of behavior just to confirm their identities.

During the day, go about your life as a titan one day, striving and competing in everything you do. The next day, go about your day as an animal. You function automatically, doing what you are used to doing, what you are know how to do. Envy, jealousy, comparison, competition don’t enter your mind at all. You have no awareness outside your conditioning, You do what is right in front of you and what you need to do

For the six days, alternate one day as a god, one day as an animal.

Remaining days of the month: awakening in the god realm

A manifestation of Buddha (awakening) is traditionally pictured in each of the six realms. In the titan realm, Buddha takes the form of Takzangri, head of one of the titan clans. He holds a sword and with it, breaks the titans’ obsession with aggression and envy.

The point here is that even in all-consuming envy, there is still a clear knowing that is unaffected. You can touch that knowing at any time. 

Again, enter the titan realm and then touch that knowing. Let that knowing permeate your whole being, not only your body, heart and mind, but everything you feel and everything you experience through the senses, everything you see, hear, taste, touch or smell. Some people find it helpful to let that knowing take the form of light which permeates everything they experience, light so intense that the whole titan realm dissolves into light. 

Dissolve the titan realm into light two or three times, and then rest in the light. 

During the day, recall that envy arises from comparing who we think we are and our position in the world to others. That envy drives us to try to achieve what we think we should have. Whenever you recognize that something you say or do is about achieving, bring these three questions to mind, one after the other in this sequence:

• What am I trying to achieve in this situation?
• Do I have to achieve it?
• Is achieving called for at all right now?

These questions break the enchantment of the titan realm. Depending on the situation, they may open up new possibilities or leave you dazed and confused. Whatever arises, stay with your intention to experience how envy and jealousy operate in your life—without being taken over by them. Do not be distracted by your own reactions. When you step out of the world of comparison, competition and achievement, you see the world differently. You may discover a quiet joy in taking care of the simple things in life, a joy that has always been there, but to which you paid little attention.