Passion: Sloth [Disengagement]*
In this context, the passion of sloth results from the loss of the virtue of Action. It is a resistance to being deeply affected by or engaged with the world, to being present and putting out the energy to be fully here, fully feeling and responding. While sloth may manifest as laziness and lack of energy, the deeper meaning refers to the Nine's habit of giving little attention to their own development. Nines often feel that many things are "too much trouble," so they procrastinate or ignore obligations as long as possible. Ultimately, sloth refers to the wish to "go to sleep" to one's life, to not arise as an independent person, taking one's rightful place in the scheme of things. Some Nines are fond of saying that they "go with the flow," but in truth, they are hoping that everything will flow around them and let them be.
In the part of the psyche represented by type Nine, there is a tendency to say "Not now, I will get to that problem later. It's going to be upsetting. I'll just let it go. Ignore it." Nines want to stay in an internal zone where they feel safe, peaceful, comfortable, and will not be disturbed by anything. They want to avoid anything that will upset their inner tranquillity. It takes a lot of energy to resist being affected by aspects of reality, and this often causes us to lack energy for self-awareness or self-remembering.
Ironically, many Nines are actually interested in spiritual work because on some level they remember the blissful feeling of unity that lies beyond ego consciousness. The problem is that sloth causes them to dream of that unity, to fantasize about it, or to live by some kind of philosophy related to a belief in it. But all of this is quite different from doing the inner work necessary to make the unity a real, embodied experience in the world. Sloth keeps us visualizing white light, contemplating high-minded philosophies and yogas, and going through the paces of our spiritual practices, but definitely not contacting the deficiency at the core of our egos—the emptiness from which our true nature can re-emerge into full manifestation.
Virtue: Action
The virtue of Action does not refer to doing things physically; rather it is an embrace of the dynamism of reality. To live in presence is to be affected and transformed constantly. Everything in reality grows and changes, and our soul is no different. Self-realization is not some cushy, pleasant stasis that we retire to—a significant part of it entails surrendering our familiar identity to the dynamism of true nature. Somehow, we all believe that we can improve and become transformed without changing the comfortable and familiar parts of ourselves. But a person who is present and awake sees that the self is being reshaped and transformed every moment.
As a result, the virtue of Action empowers us to participate dynamically in our lives. We are moved to help others achieve peace, harmony, and an awareness of the dynamic unity of existence. Nines who have awakened to the virtue of Action play a powerful, active role in creating a healing and harmonious environment for themselves and others. Simply put, this virtue gives us the capacity to live fully and dynamically in each moment of our lives.
Fixation: Indolence [Daydreaming]*
The loss of the Holy Idea of Holy Love results in the ego-fixation of indolence. It is a style of attention that causes us to avoid deep contact with our interiority. We might be aware of others or of the environment, but we are not aware of what is happening in our presence. Even if we are able to be present to some degree, indolence causes us to be present without content. Of course, as we become more entranced by this fixation, we also lose any meaningful awareness of others too.
Because of the loss of Holy Love, the self feels lost and centerless, but indolence causes us to cover over the wound of that loss by withdraw from it into the "safety" of our imaginations. We may deal with it by adopting comforting philosophies, or by focusing on and idealizing others. We learn to disengage our attention from the core of ourselves so we will not feel the suffering caused by our loss of contact with Essential love, the very core of ourselves.
Thus, Nines become the masters of dissociation, of mentally "checking out" when situations threaten to uncover the primal loss of contact with Holy Love. In their imaginations they create an imitation of the real feelings of wholeness and benevolence that arise in presence and real contact with experience. This inner feeling of peace is then defended against the actual dynamic processes of reality—thus, indolence serves to perpetuate sloth. When Nines retreat into their inner reality, they deal with other peoples' demands, either by agreeing to them or deflecting them. They want to minimize the chances of getting into conflicts or disagreements with others because this would upset their inner peace. On the surface, Nines seem quite easy going, agreeable, and adaptable. They are friendly and do not seem to mind going along with the wishes of others, but on a deeper level, Nines do not want to be made to change, or to be other than who and what they are already comfortable with.
Holy Idea: Holy Love
Holy Love is the recognition that all is one and that the oneness is ultimately benevolent and supportive. From this perspective we truly experience the well-known spiritual assertion that everything actually is made from Divine Love. When we truly know this, we relax our ego activity and trust Being to support us. It is almost unfathomable to the ego mind that not only could we be loved by the Divine, but that we are actually made of that love. The knowledge lets us move through our lives with deep compassion, nobility, and unshakable inner peace.
We can also see how Holy Love relates to the virtue of Action, because love itself has a dynamic affect on our souls. What transforms our lives more powerfully than love? What transforms our sense of ourselves more profoundly? Love is not static: it is living, dynamic force that melts down all barriers and boundaries, constantly working to restore our awareness to its pristine unity with Truth. In Holy Love, our sense of separateness dissolves, and we know ourselves as arising from the brilliant light of Divine Love that creates and sustains the universe.