In my life, I have tried to be Good and Pure and True. In these qualities, I have failed miserably. Why is it so hard to be good? Why is it so difficult to act in harmony with our mental ideals?
From the sea of Emptiness, everything arises.
Many people on the spiritual path eventually come face to face with their "Dark Side" - that part of themselves that is very, un-enlightened, selfish and spoiled. Reactions are a great mirror. We shout at the driver who cut us off. We take advantage of our employees because they really need the job. We cheat on our diets, our spouses, and our promises. We want to be good. We want to live in harmony with our spiritual nature, but sometimes, sometimes when lust, fear, or power overwhelm us - a demon seems to take charge of our actions. He makes us do things we regret if others see, and "forget" if others don't.
The lion kills the gazelle. The ice kills the last dinosaur. Man loves Woman. Man kills Man. Man creates monuments to the Gods.
Reactions. Words are easy. It is easy to say you are good, to say you love everyone and everything, to think to yourself that you are enlightened, to imagine that you give selflessly to the unfortunate. But actions, particularly re-actions are the great indicators of our deeper nature. Your "dark" reactions - both physical and emotional - are what the spiritual seeker must boldly face if they are ever to progress past a rudimentary taste of Inner Peace.
To survive, He kills. To spread his seed, He goes to war. To teach his children, he works his life away.
There are a million self-help books out there. Countless psychologists and billions of people who will all tell you exactly what you need to do to make yourself "better." Let me posit that you don't need to be fixed. Let me further posit that the only thing any of us are guilty of is a little fantasizing.
At his base, He is an animal. At his apex, He is a god.
One of the gifts of humanity is the gift of imagination. The problem is, sometimes we don't realize that we are imagining. We believe some fantasy about who we are and all our "problems" rear up and slap us in the face when we don't live up to that fantasy. Let me say that again. Our problems arise when who we really are conflicts with who we think we are.
Self preservation. Procreation. Possession. Defending the Tribe. Attacking to Survive.
You are selfish. You do lust after your neighbor's wife. You really do want to be famous and rich and powerful. Your fantasy says these are all off limits to the spiritual seeker. That if you were a good man/woman/god you wouldn't have those feelings.
War and Peace. Good and Evil. Love and Hate. Me and Them. One cannot exist without the Other. One cannot exist without Two.
So which is more real, your fantasy persona or your true, if somewhat repressed emotions? All this might sound a little funny coming from a man who claims to see God (a female god nonetheless) in a discarded banana peel, but damn it, I know my viewpoint is an illusion. Most seekers don't realize their fantasies are really only mental images - ideals that exist only in their minds.
Below it all, the Source. Below it all, Emptiness. From the sea of Emptiness. All life arises.
Your "dark" reactions are simply little indicators of where your true self deviates from your imagined self. Deny your nature and live your fantasy. Embrace the Darkness, feel the burn - and you will quickly find the Light.
Wayne Wirs is the photographer and author of Fading Toward Enlightenment - Life between the Ego and the Ethereal. For more information about Wayne, his writings or his photography, please visit http://fadingtowardenlightenment.com
express cleaning service Arlington Heights ..In my life, I have tried... Read More
The possibility of almost 400 Old Testament prophesies coming to... Read More
"I would rather regret some of my failures in life... Read More
???Now is the time for all good men to come... Read More
Worldwide extensive research is being published related to the mind-body... Read More
Spiritual healing of the sick in Christ has many Christians... Read More
The Angelic realms have been very active throughout the human... Read More
Are you always looking for bargains, especially something that you... Read More
I have been counseling people on weight loss, exercise efficiency... Read More
Years ago no matter where I lived, whether a house... Read More
Several years ago after I presented a workshop entitled "Spirituality... Read More
One cannot read the account of Benhadad and Hazael in... Read More
... Read More
Many of you come to this site because you are... Read More
Jesus said, "No one can see the Kingdom of Heaven... Read More
After more than three decades of church ministry, I have... Read More
One of the saddest times in any child's life is... Read More
Make no mistake about it, change is challenging whether it... Read More
Lately, I have been asked a lot of questions in... Read More
We are living in highly challenged times. Our mass consciousness... Read More
When the storms in your life are raging, just believe,... Read More
I thought I would draw this article up as a... Read More
For some of us, EVERY DAY IS HALLOWEEN!!! If you... Read More
Some people think just by saying the words thank you... Read More
The dictionary defines the word forgive as: [to pardon, as... Read More
tidy up service Arlington Heights ..Tarot card reading delves into an individual's psyche and thus... Read More
Realisation and repeated memorization of the true knowledge is the... Read More
To understand the nature of esoteric and occult secrets it... Read More
Part Two ContinuedIn addition to numerous philosophical problems relating to... Read More
Chaos: "complete confusion" and "the formless void before the creation... Read More
Religion is "absolute truth of life" of the physical manifested... Read More
1. The name Uriel means "Light of God" or "Flame... Read More
Most of us are familiar with the inner criticism and... Read More
In the early 90's I had a spontaneous Kundalini Awakening... Read More
The bible tells a story about four men who sat... Read More
"Quantum Physics is the science of gods? Newtonian Physics is... Read More
The words 'new age' and 'spirituality' can have people running... Read More
Are you facing some challenges in your life right now?... Read More
Lonely Song"a box of paints - lament for my da"It... Read More
Your creative gift has power.God was the first and still... Read More
"I resolve to speak ill of no man?and proper occasions... Read More
Today is the day that I'm getting back into exercise.... Read More
Recently I was watching a re-run of "Everybody Loves Raymond".... Read More
"Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line... Read More
"We're one, but we are not the same."-Bono, U2Once I... Read More
I do not want curiosity seekers, who come for a... Read More
As we walk along our paths in life, we will... Read More
Tea-totalling Texans? Them's fightin' words!I live in a small Texas... Read More
When God first unveils a business or ministry vision that... Read More
I am a big believer in the strength of a... Read More
Spirituality |