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
cleaning service near Bannockburn ..Greetings Divine Ones, I am going to ask you a... Read More
Sometimes, in traveling a path, we discover a short-cut, and... Read More
In Habakkuk, the prophet cries out in a lament complaint... Read More
Surveys show that religion and spirituality play a central role... Read More
I know God will not give me anything I can't... Read More
Not a Failure!Those of you who are unemployed, or desire... Read More
We are living in highly challenged times. Our mass consciousness... Read More
Has America known its finest hour? Are we losing our... Read More
Before we tread into the domain of Past Life... we... Read More
Anything can be used for divination; coins, tea leaves, cards,... Read More
Why do we have an Ego?Almost all spiritual guides say... Read More
Limiting beliefs, just like positive, empowering thoughts, provide a foundation... Read More
Most of life can be said to be bad, or... Read More
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-Excerpt From The Relationship Handbook: How to Understand and... Read More
Echo was a flea-bitten gray horse, with brown speckles everywhere,... Read More
"Let me take you down to a town called Paradise."Van... Read More
With another year full of family events coming upon us,... Read More
During my childhood days, I disliked Lenten season because radio... Read More
What we think is what we are. Our lives are... Read More
Yes, we are living in a world where we are... Read More
Paul is led up a 512 ft. hill, Mars Hill,... Read More
Do you ever feel that what you read in some... Read More
What type of person grabs your attention and motivates you?... Read More
Heaven is a place of abundance and earth is a... Read More
"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being,... Read More
pet-friendly home cleaners Mundelein ..Ok, let's start with the amazing story of Robbie and... Read More
What purpose does keeping a journal serve?Do you write down... Read More
The junk I'm talking about is the stuff that we... Read More
Rabbi Kushner in his book "When Bad Things Happen to... Read More
Mormons like to give testimonies. Unlike Mormon testimonies, I will... Read More
Most of us think of what a wonderful world this... Read More
1. How can anyone receive direct communication from Divine Source,... Read More
If we don't behave according to a specific church's doctrine,... Read More
My favorite scripture is Roman's 8:28. "And we know that... Read More
Before we dwell on the subject of Self Realization we... Read More
It is important and necessary that we regularly spend time... Read More
It is within us to... Read More
Angels, those divine beings of love and light, are here... Read More
Picture this state of existence in your mind by closing... Read More
Greetings my Dear Beloved SoulsWe have heard your cries, your... Read More
Some say praising Jesus is just singing. Others say it... Read More
Lately I have become aware of a new truth that... Read More
Can you imagine being sent out into the wilderness for... Read More
If you've been on a conscious spiritual journey for any... Read More
Last week, I sat at my computer and watched the... Read More
Oceans... There's water in 'em! :-)It may seem a bit... Read More
Hopefully you're reading this article because you're intrigued by the... Read More
How many of us rush blindly through our days, fall... Read More
I am sure many of you reading this article have... Read More
Celebrities and common people all over the world are known... Read More
Spirituality |