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
tidy up service Glenview ..I don't know of anyone who really liked taking tests... Read More
We'll begin with a question:What is a moral?I'd say it's... Read More
It's amazing how - even when we're working from a... Read More
There's nothing wrong with wanting to improve ourselves either outwardly... Read More
Good morning Roy, good morning Joseth. (Channelled)From time to time... Read More
When my dad was nearing the end of his life... Read More
"Self-Actualization" is the process of making our self "actual." Our... Read More
One cannot ask why bad things happen to good people... Read More
The Kundalini is a pool of energy that lies dormant... Read More
I would like to share my experience, working with the... Read More
I seemed to have lost my heart. Now this is... Read More
Is it really possible that Don Juan could command the... Read More
The time we spend on earth is very short when... Read More
The human race had their beginning, and I had mine... Read More
"They're crazy!" That's what they're saying about us. The majority... Read More
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the... Read More
Mrs. Dixon the famous prognosticator and psychic to the stars... Read More
My fiancee' and I frequent a restaurant in L.A. called... Read More
You will become as great as your dominant aspiration...If you... Read More
Sometimes trying to be spiritual holds us back from actually... Read More
Why do we have an Ego?Almost all spiritual guides say... Read More
It doesn't matter what magazine or newspaper you pick up... Read More
Oxford dictionary defines PRAYER as "a request for help or... Read More
When the body of Christ isn't protected we become vulnerable... Read More
It's not always easy to stand in the midst of... Read More
full-service cleaning Mundelein ..I'm not sure Paul had the Japanese culture in mind... Read More
"Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line... Read More
"I learned I was not, as most Africans believed, the... Read More
To a shaman a kachina isn't really a doll or... Read More
Am I dreaming? The sign outside the skyscraper reads: "Spiritual... Read More
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and... Read More
In life, sooner or later, we come to the midnight... Read More
The Apocalypse, or unveilling, is the name given to the... Read More
Within every obstacle there is an equivalent or greater benefit.~Napoleon... Read More
Several months ago, I read an... Read More
Do you think it's acceptable for people to make millions... Read More
There is nothing more valuable to a sentient being then... Read More
It is within us to... Read More
1. Raphael means "God heals." Raphael heals physical, emotional and... Read More
The Planetary Spread is an excellent layout to use when... Read More
Some of us might hear from time to time that... Read More
The Angelic realms have been very active throughout the human... Read More
You can think of your Animal Totems as imaginary guides... Read More
Well I had a website that I was posting on... Read More
The junk I'm talking about is the stuff that we... Read More
How does God see you? Does He like what He... Read More
Being a Christian does not exempt us from having to... Read More
Qohelet had grown old with time when he delivered his... Read More
Rose Ann Schwab is an internationally and world renowned professional... Read More
We are apart of all that is, our consciousness spring... Read More
Spirituality |