|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
The Truth of Reactions
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 visithttp://FadingTowardEnlightenment.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Protector Some may ask why in a disaster some people are save and others are not? Well Jesus said to his sheep that no harm will come to them. He also said that he is our provider. Lets look at what the Bible says about protection. Lets look at the book of Psalm 32:1 it says Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. Now look at verse 7 it says You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. What a Blessing!!! Indian Knowledge and Frauds Iktomi: Creating Your Soul-Centered Community Imagine for a moment. It's Tuesday night about 7pm. You are excited and full of energy even though your day has been stressful and long. You have invited a group of like-hearted, spiritually-focused friends together in your living room to share and explore living as Soul. Mankinds Ten Worst Enemies: #2 Arrogance According to H. G. Bosch, the newspaper cartoonist H. T. Webster once amused himself by sending telegrams to 20 of his acquaintances whom he selected at random. Each message contained just one word: "Congratulations." As far as Webster knew, not one of his friends had done anything special for which to be complimented. Yet, each person was so flattered that he immediately wrote Webster a letter of thanks. All 20 of his friends assumed they had done something worthy of a congratulatory telegram! I Count It All Joy A new chapter in my life begins today, the anniversary of my birth. It is therefore necessary that I pause to reflect upon this past year. What Is Your Relationship To Time? Have you ever thought about how your orientation to time profoundly affects the way you are in the world? Each culture has its own unique way of relating to the concept of "time". Some cultures perceive time as a room that is lived in. The "room" of time is a constant that stays the same, as we change during the course of our lives. American culture seems to more and more think of time as a commodity there is never enough of. When time is "wasted" a person misses out on an opportunity that may never present itself again. Still other cultures experience time as being circular, without a beginning or an end, and with no clear markers as to past, present, and future. No matter how we think about it, our relationship to time has a profound impact on what we believe is possible. Here is a story to illustrate what I mean. The Breath of Life The earth is wrapped in a thin, loose shell of gases - which we call the atmosphere. The mix of gases that make up the atmosphere has changed greatly over the eons. How Does God See You? How does God see you? Does He like what He sees? Can I tell you He loves you 100% and loves everything about you? He loves all your annoying habits, He loves those extra pounds you have gained, and He loves you when you falter. Basically, He loves you. As a new creature in Christ when God looks at you He sees you as being redeemed. He sees the work Christ has completed on our behalf. He loves you even if you never change from this very day. Preparing For Enlightenment Enlightenment can come in an instant or it may take many life cycles. Spiritual Clarity Who is the more spiritual person? The woman out on a Sunday morning excursion for coffee and a newspaper who swerves to avoid hitting a dog, or is it, the man who hits the dog in his haste to get to church on time? Who knows? My point is that going to church has absolutely nothing to do with being a good person. The Gnostics and Essenes THE GNOSTICS, ESSENES AND THE 'OCCULT': Remote Viewing - Making Light of the Dark Even Pandora and her box come in two versions. In one, the hideous woes of the world are let loose while locking hope inside. In another, life's joys are allowed to overflow their container, leaving the dark behind. In both versions, the light and dark of all metaphor clearly exists in perpetuity. Universal Thought Systems The Mind in an Advanced Thought System: Are You Homeless? Does Your Soul Have a Home? How do you feel when you see homeless people on the street? Many of us feel disgusted when we look at them and others do not even acknowledge their existence as if they're worthless and irrelevant. Some of us even consider them as being nothing but drunks and junkies. We all have different ways of interpreting the lives of these people, but in the end, we all believe that they are less fortunate than ourselves. Pursuing Your Destiny During my childhood days, I disliked Lenten season because radio and TV stations were off the air (no cable yet during the 70's) and food is limited to veggies and fish. Likewise, I was taught that holy week (1) is a time to be sad (at least in Manila), the elders then are singing the passion in a sad tune. (2) I was also told to "be careful" because God is "dead" (as if all forces of hell is turned loose during those days). And (3) People should act holy. I thought, people have the rest of the year to live like the devil. I even remember asking my mother, 'why is God dying every year?' How Big is God? WOW ... what a question. But today, while I was walking on the treadmill, it popped into my head. Trying to forget the two mile mark I'm heading toward, I sometimes find myself thinking up 'really deep' subjects. Other times, I'm probably checking the calories burned imagining what I can have for lunch! But ... back to God. Forgiveness "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32, NIV Honoring the Sacred in Everyday Life How many of us rush blindly through our days, fall into bed exhausted, and wake up the next morning to do it all over again? For many of us, our lives are composed of millions of meaningless moments, all strung together -- perhaps with a sprinkling of sacred moments mixed in. I'm sure you can think of a few sacred moments in your own life. Maybe your marriage, the birth of your child(ren), or perhaps a heartfelt moment of connection with a good friend. These are the moments when we are consumed with joy and awe. At these moments, we are fully present in the moment. We aren't worrying about tomorrow, or trying to rush through the experience to get to the next. We are in the now, and the now is amazing. Abiding in the Word How many Christian people do you know who are bearing no fruit? Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (John 15:4) Pray Off Your Debts - in 10 Days or Less It will all be clear in a minute, but first I have to ask you...
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |
