This is the next post in the Ascension series. Since this is December's post (opa! meaning "oops" in Russian-ish, at least here in Moldova!), there will be two this month. My next post will be on my two Christmases and 2 New Years :)
Oh Earth, oh home! There are so many, many topics I could cover regarding you: your health, your ecology, your age, your size...
But there is an aspect of you that grabs my attention so dearly. The one thing about you that I find such a place in my heart for...humans. Yes, Earth, you have us humans all over you. We change you, we use you, we play with you. And you support us. No matter what we do, you provide us water, minerals, food, and oxygen. That is amazing. You must know about unconditional love.
And so with this technique, Earth, I want to address what I find to be the most plaguing issue on your plate today. It is what I am always writing about. It is humanity, it is our true nature, and it is what keeps us from knowing that and henceforth clinging to you, dear Earth, so tightly.
The Earth Technique....designed to remove the last of the separation between the individual and the Universe...The Earth Attitude creates a refined level of witnessing, the hallmark of Perpetual Consciousness,
When I read this, I think of a poem I had read while looking up the Eagle's animal totem. On one of my last days in the U.S. prior to my Peace Corps departure, my family and I stumbled upon an immature Bald Eagle on a Cape Cod beach. And this was the message:
On the currents of the Four Winds
you ride the sky
held aloft by unseen hands
that hold you close to the Grandfather
Far below lies the world of Man
a realm in which you also dwell,
yet always from within
comes the ache to rejoin the Great Spirit
Caught between two realms,
you remind all who witness your beauty and strength
of the eternal struggle of the two-legged
to rise above the mundane
and feel the Soul take flight
Caught between two realms
This is how I often feel and I have made that clear in a number of my posts. This seemingly innate desire to rise up spiritually, to detach from mundane worldly pleasures is almost immediately met with an attitude of, "OK, I am here, let's just do this and enjoy it." And so finding the balance between these two places is a great challenge. And what I want to share with you today is what I see as humanity's current great challenge, from a very broad and esoteric view. I warn you now about that, so if you are not interested in such ideas, no need to go further. I am going to mention the likes of governments, religions, and materialism. I don't mean "materialism" like, "...she a gold digger", (though that too), but more as an over-current to modern man's view of life being so solid, so concrete, so dense, so absolute. I do not mean to judge or condemn. These are simply the times we live in. It's written in the stars. It is a part of our evolution as a whole. I simply want to bring some things to light in order to assist with our further evolution, to nudge us all, closer to Truth.
This is how I often feel and I have made that clear in a number of my posts. This seemingly innate desire to rise up spiritually, to detach from mundane worldly pleasures is almost immediately met with an attitude of, "OK, I am here, let's just do this and enjoy it." And so finding the balance between these two places is a great challenge. And what I want to share with you today is what I see as humanity's current great challenge, from a very broad and esoteric view. I warn you now about that, so if you are not interested in such ideas, no need to go further. I am going to mention the likes of governments, religions, and materialism. I don't mean "materialism" like, "...she a gold digger", (though that too), but more as an over-current to modern man's view of life being so solid, so concrete, so dense, so absolute. I do not mean to judge or condemn. These are simply the times we live in. It's written in the stars. It is a part of our evolution as a whole. I simply want to bring some things to light in order to assist with our further evolution, to nudge us all, closer to Truth.
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Our Material World: Government and religion leading the way
Governments are and have always been afraid of authentic spiritual knowledge. This is mostly due to the fact that if a person truly believes/understands the concept that, "I am not this body, I am not these thoughts, I am not ANY label" then they won't need to run to the store to buy the things to support these labels, won't feel themselves inadequate as to look for leadership and approval from another...they won't join in the perpetuating game of "not good enough". It is my belief, one that I do not intend to push but do want to share, that organized religion has also become a way to keep people away from their own true nature. Unfortunately, in today's world, the one place people will often turn to in a time of hope, despair and inquiry, is the same place that will keep them at an arm’s length away actually experiencing the enlightenment we all so deeply crave-mostly on a subconscious level.
Governments are and have always been afraid of authentic spiritual knowledge. This is mostly due to the fact that if a person truly believes/understands the concept that, "I am not this body, I am not these thoughts, I am not ANY label" then they won't need to run to the store to buy the things to support these labels, won't feel themselves inadequate as to look for leadership and approval from another...they won't join in the perpetuating game of "not good enough". It is my belief, one that I do not intend to push but do want to share, that organized religion has also become a way to keep people away from their own true nature. Unfortunately, in today's world, the one place people will often turn to in a time of hope, despair and inquiry, is the same place that will keep them at an arm’s length away actually experiencing the enlightenment we all so deeply crave-mostly on a subconscious level.
Our Deepest (Secret) Desire
Have you heard of Non-Violent Communication? It is a communication process that makes the assumption that all human beings share the same needs-what they refer to as "Universal Human Needs". They are listed as: Connection, Interconnectedness, Competence, Meaning, Peace, Honesty, Autonomy, Celebration, and of course our Physical Needs. The developer behind this theory proposes that all suffering comes from these basic needs not being met, whereas joy and happiness, occur when they are met. And just like we may not be aware of these exact needs, we also might not be aware of our desire to understand our true nature. But just like with the other needs, when not met, we cannot remain in permanent and authentic joy without it. Something will always be missing.
Have you heard of Non-Violent Communication? It is a communication process that makes the assumption that all human beings share the same needs-what they refer to as "Universal Human Needs". They are listed as: Connection, Interconnectedness, Competence, Meaning, Peace, Honesty, Autonomy, Celebration, and of course our Physical Needs. The developer behind this theory proposes that all suffering comes from these basic needs not being met, whereas joy and happiness, occur when they are met. And just like we may not be aware of these exact needs, we also might not be aware of our desire to understand our true nature. But just like with the other needs, when not met, we cannot remain in permanent and authentic joy without it. Something will always be missing.
We all need to eat, sleep, breathe and drink water. But if those were all we needed, would we be
any different from a squirrel or a pig?
There is something different about us indeed-all of those other things
listed above. (I am not saying animals
don't too need cuddles and a sense of belonging too-some more than
others). I will take the above list one step further and propose that there is a basic human need for understanding one's true nature. Now, I do not believe that every person, in
every lifetime, will actually face this need. But
as soon as you ask yourself the question, "Who am I?", you have begun
the quest, no matter how far you take it, to understanding your own true nature. AND...IF you were to succeed on this quest,
rest assured you wouldn't have much time or care to deal with things like
politics, economies, shopping, buying, owning, being better, being right and so on. No,
you would rest in the understanding of your true nature as sure as the sun rises. You would understand that all is perfect and there
are no inequities. You would be in
constant peace.
Material Clinging
And so governments and religion are certainly afraid of enlightened souls. Their very existence depends upon people being confused and suffering. And so they do what they have to in order to keep people asleep in material consciousness. I hate to sound like some conspiracy theorist, and that I think governments and churches are "out to get us". While I do find it frustrating that ancient knowledge of how to understand ourselves has been all but hidden, I do also trust that most people in power are trying to accomplish what they truly believe to be best. Unfortunately for the rest of us, they are most often operating out of an entirely unenlightened place...a place of materialistic clinging.
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And so governments and religion are certainly afraid of enlightened souls. Their very existence depends upon people being confused and suffering. And so they do what they have to in order to keep people asleep in material consciousness. I hate to sound like some conspiracy theorist, and that I think governments and churches are "out to get us". While I do find it frustrating that ancient knowledge of how to understand ourselves has been all but hidden, I do also trust that most people in power are trying to accomplish what they truly believe to be best. Unfortunately for the rest of us, they are most often operating out of an entirely unenlightened place...a place of materialistic clinging.
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And so how does one conclude this?! I guess the main point is that we are between two worlds my friends. And in this time as a human, we are
truly of neither. We are not pure spirit
and we are not pure animal. We are both.
Meditating on this truth can help us to understand the impermanence of
it all, the fleeting qualities of the material world. Would you rather work towards what will be a part your existence for a mere blink, or for the vast eternity?
XOm!
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