We complain about many things these days, things in our personal world, our nation, international controversies, and we have opinions on how to solve everything. Desperately coming up with conclusions and answers and fighting for our voice to be heard, are we, in the turmoil, merely covering up our real dilemma?
If we look at life openly and clearly, through the veil of bias and murkiness of preconception, it becomes obvious that we are in conflict - conflict with ourselves and with our world. It might seem that conflicts are merely challenges that we eagerly face, but at a deeper level, if we look carefully, we will find the basis of our discontent.
Each of us fight back in his or her way, attempting to resolve the struggle that makes up our lives. We are ever hoping for a better relationship, a better job or life situation, a bigger house, improved health, deeper spirituality, among many other things. But even when we are fortunate enough to exceed our goals, new goals quickly replace the old ones . . . and our struggle continues unabated.
Our world does not change quickly, nor do we. We become tethered to our individual ideals and conclusions as does the rest of the world reflecting more or less our collective, individual ideals on an international scale.
But our ideals, individually or collectively, often result in conflict. Individual ideals and desires compete with each other just as national and international ideals and desires do, and it soon becomes obvious that we really can't expect the world to change until we as individuals change. Only when we make a fundamental change in ourselves does the conflict, which has arisen between the us and us regarding our individual goals, and us and the world regarding national and international goals, melt away.
There is the possibility of diminished conflict because neither the world nor us are ultimate truths; just conventional truths. When two of these conventional truths cross, conflict results. But when one of these conventional truths weakens; for example, "us," does conflict end due to lack of fuel.
A weakened "us" or self is not a doormat. A toned down ego is a very intelligent consciousness reflecting the best of both worlds of compassion and wisdom. This weakening of the illusion of self is a fundamental change in our way of relating to ourselves and the world, and a change that could result in enlightenment, or union with God, or union with the Ultimate however we wish to phrase it. This permanent shift in consciousness or perspective dissolves the isolated "self," where there is no longer a blind grasping at things of the world. We now live from the heart, from our intuition, which marks a radical change in our perceptions.
Culturally, religion per se has become in many cases a psychological opiate or social activity at best, and a cauldron of "us VS them" hatred and violence at worst. Merely an escape from reality that we loosely call spirituality, and not a serious transformation of our consciousness, or solution to the basis of our discontent.
Perhaps religion originally intended to teach us how to effect this transformation; perhaps not. Religion may simply be an interim set of guidelines for lower consciousness levels in order to keep people from killing each other. And as such, has become an extension and strengthening of our personality ego, blinding us in a way by encouraging us to reach out toward the world for answers rather than going within. Consequently, no wisdom results, only adherence to whatever ideals and rules we read about and hear about and then accept as our own.
Until an authentic transformation takes place within our hearts, things won't change. The wars will continue along with the killing, all resulting from the greed, hatred, and delusions of lower consciousness levels that fuel these conflicts. The duality of "Us VS Them" continues unabated without an understanding of the basis of our discontent.
A transformation of consciousness results not from socializing and pleasurable experiences but from in-depth personal introspection. In proportion to the extent that we believe in our selves; our personalities and egos, personal transformation will be painful. For instance; sometimes we find answers through powerful experiences that dramatically change our lives. People recover from traumatic events or serious illnesses and find themselves mystically transformed. It's as if they find themselves in another lifetime, in another existence where their previous fear-driven, day-to-day struggles disappear in the wake of an incredible, liberating calmness. The unfounded and exaggerated fears that dominated their "previous lifetime" now vanish, replaced by inexplicable feelings of purpose and love.
Christian contemplative saints and seekers throughout the ages have gone through this transformation by asking the agonizing fundamental questions; Who are we? What are we? What do I believe in and why? Their transformations had nothing to do with pretending to be saintly or religious. Pretending doesn't count as a fundamental change, and merely exacerbates a manipulation that involves strategy, thinking and plotting - all based on fear.
Simply "being," on the other hand, in the absence of self or ego personality, involves dwelling in the silence of the Ultimate - dwelling beyond our thoughts, beyond our small self.
Dwelling in the Ultimate or simply "being" defines meditation and Christian silent prayer. These are integral parts of the purest form of spirituality. This true silence which results from meditation or silent prayer, in turn, leads to a radical personal transformation called enlightenment or union with God.
At the present time, these kinds of fundamental shifts in consciousness remain a puzzle to mainstream religion. They are actually feared as an attempt to neutralize present beliefs, and some of the religious may even want to dispose of anyone who dares threaten their faith.
In time, the fear will change into derision, ridicule and scorn as these fundamental shifts in consciousness become the butt of jokes and considered the height of ridiculousness. But that at least this a step forward in consciousness from the previous fear, and instead of wanting to kill the messengers, they will just laugh at them.
And finally, as human consciousness expands, shifts in consciousness will be accepted as the solution to our basic discontent. But they will be explained and practiced differently within the parameters of each religion in order to take credit for the idea. Fear, derision, and final acceptance with individual application are the progression of accepting a radical idea.
Until our spiritual institutions embrace this aspiration of fundamentally changing ourselves, things are not likely to change in a self-centered world, a world that remains violent even after thousands of years of culture.
A real possibility of a compassion and wisdom-based world exists, replacing the fear-based world that we find ourselves enmeshed in, but it has to begin with each of us taking the time to understand our "selves."
Understanding ourselves can only come in the context of silence, not discursive thought because discursive thought is the builder of self. And to go beyond self is the only solution to the basis of our unrelenting discontent.
anagarika eddie is a meditation teacher at the Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation Retreat Sanctuary (www.dhammarocksprings.org), and author of A Year to Enlightenment. His 30 years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Thervada Buddhist monk.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
tweet this!
