RECOVERY #1

THE SEARCH FOR THE SELF

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Just because Covid 19 and all of us are in a state of flux and it seems that the virus is here to stay for a while, it does not mean we cannot begin our own spiritual recovery program while we attend to our physical needs, safety and health.

So I thought I would begin a series of chats about what is real and what is surreal based on the ancestors teachings and supported by others. The surreal has now become the real so we need to go deeper into the real surreal that lies beyond Corona.

THE SEARCH FOR THE SELF

“Everyone has in him/her something Divine, something his own, a chance of perfection and strength, however small, a sphere which God offers him to take or refuse. The task is to find, develop and use it.”Sri Aurobindo

“Your destiny is the hunt of your life. Keep to the scent, follow the spoor.”

“And as for your power, what are you doing in the wrong circle?”

The Ancestors

The search for the true Self, the soul, that part of us created in the image of the Divine, the Atman or the Buddha or Christ Self is at the core of all human motivation whether we know it and pursue it, or not. Connecting to Self is not selfish, quite the contrary. Once we have connected to that true Self, the imperative is to go out and give service through the gifts of our true nature.  The time, especially now, has come for a reckoning with this Self. Most of us carry on our lives oblivious to this subconscious truth, in a state of material complacency looking for more things, more stuff that will make us happier. Ancient wisdom instructs us about the folly of this and Covid is helping us...

“Give up owning things and being somebody, quit existing.” Rumi

Sometimes we are awakened by a personal crisis; loss of a loved one, a critical illness and loss of health or one’s livelihood. 

But every now and again a global wake-up call comes along of biblical proportions which is where we are now with Covid 19. 

Have we brought this upon ourselves as a form of global karma by ignoring the health of our Earth Mother? No-one knows for sure if this is a metaphor for the flood in the time of Noah or something else or that; shit just happens! 

Whatever the case, many of us have ignored our true mission and instead have been captivated by the drive for ego driven wants rather than spiritual needs. However, now maybe for the first time, we are hearing conversations like “we are all in this together.”Or more profoundly put;

“We men and women are all in the same boat, upon a stormy sea. We owe to each other a terrible and tragic loyalty.” 

G.K. Chesterton

And the ancestors affirm that;

 “we are all one though not the same.”

Usually we live in a state of duality but as Roshi said; 

“the fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose I am here and you are out there.”

Regardless of why and how this has happened, now there is time and it is the time to do something about it. Luckily, we are getting help from those captaining our boat and we will prevail over Covid.

“The souls of people on their way to earth-life pass through a room full of lights. Each takes a taper, often only a spark to guide it in the dim country of this world. But some souls by rare fortune are detained longer and have time to grasp a handful of tapers which they weave into a torch. These are the torchbearers of humanity – its poets, seers and saints who lead and lift the race out of darkness towards the light. They are the law-givers and saviors, the light bringers, way showers and truth tellers and without them humanity would lose its way in the dark.” 

Plato

We might look at this truth and say, yes, now thank God for the scientists who will get us out of this mess and hooray for those few politicians who have the wisdom to guide us through the darkness with the help of science instead of politics. The real questions is do we do something and attend to our inner Self in the meanwhile or do we perseverate on the endless flow of information and misinformation concerning the Corona virus while we stay healthy and attend to our outer beings as well.

“…Each soul makes Two agreements upon entering the world. The first binds the individual to a distinct destiny that becomes the soul’s great project in life. The second entangles each person in the limitations of fate and responsibilities for family and community. While all second agreements can be renegotiated, the first is non-negotiable.”

Michael Meade

Many have been dealt the wrong cards in life, others are more fortunate but whatever the case we cannot resign ourselves to the circumstances surrounding our fate. It is true that geography or our zip code determines our fate but still we have to rise above these limitations. 

“It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.”  

William Ernest Henley

The ancestors teach that everything is a test. Buddhism warns that our karma determines our next life time and whether we will inherit an incarnation where we can continue our spiritual path at a higher level.

Are we now going to search for and reconcile with our souls’ work or submit to our fate? Its time to circle the wagons and get serious about our spiritual lives.

"This world is like a vestibule to the world to come, prepare here, yourself, to enter the main hall." Rev Akiva

This "main hall" for the Kabbalists was a metaphoric Garden of Eden, for the Buddhists a Pure Land and for the Yogis, the Causal realm.

“Spiritual laws are operative whether or not we understand them or can explain them or whether or not we even know about them or believe in them.” 

“Everyone will ultimately achieve the spiritual perfection for which we are created and this may take many lifetimes because of free will.” 
The Ancestors

How many more life times do we want to navigate before we reach this perfection?

We can be comforted by the Zohar that teaches we are living in a one percent world – there is another 99% that we must prepare for. This lifetime is just a dot on the horizon of our recurring incarnations so that we can achieve spiritual perfection - all of which is part of an unexplainable mystery.

Everything is preordained but free will is given.

A net is spread out for the living, everything is given on loan and all is preparation for a big celebration.

Rev. Akiva.

Covid is now a part of this “net” – we must get ready to earn the celebration.

So, how do we find our destiny – our true purpose. A few of us are lucky and just seem to know it, most of us do not but as long as we follow or look for it within “spiritual guidelines” all will be well. Usually our own unique spiritual practice will help to guide us to our true archetype. 

“Personal insight is more valuable than divine revelation, for if we depend only on the scriptures and the teachings of masters but have no personal insights of our own, all is worthless.” Rev Akiva

The rules of karma do not endorse a copy-cat destiny. We have to design our own so that we can co-create with our Creator and improve the planet we inherited.

In indigenous cultures life was simple. There were four main archetypes; Healer, Teacher, Warrior and Visionary. If we look at these more carefully - instead of categorizing ourselves into one more of the many archetypes - we can look at which of these four apply to us. 

In our modern existence, each can take on many faces. There are many ways to “Teach.” The Healer can be a nurse or a film maker who has healing intent. The Warrior can be a C.E.O. of a company whose mission is to give back. The Visionary has many identities; sage, shaman, artist, poet, musician … 

As long as one’s mission is for its own sake and has no ego enhancing motive, one’s karma will remain intact. 

"All must be done for its own sake, not for reason of an outcome.
All is a journey not a destination and it is a continual arriving.    
      

Anyone or anything that does not make you more of all you truly are, makes you less.” 
The Ancestors

“You must know one thing
The world was made to be free in
Give up all other worlds except the world to which you belong
Sometimes it takes the darkness and the sweet confinement of your aloneness to learn
Anything or anyone who does not bring you alive is too small for you.”
David Whyte

Yoga is about discovering our true Selves by achieving "union" and going beyond the “yolk” of ego. 
As Jesus said; 
"S/he who loses herself will find himSelf."
Each distinctive soul has its own unique purpose no matter how big or small. Those that have been given “many light tapers” will be held to a higher standard. 

Just as there are four main archetypes there are also four main yogas; Karma, Bhakti, Jnana and Raja that can advise us.

Karma yoga is the path of action and service to others with mindfulness (the Mother Theresa archetype). 

Bhakti is the path of devotion, emotion and love of God leading to compassion for all (the Sufi poets and David the psalmist.)

Jnana is the path of knowledge, wisdom, introspection, contemplation and the putting aside of false beliefs (Krishnamurti.) 

Raja, the royal path (the path of the Buddha,) and the most difficult, emphasizes meditation and the direct experience of transcending the delusions of mind.
We can have talent for more than one of these yogas or archetypes but there must be only one that should be our priority.

In terms of positive psychology, it is all a question of finding one’s core or signature strength (Seligman and Ryff) 
and doing it for its own sake.
In the meanwhile;
"With all your strength get knowledge." Rashi
And indulge in your spiritual practice and or try others.
It can be esoteric too, dance, draw, paint ...

Whatever the archetype or type of yoga it's all about what we can do for others. When Covid is over we may have to live in two worlds; the one of our true Selves the other of our deficiency needs that can pay the bills. Now, however, we may have more time to focus on the former.

“We are here to help others - what others are here for - I do not know.” W.H. Auden

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life (and I would add an afterlife) by what we give."

W. Churchill 
No doubt there are creative ways to spread love, light and laughter in our confined state. 
"Anyone who brings joy to another gives God joy."
The Ancestors 

“Before the soul enters this world it is conducted through all worlds. Last of all it is shown the first light which when the world was created illuminated all things and which God removed when humankind grew corrupt. Why is the soul shown this light? So that from that hour on it may yearn to attain the light and approach it rung by rung.” Talmud

The good news is … 

“In the song of the rushing torrent hold onto the joyful assurance: I will become the sea. And this is not a vain supposition, it is absolute humility because it is the truth.” Tagore

Like everything before any great global calamity; this too will pass and …  “No matter how long the night, the dawn is sure to come.” African proverb.

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The next blog will be about the meditation on death which the Buddhists say, like the food print of the elephant in the sand of the forest, leaves the deepest impression.