 image © 2013 Rev David Seacord (5 x 7 inches, acrylic on canvas)
Everyman's WEEKLY Journal, #17
© 2013 Rev. David Seacord
March 24, 2013
Self Responsibility
In the context of "no need to go anywhere….because all our necessary lessons will come directly to us wherever we are"…this week the universe sent me to a YouTube video of Eckart Tolle to watch… right on time, and in synchronistic perfection. The question on the table (in the video) was "What is responsibility?" (asked in the context of "How does one be spiritually responsible for the planetary-wide environmental crises we are facing?").
I found Mr. Tolle's extemporaneous eight minute response extremely clear…profound actually, and therefore I have listened to it many times, each new listening opening up deeper levels of it's profundity. That is 'the way' with skillful listening (I am continually learning…). Life is designed so FOR us that it will repeat itself again and again to give us the opportunities for growing…. BUT… if we/I are committed to our awakenedness we/I will do the repeating voluntarily, especially when there is no protective ego pretense active within us.
In the case of Eckart Tolle, he is so clearly a great soul that my ego had no judgement legs to stand on, Thank God. Therefore it (my ego) just surrendered to my hearts thirst for clarity on this issue, which has been a somewhat challenging one in my personal life (as I have been known to have an 'activist's' crusading temperament at times). Summing up Mr. Tolle's wisdom for myself (& you), he acknowledged that the earth (Gaia) is a jewel of paradisiacal beauty upon which has been superimposed the results of humanities self-centered dysfunctionalities…or what is called in Zen 'the sickness of the mind'. He acknowledged that the summating impact of this collective human mental sickness has reached a crisis point, and it is unlikely that Gaia will be able to support humanity to continue 'as is' for even another hundred years… that it actually is 'transform or go extinct' time for us as a species. He acknowledged that that is why his work is focused on healing the source of the issue… the dysfunctional sickness of our mind that keeps self-centered opportunistic dis-unity the norm. And he confirmed that it is now our individual opportunity to be fully responsible for this condition of things (since we in fact ARE 'humanity'), and to work to transform it by becoming increasingly and acutely aware of our moment to moment consciousness and the realities that it is generating…because those realities are exactly what becomes the substance of our 'collective consciousness created' world.
For me, when someone speaks a truth that is instantly obvious (where it just falls into its 'Bingo!' place inside my head like ripe fruit falling at the slightest touch), the reason it is instantly obvious is because on some level I have already noticed the same facts… but my thinking had not yet as clearly connected the dots as to what those facts must mean. So when that connection is drawn by someone who has obviously contemplated an issue more deeply than I, if I am ripe enough to recognize that, I am able appreciate the gift of that speaking for being the miracle it is. This is because in the natural course of my own unassisted contemplative growth I can see it might have been some time before I would have drawn the connection without such help. This process of receiving Bingo! assistance depends completely upon our listening skills set, and can be accurately called proactive 'consciousness rewiring'….as in creating circuits that generate wholeness instead of more insanity.
Eckart's speaking did this for me several times, for which I am grateful. One such time was simply to note that our collective dysfunction of mind has been with us for a very long time…. that it's been being inherited repeatedly by hundreds of generations for thousands of years. That's obvious, right? We've been killing each other off one way or another for a very long time, all in the name of our ego's me first individual survival. Somehow I realized that newly though, as he said it. And I realized that what I am here using my life for is to work to end this dysfunctional illness that I have inherited…in other words, to re-acquire my sanity. Why is obvious….because since the world is made up of the consequences of our thoughts, each of us becoming sane is the only real way that will work to save our world, and… because conversely, is it not patently apparent what our dysfunctions will do if allowed to continue unchecked and unhealed---and that that consequence is the inevitable terminality of humanity? This then, in a universe where all possibilities are equal, is the life or death game we as a species are playing. When this is recognized it can certainly seem a very important game to win, and it can place a deep emotional grip upon us, yes? Thus, our spiritual confusion is understandable, as we as egos have difficulty with the idea that our species survival is actually optional.
The young man who asked the question of Mr. Tolle clearly was on the horns of this same dilemma too. Most of us who are awakening are there also, at least from time to time.… because as God infills us and we feel more joy and bliss, the question naturally arises (for it is part of the curriculum) as to how when in bliss do we relate to all the pain in the world. What do we do about all the suffering? What is our right response?
Of course the simple answer is: use the joy and bliss to heal the pain of our separateness…meaning, since there is only one of us, use love to heal our brother's mind. That may be the answer, yes, but it is not 'an instruction manual' on the details of HOW.
You know why, right? Because to do the How… The Work of Generating a Conscious Upgrade in the way our egoic mind operates (by consistently telling the Truth about ourselves, by being vulnerable, impeccable, radically honest-compassionate-loving) …to the ego, THAT is 'NOT' so much fun. THAT is very confronting to it, yes? I mean, isn't there a place in your ego that fundamentally just wants to have fun? You've noticed that, yes? Doesn't it also want to avoid really really really looking into all the nooks and crannies of your consciousness for all the inauthentic dirt you'd like to never be exposed? Doesn't it want to somehow be right all the time? Mine sure does all of this. Mine would have me just being interested in me & mine (& you if it's to my advantage)--without ever insisting I grow to any real depth. My ego is all about it's own survival…i.e., me staying separated from God. My ego would like to pretend I'm a holy man, but it's not really so interested in me Being one. Because THAT (it knows) takes a lifetime of egolessness practice…of real self-inquiry. That is the work of true sadhana (spiritual practice).
Spiritual practice is very simply about habituation. Because (I will postulate) only our consciously chosen unity habituation can rescue us when we are face down in our doodoo. Only our habituation based strength of mind gained by walking the path of a regular spiritual discipline will empower us to stay true to our soul in the face of the ego's increasing desperation. Unity consciousness under all conditions and circumstances is our desired default consciousness, yes? No question… it is. Then, to have it, we must know ourselves VERY well… we must be able to recognize the slightest arising of ego within us, and we must be master of our beingness.
I suggest this is our work for the world. I suggest that all gains made by any of us are felt instantly everywhere, for it is a timeless unity that we are a part of. As A Course in Miracles teaches, our only function is forgiveness. It is the fastest way we can possibly grow, for to forgive is to release the past and the pain, and create a blank canvas to invent the future upon.
Eckart Tolle's video referenced here in is at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DgPaoObetE&feature=share
God's blessings on this journey is our birthright. Trust that. Count on them. We are not alone. We have help available for the asking. Do practice asking. :-)
Namaste,
David
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Rev. David Seacord
Fine Art Painter / Sufi Cherag
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