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Tuesday 12 December 2017

'Seeing' Perfection, part 2

Trading Duality for Non-Duality:


Humanity need only glance at our world to accept the nature of reality as dualistic. After all, in the absence of dualism, we could hardly be distracted by preference nor empowered from a plethora of personal choice. For most of us, the window to duality encourages an endless stream of likes countered by an equal share of dislikes. The essence of duality encourages us to see the world through the lens of the EgoSelf filter. This vision of reality leaves us in a state of eternal separation. With survival in the balance, we find ourselves competing against the world where success or failure appears to be drawn from the choices we entertain. Judgment becomes the sieve through which all choice is filtered.



Duality Breeds Judgment:


Naturally, dualism encourages each of us to divide our entire reality on a good versus bad scale. Never do we use critical thinking to examine the validity of our role as a consummate judge. Surely, we might make headway merely by paying attention to our behaviour.


Why do we behave in this judgmental manner?


Perhaps, the simplest answer to this query follows in the fact this is the way we have been taught to experience, then reflect upon, our existence. Although many of us are compassionate, giving, or loving individuals, we do live our life from an egocentric position. By and large, this judgmental perspective proves valuable when considering; survival, hedonism, or self-fulfillment. 

Perhaps, as a society, it is worth asking if there are potential drawbacks to an egocentric lifestyle? Moreover, do these drawbacks limit the advancement of harmonious living on a personal, communal, national, or global stage?

Possibly, we might consider holstering the metaphoric gun of judgment so that we may have the opportunity to determine how our behaviour is affecting our lives. Prior to evaluating the benefits, or drawbacks, of our actions we need to establish an honest appraisal of the way, humans navigate through this complex reality called consciousness. 

The moment we place a morsel in our mouth we already have an archived barometer of whether the experience will be desirable. If testing out new food we will automatically update our archive for future reference. Whilst judging the good/bad experience of biting into the next morsel, many variables weighed in the scale might include health, pleasure, texture, or taste. In time, the entire realm of potential food and beverage offerings will have been self scaled from good to bad, acceptable or undesirable.

Meeting someone for the first time we will unconsciously spend the first few moments evaluating their appearance, demeanor, sexuality, character, along with a host of other subconsciously graded assessments. Do I like this individual? Does this person make me feel good or bad? Will their appearance in my life lift or diminish my status? What personal benefits or drawbacks might manifest if I further encourage relations with this person? 

Essentially, we are attempting to judge if the person before us will prove to represent an asset or liability. 

Examining the events of our life, personal or third party, we cannot help but evaluate their impact upon us. Am I aligned with conservative or liberal politics? What is my opinion of Donald Trump? How do I react to war, religion, government, authority, or the bugger who just kicked me in the pants? 

Nearly every waking moment we consciously or subconsciously evaluate the minutia of our reality. Without reservation, we create the grand hierarchy of good and bad. If there is one word that best defines the behaviour of a human being, I believe the word would be JUDGE. We just cannot help ourselves; there seems no end in sight. Think about the way you conduct your life. 

Do you spend more time eating, working, sleeping, relaxing or judging? 

If honest I trust you will agree, more of your brain energy is spent judging your world than conducting any other activity. The role of a judge is an ever-present companion to experiential reality. Utterly pervasive, the judge represents one of the most invisible aspects of our identity. Hiding in plain sight the eternal judge rules over our world. Considering its impact upon our lives, it is a surprise to note how closely we need to look before we begin to comprehend the full extent of its influence.

Ponder this, as you awake the first impression to cross your mind is your state of being. Do I feel well? Have I rested enough? Am I looking forward to, or dreading, the day ahead? How is the weather? Is the shower temperature pleasing? How is my breakfast? Is the traffic tediously heavy or pleasantly light? Will the rain stop or continue? 

The list of appraisals never end whereby the process transitions into a habit which is, most often, manifested unconsciously. For the most part, we prove incapable of connecting with the judgmental thought process. The judge appears to us as a benign little data processor in the back of our mind. We know it is collecting, evaluating, archiving an endless stream of data, however, we don't stop to think of how much this little processor affects our experience of life. Even though we are capable of self-reflection we still allow our brains to run on autopilot. 

By example, on the drive to work an endless array of judgment is being reviewed, to name a few examples: the number of red lights, actions of other drivers, aromas in the air, the weather, even the music on the radio. No aspect of your reality will fail to be evaluated. 

If you suggest this is not the case I urge you to consider how you will react to the next obnoxious driver, annoying song, pounding rainstorm, or smelly farm. Do you not agree with how hitting every single red light on the way to work tomorrow will cause angst? Try as you might list all grievances chaffing at your collar I am confident you will surely miss most of the petty judgments. 

Regardless of how comprehensive is your list, do you see how only the tip of a very large iceberg has been revealed?





The good/bad scale will always exist in your mind; however, this does not mean you need to be an emotional victim to the process. Instead of accepting the inevitable victimisation, you can choose to impassionately accept all reality. To aide with the process of emancipating myself from the good/bad yo-yo of preferential living, I think of a leaf on a river. The leaf completely surrenders to the will of the river. Finding a working metaphor that allows you to step aside from the autopilot judgment ritual is not easy but does yield wonderful results in reducing stress from your life.

What gains can be discovered from dropping the baggage of eternal judgment?

For many people the steady but relentless evaluation of all life experience plays havoc with their sense of peace, fulfilment, joy. Unbeknownst to these poor souls judgment has their heart rate jumping up and down like a Mexican bouncing bean. They feel angst, discomfort, imbalance almost every moment of the day. What they are experiencing is the dis-ease of living a reality that is far removed from the idealistic image of perfection they subconsciously covet. The process of accounting for perfection denied is the singular most powerful dis-ease from which humankind must suffer.  

We wonder why cancer is on the rise. How many of us point the finger at the judge within? 

The little voice, representing a barrage; unspoken discomfort, unhappiness, malcontent, might very well be the real harbinger of rapid cancer cell growth. People who constantly live at odds with the world end up paying a hefty toll in impaired health. Obviously, if we spend our entire life swimming upstream it is reasonable to assume we will become tired, depleted, worn right out.         

Possibility your life is perfect. Not my problem, you say. Maybe you believe that living in a constant state of judgment makes your life better. More the case though, like most of us, you bear the angst of dis-ease silently. Never do we imagine for a moment how the root of our ill-health might very well be a result of the judgmental role we just cannot release. Severely disheartened by the void between the vision of a perfect world weighed against the reality we experience the cancer cells in our body quietly multiply.

First hand I have seen this process of judgmental decrepitude happen. My foster mother, at a young age, died of cancer. In my mind, the cancer was a physical manifestation of a mother having to experience a life that was too far removed from the one she wished to realise. Of course, cancer is merely one outlet for the dis-ease of humankind. Heart, pulmonary and neurological diseases are other common end games to the dis-ease which afflicts people.

Western medicine, with its limited perspective of cause and effect, often attribute the dis-ease of well being to stress. Your doctor as part of her assessment might ask you. "How stressful is your life?" Instead, she could inquire. "How are you managing the difference between your desired reality and the life you presently experience?"

Eastern philosophy, much more adept at reaching for causation, will seek to balance your chi as a means to eradicate your sense of dis-ease with life. Chinese medicine, by focusing on one’s energy body, offers its patients a broader complement of medical solutions. The physiological health of the body is directly related to the psychological health of ones' mind. Health evaluations, as well as recommended remedies, must incorporate both the physical and subtle bodies. Successfully managing the gap between desired and realised reality is, in my humble opinion, an essential ingredient to good health. 

The mental gymnastics of judgment certainly makes life harder to endure. Each time we judge we invariably find ourselves farther afield from a happy life. In light of your own personal experience, can you see judgment silently wreaking considerable havoc with your life? If the true depth of emotional despair were revealed I believe all of us would deem the findings shocking. Accepting how judgment affects our health an important question arises. 

Is it possible to step off the hamster wheel of judgment? 

To answer this query the old saying "I have good news and bad" seems rather apropos. Good news, you certainly can reverse the process of eternally judging your reality. Bad news, you will have to dispel a lifetime of habit so deeply ingrained that the judgmental process unconsciously rules your day to day experience of life. Accordingly, your path toward non-judgment will involve finding a way to convince yourself duality is an illusion. 

There is no up/down, right/wrong, you/me, paradigm as depicted by the, very convincing, EgoSelf filter of reality. For this journey, you will need your GodSelf filter firmly stapled to your head. Hard as it might be, you will need to trade the construct of duality in for nondual considerations.   


Non-Duality / GodSelf Filter:



Prior to solving the dilemma of judgment, you will first need to be open to the possibility that reality might very well exist in a state of perfection. I am sure you will agree this will not be an easy nut to crack! Non-duality, in the realm of spiritualism, is the term most often used to illustrate this drive toward harmonic living. Non-duality, contrary to the moniker, is not about denying duality. Rather non-duality is about simply accepting that, contrary to the way we experience our reality, there is not two. When we reach for non-duality we must do so from a point of absolute singularity. 


Perhaps looking at non-duality as it relates to the various states of H2O, boiling water verses ice, we might begin to grasp the difference between dualism and non-dualism. Both steam and ice are states of the H2O molecular bond, both appear as separate entities but in reality, they are one and the same.   

Let's take a glance at how this, laissez-faire, philosophy can be either easy or hard to apply. There are Brussels sprouts as well there are carrots. I may prefer carrots, I may choose carrots, however, it will not serve me well to suggest Brussels sprouts are bad. There is the perfect drive to work or the reckless driver who smacks into my car. I may prefer to enjoy a perfect drive, I may choose a perfect drive, yet the moment I deem a reckless driver slamming into my car is bad I will have invalidated a portion of my potential future reality. In the process of denying a potential outcome, I am diminishing the Godliness of all manifest reality.

Surely, it is much easier to deal with a plate of Brussels sprouts, juxtaposed to a painfully horrific accident, yet, we can easily determine how both eventualities can cause us grief. The scale of the grief suffered is significantly different in degree, however, similar is the internalisation of malcontent. If there exists a dis-ease with the outcome life had provided, then this dis-eased energy body must be reconciled with the physical body.

Which has a greater impact upon my life; the Brussels sprouts or the horrific accident? May I suggest the answer could be neither. Both represent dis-ease with your present reality. Dis-ease may present itself on a small or grand scale, either way, it is detrimental to your well being.

When living within the realm of non-duality, the adherent realises it is essential life be comprised of dualism. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with our preferences naturally expanding into the reality we wish to see unfold. However, we do ourselves a disservice when we fail to see how all potential outcome has a righteous place in our world. Insisting on the reality we receive is not acceptable will create dis-ease. If we demand carrots for every meal, or a perfect drive each time we enter our vehicle, we deny the important role duality plays in offering flavour to our reality. 

The more we use judgment to fight our reality, the more we find dis-ease will affect our health. For, in the absence of duality, there are no carrots, cars, preferences, nor alternative choices from which we might select. Eliminate duality, you will discover a pool of nothingness will remain. 

Would you rather duality or nothingness? You cannot have both.



Dualism affords humans the chance to exercise their sense of self. From the preferences we covet to the choices we make, each of us creates a special, unique persona. Terrific is the ultimate outcome of duality as individual snowflakes can now rejoice in a state of GodSelf beingness. 

Imagine how bland our world would be if we each were carbon copies regurgitating the same catalogue of preferences, experiencing identical lives. For one to experience up there must be a down from which to choose. 

Love cannot become manifest, nor appreciated, if fear were not present to provide contrast. Every person, event and experience, must have their own seat on the bus. From the vantage of duality, the beggar contrasts with the billionaire. We come to learn the murderer serves a purpose equally as important as does the victim or the doctor who might precipitously intervene. All manifest reality is God, therefore all reality is equally worthy of our love, especially the things we might label as bad.

Non-dualism is embraced only when we release the habit of judging one aspect of GodSelf reality as better or worse than another. Preferences, along with choice, empower our EgoSelf spirit. 

Judgments' predicating choice will always devalue our true GodSelf identity. 

Aspects of our reality we choose to label as bad will always steer us away from unconditional love, in doing so we diminish the divinity of the GodSelf. However much our autopilot judge sits in session, we do have the capacity to get our butt off the bench. We can embrace our preferences while, at the same time, choose to love, honour, then respect what we once deemed revile. The process of releasing judgment will inevitably lead to unconditional love which, as far as I am concerned, is a beautiful destination. 

There need not be a void between desired and experienced reality. Dismiss the urge to judge, in doing so the two worlds will become one. If by chance, you entirely eliminate judgment then you will finally 'see' absolute perfection is all which might exist. Holding the truth of unconditional love in your heart will allow you to discover your world is, and always will be, absolutely perfect.

Sliding a powerful thread of non-duality through the fabric of my life, I am blessed with love. There is a rock I hold upon when I find it difficult to remember non-duality, a simple affirmation that helps guide me toward a state of unconditional love.

The rock is a vision I constructed years ago, one which I hold dear. Love is all there is, everything else I believe to be a persistent illusion.

Often I reflect upon experiences I would have judged as bad but then remembered this too is God. The ideal I seek is to experience life as a simple leaf effortlessly accepting the will of the river. By resisting the urge to divide reality into good versus bad I discover the present moment will always unravel as an amazingly beautiful GodSelf gift.   

Placing the proverbial gun of judgment in its holster may not prove an easy task. Yet, from the perspective eradicating the dis-ease within you, living free of judgment should be considered an imperative. With this goal in mind, we address the second query.

How can I better manage my life?

Unless you are a spiritual master, of which I believe none of us qualifies, the path toward reason represents a slow but steady transition. The role of the judge is so invisibly pervasive the journey toward freedom from dis-ease will undoubtedly constitute as many steps forward as back. Surely, as we progress up the spiritual mountain, we should accept our gains will be tempered by slips and falls. 

The burden of effecting change in our thought processes is enormous; it is worth remembering how each successful war contains many lost battles.

Having endured years of failure in trying to live a life free of judgment there are a few bits of spiritual beef jerky I can toss your way. Hopefully, a little introspection will add a dose of energy to your pursuit. Free from expectation, devoid of resistance, I can choose to accept, cherish, then love whatever blessing each moment might afford. While identifying with personal preferences I can still choose to love, even honour whatever reality might unfold.

In choosing this course of action you no longer identify Donald Trump, the murderer, starvation, or the desperate planet as bad outcomes. Instead, with GodSelf eyes you see duality unfolding in the form of absolute perfection. Yes, when you stop judging his actions, even Donald Trump is perfect. How beautiful your world becomes when you remember to see through the eyes of GodSelf.

The burden of good/bad along with the concept of a messed-up world will, in time, vanish. Releasing the scales of justice will allow you to miraculously cure much of the dis-ease from your life. It will become easier for you to let go of ill feelings toward the vast amount of experienced reality which starkly contrasts your misbegotten sense of preference.

Choosing to release judgment will magically transform you into an amazing spiritual alchemist. You will continually look into your heart for anything which is not loved when you discover these dis-eased sentiments you simply apply spiritual truth from the 'seer' perspective then consciously transform the dark energy into love.  

How beautiful, embracing non-duality becomes the spiritual alchemy capable of transforming judgment to acceptance, fear to love, denial to unity. The choice is always yours, the cure for the disease is free, just grab ahold of unconditional love.

Perhaps you disagree? Possibly you see the task as inane, or impossible? You could be thinking, easy enough to say Christopher, but what would you do if someone murdered your child? 

Answering this question, it is likely I would want to kill a person for such a horrible act. 

However, I could also remind you, it is in my power to choose another path. I might grab hold of philosophy, in doing so, remember death is an illusion. With luck, I would choose to live within the loving spirit of non-duality. Then again, I might purchase a shotgun and blow his sorry ass out of existence.

Mostly I would hope, before acting out of revenge, I remembered all manifest reality is God in disguise. Knowing God cannot exist within the box of good or bad, right or wrong, there is a slim chance I could offer the murderer of my child love. If luck were with me I would have 'seen' how the murderer, my child, myself, are all beautiful unique reflections of GodSelf. We three represent one singular non-dual being. 

Finally, after many days of grieving the loss of my child, I might grab a hold of the ultimate rock of truth. GodSelf can never be divided. Holding dearly to the philosophy of singularity I might then validate, cherish, then choose to love all which has or will manifest. 

When we truly accept all manifest reality is GodSelf, we agree it is senseless to diminish any portion of the GodSelf. My preference is toward love, I do not choose to be a murderer. This, in no way, suggests I cannot accept, value, even love, the GodSelf beings who take life. 


My life has been littered with countless choices of which I regret, Choices made without consideration of GodSelf truth. None more debilitating or dis-ease rendering than being directly responsible for taking the life of three young African men. None of these beautiful men enjoyed the full life of which I have been so blessed. In the moment of EgoSelf battle, I believed my choices had merit. Hindsight, in the light of Godself truth, proved otherwise. 

The burden of taking a life is nearly insurmountable. Still, I assure you, the dis-ease of living with such a heinous choice can be eased by the unconditional love of GodSelf.

Having the capacity to see your world in light of absolute perfection will not guarantee you fully release judgment. If you are like me, you will embrace a GodSelf vision while at the same time discover the clear majority of your life is still being filtered through EgoSelf glasses of judgment.

Until we rein in the judge, dis-ease will always be rampant in our life. Believing survival is an essential part of the living experience, we are hardwired to judge, fear, hate. The process of dis-ease is inevitable if, in the spirit of judgment, each step distances us from unity. There is a good reason for the monk to eliminate all outside influence, they know very well how difficult it is living a GodSelf life when faced with the trappings of the modern world.

I do not believe we are meant to exist in solitude. Community, I feel, offers us the easiest path toward discovering the GodSelf vision. Through the process of living a rich life, we discover endless opportunities to learn how to see with GodSelf eyes. 

The inverted reflection of EgoSelf is undoubtedly the whetstone upon which GodSelf truth can be honed. 

Romping around in the muddy EgoSelf hole of despair, truth is best made available when we use GodSelf philosophy to wipe ourselves clean. Embroiled in the process of falling in the mud followed by a reflective cleansing of the body surely must accelerate our path toward the equanimity of living beyond judgment. Essentially, we are beings well designed to fail. Comfort can be found in knowing each failure invariably offers a new path toward our eventual success. Perhaps you will experience life in a similar fashion as do I, whereby, you feel like you are two people in one body. 

The EgoSelf human, constantly judging all aspects of your reality under the scope of a survival mentality. 

The GodSelf human, denying judgment by accepting all manifest reality as a reflection of perfection.

If you arrive at this bipolar destination, you will likely discover the greatest part of your life is lived wearing the glasses of EgoSelf. Even though your spiritual toolbox allows you to embrace unconditional love, you will find your tools rusting in the box as you allow, fear biased, structures of judgment to wreak dis-ease in your life. In this light, you will discover the smallest part of your life will be enjoyed basking in the glory of your GodSelf philosophy. The saving grace, respite from dis-ease is available as soon as you choose to don the GodSelf glasses. Take comfort in knowing GodSelf power has much more influence than does the illusions promoted by the EgoSelf. Short-lived isolated moments where we live with GodSelf truth seem capable of dispelling a lifetime of illusion fed by our EgoSelf reality. So often I read of spiritualists who suggest it is important to eliminate the EgoSelf. 

I strongly disagree!


We serve ourselves well when we accept, love, then give thanks to the lessons and illusions offered by the EgoSelf. Each time the EgoSelf slices up the reality we are given a chance to deny the illusion. Instead of realising fear, we embrace the GodSelf filter, then, we redefine reality from a perspective of singularity, unity consciousness, unconditional love. 

The more lessons taught by EgoSelf, the greater chance we have to connect with the ultimate truth of love. Holding absolute perfection close to heart, let us smile when the EgoSelf monkey mind dons his garb. He may still grab his tambourine while dancing a jig in our mental reality, but, we will 'see' his deception as an illusion. 

When I find myself judging aspects of my reality, I know the monkey is dancing about in my mind. The dance, his purposeful way of teaching me anew that love is all there is. He winks at me, "Hey Christopher, I have you dancing to illusion again, pay attention to the philosophy of your GodSelf truth."

Non-duality is a beautiful vision impossible to see when witnessed through EgoSelf glasses. Each time you lose sight of the truth of non-duality the monkey will be holding your hand. Wink back at him for me, then, when the dance ends, give thanks in knowing imperfection is an illusion. 

After all, perfection is in the eye of the beholder. Like the GodSelf vision, perfection always exists but rarely is it 'seen'. We, as spiritualists, learn to strive for non-duality. Moreover, we understand non-duality is, always will be, our true identity. If you feel unsuccessful in embracing non-duality, relax in knowing you will be given another opportunity. My guess is, it will not be long before your monkey asks for another dance. 

Solace is found in knowing GodSelf simply cannot make a misstep. All iterations of yourself, past, present or future, are absolutely perfect.

What do you think, is it possible all moments of reality are perfect?


Unity Consciousness:



Those inclined toward a spiritual, non-religious, pursuit of philosophy will have an easier time grasping the concept of unity consciousness. Regardless of how excruciatingly difficult it is to understand the ideology of unification, trying to embrace a basic concept of unity will prove an essential cornerstone toward the destination of seeing reality as a function of absolute, unequivocal perfection.

Religion has taught humanity to adhere to the concept of a God who created the universe. Whether our religion speaks of Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad, or any other religious icon, those who are religious collectively agree it is God who made each of us. When I discuss unity consciousness with people of religion, I find their sense of unity equates to the accepted belief God 'created' you and I both, therefore we are one.

This limited understanding of unity as a function of being 'created' by God will not further ones' ability to fully grasp unity consciousness. In fact, a religious belief structure only serves to muddy the waters of this esoteric principal. What if we look at unity consciousness from a scientific perspective, whereby, we consider unity in the way Einstein would. 


Physics offers a far better vehicle toward unity consciousness than does religion. Einstein, by seeing reality as an illusion, proffers a concise description of the experience we call reality.

Without exception, all quantum physicists agree our reality is best defined as a holographic illusion. We appear to exist as separate beings marching through time and space. However, time, space, along with the physical representation of individuality, is nothing more than a very convincing illusion. 

Each moment of the collective existence we literally create ourselves, as well as our world, anew. 

Positioned as observers, we eternally create reality from a well of infinite possibility. The wave of infinite possibility becomes a point as soon as we observe its presence. The act of observation initiates the physical illusion we call reality. Our reality does not exist 'out there' it exists from 'within'.

With an eye toward defining our reality, if a philosopher were to sit down with a physicist over a cup of coffee, there is only one logical conclusion upon which they would arrive. Each of us exists within a 'reality framework' of our own creation. Don Juan Matus refers to this illusion of physicality as "controlled folly". I like don Juan's description as it mixes the nagual and tonal planes together. 

Undoubtedly, a logical argument can be made to assure us, all manifest reality is a holographic image of God experiencing the beingness of God. From the perspective of the physicist, who observes quantum entanglement of the atom suggests all matter must be a singularity. The philosopher, spiritualist, or shaman will agree all matter is singular in nature. 

Nothing is separate, we are all one being experiencing consciousness. 

Therefore, when a philosopher and scientist both reach for unity, they tackle the subject from different angles. Unfortunately, both perspectives are rather sublime, as a result, the average human is still unable to guide their life under the aegis offered by these valuable insights 

I am you, you are me, we only appear separate from each other. The truth might very well be, we are one. The distinction we draw from this appraisal of self teaches us, God cannot be separate from the self. God must represent our true identity. This knowledge leads us to consider how God did not create the universe.

God became the universe!

WOW!

This esoteric conceptualization of GodSelf reality is so hard to fully comprehend, yet invaluable for those who wish to advance their spiritual truth beyond muddied waters of religion. Irrespective of spiritual diamonds left on the beach, humanity would be terribly offended by the mere suggestion our true identity is GodSelf in nature. 

Blasphemy, for anyone conceited enough to even suggest we mortal humans create the universe from nothingness. Insanity, for anyone to believe we are immortal Gods existing in a playground of our own creation. Some believe heretics, like me, need be crushed. Our philosophical, scientific and spiritual voices forever silenced. 

Yet, I ask myself. "What is there to fear?" 

Other folks, looking at their world through a wider lens, might comprehend the concept of a holographic world. However wide we choose to open our eyes, everyone will find it difficult to identify themselves as the eternal Gods they, quite likely, are. Very few people find it possible to confidently stand against the worldview of the creator God. 

Who, other than scientists, see time and space as an illusion? 

Who among us could imagine reality is an eternal, self manifest, experience?

Even if one were to accept the logic of this philosophy, the ability to carry the message in the heart is nigh on impossible. The reason we cannot internalise the truth of GodSelf beingness is that our five senses speak of an entirely different reality than the one painted within this argument. 

You and I appear as separate beings. Surely, we must live in the physical world. Impossible to even imagine we are the creators of this world. Absolutely insane to ideate the self as an eternal GodSelf being. 

The filter of EgoSelf absolutely prohibits the Godself from shining.

Unfortunately, if we are to have any prayer of believing all manifest reality is perfect, we must be able to infuse our heart with the message of unity consciousness. When our hearts 'see' truth, we are then able to stand firm against the vast wealth of EgoSelf information. Information, I might add, eternally convinces humanity we are separate from our brethren, separate from the playground we inhabit.

Taking a giant leap to mentally believe in the truth of unity consciousness will not fully expose the GodSelf. The mind thinks, whilst the heart knows. Therefore, when we believe only with the mind we discover doubt inevitably will erode the strength of our philosophical steel. 




The heart, acts upon our philosophy like the heat of a forge, tempering the steel of our convictions. Philosophy, embraced by the heart, allows us to cut away at illusion, rebuff the naysayer within. 

Philosophical and scientific blades tempered by the heart will always hold their GodSelf edge. 

Why has this knowledge not changed the world?

Embracing the knowledge of GodSelf, how might your world change? 

What implications does unity consciousness offer those of us who want to 'see' perfection?   
  
From my perspective, unity consciousness is a very easy concept to grasp. However, I do appreciate I have been blessed by countless beautiful points of literary reference. The oldest reference to unity consciousness I discovered when reading Eastern philosophy in the form of The Vedas. Across all religious texts, there are references tied to the theology of singularity. However, when Jesus suggested 'I am that' or 'we are all the sons of God' the concept is presented from a clouded version of a God creating the universe, not a God becoming consciousness. Great shaman, like don Juan, present unity consciousness with their own beautiful flavour. Additionally, almost all first nations peoples believe in the ultimate unified connection of humanity with nature and the stars. Countless philosophers, too many to mention, also point toward unity consciousness as the core of their entire belief structure. 

In the light of such esteemed knowledge, how could one refute consensus sourced from science, spirituality, religion, and philosophy, all of which spans 3,200 years? 

Over then again the same message prevailed, corroborations which left me absolutely humbled by the impression of continuity. Of course, I believed in unity consciousness. 

Who could be so arrogant to deny a message repeatedly trumpeted throughout the globe over eons of time?

Yet, the difference between endorsing a concept with the mind juxtaposed to embracing it with the heart is akin to a preschooler attending a lecture in quantum physics. Luckily for me, I took hold of the urging of don Juan who pushed his student, Castaneda, toward shamanism. For, in the cocoon of a shamanistic ritual I was far enough removed from the EgoSelf to allow for a blissful experience of unity consciousness.


Although the tonic of truth is significantly more powerful when consumed by the heart, in no way is the impact of this knowledge insignificant for those who mentally capture the truth of unity. Rest assured, your reality will greatly change the moment you imagine yourself as a GodSelf being who eternally creates reality in the NOW moment.

Loving your brethren, releasing judgment, letting go of the good versus bad paradigm, joyful living, are just some of the many benefits one will acquire through the GodSelf filter of unity. Contrary to the way we presently allow fear to limit our commune with life, understanding reality as a unified experience enables us to guide our choices with love as the prime basis for living free from fear and dis-ease. 

Although many of the core fear paradigms like death, insufficiency, hate, want, sickness, judgment, and envy are not entirely dispelled, they are significantly easier to manage when immersed in the loving sense of unification. Slowly we grasp the understanding of life; we each are divine creators. In 'seeing' the light we move away from the tendency to cast blame, the impulse to get even, or the sense we must continually hold strong to our opinions, beliefs, and desires. 

Equally valuable is the chance for us to advance a philosophy where GodSelf truth is at the core. Holding the vision of GodSelf, our natural tendency will be to articulate a lifestyle honouring our newly found belief structure. We look for ways to sequester ourselves from the old fear-based habits which we know no longer support our new sense of self. Finally, we come to grasp how the world experienced through the filter of EgoSelf is, by definition, illusory. Standing in the false world we once believed was real, we are then inclined to ferret out the manifest thoughts, feelings, and actions which have, until now, kept us from unconditionally loving the self as well as all our brethren. 

Essentially, embracing unity consciousness from the mind or heart will result in the hourglass being turned right side up. Slowly, our sense of what is real will begin to take a new form. The discovery of a new self will reveal a vibrant truth whilst, at the same time, dispelling the effects of the EgoSelf lie we once held as truth. How massive an understatement it is to suggest your world will change when eradicating EgoSelf illusion in favour of GodSelf living. Like Alice in Wonderland, we will dust off the dirt as we make ourselves ready for an entirely new perspective. Your new life will be so wildly opposed to the reality of friends and family you will find yourself wondering. 

How is it possible, until now, I have been denied this beautiful truth?

Sooner or later, a question will pique your sensibilities. If all is GodSelf, then is it not logical to assume all manifest reality must be absolutely perfect?

There is the rub, the thief, the murderer, the planet falling apart at the seams, the lonely braggart, the rapist, all global chaos now considered exquisitely awesome manifestations of a GodSelf singularity. Reaching this juncture, you will discover the only logical conclusion will be for you to choose a path that loves, deifies, and honours all manifest reality. Everything we once deemed as bad we now 'see' is dualism dancing with itself in perfect harmony. We see how each step from black or white shoes is absolutely divine. 


The scales of justice are released, nothing is deemed good nor bad, right nor wrong. Everything is worthy of love, respect, honour. All is cherished, accepted, loved, embraced. Forgiveness has no meaning for the person who sees all manifest reality as an eternal dance of GodSelf energy. This does not mean we will choose to murder, rape or steal from our brethren, nor do we haphazardly deface our planet. Quite the opposite, the GodSelf will respect, love, then accept all we experience. 


 

Knowing the self as a GodSelf being, you will desire to empower all your brethren as well all their actions, within the framework of GodSelf light. In-kind, you will likely see how every moment of judgment must logically represent a step away from the truth. 

My philosophical and spiritual hero, don Juan, sums up best with his rendition of the impeccable spiritual warrior seeing' the nagual. From my humble vantage point, being impeccable simply means choosing love over fear. We are GodSelf, we are love. Under the cloak of unity consciousness, we take shelter from the illusions of EgoSelf. In doing so, we find love is all there is. By extension, all sense of non-perfection must be an illusion. 


What do you think, are you starting to 'see' the possibility all beings, all events, all moments, are perfect?

Sunday 26 November 2017

'Seeing' Perfection... Part 1


Seeing Perfection


  
Conviction, as the sun sets in the West, we humans seem willing to hold dear to the inherent righteousness of acquired knowledge. Who among us would be brave enough to speculate whether one plus one amounts to two. 


The River of Knowledge:


Would we be wrong to assume the process of ageing translates into a heightened sense of conviction in the things we believe to be true? Yet, the older I get the more deeply humbled I am to realise conviction in my belief structure exists as a spiralling state of diminishing returns. 

The process of slowly accepting my infinite ignorance reminds me of the path a river takes to the ocean. Tumultuous in its youth, the river brashly pushes aside all obstacles. Crystal-clear icy mountain waters run wild, untamed as if certain of the charted path. The river bed, like the unbridled waterway, is rocky, unyielding, and nearly impenetrable.

Equally unyielding was my youthful perspective on knowledge. Brash, confident, senselessly assuring whoever might listen that my truth certainly was a fact.   

Time has a way of encouraging all rivers to eventually accommodate the very obstacles they once hastily obliterated. Clear tumultuous waters become opaque as the soil of a supple river bottom blends with slowly moving currents. Peacefully, the old river eventually abandons its steely path. Gracefully, the river snakes through marshy floodplains prior to arriving at the ocean where it discovers an unfathomable singularity of being.

Presently, my relationship with knowledge has been turned on its head so many times, that I feel caught in a blender. Absolutes, which I once considered irrefutable, have now transitioned into a sloppy glob of philosophic grey matter. Like the river, I too have been transformed by time. My truth, once crystal clear, is now cloudy, uncertain, opaque.   

Discovering how little I know has left me holding an empirical bag of nothingness. The conviction itself, in my mind at least, seems to have died the death of a thousand cuts. Slowly, I have been forced to accept the realisation there is absolutely nothing of which I am unequivocally confident.

For example, if existence is a singularity, then can we not argue how one plus one must equal one? There was a time, not long past when I whittled down my sense of truth to one single defensible fact.

I do exist!

The fact I exist seemed a valuable tidbit of knowledge upon which I could hang my hat.
However, standing in the shower this morning I pondered my existence. I wondered if life is an eternal holographic illusion, is there ever a point of nonexistence? Without a reference for non-existence can we not assume our conceptualisation of existence, at best, remains flawed. 

After all, if we have no contrast for the position of existence then do we really exist? 

Or, is it possible existence is the singular de-facto expression of Divinity? 

The question begging to be asked is, does Divinity have an off switch?

The Upanishads, the Gita, quantum physics, as well countless spiritual or philosophical offerings maintain life, in the form of consciousness, is eternal. Our sense of reality, as well as our use of language, are both predicated upon contrast. Hot offers up cold as its companion. Up relies upon down to give it a sense of meaningfulness. With this logistical measuring stick might we reasonably suggest existence gains experiential credibility only if it can be weighed against the state of non-existence. If we further argue death to be an illusion, then what meaning does the definition of existence offer? 

Ergo, do I really exist?

Hmmmm.


I digress, however, I do so with just cause. In this essay, I wish to position an argument that asks you to consider the possibility that all manifest reality exists in a state of absolute perfection. Surely, the mere thought of such an inane statement must cause the hackles upon your neck to excite. After all, to name just a few obvious moments of imperfection we need only consider the tragedy of rape, starvation, or war.  

Tumbling down the imminent philosophical river ahead, prior to our launching over the falls, I think it was worthwhile to emphasize my great wealth of ignorance. Perhaps, if we both accept my limitations of intelligence then we might dispatch with the need for either of us to be right. Possibly, if you embrace this philosophical journey as if it were a movie or TV show you might find it easier to consider the perfection argument in the absence of judgment.

Herein, appropriately applied, is the quote from Sergeant Schultz of Hogan's Heroes. 

"I know nothing!"  


Seeing Imperfection:


When discussing with friends the philosophical position of absolute perfection the question I hear most often is as follows. What aspect of global starvation could possibly be considered perfect? Fortunately, in support of my rebuttal, I have suffered through a very compelling experience from which I could draw upon.     

Crossing the African continent by bicycle heaved upon my psyche some of the most unbearable experiences imaginable. Communing with people who were starving to death brought me face-to-face with arguably the greatest injustice of present-day society. Years later, having learned of the global scope of this tragedy, I could not help but suffer under the grotesquely stark realisation that over one-eighth of humanity is slated to die of starvation.

As if it were yesterday, I recall a young African boy whom I befriended. Our friendship sprouted in the tiny Algerian village of Assamakka. Proximal to the Niger border, Assamakka proved a desolate locale in which residents most often struggled to exist. Winter in the Saharan desert is bleak, barren, and relentless. By day everything cooked under the torment of a draining sun; winter evenings referenced single-digit temperatures freezing the desert floor. Perhaps there were thirty huts making up the dishevelled community of roughly one hundred residents. Directly in the centre of the village, a small hut opened to a restaurant seating area that could accommodate nigh on twenty-five patrons. 

Seated upon the six, sun-washed, picnic tables were mostly portly Europeans. Some patrons were part of a caravan group, whilst others were driving personal vehicles with two or three individuals. All patrons entertained the common goal of charting an exploratory path across the golden sands. Hoping to gain a reprieve from a relentlessly scalding sun, everyone was taking refuge under the makeshift burlap canopy of the wind-worn, decrepit diner. We travellers all were awaiting border clearance prior to continuing the trek to the Nigerian gateway to the coveted Ivory Coast. Some explorers, like myself, envisioned destinations further afoot. 

The tableau of patrons reminded me of clean, fattened, grunting hogs. Oftentimes, a din of excited chit-chat accompanied the sounds of careless diners hastily gulping plates of hearty stew. Mama's cauldrons belched out a strange aroma from a few feet distant. Closing out the imagery, bottles of pop or beer adorned the wooden tables. Vessels of life sweating liquid gold at the behest of a sweltering sun. 

Witnessing the oft-repeated scene of heaving bowls accompanied by chilled beverages must have proven an eternally exasperating tease. I felt crestfallen for the impoverished African souls who stood or sat motionless at the sidelines of prosperity.

Transfixed by a desperate desire, through dark black eyes locals stared at the dripping beverages. Unconsciously licking chapped lips, these poor voyeurs undoubtedly imagined the cool liquid caressing their tongue before falling blissfully into an empty abyss. Sumptuous treats purveying sights and smells that likely would never pass the wanting gullet of desperate Africans. 

Dogs, ribs protruding through matted coats, rounded out the vignette as they scavenged tidbits of fat, gristle, or rotten potato carelessly flung toward salivating jaws. Challenging the beasts for scraps were blackened children who, at times, were accompanied by the odd gnarled old man fortunate enough to have survived the ripe old age of thirty. 

Maintaining order in the open-air restaurant was left to the brawny man Mama had hired. He was a sturdy young guard who, very seriously, entertained the charge of keeping famished dogs or untoward residents at bay. When the animals neared, he impassioned a flick with his stick as if they were flies. Unfortunately for the children, who were inevitably slower to react than dogs, the smart end of the guard's malicious stick often left a recognisable welt.

Mama knew how important it was to prevent the tourists from being pestered by salivating dogs or grotesque-looking beggars. Regardless of Mama's resolve for order, many of the fat, pig-like, tourists squealed in disgust at having to observe the ritualistic administration of Saharan justice. Most travellers passing through Assamakka were upset if they could not get out of the village within a few hours. The optimal visit routine for travellers involved a quick bite while the passports were stamped. Soon after their meal, they all hoped to quickly get the hell out of town. 

By the time I arrived at the village, I was weary from pushing my bicycle across what seemed an endless expanse of sand dunes. With energy reserves totally depleted, I decided to stay a week in hopes of regaining the strength needed to navigate the balance of the Saharan desert. With a broken heart, I witnessed the forlorn eyes of beasts and humans as they mentally savaged fresh food and drink. Their state of utter depravity, starkly contrasted by the intermittent disgust or repulsion from opulent tourists, left me with mental scars that took years to heal. Scenes as such soon proved almost impossible to endure. 

During my stay, I spent time talking to some of the locals who were nearing death. I tried to feed them what I could manage. However, for the most part, those nearest to death could not muster the energy to talk or eat. One boy proved an interminable burden upon my sanity. I had to stick the food in his mouth, and then patiently assist him as, together, we worked his jaw up and down. Too weak to talk, a challenge to even hold the tin cup of water I proffered a few times daily. 

Every waking moment, the boy sat next to what I assumed was the family hut. Chased by the sun, he would navigate a path around the tiny thatch, mud, and cardboard structure. The irony proved hard to miss; our sun, the greatest galactic power, directly impacted each moment of this excruciatingly feeble little teenager's existence. By night's end, the brave young lad would vanish only to reappear with the break of each new morning. As near as I could tell, this was the full extent of life for the emaciated young fellow.

I remember thinking of a friend from my hometown who was miffed because the graduation gift his dad gave him was what he described as "a cheap used car". 

Late one morning, five days into our ritualistic feeding ordeal, I approached the hut with a cup in hand. Bread protruding from my breast pocket I walked around to the back of his hut where I fully expected to discover him curled up in the shade. This sweltering morning he never managed to complete the circuit of his hut. Just prior to my arrival at his hut the young boy had been found dead. Flies swarming his cold contorted body, mouth agape, black eyes wide open. Twisted by the morbidity of the day, each night I would struggle to sleep. Sights and sounds of village life played over in my mind, an earwig drilling into my head. Tears rolled down my cheeks readily as each desperate day crashed into another vile rendition of Saharan survival.   

Relaxing back in your leather Ottoman recliner possibly you could relieve yourself of the television remote long enough to consider, as I have, the voice of imperfection. Possibly, you might regale me with a story about rape, murder, the destroyed planet, greed, or any of a long laundry list of grievances that cause you to pause. Simply stated we humans are eternal judges, therefore, it should prove quite easy to find a subject matter which repulses your sense of equanimity. Fodder aplenty for insisting my concept of manifest perfection is ludicrous. 

For most of us, certainly speaking for ourselves, daily we privately or verbally express a dislike of something. From the moment I wake, I enjoy my coffee a certain way. Checking the sports page, I am happier to see my favourite team has won. Without doubt or hesitation, it is likely I will always admit a great dislike of Brussels sprouts. Trivial things do tend to pick at me.


Like a crow testing carrion, I sample my world slowly before taking each bite. Looking past the banality of preference, when confronted by injustice smashing the barriers of social common sense I am inevitably stopped dead in my tracks by the stench of injustice. Starvation, rape, murder, and the bevvy of heinous acts cause many to utter the oft-heard query.


"If there really is a God, then how could this event be allowed to happen?"

Walking down the road which is my life, the cruel world quite often yanks wildly at my tender heartstrings. Countless tears rendered at the hand of far too many visceral experiences induced by horrible nightmares which, miraculously, came to life. Yet today, as I pen this short essay, I notice how the tumbling decades of spiritual growth have enabled me to develop a significantly different approach to the mad hatter rendition of the world I daily witness.

Observing the opinions of great sages, as well as bearing witness to my own life experiences, I offer you philosophical tidbits that may prove worthy of your review. Possibly you might latch upon some of these considerations thereby availing yourself of the ointments I use to soothe my aching heart.

More likely the case, the argument I offer might encourage you to think of me as the owner of a cold heart. In turn, you label me foolish, abstract, a man lacking the emotional carriage needed to care for those who suffer. Painting a vision of absolute perfection, I intend to dip my pen in a philosophical pot to investigate: choice, preference, duality, unity consciousness, illusion, the EgoSelf, and impeccability. With each point of reference, I hope to view through the rarely used lens of DivineSelf living.

Perhaps, with your indulgence, we might commence the argument for perfection with a curious review of how the act of choice might be seen from a DivineSelf perspective. 



Choice:

Based upon personal preferences we casually, even subconsciously, affect oodles of choices during the expanse of each day. Considering the seemingly infinite collection of decisions we make it is reasonable to assume, more than anything, choice constitutes the heat responsible for forging the blade we call the self. Endlessly before us the proverbial road branches into two. Then, based on our collective experience, we select the path most in tune with what we believe to be an apropos selection.

For the most part, few of us take a moment to consider whether we are the sole captain of this ship of endless choice. After all, observing our life as it unfolds, our five senses convince us it would be silly to, even remotely, consider the choices we make are not entirely of our own volition.

Any attempt to separate choice from self-determination will certainly invoke within you a sense of betrayal. Further to the point, for most people, stepping into the concept of divine determination is akin to driving the car from within the confines of a locked trunk. 

It makes absolutely no sense!

However insane as it may be to consider one’s life has been preordained, there are solid arguments that can bolster this, somewhat awkward, philosophical position. The first posit one might consider is what I would deem collective programming. The next time you make a choice, small or involved, ask yourself the following. 

What is the impetus behind this decision?

Your knee-jerk answer might be. "Well, this is what I wanted. Obviously, my choices reflect my preferences. Therefore, I am the only one responsible for choosing any given path!" To this assertion, I would counter.

Dig deeper, what is the base root of your preference?

Tracing back our singular decisions to their ultimate source, we absolutely must arrive at one undeniable conclusion. The collective experience of our lives leads us to each and every choice we make. Without reflecting upon causality we very well might experience choice as the sole function of personal preference. However, when peeling the onion of choice to its core, we discover historical markers which did indeed prompt my selection to place an apple in my lunchbox juxtaposed to cabbage or a lump of coal.

Accepting choice is a direct function of one's collective history, we are then compelled to investigate the origins of our past. More to the point, have other chefs conspired to create the choices we believe were solely our own. Perhaps, we might be well-served to consider the following queries.

What life experience would push us toward murder, rape, or similar acts we deem horrific?

How much ownership of evil deeds do we assign to the rapist who himself was repeatedly and viciously raped by his father or priest?

Thinking of the extreme has a way of causing us to pause. Trains of thought, placing us fittingly in our brethren's shoes, beg us to consider how far removed we are from those who commit unthinkable atrocities? Good fortune does have a way of breeding within us a contemptuous position. However forceful is a tragedy, we need not dwell upon the bizarre to follow this thread of disowning choice.

From simple choices, like a preference for apples, to the ultimate expression of murder all choice is derived from the collective experience of our personal journey.

Who is the creator of our path? 

Who has selected the ingredients compiling the composite that we seem so quick to claim our own? 

When we lay in judgment by accrediting another person's choice as repugnant, have we considered their historical composite? 

Most psychologists agree, more than anything, it is the first five years of our lives that impact our personality. Can we not logically then argue that the choices any adult makes are significantly impacted by the brushstrokes of their developmental years. With great, dedicated effort, we can change the landscape of our persona. The braggart can become humble, the thief can turn into a philanthropist, and the liar can learn to speak only the truth. Surely we can appreciate how significant fortitude is required to alter the road paved by childhood development.

More often than not, the boy does design the man.

Aside from the first five years of our life what effects do: media, school, friends, parents, family, peer pressure, heroes, religion, movie stars, and idols have upon the decisions or preferences we were so quick to claim entirely our own?

Take a moment to consider the effects of the many pervasive influences initiated by circumstances well beyond our control. Surely our world is responsible for, at the very least, framing the choices we might have considered our exclusive domain.     

Stepping back from the assumption we entirely own the choices we make. How much do you now think our choices are affected by others? If circumstances were a little crueler can you see how you could have been the starving Niger teenager? Perhaps your path leads you to randomly kill innocent civilians from a hotel window.

Truly, how far removed are we from those we scorn?

Taking the subject of choice to its conclusion, we easily understand how most philosophers believe the act of choice is merely an illusion. Credence can be then given to the ideology which suggests we each follow a preordained path. The location in the world where you were born, the position of the stars when you took the first breath, and the parents who brought you into this reality, these are the cornerstones that contrive to enable your personal choice.

Building blocks of you, framed by countless foreign influences, create the image you see staring back from a misty bathroom mirror. Beyond your control, the real you indeed proved a fabricated entity. 

How does this consideration of causality affect your sense of choice?




Moving beyond the ownership of choice, we humans believe the world happens 'to' us. The evidence of our life unfolding in linear time convinces us we react to the events which shape our lives. Most great sages believe exactly the opposite is true.

For example, a driver runs a red light in doing so slams into your vehicle. Observing the evidence. Speaking with friends, officials, or family, everyone agrees the event was the sole responsibility of the careless driver.

It behoves us to ask, is this the ultimate reality of the event in question? Or could another position be considered?

Could it be possible we were equally complicit in forging the incident? Perhaps, deep reflection might cause us to accept we invited this event into the realm of our experience. Moreover, we co-created the event? Divine energy dancing with its partner in the absence of judgment.

Speaking to this conundrum of apparent causal choice in contrast to divine fate I believe choice, like so many other aspects of physical reality, exists in two dimensions. The great Don Juan Matus coined these two planes as separate realities. The esoteric reality, which he called the 'nagual', represents what I consider the DivineSelf expression. Conversely, reality as defined by the filter of EgoSelf, which Don Juan Matus described as the 'tonal' expression, represents the lie we convince ourselves is truth.

Choice, from a tonal perspective, is affirmed by our five senses. The same choice, experienced as a function of the nagual, requires a much deeper level of spiritual consideration. Further illustrating the difference between tonal and nagual, we can then account for the traffic accident event from two separate perspectives.

The careless driver runs a red light and then crashes into us. From a tonal vantage point, we have exercised absolutely no choice in this event. Because of this limited purview of the incident, the blame is cast entirely upon the careless driver. The tonal reflection of the event seen only from the five senses with this limited purview causality is all that we considered.

The nagual vision of the event seeks to delve deeper than the physical plane of causality. Nagual perspectives ask us to see how the DivineSelf expression is ultimately responsible for the collision. This odd conclusion offers us an esoteric perspective thereby teaching how, aside from the physical evidence we see, the Divine Self is the singular creator of all reality. In the light of nagual, we do not seek to cast blame. Instead of baseless emotions like anger, blame, and revenge, the nagual vision encourages us to accept, embrace, and learn, moreover to stop judging our brethren for the circumstances which befall us. 

Capturing the nagual in day-to-day experiences encourages us to seek deeper, occulted, meaning to the events of our life. Discover the silent energy which flows beneath the surface of your physical world. Closely examine your reality with nagual eyes. Looking at nagual reality we easily grasp another argument for preordained existence.

Speaking with my lovely friend Shannon about this subject last night, I realised the importance of separating reality into these two aspects of perception. Being accustomed to looking at reality from both a physical and subtle plain I had forgotten how the subject of divine destiny leads one to posit the following query.

If our life is preordained, then what is the purpose of living?

I understand your reticence to embrace the nagual. The image of a life preordained can easily cause one to feel powerless, and futile. No one wants to lay the groundwork implying reality is somehow a pointless endeavour. Countering these sentiments, I suggest the daily choices we make are indeed important as they do offer up a unique flavour to our destiny. 

Each choice is valuable, each choice makes our journey uniquely special. Our choices tell the world, this is who I am, these are my values, and this is my personal statement. What might be hard to grasp is how the choices we make can both represent our uniqueness while still being divinely inspired, perhaps even preordained.

The tonal and nagual are not incompatible. Quite the opposite, they become deeply integrated by the function of choice. Yes, indeed our choices are very important as they reflect the essence of our hearts. Few people see beyond causality, some see the power of intention, but rarely do any of us look deep enough to embrace the DivineSelf creative power of divine manifestation.

Perhaps, an example of a river might help illustrate my point. Upon our planet, there are millions of rivers small and large, fast or slow, deep or shallow. What if the Englishman river, flowing past my door, hosts the journey of a thousand lives. If my life path were to follow the Englishman from source to ocean then, one could say, the ultimate Oceanic destination would represent my nagual existence. The river current would act out the role of destiny even though its influence would be hidden from my senses. If I truly embraced the nagual I might even take into consideration the tidal pull of the moon as it affects the ocean I am travelling toward.

Regardless of whether or not I am aware of the current or the moon, my journey will ultimately lead to a preordained destination, the ocean.

Floating down the river, carried by an unseen nagual current, I might 'choose' to paddle over to the bank, and spread a little love with the fishes or insects. Possibly, I might 'choose' to hang out behind an old stump to enjoy a chat with a frog. Whatever my destiny might entail I am the one who decided the nature of my own trip.

Another who travels the same river might have an identical destination as I. Yet, through the vehicle of choice, she will entertain entirely different experiences as her unique journey unfolds. We each are beautiful snowflakes; no two of us are similar. Within the 'tonal' expression the beautiful choices I make will give my life meaning as well as a sense of personal ownership.

From the tonal viewpoint, the choice is very real. Accordingly, choice carries significant meaning as we experience the events of our lives. The preordained current of the nagual represents the ultimate DivineSelf experience. Reflecting upon the perfection of Divinity, we dilute the perception of choice, we temper its power by realising destiny may very well be discovered sitting behind the wheel. 
       
The subject of choice, in tandem with a divine destiny, can help us rationalise all experiential reality as perfection. Simply stated, Divinity does not make mistakes. If we accept each life will follow a preordained path, then possibly we can exercise a little compassion when faced with the many, uncomfortable, choices made by our dear brethren. 

When we embrace nagual living we find in our heart both fertilizer and space for compassion to grow. Often, I call the nagual my seat on the bus. Our world, in my view, is an endless dance of dualistic energy. Whereby, when holding firmly to the nagual perspective, reality must embrace all aspects of duality for it to unfold. All manifest reality is therefore seen as a function of divinity. Logic would suggest all reality must be loved unconditionally. Perhaps this lesson bears the greatest fruit in allowing us to love the one we judge most harshly, the self. 

Looking at reality, I cannot help but feel each seat on the bus is sacred each choice divine, each action a tremendously beautiful dance of contrasting energy. 

Within the framework of nagual thinking, the next time someone or something irks me, relief may be found in honouring all choices as a direct function of alternative actualization. Possibly, the next time I feel the urge to cast blame, I might consider the nagual. After all, the nagual approach would have me 'see' how you wrote the entire script which is my reality. I am the author, the stage, the actor. Even when a car slams into my world I can 'see' my energy was meant to dance with the energy of the other driver. 

In the eternal ocean of duality-consciousness, the event can be viewed as another amazing moment of divinity. Within its divine form, the nagual approach would have me believe it is utterly illogical for me to deem the car crash an accident.



Preference:


Observing, as well as acting upon, our personal preferences enable the uniqueness of individuality. Humanity expressed as a bland soup of peoples conforming to a singular script would surely leave us quickly reaching for the spice of nonconformity. Freedom of expression, propelled by the horsepower of preference, advances the interests of science, the arts, manufacturing, and innovation, as well as countless other aspects of civilization. Cherishing preference, in the light of an upwardly mobile society, we certainly would not wish to curtail its role in human development.

However, is it possible, that preference might play a pivotal role in humanity perceiving reality as imperfect?   

Whatever we see as separate from self initiates within our psyche a process identifying preference. Every minuscule fragment of our consciousness is sorted, labelled, and then measured on an invisible scale of perceived value. Our character reflects itself as an ever-fluid composite of preferences.

Demands will be fulfilled or denied. In-kind, a gap between desire and reality unfolds. The greater the gap, the more angst you feed the pain-body of nonfulfillment. In this light, imperfection appears as an obvious function of one's reality being expressed. Casting the net of individual preference we tend to reach far beyond our limited capacity to control an expansive environment. The potency of this truth is illustrated by the massive canyon stretching between the world we wish to experience juxtaposed to the world we daily witness.

From the grandest scale of desiring global peace to small irksome annoyances akin to sitting proximal to a colicky child on a transcontinental flight, desired reality crashes into expressed reality. Neither experience is ultimately within our control, yet, both are likely to elicit angst.

We all can relate to the disconnected feelings to which I refer. The need to be right as an argument with your partner unfolds. Your boss screaming at you just because she is having a tough day. The driver who cuts you off in heavy traffic then gives you the finger. Watching the latest horrific event unfold on the big screen. Sickening feelings you get when rape or murder knocks upon a door you deem too close to home.

Endless tragedy, abuse, misuse, ignorance, and hate, squeeze out of society like pus oozing from a freshly lanced boil. 

Events that make you want to scream, cringe, or cry. Frustration without hobble is force-fed to you while society is more concerned with Hollywood gossip than righting global scales of injustice. Fears of a world in distress, animals dying, the globe straining under blender blades of corporate greed or executive malfeasance.

The list of grievances seems endless. The gulf between your sense of right and the inevitable execution of wrong becomes insurmountable. Preference seems a justified tool for weeding humanity's garden. Perturbed but not defeated, we try our darnedest to deal with the injustices of the true human condition. 

Witnessing the void between personal preference and the events of our life we cannot help but realise it is the act of projecting our personal preference out into the world which causes within us anger, judgment, and ultimately grief.

If never exposed to the outer world then the preferences we hold dear would never be challenged. However, being a hermit is not why we exist. I believe it is important to love, share, and then rejoice in the uniqueness of our brethren. Unfortunately, the moment we entertain anything of foreign origin, we set ourselves up for disappointment, heartache, and incompatibility.

Capitalizing upon our ability to manage the gap between desire and reality is something very few of us meet with success. Often, we feel offended by a life experience that abjectly fails to adequately conform to our expectation of fairness. Realistically, no single person has the capacity to feed all the starving souls. Yet, this incapacity does little to alleviate the pain we feel when standing proximal to a starving child.

Surely each of us suffers as we navigate, or attempt to accept, the chasm between reality and our vision of the perfect world. Who, in the absence of rose-tinted glasses, would begin to suggest the world we live in is already perfect? Even broaching the topic leaves one open to being accused of soaking their mind in Pollyanna bathwater.

For many years I battled the illusion of imperfection with little success. Always there were nagging thoughts, feelings, and emotions compelling me to wish for a better world. Regardless of how these painful views contrasted with my quickly advancing philosophy, I seemed firmly glued to the notion humanity held great room for improvement. After all, the grievance is easy to conjure in light of an immense tidal wave of injustice.

Spiritually leaping, like a stallion, toward the beauty of unity consciousness did little to relieve my grief. More the case, esoteric truths only heightened the gap between my brethren and myself. Spiritual knowledge, at times, left me feeling guilty for being wrapped in a warm blanket of philosophy. Inevitably, the more my philosophy flowered the more I was compelled to make a difference and change the world or people's viewpoints. 

My role seemed to educate the ignorant, preach to the unconverted, and save those who might still be choosing fear over love.

What a slippery, self-righteous, slope I travelled. In time, much further up the spiritual mountain, I received guidance from some wonderful texts. To name a few: Tao Te Ching, The Gnostic texts, The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, and above all my favourite source of truth, Don Juan Matus. Where would I be without Castaneda's beautiful books? Perhaps the one golden thread that spun through each of Castaneda's books was the concept of absolute acceptance. Life, in the absence of manufactured drama, is a beautiful gift.

The Tao offers the peaceful image of a leaf floating effortlessly upon the river. Symbolic metaphors are used to represent the personification of steadfast acceptance. The Gnostic texts taught, that no one entity, nor event, is greater nor lesser than another. The Gita reminded me, that reality is a singularity known as Divinity. Together, these golden threads of esoteric gnosis allowed me to understand Don Juan's sense of 'seeing' as it relates to what he termed the tonal of controlled folly.

Tonal versus Nagual / Thinking versus Seeing:


Instead of paraphrasing someone who stood so much taller than me, it is best to quote his words. It should be noted, that Castaneda together with Don Juan discussed this matter over a few pages in the book 'A Separate Reality'. Herein, I have included only a few key excerpts from the lengthy conversation. Undoubtedly, it is worth reading the entire exchange starting on page 78.

"My acts are sincere, but they are only the acts of an actor."


"Certain things in your life matter to you because they are important; your acts are certainly important to you, but for me, not a single thing is important any longer, neither my acts nor the acts of any of my fellow men. I go on living, though, because I have my will. Because I have tempered my will throughout my life until it's neat and wholesome and now it doesn't matter to me that nothing matters. My will controls the folly of my life."



"You believe that because you're thinking, you're thinking about life, you're not 'seeing'. Once a man learns to 'see' he finds himself alone in the world with nothing but folly. Your acts, as well as the acts of your fellow men in general, appear to be important to you because you have 'learned' to think they are important."



"We 'learn' to think about everything, then, we train our eyes to look as we think about the things we look at. We look at ourselves already thinking that we are important. And therefore, we've got to feel important. But then when a man learns to 'see', he realises he can no longer think about the things he looks at, and if he cannot think about what he looks at everything becomes unimportant."



"Everything is equal and therefore unimportant. For example, there is no way for me to say my acts are more important than yours, or that one thing is more essential than another, therefore all things are equal and by being equal they are unimportant."



"Controlled folly is very much like 'seeing' it is something you cannot think about."


The gist of these quotes, as I see it, offers a somewhat complex but plump store of usable observations.

We are each actors believing our body to be physically 'real'. However, in both scientific as well as esoteric truths, we are holographic in nature. Our sense of reality, like our body, appears to be real. Even though we know this reality is, as Einstein stated, a very convincing illusion, we can't help but buy into the dreamlike fantasy.

We view our life journey as a collection of events, all of which we believe carry significant value. From our limited experience of reality, the inherent 'importance' of our existence appears as a quantifiable asset. Yet, from the perspective of someone who can 'see', there is no individuality. Simply stated we, as well as our collective actions, are 'unimportant'.

To 'see' is to understand all manifest reality is equally magnificent, equally 'important'. With all reality being considered equal, no one choice, person, or event takes precedence over another.

Ergo, as Don Juan intones, every person and action is unimportant. This evaluation of importance is absolutely absent from any sense of worth. Quite the contrary, Don Juan suggests his choices are unimportant because all choices are beautifully divine, extremely worthwhile, and equal in nature. Preference, in this light, has no basis for consideration. Judgment, the companion of preference, is released by the seer. 

Choosing to afford equal value to all manifest reality, we then approach the truth Don Juan offers when he states, "Everything becomes neat and wholesome". Tidied up to the point where it matters not that our actions are unimportant or even that we, by extension, are unimportant. If anything, our unimportant self should give us a sense of pride and even invoke feelings of self-love. 

Surely we could all benefit from a little more self-love. 

Confronted with this beautiful esoteric knowledge many people, as did the author Castaneda, feel offended. Typically, we each want to feel important. Understandably, when someone even remotely suggests you are unimportant, alarm bells sound.

What do you mean, I am unimportant? 

This cannot be!

To observe the 'seeing' (nagual) voice of DivineSelf, we first must relinquish the 'thinking' (tonal) voice of EgoSelf. When we open up to the 'nagual' a clear truth rings from within. This embrace of the Divine Self is what Don Juan calls 'seeing'.

We 'see' when we begin to understand why the EgoSelf filter is an illusion. The warrior who chooses to 'see' accepts he/she is alone in an ocean of people who are instead choosing to only 'think'. Therefore, to answer the concerns of those who feel offended by the concept of being unimportant, one needs to merely 'see' their way toward the ultimate truth. The road of seeing will always lead to indescribable beauty and absolute equanimity. Many would call this 'seeing' unconditional love.

Nothing is important to the person who 'sees' a world where absolutely everything is and always will be entirely divine. This valuable piece of knowledge allows us to stop projecting a false sense of right versus wrong, good versus bad. Additionally, we determine how silly our preference for a better world is to somehow magically appear. Magic is found in the eye of the beholder who tweaks their view of reality so they might 'see'.

WOW!

There never was a gulf between my false sense of a perfect reality and the world before me. With the nagual lens in place, all manifest reality always exists in a state of absolute perfection. Finally, I knew nothing needed to be improved upon. Choosing to filter reality through my EgoSelf 'thoughts', instead of my DivineSelf ability to 'see', had kept the truth of perfection completely hidden from view. 

Freedom, at last!

Freedom, in so many ways, proved a beautifully valuable gift. No longer did I suffer under the EgoSelf illusion of imperfection. The starving child, the murderous fiend, as well countless events small or large which I had once judged as distasteful were now merely representations of preferences. The dark energy I held for so long could now be bathed in love, and unconditional acceptance could be embraced.  

This, in no way, means I have absolute peace from the perceived gap between my experience of reality and the daily events of my life. Goodness gracious, I'm not that smart, nor am I so swift to accommodate truth. Yet, the nagual/tonal philosophy did offer a usable anchor upon which I could gain respite from the chaos created by my 'thinking' mind.     

Preferences, causing grief, imbalance, ignorance, and malcontent in my life, are no more real than the life of a stage actor. All manifest reality is, was, and always will be, absolute perfection. The great takehome from owning this truth is obvious but well worth remembering.

Take a quick moment, and ask yourself how this philosophical position can empower your life?

Preference, along with all the acts we people manage to eventualities, becomes unimportant in the light of knowing every moment of consciousness is always equally perfect.
Applying this nagual knowledge to the tonal world we inhabit, we soon determine childish 'thinking' promotes hope for a better world. As the great Don Juan would remind us, one cannot 'think' their way toward perfection, you must 'see' it.

With the ability to 'see', we realise how 'unimportant' everything has become. The pressure to fix or improve our world fades. No longer is there a gulf between the world we want juxtaposing to the world we experience daily. Darkness within, which may have appeared as an insurmountable chasm, has been miraculously transformed by the alchemy of unconditional 'nagual' love. Indeed, love conquers all which ails us. 

Beautiful is this lesson for promoting peace of mind, contentment, and even laughter as we contemplate the simplicity of applying love.

Hubris and false logic led me to support the belief we should all strive to make the world a better place. For many years I was irked knowing this belief structure was not in accord with my core philosophy of unity consciousness. However, try as I might, I was trapped by too many African nightmares, and too much drama. Then Don Juan's descriptions of 'seeing' and 'thinking', as it relates to controlled folly, bashed open the doors of psychological emancipation.

Finally, I was free from the cancerous angst associated with constantly wishing for the injustices of the world to be magically solved. Knowing everything is unimportant, as only the 'seer' can envision, led me to freedom. In a world where everything is Divinity, it is only logical to see perfection is indeed found everywhere we look. 

What a simple, but serendipitous lifeboat floating in a sea of emotional despair.

The twisty journey this has been s us tugging upon the philosophical thread of preference. In so doing, we seek unconditional love. The great Don Juan led me to uncover the illusion of imperfection. Many amazing teachers, incredible books, and dreamy philosophies augmented the teaching of Don Juan, yet none etched as deep an impression nor yielded as consoling an emotional balm. 

  

Certainly, no one could argue the world could benefit from some cleaning. Undoubtedly a little more love, peace, and compassion will always be welcome. However, when we look a little closer at the world we deem imperfect, we soon discover ourselves caught in a very powerful illusion. Our preferences kept us from 'seeing' the singular truth that tells us, all manifest reality is Divinity. By extension, all which we 'think' is imperfection can, in the right light, be 'seen' as perfection. 

Undoubtedly, the next time a screaming baby intrudes upon your peace of mind when the driver smashes into your car, or the sniper kills randomly from a hotel room, I will certainly understand if you choose to 'think' about these events with the Ego instead of 'seeing' them from the eyes of Divinity. 


Truly, I do comprehend why you would fail to 'see' a perfect world. However, you might serve yourself well to imagine there does exist another point of 'you'. The beautiful DivineSelf you, perhaps the one who always 'sees' an absolutely perfect reality unfold. Unconditional love, in the absence of all judgment, devoid of all preferences can be your reality. 

Can you 'see' the ultimate perfection of reality?