A Note to Oneself

Breaking the Spell (Chapter Nine)

Nine

A Note to Oneself

The final essay in this series is a note to the ‘oneself’ of each of us; a reminder of who we are. We have the power of change within ourselves. We only have to think, perceive, and realize that this is true for it to become our truth. Again, we live within a universe that is MINDFUL – where consciousness is primary in a mind-before-matter universe. Thus, the future is where you are sitting right now.

In the beginning of this series ‘Breaking the Spell’ I talked about how our ancient human ancestors nurtured a greater connection with the living universe. How they internalized affinities and correspondences in order to forge a harmonious relationship with the external physical world. The world of matter was largely conceived of through the sphere of the Mind. Yet today the world of the human being is largely lacking this inherent partnership. Still, there is every reason for the light to shine. As an extract from the Persian poet Jalal ad-Din Rumi’s unpublished diary shows: ‘I came home dead tired and couldn’t even lift my head up, and I asked myself, ‘What is the point of all this?’ I work like a donkey, and at night I am just tired, what is the point?’ And after that he wrote: ‘The sun rises in the morning.’[1]

In our world we are blessed by a sun that always rises. And although we live in a universe that is energetic and conscious our terrestrial domain is a world that is very real and physical for us. It is this combination of ‘mind’ acting upon and through ‘matter’ that we can create a relationship between our external selves and the inner being of our internal world. This is the great alchemical work, the true art of transformation: to ‘transmute that which is undesirable into that which is worthy, and thus triumph.’[2]

The art also is for each individual to live consciously; and not to be an unconscious instrument within the polar forces of human history. We must sense that the universe will provide for and favor those who are in harmony with it. Yet when you have that ‘lock-on’ it needs to be worked at and developed – not just left to dangle. The relationship of harmonious attraction needs to be maintained.

The human being possesses the necessary equipment for the journey ahead; for the next stage upon our evolutionary path. Jalal ad-Din Rumi also stated that: New organs of perception come into being as a result of necessity. Therefore, O man, increase your necessity, so that you may increase your perception.

The human tools – our dormant functions – lie within, awaiting the necessity to awaken. It is our responsibility to create that necessity. It is also our right and endowment to ask for the necessary energy for support.

In the end we are never alone: we are as near or as far from the center as we wish ourselves to be. Any sense of separation is what we make it to be. We can say that each person is tied by invisible threads to everyone – and everything – else. Each entity is constantly in a state of invisible reciprocity. Everything we do, big or small, has a bearing and influence upon our future. We do not exist in a vacuum: we are in a sea of vibrant life. So a person acting in ways that are beneficial to themselves is not necessarily engaging in a self- centered activity. Any individual who acts with focused and sincere intention will positively affect those people and circumstances around them. When a person’s thought processes are developed and enhanced, this naturally has an influence upon their environment. Each person is involved in an ongoing transmutation process:

The change is not in the nature of a transmutation of one thing into another thing entirely different – but is merely a change of degree in the same things, a vastly important difference.[3]

Transmutation, however, can operate in both directions. Within our often contradictory and ambiguous physical environment it is hoped that consciousness (and conscious humanity) strives for continuing enhancement rather than devolution.

Nothing is ever the way it appears to be. In our physical world those elements that seem opposed are often working together. This is the nature of a ‘secondary’ world: a shadow from Plato’s cave, a reflection of light from its source, a leaf blowing in the wind. Within the physical we ‘see’ and experience secondary causes. As such, our human ‘rationality’ is built upon these diluted observations. Yet we do not need to get caught-up within them. Such rationality and ‘cleverness’ may make a ripple on the surface of the sea, yet they leave no lasting trace. It is helpful to remember that many of our conditioning ‘tools’ are faulty. Again, as Hakim Sanai wrote:

If you yourself are upside down in reality, then your wisdom and faith are bound to be topsy-turvy.[4]

Sometimes we need to leave such things behind us. There is an old Eastern maxim that reminds a person to leave their donkey at the door and not to ride it into the house. Our social conditionings are useful in that they function to get us to our own front door: then it is best to tie the donkey outside.

There is also the Eastern tale about the wise-fool Nasrudin who was well-known as a smuggler and used to ride his donkey, with his sacks, across the border time and time again. The border guards, knowing of Nasrudin’s reputation, used to search his sacks thoroughly each time looking for smuggled items. Yet they never found any, which always puzzled them greatly as they could see that Nasrudin’s personal wealth was visibly increasing over time. Eventually, years later when Nasrudin had retired and gone to live in another country, one of the border guards met him. ‘You can tell me now, Nasrudin, whatever it was you were smuggling that we could never find.’ ‘Donkeys,’ was Nasrudin’s reply. Assumptions, such as had the border guards, prevented them from seeing what was directly in front of their eyes. The fixed perception limits the field of vision. So too are many of us enmeshed within our own invisible nets of assumptions.

Once we have ‘left the donkey outside’ (stepped away from our conditionings and assumptions) we can allow the ‘unbelievable’ and welcome the unpredictable. There is no place for assembly-line thinking (the ‘Fordism of thought’) within the inner rooms. Outside the house lie many contradictory events that appear to be an affront to various beliefs, ideals, and reasoning. These exist within the swing of the polarity pendulum; they are the trinkets that distract the eye. This is the place where we all worship little things, collected like souvenirs of some visit. They often become the ornaments of a life lived. We decorate ourselves with these symbols. Yet they don’t need to be brought into the house. We can leave them outside – they are going nowhere.

Within the internal self, there are no contradictions. There just is. The creative, intuitive self lies within the Heart of humankind. So where do we go from here?

The human species is on a remarkable journey of evolutionary enhancement. It is a path of consciousness as true human evolution is the evolution of conscious perception. It is an energetic journey filled with forces that bind all of us – individually and collectively – to a larger cosmos. Within this cosmic environment specific evolutionary laws operate. And such laws have been in operation all throughout Earth history. These are the deeper laws that penetrate all appearances. As spoken of earlier, these are the creative forces that have operated behind the rise and fall of consecutive societies and civilizations. Each successive wave, each renewal, is part of the ongoing process of human, cultural, and spiritual evolution.

If we can understand this we are better prepared to shift into new and enlightening cognitive systems. And it is paramount that we now assist ourselves, our loved ones, and those of our immediate environments, in this accelerated stage of transformation. Each genuine act of energetic sincerity does produce a positive effect. Nothing gets wasted.

Recent upheavals in our physical world are reactions to intensifying evolutionary energies. Physically and spiritually we are converging towards a necessary future. There is nothing to be feared. It is time to deactivate the old programming, the old anxieties and tensions. We are now called upon to prepare the human being for a rapid period of development and change. It is time to Break the Spell; a time to activate and enhance our own energetic change. Each one of us has the necessary tools and the inherent capacity. We only require the intention and the commitment.

The bigger picture is slowly breaking into view. And we are all travelling towards an immense event with an accelerating speed. The next stage in the evolutionary journey of humanity will be astounding. What matters most during these times is our state of consciousness.

The future is here – if you can take it…

A TALE TO FINISH: Light

Song Hu, an Eastern philosopher, told his disciples the following story:

Several men had been imprisoned by mistake in a dark cave where they could see almost nothing. Time passed and one of them managed to light a small torch. But the light it gave was so scarce that even with it hardly anything could be seen. It occurred to the man, however, that he could use the light to help the others make their own torch, and thus by sharing the flame the whole cavern became lit.

One of the disciples asked Hu Song:

‘What do we learn by this story?’ Hu Song replied:

‘It teaches us that our light remains dark if it is not shared with others. It also tells us that by sharing our light it will not diminish, but on the contrary it will grow.’

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Taken from the book ‘Breaking the Spell’ (published 2013/2020)

[1] Ali-Shah, O. (1998) The Rules or Secrets of the Naqshbandi Order. Paris: Tractus Books

[2] Three Initiates (2008) The Kybalion. London: Tarcher

[3] Three Initiates (2008) The Kybalion. London: Tarcher

[4] Sanai, H. (1974) The Walled Garden of Truth. London: Octagon Press