Chapter 12 (Epilogue) I Will See You On The Other Side

Chapter 12 (Epilogue) I Will See You On The Other Side

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free–Jesus of Nazareth

“You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, ‘Look at that, you son of a bitch.”—Edgar MItchell, astronaut.

It is of utmost importance to acknowledge that though the truth will set us free, mankind collectively refuses to let go of its hubris and its ignorance to make way for it.  Also, remember that this truth is also free, yet many hucksters would take your last dollar in vain attempts to secure it for you.  The Truth is free, yet our ignorance of it eventually costs us EVERYTHING.

I have been asked, if I could condense my entire work down into one or two paragraphs, what would I say?  Is that not the equivalent question to asking me if I can capture lightning in a bottle?

First of all, I can say that I could condense infinity down into a few soundbites or memes. The problem becomes that the reader assumes that by just reading these one,  two, or twenty paragraphs they have the message, but it will just slide on through their minds like water through a sieve, like all of our other cultural and religious soundbites, and nonsense. We will not find our greatest good in just reading biblical scripture or other supposedly sacred texts, daily 5-minute meditations, or in practicing yoga while bypassing the profound inner healing work necessary.

My answers may be considered heresy, extremely secular, and even satanic by certain religious thinkers (an expression that is all too often just an oxymoron).

But since you have made it so far through this vast work, I will offer this much to you.

I like to use two mythological narratives to assist in my presentation of our spiritual potential, and our oftentimes failure to achieve it.  The Old Testament story in the Book of Genesis, and the later Greek myth of Theseus, the Labyrinth, and the Minotaur serves me well in this regard.  Both myths offer much more to the discerning reader than typical interpretations available through standard channels of literary or religious indoctrination.

When mankind mythologically left the Garden of Eden, we became entrapped in the labyrinth of the human mind, which means that we have lost our way through the agency of our knowledge (of good and evil, and all things in between)..

That is what knowledge does for us!  Knowledge is a tool used in our vain attempts at reaching the absolute truth of any issue, or even pursuing the divine, or infinity.  Knowledge is formed from an abundance of words.  Knowledge can be what we really know, what we only think that we know, what we don’t know that others may know, and what we don’t know that we don’t know, and nobody else knows, as well as other clever variations on this theme…  And, psychologically speaking, knowledge becomes our armor to protect us from the threat of the “unknown”, which, in fact is the same substance of which comprises infinity, or even the divine.

Knowledge becomes the web that has trapped us outside of our Garden of Eden. And knowledge is created through our inspired attempts to use words intelligently.  The “word” is a container for potential energy, and is not innocuous, but instead through its formation in the mind instantly creates a division between the “knower” and the “known”. And, our unenlightened self is that very division, and may become totally steeped in unreality, illusion, and delusion if it does not understand the limitations of our mind, and its so-called knowledge.

The profound implication here is that the “word” literally creates an awareness of our ‘self’, with its almost infinite subject/object associations, but it can divide us into fragments, and imprison us  All of our knowledge has created the great labyrinth, or, to use another metaphor,  winds a great web, or cocoon around this now limited self-awareness.

There is always a Minotaur waiting in the labyrinth of our minds, seeking to feast on all of our creative natures. The Minotaur symbolically represents the marriage of our divine and our unilluminated animal, or biological nature.  Until the Minotaur is slain, or transformed back to its original noble nature, humanity remains doomed to wander lost in the ignoble kingdom of their own disfigured minds.That Minotaur also can represent the understanding that unhealed wounding and trauma received through our family, religion, culture, and Mother Earth’s sometimes deadly feedback can keep us from reaching our exalted nature..

Mankind, through its collective and individual mind, creates perceptual walls between itself and others, and even between itself and its SELF. The mind, being what it is, weighs and measures EVERYTHING and creates more words by naming and defining, and creating concepts.  Yet, the “finger pointing at the moon is never the moon”, as the Zen truth states, and this metaphor points to the great lie that we have collectively created and lived.

Through our minds, we fix, merge, or forge a dynamic process that we have witnessed with our bodily senses and transformed this energy of infinity and eternity into mortal concepts, which are forever limited and stuck in time, and thus foreign to our timeless hearts, or to Truth.. Through this process of creating these conceptual walls, the mind becomes inspired to create ladders over the walls, to try to reach others, and even to try to reach back to itself. It even creates religions to bridge the gap between the Divine, the Universe, and Mother Earth, back to its limited sense of self, which it also created through its misunderstanding.

How then may we escape the labyrinth, defeat the Minotaur, and return to the Garden of Eden?

HEAL FROM OUR WOUNDED PAST

STOP CREATING PERCEPTUAL WALLS.

We need to take an honest look at the whole of our life.  We need to embrace the fact that we have been carrying the effects of a collective, and an individual traumatic life experience, and are experiencing their often times destructive effects in our bodies and minds.  We need to understand how patriarchy, toxic masculinity, misogyny, racism, and other destructive cultural hypnotism have damaged our dignity and created and supported false images and narratives of ourselves and each other.  We need to create a new narrative and a healing image for ourselves that carries our infinite spirit better, with a loving mutually honoring perspective. Enlisting the aid of a trusted therapist, spiritual advisor, or shaman, or even accepting the assistance of indigenous plant medicine helps sustain a healing momentum.

The perceptual walls can start tumbling down by slowing down the verbal and perceptual creation mechanism within our minds, which has been subjugated by habituated stimulus/response patterns inculcated into us during our development as human beings. We have stored much misinformation within our minds, and, through traumatic influences, stored unconscious matrices of disordered energy within our bodies, as well. If we can heal our wounding, and find and cultivate this gap between thoughts, we can regain control of our minds through insight and mindfulness.

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Otherwise, darkness will continue its predetermined course..

• Ignorance,
• stupidity,
• resentment,
• hatred,
• divisiveness,
• Fear of death,,
• Grief,
• Suffering,
• Alienation from peace of mind,
• The faulty connection with our body and with Mother Earth

Do not readily give way to love and sanity.

The oppression and thought control exercised over us by our wayward family, religion, and culture will attempt to keep us from our greatest good while promoting the idea that by practicing culturally and religiously disempowering dogma we can find the way out of our dilemma.

Here are the top six regrets from people who are nearing death (from a collection of hospice nurses).

1. “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
2. “I wish I didn’t work so hard.”
3. “I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”
4. “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
5. “I wish that I had let myself be happier.”
6. “I wish I had done something of significance in my life.”

People who

• Do not find their real voice,
• Can’t deal with death, disease, loss, or other harsh realities,
• Do not try to bring compassion and healing to life,

devise new and unhealthy variations on religion, politics, and misunderstanding.

The lies spawned from a life

• Devoid of empathy and compassion, and
• Characterized by the denial of our shared essence,

inspires all manners of evil.  This darkness runs in herds and creates lemmings out of unaware humans.

Stop following other politicized and/or religious minions.

All that we see, or will ever see, unto eternity, is our Self, whether we are still steeped in our ego’s illusions and delusion, or now seeing from a less limited and higher perspective.

The illusory and hypnotic quality of our thinking makes us believe that others are responsible for perceptual errors, yet as a collective consciousness, we all share this dysfunction.. The very self that our culture, our religion, our family, and our politics attempt to create for us is a lie, and while we practice that misunderstanding, we will never be a real person.  Our culturally and religiously inspired Geppetto is always churning out new Pinocchios.

Who wants to be just another Pinnochio or a marionette dancing image trapped on the movie screen of our corrupted world’s mind?

When we stop trusting the thoughts that create walls, judgments, religions, and false bridges back to our SELF, our humbled minds will finally find a measure of peace.  And, a sense of humor may be accessed, after we have finally seen the collective nonsense passing for knowledge for what it really is.

Focus on that peace, extend it out as far as possible, through

• meditation,
• contemplation,
• prayer,
• walks through NATURE,
• yoga,
• Pilates,
• tuned breathing exercises,
• communing with other spiritually minded souls,
• watching a sunset by oneself.

Listen intently to the whispers within our SOUL.

There WILL BE A TIME, when the Universe, God, Love, Truth, Peace will speak to us.  We are not quite home yet, as a division still exists.  If our wounded self is not sufficiently healed, confusion and delusion will still be our companions. We feel acutely our insignificance, and the unreality of the self that we have created.  We are still susceptible to creating false Gods, and deluded prophesies, as a protective mechanism against this ego threatening Truth.. However, if we have been truly humbled, and If our suffering has been healed, we are ready to take the next step of our spiritual journey.

When we finally learn to entrain ourselves with this SILENCE, it will speak through us, and then we are home again, healed and whole, and abiding in our own unique spiritual garden..

This is our spiritual heritage.

This is our starting point, and this is our destination.

Jesus or the Buddha will not work out our salvation for us, unless our name is also Jesus, or the Buddha.  Our salvation is dependent upon our intentions, personal work and understanding, and our own movements back to our SILENCE. If we live in the pseudo-Christian fantasy world of the rapture, or playing a harp in heaven with Jesus, we might want to get a little more grounded in reality for this work to have any positive impact upon us, but it is up to each of us as to what to believe.

Never forget, even creating and nurturing the idea of “God” creates yet another subject/object relationship, and objects, no matter how revered, get exiled within our infinitely fragmented mind.  The ancient Jewish tradition was correct in admonishing its spiritual adherents to never speak the name of God, or Yahweh, for that very reason.

The TRUTH has never left us. We just let our minds, our past, our traumas and wounding, our hubris, and our social dependencies upon others’ points of view overrun its eternal music, and replace it with our perception driven  noise. When we let go of the controls of our parents, our culture and our wounded history, we can stop thinking damaged thoughts, and travel upon the enlightened new paths of a healing, spiritualized consciousness. We can practice gratitude for who we are, and settle into the mystery of our unique identity, as well.  There will be moments when only awe, wonder, and gratitude fills our minds, and our hearts.  Love will become the stream that carries us into eternity.

There can be a new Conspiracy Of Silence within our humanity, where the SILENCE conspires with our memories, knowledge, and insight, to create a new reality, and a wider sense of wholeness within our self, and within our world. When our civilization allows the evolution of its Common Knowledge Game to fully embrace collective dignity, love,  and freedom for all, our world will be a safer place, and humanity will finally reach its potential for greatness.

Remember, because of the way our brains are wired, and programmed,

WE FIND WHAT WE LOOK FOR,

whether it is good, bad, or a complicated mixture of both assessments..

We are the very emanation of that God for which  we so vainly seek through our misunderstanding.

Are we looking for freedom, for liberation, and for INFINITY? 

We all have to see the entire matrix of the illusion that we have become imprisoned within, to find our own unique clue for exiting it. Our narcissism and self absorbed reality can finally be replaced by a more collaborative, Earth and humanity saving reality.  In our truest essence, we are spiritual empaths, psychics, non-religious saints, and mystics.

Cease this fruitless search through knowledge and religion,  and settle into the truth of our true self.

Our infinitely patient Self awaits!

When I look at my world, if I am viewing through just verbal imagery and knowledge, all that I see, or will ever see. Is consciousness and its evolutionary journey, as it creates and also attempts to more accurately represents what is. There is another possibility, however.  If the “what is” that is our essence is what looks out, and it only witnesses “what is”, then once again all that is seen is seeing itself, through an infinite variation of itself..  I am that seeing, in whatever measure that my mind will quiet itself enough to allow for an enhanced apperception of reality.

That, my friend, is a mystical state.

We will find all of the support we will ever need once we have returned home.

“My kingdom is not of this world”

Words, and our misapplication of them in defining ourselves, and each other, has created the mess that we now live in.

We are this very Universe that we live in  experiencing itself in human form.  We have the innate capacity to elevate our vision, and our understanding.

May we all find our real Kingdom.

Silence is golden.

I AM (poem)

I am the brightest of mornings, I am the cloudiest of days,
I am the silent night altar upon which mankind prays and preys.

I am the Olmec and Mayan of times old, recent, and new,
I am all civilization’s ruins, and I am the ever-evolving life that regrew.

I am the bird’s call, I am its flight, and the wind beneath its wings,
I am the music and its spirit that joyously lifts all hearts up to sing.

I am the water, I am the lagoon and the bay,
I am the infinite ocean where my children are birthed, live, love and play.

I am the blue sky, I am the weather changes, and the gathering of clouds,
I am the lightning storms that are now appearing so dangerous and loud.

I am the wind and the sun, I am the warm soothing breeze,
I am even our cold’s most raucous cleansing sneeze.

I am the dolphin and manatee, I am the mangrove lined shores,
I am waves crashing against rocks, that photographers adore.

I am the mind, and I am the end to its lonely thoughts,
I am the heart’s loving web in which we are miraculously caught.

I am the boisterous protests, and I am the crowd made quiet,
I can be even be found witnessing the white supremacists’ riot.

I am the wealthy, and I am the hurt, oppressed and poor,
I am your heritage, history, and future until we all are no more.

I am the Sanders and Pelosis, I am the Putins and Trumps,
I am love’s warriors, and I am also hate’s chumps.

I am the Christian, and the Hindu, I am the Muslim and the Jew
I am the Atheist and Buddhist who you never thought that you knew.

I am the cancer and its treatment, I am the movement towards health,
I am the healing balm that works mysteriously in stealth.

I am the grief, and I am the pain and the sorrow,
I am the deepest well of hope from which we eternally borrow.

I am your lifetime, I am your body and its breath,
I am the blessed last moment before each of our deaths.

I am the death of the false self that leads to the only true heaven,
Our denial of this truth brings the hellish news on channel two at eleven.

I am the sacred, and I am even the profane,
I am the source of all that we treasure, resisting me only adds to life’s pain.

I am not the movement of our thoughts, while we cling to concepts of time,
I am the emergence from all shadows, we all must reach for the sublime

What is my name, and where is my place?
Being ONE is seeing Me on every smiling and suffering sentient beings’ face.

(inspired by our trip to Belize in January, 2019)

Bruce Paullin

In honor of all of the innocent oppressed, bullied, victimized, traumatized, gassed, misogynized, persecuted, marginalized, neglected, abused, murdered, alienated, and institutionalized human beings, and all of the animals that are being driven into extinction, as we are all overrun by the principles of toxic masculinity in it’s almost infinite varieties of forms.. Toxic masculinity, toxic fatherhood, and toxic religion are cultural and historical impediments to achieving and maintaining happiness and good health.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46:10

Set out, pilgrim. Set out into the freedom and the wandering. Find your people. God is much bigger, wilder, more generous, and more wonderful than you imagined. – Sarah Bessey

See Matthew 16:26 from Bible for comparison

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THE VOICE OF AWAKENING

Though the slowly shifting sands of time,

Create ever taller hills for this lost soul to climb,

It must be in my selfish, hateful world of no reason or rhyme,

I must begin the search for Truth, to find the Love that is sublime.

“Oh seeker of Truth, God’s high mount you would climb,

Though you now stumble through the valley’s shifting sands of time.

Stop confusing your mind with worn out rhyme and reason,

For they are forever charged by Truth with treason!”

“Oh mental marathoner , only on Life’s treadmill you now stand,

Just re-using the same words and thoughts keeps you life’s ‘also ran’

You’ll forever chase in vain Love’s all-knowing voice,

So be still, for with your run’s end, is the Cause to rejoice!”

“Oh marionette’s dancing image of the screen of the world’s mind,

With all of those conditioned beliefs in control, what freedom could you find?

Release yourself from all of memories’ imprisoning strings

To prepare for the inner Wisdom that only my Intelligence brings!”

“Oh shadow boxer of evil, when will you ever tire?

Tis only champion of a dream world to which you aspire!

Cease resuscitating those illusions with those mental pugilist blows,

And reveal the peaceful mind of the One who, in the now, knows!”

“So please wake up to Love’s voice sweet somnambulator,

And realize the eternal truth that “I” within “you” is greater,

Than any mental image you could ever form or learn,

And then your World will reflect the One for whom you now yearn!”

“To be in realization of Truth, is to find God’s high mount another illusion to climb,

Created by fearful, desirous minds caught on the merry-go-round of time”

The dark, restless mind remains forever bereft of Love’s Rhyme and Truth’s Reason,

And only chases after mirages, until it sees all of its movements are guilty of treason!”

The Interplay of Truth and Enlightenment

In a world full of complexities and uncertainties, the quest for truth and enlightenment has always been a fundamental pursuit of human existence. Truth represents the unwavering foundation upon which we build our lives, while enlightenment serves as the guiding light that illuminates our path. Together, they hold the power to transform our individual journeys and shape the very fabric of society.

Truth acts as a catalyst for personal growth and self-awareness. When we embrace the truth, we open ourselves up to a deeper understanding of who we are, our strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations. It is through the pursuit of truth that we can shed illusions and misconceptions, allowing us to grow and evolve into our authentic selves.

In this book I have presented several personal experiences that led me to these realizations. It was moments of profound introspection, a confrontation with uncomfortable truths that shattered the illusions I had constructed. Although unsettling, these encounters with truth became the catalyst for my personal growth. They propelled me on a transformative journey of self-discovery and ignited a relentless pursuit of truth.

Enlightenment, often associated with moments of profound insight and clarity, holds the key to understanding our purpose in life. It is through enlightenment that we transcend the mundane and glimpse the deeper meaning that lies beneath the surface. This newfound understanding provides us with direction and empowers us to navigate the complexities of existence.

Throughout history, there have been individuals who, through their pursuit of enlightenment, have illuminated the path for others. Thinkers such as Buddha, Socrates, and Descartes dedicated their lives to seeking truth and enlightenment, inspiring generations to question, reflect, and discover their own purpose.

Truth and enlightenment extend beyond the realm of personal growth; they have the power to shape the very fabric of society. When individuals collectively seek truth and embrace enlightenment, societal structures can be transformed for the better. Truth becomes the cornerstone of justice, transparency, and progress, while enlightenment fosters empathy, understanding, and cooperation.

Consider the impact of pivotal societal moments, such as the Age of Enlightenment. This transformative era challenged long-standing beliefs, ushering in new ideas and philosophies that shaped the world as we know it. The pursuit of truth and enlightenment sparked scientific advancements, political reforms, and the recognition of fundamental human rights.

In our individual lives and within the broader context of society, truth and enlightenment are invaluable guideposts on our journey toward personal growth, self-realization, and societal progress. By embracing truth and seeking enlightenment, we cultivate a deeper understanding of ourselves, our purpose, and the world around us.

Let us embark on this remarkable voyage of truth-seeking and enlightenment, for it is through our collective pursuit that we can create a more compassionate, just, and enlightened world. Embrace the power of truth, illuminate our paths with enlightenment, and together, let us shape a future that transcends the limitations of the present.