Saturday 2 August 2014

Sit until the world becomes still

There is a lot of truth in what Brandon says in this article. http://www.projectglobalawakening.com/2014/05/10/sit-world-becomes-still/

But it is not the whole truth. 

Sitting until our minds become still enough to see clearly, will help so that when we act we are not overwhelmed with the enormity of the task in hand, or so depressed that we become paralysed. 

But this article assumes, as many spiritual beliefs do, that all the problems exist within my mind. I don't have to worry about what is going on 'out there'. Some activists believe, on the other hand, that it is all going on 'out there', and if I sort it out there my problems will be solved. 

Both are true, but only partially. They both need each other to complete the picture. We will tend to emphasise different aspects at different stages of our lives, and according to our culture. I think that the 'it's all in your mind' camp most probably came from the upper classes, the ones who wanted to keep everything the way it was, who were well provided for materially, but still found they weren't happy. The 'get it sorted out there' camp probably came from radicals who wanted to change society because of the inequality and poverty around them.

We are both individuals and social beings, and while we have some choice about what we experience and how we feel, we have less control about what sort of society we want to live in. It feels good to focus on the part we can have more control over. That can help us to feel empowered. And we can choose to stop there and just focus on as Brandon says what fills us with the most bliss, the most peace, inspiration, enthusiasm, satisfaction, and fulfillment. 

When we feel that fulfillment in our own lives, and through connection to higher energies we experience the constant generosity of the universe, we can develop a desire to serve which takes us beyond our own personal interests, to become an active force in the world for peace and justice.