Like most people in Australia and around the world, I am saddened by the devastation of the fires in Victoria and New South Wales. Watching this tragedy unfold has been and continues to be a moving experience. I am seeing humanity at its best. Wouldn't you agree? Courage, lacking in most of us in our day to day dealing with our Fear Consciousness, has truly come to the fore.
The stories that are emerging are inspirational even if some of them are saddening. I am in awe. I am truly uplifted. My tears are not just those of sadness. They are of the sense of infinite blessing at being in the presence of such courage and strength.
What awakenings do you see for yourself? Have you taken a few moments to sit quietly and contemplate for a few moments on these devastating stories and what they truly mean? This is an opportunity for us to learn, explore our depths and awaken.
While I was exploring myself, an observation I made several months ago came to light. I had gone with the wonderful volunteers of ALIV (http://www.aliv.org.au) and their charges, the kids who had been held in immigration detention, to visit Police and Fire stations. While in the fire station, I noticed the posters on the wall from their union, demanding a pay rise. Of course, being curious, I asked a few questions and was blown away with what I found. A day or so later, I watched an item in the news about the salaries of Hollywood stars. Wow!
Here I am reflecting on it again.
Think about it for a moment. We pay the people who entertain us, a thousand times more than those who put their lives at risk in order to save ours. It got me thinking.
Try and imagine what the world economy would be like if we were to transform the values that we attribute in monetary terms...
That would require us to value the professions who contribute to enhancing our lives higher than those that help us escape our lives.... Hmmmm..
Would, for example, farmers, factory workers, nurses, teachers, police, firepersons etc be the highest paid people in a market economy? Interesting isn't it?
Ask yourself what the difference is? Would the world be sustainable in a model that values the expansion of human lives rather than the escape from it? Intriguing propositions isn't it?
I digress. I want to talk more about the state of the world and the illusions that we keep alive.
In our subconscious space, Fear Consciousness dominates. It creates a fear of the world, of the universe, of people and of life. We believe we are surrounded by that which threatens the existence of our identities and threatens to expose that which we are hiding.
Remember that when we create the "I" in our infanthood, we see ourselves as separate from all. This separation then manifests an identity, created when we are about 3-6 years old, as a response to something going "wrong". This definition of ourselves then creates two strata. One which collects a whole range of beliefs that validate the identity. The other that builds a protective layer that intends to hide the "real" identity from being found out. The first becomes the foundation of what we believe to be the Truth about ourselves. The second becomes the layer that prevents us from connecting with others because we don't want them to know the "truth" about ourselves.
When we live in this space, we are stressed every moment of our lives. It doesn't matter what status in life we have achieved, our consciousness is still that of Fear. So long as we live in that consciousness we live in the stress of constant threat. In fact we have become so used to it, we don't know any other way. Remember a time when you were in love? Today that just seems like a fantasy that does not really exist. What a terrible illusion!!!!
So no wonder, we seek escape. No wonder we slowly convert everything in our lives into our escape. Music, dance, theatre, cinema are all part of what has become the traditional forms of escape for the majority. To them we have added things like relationships, children, work, rest days, hobbies, almost everything we can think of. In fact when you examine why people all over are so greedy for wealth, you will observe that most do it to actually find an escape from their world. They create an illusion that they are no longer a part of the life that prevails for most of the world.
Take a look at your life and ask yourself an honest question; What do each phenomena in your life represent? Is it an escape or a part of the greater purpose of your life?
It is our collective subjugation to Fear Consciousness that has created this topsy turvey world. We are dominated by our need to escape from the life that we fear. We value the things that give us the least. From the material desires for possessions, the obsession with status and prestige to the drive for fame, the insane need for power, humanity is embroiled in a struggle with itself.
In this madness, we have lost our abilities to respect, to trust, to accept, to love, to grow, to master, to BE!!!
Here is my challenge to all of us. Take ourselves on. Face what we fear. Let go of our fear driven obsessions. Turn our minds to seeking the reality within us. Open our hearts to each other in open generosity. Be willing to be vulnerable. As we each master Fear, so will humanity move a step closer to its true nature.
Imagine what a world we could create! Imagine....
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