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"In every one of us there is the yearning for life, for knowledge, for happiness.”
Swami Yatiswarananda, Meditation & Spiritual Life

Recently I heard, “When one lives with an open heart there is no need for protection.” This is a simple truth; it is on a Path to Light that we develop this ability of detachment from the energy, reactions and actions of others, as well as our self as defined by the ego. There are lessons along the way that assist in reaching this goal, one of which is discernment: ‘the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure’ or ‘the power to distinguish and select what is true’. Now, there’s the rub: what is true and real and how do we distinguish it?

We often look to our external environment to provide knowledge and happiness. Osho, in The Book of Secrets, says, “Whatever society has given can be taken away again…” This simple statement illustrates the transitory nature of possessions and culture as a means to happiness. A culture lasts only as long as it controls its members or holds that influence, in which case we give away our control to an entity other than our selves. When we think of knowledge, we usually think of it as coming from outside our self. In the age of the Internet, there is a particularly muddy situation as information comes at us so rapidly, yet with many caveats. We must consider who is promoting the information, who financed the research, and what is the purpose of disseminating the information. Whether it be possessions, culture or information, discernment is key in order to sift through this endless barrage.

When it comes to culture, the ‘con’ keeps us all believing in regulations and social manners that keep us in control. We can look at the history of organized religions and how they have risen and fallen throughout history. They have used knowledge as their power base, keeping the masses uneducated in order to maintain a façade of stability. To bring this closer to home, we can see the same thing with the current economic turmoil. In this case, the economic culture has brainwashed society into believing that ‘bigger is better’, promoting the worship of the almighty dollar—values monitored on the screens of the global markets. These are ‘cons’ of outrageous proportion that affect society in its entirety.

There are everyday smaller ‘cons’ in each of our lives, which are employed by the egocentric to manipulate and control, though these are not nearly as evident as those of organized religion and global finance.

I was social networking and received a couple of notes from a ‘self-help’ practitioner. The first two were misaddressed and indicated “how may I ‘serve’ you”. The one correctly addressed said, “What do you need me for; you have your own gig”. I cannot comment on the practice of this person or their ability to help others, but I use this incident to illustrate a point: what a person says to your face may not be what they say behind your back. This is not walking the walk or talking the talk; it is this sort of double-face that necessitates discernment.

There are those that see us as ‘marks’, offering the snake oil remedy, the quick fix; again, the ideology that purchase will buy happiness surfaces. At a health and wellness expo I attended, there was a doctor promoting a machine that costs thousands of dollars. We were discussing the science and research behind this product. He made a most interesting statement: “Say anything to get them in and make the sale.” Here, a person of knowledge and apparent cultural status was ‘buying’ into society’s acceptance of information manipulation in order to sustain the economy of greed and excess.

There are unnerving trends in the ‘self-help’ industry (which is what it has become); it is big business. Recently, I have seen seminars and products promoted as ‘recession insurance’ or ‘recession proof’. But in reality there is no insurance against recession. It is only our ability to deal with the repercussions that can be developed. There are those who play against our fears and insecurities for their own self benefit. Again, discernment is necessary in order to have ‘the ability to understand and discriminate between relations’.

Conscious awareness is necessary for discernment. This allows an ease in identifying those factors that require our attention. This is an individual process; that which works for one may not work for another. It is within that we find the answers, the knowledge and truth. It is here that we can tap into those concepts that resonate with our life’s purpose.

Conscious awareness can assist us in penetrating these façades by developing the ability to judge wisely and objectively, thereby revealing authenticity. This action requires an internal search for our own authenticity. When we discover the authentic self, when it is revealed, then whatever bombards our senses can be dealt with in a positive and constructive manner. I have been known to jump in where angels fear to tread. This has led to many wonderful experiences, each one of which I appreciate as a lesson. Some situations are repeated until the lesson has been fully realized. A simple truth evolves from the experience and can be utilized in a practical manner in other situations.

Life is a rollercoaster; without the ups, the downs have no meaning or reality. The reverse is also true: all is defined by its opposite. Upon accepting that life is full of opposites, these opposites lose their power, as they are non-reality, transitory and illusory.

Once there is a conscious awareness of the mind and its machinations, then we can begin the journey to our centre, our heart. There we can manifest a condition of understanding with complete honesty and detachment. This creates trust within our self. Once established, we can see the truth in others—a gift of discernment on a Path to Light.



©T.S. (Tim) White, 2008
All rights reserved.
www.TheSereneWay.com

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