Are "Ghosts" the Survival of the Ego?

Recently I had a conversation with my very good friend whom, unfortunately, I see only rarely since we both changed jobs. I worked closely with this fellow for four years, and from the very early days of our collaboration it was clear that we were following parallel spiritual paths. He is a voracious reader, and in imitation of the Gita I would say that he has taken the path of the scholar. I myself read more selectively, and would describe myself as one who follows the path of loving worship, turning to sages only for sufficient guidance to keep me from wandering off the path entirely.

The topic of fear came up in our discussion, and I expressed my view that the antidote to fear was trusting surrender to God’s will. The phrase “Thy will be done” has had great power for me in my efforts to avoid being controlled by fear. After all, if God is Love, and Love pervades the Universe – if the Universe is made of God-stuff which is Love – what can there be to fear? There is no need to be concerned with outcomes at all if all outcomes are the operation of Love. Love can choose better outcomes for us than we can ever choose for ourselves.

In particular, I mentioned that I did not fear death. This surprised my friend, who said he still was afraid of dying. This led to a discussion of the fate of the soul and personality after death, on which we also expressed disparate beliefs which on later reflection I found paradoxical. My friend, who said he was afraid of death, also could not accept the idea that the personality does not survive the death of the body as a separate entity. I, who professed no fear of death, took the view that if the personality does survive, it is only as a generalized awareness within the unified Oneness that is the Universal spirit, the spirit of Universal Love – in short, God. Since the apparent inconsistencies did not strike me until after we had again gone our separate ways, I didn’t have the opportunity to ask my friend why he finds death frightening, since he believes in the survival of the individual personality. I am sure it is not because he identifies the body as the self. As for me, my indifference to the loss of the personality along with the body may be attributable to my sense that Oneness is the true state of all souls now, and that physical death simply removes one barrier to full awareness of this truth.

There is a lot of popular interest in the afterlife these days, as evidenced by television shows (television being the medium as well as the mirror of our culture) dealing with the subject. I am thinking in particular of shows such as Medium and Ghost Whisperer, both of which I confess I follow ardently. In these shows, individual personalities linger on after the death of the body, for a variety of reasons. Generally the reasons have to do with some unfinished business of the individual who died. The departed spirit is hung up, like a floating log on a snag in a river, on some problem that was not resolved during life and now must be dealt with before the spirit can move on “into the light”. What is puzzling to me is why – aside from the scriptwriter’s need to concoct a story that will hold the public’s attention – these spirits should so often seem to be obsessed with negative feelings and desires. If the soul is the part of the individual that survives death, and the soul is the essence of Universal Love manifested in the body, I would expect them to act only in loving ways. So the basic premise of these shows (and the popular beliefs that they reflect) does not fit comfortably into my belief system.

Of course there are many people who don’t believe in “ghosts”. It does not trouble me very much that there is little or no scientific evidence for the existence of spirits separate from their bodies. I personally don’t believe that science explains very much that is important. Science is a good way of understanding the physical world, but not at all well adapted to the study of spirituality. So, on the subject of ghosts I have something of an open mind. However, I do have a thought about how “ghosts” might fit into my cosmology.

I believe that the soul, the animating energy of life that is part of the pattern of loving energy that underlies the Universe, is distinct from ego. I see ego as the natural outgrowth of the physical body and its sentient brain. Ego appeared once the brain was able to formulate ideas that did not have observable physical representations. This enabled the brain to develop self-awareness. Ego, the “I” that is separate from all other individuals, is the ultimate refinement of the animal’s instinct for survival. Ego puts itself above all others. As such the ego is the repository of all those negative energies that serve to separate individuals from each other and from Spirit – fear, hatred, envy, greed, and the like. Mind is very often the tool of the ego. The mind is also capable of noble thoughts, of course, and insofar as it embraces and expresses Love it is in harmony with the soul that is the true Self. However, ego is by its nature antagonistic to the soul as it is to other egos; it must emphasize separation – and its own superiority to any others – above all else as a means of self-preservation. Only the soul craves Oneness. Ego constantly tries to wrest control of the body and mind from the soul, in order to aggrandize itself and to put down others, and in most cases in the present state of humanity, it succeeds. Ego, not soul, then, is often the dominant energy pattern manifested in the body.

The soul survives the death of the physical body; is it impossible that this egoic energy pattern should also survive, at least temporarily? If that is the case, might not a “ghost” be the lingering energy pattern of the deceased’s personality, rather than a manifestation of the soul? The image is reminiscent of the faint glow on a cathode ray tube immediately after it is turned off, which shows a “ghost” of the last picture to be projected onto the screen. This could explain why personality “ghosts” appear to exhibit primarily negative energies. They are the continuation of the egoic energy pattern rather than of the loving energy of the soul. The death of the physical body, in this interpretation, liberates not one but two energy patterns: that of the soul and that of the ego. The soul was never separate from God and so might merge immediately into the energy of the Universe. The ego, having nowhere to seek refuge after the demise of the body, lingers and continues its self-centered behavior – perhaps intensified by the absence of the tempering influence of the soul. Ultimately the ego must “go into the light.” However, this is not passing into an eternal afterlife, but the final dissipation of the ego’s energy pattern into the entropy of the physical universe. Born of the physical body, ego cannot pass beyond the limitations of the physical. Only the soul survives, and it only as a pattern of awareness within the greater energy of Spirit.

This is, of course, pure speculation. But it may harmonize some widely-held beliefs. I welcome any comments.

All choices are valid

All choices in life are valid. The only folly is in refusing to accept the consequences of the choices you make. Such refusal generally takes the form of denial. Sometimes you act without considering the consequences of your actions at all. More often it is true that you understand the negative consequences of your choices, or that you suspect what those negative consequences will be, but you refuse to acknowledge them and act as if you had not considered them. Either way you have effectively denied them. Once you fully understand and accept the consequences of your choices, you will very rarely make a choice that you will regret later. The Spirit within you will guide you on the path to greater happiness and away from those choices that lead to separation and sorrow.

Spontaneous Beauty

Awareness, dormant in the Soul,

In meditation, or by a guru's touch,

Erupts in spontaneous beauty

Like a flower.

In the Stillness

In the stillness comes the Beloved,

Whispering wordless ecstasy
to the lonely Self.

Do not hesitate to throw off
your needless garment and embrace her.

She will not betray you
nor leave your yearning unfulfilled.

Though you wander from her bed,

She welcomes your return.

Warm, enfolding, she completes you.

Drink from her endless spring
of joy unbounded.

Discard thoughts of want or loss;

Let fulfillment flow unmeasured.

Eternally faithful, she invites you,

Even as you yearn,

To dance in her arms forever.

Love and Ego

Anything in you that does not love is ego. Anything in another that does not love is ego. So anything between you and another that is unloving or disharmonious proceeds from ego and means nothing. Love the part of each other that is real - which is no part, but the whole being - and disregard the effects of ego totally.

You Cannot Train a Fish To Breathe

You cannot train a fish to breathe air, and you cannot train ego to live a spiritual life. Enlightenment comes by transcending ego, not by transforming it. The attachment to ego may be the last attachment you surrender, but until you can accomplish this, you have not set foot upon the Path.

Love Without Attachment

The Teacher entered a trance and said,

"You are concerned that giving up attachments will require you to renounce your life as you have lived it until now -- your possessions, your family and friends. It is true that renunciation of this sort is one approach to spiritual living, and frankly it is the easiest. This is why it has been taught by prophets in the past. Removing oneself altogether from the temptation to form attachments reduces the risk of backsliding and makes the transition to an enlightened state much easier. However, it is not absolutely necessary."

"You can enjoy a material object without succumbing to the need to possess it completely. If you renounce the belief that you can possess a person or thing then it is not necessary to renounce the actual person or thing. It is really the mental image ot the thing, not the thing itself, to which you form attachments. Renunciation really means the refusal to form these mental images."

"You can cherish the people and things that come into your life without coveting them, clinging to them, or becoming obsessed with the fear of losing them. Love is at the core of my teaching and you exhibit it when you cherish without attachment. I provide what you need at every moment without your asking for it. If a person or thing is physically unavailable to you at any time, it is because you do not have need of it at that time."

"The focus of your awareness must be Oneness with All That Is, including other souls that are manifestations of my intelligence and Self awareness equally to you. As you love them and yourself, you also love me. As you love me, you love every manifestation of me. Learning to discern my presence in All That Is is a part of your training."

"As physical beings you are necessarily imperfect. This imperfection endures as long as you exist on a physical plane. To a great extent this is due to the influence of egoic mind, which is only an aspect of your physical form."

"Because you are imperfect and incomplete, you do not perceive the vibrational connections between you and other beings and objects. You may sense these connections on a soul level. Another part of your training is to bring that awareness into consciousness. To the extent you retain the illusion of separation, you cannot truly feel bound by Love to others."

"Physical or emotional attachment is the desire for pleasure or the fear of its loss. It is a weak imitation of the loving connection that arises from Oneness. Mind can perceive only such attachments, while Spirit can experience only Love. Renunciants discard the former in order to bring the latter into sharper focus. If you wish to become fully alive in Spiritual consciousness without renouncing material things, you must remain constantly and vibrantly aware of the difference between Mind and its attachments on the one hand, and Spirit and Love on the other. If you are capable of this then you can experience vibrational harmony between yourself and other individual manifestations of my consciousness as true Oneness."

"It is possible -- indeed it is your goal -- to experience Oneness of this kind with all souls. However, on the material plane a connection with one other soul is optimal. Any attempt to maintain a material connection with more than one other is far more likely to distract you and dilute the purity of your spiritual connection with the One, than it is to enhance it. Therefore I teach you to maintain a loving physical relationship with only one other. You in your material form are simply incapable of maintaining focus on Oneness with Spirit in the distracting presence of multiple material attachments."

"Renunciants avoid the difficulty of balancing Spiritual Oneness and physical union by abstaining from the latter. You may think of vows of fidelity as renunciation as well. Renunciants of all types should enter into their commitments joyfully. If they cannot do so, then they should seek another path."

"Just as renunciants must beware of forming attachments to asceticism, you must maintain focus on the spiritual basis of your relationship in order to avoid morbid attachments and their manifestations -- craving, clinging, jealousy, and regret. Awareness of Oneness at the level of genuine Love is the surest way to attain this, and makes all forms of attachment unnecessary. Your loving relationship becomes a part of your spiritual practice, the true test of which is whether it brings you and your partner into closer harmony with me. If it brings peace and joy to your consciousness, then the relationship exists at the soul level. If it brings pain, fear, or disharmony, it is a mere attachment of body or Mind."

The Source Of Unhappiness

A student asked:

"Why does life bring me so much unhappiness?"

The Teacher answered:

"Your unhappiness does not arise from your life situation, or from other souls. Unhappiness is a reaction that arises within your ego in response to certain stimuli. The stimulus may be the action of another person, a physical mishap, or a pain in your own body. In each case it is something outside your Self. The stimulus may be external, but the reaction -- the unhappiness -- is entirely created by your ego. Do you disagree? The next time you feel unhappiness coming over you, be aware of the process of stimulus or response. Is the unhappiness something that is injected into you, or does it arise internally as your ego's reaction to an external event? Even if you are unhappy only as a result of witnessing someone else's unhappiness, the pain that you feel is not their pain, but your own."

"Unhappiness is the emotional suffering with which your ego responds to a painful stimulus. Because it arises in the ego, it also is outside your Self. You do not realize this until you have learned to distinguish between the ego and your Self as the center of awareness."

"You may not be able to prevent the ego from responding in this way. That is what ego does. Eckart Tolle speaks of the pain-seeking aspect of ego as the 'pain body.' The pain body is composed of the accumulated negative energy of all your lifetimes -- to the extent you have not previously released it -- and may seem even to possess sentience. It literally feeds on and gains strength from negativity. It drives the ego to seek painful experiences and to create more suffering for itself and for other pain bodies. "

"How many times have you asked yourself why you seem to be deliberately causing yourself to suffer; why others seem to deliberately cause you to suffer; or why you seem compelled to inflict suffering on others? This behavior is the pain body in action. It needs no explanation other than that the pain body is engaged in self-preservation."

"Pain is one of ego's principal tools for asserting control over your being. Physical or emotional suffering gives ego an excuse to demand your full attention and insist that you devote all your resources to making the pain go away. Ego enjoys and benefits from this form of distraction. It makes it easier for ego to possess the small self. Mindfulness is the antidote to this poisonous manifestation of ego.  Meditation brings the higher Self to the fore and shines the light of joy into the darkness of ego's suffering. As darkness is only the absence of light, awareness of the Unity of the true Self with the Source of all Joy is the way to remove suffering from your experience."

"You can ameliorate the influence of the pain body only by becoming mindful of its influence and refusing to act mindlessly -- that is, through the ego rather than through the Self -- in response. In this way you further your sole purpose, which is to manifest Joy for your Self and others in awareness of the unity of All That Is."

Attachments

The Teacher Said:

You think that you must look outside yourself for guidance and for peace. When your mind is troubled you turn to religion in the hope that an external power will rescue you. Or you may seek an anodyne in a drug, or a distraction. But there is no power outside yourself that can change your predicament. I have taught you that your thoughts create your life situation. Properly seen, your mind is a tool by which you shape your Universe. Or at least, your experience of the Universe; for behind all appearences the Universe is unchanging Spirit. Any discomfort or unpleasantness you feel does not originate outside yourself; it is totally within you. Because of that, you can eliminate it by changing your thought.

Your mind is a machine which has been programmed to respond without thinking in certain ways to particular stimuli. Certain nerve endings transmit signals that your brain interprets as physical pain, and your mind automatically converts that pain into suffering. It is difficult but not impossible to break that program so that suffering does not automatically arise. Even if the suffering reflex does arise, once you have learned to recognize it for what it is, you can release the suffering and deal only with the pain. Pain is simply a signal the body uses to alert the mind to a harmful condition. If the condition is one that can be ameliorated, the mind can take appropriate action to reduce or eliminate the pain. Some pain cannot be so easily eliminated; by letting go of suffering the pain ceases to be a distraction and you can return to equanimity. [Shinzen Young's approach to the relationship between meditation and pain is described here].

Some pain is emotional rather than physical. For the unconscious person, emotional pain provides no benefit other than, perhaps, to aggrandize the ego ("Look at me, I am in pain!" Of course, only ego itself would consider that a benefit). The mind develops knee-jerk reactions to emotional pain just as it does to physical pain, and the mind is all too willing to suffer from it -- nothing bolsters the ego like a good bout of self-pity. But for you emotional pain serves a higher purpose, which is to alert you to attachments that you have formed and which are disturbing your peace.

All attachments have the potential to cause disturbance. Whether the attachment is to a person, a thing, or an idea, upon formation it immediately creates a duality -- the duality of having and not having the thing to which you are attached. This duality creates tension which gives off negative vibrations. These vibrations manifest as desire; as fear of loss; as jealousy; as antagonism to others who are seen as wanting to take from us the things to which we are attached, or who actually possess those things already and from whom we feel the desire to take them. The mind naturally forms attachments, but it is not natural for the mind to perceive their effects and to purge itself of attachments or to avoid forming them. This is where you -- the authentic you, which is your inner manifestation of Spirit -- can step in and instruct your mind to release the attachment which is causing disturbance, or not to form that attachment in the first place.

The reason that the mind creates attachments is that the mind is influenced by ego. If Spirit does not exert its control, then the mind is controlled by ego. Ego originates as the mind's awareness of itself. At the stage when ego is formed, mind is not yet aware of the presence of Spirit. Mind conceives the idea that it is separate, alone, and unique, and from that thought arises ego. From that moment forward, ego is engaged in spinning around itself a cocoon of separation to preserve its perceived identity. The first duality that arises in the mind is the duality of "me" and "not-me." The ego is the "me" and its sole purpose is to create the perception that it is important, in order to ensure its own survival. The way that it does that is to seek to dominate and possess the "not-me." What it cannot dominate or possess, it seeks to destroy or deny.

Of course, all this activity takes place entirely within the mind. From the single construct of ego arises an elaborate web of fantasies and fictions, each of which is perceived as a "thing" to be seized or destroyed. Whether the desire is to own a thing or to destroy it, that desire is an attachment because ego believes that its own well-being depends upon fulfilling that desire. If the "thing" is the object of desire, then ego believes it cannot be satisfied -- cannot be happy -- without satisfying its desire to possess the "thing". If the "thing" is the object of a destructive desire, then ego believes that it cannot be happy unless the "thing" ceases to exist. This is ironic, since the "thing" was created by mind or by ego in the first place; but ego cannot see the irony, because ego itself is unaware that it created the "thing." The perception of anything separate from self is the funamental delusion of the ego, but the ego cannot be cured of this delusion because the ego's very existence depends upon duality. If the ego were to accept that All That Is is One, that the entire Universe, is a manifestation of one Spirit, then the illusion of "me" and "not-me" would collapse and ego itself would vanish.

You can only become convinced of the Oneness of all things through meditation. Awareness of Oneness comes to some in a flash and to others only by dint of much meditation and inner seeking. Having experienced that awareness, even if it does not remain constantly with you as an immanent experience, you are able to grasp the concept that Spirit exists unconditionally, while ego exists only conditionally. In other words, Spirit is real without context; ego is real only in the context of mind. To the extent your awareness is controlled by ego, it is not genuine awareness; only the awareness of Spirit is ultimate Truth. This is the realization that you need in order to perform the inner work of identifying and releasing attachments. Ego and its attachments can be seen in the light of this realization as mere distractions. Why should you give your energy to attachments that only serve to distract you from the Truth? Of course it is absurd to do so.

Once you have realized that attachments stand between you and the complete realization of Oneness with Spirit, it becomes possible to identify and begin to release them. Here are some examples of thoughts that arise from the false attachment to the duality of "me" and "not-me":

-- That person thinks that he or she is better than I.

-- That person is different from me in ways that make him inferior to me.

-- That person has something that I do not, and I want it.

-- That person does not respect me.

-- That person wants to take something away from me.

-- That person is being treated better than I.

-- I feel responsible for that person's actions and he is embarassing me.

-- I don't have enough money/friends/love/etc.

It may not be necessary for you to specifically instruct your mind to release such attachments, if you are convinced they are unworthy of your attention. By withdrawing your attention and energy from them they should dissipate of their own accord, for it is only your energy that sustains them.

I want to be clear that I am not telling you to release attachments because they are evil. "Good-evil" is just another duality created in the mind. I tell you to release them because they are a distraction, and they prevent you from focusing your attention on Spirit and the Oneness of All That Is. Having attachments does not make you a "bad person"; it simply contributes to false beliefs of separation, and makes you unhappy.

A fully enlightened being does not form attachments. However, this is not to say that releasing attachments is the way to become fully enlightened. It would be more correct to say that the two coincide. The perception of Oneness leads to enlightenment and also to the release of attachments, and the inability to form new ones. Nevertheless, the fewer attachments one has, the easier that perception becomes.

The Highest Praise

When I say that you do not exist apart from God, how can you interpret that to mean you are nothing? What greater honor and praise could there be? Ego does not understand this as praise, because ego can value itself only in relation to others. Value yourself as God, as Oneness, and you will see your perfection.

Do Not Be Misled by Ego

Do not be misled by ego into believing that your purpose is to bring good to others. Be aware that you can serve others only by example, and by pointing out the good which they already possess.

Simplicity

Spirituality is not complex. What could be simpler than Oneness? It is the elaborate visions constructed by Mind to distract Spirit that are complex. Do not seek to understand the intricate complexity of the Seen in terms of the Unseen. Seek only to absorb the awareness of the unity of all that is. On that foundation you can build your understanding of that which is unconditional and dismiss the need to integrate the conditional. Love is the one vibration that pervades all energy fields. Identify with love and allow all other associations to fall away.‏

In meditation, sense the life force of the Universe pervading your physical and etheric bodies. Allow it to vibrate in harmony with the energies that surround you, so that your energy can be cleansed and refreshed by its power. Feel your energy extending to the far reaches of the physical Universe and bonding with the energy of All that Is. Then become aware of the impossibility of any thing existing that is not a part of that vibration, of any discord arising in the presence of that harmony.

Surrender the illusion of separation and let your being merge with every other. Feel your individuality dissolve in the sea of Spirit. Accept that your fate is the fate of every other; your life is the life of every other. Then you will be suffused with the light and warmth of knowing pervasive, universal Love, and the sure awareness that all that is not Love is illusion.

The Teacher emerged from meditation and said:

"I am Brahma manifest as this body; you are Brahma manifest as that body. These bodies possess minds and those minds have created egos, but neither body, mind, nor ego is the Self. The Self is Aum, the universal vibration of Brahma from which all things are created. All spiritual principles in the Universe flow through the Self into the world of gross manifestation. The Self is the principle of which love is a manifestation. The Self is One."

Are there demons?

Many people believe that there are beings that are wholly evil. They may be called devils, or demons, or dark angels, among other names. If they existed, these would be beings whose life force was derived entirely from negative rather than positive energy. To accept the existence of such beings may imply that there exists a Lord of Demons, Satan, the Devil, Beelzebub. The Universe would then have two sources of energy, a positive source - God or the Universal Spirit - and a negative one. Belief in the Devil is seductive, because it allows us to blame our negative feelings and our misfortunes on an outside influence: "The Devil made me do it!" What's more, it allows us to make excuses for the bad conduct of others.

Recently I attended a class on the Bhagavad Gita at the Ananda Center in Palo Alto. Ananda is an organization which follows the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, as interpreted by his pupil, Swami Kriyananda. Yogananda taught that there is a demonic force in the world, according to the person leading the class. As much as I respect Yogananda and his teachings, I cannot accept this one aspect.

There is no doubt that there are people who seem possessed by evil spirits. Indeed, it is an encounter with one such person that leads me to this topic. Many of us have people in our lives whose sole purpose seems to be to cause trouble and pain for others. This may be particularly true for those of us who have chosen the path of love and harmony; there may be a person who appears to have made it his life's work to discredit you and goad or drive you off your Path. 

It is not necessary, however, to resort to explanations which presume the existence of demonic forces in order understand such behavior. If we are honest with ourselves we need look no farther than our own egos to find a sufficient explanation. You believe that Love is the Way; that the entire Universe is composed of positive loving energy. Yet your own mind, your own body, your own emotions are constantly pressing you to express negativity. In your personal, professional, and spiritual life you still find a voice nagging at you to be competitive, to undermine others to advance your own interests, to resent the success of others. If you are strong and resolute, you will resist these pressures most of the time. But they are there, and they will always be there as long as you draw breath.

If you, with your devotion to spirituality, have such feelings, how much more must they dominate the lives of those who lack a commitment to love and harmony? No question there are individuals - perhaps they are a majority - who are, in Eckhart Tolle's words, completely unconscious at all times. That is, their consciousness is totally submerged and subjugated by their egoic mind. A person who is controlled by ego cannot help but act out in egregious ways that are petty, spiteful, and calculated to cause nothing but pain. That is how the ego seeks to validate and aggrandize itself - by driving others down and trying to bring out egoic reactions in them. 

What is the correct way to deal with these individuals? One way is to ignore them, as you do with the proddings of your own ego to the extent possible. However, it is also important to remember that these beings are not the undiluted egos that they appear to be. Each person has within him or her the unblemished manifestation of Spirit without which there can be no life. You may despair of ever seeing any evidence of this fact in some people. Indeed we all have known of heard of people who went to their graves as ornery and cantankerous as they had been all their lives. This does not detract from the fact that somewhere under that seemingly inpenetrable shell is a glowing pearl aching to be revealed.

The good news is that it is not your responsibility to reform such a person. The most that Spirit expects of you is to honor the Spirit within them with silent love and forgiveness. Their inner light - or Higher Self - may muster the strength to burst forth in this life and produce the flowering of what seems to be a new person; or it may remained buried under its karmic burden and await an opportunity to reassert itself when reincarnated in a new body. Either way, the most you can hope for is to maintain your own equanimity and perspective. 

Finally, your forgiveness must extend also to yourself. If you look at your own thoughts and actions honestly you are likely to find ways in which you contributed to the problem between you and this other person. You may have treated him unfairly or thoughtlessly. There may have been times when your ego gained control and lashed out in its own defense against the calculatedly treacherous and unfair attacks of the other. You can regret this experience and learn from it, but do not fall into the trap of believing that you should give yourself over to ego as a way of retaliation. Just as the ego dominated by negativity suffers more than its victims, so will you endure more suffering from surrendering to the egoic impulse than you could ever hope to inflict upon another. Simply return to your centered state as quickly and easily as you can.

The Mind's Filter

The Teacher said,

When I teach you, I am usually speaking to your higher self. Your egoic mind will process the information, but in many cases will resist my teaching. This is understandable, because much of what I tell you attacks the ego at its foundation. Your higher self is aware of its oneness with Spirit; the ego denies it. The ego is all about differentiating the small self from other beings, and making itself look important, while the higher self seeks to minimize differences, break down barriers, and reach out for unity. If I could, I would bypass the mind and body and share my insights with you on a soul level. Since I cannot do so in this life, I must teach you first to listen from the higher self, free of the filter of egoic concerns; and then try to express in words what would best be communicated wordlessly from soul to soul. I too must deal with the filtering effects of expressing soul concepts in a medium designed for communication between egos. This is another important reason for you to meditate, because in meditation the higher self communicates directly with Spirit and there is no need for wisdom to pass through the mind's filter.

Your Way

There are so many voices telling you what to do, which way to go. Many of them are sincere, and some are truly aligned with Spirit to a greater or lesser degree. You do not have to choose among them until you are ready. But at the same time, you do not have to listen to them all, even if you are convinced of their Truth.

Everyone sees Truth a little differently. You must ultimately follow your own vision, even if it is different from every other's. In fact, your authentic vision is bound to be different from anyone else's. There is much to learn from teachers and sages. But they each have only one vision. By studying many viewpoints you may achieve a sort of holographic picture of Truth as others see it. There is a great deal of convergence in the visions of those who have seen some aspect of Truth clearly, and you can save yourself much confusion by consulting them. Yet you cannot find your own Path simply by walking in the footsteps of others.

Eventually you will need to break from the pack and pursue your own vision. You will just exhaust yourself by trying to follow all the well-meaning voices. They will pull you in many directions and you will end up not very far from where you began. Only by striking out in the direction chosen for you by the higher Self can you attain a clearer vision of the Truth that is meant for you. This will not be the easiest path or the most comfortable, but it will be your authentic Path. You will know it when you are ready, and will be drawn irresitibly to it. Accept it when it comes and offer your heartfelt thanks to Spirit for showing it to you, no matter what hardships or difficulties you may encounter on the Way. That Way also lies your Joy.

And so it is.

Ego and Spirit

Resentment is ego
Jealousy is ego
Fear is ego
Want is ego
Greed is ego
Hatred is ego
Separateness is ego
Surrender is spirit
Acceptance is spirit
Love is spirit
Joy is spirit
Oneness is spirit

A New Earth

I think the beautiful side of our American approach to ethnic identity appears when it is inclusive rather than exclusive. This is why St. Patrick's Day is such a joyful holiday here. When we say everyone's Irish, we're also saying we are all sisters and brothers.

I'm just beginning to study and meditate upon the role of ego -- personal identity -- in our lives. Everyone has it and needs it in order to become a healthy adult. Yet unrestrained ego also is the source of most of the problems in society and today's world, when it causes us to devalue others who are "not like us". Ego is the source of hatred, greed, and indifference to the circumstances of others. Ego is not a secure foundation for life because it is exclusive, rather than inclusive. Ego senses its own incompleteness yet cannot make the leap of understanding to reach out to others to form a secure and stable bond. Instead, it seeks a false sense of security by gathering more to itself while denying or taking away from others.

Eckhart Tolle, author of "The Power of Now", calls for a new birth of Universal consciousness in "A New Earth". I was taken aback and reacted negatively at first when Eckart and "A New Earth" were embraced by Oprah. I have come to realize that this was an egoic reaction -- I wanted to keep Eckart "to myself" and didn't want to see him become popular. I now see it is imperative to bring his message to a wider audience.

His philosophy may have to be diluted for mass adoption. But without popularization he can never accomplish what so urgently is needed, which is to reverse the dominance of ego over Spirit that has accelerated in the modern world.

Carolyn Myss has described a way of living for "mystics without monasteries". Her point also is that we need to develop ways to incorporate deep spirituality into everyday life so that it is not confined to a few hermits living outside society. If human life is to survive long on this planet, Spirit -- not any narrowly defined religion, but simply a basic guiding awareness of the oneness of all beings and all things -- must become dominant. We must begin to live not predominantly for ourselves, our families, our ethnic groups, or our political units, but for each and every other, in great ways and small. Popularization of Eckhart Tolle's philosophy is one way we can hope to start a movement in that direction.

Manifesting Wellness

You can’t always keep your body from becoming ill, but you can keep from making yourself ill.

There is no question that illness has many origins. Science has pinpointed causal relationships between many environmental factors and bodily ailments. These range from viruses and bacteria to chemicals and even excess sunlight. In some cases our bodies even seem to attack themselves. What is sometimes less clear is why some people are more susceptible to these factors than others.

Illness and injury are a part of this physical world into which we have placed ourselves. When we chose to incarnate in this Universe, we also chose to expose ourselves to the risk of suffering. We may have chosen to endure bodily pain in order that we can better empathize with other physical beings, or in order to teach ourselves how spirituality transcends pain. When we do find ourselves ill or injured, we can therefore accept this as part of the human experience (even while doing all we can to reduce our suffering). This does not mean, however, that we should seek out suffering, or endure more than is necessary.

Sometimes a spiritually advanced person takes unto him or herself the suffering of others; this is one way saintly compassion manifests. Aside from such an exceptional situation, there is no reason to bring pain upon oneself, and to do so is evidence of separation from Spirit.

Even though injury and illness may have external causes, there are many ways in which we enable or even encourage them to afflict us. Have you ever said to yourself, “I always get a cold in January,” then spent the month watching for the first symptoms to appear? Might you even congratulate yourself on successfully predicting your illness? It’s no wonder that you got a cold – your prophecy was self-fulfilling. You invited the illness and welcomed it on arrival. Maybe you failed to take ordinary precautions such as taking vitamins, eating healthful foods, and getting enough regular sleep, or maybe you focused all your conscious attention on avoiding exposure to cold viruses. In either case, you broadcast your intention to catch a cold into the Universe, and the Universe responded to that attention according to Law.

Do you reward yourself for getting ill? Do you welcome illness as an excuse to stay home from work, or neglect household chores? Do you tell yourself that being sick is a good reason for overindulging in your favorite dessert or spending money on items that you can’t afford? Do you demand extra attention and coddling from loved ones? These are other ways we find to take pleasure in getting sick, and open ourselves to it. Extreme cases of such behavior are recognized as mental illness.

Instead of assuming at the first sign of a possible illness that you are in for two weeks of misery, try putting the Law to work for you. Take the opportunity to reaffirm your oneness with the healing energy of Spirit. If your throat tickles, meditate upon the warmth of Spirit flowing through your body and cleansing negative energies from that area. If your sinuses are congested, visualize spiritual energy opening constricted passages and allowing blockages to be relieved. Whatever spiritual practice you regularly follow to infuse your body with health and vitality, be sure not to neglect it but perform it with redoubled positive intention. Visualize yourself as you truly are – a perfect manifestation of Spirit – and ignore any suggestion from your body or egoic mind that you are imperfect in any way. See the pure flame of Spirit burning in your center, glowing with an energy that drives any impurity from your physical and energetic self. Sense the pure cleansing energy that radiates from you and through you. Visualize yourself and all beings in pristine energetic simplicity as flawless creatures of light.

This practice should not be limited to those times when you feel unwell. The more you practice seeing yourself and others as perfect, the more perfection will manifest in your life and in the world around you. If you have been a magnet for suffering, just stop. Become instead a vortex of health. As you move through the physical universe, carry with you the sure knowledge that all beings are perfect in their essence. This knowledge will manifest in your soul and in those around you as improved health and abounding joy.

Adopting this practice in sickness and in health will have many positive effects. First, you will not become physically ill nearly as often. Along with the knowledge of your perfection comes the ability to honor your body by following healthy practices. Placing your attention on wellness rather than sickness will manifest even more wellness by operation of the Law. When you do become ill, your illnesses will be less serious and protracted. You will not see illness as punishment or as evidence of some flaw in yourself, but will bear it as part of the human condition while resting securely in the knowledge that your core is divine essence. You will maintain a positive attitude and will not convert physical suffering into negative spiritual energy. You will radiate health and joy into the Universe around you, and will have a positive influence on the wellness and happiness of others. You will contribute your intention and your energy to the positive flow emanating from, and leading back to, the perfect light of Spirit.

And so it is.

Namaste.

Enough

Whatever you have, it is enough.

Whatever the voice in your head is telling you that you need, you do not need.

Whatever the level of spiritual development you think you have attained, you are already fully in touch with your higher Self.

You are a perfect manifestation of Spirit right now. As a child of God, how could you be otherwise?

You already know your life's purpose and how to attain it.

All that remains is for you to manifest materially that which has always existed perfectly in Spirit.

And so it is.