“The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse.”
― Carlos Castaneda
In Don Juan, the Sorcerer, Carlos Castaneda said, “To seek freedom is the only driving force I know. Freedom to fly off into that infinity out there. Freedom to dissolve; to lift off; to be like the flame of a candle, which, in spite of being up against the light of a billion stars, remains intact, because it never pretended to be more than what it is: a mere candle.”
In the spiritual path, we sometimes have this illusion that we can reach or we have already reached “the” truth. We talk about things like “keeping inner peace” and “putting aside the ego” and “we’re all one.”
The problem is we have trouble recognizing we are a “mere candle” of the infinite number of existing stars in the universe. “The truth” would be beyond the summation of all potential light that all the existing candles can shine.
When we get/feel separate from the whole, we stop contributing our share to the big light and still, we go around shouting “I have the light, I have the light, I have the light.” We want to show it to everyone else, we preach our truth, force our light unto others.
Holding to our beliefs as if they were a supreme truth revealed leads us into trouble, big trouble. When we hold the position that we’re right, and someone differs from us, then they must be wrong, uh? What follows is separation.
We fight for what we believe, which is understandable if we identify ourselves with our beliefs. But we’re not our beliefs.
Disagreements get us upset, and we snap out of balance. Her or his opinion becomes a threat for me…
What if instead, we seriously, honestly, work for integration, acceptance, union? Are we afraid to integrate a new idea or perspective into our existing beliefs? Being afraid would mean that our ego is disconnected from the soul. I bet the soul, which is adventurous, would always take on the challenge of exploring unknown territories.
I say, let’s us add and multiply instead of subtract and divide!
Let’s take what the other says, even when we disagree or feel challenged, as an opportunity to move forward, learn and integrate new perspectives.