Enlightenment
Awakening from the Dream of Separation – A Reflection on Spiritual Growth
The greatest, yet most incomplete story ever told is not in the Bible.
It is in yourself.
I suppose that you would like me to support that idea, so, let us first consider some general questions, and then you may discern your own unique answers:
Why do so many people suffer from poor self-esteem?
Why is there so much pain, suffering, loneliness, and disillusionment in America?
Why is America enveloped in such divisive and hateful political discourse?
Why is there so much disease, mental illness, alcoholism, addiction, suicide, and murder?
And, let us consider some personal questions.
Do you understand that we all have an innate capacity to make dramatic, positive life changes?
Do you have an intense desire to help yourself and your world?
Do you know what you came to this planet to do?
Don't you know that your body is the temple of the living God? Don't you know that you are the light of the world?---Jesus of Nazareth
Who does not want to be a light in their world?
Do we even know what that question implies?
The art world has attempted to capture what an individual living in the light might look like. Over many centuries, we have seen artist's renditions of saints and sages, with paintings often showing the blessed person as having a golden light about them, usually concentrating around the head.
Is this "divine light" phenomenon real, or only the artistic interpretations represented within art, science, religion, and philosophy?
The physiological Truth about humanity is that humans can emit light through bioluminescence, yet that light is not readily witnessed by normal human eyesight. Humans do not innately embody luciferin, which would give us the capacity to glow like fireflies. Yet what about that inner glow that erupts within one's heart and soul when finally touched by transcendent spiritual power?
This book has presented my evidence for an experience of power and life more significant than any limited, personal sense of Self. I no longer look to the darkness for the light. I found my light, a light that dispels the darkness of others, their religions and economic philosophies, and the darkness of my historical Self.
As we find the light of Truth, there is a release from the controls of the crowd, whether it is the crowd of old thoughts or the crowd that blindly follows others.
Strange, mystical, exotic, transcendent, and mysterious describe phenomena associated with discovering such light and freedom, a spiritual liberation that words struggle to define.
"Set your course by the stars, and not by the fading lights of passing ships"----Omar N. Bradley.
As the 21st century rushes forward, humanity is becoming increasingly dependent on its technology for communication while not concurrently developing the sensitivity to connect with the "energy" that we all share and with which we communicate continuously, albeit mostly unconsciously. Our technology, especially the hand-held media devices that we use to entertain and hypnotize ourselves with, predominantly continues the energy of the past without offering many conscious alternatives to the present collection of corrupted choices that humanity has seemed eternally resigned to making.
Though able to define relationships and the laws that dictate behavior between all observable and quantum phenomena, science is only now beginning to understand the ramifications of the fundamental law of our existence:
"All that we will ever see, unto eternity, is ourselves."
Theoretical physicists now understand that there are possibilities for alternate universes, yet they still have yet to fully define the opportunities for enhanced connections with the one we all currently reside within. Science provides laws for what we see, yet, unlike enlightened spirituality, provides no laws predicting or supporting what is possible for humanity. Quantum mechanics cannot be fully understood until the self-centered perspective towards infinity is replaced with the understanding that the universal, collective and the individual are present in each of us, in each moment of existence, and influence all of our observations.
We truly are not alone within ourselves.
We truly need to heal and/or integrate all of those forces vying for our attention, however.
Ultimately, science, religion, medicine, and technology will all unite as manifestations of humanity's expression of our highest potential, and then the miraculous potential of a healed collective consciousness will be evident to us all.
The impacts we all have upon each other are not yet fully understood, yet prayer, meditation, and mindfulness prepare the mind for the unknown, where all true creation springs from. Because of the nature of consciousness itself, it is a much more collaborative effort being a human than our minimally conscious minds presently understand.
It is incredible how much of the human ego is devoted to recognition when there were shortages of loving attention early in life. We create our ego from our desperate call for Love from a world that has not yet learned how to love. Our world has over eight billion human egos, all seeking the fulfillment of their desires. Which of our desires bond us together in Love, and which separate us in mutual antagonism?
The most significant question remains: why care, or why bother? Our Earth experience of the universe's sacredness and sanctity depend on our recognition of who we are and how we express our understanding of that connection.
Therein lies the absolute necessity that members of the human race seek true enlightenment.
If we can't drill down to the foundation of our world and our problems and find and replace the foundation, there is little long-term hope for us.
If the desire for liberation from our deteriorating society's damaging and fatal illusions is strong, we are ready for a transformation. By letting go of the societal controls that imprison us in an outdated image of ourselves and the unrealistic and unhealthy expectations of others, we become ready to travel onto new paths of consciousness and a new era of transcendence in our lives.
Why create and nurture a belief in some unknown God or savior, which is only just another idea in an asleep mind, when we can live a life immersed in the beauty, awe, and love available to a mind liberated from its bondage to selfish fantasies and unhealed sufferings?
Are we ready to let go of the controls?
What is the difference between believing we can fly and finally spreading our wings and flying?
BELIEF
God is our eternal path and needs no belief in any concept. Yet, we must learn to cultivate and practice the actual presence of our own unique, innate connection to the mystery behind the name "God" until our life blossoms into the divine flower that it truly is.
Live life fully and wholeheartedly, keeping one's eyes and ears open to the mystery of the moment and listening deep within our hearts for our true mission.
Religion is institutionalized ignorance of our true nature, only pointing to historical interpretations from others.
As the experience of the Trump era shows, the collective racism, immorality, and unethical behavior of America's Christian understanding is now an institutionalized disease within its body of thought and its shared narratives.
Our self-image is quite similar, being our memory's institutionalized historical ignorance of our potential for freedom.
Like our Christian understanding, our ethics and morals remain based upon past wounding rather than the higher ideals that are attainable through enhanced self-awareness and healing.
Therein lies the challenge and the opportunity for enlightenment.
What would Jesus do?
He worked out his salvation. He confronted and overcame the darkness (satan in the desert) in his own mind.
He would want you to do the same.
The things that I do, you shall do, and even greater things----Jesus of Nazareth (John 14:12)
No teacher may bring to us our freedom; it is our work that gets us there.
What will we do?
Men have created, maintained, and sustained our civilization for thousands of years. And, toxic masculinity with its most oppressive spawn,
PATRIARCHY,
has established most of the rules of engagement for all of us in the world during this epoch. Patriarchy sets the rules for our religions and our economic systems.
Trauma, immense trauma, has characterized man's domination over nature and each other. Even our most innocent of beings, both human and animal, are persecuted by patriarchal attitudes. Our families are now one of the most significant sources for the spread of trauma. The children now even try to traumatize their parents once they become adults. It is all so unnecessary and deplorable.
Humankind has so much more spiritual work to be completed before peace and mutual respect are a universal experience.
Concurrently, It is incredible to note the preponderance of teachings that continue to emanate from the male component of the human race. Toxic masculinity creates an oppressive reality, and then those who have a measure of healing from it attempt to offer to the rest of us solutions for our release.
Yes, I am a committed member of that movement. I am here to walk in an evolving, awakening consciousness with all of mankind.
We need more empowered women to stand up and be counted. Our world can only come back into balance once our feminine nature's divine aspects are recognized as an integral part of our Self.
The human race is like a bird with two wings, male and female. If one wing is broken, the bird can't fly.
Will we remain hypnotized by more "mans-plaining" from ministers, avatars, gurus, therapists, and religious texts.
Should we remain a sheep in another shepherd's flock?
Should we become a shepherd of our flock?
Or should we become a liberated human being?
It is our choice.
For liberation, there must be the deepest of desires.
We must be vigilant in protecting ourselves from the oppressive forces of our economic philosophies. Capitalist economics has monetized the resources of our planet and our human soul. And, in a most oppressive, distressing turn of events, Capitalism and American Politics have become married to Christianity so that all of the evil inherent within the asleep elements of this triumvirate has created a world-threatening menace. We all have witnessed its catastrophic effects on our planet, American politics, and each other's health.
Lao Tzu briefly comments on these seemingly changeless forces, as the following story indicates. Lao Tzu was walking with his disciples, and they came to a forest where hundreds of carpenters were cutting trees because a grand palace was being built. So the whole forest had been almost cut, but only one tree was standing there, a big tree with thousands of branches. Lao Tzu asked his disciples to go and inquire why the entire forest had been cut and not this tree.
The disciples went, and they asked the carpenters,
"Why have you not cut this tree?"
The carpenters said,
"You cannot make anything out of it because every branch has so many knots in it. Nothing is straight. You cannot make pillars out of it. You cannot make furniture out of it. You cannot use it as fuel because the smoke is so dangerous to the eyes – you almost go blind. This tree is absolutely useless. That's why."
They came back to tell Lao Tzu, who then laughed and said:
"Be like this tree. If you want to survive in this world be like this tree – absolutely useless. Then nobody will harm you. If you are straight you will be cut, you will become furniture in somebody's house. If you are beautiful you will be sold in the market, you will become a commodity. Be like this tree, absolutely useless. Then nobody can harm you. And you will grow big and vast, and thousands of people can find shade under you."
Lao Tzu has a logic altogether different from the conditioned mind. :
Be the last. Move in the world as if you are not. Remain unknown. Don't try to be the first. Otherwise, you will be competed against. Don't try to prove your worth. There is no need. Remain useless and enjoy."
To understand Lao Tsu is to find that he is practical on a deeper layer of understanding than most people can recognize. Life is to enjoy and celebrate and not to become solely a servant to the needs of others. Life is more like a song or poetry than a commodity in the market; it should be like a flower by the side of the road, flowering for nobody in particular, sending its fragrance to the winds, just enjoying itself, just being itself.
Our culture will take advantage of our talents if we succeed in being clever and useful. If we try to be very practical, somewhere or other, we will be harnessed like an ox because the world needs our functionality, needing us to become just another "somebody."
There is nothing more problematic and traumatizing than a nobody being forced to become a somebody, a somebody that we don't want to be.
Drop all these ideas. If we want to be a poem, a song, a flower, or any other manifestation of our creative spirit, then forget how others see us and what value we may have to them. Do not despair about embracing the energy of a nobody. Some of the most influential people in our world are nobodies who have been assigned the role of a somebody by our culture. Those who remember to remain a nobody and stay humble can be collaborators and healers.
While civilization encourages all of us to travel on its competitive superhighway to its image of a somebody, our neglected spiritual nature silently attempts to create a path back to where we can become a humble nobody again.
Who, or what, will we listen to?
The ultimate trauma to the human spirit is to be somebody we aren't.
We die of fatigue created through the endless parading around of our new, Self-deceptive image, an image easily discounted by the innocent child within us, should we become quiet enough to listen to our essence.
No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anyone but ourselves.---Virginia Woolf
Self-deception takes on added importance and danger in the mirror of relationships. Only crazy-making communication can result from exchanges between our illusions of Self.
As Jesus stated:
My kingdom is not of this world.
Remain true to ourselves.
Be our Self.
We will find what we are looking for if we sincerely seek the Truth of who we are.
When we find our authentic Self, the trauma and suffering of our human condition is seen for what it is.
And, we can finally consciously decide as to what, or who, we shall serve:
Somebody, or
NOBODY.
Serving somebody else's agenda keeps us on the same historical path.
Serving NOBODY places us squarely on the path back to the Garden of Eden, and we begin our Hero's Journey back to our true nature.
Accepting that the world can do fine without us allows us to put down the burden of being corrective heroes and simply concentrate on absorbing the journey of being alive.---Mark Nepo.
What is the essence of enlightenment? It is similar to metamorphosis, which brings forth the butterfly from the caterpillar. If the butterfly could talk, it would much rather out its new freedom and ability to fly than its previous form of life sliding over the dirt. Yet, the only life that the butterfly arose from was with ground dwellers, where it created all of its past stories. Could you imagine that butterfly returning and telling his caterpillar friends about the potential for a new life and what the "ground dwellers" might say in response? How about:
"get lost, you were never one of us, anyway?"
or
"well, it must be nice for you to fly, but it is just not for me right now?"
or
"have you heard about the great tasty leaves that parsley plant has?"
These are three potential responses from those who think that change is threatening, unnecessary, irrelevant, or impossible for themselves.
Enlightenment is not for everybody; it is for nobody.
New life is available to all, yet I won't devote too many words to that. The word will forever remain a shadow, cast by the light built into the divine heart of humanity, as it tries to define the undefinable. Yet, if the heart is in the right place, the words formed and delivered will become more attuned to and resonant with the energies pointing to the healing of the Self and the other.
"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern."
― William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
All that we now see, or will ever see, unto eternity, is our version of our Self.
How will we see ourselves today?
That vision, our vision, limited or limitless, determines the quality of our life experience.
And if we are on life's healing path, that vision directly impacts the world in wondrous and sometimes miraculous ways.
There is no greater joy in the universe than finding our authentic Self.
We will find what we are looking for.
What have you found so far?
Are you your authentic Self?
Are we ourselves?
Liberation is not an idea but a living reality for those who have found what their heart was genuinely looking for.
It is time to make our waves MATTER! (Quantum physicists will love this pun!)
Innumerable times, individuals of the human race have ascended the metaphorical mountaintop, encountering revelations that pierce through the veils of ordinary understanding. There, they glimpse the profound truths of existence, of Love, and of the intertwined ephemeral and eternal aspects of reality. They touch the essence of That One.
That One becomes the wellspring of all wisdom, the lens through which all future engagement with the world is refracted.
That One discerns the unity present in all creation, understanding how human-made systems of thought, no matter how noble their beginnings, tend to divide rather than unite.
That One perceives the fragility of Love within the context of humanity. They see that Love often confines itself to tribal lines, rarely crossing the constructed boundaries of community, culture, or creed.
That One observes the machinery of organized religion and its descent into servitude to worldly power. They understand how once-vibrant spiritual movements have been manipulated, distorted by male-dominated hierarchies. These forces misinterpret sacred texts, not in pursuit of enlightenment, but for control, perpetuating systems of fear and selfish gain.
That One sees the profiteering spirit within these power structures, where devotion is monetized, and tithing becomes a means to wealth rather than an offering of the heart. And those who suffer most, the spiritually bereft, are often left barren in the soils designed for their healing, as religion grows corrupt beyond repair.
That One concludes that for true healing, religion itself must undergo a rebirth. No longer should it serve as a prison for the spirit; instead, its purpose must align with liberation.
Descending from the mountaintop of Truth, That One delivers a message to the world:
"If your religion binds you in hatred or exclusion, discard its darker mandates. Honor the foundational spirit of Love. Affirm the dignity, the worth, and the inherent value of every human being through a healed human heart. For the heart, not the institution, is the source of true religion."
It requires us to confront and remove the obstructions in our own being ("the log in our own eye"), even if that "log" is the structure or beliefs of our own cherished religion. It calls for an end to the monetization of humanity for power or profit, a true separation of Church and State, and the humility to self-reflect and promptly admit when we have erred.
To live by the spirit of Love is to reject behavior rooted in lies, greed, destruction, exploitation, or harm. These patterns belong to those who choose to remain asleep to life's greater truths.
That One lives within us all. It has never been limited to a name, to Buddha or to Jesus. That One transcends the identities of Self and other, the illusions borne of competing philosophies and ideologies.
That One is the voice of God, Truth, and Love, speaking not through external authorities but from within, bubbling through our hearts, urging us to listen, to obey the quiet call to simplicity, compassion, and unity.
But That One understands the challenge of awakening the masses, where corrupted thought finds sanctuary within institutions. Therefore, the work of That One begins not in crowds but in the transformative relationships created one human soul at a time.
Silence the external noise.
Turn inward.
Listen to yourself.
Your heart carries the echoes of the eternal.
Be yourself, in fullness, in awareness.
When you touch yourself with authentic awareness, you touch all of creation.
Set out into the freedom and the wandering. Find your people. God is much bigger, wilder, more generous, and more wonderful than you imagined. – Sarah Bessey
I have attempted to capture lightning in a bottle by articulating this message. May we never despair of our faltering attempts to reach this infinite energy and express its Love and wisdom. To have a better life, we have to access new parts of our infinite Self and travel on new paths of understanding. A primary law of consciousness is that "we find what we are looking for," so make sure to look for what we want and not fall victim to the suggestions of others who don't always have our best interests at heart.
Do you have your best interests at heart?
Does your creator within have your best interests at heart?
Do you understand that you and your creator are ONE?
Do you understand how immense of a being that you are?
Once we understand the Truth, the closer we get to life's meaning, the disturbing revelation that we have just been dreaming becomes our healed understanding.
Dream on or strive for awakening; it is our choice.
The Buddha was asked:
What is your religion?
He then stated:
I AM AWAKE.
The salvation of the world and ourselves depends upon our decision to be either the dreaming, walking dead, or the awake.
I no longer run in packs of "wannabees" or "somebodies."
I no longer walk in my sleep.
I am not Jesus, I am not the Buddha, I am not Mohammed (whew!)
Like millions of other human beings,
I AM AWAKENING
If we awaken from the dream of separation from our true and noble nature, we become spiritually healed, and life's beauty, awe, mystery, and majesty can predominate.
With our awakenings, the one true God witnesses life through our eyes with us..
Otherwise, our lives remain dimmed while we live a second-hand life experience.
Are you ready to release the illusions of ego and step into your infinite potential? Awakening begins when we have the courage to ask the most profound question of all:
Who am I, truly?
Don’t wait for me to answer that question!
I AM ( 2019 Belize tour version)
I am the dolphin and whale; I am the mangrove and sand-lined shores,
I am the waves crashing against rocks that photographers adore.
I am all waters, the rivers, and the bays.
I am the infinite ocean from which all my children are born, live, Love, and play.
I am the wind and the sun and all warm, soothing breezes,
I am even our allergy-inspired, most raucous cleansing sneeze!
I am the blue sky, the weather changes, and the gathering of clouds,
I am all lightning storms appearing so dangerous and loud
I am the bird's call, its flight, and the wind beneath its wings,
I am all music and its spirit that makes our hearts soar and sing.
I am the brightest of all mornings, yet I am also the cloudiest of all days,
I am also that altar within, upon which humankind prays and PREYS.
I am the grief, the pain, and the sorrow,
I am the bottomless well of hope from which all eternally borrow.
I am the COVID, bronchitis, and pneumonia; I am the movement toward health
I am the healing balm that works mysteriously in stealth.
I am our lifetimes; I am our bodies and our breaths,
I am all of the suffering and the blessed last moment of our deaths.
I am the death of the false Self that leads to the only true heaven,
Our denial of this Truth leads to channel two news reports at eleven.
I am the Biden's and the Harris's, I am the Desantis's and the Trumps,
I am Love's warrior, and I am also Hate's chumps!
I am the boisterous protests, and I am the crowd made quiet,
I am everyone 6witnessing the white supremacist riots!
I am the wealthy, the hurt, the oppressed, and the poor,
I am your past, present, and future until we all are no more!
I am the Cretians, Egyptians, and Africans of times old, recent, and new,
I am all civilization ruins and the ever-evolving life that regrew.
I am the mind and the end to its lonely thoughts,
I am the hearts-loving web in which we are miraculously caught.
I am the Christian, the Hindu, the Muslim, and the Jew,
I am an Atheist and a Buddhist; you never thought that you knew.
I am the sacred, the mediocre, and even the profane,
I am the source of spiritual treasure; resisting me adds to life's pain.
I am not the movement of our thoughts while clinging to concepts of time,
I am emerging from all shadows as we reach for the sublime.
What is my name, and where is my home place?
Being ONE is to see me in every suffering and smiling beings face.
Spiritual Awakening: Embracing the Divine Within
Spiritual awakening is a profound journey of self-discovery and enlightenment. It is the recognition that our identity is not solely rooted in our cultural or family-created constructs, but rather in our deep connection to the universe and the divine.
While personal experiences of spiritual awakening vary, they often occur unexpectedly and can be triggered by life-changing events or even the simplest of everyday moments. It is usually a gradual process that involves self-discovery, self-awareness, and personal growth.
One may encounter moments of profound connection with the universe, such as having visions of the divine mother holding a baby, seeing the world without the limitations of past beliefs and traumatic wounds, or perceiving life without the constraints of time-based ideas and memories, among many other perceptual, emotional, and psychic phenomena. These experiences open our hearts and minds to a greater understanding of our purpose and place in the grand tapestry of existence.
To aid in our spiritual awakening, there are practical exercises and daily practices we can embrace. Meditation helps quiet the mind and fosters a deep sense of connection. Mindfulness allows us to be fully present in the moment, recognizing and releasing limiting beliefs. Journaling provides a tool for self-reflection and personal growth. Yoga and physical exercise balance the body and mind, creating a conducive environment for spiritual development. Engaging in compassionate actions towards ourselves and others promotes a sense of universal connection and love.
Embrace your own spiritual awakening, for within it lies the path to profound self-discovery, inner peace, and an expansive connection to the vast universe. May your journey be filled with love, light, and an unwavering sense of oneness.
And so, we arrive at the final stretch of this book—not an ending, but a breath in the eternal cycle of beginnings. What you’ve traversed in these pages is not merely a collection of words or ideas but a mirror, reflecting fragments of yourself and the world around you. The paths we’ve taken have been labyrinthine at times, contradictory at others, but isn’t that the essence of life itself?
We, as humans, are endowed with the exquisite burden of complexity. Like the tide perpetually reshaping the shore, our lives ebb and flow with thought, emotion, and experience. And yet, amid this chaos, there exists the perennial quest for meaning—for an anchor in the storm. This book, these discussions, have sought not to provide answers but to foster the fertile soil where your questions may take root.
The themes we’ve explored are not fixed points; they are constellations, guiding us forward yet constantly shifting with the seasons. Whether dissecting the concept of time or wrestling with the nature of relationships, what remains is a soft undercurrent reminding us that life’s essence is fluid, unable to be contained neatly within the confines of definitions. And perhaps, therein lies its beauty.
If you find yourself here, still seeking, still questioning, take solace in the fact that you are alive in the truest sense of the word. Too often, modern existence dulls this pursuit, subduing it beneath layers of noise until all that remains is a faint whisper. But the questions whispering within you, no matter how small, are a rebellion in themselves. They say,
I will not be sedated. I will see the world, and I will feel it.
Reflect for a moment on the tapestry you’ve unwoven here. Recall the moments when the words before you spoke not to your intellect but to the rawness of your soul. What did they call forth? Did they reveal an unspoken truth or challenge a comforting lie? Did they ignite a longing for something you could not name, yet felt with an ache that echoed through every fiber of your being?
The answers to these questions, like everything else, are not final. They grow, evolve, and shapeshift, just as you do. But isn’t that beautiful? To live in a state of becoming rather than being. To lean into uncertainty, not with fear, but with the quiet resolve to greet it as a friend.
For while endings are inevitable, they are also a doorway. Whatever this chapter signifies for you, it is only a point along the infinite spectrum of your narrative. You will continue this story—not in the lines you’ve just read, but in the decisions you make, the conversations you hold, and the silent moments when you sit alone with your thoughts, staring into the vastness of what is still unknown.
And so, I’ll leave you with the simplest of truths, one that transcends culture, philosophy, and era:
You are enough, even when you question it.
You are strong, even when you doubt it.
And above all, you are connected—to this world, to others, and to yourself—in ways both tangible and unseen.
Take this as your parting thread from these pages. Wrap it around your dreams, your fears, your joys, and your doubts. Carry it as you step into what comes next, remembering always that your story is still unfolding. And within its intricate weave, there is, and always will be, the quiet but undeniable magic of possibility.
Blessed Longing, by Goethe (Translated by John O’Donohue)
Tell no one else, only the wise
For the crowd will sneer at one I wish to praise what is fully alive,
What longs to flame toward death.
When the calm enfolds the love-nights
That created you, where you have created
A feeling from the Unknown steals over you
While the tranquil candle burns.
You remain no longer caught In the penumbral gloom
You are stirred and new, you desire To soar to higher creativity.
No distance makes you ambivalent.
You come on wings, enchanted In such hunger for light, you
Become the butterfly burnt to nothing.
So long as you have not lived this:
To die is to become new,
You remain a gloomy guest On the dark earth.