In my previous three posts in this series (01, 02, and 03), I outline an approach to ultimate fulfillment, with a view towards analogizing the roots, essence, and ideal of such fulfillment with the organic growth of a tree. In this post, I link this analogy to the organic growth of a Self.
In previous posts, I explore and examine in depth an original notion that I call the Cosmic True Self as Art as a complex amalgam of ego and Self with a mind and a heart aligned with a soul and a spirit resting and acting through the body as a vessel and a vehicle by way of a Witness and a Will.
The immense power to be found in this notion of Self lies in the promise that it is (or, more accurately, can be, if applied with due diligence) a conscious product of conscious processing.
Here, a taste of the analogy …
the organic growth of a tree
the organic growth of a Selfroots: presence, peace, promise, power
a root-based notion of Self (a True Self in 3D; your motto at this level: “be the best you can be”)essence: power, purpose, passion, prosperity
a heart-focused notion of Self (a True Self as Art in 4D; your motto: “home is where the heart is”)ideal: prosperity, purity, possibility, presence
a crown-inspired notion of Self (a Cosmic True Self as Art in 5D; motto: “your word is your wand”)
A Cosmic True Self as Art is a perpetually evolving product of conscious processing, which implies an Other in relation to Self. The Other, most fundamentally, is an event, encounter, or experience perceived by Self to occur beyond the bounds of Self. In light of this relation, note well this baseline: no response or reaction to any one or any thing is necessary when Self and Other remain in harmony.
If a True Self in 3D (in third density) is informed by the intention, “make it so”, and a True Self as Art in 4D is governed by the intention, “let it be”, then a Cosmic True Self as Art in 5D is informed, governed, and inspired by this fundamental choice: “make it so or let it be”. Practically speaking, if control is exercised bluntly in 3D, and if control is exercised subtly in 4D, then control is exercised deftly in 5D.
At the level of justification (3D), of firm intent, “let it be” is not an option; at the level of purification (4D), of pure intent, “make it so” is tempered by the purity of “let it be”; and at the level of sanctification (5D), of firm and pure intent, the fundamental choice, “make it so or let it be”, can (usually) be exercised wisely and freely in many if not most situations or circumstances where Self and Other slip out of harmony.
A justified, purified, sanctified ego is not unlike a polished diamond with many facets, as rare as it is beautiful, that is ever ready, willing, and able to assume or resume control of the master switch (“let it be or make it so”) at the core of conscious intent, even as it grows in its mastery of equanimity in 3D, serenity in 4D, and humility in 5D. This triadic mastery is key to preserving vulnerability for the sake of intimacy on the way to having a sustainable ecstasy.
I cannot in good conscience make this aspiration a private affair, but by the same token, I also recognize that many people in my experience have yet to master equanimity, that most people have yet to master serenity, and that virtually everyone I meet has yet to master humility in the way that I understand it here (not as a slavish, abject adherence to serving others deferentially, but as a simple yet profound openness and willingness to learn and grow).
If a justified ego is basic (root-based), and if a purified ego is essential (heart-focused), then a sanctified ego is ideal (crown-inspired): this is the premise upon which I function (artfully, soulfully) and operate (mindfully, spiritually) as a caring aspirant of the Cosmic True Self as Art.
Cultivating ego in tune with Self, with a view towards intending and attending to a perpetual renewal of harmony between Self and Other, is not unlike a game on a cosmic field of play governed by rules.
Marcus Aurelius, in his Writings to Myself, more popularly known as The Meditations, summarizes succinctly the basic task of this game at the root level of egoic justification, as follows:
When force of circumstance upsets your equanimity,
lose no time in recovering your self-control,
and do not remain out of tune longer than you can help.
Habitual recurrence to the harmony will increase your mastery of it.Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor, 161-180 AD (The Meditations, VI.11)
Although I cannot say that I resonate with everything this wise man wrote (he penned his wisdom while beating back barbarians on the outskirts of the Roman Empire), I can say that some of what I have read so far rings true for me at the level of justification (let me also say, in some ways, I also favor Epicurus).
As I grow in my ability to cultivate a mind in balance, it is not my habit to maintain a strict and narrow bandwidth of control like a tightrope walker, where I have neither too much nor too little control; rather, I exercise just enough control to keep me in the game, in harmony with the Other, while keeping it in my mind to exercise just enough control to bring me back in harmony with the Other, as or when I perceive the Other as occurring outside the bounds of the Self with which I identify. With respect to others, it is rarely ever anything personal, unless I choose to make it so – what they say or do is almost always about them; with respect to the Other, when “things go wrong”, I favor making no assumptions about how worthy I think I am or what I think I deserve. Also, in the face of prolonged uncertainty or insecurity in what is happening around me, I find it useful to recall this guideline: “no hard expectations, no fast assumptions – just follow your inner guidance the best way you know how.” When I give generously what I think I cannot give, I am soon compensated with what I need in another form (and then some); when others protest the conduct of someone they perceive as being unfair to me, and I nevertheless accept it magnanimously, the situation (somehow) quickly and invariably turns in my favor. It seems that as or when I exercise control patiently, graciously, and effortlessly, the Cosmos has my back.
In 3D, it pays to eat well, to get enough sleep, day after day, night after night, to maintain clarity and equanimity. With a clear and balanced mind, knowing when to pause, breathe, and smile is par for the course – no need to occupy or preoccupy the ego unduly with such matters.
As the world goes dark, as karma (good and bad) is reaped more quickly than ever, it helps to remember: “in these times that try our souls, that bring up the good, the bad, and the ugly without mercy and without warning, there are no enlightened beings – only enlightened moments.”
As of today, I resume updating my outline on approaching a realization of the ultimate in fulfillment.
Note: my evolving outline on approaching a realization of the ultimate in personal fulfillment can be found here, accessible from the nav menu under the page “Be Here Now”.
Next: Ultimate Outline 05
Note: this ever growing perspective began here: Ultimate Perspective