Brendan ben David
Human Being
All of us traverse through life independent of whether we choose to be here or not. Choosing to exist on Planet Earth is not something we have a say over. We thus must make an understanding of our World in the best way we can. How can we understand this World? Varying opinions abound. Surely, many opinions abound. But is there a correct way of viewing our life and existence itself? If Truth with a capital 'T' is something we are able to obtain then this indicates that there is a certain way we should understand existence and a multitude of incorrect ways. One thing we can be certain of in this confused world is that it is a process of discovery; a discovery of Self, of Other, of Truth, of God. How does this process unfurl in the fabric of our individual realities?
We must first assert unequivocally that we are individually unique beings, each of us with our own characteristics and attributes. However, as unique beings, we share some commonalities. On a primary level, one of the most common things that we all share and face are daily tests, challenges, trials and tribulations. The common factor that unites all of humanity is that we are struggling beings; struggling to discover reality.
What then is the purpose of this struggling, of trials and tribulations? Surely there is a purpose! Most of us here on these forums are religious characters and admit to a Higher Power of sorts. Let us skip over the specific attributes of this Higher Power and assume that It has complete control over the happenings of the Created World and that we, as human beings, also have Free Will. Through experience, one can easily see that it is exactly through our hardships that we grow on the moral and spiritual stage. In whichever direction we choose to take we are discovering the World. We are experiencing new experiences, meeting new people, gaining more wisdom, facing new emotions, creating new realities. One challenge overcome is a step on the path to a newborn reality in the forever present moment. Conversely, one challenge not overcome is a setback and a fall from grace. Growth or falling backwards are the correct results of facing our tests in life.
The only realm in which we have true choice is in the moral arena. The ability to make a Free Will decision is entirely in the realm of morality; any other choice is merely one of preference. So how do we choose the correct path? At all times, one must retain a definition of a specific wordthing. That is, what does it mean to be 'Good'? It doesn't matter who you are, I guarantee that you are striving to be Good, whatever that is.
So it goes to say, whatever your definition of Good is: one should know it constantly! At the juncture we face our individual (and collective) tests in life our fingers are poised above two alternate buttons; one green and one grey. A 'Good' button and a 'Bad' button; the 'Soul' button or the 'Body' button. The soul is our essence; it wants to achieve, to surpass, to resolve, to become a great human being. The body is our inner animal, a non-stop search for food, sex, and material pleasures. The soul is a bright light, the body is a hazy cloud. If, through our tests, our struggles, we overcome the struggle and manage to press the green button and commit a good deed we are rewarded through the deed we chose to commit. If we press the grey button mistakenly (as it always is), and fall over the hurdle, we suffer through the misdeed we commit. This is a difficult concept to digest; that we are rewarded and punished in exact accordance with our deeds. The veil which prevents us from seeing this as a common truth in the present moment is time, which in itself is an illusion (and another whole topic of it's own).
So how do we reach greatness and gain a clarity of reality in this World? Clarity and greatness, which go hand-in-hand only comes through constantly struggling and succeeding in the battlefield of life. We must be aware of the tug-of-war between our Good Inclination (soul) and our Bad Inclination (body). The Good pulls us toward life. The Bad pulls us toward death, yet is so crafty and deceptive that we only see it's discord and consequences after the fact of action. The middle ground, between Good and Bad? It is the field of dreams and contemplation. It is when we choose to sit back and contemplate ourselves, others, Truth and God, that we regain the strength and energy to face our tests in life with vigour and certain clarity to choose the Right and avoid the Wrong at all times.
And this is life; a battlefield of confusion towards clarity, of mediocrity towards greatness. A process of discovery. We are always in the firing line of a test and it is our job, our occupation, to fight for what's Right, the good in this World and to discover the ultimate Good, whatever that is. It is an ongoing process, one that we will be a major player in until the day we pass on to the Next World or the World-to-Come. Let us seek reality and discover the gamut of Truth that we are drawn down into this world for discovering.
We must first assert unequivocally that we are individually unique beings, each of us with our own characteristics and attributes. However, as unique beings, we share some commonalities. On a primary level, one of the most common things that we all share and face are daily tests, challenges, trials and tribulations. The common factor that unites all of humanity is that we are struggling beings; struggling to discover reality.
What then is the purpose of this struggling, of trials and tribulations? Surely there is a purpose! Most of us here on these forums are religious characters and admit to a Higher Power of sorts. Let us skip over the specific attributes of this Higher Power and assume that It has complete control over the happenings of the Created World and that we, as human beings, also have Free Will. Through experience, one can easily see that it is exactly through our hardships that we grow on the moral and spiritual stage. In whichever direction we choose to take we are discovering the World. We are experiencing new experiences, meeting new people, gaining more wisdom, facing new emotions, creating new realities. One challenge overcome is a step on the path to a newborn reality in the forever present moment. Conversely, one challenge not overcome is a setback and a fall from grace. Growth or falling backwards are the correct results of facing our tests in life.
The only realm in which we have true choice is in the moral arena. The ability to make a Free Will decision is entirely in the realm of morality; any other choice is merely one of preference. So how do we choose the correct path? At all times, one must retain a definition of a specific wordthing. That is, what does it mean to be 'Good'? It doesn't matter who you are, I guarantee that you are striving to be Good, whatever that is.
So it goes to say, whatever your definition of Good is: one should know it constantly! At the juncture we face our individual (and collective) tests in life our fingers are poised above two alternate buttons; one green and one grey. A 'Good' button and a 'Bad' button; the 'Soul' button or the 'Body' button. The soul is our essence; it wants to achieve, to surpass, to resolve, to become a great human being. The body is our inner animal, a non-stop search for food, sex, and material pleasures. The soul is a bright light, the body is a hazy cloud. If, through our tests, our struggles, we overcome the struggle and manage to press the green button and commit a good deed we are rewarded through the deed we chose to commit. If we press the grey button mistakenly (as it always is), and fall over the hurdle, we suffer through the misdeed we commit. This is a difficult concept to digest; that we are rewarded and punished in exact accordance with our deeds. The veil which prevents us from seeing this as a common truth in the present moment is time, which in itself is an illusion (and another whole topic of it's own).
So how do we reach greatness and gain a clarity of reality in this World? Clarity and greatness, which go hand-in-hand only comes through constantly struggling and succeeding in the battlefield of life. We must be aware of the tug-of-war between our Good Inclination (soul) and our Bad Inclination (body). The Good pulls us toward life. The Bad pulls us toward death, yet is so crafty and deceptive that we only see it's discord and consequences after the fact of action. The middle ground, between Good and Bad? It is the field of dreams and contemplation. It is when we choose to sit back and contemplate ourselves, others, Truth and God, that we regain the strength and energy to face our tests in life with vigour and certain clarity to choose the Right and avoid the Wrong at all times.
And this is life; a battlefield of confusion towards clarity, of mediocrity towards greatness. A process of discovery. We are always in the firing line of a test and it is our job, our occupation, to fight for what's Right, the good in this World and to discover the ultimate Good, whatever that is. It is an ongoing process, one that we will be a major player in until the day we pass on to the Next World or the World-to-Come. Let us seek reality and discover the gamut of Truth that we are drawn down into this world for discovering.
Most appreciated!