Community
Theme behind our daily lives: The Tenth Insight
Intense control dramas of all kinds, whether they are violent or just perverse and strange addictions, come from environments where life is so abusive, dysfunctional and constrictive, and the level of fear is so great, that they spawn this same rage and anger or perversion over and over, generation after generation.
The individuals who are born into these situations choose to do so on purpose, with clarity.because they were sure they had enough strength to break out, to end the cycle, to heal the family system in which they would be born. They were confident that they could awaken and work through the resentment and anger at finding themselves in these deprived circumstances, and see it all as a preparation for a mission... usually one of helping others out of similar situations.
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James Redfield
The road to change and healing oneself - whether it's building better physical health, improving ones behaviour, or creating a happier and more fulfilling life - can start out being lonely and challenging. Choosing the "high road" so to speak, is never a popular choice - at first. I have released many dear friends now who have baulked at the steepness of the way I have chosen. This apparent loss of those I love so very much has been a real test... yet the spiritual way is of paramount importance to me.
In the beginning, when we set out on the path to self-improvement, we may attract all kinds of disapproval from those around us - anything from ridicule from friends to withdrawal of emotional, moral and financial support from family and friends - as many a woeful tale reveals when told by those who risked it all to have a life of greater meaning and fulfilment.
What causes family members and certain friends to become resistant, resentful and disapproving when we make conscious our choice to be the best we can be? Why do they, who claim they like us - even love us - turn a deaf ear to our yearnings and sometimes go so far as to toss emotional obstacles in our way that are sure to thwart our achievement? Do they really intend for us to be unhappy?
Except for those who irrefutably DO intend to block our way, most of our friends and family don't really intend for us to be unhappy and would likely be shocked if they were accused of such intention. Yet, it's undeniable that some behave as if a real threat of abandonment exists if we succeed in our endeavours. Our success might even trigger a painful reminder of where they themselves have fallen short of their dreams and have lost the courage to strive to be their best: perhaps because they, too, were thwarted and discouraged in some way by family and friends... and eventually withdrew their enthusiasm and gave up on any possibility of realizing their spiritual dreams.
Even though we may come to understand the reasons for their behaviour, such displays of disapproval are enough to discourage even the very strong among us ... so much so that we may delay in our striving for a better life and put our plans and goals on hold - hoping for a better opportunity in the future which may or may not come.
And so some of us may forget what we came here to do on planet earth ... and may never remember again for an entire lifetime. But what price do we pay when we forgo our hopes and wishes to appease the wishes and needs of another? (This is after all co-dependency - the major addiction on this planet.)
Are we really being more noble and loving when we remain within the confines of someone else's shattered hopes because we don't wish to hurt their feelings or don't want to risk being ostracized and possibly having to walk our path alone for a little while?
Are we really being better people by stifling our yearnings ... or are we only appearing "better" in the eyes of those who want us to stay the same?
The importance of community
We all need a support system because we are basically group-oriented - and the survival of the individual depends upon the help and co-operation of the rest of the "village", which in ancient times was often populated by relatives.
When we first begin to break away from the original "tribe" because we choose to venture beyond the boundaries of the old beliefs and old ways of doing things, a very real fear is often experienced: a trembling deep down in the subconscious, we remember that we cannot survive without the support of the other village members.
Yet break away we must and break away we do because the urge to evolve becomes far greater than the need to conform, fit in and remain the same, which is stagnation. There will come a time in everyone's life where it becomes far more painful not to grow - lest we wither much too soon before we blossom. We strike out on our own and eventually, we find a new "tribe" and a new "village" of like-minded souls who becomes our new family ... a "spiritual family" so to speak. This is the dream I am creating at the Well House.
Until we find our new "tribe", our new "community" and "village", we often find ourselves alone. And so, the act of walking away from the old is a very powerful act of courage ... just as courageous as any warrior who faces his challengers. But soon, we find our spiritual "kin". We find those who - just like us - took the risk of walking a different path. And then we will know that it was all well worth the courage it took to walk alone for a while.
Star Trek - the programme explains this in another brilliant way.... if only we had eyes to see and ears to really hear plus of course a heart strong and courageous enough to live the change we wish to see in the world...
In recent times, Chiron and Saturn have been dancing opposite one another providing an opportunity to not only heal both the dysfunctional family and social systems we have inherited, but to also consciously create new healthy forms based in love and co-operation that will not only sustain life on this planet but will also support a thriving experience for all. Releasing fear of lack that promotes greed and the need to survive at the expense of others and their well-being is an important step. When we co-operate and share our resources with one another there is plenty for all. This is what community is all about.
From research of the Dead Sea Scrolls, I found the following mention of the Essenes and their relationship to wealth, community and sharing.
'They despise riches and their communal life is admirable. In vain one would search among them for one man with a greater fortune than another. Indeed, it is a law that those who enter the community shall surrender their property to the community; so neither the humiliations of poverty nor the pride of wealth is to be seen anywhere among them. Since their possessions are mingled, there exists for them all, as for brothers and sisters, one single property.' (Jewish War, 2.122)
'They neither buy nor sell anything among themselves; each man gives what he has to whoever needs it and received in return whatever he himself requires. And they can even receive freely from whomsoever thy like withouit giving anything in exchange.' (Jewish War, 2.127; see Jewish Antiquities 18.20)
A couple of years ago, I heard about a Star Trek Voyager episode that brilliantly demonstrated the powerful potential of engaging co-operation with each other including different races and even different species of intelligent life.
The story begins when Voyager is accidentally pulled into a Void, where it turns out other lost ships are struggling to survive. When Voyager first arrived they were instantly attacked by one of the other ships and 90% of their food and supplies were stolen. Voyager's crew soon discovered the other ships already in the void survived by stealing supplies from each other and whenever possible stealing from new unsuspecting ships the moment they stumbled in the void.
When Voyager's crew discovered they did not have enough power to leave the Void on their own Captain Janeway asked the other ships to form an alliance where each ship would pool their resources and technologies with the other ships in the alliance and thus they would all find a way out of the Void together. It was difficult to convince the other ships this was a good idea, but eventually several ships did join the alliance, shared their resources and technology, and made it possible for all the ships that were working cooperatively to leave the Void together.
Those who refused to join the alliance due to their entrenched patterns of fear and lack were left in the Void to continue as they had before.
This story demonstrates the power of co-operation and working in community to achieve what otherwise might seem impossible. Some of the ships had been in the Void for years, barely surviving by competing for the limited supplies and resources that might wander in through other lost ships. Living from competition had created separation, distrust, hatred and loss of resources that could have benefited everyone if they had chosen to live in cooperation with one another. The ships that chose to cooperate and share resources ultimately changed their lives moving their existence from the experience of lack in the Void into an expansive and abundant world. Cooperation unifies and strengthens the greater whole, moving our experience from struggle to survive into a whole new more abundant world of possibilities.
The transits of Saturn and Chiron through the Cancer Capricorn domain provides opportunities for shamanic healing and complete redefinition of the current competitively based system. The question is: are we ready to wake up and heal these failing systems and embrace new systems based in co-operation, recognizing everyone has a right and a responsibility to thrive together?
This is challenging because the current programming is based in a competitive world suggesting there are limits to what is available. So this kind of change requires tremendous trust and a willing leap of faith to revolutionize the ways we participate with reality. When we open to trust that all our needs are met from an ever-renewing, ever- regenerating, ever-flowing vast and abundant divine source that originates within each of us and provides all we need to fully live and express our divine purpose, then we can truly operate from this experience creating an entirely new paradigm of peace and plenty shared and for everyone.
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