This is part seven of a seven part series. Read parts one, two, three, four, five, and six first.
The seventh veil uncovers a truth upon which all the other truths hinge. “The illusion of the seventh veil was the illusion that you could get somebody else to do it for you. To think for you…Even though the great emotions, the great truths, were universal; even though the mind of humanity was ultimately one mind, still, each and every single individual had to establish his or her own special, personal, particular, unique, direct, one-on-one, hands-on relationship with reality, with the universe, with the Divine.”
This is neither easy to accept nor to accomplish. We can learn from others, the great minds can help us navigate the waters, but ultimately, to be fully human, we have to do the tough work ourselves. It would be easier, of course, if there were an instructional manual for life, but there is no such thing. Even the great works of scripture don’t claim this title. And if there were an instruction manual with all the answers to all the questions, what would happen to the adventure of discovery? Life would be bland, mundane, shallow, and fake.
This is how many choose to live, though. To allow others to tell them what to do, what to say, how to think, for whom and what to vote, seems like the safer, more comfortable route. It brings many peace, but the peace is false. It is more an agreement to live as a mindless robot; it is handing over one’s heart and soul in exchange for a pre-packaged, artificially sweetened way of life. Do they know what they’re really consuming, though? Do they know what they’re feeding their children?
When the seventh veil falls, the world is shaken, the sense of security may be shattered for a while, but ultimately, life is richer, colors brighter, the heart and mind more alive and real.
2 comments:
Hi, Dagney. I just finished reading all 7 of your veil essays. What a journey!
I especially like the concept you put forward about how we are all one, yet it's important for us each to be who we are individually.
And of course St. Paul described the Church as a body with many members -- but somewhere along the line, authority took over and obscured everything.
The more I learn of the Eastern belief in oneness, the more I realize how East and West need to finally MEET and mesh together for us to move forward into all truth.
Because in the Western way, the only way to have unity is to submit to heirarchy. While in the Eastern way, at least as I understand it thus far, uniqueness seems to get de-emphasized (but maybe I'm just not getting it yet).
Having grown up under a more theologically-conservative Christian tradition, I'm quite familiar with the teaching that to remain under God's protection, and stay within his line of blessing, you have to submit to the authorities over you.
It goes God-Pastor-husband-wife-children. And the teaching goes that even if the person over you is wrong, you will still be blessed for your obedience. It's scary, because I know some women who've been badly-entrapped by such teaching.
And of course children can be very badly hurt by it.
Susan
I don't want an instruction manual, but the occasional obvious hint would be very much accepted.
I wonder if any sense of "It's just you and the Higher Power" develops when one is in the womb.
It is amazing and horrifying that people can choose to live a prepackaged existence. And that they seem perfectly fine with this.
Comfort can be so seductive and misleading.
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