The new paradigm is all about sharing and co-operation, while the old paradigm is all about selfishness and solitary separation. So, all we have to do is start focusing on giving to each other, instead of taking from each other, right? If only it was that simple....
Most of the population of the world are still locked in to the old fear-based paradigm of selfishness and material desire. In effect they are lost souls, at least for now. Those of us who have found our souls, and have learned how to let some of our natural inherent love flow out to others, are thoroughly outnumbered. We are surrounded by old paradigm thinking and behaviours. If I radiate pure selfless spiritual love to lost souls they may enjoy the feeling, but they will misinterpret what is happening. They may feel the love and think I am making romantic or sexual overtures! Or they may associate my radiance with the false charisma of salesmen, and think I am trying to con something out of them. Or they may just ignore the love, and focus on my unconventional appearance and unusual behaviour, and deduce that I am dangerous and probably insane. Most will in some way or another misinterpret selfless love as something selfish. They are accustomed to understanding the world in a selfish way, and they project their habitual ways of thinking on to others when attempting to understand them.
So we cannot simply give to others indiscriminately. If we do so we will inspire false hopes in others, or be taken advantage of in some way or other, or shunned. We may incite anger or violence against us.
So, what to do? We have to learn to discriminate very accurately. Being loving and giving should be our natural default position. But we must be very alert for signs of being misunderstood, or manipulated by others with less lofty aims and ideals. And when we encounter such negative responses, we must either withdraw, for our own protection, back into the separation which is anathema to us, or we must challenge the misconceptions and misdeeds of others. There is a time to be loving and a time to be stern and strong. The paradox is, that to be loving in a loveless society, we must develop very thick skins, and we must frequently adopt behaviours very similar to those we are trying to move on from.
While seeking to encourage community, we must be prepared to withdraw into hermetic isolation. While promoting peace, we must be prepared to stand firm and defend ourselves against vicious attacks.
This is a temporary phase. The tide is turning our way. As time moves on we will be less outnumbered, and the new paradigm ways will become better understood by the many who are currently sleepwalking. Then we will be able to love more freely, and to live with each other in peace.
A Gandhi said: "first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win".
3 comments:
deepian,
Your post has given me much to think about. I'm a pragmatist in many ways and this post appeals to that side of me. Yet, the idealist in me wants to just turn on default love and know that love conquers all.
I've seen the reactions you've mentioned. My wife is an all out lover. I've seen men mistake her love for sexual advances, projecting as you say. But, in general, I've seen people respond to love positively.
For me, I must have a faith in humans, knowing that their true selves are waiting to be exhumed, and that love is the action because I have become a lover and am striving to be my true self.
Yet, we must not be taken advantage of by thieves, tyrants, liars, or selfish people. We must stand up to such for their own spiritual benefit.
Namaste my brother Ian, thank you for this fine post. I certainly concur with your observations. In an effort to observe politically correct protocol for personal space I find myself often restraining the expressing of love more physically. Hugging and touching each other has become a taboo in many cultures.
As we further develop our connection to unity, an enigma is created due to the fact that we are choosing love more often as the staple expression of our day. I love blogging, because it allows me to share love at a distance. The format of thoughts and emotions expressed in print is still a most powerful way to "be" the love we know we are.
When the light of love reaches our heart there is nothing left but the will to shine.
In Lak' esh, my brother DeepIan, the sun must always shine...
Billy and Chris, thanks for your comments - it is heartening to have my words understood and appreciated by others. I write also for myself - I am still learning to keep one foot in the old paradigm while the other foot explores the new. This is often an uncomfortable stance. As you have both expressed, I too would rather be full-on new paradigm love and light, openness and positivity. My stance comes from the wounds of experience, and you both indicate similar experiences. I look forward to a time soon when hugging and touching become once again as natural and normal as it is for other animals, and when the normal response to the projection of love is a harmonic return of love.
Post a Comment