Pure serendipity is found in the jettisoning of futile gods. Here is where I find my practice.
In the most difficult times in life, I have wondered, sometimes out loud, ‘What other trials, tribulations, or weights will be thrust upon my soul?’ ‘Why must I carry this bitter yoke?’
It seemed unavoidable, the suffering. It seemed determined. Yet those around me, society, were seemingly judgemental, but I now know better. The idea underlined was that somehow I must have caused this suffering. Yes, little old me! What causes and conditions lay in place prior to a cup filled with tears and heartache? Were they truly all my doing?
The misconceptions were abundant. Perception plays a role in suffering, but so does the apathetic soul of society. We all suffer, and our society often ensures that we blame ourselves for this suffering. In the end, our endless need to love and to be loved leaves us attached to a construct in which we must bend to receive the love we need. However, true love is unconditional.
What gods do we serve in order to fill our cup? Is it money? Is it status? Is it grandiosity? For me, it was the god of intellectualism. The ego is the most tantalizing god. It was a personal delusion of mine, and I defined myself by it. I was happy there, or so I thought. I was smart. No, I didn’t have money. No, I didn’t have charisma. It didn’t matter, because I was an academic. I was well-read and able to provide a solid rationale for any argument. I thought I had found the truth. I had not.
Oh, I have traveled through so many attachments under the guise of intellectualism. I have attached myself to so many ideas. Now, I try to have none. Well, that is not true. Now, I try to be present. Whatever idea I have at present seems ‘alright’ for now. I have embraced a philosophy of maybe. Maybe, has been the one idea or non-idea that has set me free.
The truth seems to be associated with paradox. My personal truth in any given moment has been letting go of anything that gets in the way of the possibility of life, and life can only be lived in the present.
Dear friend, I beseech you, ‘What useless god do you find yourself clinging to?’ Let it go, and empty your soul. You will find that your soul is now weightless. You will revel in happenstance and miracles will abound! Indeed, miracles are all around us, but one can only find them in the present.
Jettison any futile gods, and there you will find presence. In presence, you will find life. In life, you will find love. Nothing else matters.
Dear reader: I realize in writing this piece that my own next god to be jettisoned is writing. I have found some measure of peace in it, and at the same time must recognize when it no longer serves my ability to stay present. -Always in love and light.
