hell into heaven

I feel alone so I objectify my surroundings to create duality which brings the world to life. When it gets all too much, I seek out the solitary in order to get a break and rest from the madness my mind has created. Whew! What a set-up.

We objectify in order to create a carnival of delights which allow us to have an adventure. Whenever we feel alone, we begin the process all over again. Along the same line of creating, we go to sleep at night into the dark and solitary act of rest, and then we create worlds of wonder and amazement. This seems to be what we do. From the base of darkness comes the light of coming forth by day.

From dreams we can learn so much about ourselves from a psychological perspective. The dream world we craft reflects our basic fears and desires. By using dreams as a template for our lives, it sure seems the world we have arrived in is a reflection of the same process from an obfuscated dreaming mind that is unfolding as it should. We are avatars of the dreaming mind acting within the master’s dream.

The first challenge given to all challengers in the game of life is to survive and from that point we try to transcend our limiting condition. The suffering in the world compels us to seek answers, a way out, or a way to control the game. Accumulating wealth and security offer temporary relief from the condition and is achieved at the expense of the other. Once you are on to the game you can manifest all your desires to the detriment of others. This is how to create suffering.

So, how do we beat the long game of universal suffering? I can beat the culture game and be successful at the expense of others, but I want to know how do we transform hell into heaven for all?

First of all, you must realize the power of the mind to take you to heaven or hell. The mind creates the funhouse. Existence on the earth is truly the divine comedy. The mind is so fun to play with but eventually the sweet sugary goo will become all too much, and you will need a way to stop it or it will drag you down into the deepest of hells when it masters you and it’s early in our lifetime when this happens. When you die, you don't go to hell, you leave the hell you created through the mind. It's a good explanation for some instances of suicide. When you suffer and see no way out of the darkness except by killing yourself, that is a subconscious recognition you are in hell and have an innate sense of how to get out of hell. It's the secret no one is supposed to know.

It is said the mind makes a wonderful servant and a terrible master, yet for most of us the mind is the master. My mind has always been my rock and could not only get me out of any jam but ensured I would be successful at whatever I chose to do in life. I gorged on the apples at the tree of knowledge. In addition, my mind is acutely sharp. Spend some time with me and you’ll see. I’m in constant overdrive, reacting quickly and decisively to whatever is thrown my way while thinking steps ahead.

My mind became my master early in my life and contributed to my cynicism and disdain for culture. I never get depressed or down on myself for never having “made it” because I’ve always been the outsider and the contrarian. Why would I want to be successful in a world I hold in contempt? I’ve never had to prove myself. Though my mind mastered me it was never in turn mastered by culture. The prevailing culture casts spells on weak minds and sucks them into their game. Madness is spawned by culture and inculcated by not being free and I was extremely fortunate to escape this predicament. I’m never going to denigrate my mind, though as I have aged, I realized that to get to the heart, the mind must take a backseat.

I don’t think you can find truth through the turnings of the mind. Modalities that allow you to quiet the mind allow you to become the observer. Becoming aware of your capacity for pure awareness without spinning your perception through the mind seems to be a path to truth. The stark polarity between the racing mind and the morning calm of awareness is quite striking. Of course, my awareness is limited to my senses and intuition therefore the truth is always obfuscated by ignorance and as long as I’m in the vehicle of a body my capacity for truth remains governed.

Meditation is such a training exercise which will allow you to get back to observing without spinning input through your mind. It is a course in awareness, getting back to basics, and training the practitioner to not engage the mind because it is the mind that will create the reaction. The reaction will cause depression, anxiety, worry, and animosity.

The lessons of heaven and hell! Yes, this world can be hell, but it doesn't have to be. It's your choice whether you want to live in hell or heaven. Do I deny the suffering, despair, and the games of power and control that subjugate billions of souls? Is that how I get to heaven in this lifetime? Do I just look away? Well, you do the same denying regarding all the acts of giving and service in the world. You ignore the good and fixate on the bad. Ukraine is hell. Satsang with like-minded adventurers is heaven. Collectively, we were given the keys to an amoral world, and we chose to make it hell. Break free and create your heaven on earth and radiate what you have found outwards to others. It’s infectious and will create a tipping point for the world from hell to heaven one person at a time. My teacher calls it the evolution of consciousness.

Align your journey with the path of the heart. Having clarity on what just is and being of unconditional service to help the other out of the morass is a good way to walk home on this earthbound journey.