News from the Unscripted Self

Ideas leave not their source. ~ Acim T26.7.4.7

You have no enemies.

We live in a world where competition and taking an opposing stance seems to be the norm. And I feel because of this it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing some people are our enemies. We train ourselves if you like to ‘see’ enemies. We will support one group while opposing another, and we often see others’ relationship with us in the same light. This permeates into all walks of life, for example we may think one political party has our interests in mind, while another hasn’t. Also in sport (what team we support) and even business. It breeds insidious hatred. If I disagree with you in some area I may – if I’m not mindful – start to see you as my enemy. But in truth we don’t have any enemies.

This polarisation is really an illusion, for at a deeper level we are all one, although we appear to be separate and in bodies. I know this can be a bit of a head wrecker, but apparently quantum physics can ‘prove’ this now. It’s not just theory any more. I’ve been reading about this in Amit Goswami’s classic The Self-Aware Universe (I really recommend you get it). Beneath all the apparent separateness it seems there is a permanent Oneness. Also with time, we think time is moving forward and we can ‘look back’ at an event in our lives, but in reality everything is happening at once.


It’s the same with anger. I was thinking of this recently and noticed that I was getting angry a lot, at other people being angry. Crazy, isn’t it. But when we do this all we’re doing is adding to the pile of anger that is already there, and making it even bigger.

Take time out to think if there are people, or groups of people whom you consider to be your enemy. I’ve resolved to try and stop being angry at those who are angry. Maybe they have reason to be, maybe they haven’t. That’s not the issue. What is the issue is to stop adding to the mass of anger. Being angry with people (I tend to get angry with the world for not wanting peace) is just another way of telling ourselves that we have enemies. That there is someone I must oppose. But, if we are all really one then seeing someone as our enemy is really a way of attacking ourselves. When we see someone as our enemy we are at war with ourselves.

Reading Corner

We can then stop reacting to anger with more anger and ultimately we’ll be happier people. Also this month I wrote about Cognitive Dissonance.


Leon Festinger developed the theory of cognitive dissonance. He argued that we have an innate state that strives to create total harmony. But too often we push it out of balance by holding two or more conflicting beliefs. Also often our beliefs and our actions are nor in alignment. He went on to say when we are in that state we experience a sense of discomfort that forces us to change or drop one of those conflicting attitudes (usually the one that is most out of sync with our values) and thus restore the state of harmony again.

Retrospective

This month I’m inviting you to have a look again at a piece I wrote last year which pulls together myth, fairytale and my usual teachings, the Supernatural Child.

Distant Healing

Noticeboard

Also I want to mention a workshop that’s happening this weekend (22nd and 23rd) in Dublin, in Gonzaga College, Ranelagh by Mahayana Dugast. I don’t know this work personally so I can’t verify how effective it is, but it sounds interesting, and Mahayana comes across as a very genuine lady. If you want further details check out www.MahayanaDugast.com