Chapter 09: Dealing with God & the Divine
For the ninth major way the three Zones of Being differ is the manner in which their enliveners acknowledge &/or interact with “the Divine” (otherwise known by many as “God” and by more than a few others as “the Source” or “Cosmic Consciousness” et al). As such, whether you consider yourself to be “religious” or “spiritual” or neither of the two, feel free to humbly ponder (& courageously pro-act) the following …
*For starters, Zone 1 advocates maintain concrete beliefs about a separate & distant godhead – with some devoutly believing that God doesn’t exist at all (and thus makes no contact with humans), others being sure that God resides “up above” and far away (and thus makes contact with humans that is rare & faint), and still others firmly knowing that God is residing at a distance yet ever-nearby (and waiting to be summoned via the spiritual frenzy felt during group-worship &/or the ingestion of hallucinogens). Zone 2 disciples also know “the Divine” to maintain its own separate presence – one either bestowed from above upon the “worthy” or welling up from within for those so “blessed.” In stark contrast, Zone 3 practitioners know A) that the majesty of the Divine is always present in every interaction, and B) that the bliss of that same seemingly celestial Source can only be fully experienced during intentionally enacted deeds of selfless caring. In essence, the truly Enlightened know that “God” exists not independently elsewhere, but latently & interdependently within the consciousness of every sentient being. As such, God is to be assisted more than merely summoned or manifested, and enlivened more than merely worshiped or revered.
*Though Zone 1 affiliates see God as an all-powerful ruler or a harsh king or a stern “father” – a paternalistic overlord to whom subservience must be sincere and obedience absolute (often inspiring feelings of inadequacy, arrogance, aggression, &/or fear), Zone 2 devotees see “the Divine” primarily as a potential power they can access for their own deserved benefit (often manifesting feelings of apathy or callousness towards the sufferings of others more ignorant, and hopelessness or resignation towards their own sufferings unfortunate & unfair). In brilliant contrast, Zone 3 adherents see God as a verb – something to embody more than merely honor; something to enliven for others more than merely manifest for self … Zone 1 sees God above both self & other and prays accordingly – Zone 2 sees God within both self & other and thinks accordingly – Zone 3 knows God & self & other all as One while acting accordingly.
*Insomuch as Zone 1 patrons immerse themselves in the dogmatic beliefs of more traditional religions (where entrance into a halcyon hereafter is granted exclusively to those who worship God accordingly) and Zone 2 acolytes openly profess the fuzzy tenets of credos more “spiritual”1 (where one can escape the sufferings of this life – and possibly enjoy a profound peace in the next one – via diligent practice &/or a more malleable mindset), those living under the Zone 3 penumbra are per se religionless – with every one of them willingly & indeed vehemently refusing any & all heavenly rewards in favor of “remaining behind” to continue serving the suffering … In essence, while Zone 1 believers strive to gain entrance to Heaven after their death via proper worship and Zone 2 followers attempt to do so in this lifetime via disciplining body & mind, Zone 3 enliveners know that the only Heaven worth basking in is the one that can only be accessed by setting aside all desires for personal rewards – heavenly or otherwise – and immersing oneself instead into the needs of those in need nearby.
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1Please NOTE the following about four of the more prevalent planks of these “more spiritual” notions …
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*As far as reincarnation goes, it is well worth realizing that repeatedly focusing on our other lives that might have been invariably prevents us from maintaining the conscious focus required to act ethically in our current one. Similarly, repeatedly reminding ourselves that another life awaits us after our death neuters the urgency with which we must immerse ourselves in our current interactions if we ever hope to transcend the constraints of fear & selfishness that are inherent to the same.
*Ties to the aforementioned is the concept of karma – a belief in the inevitability of justice being meted out commensurately to all in their next lifetimes after their deaths in this one; a belief that inspires the adherents thereof to remain passive when facing the misdeeds of others and stagnant when admitting their own.
*Some Zone 2 minions believe in the channeling talents of self or others – the supposed ability to access the greater wisdom of more enlightened beings (or “ascended masters”) who reside on other planes of existence. The only problem with this pseudo-religion is a significant one – namely the problem that any entity truly possessing an awakened understanding of the Oneness that is our Cosmos cannot adopt an individual personality (much less speak exclusively through only certain unenlightened individuals, and much much less for monetary gain of any kind) without losing the ability to effectively communicate that same Understanding. Any true Master would never claim to possess an exclusive access to Truth, and would never demand payment for the sharing thereof.
*Other Zone 2 devotees profess a prevalence of sacred contracts – agreements that each sentient Soul makes before being born; agreements that outline and prearrange the various pains & frustrations with which each particular Soul will be challenged in its subsequent lifetime. The emotional comfort this belief system provides is obvious – tempting each believer therein to lives steeped in inaction; comfortably distancing themselves from the sufferings of others & passively analyzing the failures of oneself. Zone 3 participants, on the other hand, know that real Peace can only be known while embodying real Love – a real Love that can only be enlivened by immersing ourselves into the suffering of others and striving to lessen the same. And this is especially true when that immersion causes us to know emotional pain ourselves; an intensity of discomfort that cannot be known – and thus that cannot be transcended – as long as we are mired in the false notion that the same was knowingly summoned by the one doing the suffering.
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