The fifth ego-trap commonly espoused by the “actively unenlightened” is the delusion offered by many Zone 2 believers that they cannot engage others with acts of selfless compassion &/or unconditional kindness until they first “tidy up” their own lives in any number of the following ways …

*Unlike their Zone 1 counterparts (who openly & unabashedly champion the self-focused values of arrogant righteousness &/or blatant greed), Zone 2 followers tend to evince excuses weak &/or hollow for their lack of selfless caring (i.e. that they are unable to self-sacrifice for others because they are “too young” or “too old” or “too late” or “too scared” or “too weak” or “too tired” or “too ill” or “too injured” to do so). Zone 3 participants, in bold contrast, need proffer no such vapid justifications, seeing as how their lives – though ladled with similar limitations of knowledge &/or ability &/or experience – are repeatedly soaked in deeds as selflessly generous as they are decisively bold.

 

 

*Whereas Zone 1 advocates see pre-established duties, obligations, &/or commitments as some of the most important (if not the most important) motivators behind their “right actions,” Zone 2 acolytes tend to offer the same established arrangements as excuses for their readily apparent lack of the same (i.e. openly professing a seemingly sincere desire to act more selflessly towards others, and yet with subsequent breaths explaining that previously promulgated promises must be engaged &/or even fulfilled before they can do so). Zone 3 adherents, on the other hand, recognize and then joyfully fulfill all pre-made promises one more time each – and then firmly-yet-respectfully excuse themselves from being in any way bound by the same thereafter. After all, powerful Love can only be given when it is given completely volitionally, and commitments of any kind by their very nature always serve to constrain &/or limit the same. As such, the Zone 3 champion removes him or herself from all previous duties &/or obligations, and then goes about regularly & willingly fulfilling them anyway – both for those for whom they were originally made, as well as for any other sentient cousin(s) encountered thereafter.

 

 

*While Zone 1 affiliates often use the maintenance of their lives’ more “special relationships” &/or the fulfillment of their “deepest desires” as the fundamental inspirations for most of their “good deeds” done, Zone 2 disciples often cite the same as the primary reasons behind their refusal to enliven the same (e.g. “I want to commence caring for my community, and yet I’ve met someone special” or “I want to find &/or engage my vocational calling, and yet feel the need to travel &/or fulfill my major desires beforehand”). Zone 3 enthusiasts, unsurprisingly, avoid this trap entirely by re-prioritizing their desires completely – consciously & willingly placing the apparent needs of others (especially the strangers they randomly encounter &/or the enemies with whom they regularly interact) ahead of the wants & desires of themselves.

 

 

*Though Zone 1 patrons think that their self-centered “business” &/or overt “productivity” is in & of itself a virtue, the minions of the Zone 2 mindset use the same as an excuse for not being more kind &/or caring towards their cohorts & compatriots (often claiming to be “too busy” to extend more helping hands &/or to be involved in activities that are “too important” for gestures of mere goodwill). Contrastingly, sincere Zone 3 contributors know that productivity only becomes truly virtuous when the same is manifested in the service of others – either diligently enhancing their joy &/or efficiently lessening their suffering; doing so with no thought to past performances or future objectives, but rather solely focused on enhancing the harmony of any & all current encounters both intensely & immediately.

 

 

*Insomuch as Zone 1 confederates frequently use their political &/or religious affiliations as rationalizations for individual ideals that are often a bit bigoted &/or personal choices that prove to be less-than-loving, Zone 2 crusaders tend to claim that those same organizational immersions are services in & of themselves – that being “politically invested” is somehow evidence of one’s “good citizenship,” &/or that being religiously devout is somehow proof that one is living a “moral life” as a “good person.” Of course, those choosing to divergently enliven the Zone 3 Way of Being know that any dedicated adherence to the conventions espoused or demanded by man-made institutions can only serve to demean, distract , manipulate, &/or mislead – that the only way to enliven the far greater principles of the selfless Soul is to courageously embody the same, and that the only way to fully embody the same is to first wholeheartedly abandon all pro-ego, “us-first” memberships that violate &/or even discount the same.

 

 

*Whereas Zone 1 advocates frequently allow themselves to become mired in inaction while regretting their past &/or worrying over their future, Zone 2 devotees tend to become similarly stuck, though for different reasons – primarily bogged down by either the chosen heaviness of their Here&Now (e.g. “If we but sink fully into the present moment, our future will take care of itself” or “We can best serve others by calmly being in the Here&Now”) or the non-productive pestilence that always to those choosing to be more “prudent” than bold or more “patient” than active. Zone 3 attendants, with dramatic difference, know that both the aforementioned paradigms are flawed – that the only relevant moment is indeed the present one, and that the only way to make that moment viable is to both selflessly & actively engage the same.

 

 

“For real Enlightenment to take hold, real Freedom is required – not the false freedom that allows for the mere manifestation of one’s own dreams and pleasures, but rather Freedom in its most shining potency; Freedom at its truest pinnacle – namely, the Freedom to boldly deny all pressures of peer or politician in favor of upholding and indeed championing the greatest depths of one’s most moral understanding. Yes, it is undeniable that all around us more vile voices cry – the military commander with his ‘Do not question; simply attack,’ and the tax collector with her ‘Do not question; simply pay,’ and the pastor with her ‘Do not question: simply follow,’ and the politician with his ‘Do not question; simply support.’ Of course, all of these utterings are nothing less than brittle temptations whispered from the darkness; voices that without doubt lead inevitably to our suffering in the shadows. And yet there remains another way – a Way of light, a Way of reason, a Way of courage, a Way of Enlightenment. For though it has been correctly said that Enlightenment comes only to those who take full responsibility for their lives, that fullness of responsibility can only be truly known by those who do so in harmony with their own greater knowing – those who do so never for their own comfort or salvation, but rather solely for the well-being of the other.” ~ via Immanuel Kant & William Blake

 

Filed under: Enlightening Enlightenment by Scaughdt