*As mentioned previously, Zone 1 advocates tend to champion values that are fully self-centered and that are almost exclusively enlivened for the benefit of themselves &/or their most cherished loved ones (choices that those residing in Zone 1 call “self-loving” or “prudent,” that those living in Zone 2 label “sinful” or “selfish,” and that those serving in Zone 3 know to be “self-focused” & thus “unfortunate”)¹ – “deadly sins” that always occur as one of the following nine choices &/or behaviors …

01: Condemnation … Proponents of the Zone 1 path tend to harshly judge that with which they do not agree &/or those who oppose their beliefs or actions. And regardless of how accurate such judgments might be, the consequences thereof always inevitably entail an escalation of discord in one’s community, an intensification of the pain felt by others, and an entrenchment of the suffering experienced by oneself. As such, whenever feeling condemnatory (or resentful, or unforgiving, or hateful, or spiteful, or judgmental etc) of others’ actions or beliefs, it is preferable to pause for an instant and make choices that are courageously forgiving instead.

02: Sloth … Zone 1 advocates tend to live relatively inactive lives; lives that appear to be “prudent” or “careful” or “relaxed” or “care-free” and yet lives that are blatantly soaked in hollow justifications for their refusal to sacrifice for &/or extend themselves actively towards others. And regardless of how “fair” or “harmless” those lives might seem, the consequences of such superficial selfishness are always ultimately deep-seated-yet-powerful undercurrents of hopelessness, meaninglessness, frustration, &/or fretfulness. As such, whenever manifestations of sloth (or laziness, or pensiveness, or “planning ahead,”or cowardice, or stoicism, or “being realistic”) are found to be dominant in your life, it is preferable to pause for a moment and then make choices that are courageously (& caringly) active instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

03: Greed … Those reflecting a Zone 1 lifestyle often focus their efforts on gathering and maintaining (and even hoarding) manifestations of material wealth, external beauty, personal power, individual success, emotional pleasure, &/or physical comfort. These efforts (whether made to feel more attractive or more secure or more respected) are by their nature focused on the enhancement of one’s own happiness in relation to (and often at the expense of) the happiness of others, meaning that such endeavors – even those that prove to be initially “successful” – always lead to increased enmity in one’s community, intensified superficiality in one’s relationships, and ultimately a sense of acute meaninglessness (&/or dissatisfaction, &/or frustration, &/or sadness) in one’s own life. As such, whenever tempted to succumb to the callings of greed (or abundance, or wealth, or attractiveness, or status, or mere fun), it is preferable to pause for a moment and then make choices that are courageously generous (in deed more than of word) instead.

04: Envy … Zone 1 servants tend to pine their own losses and be jealous of the apparent victories of others. While some claim that doing so can serve as a potent motivator for eventual success (and while this might indeed occasionally be the case), such a comparative – and ultimately competitive – mindset requires not only bemoaning the abundance of others, but also striving for personal victories; triumphs that always come via the suffering that is inevitably experienced by one’s defeated opponents &/or conquered enemies. Indeed, no matter the justification given for one’s covetousness (be it one’s own deservedness of success or another’s judged lack of the same), the Truth remains that focusing on the “more” that others seem to possess is always judged relative to your own perceived sense of “lack,” and thus can only serve to thicken a wall of subconscious (or even outright) enmity between you, and inevitably minimize your own sense of happiness & well-being as well. As such, whenever feeling envious (or jealous, or desirous, or yearning, or hopeful, or whiny, or even ambitious) or others, it is preferable to pause for an instant and then make choices that are courageously grateful instead – doing so with humble deeds more than gentle words, and gentle words much more than merely thankful thoughts.

05: Callousness … Affiliates of the Zone 1 way tend to distance themselves from the pains & tribulations of others; doing so either from a place of brazen self-interest or one auspiciously concerned with “minding one’s own business.” The ultimate consequence of such manufactured indifference, of course, is a loss of intimacy in one’s living – a lack of intimacy in the way one experiences the happenings of his or her life, as well as a lack of intimacy in all the relationships (be they friend or stranger or foe) therein. Some believe that hatred is the opposite of Love, and yet this is actually not the case – apathy is. Hatred is when you care so much about a particular person (or at the very least about his or her potential place in your life) that your baseline fear of pain &/or rejection becomes crystallized into a loathing-soaked form of self-defense. And yet callousness takes this dynamic to another depth entirely; a depth so entrenched that one doesn’t even care enough to hate; a depth so ensconced that one becomes cut off from real Love in all one’s relationships; a depth so bleak that one is actually no longer truly alive. As such, whenever tempted to be callous (or rude, or cold-hearted, or distant, or uncaring, or calculating, or unmoved, or apathetic, or even analytical) towards the plight of another, it is preferable to pause for a moment and then make choices that are courageously compassionate instead.

06: Deceit … Zone 1 satellites tend to travel in orbits of syncopated dishonesty – telling the truth whenever it is comfortable &/or advantageous to do so, and offering varying degrees of misinformation (via intentional manipulations, nuanced deceptions, &/or disguised motives) when not. Of course, not only are such measures patently ineffective, they also serve to distance the receiver from his or her relationships and thus distance him or her from the experience of real Joy as well. As such, whenever recognizing the temptation to be in any way deceitful (or dishonest, or coy, or manipulative, or secretive, or even sarcastic), it is preferable to pause briefly and then make choices that are courageously honest instead – letting your gestures speak more truthfully than your words, and your actions speak far louder and with far more clarity than your gestures.

07: Arrogance … Confederates of the Zone 1 garrison tend to exude a crystallized degree of certainty regarding the legitimacy of their beliefs &/or the correctness of their actions – a disturbingly common state of being that inevitably breeds & brings forth judgment, discord, dislike, animosity, bigotry, hatred, and violence (often in that order). Not only a devious destroyer of relationships and a potent castrator of Joy, these emanations of arrogance also prevent those exuding them from receiving new information from their surroundings – new information that could very well bring an increased depth to their interactions and an enhanced understanding of their potentially Meaning-full place in the world. As such, whenever feeling arrogant (or righteous, or overly confident, or determined, or certain, or zealous, or firmly resolute, or tenacious, or serious, or provocative, or indignant, or vehement, or even critical – constructively or otherwise), it is preferable to pause for an instant and then make choices that are courageously humble instead – realizing while doing so that humility is not found in thoughts that are self-deprecating &/or subservient, but rather in actions that are bold in their gentleness.

08: Boredom … Zone 1 subscribers tend to become bored with their lives – labeling familiar objects as being “normal,” judging their everyday interactions to be “unimportant,” seeing all non-spectacular happenstances as mere “humdrum,” and dismissing all routine obligations as being “tedious” or otherwise less worthy. Such a tendency – while important in its own right² – inevitably encourages the vast majority of humans to repeatedly ignore the wondrous beauty and miraculous interconnection that enfolds them all in every moment of their lives, and seek “amazing” experiences &/or “exciting” experiences &/or “fun” encounters &/or “magnificent” views that are rare & fleeting instead – a mindset that inevitably leads to feelings of disappointment, hollowness, frustration, and malaise. As such, whenever feeling in any way bored (or serious, or dour, or regretful, or inattentive, or “zoned out,”, or regretful, or weary, or depressed, or even “earnest”), it is preferable to pause for a brief moment and then make choices that are courageously joyful – soaking in the wonders that ever encapsulate, being openly astounded by their innate radiance, and then boldly sharing the same with any & all nearby.

09: Doubt … Vassals of the house of Zone 1 tend to a harbor a deep-seated sense of doubt – a sense of doubt about their own worth &/or power, a sense of doubt about the viability of their relationships, and a sense of doubt about their ability to do any real Good with the time they have been given. As a consequence thereof, this doubt – quite ironically – often manifests itself in varying forms of “faith” – “faith” in their chosen religion and its promised path to salvation, “faith” in a particular political stance and its promised reward of protection, “faith” in a set of economic ideals and their promised granting of sustenance &/or wealth. Of course, all these facets of “faith” do is entrench a far deeper doubt – the doubt that we each can do our part to bring additional Harmony & Joy to our communities. As such, whenever feeling in any way doubtful, it is preferable to briefly pause and then make choices that are courageously faithful instead – setting forth in that very moment on a mission of extending radical Kindness to others; especially when feeling least willing or least able able to do so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You will say that there are very small sins; and doubtless, like most younger tempters, you are anxious to lash out at wickedness that is blatant or spectacular. And yet you would do well to remember that the only thing that truly matters is not the extent to which man separates himself from the Divine, but that he does so at all. Indeed, it matters not how small sins seem to be, for their cumulative effect is ever to edge man away from the Light and out into Nothingness. Murder is no worse than gambling if gambling does the trick. As such, the surest road to Hell is not a sudden plummet brought on by the shove of calamitous misdeed, but rather the gradual path of silently distancing oneself from others. This is the gentle slope that is ever soft underfoot; one without sudden turnings, milestones, or signposts. And yet it just as assuredly brings all its travel’s to that same smoldering gate.” ~ via C.S. Lewis

“And here are the Nine True Sins: Discernment without Acceptance … Opportunity without Action … Wealth without Generosity … Life without Gratitude … Communication without Honesty … Science without Character … Religion without Humility … Experience without Wonderment … Interaction without Empathy.” ~ inspired by Frederick Donaldson

“The greatest untruths are the ones we tell ourselves – that we are separate from the whole, and that we can do nothing of import to positively affect the same. And he who lies to himself in this fashion and chooses to believe those lies soon comes to a pass so jagged that, once crossed, he thereafter fails to distinguish the Truth within him or around him, and thereby loses all respect for himself and others. And having lost this respect, he loses the inclination to Love. And in order to distract himself from his Loveless life he yields to selfish passions and hollow pleasures; sinking deep therewith into the banality of his vices – and all this from choosing to lie to himself, and from choosing to believe those lies.” ~ via Fyodor Dostoevsky

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Filed under: Enlightening Enlightenment by Scaughdt