Chapter 14: What it means to “Wake Up” … Part 2 – affecting beliefs & convictions
Secondly, we can look to how enlivening each of the three Zones differently alters one’s mental beliefs & the psychological manifestations that stem therefrom …
*The minds of Zone 1 patrons are fundamentally ruled by impulse and prejudice (i.e. their emotional reactions, their vacuous convictions, their vapid preconceptions, &/or their selfish desires). In effect, their minds are their masters. Quite differently, the thoughts of Zone 2 apostles tend to be ruled by hope and inconsistency – repeatedly cycling from feeling meaningless to depressed to curios to intrigued to hopeful to “newly awakened” to disillusioned and back to meaningless again. These individuals futilely attempt to conquer their Zone 1 emotional reactions by either abjectly ignoring them, intellectually over-analyzing them, &/or counterproductively voicing them.1 Without any notable or lasting success, these are the ones who try and master their minds. Zone 3 champions, on the other hand, choose to transcend the mind almost entirely – using its higher functions to make conscious choices in response to emotional stimuli, and yet intentionally doing so in ways that directly contravene (and thereby wholly transcend) the primitive desires of all its lower ones. When the lower mind wishes to fight, Zone 3 uses the higher mind to understand & be gentle. When the lower mind wishes to condemn, Zone 3 uses the higher mind to accept & forgive. When the lower mind wishes to avoid, Zone 3 uses the higher mind to care & be kind. And because it is so difficult to respond in these ways that are anti-instinctual, it is incredibly powerful whenever one chooses to do so. As such, Zone 3 venturers see their emotional reactions not as enemies to be quelled or defeated but as allies to be harnessed & utilized. In this way, their minds become powerful tools in their quest to bring greater Joy & Harmony – and as such are thereby truly mastered.
*Zone 1 advocates think that awakening means a significant enhancement of their personal wealth &/or inner happiness, and that that they have indeed become “awakened” whenever attaining a noticeable measure of the same. Zone 2 acolytes, quite differently, believe that awakening requires a significant enhancement in emotional stability & mental calm (both being more often than not little more than their thinly disguised cowardice &/or callousness), and that they themselves have become “awakened” whenever experiencing a noticeable intensification of the same. In stark contrast, supporters of Zone 3 know that real Awakening is the dramatic escalation of one’s ability to effectuate positive change in one’s surroundings – a shift that has nothing at all to do with one’s level of personal satisfaction or material wealth or mental calm, and everything to do with the purity of one’s chosen behaviors. Enlightenment truly comes to those choosing to act for others &/or serve their community; those who reach out when tempted to withdraw or withhold – especially during times of personal discomfort, anger, sadness, or fear; especially when sorely tempted to seek other, more selfish (and thus far less-potent) manifestations of “awakening.”
*Zone 1 affiliates think that their negative feelings (especially their base-level fear) should be firmly tucked away (a repression that is frequently broadcast via expressions of competitiveness, aggression, bravado, nationalism, &/or bigotry – along with any number of addictive behaviors that harm self &/or others). Using a fully different approach, disciples of Zone 2 tend to “honor” those feelings by openly announcing them – often doing so via the inherently counterproductive means of “constructive criticism” given to others &/or confessions of guilt, regret , concern, &/or worry offered to others.2 In contrast, champions of the Zone 3 alternative understand that it is not necessary to avoid or suppress or even alter feelings that are uncomfortable or unpleasant, and neither is it required to “recognize” the same by immersing oneself therein or voicing the same to others. Rather, such feelings can be used by the truly Aware person as a tool – as a potent augmentation of one’s selfless choices. These individuals know that negative feelings are to be harnessed instead of soothed – indeed, they know that the only way to truly soothe negative emotions is to use them to empower subsequent (or even concurrent) deeds of Kindness.
*Zone 1 confederates see their life-circumstances as either “blessings” to celebrate or “bad luck” to bemoan – reveling in & seeking to prolong the former, while bemoaning & seeking to eliminate (or cover over, or at least dramatically lessen) the latter. Such people, due to the inherent fleetingness of all things attained & all happenstances experienced, are constantly in at least some state of quite reasonable worry. Zone 2 crusaders see their circumstances quite differently – namely, their windfalls as rewards that are fully deserved & their misfortunes as challenges to be either conquered or “de-manifested.” Instead of whining alongside their ego, they often choose to chastise &/or seek to alter the same. Also seeking personal fulfillment from external occurrences, Zone 2 individuals are also subject to incessant worrying, though their angst is significantly dampened – most often by maintaining a staunch faith in the inevitable fulfillment of personal desires &/or the reception of well-earned windfalls. In bold contrast to both of the aforementioned, Zone 3 contributors see every moment of life as being equally wondrous – the “good times” as opportunities to share and the times painful or difficult recognized as opportunities to serve others anyway. These are the ones who neither capitulate to the ego nor struggle against it, but rather “befriend” the same – purposefully acting against its worry-based inclinations, and thereby exponentially empowering those same selfless deeds.
*Zone 1 proponents think that life is compromised of either normal happenstances or random coincidences; with none of either having any “greater meanings” other than those most obvious. A sense of “oneness” with their surroundings is felt during times of immense physical pleasure &/or emotional excitement – moments that are as superficial as they are fleeting. As such, the profound Oneness they seek is never truly known. These people confuse real Interconnectedness with mere comfort. Zone 2 devotees, while also subscribing to the view that life is mostly compromised of “the everyday,” believe that life is sprinkled with instances that are objectively meaningful – “amazing” interactions that simply “happen to us” at random, &/or wondrous encounters that the “enlightened” summon via intense focus &/or devout prayer. For these people, true Oneness is intellectually believed and at times emotionally “tasted,” yet never fully experienced. They confuse true Interconnectedness with heartfelt attention. In scintillating contrast, Zone 3 enliveners know that each & every moment is overflowing with latent Meaning – waiting to be consciously noticed, lovingly chosen, and courageously acted upon. To such people, Oneness is not something to be merely mentally wished for or emotionally felt, but rather is something to be experienced – something to be enlivened – something to be made boldly real. These are the individuals who know that Interconnectedness is the ultimate Truth – the inalienable reality of their lives – and as such they choose to act accordingly.
*In essence, while Zone 1 backers are motivated by their desire to live a long & comfort-laden life (one filled with an emotional “happiness” that is ever-fleeting &/or a material abundance that is innately hollow), Zone 2 followers tend to be moved by desires for a life of “greater meaning” (one that is “more understanding” – and therefore more passive, &/or one that is more mentally calm – and therefore more emotionally distanced). Zone 3 adherents, on the other hand, are inspired by their heartfelt Compassion for others, and thereby encouraged to engage them accordingly.
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1NOTE that mentally dissecting &/or verbally expressing one’s “emotional truth” is nothing more than choosing to become the same. Saying “I am angry with you” does not lessen or in any way dampen that impulse, and indeed actually serves to entrench & ultimately intensify the same. Voicing one’s anger is not “being true to one’s feelings,” but rather is making a conscious choice to enliven & further the same.
2Please NOTE that these choices always ultimately backfire – with criticism always being subconsciously received as rejection (and thereby intensifying callousness & neutering the empathy required for true intimacy), and with all expressions of shame (guilt, regret, embarrassment etc) only serving to entrench & even intensify the same low self-esteem that engendered them in the first place. In addition, fear is a mental construct and as such cannot be ameliorated by mental &/or verbal means. Indeed, it is a psychological reality that the more we focus on fear &/or verbally “honoring” (i.e. announcing) the same, the greater our angst becomes. Equally tragic, Zone2 subscribers tend to use these forms of dysfunction to justify their concurrent or subsequent acts of “reasonable selfishness” (including spending “their fair share” of quality time with friends instead of serving their community, establishing “healthy boundaries” against their enemies instead of reaching out to them with forgiveness, and engaging in a callous analysis of strangers instead of extending them courageous kindness).
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