As it turns out, the three primary Zones of Being can not only be distinguished by the varied intentions that inspire them & the different characteristics they exude once enlivened, but also by the distinctive methods with which they are accessed – including the unique mental states that grant their followers access to the same. With this in mind, feel free to humbly ponder (and also courageously pro-act) the following …

*Zone 1 advocates think that Enlightenment is accessed only via harmonious external circumstances, and as such can only be experienced during rare offerings of undeserved “grace” &/or random blessings of luck or fate. Zone 2 acolytes, quite differently, believe that Enlightenment can be mentally manifested; accessed via prolonged periods of disciplined focus which – for the rare few who remain diligently glued to that path – ultimately leads to a gradual awakening. Zone 3 adherents, in stark contrast, know that Enlightenment has nothing to do with the harmony of one’s surroundings or the quality of one’s learning. Rather, these are the ones who have come to understand that a true Awakening is accessed fully & completely in every selfless deed – the ones who know that Enlightenment requires neither a shift in circumstance nor an enhancement of knowledge, but only an alteration of attitude. Attempts to engender or co-create what is not must simply be replaced by actions that attempt to enhance the harmony (or diminish the discord) of what already is.

 

 

*While Zone 1 affiliates think that accessing Enlightenment requires good fortune (i.e. the proper genetic makeup &/or particular social status required to awaken) and Zone 2 disciples believe that attaining Enlightenment demands a certain intellectual talent at birth and then a high-level of effort given thereafter (i.e. the proper genetic makeup & a requisite desire applied thereto), Zone 3 enthusiasts are aware that real Enlightenment has no prerequisites (neither physical, nor mental, nor social) whatsoever. Indeed, these are the ones who understand that it is “the meek” who can most potently access “the Divine” – that it is those suffering the most (&/or those hindered the most by lack of ability or hardship of circumstance) who can most purely Love others despite (and thereby because of) those same limitations. As such, these are those who can access far greater depths of Enlightenment via deeds seemingly far less magnanimous.

 

 

*In their attempts to attain “enlightenment,” Zone 1 patrons combine their talents with hope – accumulating the supposed security of material wealth, tending the supposed safety of emotional alliances, soaking in the supposed redemption of spiritual devotion. All of these efforts are ultimately thwarted by the scintillating tenuousness of reality, of course, and as such these are those who sink repeatedly into blaming others for their perceived lack of success – a choice that always leads to the despondencies of despair or anger. Minions of the Zone 2 mindset, on the other hand, strive for enlightenment by attempting to unify their potential with their faith – entrenching their hopes for happiness via practices designed to bring “inner peace” &/or striving to manifest a greater clarity via philosophies (often professed by wizened gurus) designed to bring “deeper understanding.” These efforts, of course, are just as inevitably thwarted by the innate fallibility (i.e. patently unenlightened self-centeredness) of the human ego, and as such these are the individuals who continually sink into blaming themselves for “not knowing enough” &/or “not making enough progress” – a choice that always leads to the despondencies of self-doubt &/or frustration. In bold contrast, champions of the Zone 3 alternative simply harmonize their happenstances with their endeavors – choosing to see each encounter not as a set of circumstances to improve or a challenge to conquer, but rather as a simple chance to serve. As these are the ones wholly unconcerned with any consequences to self, and as such these are the ones who have abandoned blame altogether and see life as nothing more nor less than an endless stream of blessings – an endless flow of opportunities to Care.

 

 

*Finally, insomuch as Zone 1 confederates submit that the ego will forever control (or at least alter influence) their decisions (leading them to “give up” and try to obtain a “better life” for themselves) and Zone 2 crusaders believe that life itself is the one “in control” (leading them to passively “give in” to the same by approaching life more as a mental observer than an active participant), enliveners of the Zone 3 Way access life and its Enlightenment quite differently. They are the ones who have come to understand that control over one’s circumstances is always available to those choosing to Love – especially in those moments when life seems most hopeless &/or “out of control.” For these individuals, Enlightenment is not a noun but a verb – not a static state of mind to someday attain but a flowing state of being to repeatedly re-enliven.

 

 

“Like joyful toddlers at play, like an elephant submerging itself into a cool lake, like a joyful horse racing across the prairie, like a springtime breeze caressing wildflowers in a meadow – so too shall you bring your full enthusiasm to the task of Love that is ever at hand.” ~ inspired by Pema Chodron

Filed under: Enlightening Enlightenment by Scaughdt