The objective physical world is a product of our imagination. In reality we are pure awareness of pure experience – subject and object simultaneously. Imagination is an aspect of experience. The so called external Universe is really a symbolic mirror of the archetypal forces within us. There is no ‘out there’. We suffer because we mentally exile ourselves to the cold dead world of concepts, instead of abiding in the vibrant present aliveness of our true human nature.
We think of ourselves as Earthlings, but are made up of a much greater constellation of intelligence. The ancients intuitively knew that each member of our solar system represents a part of our mental, emotional and physical character. Our beautiful Mother Earth provides the fertile ground within which the other archetypal forces of the solar system find living expression. Each planet is expressed through particular aspects of mind, emotions and body.
As human beings consciously awaken we access previously latent aspects of ourselves. We are destined to be truly Universal beings – to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven – but must first learn to integrate and master our own nature. Each of us has a particular Universal make up and functions in a unique way. Our human purpose is to manage the archetypal forces within us, ensuring that they are kept in balance. We must be the good shepherds of ourselves.
How can I be the good shepherd of myself?
Iesus said “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep”. This is metaphor. I is pure awareness; sheep are aspects of experience. As awareness I must give up or die to personal identification with all aspects of experience. In doing so I give my life / awareness to my experience. There are no favourites, no pariahs and everything finds its place and contributes to the whole.
The energies of the Sun, Moon and planets are often in opposition to each other. Our solar system is subject to long term Universal cycles called Yugas, during which consciousness rises or falls. No matter the condition of experience, Iesus has shown us the way.
Relax into pure seeing and listening. Have a sense of subtle head to feet formless warm aliveness and let it dissolve into the audio-visual field. See that thoughts and emotions can arise and surrender them in favour of the entire ‘flock’ of your experience. Give up labeling apparent differences in the experiential field. Labels are a mental aspect of experience.
There is no I in Awareness
In ‘giving up my life for the sheep’ I sacrifice the egoic I. This is the true meaning of the crucifixion: we must completely give ourselves (as unconditional awareness) to our experience. In so doing we die as someone ‘out there’ and are reborn whole and new. As the Tao Te Ching tells us, “In doing nothing, nothing is left undone”.