Taking the Ninth Step

In this world of form, we distinguish ourselves and the entities around us as separately existent from one another. This is not so. As we watch the images of our reality unfold against the illuminated cave wall that Plato once described metaphorically, we must remember that the exact same hand casts each of these illusory shadows. It is the same all-encompassing hand that by shaping its form in one way creates our own reflection onto the cave, and by manipulating in another ways casts and image of a tree, of a squirrel, of the Earth and Sun. This unseen puppeteer of course, is the truth, and all of the shadows it projects are shaped from that single divine form and manifest the universe, as we perceive it.

In this cave wall matrix, we perceive the illusion of a separation in time, space, and motion, but only in the interest of what our egos think will maintain self-preservation. This is the rudimentary design of our shadow cast by the shape-shifting puppeteer, for in fully knowing that we will always be one with the hand, the idea of death becomes nothing more than a return to complete unity. All fear of it then diminishes, however the instinctive fright of mortality was once very necessary for our survival as a species--one must be terrified of death in order to stand the best chance of fighting it off. In other adaptations though, we have acquired the ability to avoid death in many ways. And so it has thusly come to be that our illusion of separateness has instead of propelling life and consciousness forward, caused an evolutionary stagnation and in some cases a regression to complete chaos and suffering. For this reason, it is now necessary that humanity re-introduce itself to the real truth of existence. A “quantum leap” in our conscious understanding of life is essential and long overdue.
In skillful meditation (which does not necessarily involved intentional sitting), we temporarily exit the confines of the matrix in which we operate, entering momentarily back into the hand of the puppeteer- into the unity of all. During this time, God, the wisdom the entire universe, can be accessed and then brought back and used skillfully within the plane that we call the real world. It is great tool for connecting with the untapped wisdom and peace of all. We must accept that there is no use in trying to resist the illusion of reality as it is the human plight to live within it—and so it may as well be real for us in the same way that while one is in a dream, things appear very real. However, when it is understood through meditation and observation that we are both the shadow and the hand casting it, life can become a paradise of unity, balance, and bliss; in other words, the dream can become lucid. It is in this perfect harmony that all things truly exist as both the Platonic hand projecting the world of form, and as the unique manipulations of this whole manifested in the individual form which we believe to exist within.

When we die, and with each and every breath, smile, and external encounter, our energy disperses itself back into the hand of the puppeteer, influencing the form of every image that it continues to cast upon the illusory cave wall. There is a constant stream of connection between the individual and the connected universe, and it can be readily accessed through skillful living. The shadow puppet image of each individual then certainly contains at all times the potential of every previous form that has been cast from and returned to the hand, and every instance of contact that has been or will be made with other shadows throughout the experience of a lifetime. It simply must be self-discovered (or perhaps re-discovered) that since time, distance, and motion and even change are essentially illusions, all that we perceive contains within it the essence of all other things; of the singularity. In other words, we are all as old as the infinitely existent universe in which we live, and of which we are a part. We are also born anew with each passing breath

In realizing that we are all divine entities of the same unified consciousness, we can skillfully navigate our dream-like lives, filled to the brim with compassion for all beings, and helping others to cultivate this same compassion. This is the mission of the Bodhisattva (which we all have the capacity to become), and this is the next evolutionary step that calls to humanity. The universe can be perceived as limitless in time and in size, while simultaneously it exists freely of duration and of dimension. The former two qualities are simply early evolutionary crutches that have helped mankind and other forms of life survive an existence in which self-preservation was a crucial trait. What we have forgotten however is that harmony with nature and with the universe is extremely necessary for the survival of any species. In our desire to flourish in a world of often-harsh conditions, we have begun to see nature as the problem and separated ourselves from it with our egos and our cities. We have become masters of nature (or so we think), and forgotten that we are no less a part of it than a tree is part of a forest. In truth, we are the tree and the forest- the wave and the ocean- the human and the universe. This is God’s truth. In isolating ourselves from the natural world we have thrown off the essential balance of our existence, and consequentially forgotten how to be masters even of our own selves. For to be a master of one’s self, is to know fully well that the self is not limited to the futile piece of flesh that the ego is contained within. A master of the self is also a master of the whole universe—in harmony with the shadow, and with the hand.

The wise person (which every person truly is beneath conditioned belief systems that keep them foolish) comes to understand that the egoic separateness of our reality is the metaphoric devil, and that the limitless truth and wisdom of the connected universe is in fact the archetypal experience of unity that is generally referred to as God. While the devil in us urges the body to seclude itself in fear and isolation (sin), the God of which we are a part endows us with a consciousness of unity and compassion overflowing. Humanity is unique simply in its ability to choose between its egoistic urges and the underlying wisdom of the connected universe. For millennia, social Darwinism has caused us to place more and more stock in the small, self-serving ego, even though it is no longer as necessary for our survival. It is time now for the pendulum of consciousness to swing back in the direction of the Great Spirit of life. Humanity’s inescapable illusion of separation is what causes the ego to exist, and it is necessary for our creative engagement with the world of form, and as long as we are human, it will never be fully lost—for it is necessary to be aware that we are, in fact, unique and capable of shaping the universe. What must soon happen however, is an ascent into a new dimension of balance —the equilibrium of physical separation and conscious unity—the evolutionary blessing that is our full potential. Upon reaching this homeostasis, the limits of our conscious development will be endless, as will our capability to care for and restore the Earth that we have so thoughtlessly ravaged for the last thousand years. This is the middle way.

This great change will be the dawning a new age of man, a renaissance of the twenty-first century. The only one who can start the revolution is me; is you; is us. We are the future, and we hold the flame that will illuminate this mysterious cave, inside of which many people gaze fearfully at the dim illusion of their lives. Once they see that the source of all the illusions, including that of their own lives is cast from the same hand, they too will be eager to begin sharing this light with other misguided souls. As the past is but a memory fading, and the future but a cloudy dream, the only time to begin this change is now.
There is not a moment to loose.