December 2013
For as long as I can remember I have always had a kind of innate belief that any suffering or turmoil in one’s life was ultimately for a greater good. That through problems and overcoming them we become stronger and that difficulty is a natural part of evolution.
However, at the same time, due to the amount of unfavourable life situations in which I have found myself, I have always felt that I was a victim of bad karma, an unlucky child, who seemed to be continuously dealt terrible cards.
Nonetheless, I developed a very convincing poker face and people admired me for the way I laughed in the face of problems and illnesses. By adopting the attitude that “nothing matters” I suppressed emotions, bottled up desires and lived with a numb feeling of sorrow for myself. Most importantly, I did not learn from my problems, which has stopped me from truly moving forward and growing as a human being.
Today I feel that I have realised where I went wrong. Ultimately, no material thing is of great importance, but personal and collective spiritual evolution is. Stagnation and repetition is not natural. The nature of life is to grow.
Although we may perceive problems as inherently bad this is not true. Life is made up of opposites. Rest allows for activity, mud allows a seed or flower to grow. Is one intrinsically better or worse than the other?
I may have been right, on one level, that my life situations have been a result of bad karma. However, nobody is a helpless victim to their karma. Karma simply means action. You cannot change your actions in your past, but you can become more aware of your actions in the present so as to sow the seeds of good fortune in the future. This must take place in the present by taking full advantage of the power of now as Eckhart would say.
Karma can be overcome in three ways:
- By unconsciously paying your karmic debt, as I have done in the past.
- By transforming your karma, using your situation to give to others for the greater good of humanity.
- To transcend your karma. To go deep within and find that place inside where there is no imperfection – one’s true Self.
It is this realisation that has empowered me to change myself, and my life situation. In doing so I wish to make the world a happier, more fulfilled, healthy and enlightened place.
Every single person on the planet has a dharma to fulfil, a unique calling in life that they can perform better than anyone else. The guide to finding your dharma is your excitement. Follow your excitement. Your heart will lead you to where you want to go. Rumi would agree.
In order to find my dharma I need to reconnect with what I am passionate about and rekindle that inspiration within me. I need to let go of future plans, mental projections of desires and fixed outcomes.
Detachment is the key, but I vow not to fall into the trap of despondency that stifled my true spirit for so many years. I will trust in nature, let myself be guided by the wisdom of uncertainty.
I promise not seek security over pleasure. I will do what drives me and inspires me, regardless of the opinion of others, and most importantly, regardless of outcome.
To live your life guided by love with detachment from outcome is the key to personal and collective success and great happiness.
These are my two greatest desires.