Entry 231 - Accessories vs Essential
5/11/20
It’s interesting because a certain belief or perception that is rooted in society, culture, tradition, or religion or any other form has to be fed and nurtured or else naturally the human will go on without it. It’s like a British person who comes to America. Maybe a year into their move they still have a British accent, but the less they talk with other British people, in about five to ten years it could be completely gone if they don’t feed and nurture it. Or Say you have a family tradition to eat coffee cake in the morning of Christmas. That tradition will only continue if you feed and nurture it by doing it every morning on Christmas, otherwise it no longer exists in your life. Form with form, there is a certain need to feed and nurture it to keep its roots in your life.
Similarly with religion, if you aren’t constantly being reminded of the doctrine, of the message, of the beliefs, then you’ll realize that those doctrines, messages, and beliefs slowly start to drift away. They are kind of like accessories, while your experiences are like your whole body. The “accessories” can be worn, but they’re not essential to who you are. The experiences quite literally evolve you as a human being. If you don’t wear your earrings one day, you won’t pass out, but maybe it’ll make you feel some type of way. If you were to live in a bubble every single day and never experience anything else new and unknown, how much would your character, your personality, your preferences change? Why would you need to evolve if everything remains the same?
Similarly, if you are constantly experiencing new things, you are evolving and literally becoming something more than you were before that experience. It's a whole body experience, and it's constant evolution, motivated by the unknown. However, with beliefs, doctrines, and so on, you are experiencing most likely dead people's experiences retold through either a written book or passed down by family or friends. There is some distance from the original person who wrote it and you, making it ancient, passed down, commonly predictable and static. Beliefs, doctrines, and so forth are like that coffee cake tradition. Yeah, it was fun while it lasted, but it wasn’t essential for your existence. You can still live and thrive without having coffee cake every Christmas morning.
Similarly, you learned about Tom's experience, but it isn't the same as your own personal experience. You realize after not nurturing that outside “accessory” in your life or relying on Tom's experience who is long gone to steer your life, that you’re still a good person. You might even be more aware than before because you get used to thinking for yourself rather than accepting whatever authority figure told you to believe. The shift goes from static and dynamic to dynamic and dynamic. Instead of other people's experiences or "accessories" becoming essential in molding your life, you choose to drop all accessories and mold your own life according to your own truth. Instead of putting Bob's experiences at your center, you put your own. You don't negate that Bob had these experiences, you just recognize that you would rather spend the time cultivating your own experiences, growth and evolution rather than vicariously living through someone else's.
Some might say, "Well, we have to trust the authorities, they know best!" But why do you have to trust their personal experience over yours? I think it’s more blasphemous to lose your identity and wear someone else’s experiences, point of views, beliefs and adopt them as your own instead of investigating, learning and creating your own path. What benefit does ignorance have on a soul? If you wish to be a carbon copy of someone else then yes, continue to believe what they believe without questioning it and you will get your wish.
To you, maybe your ignorance has become your egoic bliss. Maybe your ignorance has become your safety, your protector. Because the less you know, the less your beliefs are challenged and the more you derive your sense of self from that which is outside of you. But if you wish to be YOU. Unapologetically, beautifully you, then you will delight in creating and experiencing your own special path to God. You won’t be threatened by those who believe differently or see life differently than you, but instead see each opportunity to learn and grow from all people and ultimately decide that your experience triumphs all outside experiences that are not yours.
I’m not saying dismiss other people’s experiences, I’m saying don’t let their experience overrule your personal experience. Don’t let society, tradition, culture or religion bully you into believing a certain way or else a consequence might follow. If a community of people use fear, know that is not the way. In the end, you’re the one who decides what outside of you rules you and if you listen to your heart or not. Do as thou wish, no one else will choose for you.
Similarly with religion, if you aren’t constantly being reminded of the doctrine, of the message, of the beliefs, then you’ll realize that those doctrines, messages, and beliefs slowly start to drift away. They are kind of like accessories, while your experiences are like your whole body. The “accessories” can be worn, but they’re not essential to who you are. The experiences quite literally evolve you as a human being. If you don’t wear your earrings one day, you won’t pass out, but maybe it’ll make you feel some type of way. If you were to live in a bubble every single day and never experience anything else new and unknown, how much would your character, your personality, your preferences change? Why would you need to evolve if everything remains the same?
Similarly, if you are constantly experiencing new things, you are evolving and literally becoming something more than you were before that experience. It's a whole body experience, and it's constant evolution, motivated by the unknown. However, with beliefs, doctrines, and so on, you are experiencing most likely dead people's experiences retold through either a written book or passed down by family or friends. There is some distance from the original person who wrote it and you, making it ancient, passed down, commonly predictable and static. Beliefs, doctrines, and so forth are like that coffee cake tradition. Yeah, it was fun while it lasted, but it wasn’t essential for your existence. You can still live and thrive without having coffee cake every Christmas morning.
Similarly, you learned about Tom's experience, but it isn't the same as your own personal experience. You realize after not nurturing that outside “accessory” in your life or relying on Tom's experience who is long gone to steer your life, that you’re still a good person. You might even be more aware than before because you get used to thinking for yourself rather than accepting whatever authority figure told you to believe. The shift goes from static and dynamic to dynamic and dynamic. Instead of other people's experiences or "accessories" becoming essential in molding your life, you choose to drop all accessories and mold your own life according to your own truth. Instead of putting Bob's experiences at your center, you put your own. You don't negate that Bob had these experiences, you just recognize that you would rather spend the time cultivating your own experiences, growth and evolution rather than vicariously living through someone else's.
Some might say, "Well, we have to trust the authorities, they know best!" But why do you have to trust their personal experience over yours? I think it’s more blasphemous to lose your identity and wear someone else’s experiences, point of views, beliefs and adopt them as your own instead of investigating, learning and creating your own path. What benefit does ignorance have on a soul? If you wish to be a carbon copy of someone else then yes, continue to believe what they believe without questioning it and you will get your wish.
To you, maybe your ignorance has become your egoic bliss. Maybe your ignorance has become your safety, your protector. Because the less you know, the less your beliefs are challenged and the more you derive your sense of self from that which is outside of you. But if you wish to be YOU. Unapologetically, beautifully you, then you will delight in creating and experiencing your own special path to God. You won’t be threatened by those who believe differently or see life differently than you, but instead see each opportunity to learn and grow from all people and ultimately decide that your experience triumphs all outside experiences that are not yours.
I’m not saying dismiss other people’s experiences, I’m saying don’t let their experience overrule your personal experience. Don’t let society, tradition, culture or religion bully you into believing a certain way or else a consequence might follow. If a community of people use fear, know that is not the way. In the end, you’re the one who decides what outside of you rules you and if you listen to your heart or not. Do as thou wish, no one else will choose for you.
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