I was looking out my window this morning and found myself watching the flag outside my neighbor’s house flapping back and forth in the gentle breeze. For a number of moments, I was taken by the simple grace and beauty of this flapping. And I was aware of a sense of gratitude I was feeling for how such small, mundane things like this can give me pleasure.
And then, I noticed that the flag I was so entranced with was an American flag. My mind was suddenly present with a sense of aversion: This is my Tea Party neighbor’s flag—my neighbor with the America-right-or-wrong attitude. And a sudden contraction happened in my body, as I felt myself fall from the place of appreciation and beauty I had been floating in.
With chagrin, I began reflecting on the old, self-righteous consciousness I’d been living with for so many years—the one that assumes that my liberal preferences and points of view are right and more highly evolved than those opposing mine.
As this awareness emerged, I saw my neighbor and a few of his friends come outside, all moving toward their pickups parked outside—and all carrying rifles. Again, I watched my mind move into its self-righteous stance against guns and people who take pleasure in using them. And I was aware of the constriction that was now surrounding my heart that had not been there, even moments before.
Even though I am aware that attitudes and positions that include “againstness” are not part of the highest consciousness I can live in—and for the most part, they have dissolved within me through time—I still find them popping up within me, time and time again.
It’s a hard one. For so many years, I believed that being against things like violence, war, and injustice — as was natural for me — was the enlightened, evolved way to be. Certainly people like me who valued peace and love and justice for all of humanity were more spiritually-evolved than those who did not? And having an attitude of aversion toward people who were judgmental, unkind, and selfish was a sign of an awakened soul?
Well, in a relative sense, perhaps it’s true: valuing love, peace, justice and selflessness is probably a sign of higher evolution over valuing the opposites of these qualities. And those of us spiritual, liberal folk who’ve lived with these values for years have probably led the way for many other people in the world to awaken to a higher consciousness.
However, at some point along my spiritual journey, I began realizing that in order for me to move to the next level in consciousness, it was essential for me to understand that even valuing all these wonderful, spiritual qualities can be a trap. If I also harbor againstness toward people who do not value the same qualities, there is judgment and a sense of elitism present—a sense of being superior. And how evolved is that?
In order to continue raising my vibration so I can eventually enter the fifth dimension, I need to be clear of these kinds of attitudes. I need to be clear of any againstness of any kind. In fact, I need to be free of any notion of right and wrong, altogether. These kinds of polarities don’t exist in the fifth dimension.
Very importantly I need to remember something I keep thinking I know very well, but obviously forget at times: that all people are souls visiting this earth, just as I am, doing perfectly what they are supposed to be doing. And all of us are all doing the very best we can with what we know and are aware of.
I need to truly get that all of creation is perfect just as it is. There is a divine plan unfolding that is beyond the understanding of my mind. And to move into judgment against anything happening does not serve my own awakening.
This doesn’t mean I should never do anything to try to set things on a better path or bring a situation into a better alignment with Truth as I see it. Not at all. If I see something that I can assist with or someone who could use my help in awakening to a higher level—of course, I have the opportunity to do these things. It’s probably part of the divine plan that I do so.
The point is that I need to do them without the attitude of againstness or superiority. I can simply do them because it is right thing to do. Very subtle, this. Old attitudes and feelings can so easily slip in and motivate me to act. But this is what these times are all about for those of us who are on a conscious path of ascension: watching old, negative patterns arise and choosing a more positive, evolved path to take.
And as many of us can attest to, these old negative patterns are certainly arising within us. They’re coming up to be released, let go of. But if we don’t stay conscious and aware to these subtle levels within us, we can simply repeat the same old patterns over and over again–and stay stuck in our third-dimensional consciousness.
I, for one, need to watch carefully the old self-righteous, superior feelings I’ve had about myself. I need to watch a sense of againstness to anything. If I engage in these, I am lowering my own vibration down to the level of painful separation that already exists throughout the world. This isn’t good for me, it isn’t good for the world.
If I truly want peace, unity, and love in the world–as the old saying goes, I need to start with me.
