Ida Lawrence, Contributor
Waking Times

I’ve been shining some light into the darkness lately, and these thoughts might seem like seriousness in a world plagued with too much of that. We need happiness and a bright vision of a world where every human is self-governing from a conscious perspective. That world is coming, as the sun rises, and it’s for the coming of that world that I look into the darkness. Fear is such an enemy of growth, and darkness is not to be feared. So let’s shine some light on one darkness that people have pondered for a long, long time… sin.

We have the nature and the capacity to make choices; right and wrong, good and evil, sin and… what’s the opposite of sin? English doesn’t have a word for the opposite of sin. The best ‘opposite’ I can offer takes up seven words: something that brings merit to the doer. I guess it would follow that sin is something that brings demerit to the doer. But what is the ‘standard’ above which something is a merit and below which something is a demerit?

We have such vast differences as to what we believe are right and wrong choices. For one, leaving a beautiful flower attached to the plant is a merit. Cutting it and putting it in the vase is a demerit. For another, packaging ‘food-like’ chemicals and selling it as food is a merit. Letting your children go hungry because you quit your distasteful job is a demerit. For still others, installing economic sanctions that serve to kill half a million Iraqi children is a merit. The demerit in this case is a little hard to grasp… maybe ‘letting people be’ is the demerit?

It’s interesting to note that two different heads of the notorious ‘food for oil’ program that was killing these children, resigned from their job. Something in them couldn’t agree… bless their hearts. Yes, the ‘standard’ must be in the heart. But what a vast trans-dimensional ‘landscape within’ we travel in order to bring all the parts together into the center; to the settled heart where we can ‘feel’ a merit and a demerit. Unified Self… it is not just a concept, it is the key to self governance.

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.” Rumi

In traveling that ‘landscape within’ we navigate through a lot of conditioning about right and wrong. Be it religion and theology, various philosophies, political opinions, alternate versions of history, childhood parental discipline, the reactions of others to our actions, listening to ridicule and praise, feeling acceptance and rejection… the imprints of our experience exist in our subconscious mind. That mind is a living dimension, or multi-dimensions, not well lit, but definitely rich and potentially an ally… if and when we befriend it and see it as such.

And there are additional vital parts of ourselves to bring together, in order to meet Rumi in his field. Remember what the hippies used to call cosmic consciousness… well, today we accept that the super conscious mind, which metaphysicians tell us is vast, consisting of many living dimensions, is accessible in some small part through meditation. To get a grasp of what we are in totality, using fractal imagery, we can see ourselves as both the entire ocean in one drop, and, one drop in the entire ocean. It’s pretty stunning to realize that we, in reality, are at one with All: not separate from Source.

And then we have the ‘Now’… the present moment of awareness wherein we act. This awareness doesn’t remove us from battle, it actually places us in battle… essentially in battle with ignorance of ourselves. Know thyself: the information is in those multi-dimensions. Life is sacred… our life, all lives, and all living things… and as we wish to center in the heart, we look into the subconscious with love for the one who IS it: our Self.

What is it that separates us from love for Self? Some of us were conditioned to believe that the sin of Adam and Eve gave every human an automatic demerit… sinners upon conception or birth. That’s a setup for a life of striving for God’s love but never being it. For others the conditioning was a kinder but also a bit intellectual: there is no sin; only unskillful, unwholesome or ignorant action and the consequences of such action. This sets us on the path of development, with a lot of time dedicated to thinking. Still others are taught to believe there is no ‘original’ sin, but there is sin. It arises in the intentional transgression of divine law, related to the lower instinctive-intellectual nature. Complexity here… what is divine law?

With the thought, ‘what is divine law’ in mind, I combed through the theologies and found a ‘what is not divine law’ answer: covetousness. The statement said, “It is humans incapable of being gratified who will bring about the decay of life.” The quote was in a Hindu writing, although it appears that the major religions would all agree: covetousness is a bona fide demerit… old as the hills. Paradoxically, it seems that ‘what is not divine’ is the One Law dominating this current matrix. Remember the Rolling Stones singing ‘I can’t get no satisfaction’? Why not, I wonder. What’s going on that causes humans to continuously feel dissatisfied… to ‘want’ more?

We don’t see covetousness in nature. It does seem that wanting more is a craving of the ego. Stuart Wilde often talked about the ego’s tower as a structure we build. It provides the illusion of safety and control, and even immortality. He said, “Strangely, the journey to the authentic grown up is through the egocentric, frightened child. It’s the journey through the phony you to the spiritually mature being. There is a beauty in that.”

The inner child is but one aspect of the well populated subconscious realms, but it is an important one. Imagine every feeling, or emotion, or impression you’ve forgotten… there they are in your living subconscious. Imagine every person who strongly impacted the way you think and the decisions you make, with fear or love… there they are.

So the question arises, are we self governing through consciousness of all that we are? Loving all that we are, including what we consider the trauma, the hidden, the wrong: there is grace in that, and mercy, and forgiveness, and merit. Through this love, which is offered by our divinity… to ourselves… we can approach Rumi’s field… the heart space.

I’ve talked before about the inner polarities of masculine and feminine – truth and love – and their oneness and flow and exchange of energies. Earlier in this article we asked what is divine law. Is it not this flow?

When we contemplate the decisions and choices that human beings are asked to make in this world where the spiritual is ‘built in’, whether we know it or not, we asked for a standard above which something is a merit, and below which something is a demerit. Here is a standard that I heard someone say, once upon a time: “No, I would not do that to myself.” Of course one can feel the reverence for the divinity of Self in that statement.

Enjoyment of life: enjoyment of the beauty and sensuality of life and relationships; enjoyment of the tenderness and kindness of one’s own soul; enjoyment of the honesty and authenticity gained from dedication to spirit… this is the world out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing. There is a field, and we can meet there.

About the Author

Ida Lawrence is an author, blogger, copywriter and editor based in Atlanta, Georgia. She has contributed to and edited two books on racial justice and human rights, and numerous articles on human rights, self-empowerment and related subjects. Her latest book is entitled The Warrior’s Way to Heaven on Earth. Ida has also published a companion book of blog favorites from http://talk2momz.com/.

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