Recently, I have reflected on my conversations with folks regarding the provocative question in this week’s “journal entry” . . .

I remember when a name was sacred–when everything was sacred . . . and in the New Earth, everything is still sacred, isn’t it? Doesn’t a name have the potential to carry an energy and a spiritual meaning behind its name? However, in our culture, names have largely become identified with labels–fueling intellectual concepts that categorize, compartmentalized and/or diagnose.  Moreover, a collective nightmare has dreamed up a myriad of conveniently packaged labels that are “bought, sold and processed”, as coveted products that must be consumed to the max. What’s more, we have been well-trained to fleetingly look at things that catch our eye with a cursory glance, followed by an immediate position of judgement as a way to qualify and/or dismiss whatever it is we deem relevant to maintain our status quo worldview.

Fashionably enough, I appreciate the subliminally and commercially driven ego, in it’s seductive perception of itself as in control and identified with labels to prove its existence and perpetuate it’s survival. This is how I’m able to make sense out of the seemingly mind-boggling reality that mainstream America and particularly the educated business class share as the most indoctrinated “sheeple” in our consumer driven culture. Isn’t it obvious that the dark side of social science has been used to manipulate and control the masses is Big Business in the battle and desire to control the public mind? I have heard that Hitler once licked his chops, as he wished to come back to the USA, given our far greater harness on propaganda than Nazi Germany did back in the day . . . A can hear a Boss in Youngstown and other places singing, “Well my daddy come home to Ohio works, When he come home from World War II.  He said ‘Them big boys did what Hitler couldn’t do.’ These mills they built the tanks and bombs that won this country’s wars.  We sent our sons to Korea and Vietnam (etc.) Now we’re wondering what they were dying for.”

And that was Zen my friend and this is right Tao. Did anyone else other than Larry King bat an eye when he interviewed the CEO of FOX News, as he proudly asserted that most of their audience currently really believes they are recipients of “Fair and Balanced” news? Isn’t this similar to Charlie Manson’s techniques that systematically convinced folks he was Jesus and justified killing innocent people in His name for him.  What about the Corporate Media systematically “dumbing down” the masses into believing that what we see on T.V. is reality? I hardly think a Totalitarian State could achieve what the egobots in charge of the well-oiled corporate propaganda machine churns out on Any Given Sunday.  Is this a form of modern-day slavery?

Additionally, I remember being at an animal park a while back, while a Pow Pow was going on. I overheard a man proudly asserting that a particular animal he was noticing was his “totem”. I detected an attachment to the idea that his totem was the animal his was pointing out to his friend, as I observed a tattoo of the same animal on this man’s body. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with labels, totems, tattoos, spirit guides, psychics, etc. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with judgements, labels and/or attachments. As human beings, we’re always going to have some attachments, egotistical desires, etc. However, as spiritual beings having human experiences, practicing letting go by gently warding off egotism is part of the healing process of exfoliating our old skins and becoming New Humans. As we co-create this New Earth, We gently allow our old selves to rest in peace, in the same Light as we say fairly well to a dying old world. Isn’t Our journey is a process, more than a destination? Doesn’t it make practical sense to say yes to what is, rather than resist it? I know the voice of the ego loves attachments, labels and judgments and is quite content in maintaining a “Hidden Hand” in its grip on “Manifest Destiny”.  Of course, if I want to continue to get what I say that I don’t want, then I’ll remember to resist What Is to receive more of what I say that I don’t want–forgetting about it in the process and then wonder, “how did this happen again . . . why me?’, etc.

More importantly, I am reminded that ego is really only in charge when we are identified with an idea, an object, a relationship, etc. We might all play different roles and wear different hats, but it’s when we become the role and the hat that we lose root of our True Selves. Yes, We are all One and yet, We are all diverse expressions of One Source, like snowflakes are all unique, but come from the same water source. Have you ever heard the expression, “let go and let GOD”, while the voice of the ego would prefer to edge God out (EGO)?

Finally,  whether an unidentified object is flying around in front of my field of vision or is deeply submerged within me–my experience with the object depends my relationship with the object. Am I moved by the object or do I allow myself to watch the object and gently let it pass without creating chattering egoic stories about what I see? I see this watchful place as somewhat akin to the phone ringing (i-Phone texts, i-Bot holograms, etc.)—just because I hear the phone ringing, doesn’t mean I have to pick it up in that moment. In this Inner Space, I notice the pull to pick up the phone gradually loosens its grip. Why not take three conscious breaths and re-evaluate my position, regardless of how planted it might be? Lettuce hope We don’t lose our Roots and get washed out in the process! When We say Yes to Inner Peace, We say “peace out” to the voice of the ego and “what up, G” to the voice of spirit.  “Do you hear what I hear . . . do you see what I see?”

Peace,

Ari