Challenges and Reactions to Them
Despite the fact that victory in the battle is its logical conclusion, situations often arise when simply entering the battle is itself a victory.
The human being, tamed by the Parasite of the mind and conditioned to be its victim, becomes accustomed to avoiding expressing his true self at all costs.
A person flees from Power, flees from freedom, preferring his small, familiar, safe world.
Therefore each overcoming of one’s fear of Power is already a victory over the Parasite and a step forward.
In this light it is clear why, in the course of Magical training, what matters to the student is not so much the task set before him as his reaction to that task.
The Master of Magic deliberately places the student in situations where, in order to take a step, one must silence the Parasite, which means overcoming some fears or inner deadlocks.
A parable well known in Christian monasticism: A young monk came to study with a holy Master. One day the Master ordered the boy to plant cabbage seedlings in the ground. To show exactly what to do, the Master took a plant from the basket and buried it with its leaves in the earth and its roots outward. The monk decided the Master had lost his mind and planted everything correctly — with the roots in the ground. The next day the whole crop had withered, except for the plant planted by the Master. “God needs obedience, not cabbage,” the holy man explained to the boy.
And although for the Magus things are not so simple either with obedience or with God, in the context of the question we are considering this parable is quite fitting — the Way is created not by reason or argument, but by a series of actions. And in this case the student did not do what the Master expected of him — and therefore did not take the path the Master offered.
A person habitually looks away, ashamed, from his wounds, his anger and jealousy or fear, and escapes into imagined images. At the same time, for the Magus it is necessary above all to become aware of oneself and to be honest with oneself.
Power constantly issues a challenge to the Magus — to follow it or to remain in the clutches of the Parasite. And accepting this challenge is a step forward on the Way toward self-awareness.
The Magus shapes the world with his attention — focused attention.
The first time a person uses attention to create the reality imposed on him by the consumer world.
However, in creating and strengthening a magical description of the world, the Magus uses attention again, creating an alternative reality. By analyzing everything he knows and considers true, he directs his attention again, and this already constitutes a movement out of the darkness of consumption.
The very awareness of the Parasite’s presence in one’s mind can make a person a warrior. Control over oneself and one’s life is achieved gradually, first encompassing the superficial layers of the mind and then deeper layers. Conditioning has taught people not to interact with Power and not to adapt to its flow. It programmed the mind with a system of beliefs and the Parasite took its place there — in the family, in society, and within the mind itself.
Power constantly urges the Magus to change his reality, but the desire to flee from it is too deeply rooted in the human being. Therefore the most important task of the Magus is to stop fearing Power and to accept its challenge.
That is why the Magus’s first victory is overcoming the fear of facing oneself.
The article is very relevant for every person, for it is probably the fear of authorities, the opinions of others, the fear of being misunderstood that hinders the most on the Path of realizing oneself (Orlyoga as I understand it). It’s no coincidence they say: “If you wish to change the world – start with yourself.”
I can’t cope with the resentment. A new Contract is being built – yet its foundation is laid on resentment. To some extent, this is an escape. What is this? Will “winning the battle” mean “stepping on the throat of resentment”? How to cope with very strong resentments?
If someone or something did not meet your expectations, you can forgive, accept it or not, and not forgive… (after all, it is your right; after making a decision it makes no sense to dwell on it since such feelings are the “food” for the Parasite). And also if your non-acceptance (resentment) cuts off some part, perhaps that is the right decision for you 🙂
Resentment is characteristic of the consciousness of a Victim. The way out of the archetype of the victim opens the path to total forgiveness, which is radically different from traditional forgiveness, which assumes acceptance of the “offender” and a kind of generous pardon, the release of endured trauma and the restoration of the previous state of one’s consciousness. Total forgiveness implies the awareness of Life as a Divine Game, in the process of which Learning occurs, thus, the “Traumatizing” event and its participants – our Teachers, and there is nothing to forgive.
Elena, thank you so much for your warmth and support. In Enmerkar’s absence, I want to address the Guest: I really liked your answer. I understand it. I would like a few words on steps out of the archetype of the victim. (I am trying and striving to do this, but not very successfully)
Enna, you will succeed. Don’t doubt, the Spirit will lead you.
Something seems wrong with this cabbage. If this story were told by an army corporal, it would be more truthful. Which parasite was the student supposed to step on? ‘Do as I do, even if it contradicts the nature of things and human experience, and a miracle will happen.’ This monk was just playing with his overly serious student.
I hear: it would be good for the student to be in the Flow with the monk, to focus attention on the teacher and not on the cabbage.
I would 🙂 plant this seedling sometimes roots down, sometimes leaves down. If you plant it like the teacher, by morning you might get ‘where is your head, why do you repeat foolishness.’ Although, it’s not a fact that you’ll be praised. With such a teacher, you are sure to get your morning dose of moralizing.
“The path is not created by reason or reasoning, but by a set of actions.”
About the ‘set of actions.’ Why, why is it like this: I’ve been sitting here for the third hour, reading, reasoning instead of going and acting?!
You should not go to learn from a teacher whose doses of moralizing frighten you.
Right now, the irritation from misunderstanding is frightening: why does such a greedy head always find time and energy to engulf its portion of information and such a weak will to fill that time with actions, especially since I know what those actions are!