-J.R.R. Tolkien
The
natural state of the human being is one of unbounded joy, delight in
self and earnest engagement with every aspect of one's environment.
Moreover, the labors we endure, the tribulations we experience, and even
the tragedies we suffer can all be put into the service of sustaining
the intense life force with which we have all been endowed by the simple
virtue of our humanity. A fanciful, even preposterous, assertion?
Many
people would describe it as such. They would also insist that anybody
who believes in such a notion hasn't experienced much life, is under the
influence of lovely intoxicants, or is engaged in wishful and puerile
thinking. Such is the lamentable state of our world, what with so many
of us leading lives of quiet misery. If joy is our natural state,
how can one explain the widespread unhappiness?
Simple the dichotomy of soul and ego
If we think we're our egos, misery is almost inevitable.
If we realize we're our souls, misery,along with the self-hatred about which we have already written, dissipates.
We are not our egos and
therefore are also not our deepest regrets, darkest thoughts, personal
appearance, age, injudicious actions, disagreeable behaviors, character
deficiencies, perceptions of or shameful reactions to others.
Accessing the soul
is surprisingly simple. It is the aspect of oneself that observes and
reflects on the mind's incessant processes, including those that cause
excruciating emotional pain. One can summon forth the soul
in a blink. For instance, imagine that you're ruminating on a certain
situation. You're either experiencing anxiety at the prospect of some
future event or brooding about something that has already occurred. In
an instant, you can think about these thoughts calmly, as though you're
watching white water rapids from shore. Although the thoughts might
continue unabated, a small part of you can maintain a serene sense of
detachment. From that vantagepoint, the thoughts no longer exert a
powerful influence over you. Instead, they seem more like morbidly
fascinating exhibits. It is your soul which
is calmly contemplating the emotions with respectful bemusement. "Can
you believe that person is making me so upset?" or "Ha...that happened
twenty years ago and I am still letting it wound me repeatedly." or "No
matter what happens in future, I shall remain fully intact even though
emotionally it seems as though I am facing a catastrophe."
What a profound relief to realize that we are not our thoughts, but are the observers of our thoughts.