There is an important psychological principle that says that we tend to form a self-image based upon the way that we affect others. This principle can be used in many different ways, depending upon one’s understanding of the nature of man. Some theorists have claimed that we are all seeking to gain power over others and that our self-image depends upon how much of this power we can accumulate. However, a theorist who starts with the assumption that we are all spiritual beings, equal in the sight of God, might use the principle differently. For him it is the act of sharing abilities and capacities with others that awakens a deep and meaningful self-image.
The question we all must face is, “How do we want to see ourselves?” There are certainly capabilities and memories stored within the soul to facilitate any self-image we imagine. If we want to see ourselves as powerful and important people in the world, we can build that. If we want to see ourselves as seekers and servants, we can find the necessary tools within, as well. What is important is the act of specifying the light in which we would like to see ourselves. By writing this down we take the first step toward realizing our aim.
Experiment: At the end of each day take time to review your experiences. Be aware of what you have thought of yourself at various times during the day (e.g., I thought I was really incapable of doing something; I had a self-image of being very knowledgeable; I had a self-image of being really foolhardy). You may feel that some of these self-images are not consistent with the highest spirit you know—they aren’t really helping you grow. For each of these, imagine a different light in which you would have preferred to have seen yourself in that incident. Write that down as a possible replacement. And if the opportunity arises, try out the replacement self-image the next day.
Example:
| self-image: | I thought I was really incapable of doing something |
| replacement self-image: | I am an adventuresome person who is willing to try something new, even if I do fall flat in the effort. |
“Christ, the Master, said: ‘Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”
The power of the spoken word is referred to in many spiritual teachings. The readings mention the vibrational quality of speech; the Bible uses “the Word” to represent the Christ; in Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism. Lama Govinda calls speech “the vital expression of the human soul.”
… for the voice nerve center is the highest vibration in the whole nerve system …
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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
“If art can be called the re-creation and formal expression of reality through the medium of human experience, then the creation of language may be called the greatest achievement of art. Each word originally was a focus of energies, in which the transformation of reality into the vibrations of the human voice—the vital expression of the human soul—took place. Through these vocal creations man took possession of the world—and more than that: he discovered a new dimension, a world within himself, opening upon the vista of a higher form of life, which is as much beyond the present state of humanity as the consciousness of a civilized man is above that of an animal.”
(Govinda, Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism, p. 18)
When we are irritated or having a difficult time with something, it is often hard to keep from verbalizing our frustrations. Much has been made by the human potential movement in psychology and counseling of “getting it all out,” or expressing what we are feeling directly to the other person. This position may be a response to the extreme position that preceded this movement: that it is proper to suppress our feelings.
For most people the greatest growth probably lies somewhere between these two approaches. Communication by verbalizing our thoughts and feelings is important, and yet we need to be aware of our responsibilities for the creative power our spoken word has upon others—a power to awaken images and feelings in the other person.
Experiment: Be aware that there are no idle words. With your speech you are creating and having a strong effect upon the attitudes and feelings of your listeners. When you feel that it is possible to work through a particular difficulty on your own, refrain from the temptation to complain or talk about it in a negative way to others. Also look for opportunities to use the spoken word to uplift the consciousness of others.
“Each organ has its individual functions and desires, which are in themselves holy.”
The readings teach the unity of the body, mind and spirit. Conflicts between the spirit and the flesh can never be resolved because they begin from a denial of this underlying unity. The body is the temple, and its function is holy as we use it as a vehicle to meet the Christ spirit.
One of the most beautiful statements of this concept is found in Nikos Kazantzakis’ autobiographical Report to Greco. The narrator has traveled to Mt. Sinai and at the monastery he meets a monk who becomes his friend and teacher.
“He lowered his voice still more.
“‘Angels are nothing more—do you hear!—nothing more than refined devils. The day will come—oh, if only I could live to see it!—when men will understand this, and then …’
“He leaned over to my ear. For the first time, his voice was trembling.
“‘… and then the religion of Christ will take another step forward on earth. It will embrace the whole man, all of him, not just half as it does now in embracing only the soul. Christ’s mercy will broaden. It will embrace and sanctify the body as well as the soul; it will see—and preach—that they are not enemies, but fellow workers. Whereas now, what happens? If we sell ourselves to the devil, he urges us to deny the soul; if we sell ourselves to God, He urges us to deny the body. When will Christ’s heart grow sufficiently broad to commiserate not only the soul but also the body, and to reconcile these two savage beasts?’
“I was deeply moved.
“‘Thank you, Father, for the precious gift you have given me.’”
(Kazantzakis, Report to Greco, p. 290)
Experiment: Be aware of your body each day. Take special note of its desires and functions and try to keep an awareness of holiness as these activities are fulfilled (e.g., eating a meal with a sense of holiness}.
“The soul will seek that which it has builded, not only in the material plane but in the universal, for ‘as a tree falls, so will it lie.’”
One of the most exciting fields of research in our times is the study of altered states of consciousness. A question that has concerned researchers is “What determines the level of awareness to which a person shifts as he alters his consciousness?” Whether the altered state is meditation, hypnosis, drug states or dreams, certain factors seem to be very important: the feelings and attitudes of the person before the change in consciousness and the environmental setting of the experience.
The quotation from the Bible, “In the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.” (Ecclesiastes 11:3), which is so often used in the readings, seems to refer to the same principle. That which the mind is dwelling upon as it makes a transition in consciousness will determine the kind of experience the person will have. The analogy of the falling tree, of course, most clearly refers to death. A person’s experiences immediately after death are largely determined by the attitudes and feelings prior to passing over. However, this concept can be applied as well to the transition in consciousness that we make daily—from the waking state to the sleeping state. If we fall asleep with an attitude of thankfulness and desire to know our real selves, our dream life is more likely to provide insightful growth experiences.
Experiment: