Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Enlightened Rebellion ~ repost

~i wrote this piece a year ago [january 2010]~

What makes revolution and rebellion different? Revolution arises from a dissatisfaction with existing conditions. Rebellion arises from a dissatisfaction with oneself. Revolution signifies a change in thought, a coming around of ideas, and rebellion means how we get those changes. Revolution implies circular and cyclical turn of events.

We need Enlightened Rebellion. We need it because revolution fails us, has failed us throughout history. Doesn't revolt seem like a ridiculous power swap, in which the powerless become the powerful and vise versa? When we live inside revolution,we're living inside a non-stop centrifuge that resembles a revolving door. When we externalise our inner conflicts, in an attempt to rectifiy them, we merely wedge ourselves further away from the salvation of wisdom and truth.



Enlightened Rebellion takes place in silence. It passes from heart to heart. It shines the light and power of the present moment onto the darkest recesses of heart and soul. It quiets the chaos of thinking.  It takes place on the individual level. It describes a battle we each face with the darker parts of ourselves. It reminds me of Jacob, who wrestled an angel throughout the night. I wrestle with angels, do you? I think we all do; I think we're meant to. And through this, we become more conscious, more alert, more aware ~ more mindful. We embrace gratitude and the stillness of prayer. The more we embrace the bliss and joy of life, the more we radiate light to those around us. Then the more bliss and joy fill us. 

I wish to live in the present moment
to make do with what there is, and
to continue capturing the joy of
giving to others by sharing what I have.

I wish to feel satiated with
the place in which I find myself,
rather than compulsively wishing for
some other backdrop to fall into my life.
image by m0thyyku

Why somewhere else, why always somewhere else? Why do I frequently feel the need to go away somewhere to gain rest, relaxation, and to see beauty? Why do I need to leave in order to arrive? Could it be that I'm there, already?

Why all the mindless zombies, sporting ear phones, head phones, iPods, newspapers, books on the morning commute, as if they could so easily numb away existence? Before now, I didn't really see the beauty that immediately surrounds me in my daily existence. I know why, now ~ I wasn't looking!

image by kadox

I've confuse continuous euphoria with happiness for so long.
Have I blurred the line between feeling my feelings and being my feelings?
[Yes]

A passive, unbalanced me prefers to observe life from a distance, rather than risk partaking fully by experiencing it through my senses, and trusting my perception of that experience. I've frequently felt inclined to doubt myself, sometimes even my perceptions. I don't trust myself, most of the time. And, I've rarely felt the total beauty and light contained within my mundane existence. It's like not having a mirror to check yourself before leaving the house in the morning. I suppose my drive to seek elsewhere, stems from my need to convince myself I'm okay. Or, from my fear-based need to remain in the steely observer position. Like a sort of anaesthesia escape from all the empty moments.

image by tngabor

I often try to juxtapose the reality that so many humans suffer from scarce resources, while so many suffer from a grotesque abundance of resources. And despite it all, we still think we have lost something when we share what we have with someone else who has nothing, or less. I feel connected to other humans, in a deep way. And so, I cannot subscribe to a mutually exclusive view of humanity. Greed poisons us all and then perpetuates itself by provoking us to externalize our internal battles and wrestle each other instead of our dark, inner selves. I wrestle with angels. Everyday.

1 comments:

X. Dell said...

(1) I guess I'm not enlightened.

I can respect what you say, though. I see revolution (or evolution) as inevitable, whether it fails us or not. Then again, what do I really know?

(2) Henri Baker, son of French entertainer Josephine Baker, once said of his mother, "Josephine was like the sun. She gave warmth and comfort, but only from a distance. If you got too close to her, you burned."

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