Brent’s Mail
“Philosophers and spiritual teachers have been asking themselves for the last five thousand years what influences are favorable to the development of an enlightened consciousness…and why.
There’s a profound story that portrays people as prisoners being held in a dark cave since childhood. They sit facing a wall and behind them is a raised platform and behind that is a fire. Their captors wave dolls back and forth through the light of the fire and these objects cast shadows on the wall in front of the people. The people don’t see the fire and they never look at the dolls because their bodies and heads are chained so they can’t look at the person next to them or move in any way. They only see the shadows that the dolls cast on the wall in front of them. The people come to believe that these shadows are reality. They name the shadows and start competing for who can name them the fastest and how many they can name, which one will come next Etc. They hear the voices of the puppeteers and believe that they are the voices of the shadows. And they suffer greatly as a consequence of their belief. They believe the shadows are reality because they know NOTHING but shadows and they assume there is nothing BUT shadows.
One day, by fate or by circumstance or maybe even by accident one individual is able to turn his head around. As he turns his head he sees the dolls going back and forth in front of the fire. In that moment he realizes that the shadows are only shadows and that suffering is caused by ignorance. He goes back briefly to watching the shadows and suffering. Even though the experience doesn’t last, at least he knows and he’s had this extraordinary moment of consciousness in which he realized that the shadows were shadows. In having seen the truth, it will tug at him until he finally walks out into the sunlight. He’d like to stay out in the sunlight for the rest of his life but he feels an obligation to the people who are still suffering, who still believe in the shadows and who believe there’s nothing BUT shadows. His biggest challenge is how to tell them.
If he goes back into the cave and he tries to tell the truth, they won’t understand him, they won’t believe him. They’ve never heard the word “sunlight.” They will feel that he’s insane and a troublemaker. And, he’ll either end up imprisoned in the shadow world or maybe even crucified… because his words about sunlight are meaningless to the people who have only seen cave shadows.
The principle obstruction to their awakening is the belief that they’re already awake.
Now, while the above statement is true there is, within it, a sense of being made wrong.
Ex: “What do you mean I’m not awake!?”
It’s a threat to the ego and this is no fertile ground for self-development or self-growth. But eventually, if he survives long enough, this realized being grows smart enough to circumvent the ignorance and the intolerance of the shadow watchers. He gains the ability to understand and manage creation. He operates from the viewpoint of higher-self without needing approval or applause. He simply takes responsibility for transforming these people and transforming civilization. He learns how to inspire. And he inspires the people who are trapped and suffering in their shadow reality. He learns how to inspire them to turn around and see the light without making them wrong.
Give your friends lots of room to believe what they believe. Remember, they’re just chasing shadows. If you want to help them (and have a good relationship with them) you have to take this into consideration and avoid making them wrong. Instead, be patient and inspire them to see a new way. When they do things the way they do them, don’t get sucked in…do your own thing and let your actions (and results) speak louder than your words.
Try it and let me know what happens!”
