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Human Nature …
Human nature and the divine nature of mankind…sounds simple enough, but do we really understand the difference of the two as well as the importance of each? I thought I did, once upon a time, but later realized that I only knew the difference, but didn’t understand the difference… The general consensus of many who contemplate the physical and divine natures is that our goal is to eventually eliminate the human nature side within us and replace it with the divine nature…nearly an impossible feat by anyone’s measures! As all the great avatars throughout history have taught, this task seems to be true…and religions throughout the world have also centered their teachings and dogma around this very principle. The only problem…religion has left out or skips over many of the avatar’s struggles with their own human nature, for instance, Buddha, whom originally being a prince, left behind his family, children, kingdom, privileges, and wealth as a prince to seek out the meanings of spirituality and the divine. Jesus Christ of Nazareth had an extreme fit of anger in a temple in Jerusalem where merchants were disrespectfully selling animals and goods. Why do stories like these become more of a rarity in theological conversations and teachings as time goes on? Stories like those sound perfectly normal based upon the principles involved, that is, if we don’t consider the fact that beings like these are supposed to be completely divine. But when we recognize that there are also mortal, with the same trials and tribulations of human nature…then this all takes on a whole new meaning. All of a sudden, we are not only closer to these iconic figures, but we too have the chance to become as they were…an ideal that organized religion certainly frowns upon… The real answer that lies within the teachings is not to eliminate one or the other, it is to balance them, the true meaning of yin and yang…or Tao itself. The path to divinity encompasses compassion, moderation, sacrifice, and temperance…not the elimination of emotions, feelings, and mortal needs. As we spend our lives moving from experience to experience, we pack each one of them away within our emotions, the good and the bad. At different times in our life, we revisit them, sometimes to reminisce, sometimes because we made a similar mistake and we get reminded of the past…but we never seem to spend much time reflecting and learning from these experiences, while missing many more new ones along the way. Think of it as if each one of our experiences represented an animal that we found throughout our journeys in life. Each time we encounter one, we put it into a cage within our minds and hearts…some are ferocious, some are tame…and some are a little bit of both…but we cage them against their true nature. As we tend, from time to time, to walk down the path of this emotional zoo, we walk so close to these cages that we become drawn and mesmerized by the power and energy of what lies within them. We feel secure that the ferocious animals are caged, but we yearn to be with the tame animals that are caged just the same. If we learned to open the gates to these cages…the animals would roam free once again, being who and what they are…natural. We would always be able to see them from a distance, always knowing they aren’t far away…and most importantly, knowing and remembering the power of each and every one that we have encountered. The most important part of this action is that we wouldn’t miss any more of the flowers or streams, or sunrises/sunsets that lie along the road ahead because no longer would we be completely focused on the road behind us. The first step to balance in our lives is to accept and learn from the past, good or bad…but not dwell and live within it. Remembrance is normal and natural, but to bask too long in it makes us miss tomorrow’s memories that are coming along the way. Human nature has its benefits as well as its detractors. Human nature is the emotional need and bond with nature and the environment around us. It helps us to realize the conditions and the principles of all that is around us and allows us to interact accordingly. It is also what instinctively protects and guides us on a base level. The detractors come into play when we rely too much on our emotions and perceptions to guide our actions, potentially causing a high risk of error in our decisions. But, if we understand human nature for what it truly is, we can make better judgments amidst our emotion and perception. Divine nature, on the other hand, is the involvement of forces beyond our physical senses. It is our conscience and our higher moral instinct that we inherently are born with. When this part of us is learned, we now have a connection to what is not seen or heard, but is experienced. It is where our dreams lead us and where deja-vu came from. The main principle of Tao is to follow the ‘ Great Way’ instead of one’s own individual way. It is to lead a life of working with our natural surroundings instead of against it, becoming one with the Great Divine Spirit instead of trying to fight it. In other words, complete harmony and balance. We have no control over anything but our own thoughts and actions, even though we may seem to have power over other things from time to time. For us to interfere with the ‘natural way’, would only harm and disrupt it, instead of becoming one with it. By basic philosophy, because we cannot control or eliminate life in general or the Divine intent, the only other logical answer is to balance the two and nurture each, for we are bound to both. This, it so happens, is the message of the avatars also. If one researched the history, the stories and the myths of the avatars throughout history, they would quickly realize that this was what they meant. But like any other great choice or decision in everyone’s life, the first step onto the path begins with the intent to do so… ~ Hieros ~ |