Some of the most stubborn stumbling blocks in our spiritual evolution are imprints or “models” which we may not even be aware of. Sometimes we have imbibed these subconsciously since early childhood.

In this article I would like to remind us of one “world model” which governs a wide variety of our thoughts and actions and more often than not hampers our free spiritual expression. This is the hierarchic model or hierarchic pyramid. After briefly discussing this imprint and how it works I would like to propose an alternative model which to me seems to work much better by self-empowering us.

Hierarchic pyramids are what the military runs on, most companies, many trade-unions, political parties and almost countless other institutions big and small. Someone is on top, a few a little below working closely with the top guy, many in between and we as regular people are mostly to be found at the very bottom. When hierarchic pyramids mutate into dictatorships they become constrictive and dangerous.

In spirituality we also quite often find this model of a world view: (Our) God is on top, a few archangels or saints or high priests and so on close by. Then a number of priests and helpers and all the way down at the bottom of the pyramid we, the general people.

In religion this model often works as an imprint to mainly ensure:
- hope for a better and higher life for the people below;
- but to be attained only if and when the order and “revelations” of the higher ups who are the only ones to enjoy some access to the top are believed and implicitly followed.

The hierarchic pyramid insinuates that there is “up” and “down”, “high” and “low” in spirituality and religion, that only very few know the ultimate truth and possess the highest authority. What that may lead to in some churches (inquisition, crusades, persecution of “witches”) and also some more recent Guru systems (mass suicide, mass exploitation) is all too well known to most of us.

Foremost the hierarchic system disempowers the individual, the soul, the higher self and renders it almost helpless at the altar of some distant top beyond any check-and-balance responsibilities.

You yourself will be able to extrapolate many more and other associations and results from how this hierarchic pyramid works in our mind and actions.

I would like to propose a different model and suggest that you work some time with this to check yourself what it may do for your uninhibited spiritual self-image and self-evolution. I call it the “Sphere” model.

Imagine a sphere. We can make a number of peculiar observations:

1. There are uncountable points on the surface of any sphere. And each of these points represent the center of the surface. Funny, isn’t it? That is just how we are: Each one of us is – legitimately so! – the center of the world – that is, of his or her world of course.

2. Problems come up only if and when we would insist that one point on the surface of a sphere and one point only is the only center of the surface. The same if and when we feel that we are the only focal point in this world, on this earth, in this life.

3. So, there are as many “centers of life” as there are people on this globe. Problems come up if we insist that we are the only one. But if and when we acknowledge that we are a unique focal point among innumerable other unique points and that, as on the surface of a sphere, all are interconnected one way or the other – then, well then we have made a giant step forward.

4. Each point on the surface is as near or far from the center as any other. If we call this center “God”, light, truth, love, ultimate reality or the like, then we can observe that not a single point is closer to God, higher or lower, better or worse, etc.

But how do we account in this model for the fact that some people inspire us so much – Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa, and so many more “saints”? Let us look at the model sphere again.

5. Let us imagine that some points on the surface of the sphere (which represent real people like you and me) are aware of all said above and in addition to this have opened up their hearts and minds and souls to the fact and the energy that the whole sphere (eg this world, this earth, this life) can only exist because of the center of the sphere (God, light, love …) than – well, then they start to shine with this realization. Compare it to flying in a plane during night time over land, no clouds, and you look down and see some lights where villages are and bigger lights where cities are located. You get the picture.

This is how real saints (canonical or not) work: They let the light shine. They enlighten people coming into contact with them. They never think that they are “closer” to God or are “higher” than you and me. Or do we believe Saint Francis or Rabia of Basra felt that they are more worthy, more spiritual, or in any way “better” than anyone else? The outstanding quality, nay even “proof” of a true saint is that he or she lives and acts exactly as we all do and does not feel any spiritual or religious hierarchy.

The model of the sphere offers a profound alternative and can empower us to discover the common source of light and love and let it shine through us in our unique way. That will be a contribution to life and humankind which creates a new sense of spiritual development in equality.

In the next article we will deal with the question “What heals us?” From the depth of my heart and the height of my spirit I wish each and everyone reading the wonderful Shaumbra Newsletter and all their loved ones a blessed 2010 full of joy, grace, health, success and fulfillment.

Yours truly, Wulfing

© 2010 Wulfing von Rohr

 

About Wulfing von Rohr, b. 1948

Wulfing von Rohr has written and co-authored about 90 books, mostly in the fields of spirituality, meditation, personal growth and holistic natural healing. Wulfing brought Edward Bach (Bach flower remedies), Dane Rudhyar (humanistic astrology), Chris Griscom (consciousness pioneer) a.o. leading edge authors into German language publishing as general editor, co-author and translator. He was member of the board of directors of the German yoga teacher´s association (BDY), is a member of the International Society of Depth Psychology and a founding and honorary member of the Marianic association of Großgmain. He has served as the founding chief editor of the first German bi-monthly angel magazine. Wulfing serves as organizer and host for international peace and for intercultural conferences (Munich, Luzern, Salzburg), for Angel Congresses (Salzburg, Munich, Nuremberg) and for Wholistic Conferences (Zurich, Basel). Wulfing lived and worked in Santa Fe, NM, from 1986 until 1998. Now he makes his home in Austria at the magic Untersberg close to Salzburg.