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.