The Truth of Our Condition

 By Monk Raj Rana

There were so many questions I would ponder as a child lying on my bed staring at the ceiling. What is the truth of our purpose here? What is the reason for human suffering and what happens after we die? I had theories but no real answers. It took a life altering experience of divorce in the early 2000s for me to start diving into trying to find answers; why is fear so prevalent? What is depression? Why do people fall sick? What is the role of God and the subconscious mind in our lives?

Today I will invite people I work with to contemplate questions such as the following:
· Could it be that we are far more powerful than our minds decide?
· Does familial/societal/cultural programming create levels of conflict within us that prevents us from really knowing our truth?
· Could it be that we are protecting ourselves and/or others we care about by holding specific beliefs about ourselves?

Just these simple questions invite a deep level of exploration that for me have opened a deeper understanding of myself and my relationship with God. I know I am more than my physical body and I am part of the intricate tapestry of Life. I also see that I fear; I fear rejection by people/society and as such also fear needing anyone in anyway in my life because they will reject me. These fears have been reinforced and strengthened since childhood and are seemingly embedded into my body generating undesirable feelings that seem overwhelming at times. Now we humans are all feeling based creatures and will move towards the feelings we like and away from those we don’t. And it’s those “negative” feelings that we will try to get rid of or drown out using a myriad of mechanisms including food, sex, drugs, alcohol etc etc. My personal escape was to watch movies or play video games when I was younger and there was a distinct numbing effect that came with that. But it is when I can let the “negative” feeling be, without rejection of it, that I sense that it is trying to protect me from a repeat of a hurt that occurred many moons before. This can then then evoke a sense of gratitude instead of self loathing and rejection. It is my practice.

One of my teachers would often say that we have no internal enemies, just friends. Meaning that all aspects of ourselves have a positive intention for us…..even those that judge us, hate us, cajole us to do something we do not like or speak down to us. Just that their methods may not be the most loving. Per my personal examination, it is by denying, suppressing or fighting with parts of myself that I create pain in my life. By acknowledging all aspects of myself as loveable and surrendering to that power of Love to embrace myself as whole and complete, I can enact that in my life. This is my/our evolution and birth right! With the Source being the wind in our sails, All is possible! We just need to choose where we are sailing to wisely.

Want more discussion on The Truth of our Condition? Join Laura Staman, Rita Regimbal and I on June 3rd as we discuss this topic and more, much more. Register here. 

Much love and many blessings

Raj