Let us continue our discussion where we left off in Lessons of Consciousness 1.
Self-Knowledge
In the image above you see the words that are inscribed at The Oracle of Delphi in Greece. This statement is a beautiful example of a fundamental truth about the nature of reality and demonstrates the law of correspondence. It highlights the importance of knowing yourself and your own consciousness.
Truly knowing the Self corresponds to knowing the Universe.
You may have heard the phrase As Above So Below which demonstrates the same knowledge about our Universe; that it is like a hologram or fractal. If you were to cut a hologram in half you would not get half of the image, just a smaller image of the whole hologram. Basically, the nature of our reality is self-similar across scales.
A personal note: In 1998 a good friend of mine built my first computer for me. Once online, I discovered fractals in the form of background images to be used for the computer's desktop. I would have to say I was completely obsessed with these images. I collected thousands of them. It does makes me wonder if those little things we are interested in are just our soul or consciousness communicating with us to open our mind to what we already know but are not aware of.
One of my favorite artists, M.C. Escher demonstrates fractal art in a most unique way.
The Microcosm = The Macrocosm (from cellular to galactic)
Hence, if you do not understand the nature of your own individual consciousness you cannot truly know the Universe. And again I come back to the reason for suffering; not knowing the Self results in suffering of all kinds on an individual as well as a collective level.
Is What You Value Holding You Back?
What you value defines the quality of your life. It is no surprise to me the level of suffering we experience collectively when you look at what society in general values. Morals seem to play almost no part in the lives of the individuals on this planet. Money, possessions and public status dominate the value system of many many individuals.
What you value directly correlates with morals. For example, If you value money, making money, spending money etc then it would be easier for you to do some immoral act in order to produce or receive that value of money. Those that don't value money cannot be manipulated into doing bad things. Obviously we all value money in that it is the only way to pay rent, utilities and survive. Unfortunately, our society is set up to require money to survive. But, not all of us place the utmost importance on money or status.
Do yourself a favor and list the top 5 things you value the most. Be Honest With Yourself!
Is there anything on your list that would make you compromise your morals? Don't be too hard on yourself, but know that those things that would cause compromise need to change in you. In today's society it can be difficult being a moral person.
Truth Has Value
For me personally, truth/honesty is the thing I value most. I literally feel internal violence when I know someone is lying to me. Strangely enough because of this I have suffered in that I cannot find a good sales job because lying to customers is part of the job; most sales people can verify this fact. Being a moral person in an immoral society makes life very hard some times; but I suppose I signed up for this gig!
When you align yourself with Truth the quality of your experiences improve. Conversely, the more you veer off the path of truth the more suffering you will experience. Living in Truth is more than just being honest with others...being honest with yourself is most important. And it does take time to understand that Government isn't Truth, Military isn't Truth, Religion isn't Truth, Media isn't Truth. Part of this whole process of raising your consciousness is viewing your belief system, dismantling it so to speak. It is an extremely painful process but once completed you can rebuild your belief system with Truth at the foundation.
Well that's all for today! I will be back soon with more lessons in consciousness
“Get offended as you like”-Mark Passio
Mark Passio has been a huge influence on my own personal journey of self-discovery & search for Truth.
http://www.whatonearthishappening.com
I love his rough in your face style!
