Tag Archives: nobody

DISCOVERING WHAT GOD WANTS US TO ACTUALLY DO

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“Each of our lives is a part of the lengthy process
of the universe gradually waking up and becoming
aware of itself.” Thomas Nagel

Given that enlightenment, by itself, turns out not to be enough,
The next question is: what does God want human beings to actually do?

Since human beings have all the potential mental and emotional “firepower” they’ll ever need,
how can they gain access to it?

The number of processing units within our mind/brain exceeds 100 trillion (1015) neural connections –
(which may be greater than the number of galaxies in the universe.)

Each one of us has this same potential.

But this “power” is not needed for literally everything – in fact, we’ll only encounter a limited number of critical moments in our lives when a “right” decision is necessary. When we reach such a crossroads, that is, when we find ourselves attempting to figure out what God would do if God were a human being – just like us – that’s when we’ll require access to this almost astral “mind.”

To achieve it, at a specific time and place, we first need to relinquish our “ego” or “false self” (even though a “shadow” ego might still be hanging around) and become a “nobody.”

This can be done!

Of course, to gain access to all this mental and emotional “firepower” – after our ego has once been set aside (even if only temporarily) – one also needs to get past our normal everyday human “appetites” for money, sex, food and status, as well as escape all the “stories,” socially-created and individually accepted, that have provided us with acceptable quotidian identities – whether national, racial, or religious.

So, to successfully become “nobody” is not such an easy task. We’ll need to acquire the innocence of a small child who accepts the “natural world” created by God – “thinking” and “feeling” in an open and natural way – to make the kind of decision God hopes we can make.

Each one of us has the necessary mental and emotional capacity to make a “right” decision for one’s self.

First, however, we have to want to get there – to that place of freedom and clarity. As I’ve said, this can be easy – even though usually considered almost impossible – but we are able to do it if that’s what we truly desire.

Our minds possess this almost “stellar” capacity to address essential life questions –  using our thoughts and feelings to discern the right answer – the same answer as God’s answer would be.

It’s the love of God that makes this possible.

ENLIGHTENMENT IS NOT ENOUGH

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I talk a lot about becoming “nobody” – about giving up my ego –
The identity I’ve developed over years of trial and error
While projecting my “self” out into the world
To gain an acceptance of my self-created identity.

Eventually, however, I start feeling inauthentic
For relying upon this self-manufactured ego
Which, one day, I hope to replace with a new, improved identity –
A “better” ego –
Which, of course, will also invariably turn out to be a dead-end.

Giving up one’s ego – completely – as the final step on the way to enlightenment –
Is never enough however,
Because becoming a “nobody,” by itself, doesn’t accomplish a thing –
The point of relinquishing one’s ego is to replace it
With love of God –
Along with an ability to take concrete steps to bringing God into the world.

In sum, relinquishing one’s ego is only the first step –
But what follows needs to be a life dedicated to “understanding” God
And God’s true nature as much as humanly possible –

For example, who is God, what does God want, and are there any exemplars of God
Appearing in the world today
Who make one’s heart “sing with joy?”

Starting this process of “understanding” God
Is the same thing as “falling in love” with God –
Both, however, entail a commitment to a lifelong process.

Once you’ve actually fallen in love with God
Means you’ll want to act in ways that God desires –
Jesus was able to do this –
Faced with a painful, disgraceful death administered by Roman troops –
He acted solely for God
Which resulted in an historically impactful release of Holy Spirit out into the world
Occurring simultaneously with his physical death.

This spirit of Jesus was transformed into a human “sun” –
That perpetually is creating more spiritual life in our world –
Often in ways not manifested during his earlier physical life.
Take Saul/Paul, for example, who was able to transform himself,
At least partially, into a brilliant reflection of Jesus.

So, enlightenment is not enough by itself – instead, we need to “fall in love” with God
And then commit our lives to bringing God, by our actions, into the world.

We lose nothing by giving up our egos
Because, without God, we’re nothing anyway –
All our other efforts – no matter how materially meaningful –
Don’t matter at all –
The only thing that truly matters are actions on behalf of God –
Everything else is – dross.

Every single human being, whether righteous or unrighteous,
Has the potential – while still alive –
To make a choice about each single individual act –
Whether or not to contribute something towards making God’s world real.

God began existence with a simple gesture
Unfurling out into the cosmos –
From its initial cosmic explosion, followed by evolving life, and then radiant spirit
All – moving steadily towards God –
Where, by the end of time, all of us will end up participating with God

Who is “Love”
Who is “Truth”
Who is “Justice”
Who is “Beauty.”

If you can do this, you’ll gain everything – and lose nothing –
Even if, by then, you’ll no longer have any personal identity or name –
Which won’t matter because, in your actions, you’ll have become part of God –
And God will recognize you and know your name – even if no one else does.

Jesus deeply understood this, and you can trust him about it –
That is, we need to love God the same way he did.

So, a loss of ego leading to enlightenment may be an important first step,
But, by itself, amounts to almost nothing –
While acting in the world for God turns out to be the only thing
That’s actually truly meaningful!

NOBODY

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             One trump card used by “enlightenment masters,” when meeting prospective new followers, is asking: “who are you?,” knowing in advance they can’t answer that – because, in actuality, at the deepest levels underneath their “ego,” they’re “no one” and “nobody.”

            Recognizing the need to rid myself of ego before taking up the search for my “true self,” I started studying Western medieval mystics like Marguerite Porete and Meister Eckhart, as well as more modern writers, like Emily Dickinson and Simone Weill, all of whom wrote about becoming “nobody” or “no one,” as being necessary to approach God directly. Marguerite Porete wrote: True freedom is when we “become love.” This reaches far beyond simple humility (because, obviously, a lot of pride can be hidden behind a show of humility). Going all the way – to zero – and then experiencing the world – is what they seemed to be recommending. At first, this approach seemed meaningless to me, even nonsensical, yet they repeatedly kept saying it.

            Eventually, I came to accept their approach as being centered on freedom. That in order to escape one’s ego, one first had to free oneself of one’s “old” self – along with all the wrong ideas and assumptions about one’s “life” and “the world.” Apparently, becoming nobody does the trick! As Marguerite says: “The soul swims in a sea of joy!”

            We need to go to the place where we stand alone – waiting for the promised meeting with God –and then just wait. As Meister Eckhart says: “To be empty of all created things is to be full of God, and to be full of created things is to be empty of God.”

            The promise is that God arrives out of “nothing,” That by accepting loneliness – even depression – and waiting patiently, God will eventually “come home” – into your heart.

            Immediately upon “waking up,” you’ll be seeing through fresh eyes – a newborn’s eyes – and what you’ll see and experience is what God sees and experiences – through you – just as if you’re God and God is you.

            This is the easiest, as well as the hardest, thing in the world to accomplish – to give up your ego in order to find your “true self” – to become the individual you were born to be. It’s what Jesus understood – that one’s old self has to “die” for one’s “true self” to come to life.

            And this is what he accomplished – and why people either spontaneously followed him or desired to kill him. The former filled with a joy they’d never experienced before, while the latter became angry that any human being would dare to become that kind of person.

            As Meister Eckhart says: “God’s ground and the soul’s ground are one ground.” That is, God’s essence and the soul’s essence are the same – at least in the eyes of great mystics

A NEW START

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The self is nobody
And God is no one.

That’s a start!

God, was, is, a great idea
Coming into existence through a single flashing thought
On its way to becoming everything else.

This idea that eventually became everything
Met nobody – time after time –
And exchanging places in a magical spiritual marriage –
Repeatedly resulted in the birth of pure joy.

I’m working on another idea –
It runs through me only when I’m not looking:

Suddenly, I become a new person
Shining like Jesus or the Buddha
Born this very day.  

It looks like this!

ONCE ALL THE PRESENTS ARE OPENED

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It’s good to be humble
Yet, sometimes, it’s good to recognize that the universe
Has been patiently waiting just for you.

It’s good to be modest
But, sometimes, you might imagine becoming a rock star
Singing to people shouting out your name.

Personally, I’m a nobody – and completely unknown –
But what a luxury to be so free –
Since no one’s been expecting anything from me!

I have a secret, though, that God’s whispering:

“One day, many people may be thankful
For writing down what’s needed.”

Fortunately, however, by then I’ll no longer be here
And that’s, in fact, what God has wanted –
No envy –
Knowing I’d be long gone
Once all the presents are being opened!

WHEN YOU LET GO

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When you let your ego go – and become nobody –
You’ll be surrendering to an even greater inner and outer life!

And, eventually, when you discover your “true self” – whatever it is –
It certainly won’t be your same old ego-directed “movie.”

When you let your ego go – and become nobody –
Joy starts “bubbling up” –
Leading you to experience a lifetime of continual surprises –
When you won’t need to worship God any longer –
Because you’ll understand that God has begun lighting you up.

It’s not that you’ll be so great
Or important
Or have much significance at all.

God “lights up” all God’s creatures,
Including human beings,
Whenever we, as humans, let our egos go and start living our “true lives.”

That’s when God can be heard singing –
And yes, sometimes, even “dancing,” high up, in the passing clouds.

That’s when, much to our surprise,
We’ll find that God has, for some reason, started worshipping us!

CALLING DOWN TO YOU

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When you “die,” while still being alive, you’ll be free
To be nobody – that is, someone who’s totally in love with God.

This liberation occurs the moment
All the roles you’ve been straining to hold up to the world’s view
Fall of their own weight –
Including your name and identity.

Yet “you’ll” still remain, just as you’ve always been, isn’t that right?

When you “die” while still being alive, you’ll be free to travel straight to God –
And you’ll do it –
Really, where else would you go –
Nowhere?

Everything I’m saying here applies to each and every moment in your life –
There’s really no distinction between before and after –
Only fewer distractions once you’ve arrived.

Listen, joy is joy,
God is God,
And you are you –
In all worlds.

Hear that distant singing? Listen carefully, it’s your own joy
Calling down to you.

BEST FRIENDS

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When someone criticizes you –
Before rising up and becoming three or four times larger –
Before opening up a fire hose of ferocity –
Or even speaking a single word –

You must die.

Say: “So long” –
And become nobody.

This is what Jesus meant by “Blessed are the poor in spirit” –
That is, the less you are, the less you have to protect.

Each time you decide you are someone,
You’ll end up struggling to manipulate yourself into that kind of worldly acceptability,
While at the same time others will be attempting to get a hold on you –
Sensing your vulnerability.

But God can’t be manipulated
And the same’s true for the kind of people who have given up their egos –
It would be like trying to get a firm grip on the wind – or water.

Listen, accept all criticism – no matter how harsh –
If you can ever make it over your mountain chains of self-justification and self-satisfaction
You’ll be able to see forever.

If the attack is a lie – you won’t even notice it –
However, if bad feelings begin flying up and incinerating inside your heart –
It probably means it did have some truth in it.

So, it’s undeniable, isn’t it, that your enemies are also your best friends,
Because they really enjoy telling you
Everything you don’t want to hear but most need to know.