I used to want to change the world.
Now, I know I can only change myself.
Spiritually speaking, humanity has entered an era quite different from the preceding centuries. And while spirituality and religion run in the same circles, they are not the same thing, despite history’s attempts to confuse the two.
In the thousands of years of organized religion’s existence, there’s usually been an emphasis on the ‘guru,’ or the ‘priest,’ the ‘teacher,’ the ‘prophet’… you get the picture. Typically, this central wise leader or mystic was spiritually advanced leagues beyond their congregation, and would enable their followers to connect with their god(s). The people relied on the teacher to share their experiences and relay their connection to the divine, as the humble individual could not possibly hope to commune in the way their priest could. So, they listened and followed and put their faith into this teacher.
This spiritual gatekeeping meant that the average person was not seen as able to or worthy of making a connection to God directly. Rather they had to connect through their leader, through their worship centers, by offerings, sacrifices, rituals, and the like. Early organized religions were even used to justify a central authority in up and coming societies and empires, such as Ancient Egypt, furthering this belief that some people simply had a divine right over others. It was a way to, whether purposefully planned or as an unfortunate byproduct, keep people invested in these religions (and their nations) and reliant on leaders to show them the way to salvation.
As religion evolved, there remained a focus on the belief system, on the religious order itself, but the idea of a personal spiritual connection began making headway. In several of the more popular religions of today, this idea served as the backbone of what that religious experience was supposed to be, even if the bureaucracy of such religion got in their own way. But, as this new age of spirituality began to unfold, humanity put more and more of an emphasis on personal responsibility. Gone were the days where people relied on a teacher or prophet to connect them with the divine. And while there are sects of some religions that still purport this fallacy, that there is someone with divine authority over others, a large majority of the world is waking up to the Truth.
What is the Truth? If you’ve been around here before, then you’ll know what I mean when I say YOU are the Truth. Being is the Truth – what and who we actually are (the observer) is the Truth.
Should you need an elaboration on this, please read The Voice Inside Your Head, before proceeding.
Never before in the history of mankind has personal, spiritual responsibility become so mainstream. Aligning with religion was once the only way we recognized people as being spiritual, but now, even in the major world religions, we are returning to personal connection, to having a personal relationship with God that supersedes the rigid structure of the religion itself. Our individual relationship with the divine Source (which is my way of saying God) is the most important spiritual connection we will ever forge.
The topic of who or what God is can be touchy, but I’ll breakdown my thoughts on the matter, with a reminder that: my opinions may not align with yours so please take what serves you from this post and leave the rest.
Simply put, God is an eternal, divine Source of all that is, of all life, all energy, all Being. God is an access point that allows our souls to reconnect with this collective, spiritual life energy, this Source, from which we were all conceived. In my theory, we are not separate from God. God is not this other, all-knowing, omnipotent entity that exists apart from us. Rather, the spirit of who we Are, the Truth of what we Are, is God! We only perceive ourselves as separate from this divine Source while in the physical realm, while on this physical journey. In actuality, the Source of all life, the divine that exists in every breath you take and every single physical manifestation around you, is a part of God.
The more I’ve studied different religions, particularly Christianity as I was raised Christian, the more I see the connections tying different religions together and pointing to this great Truth. There are several parallels between the major religions, and these overlapping similarities actually reveal deeper truths of what is. The law and order of organized religion, the rules, the belief systems, the restrictions, those are merely imposed by mankind and following them does not equate to being spiritual, or having a relationship with God. They are not what true spirituality and connection to the divine is.
Consider how, in the three major religions, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism, there is a recognition of dysfunction, or madness within the human mind. They express that the inherent state of being human comes with uncontrollable urges. Hinduism calls this maya (the mind is a veil of delusion). Buddhism calls this dukka (the mind generates suffering/misery). Christianity calls this sin (whose original translation, ‘to miss the point, live blindly and so suffer’, has been greatly misinterpreted).
The great Truth, of recognizing that you are separate from your mind and the voice inside your head, aligns perfectly with these core religious beliefs. Being human brings challenges, issues, and problems. Your human mind will cause suffering and misery. It is up to us to see past the physical body that we inhabit and recognize those thoughts and behaviors for what they are, then do our best to live in present mindfulness of what is.
Consider next, how in the three major religions Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam, there is a main prophet, or teacher, that spouted ideals and from whose teachings these religions were formed, or greatly influenced. At the heart of their messages, these three teachers were not very different at all, but rather emphasized living in peace, loving one another, and engaging in a spiritual connection to the divine.
Jesus (of Christianity) told us in John 13:34, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” Muhammed (of Islam) wrote in The Holy Quran 49:10, “Humanity is but a single brotherhood; so make peace with your brethren.” Gautama Buddha (of Buddhism) in The Dhammapada, is quoted to have said, “Entangled by the bonds of hate, he who seeks his own happiness by inflicting pain on others, is never delivered from hatred.”
What do all of these statements have in common? They all encourage living in peace with and loving one another. These teachers advocated for humanity to live together as one, in spiritual connection not only to God, but with each other. They were devoted to living in peaceful existence and spreading that message to all, and while there are countless other scriptures and quotations and references that I could bring into the mix, the point is this:
At the heart of most religions is the Truth! It’s a part of these religious orders, because it’s always been a part of our great cycle of life. Only, being human is messy and complicated, and with it comes dealing with the ego, and pain-bodies, and so much grief that its understandable how, over thousands of years, the Truth was watered down to fit into organized religious boxes and rigid belief systems. I am a big believer that Jesus, specifically, was advocating for the Truth, outside the confines of organized religion, but we confused or misinterpreted him, as people tend to do.
In the Bible, the book of John, chapter 14, when Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me,” he is not meaning himself as the individual person Jesus, but rather he is using the I Am statement. The big I Am. Each person recognizing themself and the Truth of who they Are, is the only way to reach divine connection and conscious recognition. He follows up and clarifies this later in the chapter when he says, “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” He is saying that we are all connected, and the Father, the God he speaks about, lives within all of us – that we are all part of God. We all have this divine connection to the Source living inside of us. He was merely here to show us the way and he knew his physical form wouldn’t last forever – nothing physical ever does.
Further, take for example how in their book, A Trip Around The Sun, authors Mark Batterson and Richard Foth greatly advocate for collecting experiences and living fully alive and present in each moment, feeling the richness of what is. They write from a perspective of Christianity, and living with God, going on adventures for Jesus, but the lifestyles they describe are very spiritual on the most basic level, which are not unique to Christianity.
Some quotations from the book are included below (with my notes on how these relate to spirituality in parentheses):
“We is greater than me,” (all life is interconnected and that revelation is more important than individual needs).
“We take God seriously but we don’t take ourselves seriously,” (the physical reality is where we play and is not serious! Accepting the Truth of reality is important and is the primary goal for all souls first and foremost).
“When my world seems to be turning upside down… I only need to know two things: God is with me and God is for me,” (your spiritual connection to the divine is always part of you AND is constantly working to make things happen for you, on your vibrational level. What you put out into the universe, so the universe sends back to you).
“And this man [a German theologian] was telling me that his value as a person did not come from any of the great things he did for God, but from the one great thing the God of the universe did for him. He was loved by God,” (our inherent value comes from Being, and nothing more. As infinite, eternal Beings of this divine Source, we are whole and perfect and loved as we are. What we accomplish in this physical reality has no affect on our value whatsoever).
“We don’t see the world as it is, we see the world as we are,” (perception is everything! How we believe things to be and how we feel about ourselves will reflect what we see in the world and other people around us. This is so deep and in alignment with the Truth).
These teachings that spun into the major world religions of today came from prophets who were so spiritually advanced and attuned to the true nature of the world they were light years ahead of the rest. They understood the Truth, they knew the divine joy of Being, of the endless life cycles constantly rotating through this physical world, and they attempted to bring this message to others. And humanity, with the lovely madness that lives inside all of us, took and twisted those Truths into organized religious orders that could be used to indoctrinate and control the masses. Many used them as a way to grasp at power or inflict violence on those who ‘thought differently,’ when violence and control were never part of the equation to begin with!
Perhaps it was because they knew that if they could control this personal connection, they could prevent the masses from recognizing the true power we all hold within: that the God-connection makes us creators of our own reality!
But now, we are finally awakening to this power and the Truth of the world. All people will play a role in the upcoming evolution of human consciousness, whether its a conscious role or not. And we will keep cycling through new births and deaths until enough people awaken and begin living and manifesting the ever-so-elusive heaven on earth. Living in conjunction with our natural world, and with each other, without creating unnecessary violence and genocide is possible, so long as each and every person does their part.
There’s no way that I can change the world and create this alone. I can only change myself. I can only recognize the Truth for what it is, and live accordingly. Each and every other person in this world has to do their own part too. I can share my experiences, my thoughts, and my stories with others. I can hope to make an impression, or give someone an ‘aha’ moment, but I cannot bring them to realization or force the Truth upon those who do not wish to see it.
Someday, humanity will awaken in full. And when that time comes, we will see a widespread evolution of our consciousness, bringing into existence a utopian world that’s only dreamed about today.
I am doing my part, the best I can.
Change begins with me, and I reflect it back to you.
Until Next Time –
Yours for Happy Writing,
Lady Jenji
Lady Jenji Writing & Design 