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Page 1 of 2 Mid-week Inspiration,
Have you ever wondered what causes so many people to live in fear of their own company? I have.
What the masters of the ages have sought most societies have advocated as one of the most severe of punishments. I am working with a prison inmate who recently was put in the ‘hole’. When someone is believed to have done something particularly bad society puts them in isolation. Children, when they are ‘disruptive’ are put in the corner or in their rooms; we put them away. In schools we give inattentive students detentions or other forms of isolation treatment.
In aboriginal tribes throughout the world the ultimate punishment was to deny the existence of a person. In churches they were excommunicated as the ultimate punishment.
So why if it is such a severe form of punishment do mystics seek isolation and silence? The very treatment we use to direct our criminals in fear to conform is embraced by our spiritual leaders as the surest route to ultimate freedom.
It is little wonder that our society would frown on spiritual devotion when it entails willingly partaking of the ultimate punishment. But is it? In the west, North America and Europe, there are two religious groups today that are growing remarkably fast, Christian fundamentalism and various forms of Buddhism. Buddhism, unlike Christian religions, openly embraces isolation and meditation as a spiritual discipline for all its members. As a core part of their practice they encourage meditation. Usually when Buddhists gather the focus of their ‘service’ is sitting in silence. I consider myself to be a devout and practicing New Thought Christian. I personally see no difference between me and a devout and practicing Buddhist, Muslim, Jew or Wikkan for that matter. It seems to matter far less what religion a person embraces as whether one embraces the ideals of that religion. In all my studies I have found no core difference in the philosophies of their avatars; and one practice they all partook of was isolation. They all recognized the importance of looking within, becoming comfortable with self. They all advocated their followers to do the same.
Today we live in a society that has grown increasingly distant from the person behind the thoughts and feelings; our attention has increasingly ventured outward. Most of us have lost any balance with the silence of our beings to the point that we don’t even recognize the need. Most of us today look upon silence as a form of ultimate deprivation and punishment; after all that is what the practice of our society advocates.
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