What Lies Below The Surface

The last lines of the second episode of Dexter, a television series about a serial killer who kills serial killers and may seem decidedly un-yogic, were however profound. As Dexter lies in a bath with his eyes open just under the surface of the water, “There are no secrets, just hidden truths that lie just below the surface.” I couldn’t help but be struck in awe by that statement and the exploitation of good and evil this series explores that lies within every human.

The show inspired me to reflect on something I recently read about our subconscious minds. From the age of birth to about five-years-old, having not developed a mechanism yet to filter out any unwanted material, our subconscious minds absorb everything we are exposed to, every negative and positive comment is filed into folders for further use, every good and bad memory, every lie and truth. And as we grow, our subconscious minds give us advice and guide us in our lives based on the material it has stored. Finding out what lies beneath the surface of our minds is of utmost importance.

Sometimes we have no idea why we think things or behave a certain way or respond to external stimuli in one way, when we might have just as well responded with a simple smile. Evidently, according to recent scientific evidence, we are operating 90% of the time from information supplied by our subconscious minds, another reason to know exactly what lies below the surface.

Discovery is most likely why many people go to therapy to face the music that plays over and over literally directing their lives. But the real question is how do we rid our subconscious mind of these old outdated files - “You’re too fat. You’ll never amount to anything. Rich people are greedy.” in order to make room for new empowering programs that can enhance our lives. And in the grand scheme of things as we affect the world around us, is it possible for this positive programming to eventually penetrate the subconscious of all of humanity, there by creating a more peaceful and harmonious world?

Thankfully, the answer to that question is yes. By us creating a more peaceful less violent (negative thought) world within ourselves, we are creating a better world. When everyone we touch through word or deed is enriched by our presence, we are also helping others to attain their own enlightenment.

On the subject of enlightenment, I recently began going to SGI, Soka Gakkai International, meetings and chanting “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,” a Nichiren Buddhist chant to create world peace by creating peace within and connecting to our own inner Buddha nature. What struck me about this organization was that everyone I have met who practices this form of Buddhism seems to be happy and has an inner strength. I have known about this form of Buddhism for at least twenty years when a fellow actor brought me to a neighborhood meeting. Yet I had no idea the real message behind it.

This brings up another interesting phenomenon about this form of Buddhism; when you go to a meeting people are friendly. They ask you questions and want to know you. I had not experienced this form of acceptance before on my search for a spiritual community. I had been to yoga events and chanting etc. but found that when the event was over people quietly filed out and went about their sometimes-lonely lives. And being around lots of people and still feeling alone is perhaps the worst loneliness of all.

It’s not that I am not fine alone, but nothing of great importance has ever truly been achieved by one man or woman alone. Even Nicheren had a disciple who practiced with him on his island of exile. There is always more than one, and in some cases many, who together create massive energy called synergy. Synergy means that one plus one does not always equal two. Through synergy one plus one may equal one hundred or even one thousand or much more. It is through this synergy that great change will come to the world. When a critical mass of people have found their own Buddha natures, which lies dormant below the surface, it will open the door for everyone to make the quantum leap to witness this reality.

Our world does not need to be the violent, destructive, greedy world the media, advertising and the entertainment industry feeds us every day; - turn your televisions off - it can be the world of our dreams. By envisioning a more positive world for others and ourselves in our meditations we are creating that very world we envision. I hope to see this world. I get glimpses of it all the time, and it is beautiful. And since most people are not like Dexter’s heartless victims, a peaceful world is possible. If the masses of people one day stand up and say no to the greed and the violence propagated by those who are like Dexter’s victims: politicians, heads of countries, giant machine like corporations, banks that behave like the mafia and generals ordering soldiers to torture prisoners, we can have a world of peace for everyone to enjoy.

This peace can only be derived from empowered souls, and cannot be born from outside sources. The path to inner and outer peace may not be a smooth rode; there may be some scary unexpected discoveries along the way. Yet the journey is worth it; it is worth more than all the money in the world. It is the thing that we are after when we spend all the money in the world but can never achieve. Isn’t peace of mind, the greatest gift of all?


Namaste

MEDITATION SHEDS LIGHT ON THE DARKNESS, and the ego doesn’t like it.

I'm fighting the dark side today. Thinking all kinds of crazy thoughts has made me feel inflicted and assaulted. I also have a touch of the flue. Then I believe my thoughts and my feeling sick may be a natural reaction to attempting to tame the beast known as the ego mind, you know the voice that tells you what you can and can't do, the one that is the neigh-sayer who sets limits on your abilities and desires. Any form of limited thinking really is the ego mind. And it's so important to be aware that we are not that ego mind even though it so wants us to believe we are. Any form of negative thoughts is not who we are; but they can greatly affect our happiness, our financial success, our health, our relationships with others etc.

And taming the beast is not easy. It is so cleaver that it makes us think that it is real and that the danger we want to attack is real, all the while distracting us from what is real and usually right in front of us, whether that be a potential accident, a beautiful guy or girl, a beautiful sky etc. Our ego is the monster that is constantly dragging up the past also and only exists in the past or the unknown fearful future. It cannot exist in the present. It is what takes us on all kinds of rides, "yeah, I remember when I saw that concert, yeah I remember when my ex did this or that," "so and so used to say that too." All of these illusions about the past that are now only movies on the screen of our minds exist to take us away from the life we have today; they take us away from life in general and keep us in a fantasy world where the ego can feel safe.

The Ego is a funny beast too because it likes to torment itself with remembering horrible things too; in fact it really likes that the best. It makes every object, every billboard, every movie, every conversation, every new girl friend something to compare the past too and relive the past horrors through the present. It likes to torture and torment itself. The ego's life is dependent on the energy it derives from keeping us in constant flux from pain to fear to sadness and despair or fantasizing about a past that probably never really existed. It gains energy from our despair.

I have been practicing several new forms of regular meditation, and have noticed my ego kicking and screaming in the process. It has been relatively quiet until now. Presently, it wants to shout at everyone and defend itself by attacking others. It feels attacked by others slight of words or their egos. That's another thing, different people's egos sometimes get together and talk amongst themselves. "I'll show you not to talk too much." "Oh yeah, well I'll show you; I won't talk at all. I'll sit hear and brood." Unfortunately for so many folks this has become what they feel is normal, letting their ego mind take the driver's seat and take control is normal. It may be normal, but it is a form of insanity and a dangerous game.

Ah, my ego was almost out, in fact it has made some pretty good plays in the past few days in conjunction with other people's egos. All these egos are running the world a-muck. It's easy to blame the politicians and the world for our own over active ego mind, but if we can't tame our mind, how do we expect big-headed-politicians or giant headed banks and CEOs of those banks to even begin to find their way. The healing of the world must begin with the individual and then progress to a critical mass and then like a great “Ah Ha” from billions of voices, the ego will be exposed for what it is, a parasite in our minds and in the world.

Namaste,
Here’s to kicking the ego out, and living in the vastness of our true selves.