I am not an advocate of organized religion; however, I do believe religion can lead people to face themselves, their Ego selves, because religion is powered in many instances by Ego. It brings individuals who are searching, asking those big life questions, to the point of realization: the answers are within.
The writings, scriptures of religions contain much wisdom and give insight into the human condition. And it is from the stories about Elijah, the prophet of Israel, that Paulo Coelho appropriates and weaves a tale of wonder and spiritual truth, a novel of visionary fiction, The Fifth Mountain. Visionary fiction presents the philosophy with which most of my writing, thus far, has been concerned. Self-discovery, self-identity, spiritual awakening — whatever you may wish to call it — is described through different terminology and in some differing methods, but I feel the least common denominator ends up being we bear eternal Spirit in our complete being of body mind, and soul. By creation design, we also come equipped with Ego, and we seek to discover that Spirit core within, Heart, that bears marks of who we are, that is personalized by us. I’ve written much of this. Just because it has been in my soul, I would like to share some quotes from Coelho’s novel addressing these great life issues of self-identity and life-purpose. While the nature of his material takes on some of the biblical, religious tones, the essence of it brings the reader to seriously consider what it means to awaken spiritually and walk in purpose. I especially wish to focus on a concept I have used personally and I feel is valid and can be helpful for those struggling with their identity and purpose. In Coelho’s imagined life of Elijah in the city of Akbar (Zarephath), Elijah has a dream in which he remembers the struggle of Jacob who was renamed Israel. Upon remembering the story, Elijah thought this: “God challenged one to confront Him and to answer His question: ‘Why dost thou cling fast to an existence so short and so filled with suffering? What is the meaning of thy struggle?’” I equate this to my reality that the Great Creator Spirit put Ego in each one of us, Ego that creates the same struggle when we face the same questions about the meaning of life, about why we are here and why things seem so hard. Whichever terminology one uses, the effect is the same: provocation to find the answers, to fight to gain personal identity, purpose, and truth. And that spark, once kindled, will not be extinguished because our own Heart urges us onward till we find It; our mind and soul push to know Heart, discover that Self and create what we wish to be. And I have decided, chosen, created that I will continue this tomorrow. I will share briefly that as I finish this up, it is actually 12:30 a.m., Sunday morning. We babysat two of the grandchildren tonight, and I worked this morning. I have had little time, and I still find myself on the verge of exhaustion. It has been a satisfying day, although I know I begin to get crabby with myself and my puppies, even, when I get this tired. So, I bid you good night! Blessings!
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Questions to consider:How many times have you asked yourself or simply thought about the following questions?
Who am I, really? What is my truth? How do my actions reveal what I really feel and believe? What would I do with my life if I could do anything? What is my passion? Why am I here? How can I discover answers to any of these questions? If you have considered any of these questions, I hope that my experiences and writing will give you some guidance. Please read my blog and comment and share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you! Archives
December 2019
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