Encompassment

The Buddhist teachings tell that all suffering and pain come from craving and aversion. Students of philosophy and tradition may come across this wisdom and agree with it. Perhaps they understand intellectually that desire has some kind of correlation to pain. This is a step closer to understanding than those who are vehemently opposed, still being under the illusion that it is somehow beneficial to blame the world and society for our inner turmoil, for life being unkind and unfair, for how we should have been treated better and we didn’t deserve an accident, a loss, a setback, a fight, a struggle and so on. These people remain angry, confused, and unsettled. “Don’t tell me that I am the cause of my misery! When I’m hurting, that’s the last thing I want to hear! It’s not helpful,” they protest.

And so this message does not reach them.

“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”— Matthew 13:15 (KJV)

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”— Matthew 11:15 (also repeated in Matthew 13:9, Mark 4:9, Luke 8:8)

“Open are the doors to the Deathless for those who have ears to hear. Let them show their faith.”—Vinaya Pitaka (Mahāvagga 1.5.6)

So when we are ready to listen, truly listen, the Universe again brings us this message. The message comes to us in the form of a comment, a text, an experience. And if we are listening, hearing the message of Source, we may find this wisdom, Let go. Release. Gently ease up. All clinging, tightness, strain and restriction leads to further turmoil, conflict and suffering. We wish that person wouldn’t say that thing we don’t want them to say. We would rather so-and-so didn’t have those opinions or actions. We think our boss should have acknowledged us more. We feel like our parents or cousins or neighbors aren’t treating us as well as they should be. Those in the religious center aren’t doing the activities how we think they should. Our spouse doesn’t listen well or do their part around the house. This person says things that irritate me or they aren’t smart enough and why should I have to deal with them…? On and on it goes.

We have so many complaints, so many dissatisfactions, so many expectations, so many disappointments. Everything is not how we imagined that we wanted it to be. So we protest. We become angry and frustrated. Our problem, amongst many, is that we cannot accept the truth of any moment. One Buddhist teacher has said, “It has to be okay, because it’s the truth.”

And the truth is that until we can learn to BE WITH, to be at peace and in acceptance, even whilst we are surrounded by violence, uncertainty and so-called disagreeable events, we will never have serenity within our hearts, nor will we begin to fathom the ENCOMPASMENT of Divinity.

The highest energy of Awareness encompasses all. It is within the pain of the cancer patient and the joy of newlyweds. It is within the density of a war-torn nation and the quiet fields of grazing sheep in New Zealand. It is in the sorrowful moan of an orca at the city zoo. It is within the drunk and dancing merrymakers passing away a night out on the town. The ever-present light of consciousness is within all, that same Awareness energy which exists inside of each one of us.

Some of the Indian saints and gurus had demonstrated that their consciousness was ONE with THE UNITY. So when the devotee was speaking to them, the guru was also within them, hearing their thoughts, feeling their emotions. Perhaps the devotee held within pride, judgement, fear, greed, anger and so on. But the guru—watching, knowing, feeling all this—simply loved them, encompassed all this chaos and density with loving presence. Encompassment is to allow, to embrace with DIVINE LOVE, and to see from a purely neutral standpoint—no cravings, no aversions, no conditioning, no attachment. This is the light of pure consciousness.

Those who undertake to clean out their psychology, dissolving every negative and dense element, truly embark on a noble mission. However, without encompassment, they will fail. This is because with all energy work, we involve three forces. The negativity, we have plenty of within, the positive aspirations to change we also carry. But it is the third force of neutrality, Divine Love, Encompassment, that allows us to see objectively, to pierce through conditioning and to foster the opportunity for change.

Truly, this Encompassment is Divine Love.

The Gnostic Master Samael Aun Weor says,

“Really Love itself is the extract of the whole Knowledge, … the Wisdom can be reduced into Love, and the Love into Happiness.”

“The best religion available to the human race is Love.”

“Love is the summum of wisdom.”

“Love is the life that palpitates in every atom as it palpitates in every Sun.”

Here is how we start to find freedom. Let go of our opinions, attachments and pride; surrender all our wants and not-wants.

Are you fighting with someone? Surrender. Encompass them with love.

Are you upset with a situation? Surrender. Encompass it with love.

Are you worried about your future? Surrender. Encompass it with love.

The answer doesn’t change. As you begin to release all this tightness, this clinging, this craving and aversion, you will begin to welcome in the pure light of Source. You will begin to vibrate with the truth. You will begin to take it easy and not take things so seriously. You will develop hope, courage and perspective. You will be able to hold space for yourself and others. This will support you through the ups and downs of life, that ARE THE TRUTH and will happen.

As we begin to surrender our fears, judgements, beliefs and hopes and SIMPLY BE, then we become one who develops eyes to see and ears to hear. This is the first step we can take to begin the journey of forever, back towards the Heart of Love.

This article has been written by a Gnostic instructor at Gnosis East Village.