On November 8th 2009 we entered the sixth night of the Mayan Calendar, which will culminate on November 2nd 2010 when we enter the period known as the seventh day. The sixth Mayan night is a time of shedding karma in preparation for the flowering of consciousness. The period of history with which the sixth night resonates has often been characterised by conflict and revolt, the most recent example being the Vietnam War.
On November 15th we also had an exact square of Saturn and Pluto in the sky. To give you an idea of the energies embodied in this stellar relationship it is useful to know that a similar conjunction occurred just before the Second World War. A tense dynamic, to say the least.
The principal actors in the coming drama have been cast and are poised to play out their inevitable role upon the world karmic stage. However it is not my intention to dwell upon the collective perspective in this article but to bring attention to us as individuals and look at how we can usefully navigate these energies as they show up in our lives and personal relationships.
It seems that the cosmic play is upping the ante and challenging us to bring that which is unconscious firmly and clearly into the light of awareness. It is a time for great cleansing and purification. With the right awareness it offers the potential for growth and the clearing of karma. This process necessarily involves facing the shadow within and can be associated with intense experiences involving suffering and pain. These energies represent a powerful opportunity to release any dross still standing in the way of integrity and transparency in our work, play and relationships with others.
I’m sure you’ve noticed how rapidly things are changing — how things that are not in alignment with your deepest truth are simply falling away? Things like jobs, positions, identities, partnerships? Nowhere is this 'mistral wind' more acutely felt than in the domain of our intimate relationships. All relationships give us the opportunity for personal development, however it is up to ourselves whether we are ready to receive them in this way. Until we are ready to take responsibility, the disowned shadow will demand that we endure the tyranny of:
'This exhausted mind,
beaten helplessly by karma
and neurotic thoughts
like the relentless fury
of the pounding waves
in the infinite ocean of samsara'
~ Dudjom Rinpoche
I’m sure most of you can relate. Things are still very mixed up. It’s a fine line between love and addiction, security and freedom, codependency and empowerment, pleasure and pain. Often we confuse one for the other and interchange them to suit our needs. It’s a collective script, one being played out between nations and corporations as well as individuals. The stories may vary but the script is usually the same. In the current morphogenesis, any aspect of ourselves that is still being denied, invalidated or pushed under the carpet, i.e. “the shadow” is being forced under the spotlight. Particularly karmic issues revolving around trust, worthiness and self love.
What is the nature of karma?
According to the Law of Karma, our present experience is determined by the effects of our actions and deeds in the past and that our future experience is determined by the way we conduct ourselves in this moment. Ultimately this results in making us fully responsible for the quality of our life along with the pain or joy it brings to ourselves and to others.
We are chained to this endless cycle until we are alert enough to dissolve the effects by taking full responsibility for our actions and experiences. Using relationship as a mirror provides us with an opportunity to develop ourselves within the context of a dyad. The experience of karma in any relationship is an opportunity for spiritual progress and transcendence. Perhaps some of you, at one time or another, have experienced the emotional roller coaster of a 'karmic love affair'. Passionate, swooning, intense, swinging from one extreme to another – attraction/repulsion, highs and lows. A relationship where the mirrorworld reflects both the shadow and the light. The stuff that Greek Tragedy thrives upon.
When we form a karmic love relationship it is because we are unconsciously attracted to something in the other that speaks to our deepest unconscious yearning. It is by its nature dangerous, and promises the possibility of both redemption and damnation. This is its very attraction. On a deep level however, such a relationship represents a golden key to help us transcend our limitations and unlock the binding chains of karma.
In this way we attract exactly what we need. Such a love affair is bound by its very nature to be difficult and challenging but offers the potential for great freedom. The lessons gleaned from such a liaison will be deep and personal. And will require great inner strength to negotiate. One must be willing to face the shadow and traverse the painful terrain of hurt, blame and ancient wounds accumulated since birth and from past lives.
Suffering, however, can be a great teacher. Eckhart Tolle relates in his seminal book “The Power of Now” that he
was awakened through intense suffering. Being willing to face the pain body with full awareness in the midst of
its feeding frenzy is no small task. But there will come a moment, if you are awake, when you truly see that you are
responsible for everything you experience, both positive and negative.
Perception is the key
As in the tradition of Byron Katie, all that we perceive in others is a reflection of oneself. This is the moment of empowerment where major transformation can occur and is not necessarily dependent upon the cooperation of your partner. When illusions fall away, renewal happens and a
relationship will either deepen in love or it will end.
In this way karmic relationships can be a precious gift. They are an open doorway, an invitation for the dissolution of old patterns. An opportunity to integrate the shadow and welcome it back into the fold, like the biblical prodigal son. When you can look squarely into the face of the Devil and into the face of God without judgment, and recognise them both as your own true face, it will set you free. This will happen when you are ready to release the insecurity of the ego and have the courage to see the truth.
Osho used to say that, “Love and Freedom are two wings of the same bird. Both are needed if we are to fly into the beyond”.
Two wings of another bird might be Forgiveness and Gratitude, and are vital keys to healing wounded relationships and for dissolving karma. When we are ready to see the truth beyond our kinks and personal stories, the power of forgiveness and gratitude will dissolve all negativity in our lives, no matter what form it has taken. Because after all, these things help us grow.
Forgiveness is the act of unchaining yourself from thoughts and feelings that bind you to an offense – imagined or real committed against you. When you harbour resentment or anger, you bind yourself to that person by an emotional link that is stronger than tensile steel. Forgiveness is the way to dissolve this link and be free. Forgiveness is creative.
At any time we can choose to swap roles from beggar to emperor, from prisoner of the past to living awake in the present moment. There is no future in the past. Taking the first step toward forgiveness is to release the control and power of the offending person and to relinquish the role of victim. In this mode, we no longer define our lives by the hurt and abuse we have suffered but rather, by the creative possibilities for giving and sharing love inherent within each moment. Life either contracts or expands in direct proportion to our ability to forgive. The monkey mind is tricky but the body never lies and is a worthy barometer. It expands in forgiveness and love and contracts in mistrust and fear. The truth of it is clear and undeniable. Having the courage to forgive is the single most important thing to bring peace and harmony into our life. Forgiveness is a gift we give to ourselves.
Gratitude brings the heart and mind into harmony with the creative energies of the Universe. It is pure and innocent prayer, wordless and complete. It is the fairest blossom to spring from the human soul and is a divine invitation to live life joyously. So dream your life awake. The infinity of
the Universe knows no boundaries.
Discover anew each day the magnificence and awesome beauty of the world in which we live. Listen to the whispers of the still voice within. See the perfection in all things. Live this day as if it were your last. Be kind, be respectful. Honour yourself and others, walk with grace, be at peace and breathe love. Remember, love lives in the air like oxygen. Breathe love into your heart. Breathe love out of your heart. Give your heart with love. And give thanks for everything that happens to you.
Darpan 2009©
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