There is a phenomenon that transcends the time and space of human history.
Throughout the ages, some women and men, either spontaneously or through a deep interest in what this experience we’re having actually is, have fallen through the «normal» human perception and into something infinitely more profound and deep.
And even though only a few individuals around them could allow this phenomenon to take over their own hearts, people in general could rarely fail to notice them for their «supernatural» qualities of love and compassion, selflessness, honesty, justice, clarity, humility… always putting the common good over any personal gain or desires, least of all their own.
Many of them ended up calling it God, for it was just too unfathomable, and too impersonal, for any other word to come near to what it does. Others knew that even that word would turn to madness in the minds of some, preferring not to speak of it at all, only acting it out.
To the eyes and ears of history, most lived and died anonymously, only surviving in stories about their extra-ordinariness for a generation or two. Some lives turned into myths and legends, symbols and archetypes. But some put themselves forward to such and extent that they left an indelible mark on our shared evolution by shaking up the established truths and authorities.
They attempted to communicate what this all meant into words, symbols, stories and analogies that their culture and their contemporaries could swallow and feel drawn to, in many cases laying the foundation of what people later completely misunderstood and turned into religions and «truth.» Yet people such as Socrates, Jesus, Rumi, Buddha, Teresa of Ávila and Francis of Asisi all shared the very same awakening to this phenomenon whatever they chose to call it; the phenomenon of being an expression of the greater good. Such was their charisma and love that people couldn’t be untouched by this «something» in their presence, even to this day. And such was their power in the face of injustice that authorities got so fearful that they would go to the greatest lengths to silence their voices forever, be it through expulsion, poison, crucifixion, burning at the stake or any other way fear tortures life.
How honestly and stoically they faced this death is a hallmark of what this awakening to something infinitely deeper than oneself does to a human being.
And these women and men are everywhere in history when we know how to recognise them, for they are the ones who faced egotism in utter fearlessness.
And this phenomenon is rife.
It arises in people as we speak, for it is both our heritage and our future. Every day someone awakes to it while others die in complete peace with it in their hearts. It is available to anyone who truly lets go into the unknown, allowing love for others to outshine the fear we have of not getting what we want and believe in.
Even a Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD), left his mark on history by seeing for himself the infinitely damaging results of believing our thoughts and emotions to be true – and more true than those of others: “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
And he did his best to guide those who would listen, like this phenomenon always tries to do, yet rarely finding willing ears:
“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticise?” The same echo travels through history through an infinite number of mouths and an infinite number of languages.
And as no time before, this world is screaming for true wisdom and true selflessness. And the phenomenon responds. Always.
~Torstein (27.08.2015)