Listen to Pheo Rose’s “The Vast” as you read and/or quiet and center to enter your greatest depths
(This piece of music is from “Inner Universe” Music Album)
1. Overview
Greatest Depths is a rather vague term; however, this may be the best descriptive name. When in your Greatest Depths of being, you can experience the “Oneness” of all. Perceptually, you are not separate from all else that you ego consciousness separates, for good reason. However, you also need to develop the meditative-and-then-to-contemplative skill to “just feel presence” without separation. This place in the Land of Being cannot be fully entered into without this. Even then, this place is totally unique because here you have no control. Here, you acknowledge that the greatest depths of yourself are not accessible without letting go of the intention to achieve or control. The work in this place begins with trust.
Trust begins when infants are lovingly and sufficiently cared for. As children, trust is often put into adults and situations. These people and/or situations either build or undermine the trust put into them. People and situations disappoint children, either by the child’s unreasonable expectations, an adult’s best intentions that are thwarted by life, or abuse/manipulation of that trust. Religion can be a strong attraction because that which is infinitely greater is acknowledged and fostered. As young adults there can be crises in which no adult or situation is trusted, that can lead to a debilitating cynicism. But when trust is not damaged; the next psychological step can be taken: faith.
Faith combines trust and belief. We can have faith in someone, some situation, religion, or societal institution. However, the most important faith is in that which is greater than all mortality – transcendent, infinite, immortal, and eternal. This maturing of the mind is crucial, and can have a strong impact on other places or people we have put our faith in. When such faith is put into the religion itself, cult, or even other institutions of society, there typically is great disappointment. Oddly, but truly, this disappointment phase must be endured to then go on. The disappointment itself is a healthy sign of a maturing mind. People as well as the situations can disappoint us. The tragedy is when we stay in disappointment, or deny that disappointment and cling to the person or situation. The often emotionally numbing disappointment, when endured, can lead us into taking individual responsibility for going on to what faith points to: self-will.
Self-will , when healthy, is taking on the personal responsibility to mature through the realization that we must become “one with oneness”; live based on that which is infinitely greater than ourselves and untainted by any human effort. There are no rewards, accolades, promotions, or even recognition for totally basing our lives on Ground of All Being. You can Google this phrase “Ground of All Being” for elaboration, but the essence which those may miss is this: this Ground of All Being is a Presence of Love emotionally, a Light beyond all light sensually, a vastness beyond our mind’s capability, and a re-union to the deepest part of our being.
Study on this is helpful. The Way of Words Way will have much on this. Some of you may intuitively have this knowledge already. The mystics of each of the monotheistic religions, as well as the “ways” described of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Zen help an individual come to such self-will and the journey to the greatest depths. Ultimately self-will, hopefully nurtured and supported, alone must take on the finding the inner knowledge that has always been there and is valid.
However, there are no external rewards from society for such knowledge. Indeed, self-will is necessary because you may have to let go of many of society’s enticements. There are the priceless treasures of peace, contentment, joy, inner strength, understanding, wisdom, and, most of all, a Presence. That Presence can only be described as Love beyond all human love. Trust began the work, faith followed, and then self-will sees the journey through. When trust has been crushed, personal work to recover this is necessary. When faith has been broken by disappointment, placing this where faith thrives must be done. Self-will that has been perverted to selfish aggrandizement, the seeking of material wealth, and using/manipulating others for self-gain, must be totally over-hauled and each of the perversions stopped.
Here is where the place of personal growth and greatest depths share the same place. Assess who you trust and why. If you trust no one; why? If you distrust religions; why? If you have never seen the “societal institution” part of religion; why? If you have always succumbed to another person or situation; why? There are no wrong answers here, only opportunities for personal growth. Understanding is the key you are looking for. In the expression “know thyself,” discover and know these areas of yourself. There may be personal growth issues and inner wounds that surface.
Study and do personal growth work in the areas of trust, faith, and self-will, as well as the Ground of All Being, the Presence of Love (not all the humanly derived substitutes) as a reality, a Light beyond all light sensually (an indicator of the transcendent energy), a vastness beyond our mind’s capability (full integration of consciousness into the unconscious), and a re-union to the deepest part of our being (maturing of holistic self-integration). More will be written about each of these topics.