Authority, Love and Surrender

Summary

When we are born from our biological mother we are in awe. The mother is the Mother of all Mothers, there is no mother better than the one mother that smells, feels and sounds like one's own mother. It is even genetically programmed that a baby recognizes its mother as The Mother. The mother offers milk and security, she helps whenever there is a cry of discomfort. Somewhat later in the life of the baby there is an enormous new force: the Father, some other person even stronger and more impressive than mommy who also cries sometimes. Father makes it all, does it all and - traditionally - does the actual defending and material providing. Instead of getting sad he gets angry. Father is the great example for being strong. The child grows up in full confidence of these two persons as a dual manifestation of the Supreme Person. The child in the beginning of its life is completely free, it is not obliged to do a thing, it must not work or help, must not talk or obey, simple because it is not able to. But very soon educaton begins. Little frustrations give rise to big tears that soon lessen though. It learns to deal with frustration and is willing to accept a lot of training, for as long as the child is loved and rewarded for being sweet and obedient, polite and intelligent. But the child simply remembers the heaven it started with and is now glad it acquired some ability and independence. Yes, why not be like mommy and daddy, with puppets and other toys. Me too! Still the parents are beyond compare to the small child. Gradually it learns that there are other children and other parents, but one's own mommy and daddy are still the best.
The person thus growing up properly protected with basic confidence, will remember this chidren's heaven for the rest of his life. If basic trust was violated and destroyed because of bad parenting before one acquired some independence, one as a person may be harmed for life and possibly have great difficulty building up intimate relations based on love and trust. Parents in trouble are sometimes compensated by loving grandparents or other replacing caretakers to prevent fundamental damage. If all goes well the person will, for the rest of his life, look for this primal love he received from his (foster) parents and search and experiment in relationships with others until that basic security has been retrieved, or even be improved upon more or less. 'My first goal in life....' Of course, the children's heaven cannot that simply or realistically be retrieved by the adult who has to take responsibility, who has to work and be subservient to instructions of different authorities that combine into a societal order and a system of control, that is much more indifferent and impersonal than the parents were. And thus one has to carry the burden of material life with frustrations, collapses of adult conduct and personal and relational crises. But still the hope lingers to find an ideal position of being taken care of like being a child.
Some dream of having the money to buy all care, caretakers and goods that fulfill every desire one might have. Some dream of a husband or wife who will take care like a father or mother. Some dream of an association of people who will act like a family and protect one against all possible evil. And others dream of being the big commander who simply needs to be obeyed and protected in every way like the small baby was by a single cry of accusation of neglect. But mature life is inexorable. For acquiring money one has to be of service and thus take care of others. That is a burden contrary to the purpos of the children's dream. The wife may discover that her husband is thinking of other women more as a rule than by exception. The association of people of this or that club one confides in may turn out to have such strict rules of maintaining its group interest that there is no difference - or even a negative result - between that burden and the burden of having to take care of oneself. Checks and balances even out with the group, or worse, the association may go at the cost of other living entities and human beings like oneself, with a false elitist philosophy. And thus one, out of sheer intelligence, may lose one's belief in, and motivation for, so-called safe associations like this also. Finally trying to attain a position of power in society turns out to be such a dangerous hobby, raising that much jealousy and negative reactions, that one may be glad to escape from such a delusion of materially arranged happiness, without ending up in prison, the graveyard, the asylum or the hospital. Still the memory of childhood heaven lingers and motivates one to keep searching. Where to look for love now, after all options seem to have been exhausted with many a scar in the heart?

Authorities may differ in their strategies, but they are much like the parents that would not permit so much either. Actually they do not constitute such a threat at all, provided one respects the lines drawn by them. One recognizes some of the conditions of one's childhood in them. Father state and the children citizens. The state and associated powers of rule will not endlessly impose themselves, given an evolved civilization. One learns to appreciate the adult option of self-determination and freedom and is always willing to support some action in favor of less - or, at least against any further - imposition by whatever outside authority. The room offered by societies is there for one's emancipation and to develop one's own authority. Abuse of one's adultp freedom is sanctioned, sometimes by mysterious life forces so it seems, but assuming responsibility that notice disappears again. So one can become wealthy by working hard, found a family oneself and thus become an authoritative educator of children, start a club of one's own design or develop a command beyond the control of others that still might be of service in society without doing harm. The law is tightly knit together in a network of formal institutional control to secure every path taken. Nevertheless the children's dream of happiness cannot be retrieved that way. That dream was totally self-centered anyway. Such an egoism cannot be, right? That is not mature. We know from our previous inspirations that there is a higher kind of happiness, that that is the actual purpose. Material happiness is all ruled by a formula of material control. Wherever one runs after the money, defends the family, the club or power, it is all a material game. And games are regularly lost. You cannot always get what you want. So, misery is inevitable even that way. There is nothing permanent in the material world. Money is lost, families break up, clubs fail to support and power is the illusion of the lack thereof. The other half of existence is missing. One misses the spiritual life where one's heaven is not that material, but only a successful meditation with a feeling of liberation and heavenly happiness. Meditation does not require riches, attachment, many friends or many servants to the one in perfect control one should not and cannot be oneself. The power of meditation is more important, the power to control the mind for the sake of peace as also one's stomach for the sake of health. True power is the power of one's own sense control without harming oneself - and others - as an obedient servant of the transcendental cause.

In meditation one realizes that all authority is a projection of the service to the Blissful Knowledgeable Person one is not oneself in a material sense. But inside, within oneself, His quality can be fostered. In fact discovering that quality inside and that this quality is not as easily translated into action, is the great game changer in one's life. This is the wealth, the transcedental wealth, one needs, this is the actual togetherness one needs, this is the fulfillment of one's dreams and the control to respect for being integer. This is what everybody needs. This is how one attains a better world. This is where one recognizes, within oneself, the Person of One's Dreams who was there from one's earliest childhood happiness on. The problem still, is how to be stable with that Person of All Quality. One may read books but then one misses the experience of one's own wisdom. One may meditate, but still have to return to the old material routines with their shadow side. One may feel fulfilled in a way, but still be lonely missing the others and one may be of full sense control, but be incapable of sharing it in love. So desire does not end with meditation, even though one rises to a higher level of self-realization. Immediately following these realizations however, one also knows that one, following this course, is part of a process, not just an individual process, but also a collective process of becoming more and more stable with this Person Present Everywhere all together, on this planet and maybe even on other planets... That Best of All Persons you then want to serve and nothing else. Such a focus is what you need. That Person is the object of love where all others, from parents to spouses, from friends to rivals disappeared from sight. But indeed, speaking of a process, in a process there are stages that can be named and acquired as higher and higher forms of love for the Person of Beatitude.

In filognosy we speak of five types of love one may recognize from one's own life story. First of all there is the neutral kind of love. One discovers the love of peace, calm and tranquil in one's meditation. In a choice-less awareness not being obliged anymore, one finds relief of all misery. It constitutes a first contrast of happiness that on closer scrutiny consists of simply an absence of misery. Once having acquired the taste of this result of meditation, one will never want to give it up. And just like with one's parents as a child, one is even willing to make sacrifices to regain this state of peace again and again, for it feeds one with a certain invisible kind of nectar that seems to nourish one's entire body and psyche. Like in fertile soil all kinds of plants may flourish, all kinds of positive qualities seem to flower therein, even uncalled for. It is like a natural radiating beauty that is totally independent from the outside world of matter.
The next stage or form of spiritual love is found in the desire to serve that holy purpose of peace. It carries a mystical authority that is commanding actions in a way one never experienced before. Every thought acquires a golden rim, every look acquires the beauty of a work of art and every smell acquires the attraction of a total immersion. The focus of one's attention shifts from the mind to the heart, because there the harmony is felt most clearly like a piece of music composed by angels. These feelings are the great motivating force that make one's legs run in love for service after anything that serves the cause of the enlightenment found. The qualities make one take hurdles one would not take before. Frustrations do not carry the old load of anger any longer. One is more patient and relaxed, more open and attentive. And the more one serves the purpose, the stronger the love becomes. Of course there is some confusion now and then, in dealing with material matters. But the purpose constitutes a cleansing force that makes everything right. Even personal errors, mistakes, faults, misconceptions and the like can be faced and dealt with more easily.
The sense of authority and awe one felt at first, in realizing the Person of Peace inside, then changes. It is not the moralism and imposition at all that you always feared like fearing the at times angry father or the incidentally chastising mother that educated you. This Heavely Father and Mother in-One is different. This Person is entertaining, funny, witty and more. Everything falls in its place with this intelligence found. Fears evaporate, to be alone can be pleasant now and conditionings dragging one down disappear. Bad habits lose their attraction, for now you have the love of a real friend in the spirit, who understands the troubles and imperfections of a material life and knows the best solution. You want to sing about it, you want to share it with others, you want to cook for The Person of All Good Taste, to dance with the Person of Perfect Harmony and to be creative with the Person of All Invention. Real friendship is found and you even seek That One of Perfection in others, looking over their weaknesses, in being glad about their talents, strengths and interest. Thus one builds association..
The fourth stage of loving the greatest Person of All, the Real Daddy and Mommy in-One, is the desire to take care of that Person of Supreme Interest like is concerns a child of one's own. You want to be the loving parent now, and grant Him also a presence in the material world and seek to assign Him a form or place in the concrete world. You develop the love to care far beyond the love to serve the cause of the Person you already found. Now the house must be suitable, the food must be pure, the time schedule natural, the clothes testifying the feeling; everything should radiate with regularity and order like the Person Who is The Sun and Moon, for as a friend of more of such friends, ego is not an hindrance anymore. This love covers all one's life and wants to involve the entire world in it. Depending one's talents thus another position in society is developed that is less of the bad and more of the positive qualities of the Person of All Qualities. Visions are seen of an entire planet being transformed into paradise, despite all the ignorance about the Person of All Wisdom that is still extant everywhere else. Thus with a heart of peace, a love for service, friendship in purity and care for others love seems to be complete..
Then, one day, with one's love for the entire existence as a friend in service of ideals and loving care, one becomes an object of the return of love oneself. The love in one's heart is recognized by others, by one significant other - or many of them - reminding you that love cannot be inside out only, but also has to move inwards, for the very nature of the love lived is attraction. To receive love is maybe the most difficult and certainly the highest stage of love. For that kind of love carries back to you, through others, the complete of all the love you once gave. Giving love and thus feeling love is one supreme way, but that highway to heaven has an opposing lane. Any trace of ego, of weakness or whatever impurity is found by the stream of love now also coming your way. You must be of total surrender to your own rules, to all its demands and refined ways, without any compulsion. One looks in the mirror of one's own love now, and finally one is not so much the controller anymore of one's actions. Love now has found you. The surrender to the Person of Love has found you. The Master, the Authority of Love, found the equanimous, serving, friendly, caring devotee in you because that is His real nature. The Person of the Ultimate reality is the servant within you and without you, who made all your distrust and grief melt away, the One you were always looking for, because for long you knew you would not even think of surrendering to anyone else.

Source for this Inspiration:
S.B. Canto 1, Chapter 12