Breaking the Pedestal of Apathy-Masked-as-Spiritual-Detachment / Transcendence + Contribution to Relief Efforts

Blessings to everyone. The material for this piece emerged as a rant and so it unapologetically carries that vibration. I´ve been projected upon in so many ways for spreading this message, but …  I take that as a confirmation that it has hit home.

It will trigger some of you to the point of depature from my space and/or to breakthrough to a new level of spiritual engagement and action in the world. Read, listen and engage with an open mind.

* * *

In times of humanitarian crisis, it is necessary for us to come together to offer service. Else there is little point in engaging with spirituality.

At the end of the day, no matter how ´enlightened´, ´transcended´, and´awakened´you may be, all of that counts for jack-all if you lack empathy, compassion and generosity.

Which is why I have found the teachings of so many teachers and seekers to be so out of whack at this time. Statements such as …

…

It´s not your responsibility to save the world. The world isn´t broken and doesn´t need fixing. It´s enough if you feel happy in yourself. You´re giving into messianic tendencies, the saviour-rescuer complex if you want to go on a mission to save everyone.

….

Just ring hollow to me.

And they also make me question how grounded and connected those teachers are. But that is for their students to figure out.

…

When we enter into this earth plane, we enter a series of contracts, unspoken exchanges of give and take with our ancestors, community, re-incarnated soul-contacts, the land – and the biosphere Herself.

One of the greatest reasons the planet is out of whack is because we have failed to honor those contracts and have dismissed them entirely. Part of this does come from the idea that the individual is the core unit or focal point of one´s spiritual experience. Other cultures see the individual´s relationship with others and the living planet as part of a much more connected, holistic network. And that is why we turn to these older cultures as we seek to discover our connection with Spirit. We are looking to rekindle and honor that lost connection.

So no – unless you´ve cut your contracts with Mama-Gaia (in which case you would have no reason to remain here) you do have a responsibility to do your part to do right by her.

It´s easy to pretend that we don´t. And probably preferable. But that level of collective responsibility is what we are being asked to take up, especially in the upcoming transit of Saturn through Capricorn (Dec 2017 – Dec 2020). Here is where we break and re-make the spine of the world and those that we gave our power over to, resulting in this distorted super-structure.

This is not the time to step away from the mantle, in other words – but to begin to step up to it.

As for the world not being broken and not needing fixing. Please, please, please – open a newspaper. Or simply open your eyes wider to the world around you.

Look into the eyes of a child who has been raped by a man she knows, or a family huddled on a rooftop hoping and praying for rescue as the floodwaters grow higher and higher. Or a community that is fighting for its home and survival as its land is taken from it.

And then tell them that you didn´t do what you could because … the world didn´t need fixing, and no one needed helping – and it was okay to do nothing because you were not affected.

I can´t think of a more thinly-disguised attempt at legitimating inaction. And one that happily insulates the seeker from the need to actually engage outside their own perception.

Some teachers will tell you that they are truly detached and transcendent to be unaffected by human suffering and global need.

It is your choice to believe them. But ask yourself – is this transcendence – or profound denial and disconnection?

It´s so easy to want to believe that we can insulate ourselves from the requirement to act as we evolve – but that´s been one of the greatest ironies of spiritual awakening. The more we open up to, the more we feel and the less we can turn a blind eye to.

Why do you think so many sages went off into the caves or forests?

If my experience is anything to go by …  no …  you do not cut off from the happenings in the collective even if you do go into isolation. You are always attuned into and acutely working with it.

(One of those things consciousness-expanding movements might want to tell you more about …)

Now some will cite the Law of Attraction. And I have to say that has limited use.

The Law of Attraction is one of the most overused spiritual cliches but is actually not that well understood. There is a metaphysical science behind its use and limitations – but that is not what is being taught to the masses. At best, distilled understandings of the Law give rise to extreme expressions of spiritual apathy and disconnection.

I agree that giving into fears and anxieties about how we play our roles in the world can overwhelm constructive effort. But suppressing your natural feelings and empathy in favour of  ´remaining in your Divine Bliss´is … RIDICULOUS. It also makes an extreme egoic choice that Joy or Bliss is your natural state.

Hogwash.

You are what you are. Your natural state can be Joy, Bliss, Nothingness, Rage, Peace, Grace, Intensity, Playfulness – there´s nothing that defines you. The Universe is a very multifaceted place and to suggest that Humans had One Base State … is…problematic. The Universe does not go and do its thing (collide galaxies, burst supernovae, move about) with a grin on its face or in weeping tears. It exists despite whatever human perception we have of it.

Not only is denying all other human states building a spiritual bypass, that´s building a four-corridor superhighway taking you away from the work of being present and human.

And a lot of that is messy, vulnerable, sticky – and yes – generous through all of it. Maybe I´m just an optimist though.

It´s so easy to claim that you need to feel the joy running through you – and to visualize it and be it – when someone who is struggling for their life is out of sight. But if it were you, or your loved ones? Yeah … I don´t think you would even entertain that for a moment.

Whilst it is understandable to be overwhelmed at this time, accept your emotions for what they are. Feeling a degree of anxiety when parts of humanity are suffering is not only natural – but it´s a necessary part of the spiritual process.

Otherwise, feel free to choose a path that lobotomizes your experience as you see fit. You won´t find that here.

Now many have tried to silence me for saying this by claiming that:

I have Messianic tendencies-   Well, no I don´t. Everyone first needs to save themselves – and then to help where possible.

I´m triggered by something that needs resolution in me, or the situation is mirroring something I need to bring into my awareness – Another god damned spiritual cliche. If I act decisively to something that needs action – it just means I am doing what feels right to me. Pulling someone out of harm´s away from incoming traffic does not mean you did it because you were triggered by an accident you had way back when and that you need to bring that awareness. It just means you did what was needed. No song or dance about it.

I´m encouraging the rescuer-savior-martyr complex – Hell no. Do what you can and get back to living. Tithe your income where you can or volunteer at a soup kitchen once a week. Or donate blood or blankets to a land in crisis. That´s not going to make you a wannabe spiritual superhero.

I´m judgemental – Fuck yes. There´s a lot of BS in the world masquerading as wisdom, if calling that out makes me divisive and judgemental so be it. I have no time for sugar-coated platitudes – and frankly – nor does anyone else. I would prefer the word discerning. But that´s a preference.

Those of you who raise the same rallying cry will also get these charges levied at you. I hope the outline helps.

So … you might ask what I would recommend you to do:

Be present to the world and participate in it fully because you are a part of it and it is a part of you. Turning a blind eye to what is happening around you will not help. It only serves to deepen the disconnection that we have with this planet.

You can do so by small acts of physical help. Be it donations, items that people need, working at shelters, taking in those stranded by (currently the Harvey) floods.

You can pray. But please understand that prayer takes time, dedication and focus for it to be effective. It´s not about typing it in Facebook and sharing a meme, but requires a far higher energetic input. Co-ordinated efforts with advanced faciliators will guarantee more success here.

That being said, I´m sure a family stranded on their rooftop waiting to be rescued would dearly appreciate a blanket as well. And so many in the US alone can afford that much.

I myself am tithing (donating 10% ) of the proceeds of whatever I earn in my current round of sessions and am glad to see other facilitators doing the same. Those interested in booking a session with me, go here: http://wp.me/p4OUNS-pa .

If things are too much for you – take care of yourself – but when you can, start giving back. This is going to be the first of many,  many calls for collective action over the next three years. And we´re being asked to step up.

Remember that no matter how rough you may feel about what is going on, part and parcel of spiritual evolution is in learning how to manage that perception – and still act on this plane. Otherwise we would not be here to learn that lesson.

No one can do it all on their own. But if we all did what we can, even a small, tiny gesture – we would get so much more done. Never underestimate what you as an individual can do.

For those considering donating to Harvey-relief efforts, please refer to these links. Kudos to friends who collated this for me and for my brother for holding space.

New York Times article on contributing to Harvey relief efforts and avoiding scams
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/us/donate-harvey-charities-scams.html?mcubz=0

Austin Disaster Relief Network
https://donate.adrn.org/checkout/donation?eid=142853

Huffpost article; includes food banks donations and diaper bank
https://www.google.com/…/en…/us_59a166dde4b0821444c37515/amp

http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/ways-can-help-people-hurricane-harvey/

Blood donations are critically needed at this time.

(And yes, I´ll be re-sharing this post when major crises of this nature come up. I´ve addressed in the video why I´m focusing on Harvey at this time)

Dr Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

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