FROM THE WREN
On Mental Fitness
Like many of you, I've always found a rich source of personal guidance in the Gwyddon Greater Book and our oral tradition of personal growth and metaphysics. What baffles me, however, is that even with this wonderful gift, many of our brethren express a reticence to actually, diligently apply our laws and the Concept of Oneness to life situations. They seem to feel it is "too hard" an expectation and a standard to live up to. I cannot count the times I've heard someone who has asked my counsel say "But that's you. You're different. I can't live like that!" As though I'm some kind of bizarre mutant.
I am not a mutant, nor am I some "pet" earth mother or guru for people who "use" or "borrow" someone else's personal growth by hanging out with or entertaining them while remaining trapped in their ego-self-importance. Many have tried to use me that way. They try to buy my time in some way. It seems they think that if they associate with someone who develops themselves that the association provides some status or that they don't have to work on themselves. It's pretty silly, really. You don't develop massive muscles because you buddy around with Arnold Schwarzenagger, nor do you become a champion boxer by having dinners with Evander Holyfield. It just isn't possible to obtain another's accomplishments by association, without the work. And, of course, then, they're yours. This is my great fear in Guru-ism.
Ironically, these mental muscles are not that hard to obtain. They simply require the same dedication a person would put into physical development. It can actually be a painful experience to overcome a particular conditioned habit or behavior, but not more so than the "burn" of a long distance cyclist or the tightness in the chest and legs of a runner. We seem to be wusses when it comes to mental pain, though - no tolerance, whereas that leg cramp form an aerobic workout is tolerable. The similarities are remarkable.
To be mentally fit requires self-discipline and mental focus. We must stretch, and exercise responsibly. More important is regularity and consistency. We cannot make exceptions on a whim and ignore the effect that a slab of chocolate-cheesecake self-importance is going to have on our progress. We cannot get another to do it for us. This metaphor illuminates the connection that other, earlier cultures made between physical fitness and mental fitness. An excellent example is the Shaolin Priest, or the Samurai. In myth, look at the Herculean figure of Ogma and his association with civilization, knowledge and writing.
The same society that has conditioned us to be physically unfit, make poor, unhealthy food choices and avoid physical exercise also encourages us to be mentally unfit. Where these diverge, however, is that while physical exercise is in a resurgence of popularity, mental fitness and development are not. A purely physical athlete can become an idol and hero, while a purely mental athlete is a geek or weirdo. A pleasing exception to his is Stephen Hawking. It also seems that there is a change coming. The geek too, can be a hero - in the Age of Information.
It does look like a good idea to explore the depths of the mind/body connectedness, and develop both.
The irony of this culture of mental unfitness is that it is harder and ultimately more painful to stay mentally unfit. Just as a couch potato begins to develop health risks that threaten his life, so does the mental slouch. Depression, stress and emotionally addictive behaviors can bring on death as readily as high cholesterol, smoking or excessive sugar intake can. I'm sure you can see mental cancer in obsessive or compulsive behavior. But it is in the little, subtle, yet daily limitations that demonstrate the real loss of physical or mental unfitness. In each case you feel just a tad uncomfortable, always not at your best, never quite happy. And a life without happiness is a wasted life.
So is it worth it, ultimately? That little extra mental burn and discipline can bring tangible benefits in how you feel. Living by the Laws and guidelines of the Craft may not be as enticing as that piece of ego-chocolate. But the pure joy of the developed mind over the long run outweighs the momentary thrills of ego self-importance - a lifetime of joy or fleeting moments of instant gratification. Seems like a no-brainer.
The nicest thing is that anyone can do this. There is nothing spectacularly different about me. I'm a plain woman, bad teeth, not especially wealthy, generally not remarkable. I am not unusual emotionally either. I love children (even when they are a pain), I cry at sad movies or when I see a tragedy, am very romantic, giggle when tickled, dislike gross horror movies (Please no Friday the 13th), hope for the future to be even better, take in stray animals and people. I have a 40 lb. dog food bag in my closet and don't own a dog. (Strike that, I just took in a stray.) In Tijuana I take great pleasure in bargain-hunting and the haggling game, just to give it all away to the desperately poor children and their frequently infirm mothers in the streets. I get angry at bigotry and injustice and say something about it! My greatest day to day pleasures comes from gardening, art and sharing with my family. I also have a real weakness for computers and technology, pure quests for knowledge and futurist issues. This is not terribly unusual these days.
Through mental discipline, however, I've developed skill and understanding that is significant. My mind will do anything I need it to do as sure-footedly and gracefully as an Olympic figure skater or gymnast. The use of any law of guidelines can lead to conditioning, at the same time this can also be the definition of Wisdom. The difference is that conditioning occurs when one's actions involve the robotic and automatic application of rules and reactions ("conditioning the body"). Wisdom is the result of one's conscious control of this application of past experience or rules. Each point of decision is still in your own hand and are your own responsibility rather than being made for you by the rule-makers. This allows us to be free yet highly disciplined. It is the difference between action and reaction.
If there is any one thing I wish to accomplish as the Wren, it is this, and understanding by our brethren of the true value Gwyddon law, structure and ritual is to us. And more, to share the experience of this mental/emotional leap with my fellow seekers as well as the pleasure and joy it brings. We have to make MAGIC an everyday thing. Not something so separate that only someone alien to ourselves can truly do it. We have to see our ONENESS.
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