Self-Liking, Condition For Universal State of Bliss
By The Pathwork Guide
Greetings, my dearest friends. Blessings for everyone of you and all my friends who are working on this path of self-realization and liberation.
There is much progress in many of you, and what I will say is, for many of you, perhaps the very thing you need to hear most at this time -- if you hear with your inner ear, as much as with your outer ear.
The entire universe is constituted in such a way that each created individual is capable of being in a constant state of bliss. Each created individual is made in such a way that this is not only a theoretical possibility, but it is man's natural state of being. It is the natural law. When an individual is not in a state of bliss, then it is an unnatural, disturbed condition. It is exceedingly important for you to really grasp and appreciate this fact.
When I speak of a state of bliss, I do not mean this for a vague future -- a future either in this life or in a life beyond the physical state of existence. It is indeed possible right here and right now. Nor does this depend on some complicated feat, on a difficult state of perfection foreign to your present way of being. It does not depend on outer events, on anything having to be different from what it is right in this minute. Man is prone to think that if only this or that were different -- either within him or around him -- then nothing would stand in the way of his happiness. This is not true. The truth is that total happiness is possible immediately, as you are now.
Man's search is always directed in a wrong way. He makes it too complicated in that he assumes that either he or circumstances would have to change before he can attain fulfillment and a state of pleasure supreme as his normal, natural climate. In this lecture I would like to speak about the condition that makes it possible to be in a state of bliss right now.
Man knows unconsciously that a state of pleasure supreme is his birthright, and therefore he constantly strives for it, whether he realizes this or not. The fact that this striving goes in a wrong direction, as just mentioned, does not alter the fact as such. Once man learns to search in the proper direction, then he will find what he seeks. There are two aspects which I shall discuss in this connection.
The state that man either consciously or unconsciously seeks depends directly on his self-liking, on his self-esteem. The equation always comes
out even: to the exact degree that self-liking exists, to that degree happiness exists. The lack of self-liking prevents the psyche from experiencing this state. It induces an alienation from the universal forces and it sets up a screen, or a film, that prevents the individual from becoming part of the cosmic forces, which are bliss. It does not matter whether the lack of self-liking is based on realistic reasons or unrealistic reasons. Both present an equal obstacle. This is why a self-evaluation of one's concepts is part
of the process of self-realization, since often man dislikes himself for the wrong reasons. I pointed out before that a balance exists in that a fine inner mechanism regulates the psychic processes whereby the justified reasons for self-dislike, when not consciously recognized and come to terms with, create false guilts and exaggerated standards of perfection. Therefore, in the last analysis it is always a question of a violation of personal integrity which prevents the personality from coming into his own -- whether or not it also causes false guilts.
This inner mechanism is very exacting and no self-deception or conscious ignorance of it can eliminate the effects of self-dislike. The most enlightened human beings still ignore the importance, the significance of this fact. In our past work together we have discussed many aspects of what causes an impairment of integrity, and therefore of self-respect. Any path of self-realization must deal with the most subtle, unconscious soul movements and attitudes, because their effect is much greater than most individuals even remotely sense.
One such aspect is being true to the natural laws, which exist both in life and in the individual, as opposed to paying allegiance to handed-down values, to superimposed standards, and to the mores of any given society or culture.
We discussed this topic before, but not quite in this particular connection. Self-realization and liberation are very much determined by the freedom of an individual to adopt natural, universal laws and standards by making his own indeoendent decision to adopt them with his reasoning process, taking the responsibillity for this decision fully upon himself. Such a state of mind differs drastically from the one in which a human being automatically adopts views, opinions, apparent laws of life, standards of ethics, and morals without questioning their sense, their inevitability, and their reason. The automatism in which most people take conditions and laws of life for granted prevents autonomy of the self. This automatism is far more widespread and affects many more areas of life and the personality than you can imagine, my friends. We discussed the effects of mass images, of mass impressions before. But most of you think of the crass issues in this connection, the issues that most developed people begin to question and wonder about. None of you are aware
that there still exist issues within you which would require a new and fresh approach. By taking for granted a law or a standard that is not a law of universal life, you close the door to the universe.