Fear, Belief-Viruses and the Truth Within

One of the things I like most about the Usui Reiki system is that you don’t need to believe in anything to practise it. Reiki’s success resides entirely on the experience it gives practitioners, and it has survived for almost one hundred years not because it convinces people to believe in anything, but because it affords them a rich experience. Because it heals. Because it enhances joy. Because it helps make people whole.  Like all great spiritual systems, it helps you find the ‘truth’ within, the truth beyond belief systems. This is a critical point, because while belief systems can point us in certain directions, that is all they can ever truly do. They are maps that encourage us to explore certain places, but the maps – as they say in Zen – are not the territory. To know what the territory is like, we can’t rely on descriptions handed to us by others. We need to experience it for ourselves. Only then can we determine whether it is a place we would like to spend more time in or not. The same, naturally, can be said for books, teachers and theories. Indeed, no matter how beautiful they may sound, no matter how eloquent or logically compelling they may seem, we should always use our inner compass to validate them. We should check in with our soul, with our intuition, to see whether what they teach truly resonates. The thing to bear in mind is that humans are not particularly rational. More often than not, our beliefs are simply used to bolster and support our emotional states of being. That is why when we are sad, depressed or afraid, it is so easy to believe things that if we were balanced, healthy and confident within ourselves, we would laugh at. Just like when we are physically or emotionally run-down and catch a cold or flu, when we are physically or emotionally run-down, we are more susceptible tobelief-viruses – viruses that can take over our mental 'operating system'.  When this happens, even smart and loving people can begin to think and act irrationally. As emotional creatures first and foremost, if a belief brings us comfort, we will have a strong desire to champion it, even when it is ridiculous, divisive, dangerous, or worse. But such beliefs never provide true comfort. Instead, they are like a Band-Aid, like alcohol or other drugs. For a short time, they can give us comfort. But ultimately they will not sustain us, because true comfort must come from within, and it must come from something deeper that simply a mental construct or belief. The Fear Virus So why am I talking about this now?  Well faced with a pandemic, faced with what we might call a fear-crisis, faced with fragile emotions, we can all too easily become intellectually vulnerable. This is a time when fundamentalism can easily grow teeth. This is a time when simplistic black and white truths can seem so seductive. This is a time when we so often want to find the one and only truth. Unfortunately, it is this kind of fundamentalism that gives rise to suicide bombers, to the Inquisition, to the Crusades, to world wars and genocides. Of course, fundamentalism comes in many flavours, many of which I know little about, but I have some experience with Christian fundamentalism, and of late I have met more than a few healers who have turned their backs on Reiki because they have ‘found Christ’, because they have been ‘born again’. Now I have nothing against being ‘born again’. In fact, I think we should continually strive to reinvent ourselves. But for me, being born again needs to be the result of a personal experience of something (in this context, the Divine). Think of Saint Paul on the road to Damascus for an example of this. His experience of God in this moment was so profound, it overrode everything he believed. It was so profound that he went from persecuting the Christians to championing them. (He even changed his name from Saul to Paul!). Unfortunately, many people who claim to be ‘born again’ have not undergone this deeply personal experience. Rather, they have let themselves be seduced by a belief system that they can’t truly justify – a belief system that in the depths of their hearts they cannot honestly believe in. And in many cases, they can’t believe in their new beliefs because they don’t make sense. In fact, their new beliefs run contrary to what they know deep in their heart to be true. God is joy. God is love. God is peace. God is acceptance. This is what they know, and yet their new beliefs are judgemental. Their new beliefs cause their hearts to close to people or practices that don’t align with theirs. Their new beliefs typically even condemn these people to eternal damnation. And yet where Christianity is concerned, Christ was an exemplar of acceptance. He spent much of his time with the very people (tax collectors, prostitutes, etc.), that society shunned. He believed in the Christ nature of everyone. He also believed that a person’s virtue resided in the feelings in their heart, not in the rules/belief system they followed. That is why he healed on the Sabbath. That is why he overturned the tables in the temple. That is why he was constantly at odds with the religious authorities of his day. They were too often all rules and no heart, but it was heart that he looked for. So to say someone will only get to ‘heaven’ through Christ the person – and not the Christ Spirit – goes against everything he taught. What about all the people who came before him? Were they all condemned? Of course, having chatted to enough fundamentalists over the years, they do have complex justifications for all of this. The rules were different before Christ, etc., but look in your heart and it will be clear that a good person is a good person regardless of their religious affiliation. The saint in the Amazon Forest doesn’t go to hell just because he doesn’t believe in Christ (and yes, many people do argue for this!). Of course, if it sounds ludicrous to condemns saints to hell, then why are good, smart people ready to do it? Well, as I said at the start of this article, we are first and foremost emotional creatures. So if a belief system or community can feed our emotional longings, then we will often be ready to throw good sense out the window. And where fundamentalists groups are concerned, they typically do offer a lot of emotional support. They give you a community. They give you a sense of belonging. They give you both emotional and intellectual security (you have found the truth and can now relax!). That is why in moments of upheaval, in times like these when fear is so prevalent around the globe, we are particularly vulnerable to these groups and their beliefs. Finding the Truth Within Christ (Matthew 7:15-20 New King James Version) said:  15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” If we accept that the logic of ‘false prophets’ also holds for belief systems, then we will know the value of such belief systems by the fruit they bear. We will feel their truth within us. If they bring us more joy, if they bring us more love, if they bring us more light within our lives, then these belief systems are beautiful ‘trees’. But if they cause us to fear. If they cause us to judge and close our hearts to others, then that too is an indication of the type of ‘tree’ they are. So in these unique times of upheaval, there is no need to look to external sources for a definition of right and wrong. We simply need to look within. Because when we find our centre, we don’t need to ‘believe’ in anything. We will simply know the truth – the truth of that moment. And if our logical mind questions whether what we have found is the truth, then remember that our inner emotional state will not lie. The truth will not just set us free, it will bring us happiness and joy. But if what we believe doesn’t lead to such things, then we must keep looking, for the truth lies elsewhere. (Article Copyright, Jeremy O'Carroll 2020) To find out more about Jeremy O'Carroll's Reiki courses, visit the Om Reiki Centre website. Or to catch up with his daily reflection, visit the Om Reiki Centre Facebook page.

Coronavirus: From Fear to Freedom

Lockdown is coming.

This seems inevitable, the only question is when. One day, a few days, a week. It’s going to happen.

For a lot of people reading this article, a near lockdown is already in operation, and that means that not only are you stuck at home, you also can’t go to work.

In fact, you most likely can’t even work full stop.

From a financial point of view, this isn’t much fun (trust me, I know first-hand as my business has ground to a halt and I still have monthly expenses!), but it might nevertheless be the best thing that has happened in years for many people.

Why?

Because it gives everyone a chance to reset. To begin again. To start afresh. It gives everyone time to reflect on their job and ask whether it truly is the best fit for them.

If you’ve been reading my articles for a while, you’ll know I love to quote Thoreau’s famous line that ‘The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation’.

This resonates because most people I meet (including students of mine) feel stuck in unsatisfying jobs.

Now, we all probably have several missions in life, but one of mine is to inspire people to get the most out of themselves, to dare to live a bolder and brighter life.

This, in a sense, is the idea behind my novels ‘Full Speed’, ‘Call of the Silver Cockatoo’, and ‘The Slob’s Guide to the Perfect Job’ (the last two are still waiting to be published). They pose the question:

‘What happens when you stop living other people’s dreams and have the courage to live your own?’

Reiki, too, addresses this issue with the 4th Precept: ‘Be honest in your work’. 

For me, this means more than just not cheating anyone in business. It means being honest with yourself. It means finding a job – livelihood – that is in harmony with your deepest nature. Because if you don’t do that, then you are not being ‘honest’ with who you are. You are not being true to yourself.

So I am writing today to suggest that you use this forced layoff profitably. I’m saying that when it’s all over (and yes, it will end), it might be time to take a chance, to take a leap.

Time to be truer to who you are.

Time to fly.

Because sure, you can’t ever be certain of the end result. But you can be certain of one thing: if you keep doing what you are currently doing, you’ll keep getting the results you’re currently getting.

So unless you are totally happy with these, you’ve got to try something new. 

And that means not continually putting things off, because the longer you stay in an uninspiring job, the more it will sap your energy, the more you’ll get stuck in a rut, and the more difficult it will be to extricate yourself from it!

Some Personal Examples

Imagine you’re at Melbourne University. Imagine you’re doing a PhD on a scholarship that pays you to study. Imagine you’re doing some lecturing and tutoring. Imagine you even enjoy many aspects of academic life.

But then also imagine that deep down you know your path is another one, that deep down you yearn for something that resonates more fully with who you really are.

Well, that was my situation back in 2002. I was doing very nicely in academia but, having meditated for many years, found that my study was no longer satisfying like it once was.

I needed something more. 

I needed something to light up my soul.

So I walked out.

I said ‘no’ to my PhD.

‘No’ to my scholarship.

‘No’ even to the opportunity of deferring my scholarship for up to a year. 

Instead, I made a clean break and burnt my bridges. 

I did this because I knew my path was something different and didn’t want to be tempted.

I didn’t want to have something to fall back on – as wise as that may have sounded. I wanted to send myself a message that I was committed and would do whatever it took to be true to who I was.

So I went against the advice of every single person I knew.

My parents. 

My family. 

My friends. 

My supervisor at uni. 

The janitor at uni (okay, I’m making this last one up!). 

Everyone.

Most people told me to just finish my PhD (I was already two years into it).

The minority suggested that it couldn’t hurt to keep my options open and defer my place and scholarship for a year just in case I changed my mind.

No one said to do what I did. 

It was a decision I had to make alone – on nothing but the strength of my inner voice.

The Reiki Risk

Teaching Reiki required a similar leap of daring. 

Having spent a long time travelling to remote parts of the world (India, Thailand, Nepal, etc.), I returned to Australia and could have settled for a regular job. I could probably even have worked my way back into academia.

Instead, I chose to teach Reiki for a living.

Now, I did have a bit of financial support from a second business that was operating pretty well by itself at the time (maybe 15-25k per year); but that wasn’t at all guaranteed, and I was about to enter a field where most people find it challenging to make a living.

What’s more, I had a non-working partner and two kids to look after.

But I jumped anyway. I put my energy and soul into my new business, and things worked.

They worked because I was willing to work consistently. And they worked because I was doing something that was in alignment with who I really was (and am!).

As a result, the Universe said, ‘Go ahead my friend, I’ve got you covered.’

Now, I’d be lying if I said it was always easy (my first course had two participants: one who paid $250 and other who was a friend of mine and came for free!); but I never defaulted on my rent, and over time my business has grown and grown.

What’s Stopping You?

You might be wondering why more people (maybe even you!) don’t take a chance.

The answer is that humans tend to play it safe.

I discovered a fine example of this first-hand many many years ago when I learned to count cards at blackjack and, as a result, spent a bit of time at the newly-open Crown Casino.

It was a miserable way to earn a living (sitting beside people who are self-destructing in front of your eyes) and not even a particularly profitable one (gone are the days where they use a single deck of cards!); but one thing I did learn was how wimpy most people are.

Yes, wimpy.

Given a choice between taking another card and possibly going bust and ‘sitting’in a situation that would lead to almost certain death, most people chose to sit and die slowly.

From time to time, I’d offer my advice. I’d know with mathematical certainty that I was right. I’d do my best to encourage the best play; but the fear of jumping was almost always too much. It didn’t matter what I said, almost everyone simply sat and waited for the croupier to beat their hand and gather up their chips.

Of course, it goes beyond simple fear. The other reason it is difficult for people to try a new and daring path is that, like with my decision to leave academia, you typically don’t get much support from those around you.

In fact, quite the contrary.

Most people advise against anything that even has the faintest whiff of going against the masses.

Why?

Well, let’s imagine you do leave the flock and start munching on greener pastures. How does that make the flock feel?

There they are on their barren stretch of land looking over at you who are feasting on fresh, juicy grass and all they can do is either hate themselves for not having the courage to join you or...try to pull you down...or better yet, try to stop you going in the first place so they never have to risk such an event arising!

Transition, Transition, Transition

Okay, I have a confession to make: an Indian palm reader once told me I was a little rash.

Possibly true.

So don’t rush out and quit your job (presuming you still have a job!) having read this article.

Unless you have an alternative means of support, a more prudent method would be to transition over into something you love doing.

First, learn the necessary skills.

Then go part-time.

Then, when business is booming, jump over to full time.

That way you eliminate risk.

Alternatively, you can jump like a maniac. But if you are going to do this, make sure you have the skills needed to make things work – and make sure you are ready to commit.

Before I leapt into Reiki teaching, I had done over ten years of serious meditation, done untold hours of Reiki practice, learned to build websites, learned to write essays, and also had some important business experience.

In other words, I had the skills to make it work.

Conclusion

Coronavirus is a beast. No doubt about that. But as the old saying goes, ‘Every cloud has a silver lining.’

It’s typically annoying when people sprout such sayings, but it is nevertheless true, and it is true right now.

We are living a unique moment in time, a time where we have all been given a chance to take stock of our lives, a chance to figure out not only what occupation or job would be the best fit for us, but also who we’d like to become.

So don’t waste the opportunity. Use it to reinvent yourself.

Be brave. Aim high. And don’t settle for a life without passion.

Don’t settle for a job that doesn’t inspire you.

Instead, listen to your heart, put a plan in place – and then make it happen.

(The – ahem – disclaimer: Please don’t do anything crazy after reading this article. Be bold, yes; but be strategic. I am not a professional consultant of any variety. So my words are spoken as a friend, not an advisor. Any decision you make is 100% your responsibility.)

To find out more about Jeremy O'Carroll's Reiki courses, visit the Om Reiki Centre website. Or to catch up with his daily reflection, visit the Om Reiki Centre Facebook page.