They mythic answer from the Christian bible and from St. Augustine is it is the original sin when Eve and Adam ate the apple of knowledge in the garden of Eden. The story tells us that God was angry with Eve and Adam's disobedience and so cast them out of the garden into a life of misery and anguish.
Upon reflection, Universalists, have rejected the story and asked, "What kind of a God is this?" They have gone on and said, "This is not my God. My God loves God's creation unconditionally. It all is good."
In A Course In Miracles, it teaches that human beings have done this to themselves by separating themselves from God thinking that they know better and want to be the authors of their own lives rather than acknowledge their radical dependence on the interdependent web of existence. Human beings think that they know better than God, than Life, until their illusions no longer are manageable. Most people become increasingly anxious until they hit bottom and then, if they are wise, they surrender and attempt to discern the will of God for them rather than the other way around.
There is a bumper sticker which says, "If God is your co-pilot switch seats."
We create our hell by believing in specialness. Some things are better and other things are lacking. We are told that judgement is the root of evil and sin. Who, after all, are we to judge? Our perceptions and understandings are faulty and this faultiness leads to mayhem. We would be very wise to recognize and acknowledge that we don't know what we think we do. The answer to our illusional ways is forgiveness. We, first, have to forgive ourselves our arrogance and pride and willfulness thinking that we are in charge of anything. We can all die in the next hour in a car crash, from a heart attack of stroke. Which one of us is really in charge of this thing we call Life?
Forgiving our arrogance and our judgment of our brothers and sisters, we should enjoy the beauty and bliss of the moment. Spontaneity is the elixir of Life when we go with the flow and become one with God and all of God's creation.
This article seems to be saying that willfulness is the root of all evil. I heard a guy in AA one time say that willingness and willfulness are two different thing. Willingness to follow God's will is different from the willfulness in thinking we know what's best and we, by God, are right. When being right is the most important thing to us, it paves the way to hell.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that we create our own hell by our willfulness with our expectations and biases and stubborn opinions seems so clear to me but scary as well. To relinquish control and surrender fills me with all kinds of fears. I wish I could do it, but it takes practice. I need to learn to let go. I laugh when I think about the idea that the universe isn't centered around my navel or anyone else's for that matter.
ReplyDeleteIt took me awhile to get it that I'm not in charge of the universe, my family, even my own life. I like the joke, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell God your plans." The moral of the story is that Life is mysterious and there are forces at work that far exceed our most superficial understanding. UU believes that life is a search for truth and meaning. Live the question said Rilke. This insight is most profound and we are much enriched when we see it.
ReplyDeleteI am very moved by the idea that in order to experience more gratitude in my life I must forgive people towards whom I hold resentments. Especially at these holidays, it has been painful to think of these relationships and facing some of these people. It dawned on me in reading this that I am creating my own hell and life is too short. I told my wife that I am "burying the hatchet" and have decided to "let bygones be bygones." She gave me a kiss and the smile on her face was the best present of the season. I am grateful for this article. It gave me the nudge I needed. Thank you for your good work you are doing here.
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