Guest Opinion: Abel Tomlinson

Focusing on The Good and The Now, Not Presidential Egos

By Abel Tomlinson
TFW Contributing Writer
Originally, this article was intended to focus on the presidential campaign, specifically on Ron Paul and Barack Obama. However, politics have become increasingly uninspiring, partly because it inevitably divides people through ugly conflict.
To write about the campaign, it was imperative to sharply criticize the candidates and the political system. Criticism would have generated anger from Obama and Paul supporters.
Moreover, a wise man once said “judge not lest ye be judged.” Is not criticism a form of judgment? By critiquing politicians, is that not passing judgment on their intelligence? Who are we to judge?
We have two paths to choose from: judgment and condemnation or understanding and forgiveness.
This idea of perfection and superiority is a pathological disease. Instead of perfection, it is healthier to see the world in terms of wholeness where everyone has a different valuable place and role. Not only must we remove ourselves and those we may judge from the problematic context of perfection, but we must also remove our spiritual leaders from that incorrect placement as well.
In Eastern wisdom, it is said a primary problem of Earthly existence is for us to grapple with suffering internally and externally. In order to alleviate suffering, we must end our attachment and striving. If we hold someone like Jesus or Buddha on a pedestal of perfection and we bow down to them, then we will suffer because we will constantly strive to emulate those models. Instead, we must learn to become One as equals. Instead of bowing, we must stand up, hug and dance with our spiritual teachers. Instead of judging and feeling superior to others, we must understand and forgive.
“The Perennial Philosophy” by Aldous Huxley is a beautiful synthesis of spiritual wisdom from mystics, prophets, saints and sages from every religious tradition. Three primary messages are to realize the oneness and unity of everything, to become an instrument of divine love, and to become humble.
Humility is not feeling above or below anyone, and this would include spiritual teachers. We must not judge because that makes us arrogant and not humble, and only in a state of humility and love can we become one with God, other people and Nature. When we forget to be Atman, our Loving Higher Self, we push others away, and temporarily push God out.
In addition to humility, we must learn to carefully focus our divine awareness. Quantum physics indicates that atoms are not discrete material particles, but exist everywhere in the universe as an interconnected web of probability waves, and only collapse into “solid” entities at the moment of immediate observation. It is possible that all that exists in our specific lives is that which is immediately within our field of awareness at any given moment.
Everything in the past and future could be seen as dreams. The past and future could be viewed as fractal projections of consciousness from the current moment. This shift of perception would allow us to suffer less from past pain and regret, and release us from striving for future utopias or fear of future dystopias. There is no reason to fear or suffer. With clear perception, everything is good in The Now. I agree with Terrence Mckenna when he said, “Nothing is wrong, nothing is wrong. Everything is on track.”
Mckenna also said, “One thing that the Buddhists have certainly gotten right is that attention to attention is the key to taking control of your mental life.” What we give attention to is what we help create and perpetuate. If we focus on negative and ugly things in our lives and world, we create and perpetuate negativity. Conversely, if we focus on the positive and beautiful things, we manifest a positive life and world.
Hence, we must evolve into fearlessly focusing on The Good, The Positive and The Now. With perception of concentrated immediacy, disproportionately feed The Positive and The Good with your divine attention every moment, and that which causes suffering will disappear, a more poetic version of The Rapture. It is possible that by depriving the corrupt system of our attention, it may vanish.

Categories: Commentary