On Becoming Whole

There is a battle going on inside of us, the fight between who we want to be and who we are. Negating the human aspect in us is like trying to push a basketball below the surface, it will always come back with a splash. But then, what does it mean to embrace the ego or the animal inside yourself, does it mean you have to live out all your urges and passions? Based on my experience, you will always be able to re-channel your existing drive onto a higher spiritual plane, thus burning off your vasanas without compromising your soul. As a matter of fact, you can argue that this struggle between humanity and Godhood is what defines you and only you have the opportunity to express this tension in a beautiful and unique way. A few examples in this direction: becoming a CEO of a non-profit organization for the power hungry, becoming a spiritual writer for the professors inside of us, or practising tantric sex for those with abundant sexual drive, etc.

The problem that many spiritual path travelers have is that they keep on reading about the alleged enlightened stage of others, forgetting that they are still on a different spiritual plane. In my experience, you build up a massive 'Jungian shadow' or a 'Freudian super-ego' in the process. The way out, embrace all the aspects of your personality, while still making the right choices consistent with your personal Tao. This way, you will get the entire persona up to the next spiritual level.

But there is also a time when some of your vasanas will drop off naturally. "Been there, done that" is a holy mantra in my opinion. Don't torture yourself about the question whether this time has come for you or not. Your Tao will let you know when it is time to move on to the next level - that's what the spiritual journey is all about. Enjoy your road towards wholeness. As Jung once said, I'd rather be whole before being holy.