Putting Down the Ego's Dark Glasses

Our evolutionary biologist tells us that happiness is just a chemical released in our brain to induce us to behave in a way that benefits the replication of our genes. This perspective implies that we are driven like robots who are programmed to acquire as much as we can, to get all the status that we can get, to mate the most attractive and strongest partners and above all, spread our genes. Unfortunately there is little we can do about this programming, millions of years of gene competition sit pretty deep in our bones. What we can do though is to be mindful of where we came from and we can discover our Soul in the process. That is what our spiritual path is all about.

Take status as just one example. Have you ever observed how you talk to your boss and how you talk to a waitress in a cheap restaurant instead? What do you experience when you are all dressed up and sense admiring looks on you? Or how do you feel when you go out with an attractive partner? The point is that we perceive our social environment like a giant pyramid with some people above us and many others below. We do what we can to advance higher and higher on it. Sometimes it is conscious but often our actions and desires are subconscious. Yet we claim that with practice you very much can bring these tendencies out on the surface. More than that, we tell you that this pyramid is nothing but hot air. In the real world we are all on one playing field and together we are so much more powerful that you can imagine right now.

So how exactly do we get to this world? We say " I must not be competitive" and spend additional time with the waitress just to look caring; we try dressing down or deliberately don't go out with the prom queen or high school quarterback and try not to hang out with the in- crowd. Well, how special is that! Not only could we hang out with the in-crowd, but we deliberately decide against it to revolt against the regime. We hope you realize that there is just nothing you can do to step outside of this trap. All you can do is to observe. We can even write spiritual books with the intention to change the world for the better only to realize that deep down inside we want to be special like everyone else. So do what you feel like doing. Be as passionate as you like but be mindful. Let life - the Tao - show you who you really are while you run after your passions.

The ego is the psychological force that wants to exploit our biological wiring and wants to prove that we are different from everybody else. It claims that if we sit at the top of the pyramid and look down on everyone else we will be happy. Well, this is a fallacy. It is the acquiring, the getting somewhere that releases these happiness chemicals. Like Jesus said many thousand years ago, "What use is it if you gain the whole world and lose your Soul in the processs?" When you are finally at the top of your pyramid you will be sad and lonely indeed!

In the ego's world we can only gain when others lose. We can only be beautiful when others are less attractive. The ego doesn’t want to stand on the same ground with others. The ego always wants to be better. The ego craves competition. Looking through the ego's dark glasses, the entire world is nothing but a battleground for me and more me. Observe for yourself that we subconsciously use other people as a stepping stone to get a better image of ourselves.

But please don’t blame yourself or others when you discover this hidden agenda. Just observe! As we always say, leading a mindful life liberates us from the dark psychological force inside. You don’t really need to do anything about it. When you see so clearly that what you are doing is killing yourself and others, you will naturally drop your weapons. More than that. If you really look, your life is nothing but an invite to put down the ego's dark glasses and look again. The Tao will teach you that being is in fact having and that giving is getting. She will also show you patiently that the unimpressive waitress who just served you is an angel in disguise. You do not need to do anything. Live your life and discover that the pyramid you saw before isn't real at all. It only existed in your mind. Follow the cues of the Tao and observe how the fata morgana collapses. Suddenly all that you ever can perceive is an equal playing field of the Children of God. Go out and play, it is really a lot of fun!

By Christian and Su Zhen

Selfish Genes as a Teaching Device

The Holy Spirit sees the world as a teaching device for bringing you home.
(A Course in Miracles)

I have been reading a few books on evolutionary biology recently and have to admit it all make sense. Think of the peacock, as a Darwinist you probably scratch your head a little and wonder how this species can still be around. The peacock uses massive amounts of energy to maintain his flamboyant tail and risks being an easy pray during his mating dance, yet, to keep the species alive you just need a few that impregnate the much fitter hens to keep this species going. The peacock tail was nature's invention to allow the most flamboyant male to spread his genes.

Status, wealth, impressive educational degrees and professions, trained and tailored bodies, physical attractiveness, designer cloth, jewelry presents, mansions, yachts and luxury cars, everything really that makes our hearts beat faster is just a gimmick to spread our genes. Even if we use birth control, the desire to impress, the urge to conquer and to be conquered has been bred into us for millions, actually billions of years. It is a fact that you and I are unlikely the offsprings of monks. 

This is your starting point, you have to accept this drive inside of you, but afterwards you can take it in whatever direction you like. This is the movie you participate in and it is your mission to find your way home with the cards that have been dealt for you. It is also a fact that we humans have been beating the odds by cooperating with each other. Biology directed us towards love just because caring for your friends, spouses and offsprings allowed us to face the hostile environment of the past with united strength. With this body, with these emotions and with this mind you can discover for yourself that selfish genes do not have to imply selfish people. Your body and your genetic history is a teaching device. Discover love today and this movie will end well for you.

Love and the Selfish Gene

I am reading 'The Mating Mind' by Geoffrey Miller about evolutionary biology and have to admit that my head is spinning a little. Could it be that our ego instinct drives us towards love? Let me try to explain. We have been around for a few hundred thousand years, and you as a reader and me as a writer are the successful ones, i.e. our ancestors have been the ones that got us here, and we are living proof of everything they did best. We carry their genes and have been brought up according to their rules and behaviours.

What makes a woman marry a man and raise children with him? I once asked my wife why exactly she married me and her answer was 'because you are kind'. So men become kind over the generations because women value kindness? And to give us men a little credit too, we value kindness as well; looks will likely get you to the bedroom, but not necessarily to the altar.

Why do our better halves value kindness in the first place. They could value power, ruthless behaviour and strength instead - as long as they have the skills to control the ruthless man, which they probably have too. After all, that is all evolutionary biology needs - the strength and ability to grab the resources to propel your offspring to the next generation. But as we all feel, there is more to a human being than just millions of years of ruthless gene competition.

What a strange concept: somewhere in our hearts, God has installed love and kindness and the selfish gene stumbles over generations to that outcome?!? As always, any comments or insights on this confusing subject would be greatly appreciated.

The Four Instincts

There is something special about fear and the desire for food, sex and power. These are instincts that are genetically wired into our brains to ensure our survival. Fear, food and sex help the species to survive and prosper, the drive for power allows the individual to get ahead. The problem with these instincts is that they take a life of their own and can turn into monsters.

You can get addicted to all four forces. The state of paranoia takes our natural fears to the extreme and they take over your personality. Obesity is a result of food addiction. Sexual addiction is widespread, while the addiction for power can be observed everywhere in our corporate world, in sports and politics.

I consider myself quite an expert on this subject, as I have to control myself not to get taken over by these forces. Many of my fears have subsided, but I remember a time when fears were a big part of my life. The Power of Now is all about disarming our incessant worries, so it can be done, but it takes practice. I also tended to eat unconsciously, so I can definitely relate to somebody who stuffs his face. When it comes to sex, I find a big disconnect between having sex - which is a beautiful experience and your mind actually shuts down - and having mind sex. The latter takes place for example if you exchange fantasies with others in chat rooms, or if you have sexual fantasies about others. Mind sex I find highly addictive and have to control myself to keep it out of my life. The desire for power I can clearly feel in myself, but is luckily less of an issue for me.

Evolution of Conciousness

The new spiritual age has come some way in understanding our dark side. Gone are the days when we blamed the devil for our urges and temptations. We have developed the ego concept instead and are increasingly willing to look inside ourselves, even in the dark corners. The next step in our spiritual and psychological evolution will be to embrace our "dark side" rather than suppressing it. Debbie Ford makes this case convincingly in her "The Dark Side of Light Chasers". Actually, we have every reason to be proud. Our so called shadows often are remnants of millions of years of evolution. We have evolved from fish to reptiles to mammals and are on our way to join the Source consciously. Our past is imprinted in our brain and our DNA and journey goes on.

The past is part of our mind, but it contains our destination as well. Science tells us that our brain is a replica of the evolving macrocosm. Our spiritual path is a journey into our core. In order to understand where we are going we need to understand where we are coming from. Just observe what is going on in your brain, the urges, the so-called temptations, the interaction between instinct and rationality. Observe, understand and become whole. That's when you will be taken onto the next level of consciousness.

The new spiritual age is a mix of spirituality, psychology and philosophy. Understand where you are coming from, understand the metaphysical forces that guide you and understand your mission in life. Your urges and desires are what they are, bring them to the surface, don't fight them and gently mold them to let the life energy flow into the direction you want it to take. The goal is to live in perfect harmony with yourself and your soul. Nothing gets suppressed, nothing gets judged, and all the energy is used efficiently.

I Challenge You

The simple truths always have the biggest impact on me. When I was reading the latest soul book from Gary Zukav (Soul to Soul), I suddenly came across the following statement: Fear, I challenge you! What a concept! He advises you to look out for any signs of weakness and fear inside you, and when it creeps up, plant your two feet on the ground and shout with conviction: Fear, you have no business beeing here, just go away. Actually, he does admit that you may have to repeat this procedure many times, but he claims it will help you eventually.

There are two things I find fascinating about this strategy. First of all, this practice allows you to experience fear much more consciously. Are you really aware when fear creeps up in you? For me this is key to our spiritual journey: Know Thyself - understand what drives you and why. The more powerful point, of course, is the conjecture that you can just challenge fear and similar ego sentiments: Go behind me ego, I have nothing to do with your battles and fears. Well, we can all try and see if it works.

My experience at the grocery store may have been a step in this direction. I was shopping happily (as happy as one can be with two screaming kids in the background) when I suddenly noticed an attractive woman. At least I felt a flash inside myself; she definitely got my attention. Actually, I think she was there to teach me a lesson, because no matter where we were, she went as well. So I had plenty of time to check out what exactly it was that attracted me. She was about my age and pretty fit. Her face was pleasant, but there was nothing in it that stayed with me. In the end I figured it out (you of course already have), it was her blond hair and well-proportioned body that got my attention. I then remembered a book I read on evolutionary biology. In it our sexual desires are traced to 100 000 years of human evolution. Our hair and eye color, as well as our body proportions played important roles in our evolution and our brains are still wired that way, even though many of these attributes have become meaningless. When I stood at the cash register I mumbled to myself full of conviction: Step behind me cave-man, I have nothing to do with your outdated desires. I sure hope Gary's strategy works.