Hard Doctrine is the Enemy of Wisdom

I find that wherever there is a strict adherence to doctrine, there is a separation from the validity of the human person. We’re not all supposed to be exactly the same, and homogenized by asceticism, or morality, or what I call “hard doctrine.“ We need to be more fluid as we approach our awakening. I think it was Bruce Lee, who wrote the book Be Like Water. That title has always intrigued me and recently I have come to appreciate fluidity in a spiritual sense. I’m sure the book is almost entirely about martial arts, but fluid applies, in a Taoist sense, to the idea that we need to be a little bit more formable in our thinking. When we hold to hard rules and regulations, we often forget ourselves. These doctrines are not bad. They are a great place to start, but they have their limitations. If you’re not able to be yourself, and you constantly try to achieve a personal perfection, you will increase your suffering.

Water can fill any container perfectly. It can flow into places solid matter cannot reach. Water is the source of life. Allow yourself permission to flow naturally. Just like you fill your body, fill the room. Don’t be afraid to take up space, especially when in a new situation. People need to know who they’re meeting. If we’re always trying to hide our true selves, then, maybe, one day no one will know who we really are. Flow in the grocery store, traffic, church, or wherever you find yourself. Don’t be afraid. What is hard and brittle eventually erodes under pressure,. We’re on a different set of time when we become water, and awakening is not far away.

The ego wants certainty. Certainty is the enemy of faith. If we define ourselves and our faith into a rigid stone, then all we can really do with it is flog others when they’re not like us. We need to be more malleable. Remember, this rigidity is what crucified Jesus. It is what causes all war and strife, and a great deal of suffering around the world. This hard certainty is selfish in nature. The ego wants what it wants, and often, it does not care how it gets it.

It’s humbling when we realize that consciousness itself is malleable. We want it to be so certain and solid, but it is not. This is where meditation comes in, when we become confident in the love of God and the angels through our meditative practices, it stops being necessary for certitude in other areas. So, take it easy, continue with your silent practice, and take it one day at a time.

Be like water…