Shifting Paradigms
The wisdom and understanding of our own inner essence is a beacon thatdraws us inward toward ever deeper connection with the Divine. Yet ratherthan look for divine wisdom within, most people have long preferred tolook outward, thus maintaining a dependence upon a vast hierarchy thatstretches between the individual and the Divine. In all our wanderingsaway from the Divine, humankind has obscured its most compelling featuresthrough a persistent belief in limitations defined by the hierarchicalstructure of our world. The Divine dances outside of the confines of any hierarchicalstructures. It is complete within itself, and has a singular purpose ofdemonstrating the collective potential of all life within the universe. Itis the archetype of perfection. It is the standard bearer of each soul'sinnate design and ultimate destiny. The essence of the Divine is so farbeyond mental conception that humanity's tendency is to resort to thelimiting language of hierarchical belief systems to define it. The Hierarchical Paradigm: Searching for Connection and Wholeness When people are unaware of their inner wisdom and wholeness, they searchfor order and security outside themselves. Uncertain of their place withinthe hierarchical order of the world, they tend to define themselves basedupon their insecurities. Individuals thus become only pieces of theirwholeness and like shards of glass from a beautiful vase, they bear littleresemblance to their aggregate beauty. Within the hierarchy, many in highpositions of power have taken advantage of our collective insecurities inattempting to guide the development of all humankind. They have obscuredthe direct connection between the individual and the Divine through avariety of means designed to intercede between our inner essence and ourdivine source. Each individual can come to know themselves to be free of all forms ofhierarchical control. This is not to imply that we should not trust othersor join together in bonds of friendship and community. It is simply areminder that relative truth is constantly shifting in the hands of thosewho desire to control. And even when the motive for their controllingbehaviors may be of good will, it is still a form of control. When therevealers of "truth" within the hierarchy withhold and suppressinformation, they are usually positioned to acquire and maintain powerrather than disseminating empowerment to all. The desire for connection and wholeness is a fuel that drives us to seekout and explore the hierarchical paradigm. This inner longing provides uswith the motivation to seek help and guidance from a specific group withinthe hierarchy, and in so doing, cultivate a sense of belonging andconnection. Furthermore, the hierarchical paradigm is a stage whereby wedevelop a sense of connection to some grand, encompassing vision. This iswhy the hierarchy nurtures prophets who point toward a greater vision. Spiritual leaders are able to peer deeply beneath the surface reality oflife and experience how intricately connected every life form is, and howthe composite of all life is intelligent far beyond measure. Thesevisionary leaders can thus interpret reality through their personalabilities to perceive and express life's dimensional depth and limitlessintelligence. Yet no one is able to articulate life's full dimensionaldepth and breadth with the tools of language. They can only, at best,describe their interpretation or their impressions. In actuality, all of us are able to peer beneath the surface reality oflife and perceive a unique vision of the universe. We require only timeand intention to develop our own interpretations. And this is preciselywhat many great spiritual leaders have taught. Life's deeper essence isnot an absolute to be experienced by the chosen few, but an evolving,dynamic intelligence that wears as many faces as there are life forms. Nogroup or people has the exclusive portal into the universe by which theDivine expresses itself in all its majesty. The portal is open andavailable to all, because the Divine is within all things. Those who are recognized as great prophets each produced a vision of theuniverse beyond what was currently defined by the hierarchy. Because theirinterpretations were articulated with authority and depth of insight, theybecame a target of debate among various groups in the hierarchy. Thisdebate then created a polarity of belief. A sympathetic constituencyemerged to defend and embellish their leader's interpretation, whileestablished groups held it in contempt of previously held beliefs.Invariably, the leader's vision became confined and shaped into dogma byfollowers who desired to create a religion or sect. Thus, this infusion offresh insight quietly receded into the hands of the hierarchy, where itsdeeper meaning was obscured by the very fact that it was incorporated intoa massive structure that both protected and promoted it. The Transformation Paradigm: Inner Wisdom and Understanding A new paradigm is emerging that promotes a clear connection ofindividual consciousness to the compelling features of the Divine withoutthe intervention of a hierarchy. This is when the fables and myths ofhistory step into the light and become known as they were originallyintended. This is the time when language will be transformed into a newform of communication that breaks down all barriers of control. Personaltransformation, through the awakening of inner wisdom and understanding,is the pathway into wholeness. The transformation paradigm is initiated simply by the recognition thatrather than the dependency-inducing ways of the hierarchical paradigm,there are accelerated, independent pathways that bypass the hierarchy andlead to self-mastery. These new pathways lead to the divine wisdom andunderstanding that is present within all of us. This wisdom can beaccessed through the practice of three principles of transformation:seeing the Divine in all, nurturance of life, and gratitude. Theapplication of these life principles disengages individuals from thecontrolling elements of the hierarchy, thus initiating the transformationexperience. As there are relative truths, there are relative freedoms. Asindividuals evolve through the hierarchical process, an ever-increasingsense of freedom is gained, yet external forces continue to exert controlthrough limiting language and confining belief systems. These controllinginfluences lead to continued reliance upon the hierarchy as it unceasinglyattempts to impose a sense of inequality between us. The underlyingequation of the hierarchical paradigm is: individual + hierarchy = Godconnection. In the case of personal transformation it is: individual +inner wisdom and understanding = divine equality with all. The Synthesis Paradigm: Integration For those who feel called, the time has come to integrate the dominantparadigm of the hierarchy with the expanding transformation paradigm. Thisintegration occurs naturally once we have fully explored the two paradigmsand develop a synthesis paradigm whereby transformation is attained bysearching for connection and wholeness through our own inner wisdom andunderstanding. It is this combination of release from dependency on thehierarchy and transformation from within that initiates the synthesisparadigm. Once we take responsibility for our own transformation and integration,it does not mean that the hierarchy is to be shunned or avoided. Thehierarchy is quite benign as a manipulative force and merely representsone important stage in the journey toward wholeness. What is being set inmotion now is the initial preparation for these paradigm shifts. Morespecifically, these paradigms will be simultaneously played out over thecoming years. As always, it will be the choice of each one of us as towhich paradigm we embrace in our journey. All of the highest imaginings of humanity are yet unaware of our deepestfoundation. We have sought the upper reaches of the building, yet remainunaware of the foundation's design. It is here, at the very core ofexistence that the Divine is bursting forth with its creative energy whilesimultaneously reintegrating with its invitation to wholeness. It is herethat equality is realized, not in the lofty places of relative truthlodged in the hierarchy, but rather in the deepest part of thefoundational plan of life's original source and ultimate destiny. Theorigin and destiny of existence is the tone of equality in life. Listenfor this tone-this frequency of vibration-and follow it back into the veryfoundation from whence all things arise and return. Consider these words as symbols only. Feel the truth that stands behindthese words, and tap into this empowering energy force that reaches outfor you. Know it as a tone or vibration-a resonance that waits for youaround every corner in which your life will turn. It is a beacon of theDivine gathering itself into the form of language in order to usher you toa place from which you can experience the formless tone of equality-thebypass of limitation. It is the primal language of our divine source thatbestows to you the freedom to generate your own deepest beauty in theexpression of your highest truth.
