Today, I was watching one of my favorite movies, The Craft. It’s probably not really that good of a movie, but I find myself watching it at least once every week or two. It’s about four girls who are into witchcraft. Long story short, three of the girls gang up on the other girl, and they fight each other using their magical powers.
This movie reminded me of something I read online once about the three ways a person can approach life. I wish I could remember EXACTLY where I saw it so that I could properly cite the author. I just hope I’m not ripping off anyone of a supernatural nature, especially someone who could exact magical vengeance in defense of their intellectual property. Anyway it was about the ways people can approach life. There are roughly three ways to do so.
First, you can just let things happen to you. Be reactive all the time. Be afraid to the point of being completely immobile. Crave sedation because looking inside yourself is just too tough. Or instead, you can take matters into your own hands before someone does something to you. Attack others, steal from them and continually seek to exploit other’s weaknesses. Let fear, hate, anger or whatever overtake you in this pursuit. Either of these approaches add up to the same state, one of slavery. Either you are a slave to yourself or to your situation.
Second, you can be aware of the outside world. Develop a keen focus on what’s going on, but know what’s going on inside yourself as well. From this self-knowledge and understanding of external realities, you make a judgment. Then, you act. Without infringing upon other’s ability to be free, you then stretch out your will to change the world around you. This way may be viewed as the way of the magician, the wizard or the occultist.
Finally, you can rise above whatever you’re experiencing — suffering, hunger, pain — almost like it’s not even happening. It’s mind (or spirit) over matter. To this person, the world does not exist — it is all a dream from which to be awakened. This is the way of the mystic or ascetic.
Like anything in life, I suspect it’s up to every individual to determine how they will approach life. I also suspect most people are actually in one of the variations of the first state of slavery. While some may falsely view slavery as safe, the other approaches are also filled with great danger. Rising above things can lead you to lead to self-centeredness and the forsaking of opportunities to love others and pass on any wisdom gained from enlightenment, while changing the world to match your vision of the way it should be can lead to the path of predation and disregard for others freedoms.
I think I’ve tried all three ways at various points in my life. In hindsight, the first twenty years seemed to be a time of just reacting to things. Childhood seems to be a perfect complement to slavery, right? My “old age” and failure at previous attempts to change the world to be some kind of Shambhala has made me a bit more pre-disposed to following mysticism as of late. Get in touch with myself, God or some combination thereof, then living in this world might be bearable. Whether this is my final state or just a brief retreat before a transition to another approach is yet to be seen though.
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