THE FLAW IN FIGHTING

 

#1: Fighting Isn’t for Everyone

Given this is a spiritual philosophy podcast, fighting is framed here as something we can one day evolve beyond. The catch, of course, is that we’re all in different stages of spiritual evolution. Those who still engage in fighting, though, are not lesser people in any way. In fact, some of the bravest and most selfless among us are those who fight injustice and oppression. But life on our planet works because we’re all serving different functions. Thankfully, it resonates with some to serve as police officers and soldiers. Currently, society has plenty of immature behavior requiring attention from those in uniform, and sometimes that attention involves fighting. Although, to varying degrees, there are those with whom fighting does not resonate... from people who won’t fight unless it’s for a greater cause, to those who fight only in self-defense, and ultimately, to those who are unconditionally nonaggressive and nonviolent. That last category, which is sometimes referred to as Christ or Buddha consciousness, is what we’ll explore in depth here.

It’s obviously easier not to fight while living in a utopia where poverty is eliminated through sharing, diversity is always celebrated, and disagreements are settled peacefully. But that’s not where we live… at least, not yet. For now, there are still many hurting and unhealed souls looking for fights along with those who give them what they want. This happens with weapons on battlefields, with money in legal battles, and with bullies on playgrounds. How we choose to respond or not respond to that aggression is up to us.

#2: Fighting Feeds on Itself

Let’s get deeper. Here’s an overriding spiritual theory to consider: Fighting - even in the name of peace - will eventually lead you back into war. If the willingness to fight exists within you, it will attract and activate that same aggressive potential in others. In turn, this queues up an endless flow of adversaries - whether on social media, in 5 o’clock traffic, or in your personal life - that will be drawn to you. When you arm yourself - with combative thoughts and words, or with actual weapons - life will bring you reasons to arm yourself. This theory rests on the basic principle that what you put out into the world comes back to you… and what you cause another to experience, you will one day experience. Therefore, choosing any form of violence or aggression as a response traps you on an aggression pendulum that will never stop swinging until you do (pun intended). And the more intense your aggressive or violent responses, the more intense will be the difficulties you’ll attract. To see this overarching pattern of life, one must be open to perceiving spiritual truths that operate beyond our 5 senses. And to free oneself from the aggression pendulum, one must cultivate a calm faith that life unfolds as it needs to, and that there’s a higher, hidden purpose for every circumstance.

I realize these sweeping, counterintuitive concepts are not easily integrated into life as you may currently know it. But try to entertain the notion that in the eventual evolution of our souls, we’ll one day grow out of the limited, jungle mentality of fighting, into a highly evolved existence that is unconditionally nonaggressive and nonviolent. However, don’t confuse this nonaggression with a lack of courage or an unwillingness to act in response to violence. Intervening happens, but it’s done creatively and with love for both the attacked and the attacker. The highly evolved simply see the attacker as someone whose hurt and confusion have driven them to a dark, unsustainable place. The lost soul of an attacker doesn’t need another fight - they already have that in abundance. Choosing to meet them with indomitable compassion instead of aggression is our only hope of helping them, as well as humanity itself, evolve out of the jungle.

#3: Beyond Fighting is Limitless Evolution

Circling back to the Christ / Buddha consciousness alluded to earlier, making the higher choice of “loving your enemies” is one of the most profound moments in any soul’s evolution. It takes a willingness to face death - whether yours or your loved ones’ - in the name of refusing to sink into the darkness that comes with letting the jungle define who you are. That refusal is the highest possible expression of courage. Of course, to reach this elevated place, it’s necessary to discover that you and your loved ones have souls that can never die, and although we may not be consciously aware, we’re all living perfectly orchestrated lives of spiritual free will, including the timing and circumstances of our so-called deaths. The closer you move to the realization that nothing can happen to any of us without our soul’s consent, the less likely it is that your own fear will scare you into being violent.

History is replete with massively influential spiritual icons, political leaders, and civil rights activists who demonstrated the power of standing up to injustice with love. Their stories - and how they changed the world - are proof that life itself rises to support those who courageously, compassionately, and sometimes sacrificially stand their ground with love, willing to die for a noble cause, but never willing to kill for it. But we don’t need to reach in one leap (or in one lifetime) the exceedingly high bar set by those extraordinary souls. It’s enough to just reach for whatever we perceive as our next bar, which could be as simple as not losing our temper at a rude driver in traffic.

Finally, I feel it’s important to conclude this episode as we began it - with endless gratitude and admiration for those in uniform who protect our society’s process of cultural, spiritual, and personal evolution. They’re the ones who provide the guardrails necessary to work our way toward the abundant, evolved, nonviolent utopia of our most inspired dreams.

 

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