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Shahriar Shahriari |
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Spirit Speaks
To My Unborn Son
Darling,
What I am about to write is the expression of my highest truth, at least in this moment in time.
I can fill your mind with platitudes and even high-sounding dogma. I can even tell you that Love conquers all, and such things as to get the affirmation and approval of others. But my highest truth is different.
I believe what underlies reality is belief - perhaps a circular argument, but at least it is devoid of self-contradiction.
What you believe to be real, will color your perception as well as your judgment to such an extent that it becomes your reality. And since it confirms what you believed to be real, it becomes a self-feeding cycle.
Let me be very clear. I am not referring to creative visualization or mind-over-matter techniques - although if that is your belief, it also becomes your reality.
And in the same manner, if you believe that Love conquers all, then it shall.
This realization is initially very empowering - because as soon as we find our god-like abilities, we step into a series of magical experiments to re-define our reality - no longer what it used to be, we replace it with our wishes and desires.
If we ever transcend this stage, it becomes debilitating and frightening. We recognize a sense of un-reality to our reality. It becomes paralyzing and pointless, because we realize all it is, is imagination and dogma. And both are very fake - or at least manufactured.
At this stage, we realize that our past is nothing but repetitive and modified stories - just to feed our sense of what is real. And we also realize that our future is just as fictitious - and "arriving there" is nothing but the playing out of our own belief.
In this phase, there is a tendency to either give up - which can lead to madness at one extreme, and subservience at another; or to opt-out, which will only lead to isolation, and the playing out of another belief into reality; or to go into denial and reversion to the earlier stage; or to get through it and come out at the other side.
I don't think I am there yet, but I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I see glimpses of getting past the dogma of indoctrination, or fear, or giving up.
In reality, our own belief is constantly competing with other people's belief - or at least our perception of their belief. And our reality is affected to the extent that we buy into other people's belief - including the one I am writing about.
The real question is not who is right - since this question is irrelevant in the domain of belief. The real question is how unshakeable is our own belief? And how much of it is genuinely ours, and how much of it have we unconsciously imported?
You see, my dear, you don't have to come up with original beliefs. You just need to be conscious and aware of your own beliefs. And then, you need to be persistent enough that you adhere to your own, and live it out, no matter what life deals you.
Contrary to popular belief, the greatness of a man is not measured by the company he keeps. The greatness of a man is determined by how true he is to himself. Shakespeare was right. To thine own self be true, and live your life in accord with your deepest held genuine convictions, because everything else is fiction.
And one more thing... You may find this paradoxical. But you will not find your genuine beliefs in your mind nor in silence. Silence only gives you enough repose to observe, and your mind, the tools for observation.
Your deepest convictions come in relation to others. You will find your truth in your community. Because what is out there, your reality, is nothing but the projection and perception of your own beliefs. The world is truly your mirror.
You will only know what are your genuine beliefs, if you are willing to test them in the crucible of what we call life, or reality.
What you do not risk is only determined by your fears. And what you do not stick to, is not your belief.
My dear, life is not easy, at least not when you are being tested in the crucible. But what comes out, if anything at all, is truth - your truth.
May your life be blessed with magic, and then futility. And may you emerge determined and genuine. May you find your true nature through expressing your own truth.
This is my highest wish for you.
Love
Dad© Shahriar Shahriari
Los Angeles, CA
April 15, 2002
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This page was last modified on Monday, May 02, 2005.