Dear Friends,

 

One of the most natural things for people is to have opinions about lots of things.

 

But if we're people who are seeking liberation, I think it's worth questioning this. There is a vast number of issues connected with this, and I just want to touch briefly upon a few points in the hope of getting a vigorous discussion going.

 

I am assuming that you as members of this group are either actively engaged on the Path of Liberation, or are thinking about it, with a view to starting the Path at some point. By liberation I mean freedom from domination by the astral forces we have created, freedom from all sorts of habits and mechanisms that overrule us, freedom from suffering, and ultimately freedom from illness and death.

 

That means we have to break with everything that ties us to this world of opposites, this dualistic universe.

 

In my personal experience I have found that opinions are very, very earth binding and a great barrier to progress on the Path. Why?

 

Lots of reasons.

 

I think the most powerful effect is that opinions are primarily astral. Although the word "opinion" sounds like it's a mental thing, I'm sure there's more feeling to it than thought, although that often plays a role too. It depends, of course, on how well thought out our opinions are.

Take an example. Something happens in life which causes us to react by stating, or even just remembering our opinion. We may read something in the news, or someone may tell us something. It's often about the government, or about someone who has power. Yet another transport strike? Yet another politician involved in a sex scandal? Another statistic showing bankers to be greedy, self-serving, money grabbing so-and-so's?

 

Let's be honest; our first reaction is to 'feel' anger, indignation, powerlessness, etc. What does that do? It instantly fills our astral body with fiercely burning astral substance of a low vibration. Thunder clouds fill our aural sky, and bright flashes of lightning shoot in all directions. What happens to the Light we are trying to attract into our microcosm to lift us out of the pit of darkness? It's immediately obscured. Not permanently (I hope) but are we trying to fight the Light or let it fill us?

 

It's natural for most people to hold strong opinions against things that are detrimental to them in some way, even if it be very subtle, and in favour of things that are in some way beneficial. It's not for nothing we call it a 'gut reaction' when we hear about the type of event I've just mentioned. Why? Because our biological ego is situated in the liver-spleen system, in our abdomen. It sits there like a much loved pet rat, just as Scabbers was Ron Bilius' pet. In other words our opinions are mostly generated by our biological ego, the survivor, the fighter, the ever vigilant guardian of our interests. I would say that those opinions which do not stem directly from our ego probably mostly come from our parents, our social class, our friends, and especially the mass media.

 

Let's keep in mind that our pet rat is one of our greatest enemies when we want to go the Path! It will betray every part of us that is helping us on the Path of Liberation. Just read Harry Potter Part 3 to find out!

 

The effect of having opinions for or against so many things is that we polarise ourselves. We're constantly choosing sides on many issues, and thus astrally joining the group which is pro or con something. Our astral and mental bodies are opening themselves up to these groups, and we drink their forces in thirstily, thus reinforcing the lower astral vibration we created when we first encountered the situation which irritated or gladdened us.

 

This polarisation has the effect of sorting everything into friend and enemy. Not into black and white perhaps, but into what we trust and admire, and into what we distrust and look down upon (in a subtle way).

 

The Light doesn't ever take sides on anything. It has no opinions and it regards no one as an enemy because they have different opinions. It radiates its love to all, with compassion and understanding.

 

There's the mental aspect to opinions. While we may reluctantly have to admit that many of our opinions stem from the ego, or have just been taken over from our parents etc, we are proud of the fact that we are thinkers, and we do hold some opinions that are original, and that we have thought out clearly. We have observed impartially, and because of our wisdom and experience we have opinions that are valid and soundly based.

 

In other words, we have been using our mental body to concentrate on various issues pertaining to our dualistic life. This means that we have attracted into our mental body substance that is in accordance with the vibrations of the topic concerned. This mental activity will also attract forces from other people who think the same way, and from concentrations of mental energy in the world's mental plane. Not exactly liberating is it?

 

This whole mental activity will move down into the astral, plane, because when we make a mental conclusion, and decide to have an opinion for or against, we have feelings about it. And once again the process of polarisation will begin, with the effect of taking sides, feeling united with friends and dissociated from enemies, and so on. We will shut out the Light, even though the astral clouds might be small, fluffy ones.

 

The Light does not associate itself with the lower mental plane. It works with the Sophia, the mental substance of wisdom, which does not try to solve problems by looking at pros and cons, and by weighing various mental arguments against each other to reach a balanced conclusion. It looks at things in the light of Love, and how the interests of the Divine in every person can best be promoted.

 

There are many more things we could say about this.

 

I'm asking you all to think about this and write in. Tell me you disagree. Tell me you have opinions which are necessary for life and which don't damage the progress of the Light in filling your microcosm.

 

Ask questions.

 

Answer Questions. Are there opinions which do not polarise? Is it possible to live in this modern world without opinions? What are opinions anyway? What's their definition? What do you say to people when they ask for your opinion?

 

I think personally that the best thing to do is throw all opinions overboard, once and for all. What's your opinion about that?

 

Love from Hans