Self-Reliance
As usual, we'll do something different again this month. This time I need some help from a kindred spirit, a Transcendentalist who spoke over 120 years ago, perhaps around the very time the house that I now occupy was built.
In case you haven't guessed by now, that fellow expression of the I AM was Ralph Waldo Emerson. The title above is from an essay of his that served as my inspiration for this months Treasures. This particular essay is full of sparkling gems that have served to light my way for over a quarter of a century.
There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.
Unfortunately far too few seem to ever reach this conviction. The world is full of imitators ... and precious few realize the unique expression of the I AM that they are.
A man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart into his work and done his best; but what he has said or done otherwise shall give him no peace.
How true this is. Life is truly wonderful when one is fully engaged in one's work with body, mind and most importantly HEART or spirit. Such work becomes a true labor of joy. Though it may be extremely difficult, it becomes mere child's play.
Trust thyself: every heart vibrate to that iron string. Accept the place that divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events. Great men have always done so, and confided themselves child-like to the genius of their age, betraying their perception that the absolutely trustworthy was seated at their heart, working through their hands, predominating in all their being. And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort and advancing on Chaos and the Dark.
Is this not what I have demonstrated here, throughout the pages of Beyond Imagination? Is not an innate trust in SELF exemplified throughout these works? For over four years, I have been true to my name H(e)art - man, the man of HEART, operating Beyond Mind, doing as SPIRIT would move me to do, advancing the cause of Light to whatever degree that I can wherever I can. Further, have I not stated from the beginning that this be my destiny ... that I truly have no choice but to go with the flow and express whatsoever spirit moves me to express.
Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most requests is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs.
Hmm... no wonder my march to society is so slow. I personally abhor conformity. Given my great interest in reality creation and metaphysics, is this any wonder? Further, I have had difficulty with remembering names all of my life ... and for a hermit, there are none of the "customs" of the masses in society.
Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world.
More guidance for the soul who would be free. One must find SELF, and trust SELF to the max if one is to truly express the I AM in this world.
My life is for itself and not for a spectacle. I much prefer that it should be of a lower strain, so it be genuine and equal, than that it should be glittering and unsteady. I wish it to be sound and sweet, and not to need diet or bleeding.
This has been true for most of my life. However, now that Uranus has seen the light of day, the Leo Rising desires expression as well. It is not so clear that a "lower strain" is acceptable any longer. The need for genuineness is everpresent ... but equal applies only to frame of mind, not to circumstance.
What I must do is all that concerns me, not what people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
Here is where the life of a Hermit has its advantages. From the past few months of expression, it is obvious that my concern is completely focused on what spirit would do through me ... what I MUST DO to fulfill my obligation to CONSCIOUSNESS, to THE ONE.
It is easy to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after your own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
This last part has been one of my favorite quotes for a long time. It is one of the primary chords in the song that is my life, my very essence.
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesman and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day.
I have always believed thus ... and acted thus ... to the point where my wife and others find me to overly stubborn. It has always felt right to speak the truth that I know in the moment strongly, having no concern for the longevity or consistency of my position over time.
"Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood." -- Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.
Hmm... if being misunderstood is a prerequisite for joining such an august group of souls, then I guess I can count on being misunderstood for the rest of my life. But, so be it. I am that I AM ... my lot is that which it is.
Men imagine that they communicate their virtue or vice only by overt actions, and do not see that virtue or vice emit a breath every moment.
The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks. See the line for from a sufficient distance, and it straightens itself to the average tendency. Your genuine action will explain itself and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing.
Act singly, and what you have already done singly will justify you now. Greatness appeals to the future, If I can be firm enough to-day to do right and scorn eyes, I must have done so much right before as to defend me know. Be it how it will, do right now. Always scorn appearances and you always may. The force of character is cumulative.
What better words could I receive at this time to encourage me on the path that I have chosen for this existence? Thus far, Beyond Imagination has been fully in line with this guidance to "act singly", try as I might to make it a joint or community endeavor. It is as if my wants in the matter were of no import ... spirit gave me no choice but to act in the manner that she has so chosen for me or should I say that SELF has chosen for me.
Further, the insight regarding the VISION of the entire path obtained by viewing things from above is precious. Indeed a ship tacks endlessly from side to side as it traverses its more general path from starting point to destination. However, one must look beyond the individual tacks to see that overall direction. Such is the souls journey in flesh as well.
Every true man is a cause, a country, and an age; requires infinite spaces and numbers and time fully to accomplish his design; -- and posterity seems to follow his steps as a train of clients. A man Caesar is born, and for ages after we have a Roman Empire. Christ is born, and millions of minds so grow and cleave to his genius that he is confounded with virtue and the possible of man. An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man; ...
and all history resolves itself very easily into the biography of a few stout and earnest persons.
So, on this scale, where does this one called Wayne fit? What shadow will trail me? ... My sense is that I would rather leave only LIGHT, that no shadow remain where I had been. Hmm...
Also, it is not so clear that the history of the past century can be as easily expressed as the "biography of a few stout and earnest persons". There is simply too much happening on too many fronts in this day and age.
Man is timid and apologetic; he is no longer upright; he dares not say "I think," "I am," but quotes some saint or sage. He is ashamed before the blade of grass or the blowing rose. These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day. There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence.
How true, how obvious ... yet why then do so few realize this great truth. Why do so many readily accept the authority of another rather than find the ultimate authority that resides there within each of us if only we learn to recognize it and listen to what it would tell us directly from the very source of our being.
This one fact the world hates; that the soul becomes; for that forever degrades the past, turns all riches to poverty, all reputation to shame, confounds the saint with the rogue, shoves Jesus and Judas equally aside.
Why then do we prate of self-reliance? Inasmuch as the soul is present ther will be power not confident but agent. To talk of reliance is a poor external way of speaking. Speak rather of that which relies because it works and is. Who has more obedience than I masters me, though he should not raise his finger. Round him I must revolve by the gravitation of spirits.
It is in this eternal becoming that our greatness truly lies. What we observe emerging however is simply more of that which we are, the ONE, the I AM.
Be it known unto you that henceforward I obey no law less that the eternal law, I will have no covenants but proximities. I shall endeavor to nourish my parents, to support my family, to be the chaste husband of the one wife, -- but these relations I must fill after a new and unprecedented way. I appeal from you customs. I must be myself. I cannot break myself any longer for you, or you. If you can love me for what I am, we shall be the happier. If you cannot, I will still seek to deserve that you should. I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust that what is deep is holy, that I will do strongly before the sun and the moon whatever inly rejoices me and the heart appoints. If you are noble, I will love you; if you are not, I will not hurt you and myself by hypocritical attentions. If you are true, but not in the same truth with me, cleave to your companions; I will seek my own. I do this not selfishly but humbly and truly. It is alike your interest, and mine, and all men's, however long we have dwelt in lies, to live in truth. Does this sound harsh to-day? You will soon love what is dictated by your nature as well as mine, and if we follow the truth it will bring us out safe at last.
Nobly spoken from the heart of the I AM. These immortal words lovingly speak to the soul in each of us. This is the contract we have with SELF. It is the highest contract ... but it is a voluntary one that we must choose and enforce ourselves.
Discontent is the want of self-reliance: it is infirmity of will. Regret calamities if you can thereby help the sufferer; if not, attend your own work and already the evil begins to be repaired.
Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man. For him all doors are flung wide; him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire. Our love goes out to him and embraces him because he did not need it.
Obiously, the rewards are great for knowing thyself sufficiently to be the "self-helping man". This is a worthy goal for all to pursue. And beyond that, Self-helping and SELF-helping ... at which point one SERVES SPIRIT, period.
Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another you have only an extemporaneous half possession. That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him.
No man yet knows what it is, nor can, till that person has exhibited it. Where is the master who could have taught Shakespeare? Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin, or Washington, or Bacon, or Newton? Every great man is unique. The Scipionism of Scipio is precisely that part he could not borrow. Shakespeare will never be made by the study of Shakespeare.
Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much.
Each of us is unique, and in this uniqueness lies our individual greatness. Be the Master that you are. Find a way to express that which spirit can only express through YOU. Such is "what is assigned you". Dare to LIVE your DESTINY to the fullest.
Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.
So, in all that you do abide by the principles that you know to be right and true ... for by doing so, you will experience a peace of being so complete that nothing compare to its sweetness. Trust in the magnificent expression of spirit that YOU ARE; and constantly endeavor with all the attention and focus that you can muster, to know thyself as completely as possible for you HERE and NOW.
E-mail: Wayne Hartman