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Mother Love
    #7885178 -

I've been reading a book by Joseph Campbell, who was the leading comparative mythologist (deceased), called The Hero with a Thousand Faces. It's basically about how all mythology (including religion) has told the same tale over and over, despite the difference in culture and details. It's the tale of the Hero's Journey with the hero being the archetype for the spiritual journey of every being. It's completely profound and blowing my mind. I've found it to follow "my story" so far, and I can't wait for it to surpass mine. Maybe it'll be a road map for the future for me. Anyways...

The book has me thinking. It's been talking about Goddess worship, Gaia, Mother Earth, Hindu deva like Kali and Durga, Quan Yin, Mother Mary, etc. The female deities and superbeings. It spoke about a stage of separation from the mother/world (the womb, the only world you know at the time) and then mastery of the world (overcoming, becoming one with the world/mother through transcendental experiences). Then it talks of a stage he calls "Atonement with the Father" which again is about reconciliation of fears and anxieties, and becoming one (at-one-ment) with the Father. Where as the mother represents the physical world, the father represents the abstract and metaphysical realms; the oversoul, etc.

He continues in both chapters to discuss the percieved traits of the Mother or Father (Freud nailed this, too). The mother's love is kind, forgiving, and accepting. The father's love is a love that must be earned through trials, tests, hardships, suffering, etc. Once both are realized/attained, then the Hero finally understands that they were both two aspects of the same thing, and must eventually realize that that thing is himself.

Many of us have had overbearing, authoritative father's, who couldn't make themselves vulnerable enough to show you they cared. I never could be good enough, regardless of what his word's said. He handed out punishments and rewards. He regulated the aspects of my youth. Myself, as with all of us, learn to project these attributes onto "God" the father. We take these laws and guidelines of our childhood and assimilate them into an oversoul, or conscience. It directs us to feel guilty, pity, etc. But universally and usually this is only one side of the parental unit. Many of us in the western civilizations forget about the Mother.

This book helped me realize how much I was projecting onto my ideas of God, and how much my higher functionings were programmed to emulate my earthly father. I decided, to help break this "habit", that I'd choose to project Motherly attributes instead. You are going to have some form of idea, so it might as well be a nicer and more friendly one.

In the past week, I've begun to understand what Krishna Das is referring to when he sings "Everywhere I turn, you kiss my face." It's beautiful. It's like a giant hug. It feels warm. These words aren't doing it justice. It's ineffable. When I say "God," I don't mean some being somewhere. I don't mean a void, or a even non-being. I mean beyond that, beyond the duality of anything. It used to freak me out and scare me. I am still frightened of the mystery. But it's not so threatening anymore. It's almost welcoming.

What all of this boils down to is not some metaphysical, spiritual stuff. To take the reductionist path, it's all about the cognitive framework I was holding. This can be applied to any aspects of our lives. There's a lot going on with our thoughts that we don't even realize. But to step above it for one moment allows you to gain the perspective needed.

What methods have you found that act as a stepping stool to allow you to see beyond the limits of the mind you are conditioned with? (Maybe this is a fitting definition for all of the "what is enlightenment?" threads... it's the ultimate step-stool for seeing it all).


--------------------
Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show, That the dear She might take some pleasure of my pain: Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know, Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain.

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Re: Mother Love [Re: jonathanseagull] * 1
    #7885332 -

Great post. :heart:

Quote:
What methods have you found that act as a stepping stool to allow you to see beyond the limits of the mind you are conditioned with? (Maybe this is a fitting definition for all of the "what is enlightenment?" threads... it's the ultimate step-stool for seeing it all).


I think that a change in me has occurred when I realized that I was conditioning myself (mostly influenced by the way in which I grew up and the education that I received, but still, MY self-limiations).
I think I became frightened I might become like my mother.
I have always perceived her as being a very unhappy person and one of my concerns since I can remember myself was to feel happy. This was becoming an impossibility so after getting my ass severely kicked a few times I decided to change something. :lol:
I was kind of aware of the fact that my behavior was not really mine and it wasn't hard to realize whose it was since I had the living example right in front of my eyes.
I was limiting myself to a series of actions and beliefs and I felt lost in this loop.
So basically for me, what worked was realizing that I was able to simply give all that up and accept my real continuous state of change which felt quite frightening compared to what I was used to.
None of us are the persons we used to be a few minutes ago, and most of the times this recognition has very confusing effects on our minds, and this determines us to step back into our self fabricated shell.


--------------------
:bunny::bunnyhug:
All this time I've loved you
And never known your face
All this time I've missed you
And searched this human race
Here is true peace
Here my heart knows calm
Safe in your soul
Bathed in your sighs
:bunnyhug: :yinyang2:

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Re: Mother Love [Re: MushroomTrip]
    #7885402 -

That was interesting. Makes me wonder çuz my dads an asshole and I've always hated him


--------------------

Sid and Mr. Madhat <part one> A story by Cubie P. Cubensis
<> I WANNA SMOKE THIS BOWL <> <A comic by Cubie P. Cubensis>

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Re: Mother Love [Re: Cubie] * 1
    #7885417 -

The thing is that as long as you'll hate him, you'll never allow yourself to heal.
Take it easy, and don't fool yourself with thoughts of forgiving him out of a mercy act, my own experience has told me that this comes from the need to feel superior.
Do it for your own sake. :shrug:


--------------------
:bunny::bunnyhug:
All this time I've loved you
And never known your face
All this time I've missed you
And searched this human race
Here is true peace
Here my heart knows calm
Safe in your soul
Bathed in your sighs
:bunnyhug: :yinyang2:

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Re: Mother Love [Re: MushroomTrip]
    #7885531 -

Beautiful post.

Finding our own spiritual path is a much neglected necessity in western society.

The story of a spiritual leader is indeed an important one, and incorporates many human struggles. As with any struggle, there are varied obstacles to overcome.


--------------------
I like to look at mushrooms the way most people like to look at flowers.

this is an amazing game
http://www.kongregate.com/games/customlogic/sprout

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Re: Mother Love [Re: origami.octopus]
    #7885841 -

This is an interesting post. I need to read this book, I've been seriously reconsidering male/female archetypes lately. They are not nearly so simple as they appeared to me earlier in my life.


--------------------
Enlil said:
You really are the worst kind of person.


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Re: Mother Love [Re: jonathanseagull]
    #7886376 -

I was reading this thread and an idea came to my mind after reading mt's post.

I've always seen spiritual growth as making the perfect choice right now, and but I think I'm considering more that as we grow it's not necessarily one big step we can make at once, but rather a series of steps that we put in place to support a greater understanding. Perhaps you've heard the Christian verse which says if you think you know anything then you know nothing as you ought to. I am not a Christian anymore but in the past I have interpreted this to mean that whatever truth we have stumbled upon is still truth, but our perspectives of that truth continue to change. I've also taken it as a warning to myself not to be so high minded and quick to proclaim infallible truth. I've been wrong about just about everything it seems.

In any case I see the father figure testing his children is not the right way to go, but rather using spiritual excercise to grow and confirm a person's integrity.

I don't see the earth as wholly being motherly by any means. It just doesn't fit with what I know about this messed up reality and world. But I'll think about it. I think if the mother goddess is one with this world then she's got some serious problems.

What I see in this world Is consistantly in all creation light and dark,life and corruption intertwined so deeply and so hard to discern but noticable enough to perceive.

Edited by a_guy_named_ai (01/15/08 10:28 PM)

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Re: Mother Love [Re: a_guy_named_ai] * 1
    #7886419 -

Excellent point.
I think that both father-mother or God-Goddess are only explanations that our mind finds for understanding nature. People make their own adjustments in order to give a human (therefore known/friendly) face to the Unknown.
I see nothing wrong with that, on the contrary, I believe that it is a good way of attenuating fears.
However, if reason in not mixed in, it can lead to catastrophic perspectives.
An interesting phenomenon to observe, in any case. :sherlock:


--------------------
:bunny::bunnyhug:
All this time I've loved you
And never known your face
All this time I've missed you
And searched this human race
Here is true peace
Here my heart knows calm
Safe in your soul
Bathed in your sighs
:bunnyhug: :yinyang2:

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Re: Mother Love [Re: jonathanseagull]
    #22383738 -

very nice.  Campbell is very good-- not the very best, but very good :sun:


--------------------
Innocent, Oldfield & Hegerland          Julia Delaney, Bothy Band                                        Rasta Girl, Sister Carol                    Genesis, Jorma K
I Wish You Peace, Lawrence Laughing                                                                                                                    Do Your Thing, Moondog                     
large  . . music garden . .  very
all peace                    them hi
Starhouse - main
Time Traveler's Guide

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Re: Mother Love [Re: once in a lifetime]
    #22384249 -

Is anyone the very best? Is this a hypothetical comparison or do you think there is an author who illistrates what can be learned from myth better than Campbell?

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General Interest > Philosophy, Sociology & Psychology
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