Turning Chaos into Tranquility

Turning Chaos into Tranquility

The chapters of my life marked with confusion, difficulty and chaos required an active response of commitment, determination, and patience to muddle through the onslaught of the many ‘I’s. When I have been effective in using the tools of the Fourth Way and able to engage self-remembering during tumultuous times, I was able to rediscover and strengthen deeper verifications which pointed out that a good portion of chaos comes from imagination. The Teacher has often said, “The many ‘I’s: the many lies.” Of course, there is truth that human beings experience unavoidable distress and suffering which is set in motion by the external world, but if I listen to Epictetus and the Stoics they would encourage me to work with what is actually within my power — internal attitudes — regardless of the external circumstances. This is easier said than done.

The first step is to acknowledge what caused the external disturbance — observe myself — then trace it to the response which generated friction in one or more of the four lower centers: emotional, intellectual, moving, or instinctive. As a personal example, a few years ago my tight knit family was broken apart by the chaos that ensued after the pandemic hit and some relatives chose to be vaccinated while others did not. This was significant friction and disturbing both emotionally and on an instinctive level for many people, regardless of the choices that were made. It is interesting to note that “division” is where chaos lives.

The path to presence is turning chaos into tranquility. — The Teacher

So, unaware and without my consent the external disturbance excited energy in my emotional and instinctive centers. Yes, friction is energy and can be used with a response that is more or less awake. When I separate from friction and the many ‘I’s supporting sleep and choose to feed a higher part that is non-judgmental, I can open into a higher state beyond the reach of social norms and release moral judgments. To be less judgmental moves in the direction of unity rather than the division of chaos.

If my aim is to be more awake, then my intentional choice to apply a tool of the Fourth Way – not believing the many ‘I’s — will bring me closer to a higher state. The question is, which ‘I’s would I rather listen to, the random ‘I’s that feed discord or harmony? Division or unity? Light or darkness? I want to encourage and act upon the Work ‘I’s which give good advice and can ultimately bring me to a higher state even amid chaos.

Let this light from within and without illuminate our inner vision and guide us through darkness in time of chaos. — Inca Texts

I have written in the past about the idea of the many ‘I’s being one of the most powerful tools that was introduced to me at the beginning of my journey on the Fourth Way. Observing the many ‘I’s together with actively allowing the ideas of scale and relativity to penetrate and dissolve the ‘I’s coming from the lower self, are tools that belong to the world of unity.

I attended a wedding over the past weekend. I sat next to a new acquaintance, and our conversation was comfortable while we were getting to know each other by speaking about our respective families. She had nine siblings and I had five and we both had already lost our parents. We drifted into more personal territory of loss. Then I mentioned to her that the hardest loss for me was losing my brother to Covid toward the very end of the pandemic. She was unusually empathetic and concurred that the loss of siblings was very difficult for her, too. She replied that she had lost her brother in the towers on 911 and another brother to brain cancer. Her life story was a gift of scale and relativity to me. We resonated with each other and with gentle tears we connected and were simply present. We were both far enough away from the chaos that caused the difficulty and neither of us felt diminished or harmed by the experience. No blame, no self-pity, there was nothing more to say but to be present.

This story highlights another tool that is indispensable during chaotic times. That is to look outside myself and find someone else who needs assistance. The Work refers to this as external consideration and it is closely connected to a state of presence. Chaos can also be seen as the fertile soil where creation begins, where structure can begin to take shape and stabilize a disorderly state. External consideration stabilizes a disorderly state. Chaos is the raw material for transformation, growth and the rebuilding of a structure that has been torn down.

Chaos and destruction are essential for reconstruction. It is the spiritual law — create and destroy. Create chaos, confusion, and misery — then destroy it, so that it may all be built anew. How can an old house be rebuilt unless it is demolished? — Meher Baba

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Seated Jina, 1160 (white marble) Rajasthan, India