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Finding Ourselves in
the Polarities of Everyday Life
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Now
as they went on their way, he entered a certain
village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him
into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who
sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he
was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many
tasks; so she came to him and asked, 'Lord, do
you not care that my sister has left me to do
all the work by myself? Tell her then to help
me.' But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha,
you are worried and distracted by many things;
there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen
the better part, which will not be taken away
from her.''
(Lukas 10, 38-42)
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We are consciousness:
we awake each day with unbounded consciousness,
expend conscious energy through the day, go to
sleep in a shoreless sea of awareness, float through
the night in freedom, and awake again to limitless
possibilities of exploring and experiencing the
self and her awareness. Consciousness is freedom,
and the ultimate gift of the Godhead to the children.
We exist in form: our bodies (mental, emotional
and physical) own form and structure. Much of
our lives are designed by, and experienced through,
formalized activity. Consciousness seeks form
for her expression. Consciousness, however, often
uses form/activity to hide from itself. In our
busyness we too often loose touch with our spiritual
nature: as the self is buried in activity. Maria
and Martha, and their brother Lazarus lived in
Bethany, a small village in walking distance to
Jerusalem. The family was much beloved by Jesus,
who visited their home on many occasions. Maria
was devoted to her teacher (Jesus) and desired
to sit in His presence, as she 'anointed Jesus'
feet, and wiped them with her hair' (John 12:3).
In India this is called darshan and satsang where
the devotee bathes herself in the presence of
the divine. Martha, on the other hand, was said
to be 'distracted by her many tasks': keeping
her home; receiving visitors, cleaning, washing,
and preparing meals. Martha loved the teacher
as well, and served Him through caring for His
needs, but the contingencies of daily life occupied
her thoughts and demanded much of her time.
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'Jesus
loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus' (John
11:5)
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Maria and Martha
represent extremes in approaches of life, devotion
and Consciousness. In studying these two poles
(one of silent devotion, and the other, a preoccupation
for life's many chores) we can see where we stand.
Are we overly absorbed by life's many demands
and fascinations? Or are we neglectful of life's
needs (in the family and community) in our search
for spiritual peace?
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THE MARTHA ARCHETYPE
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There are
inner forms - which Daskalos described as
elementals - that are composed of emotional
and/or mental matter. Elementals are living
entities with distinct characteristics,
which rely on the personality for their
regeneration (feeding them with etheric
matter). Memories (from past lives, and
this life), desires, ideas, passions, principals,
and emotions are all elementals or clusters
of elementals. Elementals are inner forms,
which live within our subconsciousness,
and draw on our energy stores for their
livelihood (and even more energy when they
are repressed by the personality). There
are also outer forms: we partake in a collective
physical and cultural architecture. We are,
as well, surrounded at home, at work, and
in the community with relationships, responsibilities,
events, and activities. The happenings of
the world - presented to us in detail, updated
regularly - are filled with form, intrigue,
drama and information.
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The Martha Archetype
is engaged in the world, be it the household,
the community, or in worldly matters. Engagement
can be expressed as activity (as with Martha)
but can also be an internal orientation towards
outer and internal forms. Involvement in the complexities
of family and community are the soils of xgrowth.
Likewise our continuing identification with our
elementals (inner forms) is the fodder of our
emerging I-ness (our birth into the Christ Consciousness).
We can be involved in the Martha Archetype in
varying levels, ranging from functional and healthy
participation, to excessive externalization of
the self (in activity), or a self paralyzed by
inner forms. Addiction to stress, substance and
alcohol abuse, and other destructive patterns
are often the result of restless and unresolved
elementals (the inner forms within the subconsciousness),
and/or by a lack of connectedness to outer forms
(societal). By exhausting the self through work,
or by putting the self to sleep through gluttony,
is a desire to escape form, albeit expressed in
a non-functional manner. The desire to escape
the self (and her many forms) is a trait the Martha
Archetype shares with the Maria Archetype - one
through busyness, the other through bliss.
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THE MARIA ARCHETYPE
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Spirit is undivided.
It is simple and honest. Jesus Christ was the
full Spirit of the Godhead embodied in man. Maria
was drawn to the Christ not necessarily for His
Teachings, but more for His presence. Since we
left Eden we have longed for the original state
of communion with the divine. Eden is a state
of trust and abundance. The self in the worlds
- existing in seas of external and internal forms
- is too often overwhelmed, vulnerable and fearful.
Jesus is in union with the Father (as was Adam),
and radiates peace, trust and fullness. Many of
us are drawn to organized religions or esoteric
paths out of the desire for wholeness and trust.
This desire is deep in our bones, and when life
grows too
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complicated because
of inner injury, or suffering from a lack of meaning
in our harried lives, we want to flee daily life
and sit, as did Maria, at the feet of a Master.
The desire to worship is good, so long as we remain
functional and active in daily life. The luggage
of everyday life, and the elementals in our subconsciousness,
can not be simply removed like an overcoat. They
go with us to the caves of the Himalayas, to Mount
Athos, or to Sunday service, and demands to be
ultimately resolved. Daskalos, for one, encouraged
us to balance 'spiritual' work (readings, meditations,
introspection, and exercises) with the demands
of family, work and communal life.
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FINDING BALANCE
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Each night, at least once, the personality
enters a state of seeming nothingness. In these states
there is no self: no George, or Mary. There are no desires,
no memories, and no thoughts. In these states we are
spirit. We are free. But we wake up, and as we do all
the elementals wake up with us. George is re-constitute,
and Mary becomes Mary again.
Daskalos
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When
I wake I immediately make a cup of coffee (altering
my consciousness), read the newspaper or turn
on the news (bringing worldly and communal forms
into my consciousness), check the mail (e-mail
or post) and thereby bring news from friends and
family into my waking consciousness. An hour after
awaking I have brought the entire world into myself,
and after the second cup of coffee I have excited
my nervous system still further. Pure Martha energy.
From my two-year stay in Nepal I have many lasting
memories of a culture steeped in spirituality.
One in particular is of a small town a few kilometers
away from Kathmandu. Baktupur is a medieval village
that has kept much of its ancient character and
farming values. I made a point for spending a
few nights there just to take in a daily morning
ritual. A small river coursed its way on the outskirts
of town. Age-old temples line the banks, filled
with Hindu and Buddhist images.
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An hour before the sun rose, one
temple would fill up with a handful of musicians who
lived in and about Baktupur. They would exchange a few
words and they would begin to their bajuns, holy songs
to the Gods. For well over an hour they sang filling
the air with sacred serenades, as the sun rose gentle
on the town. Pure Maria energy.
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THE BETTER PART
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"It is written, 'One does
not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes
from the mouth of God.'"(Luke 4:4)
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Daily life is transitory and fleeting.
We forge rich ties with our families and our communities,
which often extend over many, many lifetimes. Experiences,
fascinations, and passions are important to the self
that it can learn what it is, and what it isn't. But
we are souls, and children of the Godhead, and our eternal
and divine nature needs to be cared for, that it can
express its wisdom and love through a personality. Christ
called Maria's the 'better part' because her thirst
was for the universal and the eternal (noble elementals
that we carry, and enrich, from life to life). The particular
tasks of this day they may be should never wash away
our divine nature, lest we loose touch with our source.
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'Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.'(Luke 21:33)
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Daskalos likened spiritual growth
to a small seedling. To mature it needs rich soil, water
and sun. Exposed to too much sun or water (excessive
meditation) it will wither. There needs to be proportion,
patience and pace for spiritual growth to thrive. As
students of esoteric Christianity we seek to bring the
two poles represented by Martha Archetype and Maria
Archetype to a meeting point within us. The musicians
of Baktupur do head for the fields to work, and after
my busy morning I make a point of meditating, praying,
healing and allowing space for inspiration. In our study
of Maria and Martha we can all take stock of our own
lives: how are we balancing our desire for the peace
of heaven with our involvement in the world? I suggest
we each meditate on Martha and a Maria and see what
it has to say to our spiritual and daily lives.
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