As a spiritual seeker, you will probably be aware of the expression the True Self…
But do you really know what it is, and the relevance to you in 2022?
According to the dictionary, true means in accordance with fact or reality, while self refers to a person’s essential being that distinguishes them from others.
So you might think that the True Self was your rational thinking mind, your individual, personal and distinct being. And that’s where you’d be mistaken.
The word ‘True’ in the context of spiritual awakening points to the natural, the perennial or ever-present. Self with a capital ‘S’ refers to the universal within, your essential nature which is limitless, changeless and one with all.
You have a relationship with the True Self whether you are aware of it or not, because the everyday self is just a personalised version of the universal True Self. As an analogy, think of the self as a shadow, but the True Self as the original beam of light. Without the light, the shadow would not exist.
One way to increase your awareness of this paradox is to notice how the self and True Self manifest;
The shallow self seeks recognition, physical perfection, fame, wealth, fortune and power, measuring self-worth through ownership and appearances, so it can never be or have enough. It views everything and everyone as separate. Whereas the True Self is imbued with wholeness and all-inclusivity, a natural fulfilment radiating from the heart of inner-being.
More often than not, the self dismisses the idea of a single universal origin and presence, because accepting this would mean surrendering its self-identity. It just doesn’t realise it’s a unique shadow formed from a single light.
The everyday self is perpetually surrounded by waves of doubt, anxiety and fear, whereas the True Self is changeless and at peace. It has no needs, no wants and no doubts.
The self creates endless mental commentaries, desires, opinions, stories and beliefs all revolving around the ‘I’ of the ego. The True Self (in the purest sense) is not personal, but a universal presence of oneness.
The momentum behind the everyday self is the ego, but the ego will never feel permanently whole. It can’t for one very good reason; it stands in the way. The ego-self is the obstacle to peace and freedom, and the barrier to unrealised authentic potentials.
So the obvious thing to do is to let it go, and let your life flow. The practice of letting go is a tried and tested spiritual practice that will serve you well your entire life.
It is through letting go (i.e. not hanging onto) the experiences of good and bad, happy and sad, we uncover a free-flowing consciousness in harmony with life; the consciousness of the True Self.
The irony is, you can never claim the True Self as your personal identity – you can only be it because the True Self is not confined to a person or a special group of people – it is universal Being. Perhaps that’s why it’s best expressed as the True Self, and not my True Self, for in truth, there is only one, and it is everyone’s.
Here in 2022, there has never been a more opportune time to shift into the free-flowing consciousness of the True Self, for it is through our compassion and love for all life that we uncover this natural state. And when our world is threatened, the natural urge of inner-being is to outwardly manifest the peace and love found within us
So each person reading this has the potential to be a shining force of positivity and transformation in this world by letting go of their little self and allowing the True Self to shine.
If this all sounds a little grandiose, then you underestimate your own potential. You are far more than you think, capable of such wonders, of manifesting inspiration and light in daily life, whether that’s at home, in your close relationships, just being a good friend, through your interactions at work, or out and about in the world as you go about your daily life.
Peace and love are already and always here. The True Self you are is waiting. All you need do is step aside and let the nature of the universe flow
Letting Go
The practice of letting go
Leads to letting go
Of all things –
Let go now –
It’s all going to go, anyhow,
So let it go.
If you continue letting go,
Your mask will fall,
Revealing the original face in all,
Just remove your disguise,
It only hides the beauty inside
So let it go.
When you’ve found the secret –
Let it go –
With nowhere left to roam,
When all doubts resolve
In I don’t know,
Carry on,
Let it go.
When the found is choiceless being-
Let it go –
As metal and magnet unite as one
And you a carefree child become,
When all such wonders have been and gone,
Just carry on,
Let it go.
∞
J.M.Harrison ©2022
