Gandhi was raised as a Hindu, but Buddha said the same thing, and so does Christianity and most of the others; strangely even science too. The Christian version of this would be, God created man in his own image. People always think that the “own” means God’s image but it’s actually the man’s image. So God created man in his–the man’s (or woman’s)–own image. Their image of themselves.
Using the religious perspective, this means an all-powerful intelligent energy created a person, and now that person–like a projector–is free to be whoever she or he believes themselves to be. If they thinks insecure thoughts they will be insecure. If they think confident thoughts they will be confident. So, to rewrite the phrase, it would be: God created mankind and gave us the power and freedom to choose our direction with intention.
If we prefer science, then let’s define God. If you like science you’ll know that biology is ultimately chemistry, which is ultimately physics. If you took the body, and went down to the cellular level, that would be you, but not the way you understand you. Then if we went down to the protons and electrons and the laws that make up the atoms that’s an understanding about moving masses of energy that act according to the The Laws of Nature. That gets a scientist pretty close to God without much discomfort.
So now all that physics does it thing and there’s this Being that exists. All of the cells would still be there whether it was alive or dead, but there’s this extra energy–this ATP electricity–that inhabits more than just the cells. This energy is what brings a being to life. And that life-energy appears to us as consciousness, which in turn is a performance space in which we can enact whatever psychological thoughts and reality we choose.
We can invest our power of thought in creating an image of an insecure person or a confident one and the Being will believe it either way. The energy of life will be used to tell the Being a story about itself and that story is who the Being will be.
So whether you believe in God or science, the answer is still the same. Knowing how powerful you are, and knowing you will enact whatever narrative you tell yourself, be prudent and intentional with your thoughts. Quiet your critical, judgmental mind. Instead, engage with the energy of the universe around you, whether that’s a rock, a tree, some water, a friend or even a total stranger. And when you do, do it with great confidence. For you are ultimately made up of the very same energy as every enemy and every hero you’ve ever known.
Now go Be a hero.
peace. s
Scott McPherson is an Edmonton-based writer, public speaker, and mindfulness facilitator who works with individuals, companies and non-profit organizations locally and around the world.
A serious childhood brain injury lead Scott to spend his entire life meditating on the concepts of thought, consciousness, reality and identity. It made others as strange to him as he was to them. When he realized people were confused by their own over-thinking, Scott began teaching others to understand reality. He is currently CBC Radio Active’s Wellness Columnist, as well as a writer, speaker and mindfulness instructor based in Edmonton, AB where he still finds it strange to write about himself in the third person.
