The Monster Under The Bed
Received October 23, 2001, 00:20am
from a Toltec Master Teacher

I remember times when my children would wake up afraid of something under their bed, in the closet or at the window. It was usually the monster under the bed that caused most of the problems. I love my children very much and knew that their fear was perfectly real to them, as was the monster under the bed. I empathized with them and tried never to make them wrong for their illusion. I'd hang out with them until they felt a little more secure and then we'd look under the bed to make sure the monster had departed, as he always seemed to do when the light came on. I named the monster Fred (after Fred Flintstone). It seems our monster buddy didn't like the light and only did his most scary work in the inkiest darkness. Humm. What to do?

I'd always ask my kids if they'd like to come in our bed until we got things worked out with Fred. Most times they took advantage of this offer. But once we knew that the monster would never come around when there was light in the room, we looked for more permanent solutions. A night light seemed to do the trick. With the invitation to come into our bed should the monster ever appear again with the light on, our kids were able to send Fred on his way for good.

Recently some wonderful friends called me and shared with me that they were feeling quite fearful of all that is going on in our world since September 11th. Let's see. According to the talking heads on the TV, the newspapers, magazines, radio, the talk shows, the experts, the Internet and, most of all, each other, our secure little world is becoming a terrorist deathtrap. They're coming at us from dark places with every monstrous killing, maiming and diseasing methodology know to man. A prudent person must be ever vigilant (fearful) lest he/she become another sad statistic of the terrorist insurrection. Humm. What to do?

Don Miguel's Four Agreements [and the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous] might be a good place to start. Are we being impeccable with our thoughts and words in spreading all this fear? Are we choosing not to make a lot of fear-based assumptions? Are we choosing not to take things personally? Are we really doing our best? I'm not so sure. I think we're listening way too much to all the emotional poison that's flying around from all our traditional sources of information and misinformation. Sadly, it looks like we're making many mental agreements based upon this stuff, too.

Remember, only you and I have the power to make agreements that become the beliefs in our minds. First, the fear in the outside dream hooks our attention (we've sure had lots of attention hooking "news" lately) and then, left unattended, our minds may turn this fear into agreements or beliefs. Do we have a choice about what we let into our minds as beliefs? Well, yes and no. Actually, mostly NO, I fear. Without awareness of what the mind is up to, there is little choice. The talking heads say that there's much to fear and the mind buys it hook, line and sinker. Next, fear-based minds begins looking "out there" in the dream that created the fear in the first place, for their security. It appears that we chickens are demanding that the fox be responsible for our protection. It also appears that awareness and security are both in equally short supply. Humm. What to do?

I think it may be time to turn on a light and take a look under the bed. It's true that September 11th changed the world as we have known it. But it didn't change the world much. It's still much the same. Only our viewpoint has changed. While it's true that at one level there's much to fear in our world today, it's also true at this base level of awareness that there has always been much to fear. Since September 11th how much have the odds of being in a plane crash increased? How about getting a fatal disease? Are we closer to nuclear winter now than in the early 1960's? But enough of reason, which, even if correct, has no power to make us feel more secure. All the statistics in the world won't make us feel secure if we're feeling insecure. But is it possible there's a bigger story beyond the talking heads that yearns to be told. Let's back out a ways and see if we can get another perspective.

According to Toltec, Maya, Hopi prophesy and those of a number of other ancients, we are entering a time of great change for our world. This transformation is from a world run by fear to one basking in love and the full bloom of the human spirit. According to prophecy, this shift to love will create a polarization of love and fear. We will experience the best and worst of humanity at the same time. This is exactly what appears to be happening. We see the killing of innocents in the WTC and the heroism of ordinary people in the aftermath. Importantly, we are told that love will win as the separation, the root of our fears, is dissolved and fear re-members and is reunited with love.

Herein lies the opportunity. For those of us who are called to assist in this transformation (the number is growing rapidly), we can hang out with fear until it feels a little more secure. However, our ultimate role is to turn on the light and expose the illusion of the monster under the bed. We don't want to make fear wrong. It's actually fear that is accelerating our journey to the light. While we in no way condone what happened on September 11th or the many atrocities that occur on a daily basis in our world in the name of fear, we must maintain our fearlessness and awareness as much as possible. We must choose what hooks our attention and what agreements we allow to enter our minds. "We must", as Bucky Fuller, the great humanitarian, so eloquently suggested, "learn to love comprehensively." As teachers, we must walk our talk.

In the Universal picture, there has never been anything to fear and never will be. Being born is a death sentence and always has been. "Death" is only a concept made up by the mind to explain the lack of animation of a body. When the body dies, life begins a new experience, one not encumbered by the body. Death is a little like taking off a tight pair of shoes and getting a perfect foot massage. Oh yea!

No death? Fear an illusion created by the dream of the planet? Security a need of the fear-based mind? Foxes guarding chicken coops? Humm. What to do?

So dear ones, enjoy your lives. Practice The Four Agreements. Be impeccable with your thoughts and words. Don't take things personally. Don't make assumptions. Always do your best. Love with all your hearts. Teach with passion and compassion. Fear not. We live in the most exciting times in the history of humanity. We shall bear witness to the greatest transformation in this or any other lifetime. Realize that the polarization is necessary. Turn on the light gently for the children with great love and compassion. And be sure to welcome the monster into the light, too.


The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, practiced diligently, embody the Four Agreements perfectly into our minds and into our lives, bringing LOVE to the fore, dissolving all fear.


These also are things that I know -----

Peace and happiness are available in every moment. Peace is in every Step.

We shall learn to walk hand in hand.

There are no political solutions to spiritual problems.

Remember, If the Creator put it there, it is in the right place. The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.

I know that All must be brought into the Sacred Hoop for it to be mended. I often wonder how we will bring those who do not see even the simplest of Circles into the greatest Circle of all. Then I remember it is a thing that has been promised by Spirit.

That is how I know it will come to be.


Aha! Love and Peace!!
Barefoot


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by Èlan Michaels

20021010