In her brilliant book The Inner Work of Age - Shifting from Role to Soul, the author and Elder, Connie Zweig writes about the Buddhist narrative of the ‘Three Divine Messengers’. These Messengers refer to the inevitable realities that most humans will face along their life’s path and these are:
Ageing
Illness
Death
These Messengers are believed to be sent from the Divine because they prompt us (nudge or shove), to seek a deeper understanding of life, and find a route to living that transcends our inevitable suffering. These Messengers are not literal of course, but rather symbolic experiences that we humans will encounter, providing us with opportunities to awaken and move beyond mere existence and survival, into the sacred dance of Living and Loving.
In Buddhism, Prince Siddhartha (later the Buddha), is said to have encountered an old person, a sick person and a corpse, which spurred him on to renounce his privileged royal existence, in order to seek liberation from impermanence, worldly suffering, and ultimately led him to enlightenment. (And let’s not forget as a ‘random’ aside, where Buddha became enlightened…sitting under a tree no less.) Another clue perhaps….
So, now I’ve set the scene a little I would like to offer my very ‘earthly’ interpretations of these three messengers which I refer to as The Doorways to Spiritual Awakening. As I have learned more about these three doorways, I have discovered that they resonate deeply with my own life’s journey, (and no doubt yours too). Their crucial teachings are what I believe so many of us can miss when only wearing our ego goggles. Instead, we need to understand and integrate them, in order to end our human suffering and view them as the ‘turd bowed’ gifts, and sacred opportunities that they truly are.
3 doorways over 3 days….
Once I started writing about these Messengers/Doorways I discovered that I had rather a lot to say! (Flappy throat chakra style). I have therefore decided to divide them up into three newsletters/posts which I will send to you over the coming days. I really hope you enjoy them and as ever, please let me know by pressing the little heart and/or posting a comment. To awaken is to learn how to receive AND give Love. Both/and. #justsaying
A turd-bowed gift: a definition - The hidden benefits and positive outcomes that will emerge, as a result of grieving and healing from painful and challenging circumstances.