CHAPTER 1
The First Level—Me
Although I returned to the temple often, it was years before the masters appeared again. When it became my turn to sit with the masters for the second time, after having sat in the void for so long that it filled me where once my knowledge was, I came this time empty and open, as a child, not in the universe but of the universe. I came not because I desired to know, but because I deserved to know. This time, the masters prepared to pass on the mantle. And as they did, they noted that my temple was more clean and pure. We will sit in anyone's temple, be it a shack or a palace, and place no judgment. But a temple that is clear accommodates our presence best. Your pursuit of clarity has served you well.
And then they said, Now we can share with you the great many things that there are to become aware of in life. We will speak to you of them as you become open to them so that nothing is forced upon you. The first thing we all become aware of is our-self.
Shortly after recovering from the ordeal of birth, we are given a drink of milk that soothes and nourishes us, and crying gives way to contentment. We are given nourishment and attention, and we are nurtured. Parents can gaze in awe at this sight for longer than they can give attention to most things. Cute as babies are, the sight of a human in the state of contentment is rare and attractive.
The level of awareness as a baby is that everything I need is brought to me. People clean me when I need it, and play with me when I'm bored. Contentment is easily achieved, fleeting as it is. I learn to cry on demand and expect people to know what I want. I expect people to see to my every need, to entertain me when I'm bored, feed me when I'm hungry, clean up after me, look after me, and make me happy. I am the centre of the world, and everything in it is there for me to use.
Consider this seriously: did you ever fully grow out of this level of awareness? Usually it is easier to see this in others. Everyone has this level of awareness. It is the self-serving I. It shows up in selfish behaviour and self-centred worldviews. Businesses essentially run at this level. Although they need the outside world (the next level) and they may support charities, their primary focus to continue to exist is capital gain.
This is survival mode, and when we feel fear or lack, survival mode brings us straight back to Me. Survival mode is the part of us that reasons, I know there are better ways to communicate, but I'm tired. I know this food isn't healthy, but it was cheap. In the business model, we may think, I know this appears to be unethical, but it is affordable. I know this pollutes the environment, but I don't have time to find a better system.
There is little to work with here, as the focus is inward and limited. Understanding is not even wanted. No child wants to hear the reasons why you can't buy them another toy; they just want the toy. The mentality is demanding, and often the demand can never be met—or if someone tries to meet it, it does not measure up. There are lots of archetypal characters in story tales with this level of awareness, such as the tyrant, princess, and hermit.
The outlook on this awareness is like a dot; it doesn't look outwards much at all. It is more focused inward and in the moment of now. If you've ever had to buckle up a resistant small child in a car for only a short drive who doesn't understand that it is only for a few minutes before you will take the buckle off again, you will understand what I mean here. There is no concept of relief beyond the discomfort of the present moment.
It is really fascinating to watch young children play with babies. The baby is totally in this level of awareness. If the older child plays peekaboo with the baby, the baby actually thinks the older child isn't there when they cannot see them. A two-year-old child I watched didn't understand the point of hide-and-seek, because when his sister ran off and hid, she left his awareness, and he looked for other things to do. When she called out for him, he looked confused, because he could hear her, but she wasn't there. It didn't occur to him to look for her, as she was nowhere to be seen, meaning she wasn't there.
This awareness allows some to think that if they bury their heads in the sand, the situation or danger has gone or will go. As silly as we know this to be, there is much evidence in the news every day of people, businesses, governments, and religions doing this when they don't want to deal with problems.
In problems and life situations, one anchored in this awareness only looks for what they themselves can get out of it. Seldom would this person look for a solution that benefits all concerned; rather, he or she will look after number one and act to rescue themselves. This person will even sacrifice others or life-supporting parts of the environment in order to get what they want.
The belief in survival of the fittest is common in this level of awareness, among others. It differs, however, in the interpretation of the word "fittest." In this level of awareness, the word would be defined as "the strongest and most dominant people survive." Arguments are common, as the one acting from "me" is always right. Other people should just know their place. Often situations are things that happened to "me," as this one is not interested in the views of other parties. He or she is not interested in the other side of the coin.
There is a more positive side to this level of awareness, which is the state of independence. When we strive to do things for ourselves and achieve our personal best, we are focused on ourselves. The balance can swing easily here from too much to too little of our focus being on ourselves, but there is a midpoint. There is also, in the times when we sit alone and focus within, opportunity for reflection, which is crucial for our growth and self-improvement. This archetype would be the monk and the soloist.
As everyone has this level and operates from it at least a bit of the time, we will assume you are familiar with it and not draw out our explanation here.
I withdrew from the temple and pondered this insight into the nature of all things.
A six-year-old boy I know had an incident with bees and was stung twice on his face. He is not allergic and didn't even suffer any swelling, just the pain of the stings that didn't seem to bother him after an hour. It is very understandable that after such a traumatic incident, one would be twice shy. In fact, it would be understandable for some people to develop a lifelong phobia of bees after such an incident.
What happened for this boy was now he thinks that...
