UNATTACHMENT VS APATHY

“Nothing I see means anything”. So begins A Course In Miracles. There comes a time in every spiritual journey when the aspirant confronts this lesson, which is…nothing has any inherent meaning. All meaning is assigned by the ego and is significant only to that ego. Oh, some meanings are agreed upon in the collective consciousness, but the depth of the meaning is an individual decision.

The lesson is meant to lead the aspirant to a place of detachment from “things” and “ideas”. It is also meant to help the student take responsibility for his/her thoughts, words and deeds. But, sometimes, when the “truth” of the lesson, at its fullest, is realized by the spiritual sojourner it can be devastating and throw him/her into apathy. After all, if nothing means anything, why bother assigning meaning to anything just to have to “undo” it later. More often than not every person along the spiritual path will spend some time in a meaningless apathetic limbo. How long is spent there depends upon the individual. Although not necessarily depressed, the spiritual traveler finds it difficult to “do” anything, since it is meaningless anyway.

The way out of this limbo is by searching for the difference between detachment and apathy. Apathy means to not care at all. Detachment means that one is not identified by a thing/event/person. It is what it is…neither greater nor lesser than any other thing/event/person. Its significance is that it is at all. It is a manifestation of All That Is, perfect in either its beauty or ugliness (which of course, still is an assignment of meaning).

One then realizes that the reason to “do” a thing was best taught by Mother about the age of three when she answered, “Because.” Do whatever you do “because” it is there to be done. It will give you an opportunity to be present in the moment, to practice the 4th Agreement – always do your best – to give thanks and praise to God, and mostly to just Be.

Go. Do. Be. Because……