Lanterns to Light the Way

Know Thyself - Part 2 of 2

What is something Socrates, Buddha, Jesus, Ramana Maharshi, Carl Jung, and G.I. Gurdjieff have in common?

They all taught that most people don’t really know who they are at the core of their being. “Know Thyself” is a golden thread that runs through all the great religions and depth psychology. The implication is that we don't really know who we are and that finding out is the pathway to inner peace and fulfillment.

This week we will continue to explore alternatives to nihilism. This is part 2 of a 2 part series on exploring the idea of our true essence, our higher self, the seat of our soul, the divine spark within us, and other ways of describing that part deep within so many that is often asleep at the wheel.

In part 1 we explored the concept of our conscious self (ego) and our subconscious self. We used the image above as an analogy. The horse is our subconscious (drives, urges, biases, emotions, etc.). The ego is the driver of the carriage who is on a journey to better understand and work with the horse so that carriage will go where the driver wants to take it.

In part 2 we will explore another presence in the picture. The Master of the Carriage. The Master of the Carriage goes by many names: higher self, seat of the soul, divine spark within, Atman, Buddha nature, Christ-consciousness, the Gatekeeper.

Who are we really at the core of our being - the driver or the master of the carriage?

Is it possible that finding meaning in life can be found in how we answer this question?

We will explore these questions and the implications associated with our answers during this meeting.