The Enemy Lies Within

August 1, 2008 – 3:39 pm by admin

by Terri Ann

I asked the Guru

Why is it that I am the one who suffers when others have wronged me? Surely the guilty one, the perpetrator should be the one to suffer all the torment and pain? I can find neither justice nor comfort for my hurt and anger. Now even my friends and loved ones are beginning to turn from me.

And he replied

The enemy lies within. Your struggle with mankind is an illusion. You will conquer your enemy by learning all there is to know about him. He exists within the walls of your own castle.

Your castle is made up of your understanding, thoughts, memories, words, actions and achievements, also your feelings, opinions, your relationships and your body. This is the monument that is you, which you present to the world. The world reacts to you according to the way that you present yourself to it.

What is the point of making a hostile plundering against life when we are all part of each other’s experience? If I selfishly take for myself, I alienate myself physically and emotionally. People are a part of my environment. If I hurt people I hurt my environment. I have to live in my environment and therefore I hurt myself.

I am a part of everyone I ever meet or know and they are a part of me because once I know them, they exist in my experience. They can never leave. It is not given to man to remove any part of his memory. People are only actors on my stage and it is I who assign them each a roll of importance or insignificance according to my choice. If I hate them, the image of them and their deeds in my head hurts me. The hate and the consequential pain grows in me, not in them.

Whatever I do against them, no matter how justified, collects on my karma. We cannot justify ourselves. If we could, then there would be no police, no courts of law and no prisons, for every man can explain with good reasons for doing the things he does. We do not have the capacity to be fair because we will always judge ourselves by our intentions, but we judge others by their actions. We cannot select our own jury because we will select all those who are kindly disposed towards us. Therefor only those whom we have wronged can justify us – if they will. Only we can justify those who have wronged us – if we will.

But why should we?

Because we only hurt ourselves if we don’t. When we accuse others and find them guilty of doing us wrong, we multiply the damage that they have done to us. Every time we re-play the movie, we hurt all over again. We reaffirm, practice and entrench the bad. Do not chase after the poisonous snake that bites you. Rather take immediate steps to get the poison out. If a bee stings you, do you plot hatred and revenge against it for many months? Do you seek to have that particular bee punished? The enemy exists only in our interpretation and understanding. Bad things happen by the hand of fate, the hand of nature and the hand of man. This does not make them enemies. The only real enemy lies within.

Perhaps you have unwittingly punished your friends and loved ones by attempting to extract comfort and compassion from them for yourself in your hour of grief. Perhaps you have brought them all your poison when you should have been bringing them your joy and your love. This too carries its own consequences. It is obvious that they would soon grow weary of you. Wouldn’t you? How can you expect them to be good company for you when you have been such dismal company for them? Surely if I want happiness in my life I must first be willing to give it before I can expect to receive it.

I see my error now. What shall I do?

Practice divine compassion, detachment and freedom from selfishness and ego. Recover quickly from wrongs and bare no grudge or malice. Always be of good cheer and see the funny side of everything so that you may practice laughter and joy, for this is indeed the best medicine. Find endless delight in the most ordinary things and go through life like a fascinated tourist with plenty a joyful story to tell. This will earn for you all the love and comfort you need.

I have found the enemy, he lies within and I will kill him with kindness.