What Is It All About?
by Amnon Shomlo
Imagine you are watching a discussion program on TV and the debating panel members argue about each other’s outfits, who wears the “right” clothes. Things get intense. Supporters for each side form up, street demonstrations are staged, and exchanges between the camps escalate to verbal and physical insults.
Ridiculous? Maybe.
A more common phenomenon is a confrontation between people who assert their opposing beliefs. At the core of every conflict and separation you will find differing viewpoints or beliefs. All insults, attacks and wars are the zealous expressions of opposing beliefs.
Why do people hold to their beliefs to such extremes?
The answer is simple: We fall into the trap of thinking that we are what we believe. We identify with our beliefs and then defend them as if we were defending our very existence. We fail to see that we are the believers, not the beliefs we have adopted. We are the ones who choose, assume or discard our beliefs, just as we choose, wear or take off our clothes.
What happens when we realize that?
Our personal and collective realities change dramatically. We realize that just as there are no right or wrong clothes, there are no right or wrong beliefs. We realize that we, the believers, are the ones who may assign them the judgment of right or wrong, true or false, good or bad. We find that the reality we experience is a direct reflection of our beliefs. So we begin to choose the beliefs that suit, please and serve us and discard those that don’t, just as we have always done with our clothes. We become more tolerant and accepting of others and their beliefs.
Beliefs are simply “things” we wear. When we understand this, we will free ourselves from the need to defend our beliefs, just as we obviously don’t have the need to defend our wardrobe. We, the believers, transcend any form or belief. It is the common ground where we all meet. When we reconnect with this essence we know that there is actually no one and nothing to defend.
Avatar begins with this understanding and ends with the deliberate day-to-day implementation of this understanding. We remember who we are. We remember what we have in common with each other and relate to each other from that space. In the words of Harry Palmer, the author of the Avatar materials: “The mission of Avatar in the world is to catalyze the integration of belief systems. When we perceive that the only difference between any of us is our beliefs and that beliefs can be created and discreated with ease, world peace will ensue.”Amnon Shomlo, Jacksonville, Florida
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