Us, Power and Our Ignorance — YouTube from the CEC Library

Power is deeply rooted in primitive emotional content. Those who seek power generally react intensely to what surrounds them. Money is a kind of "power pill" that causes ostentation, jealousy, anger, competition, arrogance, and control. This human creation, intended to sustain our life within a social structure, often interferes with the pursuit of happiness, joy, and peace.

I knew someone who wanted only enough to live and do what they loved: care for plants, have a vegetable garden and a small orchard. This person wanted to work with satisfaction, without worrying about disputes or competition. We could live that way, dedicating ourselves to what we enjoy and producing good things for ourselves and others. To do that, we need to rid ourselves of the defensive content we accumulate, such as jealousy, anger, bad temper, arrogance, and euphoria. Throughout life, we often intensify negative aspects and, in the end, realize that we should not have done so. It is not healthy to feed internal dysfunctions. Great figures in history sought simplicity, and I believe that after effort and maturation, it becomes an important goal.

Recently, I took part in an event at Saint Damian Monastery where people presented their work. Among them were a Feldenkrais practitioner, a conductor, an opera singer, a painter, and a dancer who brought the richness of Eastern knowledge. They were all free of arrogance, focused on learning and sharing. When praised, they replied that they were simply on the path, learning and doing what they enjoyed. This reflects my view of life: we are always on a path of learning, without ever reaching perfection.

I write books, but I do not consider myself a writer; I simply write. Like musicians and other professionals, we are on an eternal journey within what we believe ourselves to be. We cannot use our skills as artifacts of arrogance. Being recognized is different from using recognition as power. There will always be someone better, and power is an illusion. Money can transform a person, altering their perceptions of honesty and justice, because we are still in a primitive condition. We need to reassess our society. Technology distances us from ourselves. Research conducted thirty years ago shows that with a TV in the home, family interaction decreases. Without one, people read more and talk, enriching their symbolic universe.

The relationship between us is fundamental, but technology weakens it. Without awareness of our relationship with others and with the environment, we tend to turn toward the ego, which is deluded by power. Humility, affection, and tenderness are essential, and we need to find a direction that values these qualities. Merely having knowledge is not enough; the symbolic universe is vast. It is essential to have organization and direction in order to make full use of who we are. This path should be directed toward good and learning. Our path leads toward ourselves. We need to be conscious of this in order to grow as consciousnesses and truly do good for ourselves and everyone around us.

The topic was power and ignorance. When we encounter what we really are and are alone with ourselves, we realize that power is an illusion. This encounter is crucial because it helps us see our true essence. It is fundamental to make the most of this life by giving ourselves this introspective encounter. We should ask ourselves: what have we built in this life? If we believe in spirituality, we can reflect on what we have built over several lives and, in this present life in a physical body, what we can do to truly become better than we have been.

Providing an encounter with oneself is essential. We should be our own best companion, friend, and everything else in this universe. When we look around us, we realize that the encounter with ourselves is the same one we have with everyone around us. Francis of Assisi's idea of calling everyone brothers and sisters makes a great deal of sense. We are our own brother or sister, and so is everyone around us. We need to learn this in order to make the world better, avoiding divisions among families, countries, and races. In this great home that houses billions of people, we must learn to live. The basic lesson here is relationships. Every person in this world has the right to live happily and develop as a consciousness in order to make the world better.