Il Dolore (the pain)
From her website: http://www.candacepert.com/
On “To Feel Go(o)d,” Dr. Pert reveals that you are biologically “hardwired for bliss”-all you need to do is tap your own body’s unlimited natural capacity for living in joy and connecting to the divine.
Now there is a money making concept for you! A new age belief that hooks the pathetic seeker and keeps her forever chasing her own tail. I should know, I have been seeking the feel good spiritual practice for as long as I can remember. There is a certain amount of dogma preached in most houses of worship that goes something like … if you are hardworking, follow the word and hand me your money, then you will be healthy, wealthy and wise.
Admittedly most of my own Satori Moments are experiences in which there was some sort of breakthrough feeling or occurrence. Whether it is the paraclete at the hospital wing, whose loving comments and sage advice lifted my spirits or the unity consciousness sign post that came on wing of the heron. It is easy to see the Divine when we are uplifted and released at least for a moment from the pain of this body experience.
The underlying assumption is that if I just relax enough, learn how to breathe or surrender on my hands and knees, that somehow I will find the key that unlocks the pearly gates and be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven or at least the new age layover lounge where we can enjoy the freedom from suffering and endless opportunity to follow our bliss.
Selling salvation has to be the most lucrative campaign we have going on the planet. The notion permeates every aspect of our market media society. Be happy! Have a double-thick shake on our value menu today! Forget your worries with a HD flat screen TV. Take this herbal supplement, pharmaceutical compound, illegal contraband or placebo drug today and you too can join the zombie nation seeking liberation from the human condition.
Then there are the poster children who promote the escape clause by extolling their own story of rags to riches. They seem so happy. Wouldn’t anyone want to walk in their Birkenstocks?
But does it work? Or does the pursuit of happiness lead to a life of endless seeking? Soaring sales and booming profit margins would seem to imply the exploited exploration is never-ending. Why? Because no matter how GOOD you may feel in this moment, this month, this year … sooner or later something happens, a loss, a physical illness, an economic crisis, something occurs that makes you wonder when did the dance with the Divine end and how did I end up alone again on the dance floor?
The last two weeks as my own body has been in deep breakdown and pain, it became palpably clear. Source, is not peaceful, wonderful bliss. Source is also this tremendous pain and illness. Moreover my own egoic mind will surely never grasp the reason why this experience fits in the Totality of the universe nor will knowing beyond a doubt that it does fit make it any less of a bitch to endure. But what IS here for me in this relapse is an abiding sense that I am equally as close to Source now with Il Dolore (the pain) as when I am healthy, wealthy or wisecracking.
