The dark chamber of the heart

Pure consciousness, by nature, is light, bright and self-illuminated. It encompasses all forms of expression including darkness. By darkness, we mean the lack of comprehension of our totality.
We are in darkness when we feel separate from creation and feel uncomfortable with our creations. We are in a state of ignorance when we misunderstand, make assumptions and/or interpret the non-understandable, the formless and the omnipresence of our existence.
Our tendency is to condemn and fear our tensions and negative mind. Our desire to be perfect prevents us from being relaxed in front of our experiences and our performances. When we tense up, energy stops flowing into our system; this tension is darkness.
We remain in darkness as long as we’re not fully realized. Darkness or ignorance of our true identity leads to the pursuit of self-centered gains. It makes us relate to a space that is narrow and constructed by the mind.
The constructed reality of our mind is not aligned with real life. It may mimic it; it may seem real but the constructed self and constructed realities are not made of light. They are made by the mind. They are like holographic representations of reality, but they are not the pure essence nor have the brilliancy of creation. The constructed self is darkness.
Darkness or ignorance points to wisdom. Wisdom destroys ignorance. The notion that the infinite is separate from us is ignorance. We must avoid seeing darkness as a threatening element of creation. We must admit that we are not totally knowledgeable of our totality and that we are in a process of returning home.
The judgments we put upon ourselves are destructive. They lead to tendencies of dullness, laziness, darkness, self-abandonment, dirtiness, pride, isolation, mental illness, etc. These judgments animate either a collective space or the Council of Darkness and it corresponding beings.
We all carry a certain amount of darkness. Our rigidity in front of new ideas, our attachment to what is obsolete and our belief that we need to maintain a personal identity are forms of darkness. This space is the collection of tamasic gunas (or heavy tendencies) or resistances towards becoming or embodying light.
When you choose to relate from this chamber, you have the tendency to dwell in shame, doubt, negativity, tension, and complaints to resist regeneration, movement and correct awareness. This type of individual or collective mind entertains war, violence, abuse, drugs and does not promote a life sustaining lifestyle.
The worst part is that when we are in this chamber we are unwilling to looks at our inner tensions directly and without judgment. The original tension or ignorance is not as bad as we think. It is the judgments we place upon ourselves that keep us re-visiting this chamber over and over.
In the Chamber of Darkness, there are three categories of individuals or influences:
1. Darkness that is passive. This type of individual or part of our self is “happy” the way it is. This part of the self relies on what it knows and rejects any influx of fresh energy. It is dull, depressed, vain, prejudiced and isolated. This form of consciousness is unaware of the ways of existence that are different from the self-centered ways. Those with passive darkness are content to stay on their sofa with their food, their games and their little social circle.
2. Darkness that involves and recruits others. This type of individual or part of our self wants to convince others of our inner position with opinions. They don’t necessarily do anything to come out of their own ignorance but want others to agree with them and to join forces. We can see traces of this form of darkness in certain political and religious activism.
3. Darkness that pushes us to the light. The place where the darkness offers us pain can be a place of great addiction (martyr) or gives an opportunity to move us to wisdom.
If we sincerely acknowledge our ignorance and make efforts to relax our tensions and to learn about a more expansive reality, then we can accept darkness as an opportunity to move us in a direction of movement and regeneration.
We can see that these three categories have a different thickness of self-forgetfulness. Some individuals or parts of the self are ready to evolve while others remain dormant, like seeds, in the dark night of the karmic heart.
We can choose to relate to darkness with fear as if it has the power to destroy us or we can have the courage to visit and embrace the parts of us that are stubborn, refuse to accept a new influx of energy, and resist revitalization and different forms of purification.
We can also choose to relate to the Chamber of Darkness with neutrality and proper understanding. This chamber offers many opportunities: to free energy, to be whole, to be fulfilled; and it welcomes the little self into the vastness and brilliance of compassion.