Transformative Situations

I had been thinking about the kinds of things that make people grow and evolve in theirs lives. A lot of them require ego death to break the imprints to transcend their limits. For example the rituals in Freemasonry do that. But is it right to force someone into that kind of situation like V did to Evie in the movie V for Vendetta?



She did grow from it but was it worth the suffering she had to go through to do it? Would she have been able to integrate it better if she had given her consent to it 1st? It certainly would've cut out the anger and bitterness she felt about his methods.



There are supposed to be more positive methods like Tantric Yoga that should produce the same conditions for transcendence. If you're willing to let go then it shouldn't do as much damage to your psyche and most likely you would be more balanced and stable with those methods.



But are they as effective when it takes more courage and discipline to be to willing face the fear of ego death than to be manipulated into it? The suffering might be greater, but was Evie grateful she had gone through it? It all comes down to whether the ends justify the means doesn't it? The trouble is, if all you're focused on is the results then costs of getting them can be very high, with the collateral damage along the way being considerable.

It's more about the journey to enlightenment than the goal, since being one with the Omniverse is the same for all, it's the steps taken to get there is different for everyone. A lot like the path described in the Tarot, We all start out as the Fool, but end up as The World. I still have to finish my Tarot card series but this example of one I made shows some of the symbolism.

In the Bitter Suite episode of Xena they make a similar journey using Tarot symbols to work out the impasse between Xena and Gabrielle. They use the major arcana card Wheel of Fortune as a metaphor for karma that all actions have consequences and the reactions will bounce back on you.

They both start out trying to grow beyond the limits of past conditioning. Xena being seduced by her lust for vengance and using force with violent means to achive her goals. Gabrielle seduced by the security of home and family to conform to the views of the society as they say "nothing changes but the time, we don't even change our minds... watch the world by, vegetate until we die" until they stop thinking for themselves and go along with the crowd.

Then get past the distortions of communication when the pain is blinding them and projecting blame onto each other.

Also all the ego defenses that let the hate consume them so that there is no room left for anything else.

Until finally they can reach the stage where they can forgive themselves and each other then let love in to transform their relationship and return to the world. It's not an easy journey since the ego throws up all kinds of obstacles, evasions and rationalizations to stave off having to go through it, that's what the Atman Project is all about.

Most likely that's why they say artists have to suffer to create great art since the struggle of taking that journey is what produces the art and not many have the courage and discipline to embark on it without going through the hardship of suffering 1st

Manipulating someone for their own good to go through them, violates their free will and even if the would've given their consent after the fact when they've realized the benefits it's not fair to take away that choice. By tricking them into those circumstances before they are ready to make the choice, it poisons the soil in which the growth is fostered and weakens whatever gains are made by the deception.