Feeling The Burn

What I would wish that purifying, transformative fire to burn away is my ego (as defined in spiritual terms, not psychological terms). More specifically and troublesome for me is my ego's self-protectiveness. My ego sees that fire a-coming (any perceived dangers to its self-image) and it heads for the hills, and what it likes to use to try self-protect/run away/avoid is judgment: of self and others, and comparing itself to what it perceives in others (which is often woefully inaccurate). Sometimes that comparison makes it feel artificially superior and self-righteous; sometimes that comparison makes it feel inferior, envious, self-critical, and/or even self-pitying.

This Project Insights question and the heartfelt shares I've read so far on the topic help me see is that the fire is in fact not dangerous, but a healing opportunity, if only I can find the courage to sit tight and “feel the burn.” When I do, the fire burns off all that make-believe, illusory “me vs. you” BS and helps me burn down to the essence of Oneness. There really is no better-than/less-than, as Wavy Gravy was famous for saying, “We're all just bozos on the bus, so might as well sit back and enjoy the ride,” or at the risk of mixing metaphors, sit back and enjoy the burn. Then the freedom and release that I experience as that all goes up in smoke is beyond description.

— Laura L