Sunday, November 21, 2010

Refusal Of Sacrifice (Symbol And Metaphor)


"Iron rusts from disuse;
water loses its purity from stagnation...
even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind."
- Leonardo da Vinci

(This article is the conclusion of the article on Sacrifice)

As previously alluded to, The Act of Sacrifice is an act of
Creative Destruction. It is the act of giving up, and leaving behind
us, that which we have already become, and using our Past
achievements, Lessons, and experiences, as stepping-stones to
new Adventures.

Sacrifice is a metamorphosis. It is a Doorway, a Threshold, a
Vesica Piscis we must step through in order to experience all of
the personal, mental, and spiritual growth available to us during
our Current Incarnation.

But, what happens to us when we refuse to accept, and submit
ourselves to, the Act of Sacrifice?

From the moment we refuse to Sacrifice who we currently are for
who we can ultimately become, we find ourselves frozen in Time;
our Incarnation stagnates and solidifies; and our future becomes a
crystallized, monotonous repetition in which we basically re-live the
same day over and over for the remaining days of our "life".

Metaphorically, when we refuse to submit ourselves to Sacrifice and
Transformation, we allow ourselves to be "nailed to the cross of
matter" upon which we stagnate, deteriorate, and decay.

To use another metaphor, Refusal of Sacrifice is to voluntarily
confine ourselves within a narrow and high-walled Tower of our
own design wherein we simply horde whatever possessions we have
accumulated while forsaking imagination, enthusiasm, and desire
for any future growth, achievements, or new Adventures.

This restrictive Tower, which we slowly, methodically, and
unconsciously construct around ourselves, not only deteriorates
with time, but is constantly being attacked by external forces. And
the more we attempt to fortify and defend this self-created fortress
of ours, the more we find ourselves fighting a losing and futile battle
with the timeless forces of evolution, progress and growth. And, in
the end, as our protective Tower slowly becomes our self-created
prison, we finally find ourselves crying out for help and pity as our
short-lived material world crumbles all about us.

We see the sad and lonely results of the Refusal of Sacrifice all
around us every day. Those who Refuse the Act of Sacrifice are
those who ferociously cling to their old selves and their old
accomplishments. These time-worn individuals are so intent on
watching their old "pots" and "nests" that they do not notice the
great abundance of pots and nests that are continually passing
them by. Their lives become a stale, moldy repetition simply
because, at some point in their Incarnation, they Refused to step
through the beckoning Threshold of Sacrifice and embrace the
greater achievements, and bolder Quests, which are the rewards
of Change, Transformation, and Sacrifice. They are the faceless
masses we encounter every day who have traded personal, mental,
and spiritual growth for the illusion of security, conformity, and
complacency.

We live in a realm of Duality and Choices in which we are constantly
encountering Crossroads, or Forks-In-The-Road, where life-altering
Decisions must be made. One such Fork-In-The-Road presents us
with the Choice of traveling upon either the "Road of Sacrifice" or
the "Road of the Refusal of Sacrifice". The Road we ultimately
Choose to travel is entirely up to us. For only we can determine
whether we will travel upon the "Road of Refusal of Sacrifice":
which leads us to stagnation, complacency, and conformity…or the
"Road of Sacrifice": which continually leads us to new Adventures,
broader Horizons, and Enlightenment.

(This article is the conclusion of the article on Sacrifice)

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
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Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2010
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