Retreat: we’re all in this together
31 10 2007 
Certain forms of retreat are fine: a general signals retreat, and the army falls back to prevent certain defeat; a spouse retracts an insult hurled in a moment of anger; a defendant backs off a statement in the face of perjury charges; a politician retreats from a position when opposing public opinion swells. These are the kinds of retreats and retractions we are familiar with.
There is a different kind of retreat.
When we encounter a deeper truth, about ourselves or about life, such truths can cause us to recoil from our new-found awareness. This is a form of retreat we often refuse to acknowledge. When we encounter an exceptionally deep truth, one characteristic of exceptional depth is that truth resonates in a manner that is undeniable. It is not, however, simply the resonance itself we can’t deny; it is the deeper truth itself that is undeniable. It is a case of undeniable, self evident truth.
When we experience deeper, self evident truth we have a choice to either accept it at face value or deny it. Obviously, it is very hard to deny something that is undeniably true. Yet we do. And that creates conflict.
Deeper inner conflict will not resolve itself until we accept the deeper inner truth that we are in conflict with.
may all our retreats fade away all dualities that form conflicts
… and may our retreats always bring inner peace, unity and oneness with our true Self.
I absolutely agree with what you’re saying, but I have the feeling that something specific triggers your saying it. Needless to say, I’m curious. If you want to talk to a friend about it, remember you’ve got my contact info.
It’s good to cyber-see you again.
How right you are brother. The truth is scary, and many fear it may change their safe lives, crumbling the carefully built deck of cards of ego based opinions and half-truths and biases that most of us live our lives on. It may actually make us WORK on ourselves, and we are much too lazy and busy with other things to do that. Oh no, not another deep truth I have to face and contend with. I Know, I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear it…
I wonder if this might point to something that varies somewhat from person to person. Reminds me of a long conversation I had once with a relative that ended in me saying something about how, once I see something about myself, I can’t fool myself on that point anymore. He answered very sincerely that he wished it were that way for him; I could tell he meant it.
I can only think of one particular occasion, a real turning point in my life and a unique experience for me, where it felt like I had a choice to see something or basically pretend I hadn’t. But the forces moving me to acknowledgment were so powerful that I tend to think it was literally or nearly inevitable.
I think that when faced with the deeper truths you describe, we are forced to see clearly that our self-image is not necessarily a valid one. Confronting such deeper truths are frightening, since to do so threatens to destroy the illusion we have created that defines who we think we are. To the ego such an acknowledgment is tantamount to death. I believe that the freedom attained from facing our deeper truths is worth the price we pay, the “price” being itself, of course, an illusion.
Thank you for sharing this insight. It just so happens that I need that one right now.
This is along the same lines that I have been reflecting on lately. I see increasingly how so many of us refuse to learn the lessons that life is trying to teach us.
Incidentally I have deleted my old blog and started a new one.
Hey Mark,
Good to see you blogging again, even if only occasionally.
I second Jon’s offer of off blog conversation. Email me at (klynparis)(at)(gmail)(dot)(com).
I’m also blogging at the blog that my name links to. You should be able to log in with your wordpress username and password. Let me know if you can’t.
(Big Hug!)