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Surrender and the Law of Attraction
By Stephen Proskauer MD | August 19, 2007
Everywhere these days, in books and movies and talk shows, we encounter various versions of the rallying cry: “Attract whatever you want into your life! Manifest it by focusing your intention!” All at once we are no longer victims of our circumstances but architects of our reality. This doctrine is refreshingly empowering, but problems arise with applying the Law of Attraction when it presupposes a simplistic notion of personal will that is limited to what we consciously think we want — ignoring unconscious conflicts, complex karmic forces, and larger spiritual issues that transcend egoistic ideas of prosperity and success.
Let’s tackle these problems one at a time. Even when our desire is strong, we can be unaware of our resistance to getting what we want. Unconscious conflict from many sources is often the root cause of our failure to satisfy desires in the first place. Many of us block success due to underlying feelings of shame, guilt or unworthiness, frequently going back to early childhood. I work with these issues in myself and with patients every day. When desire is unconsciously undermined in this way, the universe receives a mixed message: “I want this but don’t dare give it to me!”
Then there is the matter of karmic intentions of which we are unaware. If we have come into this life with an intention to work unselfishly for the benefit of those less fortunate in order to atone for a previous lifetime of greed in which we cruelly took advantage of others, we are unlikely to manifest strictly personal desires, whereas intentions aimed at the wellbeing of others will be easier to bring into being. Our higher self has already willed it that way. We can raise lots of money for charity but will be frustrated in business ventures undertaken for our own gain. Part of our task in such a lifetime involves going beyond greed and experiencing the blessings of giving to others.
This example points to the primary problem with a superficial understanding of the Law of Attraction. There is a crucial difference between personal will and surrender to the guidance of Spirit. Personal will is egoistic and self-serving in nature. It ultimately fails to satisfy, even when desires are achieved. The CEO who has clawed his way to the top has no rest to enjoy his success. He works tirelessly to maintain his position and lives in fear of losing his power to ambitious rivals. Any desire that arises out of separation from the Whole will ultimately lead to disappointment, even in the presence of apparent success.
The most subtle form of this problem is what Trungpa Rimpoche called “spiiritual materialism,” the selfish desire for spiritual attainment, the quest for more and better enlightenment experiences, like higher and higher drug trips. Many Westerners have been attracted to Eastern mystical traditions for basically selfish reasons like this. We find that we get stuck at the ego level unless we can go beyond this stage of grasping for experience and realize we are already complete and whole just as we are. We do not need to get high to feel at peace.
When we align ourselves with the will of the Whole, we receive direction and support without resorting to spiritual manipulation. This is a profoundly satisfying path, even if it is strewn with superficial hardships, because every event, whether painful or pleasant, is taken as a teaching or a directive from Spirit, rather than a reward or punishment. Our task is not to attempt willful changes in our reality but to learn from our situation through meditative reflection and contemplation, “Loving What Is” as Byron Katie put it. Then wholehearted action in the world can flow effortlessly from a place of wholeness, channeling the energy of the cosmos as we have been guided to do. This is the path to harmony and peace, independent of apparent success and material gain.
Topics: Law Of Attraction |