Old Isaac The Innkeeper
The first principle of navigation is to know your point of embarkation. Without knowing your current position on the map, you don't know...
Chapter One
The first segment of our trail begins by determining our current position on the anger-tranquility continuum.
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The rigors of a strenuous hike up a mountain are well worth the double reward that awaits us at the peak. First, we obtain a breathtaking view of indescribable grandeur. Second, we derive the deep satisfaction of seeing the miles that we’ve traversed on the way to the top.
Spiritual hikes are similar to physical hikes, but even more rewarding. Like a mountain trek, the higher we climb in spirituality, the better we see ourselves and the world around us. Also, spiritual ascent and character improvement go hand in hand. Overcoming a negative character trait is more gratifying to the human soul than any material achievement.
Material amenities can’t buy character improvement or inner peace. The fame and fortune of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, and a long list of other rich and famous people didn’t prevent their descent to the grave at an early age – often overdosed and always miserable. Investing lifelong effort in an area that won’t guarantee happiness – like money or fame – simply doesn’t make sense.
Overcoming anger is one of the prime benefits of spiritual gain. The more we rid ourselves of anger, the more we tap our buried treasure of potential. The more we realize our potential, the happier we are.
Anger is a prime obstacle to happiness. By moving anger aside, we enter the express lane to self-fulfillment and tranquility. Once we reach our goal of genuine inner peace, we succeed in life’s critical area where many of the world’s most famous personalities have failed.
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To some people, spiritual growth means lofty platitudes, revelations, and exotic rituals. To me, real spirituality is quite practical and tangible, gauged by happiness and inner peace on the positive side, and by anger on the negative side. Happiness comes from the Divine human spirit within, and not from outside stimuli. Simply speaking, the happier we are, the more spiritual we are. For that reason, authentic spirituality has the power to help us overcome anger and attain happiness.
Getting to know the real “you” is the first step toward spiritual growth. As in medicine, proper diagnosis is half the cure. This chapter discusses ten exemplary levels of the anger-tranquility continuum. By looking at examples of others, you’ll learn about yourself. “Aha,” you might say to yourself, “I react just like the character on level so-and-so!” You thereby can establish your current position along the continuum. As such, this chapter is diagnostic in nature, and serves as the point of origin on your journey to an anger-free life.
The Spiritual Continuum
Imagine a spiritual continuum where total anger is at one end and tranquility at the other:
Total Anger Tranquility
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
What seems to be your present position on the continuum? Write your self-estimation score on a piece of paper, and put it aside in a safe place. Later, you can compare it with your renewed estimation of yourself at the end of this chapter.
Now, let’s see how accurate your self-appraisal is.
Your journey up the trail to tranquility takes you from your present position on the continuum, to a higher level on the spiritual and emotional plane. The more progress you make, the less anger controls your life, and the closer you come to genuine inner peace. Spiritually speaking, the higher you progress up the continuum, the more freedom you obtain from base character traits. Spirituality is therefore synonymous to personal liberty.
The first principle of navigation is to know your point of embarkation. Without knowing your current position on the map, you don’t know which path takes you to your destination.
Let me give you an example. Suppose you’re looking at a road map, and you want to reach New York City. Yet, you don’t know whether you’re currently positioned in Philadelphia or Boston. Which way do you go, north or south? Which road do you take? You can’t possibly know. Therefore, you must first determine your point of origin in order to reach your destination.
Spiritual navigation works the same way. Personal goals resemble destinations. Your current spiritual and emotional status is quite similar to a point of origin on the map. You need to know where you are in order to arrive at your spiritual destination, your goal in life.
For example, if you think that you are currently positioned on Level Seven, when actually you’re on Level Three, you lose all hope of reaching tranquility, since you haven’t traveled the complete spiritual route that takes you away from turbulence. As in academics, you can’t skip from elementary school to a master’s degree program.
People easily see faults in others, but have difficulty seeing their own shortcomings. Self-objectivity is nearly impossible for a human being. For that reason, this chapter is designed to assist you in evaluating yourself.
While establishing your present position on the anger-tranquility continuum, you’ll be visiting new sites and meeting new people. Some of them are quite real, and some proverbial. They’ll probably remind you of yourself and of people you know.
To be continued . . .
(The Trail to Tranquility is available in the Breslev Store.)
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