BEYOND THE FAMILIAR:

[Pravin Kumar]

Beyond the Familiar:

Although the familiar may be firmly in place and it may be true that you don't know what you don't know, but if beyond the familiar isn't investigated, you will be stuck in the familiar of what you don't know.

When a caterpillar turns into a butterfly it's because it is growing. If the caterpillar doesn’t break out of the familiar surroundings of its cocoon, growth will not occur. It's the same with us, just substitute the caterpillar with our ideas about things. Life is a natural process of learning and growing, but the base of one's growth is dependent on the what the new is that's replacing the familiar. For years I drove an old car in constant need of repair just to keep it up and running, and isn't this how many live their life, constantly making adjustments and repairs just to keep it running; not many truly live. It wasn't until I purchased a new car that it was realized just how broken down the old car was. This goes with the saying "you don't know what you don't know." This is also what happened to me when I finally let go of the familiar mind patterns I had in place. I started to realize just how out of sorts my familiar thinking was, I began to break out of my cocoon.

Although learning is a natural process of life, learning to grow spiritually is not automatic. It does seem to take some effort even if it's only the willingness to head in that direction. There are many intellects in the world who don't have a clue as to what it means to live spiritually in the space of growth; they never break out of their cocoon, they stay stuck in the familiar. The mind loves the familiar and will always try to convince you it's better to stay in that space then to go to the space of the unfamiliar. It may be true that you don't know what you don't know, but if this isn't investigated what you don't know will be the only thing that is known. And because nothing new is being allowed in, you will remain in your cocoon and new growth will not occur.

MICHAEL CUPO