Hello,
This is a letter I sent to the brothers in Shambhala Warrior a few months back, that I felt called to share.
I wrote it because I noticed a trend in the world that had made its way to the coaching/ spiritual development world. I felt it was important to be aware of the allure of the short-cuts… and to honour the deep ocean of life-long learning, and the long road of self-realisation… the humble path of apprenticing to truth.
Read below, and you’ll know more about what I stand for.
The dust is settling… and you’re probably realising that walking with me is not about quick wins, short-cuts, bypassing or hyping our way to freedom, peace or enlightenment.
This path is the long road & the deep ocean of truth. This is about honouring ancient wisdom, ancestral wisdom…. A song of creation that goes way back.
I’m inviting you Brothers to see this as a RITE OF PASSAGE…. A true journey of initiation.
Here’s the tragic truth of the matter:
We were born into a profoundly immature culture. Hacks, sound bites, 15 second stories, 24/ 7 news, instagram influencers, millions of messages bombarding your mind every day, pressure to get somewhere… fast.
More evolved aliens are probably looking at us humans, thinking it’s a bloody lunatic asylum here on planet Earth:
“Those Earth humans… they bite the hand that feeds, they rape their own mother, destroy their own home!!!”
For what?
For the spell of constant, linear growth. For the myth that success means more stuff. For the addiction to more houses, money, bitcoin, instagram followers. For more safety and security, for more… more more more more more more more……
Make no mistake: We are living in a “death culture” that is designed around the “cult belief that more is better” that feeds the machine of consumerism that is steadily destroying this sacred Earth home.
Part of this culture that glorifies busyness and “bio-hacks” …. Is the belief that MORE IS BETTER… FAST IS BETTER….
And from these beliefs we see the downstream effects of technology being weaponised not to heal or regenerate the Earth or our bodies…… but instead to gratify the greedy and needy cravings of our own egos.
The richest man alive is spending his time and fortune on creating a Metaverse, a virtual world for people to escape to……. While the 2nd and 3rd richest men spent millions on penetrating space with penis shaped rockets and sports cars.
We are living in the age of disconnection from the sacred… and instant gratification.. 2 sides of the same coin.
$97 Breath work certifications, 8 week meditation teacher trainings. Deep, long apprenticeships squeezed into conveniently short packages of time.
People crave the shortcut, the plant medicine experience that will heal all their childhood trauma…. the online course that will fix all their problems in 12 weeks.
It’s immature business, all of this. It’s stuff of this culture, and it won’t help us create a more enlightened one.
We are living in an age where people are programmed to get somewhere fast… and tell every one on about it on instagram stories… before they have really learned a thing, integrated the medicine or really sat for a period of time to let the experience or wisdom become embodied.
What we are seeing out there in the “spiritual-entrepreneurial” communities is just the same culture-created beliefs and “take, take, more more” behaviour that leads to the destruction of life on Earth.
It is profoundly immature. Adolescent.
I say that we stand for something different- I’m calling for us to be part of creating a new culture that honours the long road, the humble apprenticeship and the lifelong devotion to being a student.
When it comes to Rites of Passage… we are dealing with powerful energies of death and rebirth that plunge us deep into the void.
Change happens over seasons and years.
Because this is the natural way. Because evolution and maturation takes place not instantly but over time.
Because it takes weeks, months and years to integrate powerful lessons and experiences.
Because to truly evolve as Human Beings we must initiate out of our childhood consciousness, and be sovereign and self-responsible.
And to do this we must learn to SLOW DOWN, smell the roses, empty our cup, purge out neediness and cravings for validation, integrate the pain, loss, regret, shame, guilt and pain…. accept that real metamorphosis is a journey of gradual emergence.
The butterfly emerges from the chrysalis after the caterpillar has fully decomposed, turned to mush and become bio-engineered into a new creature with wings.
There are no “instant butterflies” in nature.
You and I are no different, and our evolution will only come through the death and decomposition of old identities and belief systems. No accreditation, metric, hack, course, or single experience will lead to your full maturation.
If you so choose to become a man who will one day be a fine elder, and one day be a worthy and wise ancestor…. Then you must choose life to be a never ending series of initiatory experiences and ordeals.
You must choose again and again to meet your thresholds, limits and fears and…. somehow… pass through them. You must learn to forgive, accept, let go, surrender and LOVE what was previously unlovable.
You must bring the trauma and pain of the past into the radiant light of present moment awareness and GRIEVE your way to integration and healing.
There are no shortcuts but there are well-worn paths of wisdom my Brothers. And you being here, in this brotherhood, walking with these men by your side is an indicator that your soul knows all about what I speak of.
So, to conclude, I’m inviting you to TRUST in the design, trust in yourself, trust in the empty space, trust in the circle, trust in the teachings, trust in your own divine SOULS that have called you to this rite of passage.
Lean in, be humble, honour empty space and silence. Connect with spirit and the Earth. Be honest with yourself. Practice holding your integrity.
Embody wisdom before sharing about it as an expert. Integrate the experience before telling the world about it. Sit with your experiences… share with loved ones what needs to be shared… but hold something back just for you.
When you create a new a ritual in your life, devote to it for months or years.
When a new plant teacher or teacher comes into your life, apprentice yourself at the feet of this master…
When you hear a story or read a book that blows your mind, and opens your heart… let it have its way with you… observe the change within…. AND THEN TELL US ABOUT IT.
Let us be men of integrity that stand up for time-worn wisdom, that are prepared to take the long road over there short-cut, that sit down and write letters like this, that read books and not just instagram captions.
Let us trade in the plastic for something more durable and hardy.. for the flint, bone, teak Earthiness of natural material and natural time.
Let us be men that honour quality, craftsmanship, lineage, ritual and the wisdom passed down through the ages in myth, story and spiritual practice.
Let us be men of discernment who show up fully from the heart, but acknowledge our blindspots, and expect our brothers to keep us grounded.
Let us be men who make love with the Earth and our women…. As lovers… not extractors, not manipulators, not abusers… and not pre-mature ejaculators… but as LOVERs who romance the wild feminine, and devote ourselves to the divine mysteries she holds… and know love making to be the profoundly sacred practice of divine union.
Let us bow down to the majesty of our Earth mother, and train ourselves to listen to secrets she shares only with those who can be still. Let us honour our parents and ancestors in every way we can...
Let us break the chains of ancestral pain and trauma, carried by our forefathers and foremothers that has led them to the booze, pills, news, and the other avenues of quick escape and avoidance… let us be men of courage and depth, who rewrite timelines and new futures for our kids..
Let us read poetry, take long walks in the forest, spend a night camping alone in the woods. Let us watch the sunrise and sunset, as acts of devotion, prayer, and sacred connection.
Let us face up to the technology driven war on consciousness that is unfolding in this timeline… through screen, algorithms and government- media… and make a choice to be sovereign and powerful in the face of these onslaughts to our attention spans and our nervous systems.
Let us be like the solid oak tree that stand tall in the forest… the ancient waterfall channelling water for eons…
Let us be Warriors of Light that stand up for all that is sacred… for LIFE itself.
This path, your ancient soul knows very well. Your young ego will kick, squirm and scream for validation, gratification and satiation… and let it exhaust itself in tantrum, while you witness it with loving grace and patience from the throne of divine awareness.
It is truly an honour to walk with you men. Something magical is brewing in this brotherhood. It will take time to gestate.
Let’s tune our hearts to the ancient beat of the Earth, and release the need or expectations. Let us trust in the unfolding.
Your brother, Jiro
"When We are no longer able to change a situation; we are challenged to change ourselves. - Viktor Frankl,1905-1997"
superb .. what a profound and rare writing .. thank you Jiro ..