JANU: The focus, mastering the many faces of identity, a profound treatise on a consuming journey of discovery.
The role of identity, for most, is to establish purpose and to master that purpose, to benefit from it, to display and to compare with others. Identity becomes a central focus for most, not seeing it as a transitory reality, temporary but with purpose. Identity becomes the focus for understanding, skill development, personal relationships and alliances. Identity has the scope that results from exploration, experimentation, and discovery. Identity offers peace of mind, to a degree, identifiable traits and development.
Identity gives recognition to individuals, to each other. It’s similar to accepted names, unique to a degree, different enough to reveal diversity. Some identities are cultural—skills, talents, types of personality, racial, gender, performance. They are a limitation as well, for the common roles of each identity have their limit, their range, their inclusion. Some envy or long to be the so-called identity of another, in terms of many things—profession, language, culture, economic, appearance, even ego—not appreciating their identities as limitations.
There are some who explore alternatives to this, learning new professions, new skills and talents, exploring deeper meaning and revelation of their own True Nature, who they are beyond physicality, social norms, nationalities, and, yes, even gender. This is the journey of awakening, of becoming more realized, gaining access to previously achieved understandings and abilities. The challenge is letting go of one to gain something larger that includes some of previous, becoming more a conscious collective of possibilities, creations, experiences, life journeys, with a growing ability to see this in others, whether physical or not. For they realize there is a larger Life than social humanity. It is all around them, all part of the one Life which is ever-changing, evolving, creating.
Identity is temporary, but with purpose and opportunity to focus on a path of exploration, of wisdom-gaining, and of service to life. Understanding such as this opens the door to patience, tolerance, and contribution. Find peace in this and liberation, freedom to be whatever you choose from the opportunities that come your way. Namaste.
Oct. 2, 2023 Copyright © 2023 by Joshua Ross