SLAVERY THEN, SLAVERY NOW
By
Odete Martins Bigote
Do you believe that slavery has ended? I do not.
I think slavery, in some respects, has simply been modernized just like our clothes: the form changes once in a while. But, there is another type of slavery which is as old as mankind; it is the slavery that exists in each individual’s mind.
Slavery is bondage, a condition of submission.
Is mankind really free from such condition?
In Europe, there are reports of many domestics working 18 hours a day without pay. In America, there are illegal immigrants working long hours without salary, and some are assassinated. Domestic violence is also prominent. Between 2 to 4 million women are assaulted every year in the United States. In Africa, boats have been spotted loaded with children bought from their parents with the promise of providing them with a good education. Everyone knows know who these “buyers” are.
There is also an international slave market. One million women and children are sold every year. Russia is apparently the major supplier. In China, beautiful young ladies are sold by their families, and sent to Macao for 3 weeks. Are they going on vacation? Not really. Nobody knows what they are going to do in an area where gambling and drugs are major business. When these girls come back home, they look much older. Sometimes, even their families do not recognize them.
In China, the government prefer males. Many babies girls live in terrible conditions in their asylums, some starve to death. Some are sold to American citizens to be adopted; those, may be, the few lucky ones.
Slavery has never ended. All of us are in some form of bondage, but we may not be aware of our condition.
In spite of what you think people do to others, there is nothing more harmful than what you do to yourself by allowing your own ego thought system to enslave you.
THE ROOTS OF SLAVERY ARE SPIRITUAL. AS LONG AS WE DO NOT LOOK AT OUR INNER SELF WE CONTINUE TO BE IN BONDAGE.
In the old days, once a slave you’d be a slave for life. Now, you may be sent back home when your assignment is over, or you may be assassinated. This is modernization of slavery in accordance with people’s needs at the beginning of the 21st century.
Thanks to modern science, slavery has also taken a new form. For instance, in China men are forced to be castrated, women sterilized, and female fetus destroyed before birth.
Mankind may never be completely free from being used and abused, but each individual can learn to handle their thoughts to reduce pain and sorrow, and free their minds of the darkness.
FORGET WHAT GOVERNMENTS CAN DO FOR YOU. FORGET ABOUT THEIR LAWS.
There is only one law: “What you do unto others, you do unto yourself.” This law may not have so much to do with religion, as it has to do with life. Look at yourself. Look around you. You’ll see this law being applied everywhere. Life is a great school.
What can you do to let go of the chains you’ve built in your mind which are caused by your submission to your ego thoughts? How do you recognize you are enchained?
Every time you have an uncomfortable thought, that is, a thought that utterly disturbs you by giving you either physical or mental pain or both, a thought of guilt, sorrow, hate, fear, you are enchained. You have allowed your false ego to limit your thinking.
Instead of taking an aspirin, drink a cup of coffee, swear at the person that you think has hurt you, commit a crime, or just say to yourself, “forget about it,” or even, ” let’s forgive and forget,” just ponder for a moment.
One thing is for sure: your ego does not care about you. The ego thought system was useful to you when you were a child for it showed you, for instance, the dangers of crossing the street without watching for the traffic lights. In other words, the ego showed you fear, stress, anger, and other feelings. It showed you how to look “outside” of you. Now, the time has arrived for you to try and understand there is also an “inner” side of you. But, do not expect any help from your ego in this direction.
Your ego does not know where your thoughts come from, where they are going, and above all what is their purpose. But there is within you, “a part” that knows all about you, and cares about you. How do you contact that “part”?
Believe it or not, you have a heart. Place your right hand on your heart, and silently bless the event, or the person, or the thought, or even the pain. Then, give it to that “part” of you which has been called many names: Higher Self, for instance,
This is so simple, and so beautiful, and so private. It is between you and YOU. Everyone can do this; a saint or a criminal. You do not have to go anywhere. Wherever you are, just ponder, concentrate, and give it away.
Work with your own mind. Look out for your submission to your ego thoughts. You can look inwardly. You can liberate yourself from all the chains you’ve built in your mind that are preventing you from seeing yourself as you really are: an infinite light.
Keep this metaphor in mind, and repeat it as often as needed: “I’m an infinite light.”.
To a certain extent, all of us have problems “thinking.” Indeed, most of us “think,” without even trying, that it is hard to allow the light to shine and dispel the darkness. We’ve problems enjoying the freedom to see clearly. We’d rather depend on gurus, masters, government officials, organizations, and even special relationships, than to depend on our own inner searching.
We “think” others will give us the comfort and security that we need. We see the power outside of us, which is what our false ego provides us, instead of seeing the power within us.
THIS IS HOW MOST GOVERNMENTS ARE BORN AND KEPT IN POWER, SPECIALLY DICTATORIAL GOVERNMENTS.
IN OTHER WORDS, OUR LAZINESS IS COSTING US OUR FREEDOM.
One of the greatest examples in history is, certainly, when the Jews escaped from Egypt, and they were no longer in bondage. But it did not take them too long to realize the inconvenience of freedom. They started to make plans to go back. Freedom scared them.
ALLOWING YOUR HIGHER SELF TO HELP YOU IS A FULL TIME JOB.
We need to see ourselves as a whole. We need to discover where our thoughts come from, and where they are going. We need to contemplate what is our mission, in this universe, within space and time.
Bondage, will exist is everyone’s mind, as long as we see only bits and pieces of each other, without trying to understand our mission on earth.
The dispelling of darkness is always available to you, as long as you ask your inner self for help. Healing follows.
You can do it. You must do it.
YOU ARE YOUR OWN SAVIOR.
Article written by
Odete Martins Bigote
Copyright 2002