Who I Really Am
We continue with Raja as he journeys to Cowra. He knows enemies pursue him, and the obstacles he faces are daunting. Faithfully following the counsel of their guides in Humility, Raja and his friends are transported to the next phase of their journey: the Island of Awareness. In this new place, Raja finds himself lost in a heavy fog. While in this state of confusion and blindness, his companions become increasingly skeptical of the mission he knows he must complete. Feeling desperate to rise above the gloom and appease his friends, Raja discards the guidance of the compass and counsel given to him on the Island of Humility. Against his better judgment, Raja decides to heed the fear-based direction of his friends. It is here, amidst great turmoil and doubt, that he meets the frightening guide, Awar. Awar stands for Awareness. And Awar is a Rattlesnake. Under Awar’s guidance, Raja and his companions learn to be aware of their emotions and listen to the warnings. Emotions are signals; they tell us when we’re getting closer to who we really are and when we’re losing sight of the goal. Just as a snake’s rattle is a warning sign intended to keep us safe from harm, our emotions are a built-in guidance system that warns us when things are amiss in our thoughts and actions. When we feel PHJ (peace, happiness, and joy), we know that we are living in truth. However, when we feel the opposite emotions, they signal that we need to make some course corrections. Awar teaches Raja and us the blessing that comes from heeding this law when he says, “Through your journey … your suffering will decrease to the same extent your awareness increases.” Our internal emotional warning system allows us to increase our self-mastery. Respa (the principle of self-mastery) teaches us that we have the power to choose whether we will have a life of PHJ or misery. We can only choose something once we are aware of our choices. By evaluating our emotions, we can then strategize how we will achieve PHJ by identifying and practicing the needed principles with integrity. Awareness helps us stay on the path to becoming Warriors of Light—our true selves. As Warriors, our light will then illuminate the way for others. However, we cannot lead others to Cowra, the state of Completeness, Oneness, Wholeness, Reliability, Anchored in truth unless we are AWARE of the path ourselves. Learn of Awar, our guide to Awareness. With Raja, bring Awareness into your life so you can become who you are meant to be.
Seven years ago, I was given some of the Who I Really Am music. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the songs. It became my kitchen music. Each day as I would wash my dishes and clean my kitchen, I would listen. With daily repetition, it didn’t take long to memorize the songs, my kids and I had these down. You could often find one or more of us happily humming or singing them. At this point, I knew nothing of the animals, yet the spirit of the music and the truth of the principles being taught, made an impression on my soul. It wasn’t until a year later that my husband and I had the opportunity to be taught about the animals and the principles they represented. Each principle in Who I Really Am is associated with an animal whose characteristics emphasize the principle. This almost guarantees the ability to remember the information. It was a joyful and meaningful experience. We knew we wanted to share what we had learned with our children. It’s hard to put into words the natural results that followed our study of each animal and principle, but it changed each of us individually and collectively as a family. It’s wonderful to hear my children remind one another and even me, of the virtue of forgiveness and love or the importance of self-mastery through a delightful song. The animals have become good friends, the principles lasting lessons, and the songs uplifting rays of light to each of us. There is tremendous power that permeates a home where true principles are taught and strong moral character is developed. As parents, grandparents or leaders in our families and communities, we have a responsibility to build a strong moral foundation for the children entrusted to our care.Because the principles are self-evident, Who I Really Am will enhance any family culture or educational curriculum or be a foundation in itself to build upon.