The Challenge at the White Gate
I found it!!! My Second Half of Life book, that is. It was becoming most frustrating that I couldn’t remember what I’d done with it. Of course, I only found it because I was looking in file drawers for something else I’ve misplaced (and still haven’t found)! But now we can continue on through the Eight Gates of Wisdom, thank God! I was afraid we would all be stuck at the White Gate forever and never gain the wisdom we so richly deserve.
As you may or may not recall, here at the White Gate our Task is “…to uncover or awaken to the essence of who we truly are…” and accomplish this by integrating the five faces that are a part of our whole being (child, youth, adult, elder, and essence).
The Challenge at this gate is to overcome the face of our ego that will not want to give up control. There is, in fact, an acronym for FACE referred to by Arien and created by David Richo, author of the book, Shadow Dance. The acronym is:
F – Fear; A – Attachment; C – Control; E – Entitlement
Overcoming FACE (and, in essence, our ego) entails shifting…
“…our allegiances from fear to curiosity, from attachment to letting go, from control to trust, and from entitlement to humility”.
Personally, I think the second and third parts of this acronym are the most challenging for me. Letting go and not being attached to the outcome of things is much easier said than done; and giving up control, trusting in something or someone other than myself is often times outside my comfort zone. It could take a while to unveil my true face if I first have to conquer my ego in this way.
I think another part of the Challenge is then being able to recognize ourselves once our egos have been cast aside to make room for the five true faces. What a transformation there should be once we get in touch with our true essence, the child inside, etc. and have them come together to form a brand new person!
Once we meet the Challenge, our reward or Gifts at the White Gate are curiosity, flexibility, and self-acceptance. Those all feel like “comfortable” gifts to my way of thinking, so I guess I better get to work on the attachments and control issues I have!
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I’m so glad you found your book! Great insights and challenges for growth. I think in the quest for becoming more authentic surpasses the striving for approval. Eckhart Tolle does a wonderful description of ego, which describes so well the difference between it and who we really are in our “essence.”
I love your writing. You’re on the journey with those of us who desire freedom and growth, health and enlightenment.
I’m so glad you found your book! Great insights and challenges for growth. I think in the quest for becoming more authentic surpasses the striving for approval. Eckhart Tolle does a wonderful description of ego, which describes so well the difference between it and who we really are in our “essence.”
I love your writing. You’re on the journey with those of us who desire freedom and growth, health and enlightenment.
In my second half of life I am learning that overcoming attachment and letting go does not mean becoming cold and indifferent. I now believe that it means that I need to learn to relax myself in an attempt to control my mind by figuring out the real causes of happiness and fulfillment. I think that overcoming my need for attachment by letting go will enable me to enjoy life more.