Daily Reflection 3.25.21

 Sun Tzu tells us:

In war practice dissimulation, and you will succeed. Move only if there is a real advantage to be gained. 

This recalls an idea that we've discussed quite a bit on this blog, which is the magical virtue of Silence. Or, to say it another way, 

Don't tell the Devil your plans.

As a brief reminder, the point here is that if your intention is to change in a particular way-- don't tell anyone about it. Especially not people who are used to you being the way you are, and are comfortable seeing you that way. They will try to sabotage you-- even if they love you, even if they want what's best for you, even if they don't mean to. 

And don't tell yourself either. The slogan "one day at a time," common in recovery groups, is relevant here. If you're trying not to drink anymore, don't set about not drinking for the rest of your life. Just don't drink today. You can figure out tomorrow tomorrow. 

I wrote a while back that those of us pursuing a spiritual path in the modern world very often have to live our lives like undercover agents. Most of the people we encounter are asleep; they don't understand where we're coming from. These days, they aren't just asleep; they're dreaming nightmares, and the demons that haunt their nightmares are very real. In a time of intense astral chaos, learning how to live inconspicuously becomes ever more important. 

So I spent some time yesterday watching old army training videos from World War II. If you have an hour to spare, this is a training video for undercover agents, made in 1944:

Watch on YouTube

A couple of the takeaways from the video that are relevant to us:

The most important thing for a secret agent is to be inconspicuous. Standing out is the best way to draw attention. Times were, it was common among  people in the occult and pagan communities to dress in as countercultural a fashion as possible. I advise against this. The purpose of countercultural dress is to shock; the purpose of shocking is to gain attention for shocking. Devotion the old gods, spiritual growth, practical magic-- these are goals entirely unrelated to the goal of shocking bourgeois society. If anything, in a time of social destabilization, we should be trying to prop up bourgeois society. 

There is a scene around the 51 minute mark where one of the undercover agents spots an enemy police officer. His first instinct is to turn around and run away. The voiceover narrator tells him, "If something frightens you, don't run away from it. Turn and meet it." This is excellent advice for life in general. It's not just "Don't give in to your fears." It's "If something frightens you, actively go towards it." This is how we keep from being controlled by fears that restrict our growth and development. 

To the line about dissimulation Sun Tzu added, "Only move if there is a real advantage to be gained."

In our context, we could say, "Only talk about your practices if talking will really help them in some way." Often we talk about things either just to fill time, or else to earn social approval. If you're learning to meditate, play music, practice martial arts, or anything else, only talk about these things if talking will help improve them. Otherwise, be Silent.