If I had legs and feet I could have run to my love, my life. If I had arms and hands I could have written a sonnet for my love and defended her with all my might. So said the man who had no eyes, unaware that he had those things as he took his last breath.
Men are finite in nature and cannot know the Infinite; the finite does not stretch that far. Spending a lifetime to know the Gods, the Infinite, is a fool's errand. And claiming "to know" anything of that great stretch, UPG or otherwise, can border on possible madness. Maybe the secret then is silence. But not all men can do so.
Books have been written and erroneously translated, in most cases, to conform to the translator's point of view. Many more were written and continue to be written by using a very personal lens combined with UPG. The end goal was and still is creative statehood and a considerable popular following with the followers choosing to blindly follow than striking out on their own. There is less work involved when someone has made up your mind for you (not to mention some kind of damnation for non-belief). Even the piercing of Jung's Collective Unconscious will not give you a true glimpse of the Infinite. But it may give you a UPG that you will not fully understand (with the emphasis on Personal, it's just yours Pilgrim). Even if you correctly understand your UPG experience, know that it cannot have meaning for others (do you believe that you are or can be the mouthpiece of the Gods? The interpreter of "their will"? ) It stands to reason then, that forcing it on others is not just wrong but can be brutally sadistic. However, it's not all bad news.
A UPG is personal to the individual. Period. If possible, it should be used by the individual for personal, positive development. So, grow yourself. Make a positive impact on your family, clan, tribe, and community. Help those in need. Die well, with your good name a shining star in the darkness of night. Do not concern yourself with the Gods; concern yourself with yourself. Do not pass from this life, like the man in the first paragraph, unaware of your own possibilities. And you never have to tell a soul about your UPG.
May you have a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!
Copyright @2015/2016 Terry Unger
