Map of a Human Being
The Map of a Human Being lays out many of the formless precepts that inform, affect and govern human life: the interior landscape. They are as significant as any physical influence. They are the landmarks of the Know Thyself Curriculum, which have been watered down or removed from most religions and philosophies.
Graphically the Map breaks into two main areas of influence, with the brain receiving information from both. Outside the dark brown line, in roughly the shape of a doorway, is the realm of the mind, which in Map terms represents the negative. Inside the line are the precepts of the soul life, which in Map terms are positive.
This map was conceived by Tony Buck.
How the Map can work for you
Because the Know Thyself Curriculum is so absent from daily discourse, the Map can help us sort out what it means to be truly human. The more we reduce the influences of the mind, the more human we become. Being born human isn’t enough; we must behave human and gain that exalted state, both in public and private. We have to work at it. For those who understand this need, there is no other activity that can satisfy as this ‘work’ does. Some people have no interest in living the conscious life and so will not bother with any of this. That’s fine; we must all find our own path.
There are 70,000 meanings for every precept* – the deeper we become, the more wisdom, understanding and the meaning of being human, we will bring to our lives. The goal of the journey of the Map is to merge with the uncreated Power of the universe, which in English we call God. For that to happen we must know ourselves: what is real, what is contingent on this world, and what is immortal – this process takes time. Patience will be the gold that we must always carry.
The Map offers definitions and a vocabulary to help us communicate more clearly about these often difficult-to-convey precepts, and can be adopted by a person from any religious or philosophical tradition. Even if you don’t agree with everything on the Map, at least you will have learned that!
Most people will realize that they are a mixture of mind and soul life. Once we understand this, choices can be made. It also shows us why some people are capable of murder, while others are potentially saints; and that we can move in any direction at any time. The Map underlines how wonderful and valuable a human life is – the animals are not capable of this ‘work’ (in no way am I denigrating the animals by saying this, in the section on Creation as University, more will be explained).
The brain is hard-wired to perform many bodily functions, but it also receives instructions from the soul and mind influences. It is an amazing neutral organ that connects our life with the world. It is flexible, but it can also get cemented up with good or bad habits. Therefore, it must be protected and treated with care. The Map will show this clearly and hopefully help us make good and wise choices.
(* Bawa Muhaiyaddeen)
SEE ALSO: VIDEO INTRODUCTION