Ancient myths and legends, from many cultures across the world, tell stories of battles and monsters, victories and defeats. It is as though, in the human psyche, there is a memory of the spiritual journey we all take. This is each at our own time because all souls awaken at their own pace. Once we are spiritually awake, our journey begins and we return to our original, pure state of being. It is a journey of heroes—we become our own heroes. Like in all good heroic stories, the hero needs gifts from a benevolent power to battle through the obstacles to be overcome. The obstacles are all in our own minds; when we let go of the negative narratives we all carry and use the gifts we are given, we become heroes and victory is guaranteed.
Off the west coast of England, in the Irish Sea, is a small, self-governing island called the Isle of Man. Its heritage is rich, its stories are ancient, and one of them holds the symbolism of all a hero needs. It begins as all good stories do, with a king, a prince, and an enemy of the kingdom. The king sends his adopted son to fight the enemy that threatens their land.
As it awakens, the soul, the true hero, can remember that it is eternal, not of this dimension, not a body, just occupying a body, and that through meditation, it can access spiritual powers and virtues to use in daily life. It is in meditation that these realisations surface, and it is in meditation that the soul can connect to the Supreme Being, who inhabits another dimension beyond this physical world. The hero’s journey is based on this connection with the Supreme, who provides the unconditional love and all the other spiritual gifts to help each one attain their purest state once more. As in all the best heroic stories, victory awaits.
Joanna Kitto is the Brahma Kumaris Environment Initiative Coordinator for the UK and Coordinator of BK activities on the Isle of Man in the British Isles.