THE PARASITE AND THE ALLY

In the Toltec tradition, we sometimes use the terms “parasite” and “ally” when discussing the nature of the mind.

The parasite represents a mind that has been consumed by a relationship of simultaneous imposition and subjugation. Imagine a judge and victim, symbols that represent love based on conditions and domestication. The judge enforces the laws on which you’ve modeled yourself by dictating your worthiness for your own love, while the victim, subjugated by the judge, distorts all of its perceptions to satisfy the judge’s view. This codependent and dysfunctional relationship forms the parasitic nature of the mind.

The ally represents a mind that has not been subjected to the conditional love of the parasite and is willing to perceive the world through an undistorted point of view. It is called the ally because it gives us the information we need to live with awareness.

When I see the world through the eyes of the parasite, there is disharmony in my life. If the ally is speaking, there is harmony. Both the parasite and the ally exist within me, and you, as reflections of the mind that reflect the whole. Loving yourself unconditionally means accepting yourself as having both.

Practice

With awareness, you can choose how you want to live your life. You can choose to live through the eyes fo the parasite of the ally. That choice is an expression of your free will.

Living a Life of Awareness

~ Don Miguel Ruiz Jr.