Killing a rabbit with your car looks like entering this underworld, descending the pits of my psyche.
That is the call to investigate every crevice in my mind, confront what frightens me about myself and step out into this world a little bit stronger with each ring of life experiences.
Integration of the shadow self takes time. It takes patience and determination, a willingness to face hard truths. But the rewards are profound.
Through accepting my shadow, I come to know myself and its creation.
I become more myself, more loving and more connected to my divine calling.
It is about the cycle of life and death
Literally, the single biggest spiritual lesson I ever learned from running over a rabbit is life and death go on.
This cycle is an intrinsic part of being, working at every level around us.
A realization of the impermanence in life – that all things will end.
This realization can be at once a sobering and uplifting one.
The death of the rabbit can bring me to face my mortality.
It compelled me to more fully embody the life that I have.
It brings to the forefront an existential unease that I often work hard to suppress: in other words, it challenges me with questions about what my life means.
But equally, it can give immense gratitude for the here and now – what a gift this life is, right!?
In most spiritual traditions, death is not an end as much a change.
It is a doorway to another way of being, a homecoming back into the void from which I was born.
It is an opportunity to shed what no longer supports me and allow space for new life and change.
The concept of rebirth is also associated with it.
We see the death of that same rabbit, but out of its demise new life emerges.
This cycle of life, death and rebirth is an age-old theme running through many spiritual practices.
So, running over a rabbit is simply another stage in its cycle of life and death, but also the first step into its new beginning.
It gives a feeling of peace and acceptance.
This process is one that I adopt so I can create purpose when faced with the most painful experiences.
I can come to see death as not an enemy but as something natural and necessary.
It is about forgiveness
You feel intense guilt when you run over a rabbit. However, forgiveness and compassion should be the way.
Compassion is our capacity to respond to the suffering of others.
Forgiveness is a surrender of judgment.
Killing a rabbit fills me with shame because I have done damage.
This remorse is a precursor to forgiveness, allowing me to shed the weight of my guilt in order for love and compassion for myself to soak into all I am.
It takes compassion as well as forgiveness in order to grow spiritually.
They crack open my heart and mind so I can experience myself on a deeper level as well as with others.
They create a deep sense of oneness and peace in me.
If I cultivate those qualities, I can turn my suffering into something else and develop it as a source of wisdom and strength.
It is not easy to try to engage in that cultivation of compassion and forgiveness!
It involves confronting my pain and facing the consequences.
It also calls for ongoing inner growth and reflection. But the rewards are profound.
If I cultivate compassion and forgiveness, then I can heal my wounds, strengthen my relationships, and increase the vibrational resonance of what it is to be alive.
It is about the journey
I am not suggesting that running over a rabbit is an experience you would wish on yourself, but it can be quite transformative spiritually.
It asks me to go deeper within myself. It calls me to become more compassionate and forgiving, to a fuller life.
Every experience is a lesson learned.
This includes running over a rabbit.
It is an exploration of my shadows and staying present with the transformation process of death before rebirth.
One of the greatest lessons that I can take away from this experience is how essential presence is.
Life is short and precious, it comes hard to pay attention when we are so wrapped up in our own lives with what you have going on every day.
Hitting a rabbit may be my wake-up to remember, slow down and live every second.
It inspires me to enjoy the splendor of life more and to be grounded in myself and with others.
There is the teaching of self-kindness as well. I frequently beat myself up over the mistakes and failures I make.
Killing a rabbit can bring great shame and remorse. But it is also an opportunity to forgive myself for messing up and show mercy as I would with anyone.
Because when I allow self-compassion, everything inside me becomes gentler.
From my point of view, running over a rabbit will remind me of the importance of inner strength.
I’m Bulgarea Candin Stefan and I have started Spiritual Whirlwinds to pass my learnings from my spiritual journey. Spiritualwhirlwinds.com provides a space of spiritual awakening with guided meditations, e-books, mantras, and pendulum readings.
