"When I am in doubt whether I should wait or act, I should usually wait. Patience and tranquility are guideposts along my path that I am learning how to see."
No matter how many times I think to myself, it is much better for me to wait rather than act, I find myself acting. There is always a good excuse, of course. In fact, there is always a good spiritual excuse of why I should act. The list usually includes me not acting because of fear or that I am not acting from my Spirit. In other words, I should act because it is going against the ego.
It really does come down to discernment. I discern that such and such action is "spiritual" because it is coming from my Higher Self, and so I act. However, the reality is that my judgment is clouded, because I am not allowing enough time to pass in order for me to think clearly. When I am in doubt whether I should wait or act, I should usually wait. Patience and tranquility are guideposts along my path that I am learning how to see.
The higher truth is that it is better for me to wait. The higher the attachment I have to an object, the longer I should wait. The other realization is that attachment is to the ego like a duck is to water. I really cannot separate the two. I am realizing that attachment should be expected if I reside in the domain of my ego. It still comes down to constant ego sacrifice. Patience is indeed a quality of Spirit and expediency is not.
This is a topic for another article, but I am discovering that intention matters little if an action is taken that has high attachment. In other words, intending to not be attached to an action is trumped by the reality that an action is attached. Here is an example. If my stomach is filled with food and I do not intend my next bite to be attached to food, my actions show that I am attached to food. I am already full, so why am I eating food?
Here, the higher truth is to be grounded in reality and to analyze the results of an action before taking it. I need to discern if action itself broadcasts attachment to anything. If it does, then there may be a better course of action.
This is not to say that there is a wrong or right action but to act consciously, weighing the action against the intention. Accept the action and it's consequences immediately, receive any nourishment through learning any lessons and allow future actions to be informed by this newfound knowledge.
Showing posts with label intention. Show all posts
Showing posts with label intention. Show all posts
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Choose Peace
"Our thoughts and words produce reality, so, by speaking of a war, we indeed are creating a war by this intention."
On this spiritual journey, we discover the "clues" that help us discern teachings that are of a higher quality. When it comes down to it, pure teachings should resonate with you. There are certain attributes that we can look for, such as do we feel more peaceful after hearing it? Does the teaching promote love and acceptance of others? Is the teaching inclusive rather than divisive?
Within organized religion there are a myriad of teachings that have been accepted as fact. Like a house of cards, these teachings are stacked upon each other. Usually, the card you are seeing is near the top, whereas the core truth that it was built off of is hidden far beneath. In other words, there are certain truths that underly all teachings of organized religion and we need to look to these truths that undergird the others.
One teaching that I hear a lot, mostly by organized religion but also by some spiritual teachers, is that we are engaged in a war in this life. The teaching goes that there is a war for our souls, good vs. evil, heaven vs. hell. We need to act now to prevent these eternal consequences. If we look at this, we see black and white thinking, divisiveness, a sense of urgency, and a need for immediate action. These fruits look more like fruits of the ego, rather than fruits of the spirit.
Spiritual truths are holistic, inclusive of all people, patient and require no action on your part. Spirituality is a process of letting go, of giving up our pursuits, so that the Universe may fill the void. Our thoughts and words produce reality, so, by speaking of a war, we indeed are creating a war by this intention. By even declaring war on our ego, we are alienating a part of us rather than lovingly bringing our ego back into the fold of our consciousness.
If we live life in peace, then we will have peace. There can be no war if you have forfeited the battle in your mind. It has not even progressed from that space into reality. The next time you hear divisive talk that segregates people into warring factions, know that the spiritual life is above this talk.
This does bring up the topic of Satan or demonic influences. I cannot speak as to the existence of negative spirits but know that the Universe is a good, safe place. If such spirits do roam, they are the exception rather than the rule. The One who gave you form is inside you and is capable of dealing with such issues. A more pertinent issue is the way in which we mistreat others through the blindness of our collective egos, rather than the debate about a kingpin of evil. We do not need to launch a war yet need to bask in the peace of a God that is beyond our understanding. This God calls for peace, love and compassion for others so that these flames of war may be extinguished.
On this spiritual journey, we discover the "clues" that help us discern teachings that are of a higher quality. When it comes down to it, pure teachings should resonate with you. There are certain attributes that we can look for, such as do we feel more peaceful after hearing it? Does the teaching promote love and acceptance of others? Is the teaching inclusive rather than divisive?
Within organized religion there are a myriad of teachings that have been accepted as fact. Like a house of cards, these teachings are stacked upon each other. Usually, the card you are seeing is near the top, whereas the core truth that it was built off of is hidden far beneath. In other words, there are certain truths that underly all teachings of organized religion and we need to look to these truths that undergird the others.
One teaching that I hear a lot, mostly by organized religion but also by some spiritual teachers, is that we are engaged in a war in this life. The teaching goes that there is a war for our souls, good vs. evil, heaven vs. hell. We need to act now to prevent these eternal consequences. If we look at this, we see black and white thinking, divisiveness, a sense of urgency, and a need for immediate action. These fruits look more like fruits of the ego, rather than fruits of the spirit.
Spiritual truths are holistic, inclusive of all people, patient and require no action on your part. Spirituality is a process of letting go, of giving up our pursuits, so that the Universe may fill the void. Our thoughts and words produce reality, so, by speaking of a war, we indeed are creating a war by this intention. By even declaring war on our ego, we are alienating a part of us rather than lovingly bringing our ego back into the fold of our consciousness.
If we live life in peace, then we will have peace. There can be no war if you have forfeited the battle in your mind. It has not even progressed from that space into reality. The next time you hear divisive talk that segregates people into warring factions, know that the spiritual life is above this talk.
This does bring up the topic of Satan or demonic influences. I cannot speak as to the existence of negative spirits but know that the Universe is a good, safe place. If such spirits do roam, they are the exception rather than the rule. The One who gave you form is inside you and is capable of dealing with such issues. A more pertinent issue is the way in which we mistreat others through the blindness of our collective egos, rather than the debate about a kingpin of evil. We do not need to launch a war yet need to bask in the peace of a God that is beyond our understanding. This God calls for peace, love and compassion for others so that these flames of war may be extinguished.
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