I have been doing some thinking lately on the different ways that we seek a Power greater than ourselves. We all have different concepts of what this Power is as well as a different path to get there. It is my sincere belief that the path really does not matter. In fact, you cannot run from this Power because even a path that seemingly goes away from it will eventually bring you back to it. In my post "One Truth", I write that this power really is Love. I will not go into this here but one of the reasons why a path away from love will eventually come back to it is because of the dualistic nature of our world. If we seek after happiness that is tied to our temporal existence, it will end in sadness. This is the design that will give you an opportunity to embrace love when we are able to see this duality.
I perceive that there are four paths to Love, which I believe does not have an opposite. I started writing this article just thinking about three paths but another one occurred to me, which is the last path. Admittedly, there is a blending of different paths into one another yet I do perceive them to be separate concepts. Through these paths, this leads us to eventually being united with Love.
The first path is that Love exists as an Unseen force outside ourselves. We might think that we will be united with this Love in an afterlife, want to prostrate ourselves before this force or worship it. On this path, there may be a lot of intellectual dogma or ritual yet it is the rising above all of this that one progresses on this path.
The second path is that Love is omnipresent and, in fact, is so ingrained into reality that one may not perceive it at all. On this path, one may not even believe in a supernatural and focus more on one's own humanness. This may be the most surprising path of all. How can one be united with Love if one really does not even believe in it in the first place? This is a bit difficult to explain but it is my belief that Reality is a manifestation of Love. A key part of this path is one must work on developing oneself and also knowing themselves completely. I see this as a path of continual self-development.
The third path is that Love is inside us. If we journey deep within ourselves, we find the Source we have been looking for all along. This is a path of letting go and realizing that we are a part of this Love, a wave on the ocean of Love. On this path, one will meditate and introspect in order to become conscious of this Power.
The fourth path, and one that is so obvious that I overlooked it when originally writing this, is that Love is in other people. There is a profound paradox here. Some people lament that their Deity is not in human form and long to have physical contact with her. All the while, God is in human form in the hearts of all people. This is why being of service increases the love in your heart as you are progressing along this path.
All four paths are genuine paths and one is not better than the other. Certain people may gravitate towards one path or some mixture of them and that is their prerogative to pursue their own bliss. For me, I think the greatest power is in being conscious of all these different ways to Love and then combining them. Rather than me proclaiming "my path" as the best, I try to stretch myself to incorporate principles from each path. If we become open to Love and embrace all ideas (that is, we are open to all religious thoughts), then we are open to growth. Some truths resonate with you and some do not. Embrace the ones that do and ignore the ones that do not. However, if we never allow the truth to enter in the first place, then we do not have the opportunity to grow.
Showing posts with label power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label power. Show all posts
Friday, February 3, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Law of Surrender
"Once surrender takes place, this is the beginning point for Love to enter our heart and expand it."
After writing about the Law of Brokenness, I reflected a bit on why I perceived this to be a law as well as what other factors influenced it. The more I thought about it (and a friend's comments made me introspect more on this), the more I came to the conclusion that there was a deeper law at work, which I will call the Law of Surrender.
Brokenness is a vehicle that brings us to surrender. But surrender is really where the Power lies. We can be broken and not surrender to a Higher Power, in which case we have cut ourselves off from this Power transforming us. Also, we can be unbroken and surrender to a Higher Power and be transformed from the inside out. The point is that ultimate goal is a shrinking of the ego through a surrendering of it to a Power greater than ourselves.
If someone already is not self-identified with the ego and surrenders the totality of themselves to this Power, then transformation occurs. What exactly are we surrendering? We are surrendering the control of our lives.
You see, as I have explored in a previous post called Illusion of Control, we really are not in control of our lives anyways. If we deeply reflect on this point, we will see that the only practical conclusion is to give this control away. To whom are we surrendering? The easiest way to understand this is that we are surrendering to Reality. We accept life on life's terms, the reality of our situation and how we can operate within the context of reality or the "flow of life."
Once surrender takes place, this is the beginning point for Love to enter our heart and expand it. This expansion of the heart continues with no end as long as we are on this path. We find the truth in the concept that one must lose her life in order to find it.
After writing about the Law of Brokenness, I reflected a bit on why I perceived this to be a law as well as what other factors influenced it. The more I thought about it (and a friend's comments made me introspect more on this), the more I came to the conclusion that there was a deeper law at work, which I will call the Law of Surrender.
Brokenness is a vehicle that brings us to surrender. But surrender is really where the Power lies. We can be broken and not surrender to a Higher Power, in which case we have cut ourselves off from this Power transforming us. Also, we can be unbroken and surrender to a Higher Power and be transformed from the inside out. The point is that ultimate goal is a shrinking of the ego through a surrendering of it to a Power greater than ourselves.
If someone already is not self-identified with the ego and surrenders the totality of themselves to this Power, then transformation occurs. What exactly are we surrendering? We are surrendering the control of our lives.
You see, as I have explored in a previous post called Illusion of Control, we really are not in control of our lives anyways. If we deeply reflect on this point, we will see that the only practical conclusion is to give this control away. To whom are we surrendering? The easiest way to understand this is that we are surrendering to Reality. We accept life on life's terms, the reality of our situation and how we can operate within the context of reality or the "flow of life."
Once surrender takes place, this is the beginning point for Love to enter our heart and expand it. This expansion of the heart continues with no end as long as we are on this path. We find the truth in the concept that one must lose her life in order to find it.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Taking Care of Myself First
"If I take care of myself and my basic needs, I contribute to my own personal power and sense of self worth."
Like many things in life, there are many different approaches that achieve the same goal. On the spiritual path, I have found that my instinctive approach to something is completely backwards. I tend to look at the goal and then work backwards from that. For example, I may be unhappy with a particular circumstance. Conventional wisdom wants me to put all of my attention and energy on changing the circumstance.
I always have two choices. I can try to change the circumstance or I can accept it for what it is. I always have this choice, too: focus on the inner life or focus on the outer life. Focusing on the inner life may mean that I accept the circumstance as part of the Cosmic plan. If I focused on changing the circumstance, what do I feel? I feel that I am out of alignment with Life. I am working upstream.
This is not to say that I can never change my circumstance. This is simply saying that I should first accept it and consider if there is anything within me that needs to change. Perhaps I need a perspective shift that will allow me to view it in a new light. I might see that the circumstance does not need to change at all. Or, the circumstance changes of its own accord. As I put out higher and higher vibrations, the vibrational field around me will eventually match. In other words, as I become a more positive, accepting person, my circumstance will improve to be lighter and freer than it was before. This may be because of my perspective change, the influence of my attitude and actions on others, or the causal effect of external, mysterious forces. The point is that rather than take the seemingly correct action of attempting to change my external reality, it may be helpful to consider an inside-out approach.
Another example where an inside-out approach may be warranted is when I want to increase my own sense of personal power and self-worth. One road may be for me to directly attempt to empower myself through perhaps trying to control others or manipulate my circumstance. Or, I may try to inflate my self-worth through elevating myself in relation to others or accomplishing things that improve my external image. Rather than attempt to increase these areas directly, it may be more helpful to look deeper at their origin.
Is other words, I need to look at what needs to change within me. To change me, I take positive actions that invest time and energy into myself. If I take care of myself and my basic needs, I contribute to my own personal power and sense of self worth. This is because deficiencies in my personal power may be related to an undeveloped sense of self. To cultivate a sense of self, I need to devote time and energy into fostering it. By simply spending time on myself, I am increasing my self-worth through my actions. I am investing my limited resource of time on me which builds my worth. If I practice self-care, I am watering, nurturing and fertilizing both my physical body and soul. This, in turn, is putting money into my "personal power bank." I am building up a reserve of power that I can draw upon to mindfully wield when challenging situations arise.
Like many things in life, there are many different approaches that achieve the same goal. On the spiritual path, I have found that my instinctive approach to something is completely backwards. I tend to look at the goal and then work backwards from that. For example, I may be unhappy with a particular circumstance. Conventional wisdom wants me to put all of my attention and energy on changing the circumstance.
I always have two choices. I can try to change the circumstance or I can accept it for what it is. I always have this choice, too: focus on the inner life or focus on the outer life. Focusing on the inner life may mean that I accept the circumstance as part of the Cosmic plan. If I focused on changing the circumstance, what do I feel? I feel that I am out of alignment with Life. I am working upstream.
This is not to say that I can never change my circumstance. This is simply saying that I should first accept it and consider if there is anything within me that needs to change. Perhaps I need a perspective shift that will allow me to view it in a new light. I might see that the circumstance does not need to change at all. Or, the circumstance changes of its own accord. As I put out higher and higher vibrations, the vibrational field around me will eventually match. In other words, as I become a more positive, accepting person, my circumstance will improve to be lighter and freer than it was before. This may be because of my perspective change, the influence of my attitude and actions on others, or the causal effect of external, mysterious forces. The point is that rather than take the seemingly correct action of attempting to change my external reality, it may be helpful to consider an inside-out approach.
Another example where an inside-out approach may be warranted is when I want to increase my own sense of personal power and self-worth. One road may be for me to directly attempt to empower myself through perhaps trying to control others or manipulate my circumstance. Or, I may try to inflate my self-worth through elevating myself in relation to others or accomplishing things that improve my external image. Rather than attempt to increase these areas directly, it may be more helpful to look deeper at their origin.
Is other words, I need to look at what needs to change within me. To change me, I take positive actions that invest time and energy into myself. If I take care of myself and my basic needs, I contribute to my own personal power and sense of self worth. This is because deficiencies in my personal power may be related to an undeveloped sense of self. To cultivate a sense of self, I need to devote time and energy into fostering it. By simply spending time on myself, I am increasing my self-worth through my actions. I am investing my limited resource of time on me which builds my worth. If I practice self-care, I am watering, nurturing and fertilizing both my physical body and soul. This, in turn, is putting money into my "personal power bank." I am building up a reserve of power that I can draw upon to mindfully wield when challenging situations arise.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Experience the Unknowable
"The concept of God is beyond what the rational mind can comprehend."
For many, there is an emphasis on a belief in a deity. The notorious question is, do you believe in God? This has given rise to atheists, agnostics, deists and so on. The interesting aspect of this question is that it may sometimes suppose that a disbelief in God means that God does not exist.
The truth is that the word God is attempting to give form to the Formless. Even the word is limiting God as she cannot be compressed into 3 letters. There also is historical baggage associated with this word. The usual saying is "God is not an old white man with a beard." There may have been things done in the name of our word for deity that we do not agree with. There may be definitions for this word that you do not agree with. In addition, the concept of God is beyond what the rational mind can comprehend anyways. Our word for the Supreme is a place holder and nothing more.
Asking someone "Do you believe in God?" is like asking them "Do you believe in electricity?" Even if you do not believe in electricity, you can still turn on the lights in your house. Does not believing in electricity cause it to cease to exist? Of course not! You can still experience the benefits of a thing without believing in it. It is quite possible that there is too much emphasis on belief. For some, it may be useful to think of Reality, Science or Happiness as this outside force.
Rather than struggle with attempting to answer this question, I suggest that it is possible to just leave it as a question. I also suggest that possibly this is not the right question to ask in the first place. If you are an atheist, that is okay too. However, I submit that there is mystery in the question. Saying "there is no God" implies that your mind can grasp what this word represents. The adventure in life comes from being open to new questions and new answers.
I suggest that maybe a Higher Power is more an absence of what we see in this world. We need to be open to a constantly changing definition as we become more conscious of this Power. To define or label is to limit. It may be most useful to think of the purest, happiest time of your life to fill your "placeholder." A better pursuit than attempting to answer this question is to strive for experience.
Experience this energy outside yourself in the way in which you are most comfortable. Maybe it is through sitting in silence, walking in nature, singing or indulging in your favorite hobby. By opening yourself to the unseen, you are opening a window so that you may experience this force firsthand.
For many, there is an emphasis on a belief in a deity. The notorious question is, do you believe in God? This has given rise to atheists, agnostics, deists and so on. The interesting aspect of this question is that it may sometimes suppose that a disbelief in God means that God does not exist.
The truth is that the word God is attempting to give form to the Formless. Even the word is limiting God as she cannot be compressed into 3 letters. There also is historical baggage associated with this word. The usual saying is "God is not an old white man with a beard." There may have been things done in the name of our word for deity that we do not agree with. There may be definitions for this word that you do not agree with. In addition, the concept of God is beyond what the rational mind can comprehend anyways. Our word for the Supreme is a place holder and nothing more.
Asking someone "Do you believe in God?" is like asking them "Do you believe in electricity?" Even if you do not believe in electricity, you can still turn on the lights in your house. Does not believing in electricity cause it to cease to exist? Of course not! You can still experience the benefits of a thing without believing in it. It is quite possible that there is too much emphasis on belief. For some, it may be useful to think of Reality, Science or Happiness as this outside force.
Rather than struggle with attempting to answer this question, I suggest that it is possible to just leave it as a question. I also suggest that possibly this is not the right question to ask in the first place. If you are an atheist, that is okay too. However, I submit that there is mystery in the question. Saying "there is no God" implies that your mind can grasp what this word represents. The adventure in life comes from being open to new questions and new answers.
I suggest that maybe a Higher Power is more an absence of what we see in this world. We need to be open to a constantly changing definition as we become more conscious of this Power. To define or label is to limit. It may be most useful to think of the purest, happiest time of your life to fill your "placeholder." A better pursuit than attempting to answer this question is to strive for experience.
Experience this energy outside yourself in the way in which you are most comfortable. Maybe it is through sitting in silence, walking in nature, singing or indulging in your favorite hobby. By opening yourself to the unseen, you are opening a window so that you may experience this force firsthand.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Basic Spiritual Truths
"We are like actors and actresses at a dress rehearsal, trying on different costumes and playing different roles."
There are few truths in this life that we were meant to understand. Yet, they are so beyond our understanding that they are stumbling blocks for us. Many speak of these same truths in different ways. It is when we fully understand them and start living them that our perspective changes. That is when enlightenment begins. For some, it may be a gradual process of awakening, yet, for others, it may happen in a sudden moment of insight.
The first truth is that we are Spirit. We are made up of energy and exist independently of our physical body. Our spirit is eternal and indestructible. It is this Spirit that links us all as we all share this same spirit. We are One with all that is, with each other, with our planet and the physical world.
The second truth is that the spiritual world is Reality and our physical existence is the dream. We are like actors and actresses at a dress rehearsal, trying on different costumes and playing different roles. Life is meant to be lived playfully and not with attachment to our role in the play. If our consciousness is energy and is the one force behind our living body, does it not make sense that this consciousness is the paradigm from which all other realities must be considered?
It is when our priority changes from the physical to the spiritual that we start to wake up. It only takes 51% of your consciousness to consider your Spirit more real than your body for the shift to occur. Do we not see that everything good in life comes from that which we cannot see... happiness, love, joy, peace?
The third truth is that we were meant to live by our feelings and intuition, rather than the mind. If we are Spirit, then we were meant to live by the tool that was given to us to navigate the spiritual world which is our feelings. Our mind is to be used as a tool as well, when needed, realizing that our mind ties us down to physical reality whereas our feelings help us to rise above the physical plane. When we start living this reality, it is like learning how to breathe underwater. We find out we have spiritual lungs that we are not used to using. At first it seems foreign, yet, the more practice we get, the more we see that a life lived according to intuition is like living life for the first time.
What helps on this path is when we see that the physical reality does bend around living a life by the Spirit. Events, situations, and people miraculously start entering your life in such a coordinated way that you know that there is One mind behind it. That is when you see the true power that comes from the spiritual realm. Your spiritual quest has a very immediate reward with access to this power as you live a life according to your spiritual nature.
There are few truths in this life that we were meant to understand. Yet, they are so beyond our understanding that they are stumbling blocks for us. Many speak of these same truths in different ways. It is when we fully understand them and start living them that our perspective changes. That is when enlightenment begins. For some, it may be a gradual process of awakening, yet, for others, it may happen in a sudden moment of insight.
The first truth is that we are Spirit. We are made up of energy and exist independently of our physical body. Our spirit is eternal and indestructible. It is this Spirit that links us all as we all share this same spirit. We are One with all that is, with each other, with our planet and the physical world.
The second truth is that the spiritual world is Reality and our physical existence is the dream. We are like actors and actresses at a dress rehearsal, trying on different costumes and playing different roles. Life is meant to be lived playfully and not with attachment to our role in the play. If our consciousness is energy and is the one force behind our living body, does it not make sense that this consciousness is the paradigm from which all other realities must be considered?
It is when our priority changes from the physical to the spiritual that we start to wake up. It only takes 51% of your consciousness to consider your Spirit more real than your body for the shift to occur. Do we not see that everything good in life comes from that which we cannot see... happiness, love, joy, peace?
The third truth is that we were meant to live by our feelings and intuition, rather than the mind. If we are Spirit, then we were meant to live by the tool that was given to us to navigate the spiritual world which is our feelings. Our mind is to be used as a tool as well, when needed, realizing that our mind ties us down to physical reality whereas our feelings help us to rise above the physical plane. When we start living this reality, it is like learning how to breathe underwater. We find out we have spiritual lungs that we are not used to using. At first it seems foreign, yet, the more practice we get, the more we see that a life lived according to intuition is like living life for the first time.
What helps on this path is when we see that the physical reality does bend around living a life by the Spirit. Events, situations, and people miraculously start entering your life in such a coordinated way that you know that there is One mind behind it. That is when you see the true power that comes from the spiritual realm. Your spiritual quest has a very immediate reward with access to this power as you live a life according to your spiritual nature.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Be Consciously Selfless
"If you practice putting others before yourself willingly, knowing what you are doing, you are aligning yourself with the Power of the Universe and have all of Heaven to help you."
The fundamental wisdom of this world is, in such cases, to right the wrong. The advice goes along the lines of standing up for your rights, defending yourself, and wanting equal justice. All of this advice plays upon the ego. Just as you have an ego, there are collective consciousnesses, large and small, that have egos as well. Your family, friends, co-workers, even "religious" people may endorse you defending your ego or even their collective egos. Instead of asserting your or their rights, see a time such as this as an ample opportunity to practice aligning yourself with the unseen, that still, small voice inside you that comes from a Power greater than yourself.
You see, such circumstances were put into your life for exactly that purpose. To not do so is to miss a chance to grow spiritually and see things from a higher dimension. Such advice flies in the face of the conventional wisdom of this world and you will be ridiculed as being weak, not having a backbone or caving to pressure.
The higher truth in this is that there are two types of selflessness. The first type is always giving into other's demands unknowingly because you are weak. The second, highest, type is practicing putting others before yourself willingly, knowing what you are doing and the sacrifice you are making. This is quiet strength. In doing this, you are aligning yourself with the Power of the Universe and have all of Heaven to help you. In such a case, if someone takes advantage of you, they are taking advantage of the Power inside you. They are building up negative karma for themselves which may have an immediate or delayed impact upon their lives.
Pay attention to circumstances in your life when you feel the need to assert your rights. Ask yourself the question: "If I was looking at the situation from the outside, what would be the best decision for all involved?" instead of immediately jumping in and making decisions on behalf of your ego. If necessary, ask an impartial friend who is able to weigh the matter justly what a fair course of action is.
An even higher course of action is to turn the table on these circumstances and use them as a chance to befriend your adversary or share love with others. In this manner, the arrows that come at you in life turn into flowers and fall harmlessly at your feet. Others instantly know on some level when another is taking a higher ground in a matter and respect them. How can someone want to hurt another who is smiling, with outstretched arms? They will not, or, if they do, it will be apparent to others what is going on. They will come to your aid in one way or another.
A simple truth is that any war that has ever occurred happened because someone refused to put down their weapon. It is impossible for there to be a battle if the other party is disarmed. No one can fight with you if you refuse to fight back.
Of course, there are times when you must, out of self-respect, stand up for yourself and, to not do so, will obviously inflict irreparable harm upon yourself or others. In such cases, by all means, do what is necessary to make sure that such harm is not inflicted. However, your first concern should be taking an altruistic view of the situation and associated action. There is a benefit to invoking the Power of the Universe in such matters. You can rest easy knowing that God is going before you, coordinating events, opening doors and bestowing such blessings upon you that you are not able to imagine. When you invoke the Unseen, the seeming "power" that you gave away will come back to you in ten- or a hundred-fold as you reap these heavenly rewards.
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