This snuck up on me during my path.
Non-judgement? I thought that was impossible. I had rationalized my way against that argument. You have to judge people, places, and things just to survive. If you don't label things good or bad how do you make decisions? Love your neighbor like yourself? Hardly anyone seems to practice that...they call into complain about the grocery clerk that was having a bad day that didn't look them in the eye while ringing their groceries or the waitress who didn't bring the 200th ranch they had requested before they finished their french fries. Treating 'neighbors' like you would be treated was only practiced when on the holy ground of the church because there, surely, God was watching. Forgiving violent offenders. That's just crazy. Who would do that? Who could look at a violent offender and see a human being? Wouldn't that mean that person would end up tolerating them? Keep them out of society. They're not human. They're deserve to suffer. They're monsters! Compassion The Buddhists talk a lot about developing a heart of Compassion. You don't hear a lot about Compassion in Church, on the News, or in Newspapers. Everyone is always quick to condemn that which is deemed harmful or out of the realm of acceptable human behavior. What is Compassion after all? Well, the defintion according to Google is: "Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortune of others." I really don't like the word pity in there because that's not really what lies at the heart of compasion. Concern falls short of what the Buddhists describe as well... How can you accept someone's loving advice if it comes from pity? The people who have truly compassionate do not pity the individual that is going through hard times. Instead, they recongnize that *everybody* goes through suffering at some point in their lives. Suffering, in Buddhisim, is the natural state of the human being. Suffering is the cause of the choas in the human experience and a person can stop suffering, reach enlightenment, with discipline. Being compassionate isn't the same as chairty. Compassion urges us to take time to get to know another person, to reach out to them, and say the two most healing words a human being can utter, "I understand." Chairty is saying, "You are less then me, I have more, so I will give you stuff to make up for that fact to make myself feel better and in turn assure that you know you are less capable/lucky/blessed then me." Compassion doens't require you to give to the poor. This doesn't require you to go out to prisons and preach to the people there. There is no desire to tell other people how to live their life or that they need to change. There is no desire to convert or teach them. The wise know they cannot change the outer world to suit their desires or other people because that would be a violation of anothers Free Will (freedom to choose for themselves and learn as a result of both good or bad choices). That would be the ultimate vanity. Instead, it's an acknowledgment that you cannot change another human beings perspective. That their perespective, even if it's in error or uninformed or one of powerlessness, is just as *VALID* as any other experience. That they have made choices that you might have made given the same exact circumstances. Compassion comes from the realization that you cannot judge another person because you can empathisize with how they feel and even the poor decisions they made. We all have the potential within us to be 'the bad guys' as much as the potential to be the 'good guys'. Both labels are subjective to the individual. We have all made mistakes. We have all acted out in anger. Yes, myabe I broke the door on a cabinet when I was kid by slamming it shut in anger because I was bullied and didn't know how to ask for help instead of taking a gun to school to exact revenge on my peers. Yet, if I had felt that was the only way for me to express myself in a broken system and I had turned my anger outward instead of inner...I could have. I have known the depths of suffering and despair to understand even that grievous mistake. A war hero can go out and kill hundreds on the other side of the enemy lines...because the people on the other side are labeled enemies. To the other side of the conflict that person is a ruthless murdering monster. The only reason we differentiate between the two is based on who's subjectie 'side' we take but it's the same individual regardless of the perspective. Compassion is not always feeling compasison towards those labeled 'victims' but also to the perpertraor. There is recognition when it comes to human behavior the path is always gray...and each side is equally valid in their reasons...even if one is in error. No one commits a crime that doesn't make sense to them in some way. Often times, those who go out and hurt others were origially 'victims' that are hurting on a level they can't handle so they 'act out.' The perpatrator is usually so badly damaged psychologically that you cannot help but feel compassion. Compassion understands that we are all One and, in truth, there are no right and wrong sides. I Understand The two most powerful words that a person can say. Not, "I'm sorry," because that phrase just communicates pity. That doesn't do anything for anyone. This is one of the worst phrases a person can utter to someone who is suffering. This is an admission of fault on the person who is attempting to empathisize while making it clear they don't understand the suffering. Whether someone has lost a relative or loved one or someone has a mental disorder..."I'm sorry," is the most common and worthless phrase someone can say. "I understand," however, is powerful. First, your validtating the other person's perspective. You're saying how they feel is 'normal,' You're saying that anyone else in the same situation would feel the same way...that you, in that situation, would feel the same way. "I understand," immediately restores some self-worth to another person. Of course, they will test you, "Oh? How deep does your scar run? When have you felt as I have?" That's why the archetype of the Wounded Healer exists. Unless you've known the depth of darkness...chance's are you don't understand. When you can pull out a hefty scar, a memory or expereince that makes the strongest man pale and want to say those dreaded words, "I'm sorry," you have a chance of reaching into the wounded heart of that stranger and transforming how they view the world. "If you can survive all of that," they say, "then surely I can survive this. Thank you." Then you watch them thrive like none other. Reincarnation The belief in reincarnation helped me build a heart of compassion. This is simply because it allows for more responsbility and gives a person a wider perspective. I don't think that I could have built a Heart of Compassion without believing that we have a choice in the lives that we choose to live. That we choose the family that we are born into, the place, and the potential temptations or the paths we choose in life. That responsibility, instead of feeling at the whim of outside sources...is vital for inner peace. That causes me to respect people who have chosen more challenging families and circumstances. Even if they fail I can see that their soul was ambitious and wanted to learn a lot in a very short period of time. That says a lot about their spiritual essence...maybe, it's naieve but they're really trying. I also know that eventually they will make progress. Maybe not in this life but in the next...they will eventually reach the state where they return to the One Creator. There is a lot more fogiveness in the idea of Reincarnation versus the idea that we are only given one life and if we fail at that we are punished for eternity or utterly destroyed as a result. That sort of burden has destroyed many people. I don't know if it's truly possible to be compassionate without believing in reincarnation. Forgiveness Compassion is the ultimate form of non-judgement. Compassion consists of understanding and respect. The consolation offered is not material but on a conscious level. For me, I didn't experience true forgiveness until I developed Compassion. I couldn't practice non-judgement because I organized everyone into 'threat or non-threat.' That is natural for survival. Compassion is like standing at the top of the mountain. You can see the full lay of the land below you from the mountains, to the valleys, deserts and rivers to the sea. You know that each path before you meets with the sea eventually. That all people have the same destination but the route is different. You forgive those who were lured by treasure to go through the burning wastelands and those who ventured into the swamp. They may harm themselves and otherse trying to reach their destination but there is an understanding that they *ARE* trying and our society is woefully bad at giving people the tools to find inner peace. Conclusion Most people don't understand compassion, non-judgement or forgiveness. Of course, this is my biased interpertation based on how I came to each of these on my path. There might be meditations that help people reach this point through methods other then reincarnation but I haven't see any evidence of it by word or deeds of people who choose not to believe in reincarnation...I mostly see harsh and even retaliatory judgement...the desire to kill anyone who might be a 'witch', for example or the Crusades as another or gentiles that were treated as second class citizens. That lies in how we operate in society. We say, "Peace, peace," but we judge and categorize everyone. Even in psychiatry it's admitted that the categories in the DSMV are essentially made up and 'seem to work'...we just categorize people who can't function well in society then instead of teaching them coping methods we give them barely understood medications and social security so they don't go out to participate in society other then their Group Therapy sessions. Buddhists call categorization 'naming activity' it serves no one in the bigger scope of civilization and it leads to suffering. Compassion is releasing fear and understanding that everything is as it should be...and not taking the illusion of life so seriously. There is a great deal of trust and faith that there is something more and some purpose to it all. The stepping stone to that faith is creating a Heart of Compassion. I remember when it hit me during a meditation. I was wondering how people can do such horrible things. Then I realized that each of them have a broken path that they walked. Molesters were most likely molested first...rapists were probably molested. Killers were not raised in loving environments- a good percentage were raised in violent neighborhoods and are second or third generation druggies or mob/gang members. People are, for the most part, a product of their environment, the sins of their parents behavior and their parents behavior passed onto the children who are never given the ability to view life from a different perspective...violence, quick money and drugs are all they know. This doesn't mean that I would want to be around those people. This doesn't mean I would try to save these people from themselves in some sort of out reach program- although I agree with those- I'm not equipped for that type of work. Yet, I can still look at those people and say, "That's a human being that's suffering and really needs help...how much will it take for them to ask for help? Will they ever in this life?" Of course, that brings up a lot of questions but it's clear we need a bettr Mental Health program in this country that currently just prescribes Xanax to stressed out upper class people.
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One of my biggest struggles in presenting information about working with Spirit is how abstract the information becomes. We live a world where everyone is taken literally and everyone is used to thinking of either/or.
The thought process of most people is, "If you have what I want it means I can't have it." I've had numerous people tell me, "I don't know what you're talking about. You're smart. Explain to me what that means." The words used sometimes, especially in certain spiritual groups, are down right confusing. Trying to translate abstract ideas into something people who are used to thinking linerally is not easy. Then what people do with the information is all up to them. Some people use the information to grow into a better human being. Some try to use the information to enrich themselves. Some simply lack the ability or desire to comprehend it and still others consider it magic when it's not that at all. There is a scientific framework and a very analytical way to approach Spirituality. However, before people are capable of approaching any of it from that view point they have to give up a lot of limiting ideas and beliefs. In general, most people have a very romantic, superstisous and fearful approach to working with immaterial forces. That has a lot to do with domga and how immaterial forces are depicted in Pop Culture. I used to like watching those depictions myself but have no interest in them now a days because they just irritateme with how wrong they are and how they breed fear into people. Spirit Is Feelings As Rav Michael Laitman explained in his book The Path of the Kabbalah...once you start working with Spirit it's all about feelings. There are feelings and symbols...that's the heart of working with spiritual forces. In the immaterial realm matter doesn't exist and neither does time...or depending on what you're working with time occurse at a diffrent rate. In order to understand Spirit you have to have an imagination. Spirit is always very funny. Spirit loves puns. Spirit doesn't take things so seriously...because Spiritual forces, including our souls, are eternal so there is no press for time. There is knowledge that there is eternity to get things right. All things that come into existence in the material world first exist in Spirit...this is a key Teaching of Edgar Cacye that is very true. Take for instance the fact that you decide to darw something. The image doesn't exist on the paper to start with...first it exists within your minds eye. Then, you think of how to transfer the image that exists in your mind eye onto the paper. Then the drawing exists where everyone can see it...but at first it started off as an image that existed solely in your head. Spirit is the essence of consciousness and it meets us within the minds eye. There we interpert the information we receive from Spirit and bring it into the material reality. Those who are completely fixated on material reality...or trying to conform material reality to their thinking...can't perceive Spirit. Their mind is too full of their own ideas, thoughts, and desire to change the world around them for them to hear the subtle quiet voice within. To Each Is Given Their Measure I can usually tell where someone is on the spiritual path by talking to them for a short amount of time. These are just general categories. Some people may be a mix or they might fluctuate through the different categories at different times in their lives. There are the material minded, usually athiests, who's only goal is material gain. They do not possess a bone in their body that desires contact with the One Creator. Their only focus is money, owning material possessions and their next aquistion or conquest. They have no time to consider intellectual pursuits let alone develop a taste for spirituality...all of that is just superstitous nonsense that they cannot weigh or measure. There are the closed minded ones who only accept one defintion from self proclaimed authorties for anything spiritual. Incapable of opening their minds to ideas or possibilities beyond the religous ideas they have memorized they do struggle to be better people to their neighbors trying and I always failing to live up to the incredibly unrealistic of perfection they told they must reach in order to gain entry into heaven. They only march in tune with established religious teachings demonstrating they are very good at memorization but not believing they can apply what they have learned to their daily lives aside from asking or trusting God to provide for them what they desire. There are those who are curious but scared. They believe that something is out to get them and if they delve too much into spirit they will bring bad things upon them and their families. They believe in witches and warlocks that can manipulate the world without being punished that exist outside the One Creator's control. They usually use Spirit for material gain. The majority of people who put themselves out there as 'spiritual' fall into this category. They know enough to put some things into action for themselves but genrally mislead others. These people might not even believe in the One Creator. Then there are the people who are more open but they are looking for a guru or teacher. They want someone to give them all of the answers instead of stepping onto the Spiritual Path of the Seeker. They lack the ability to discern what practices will benefit them and too easily fall for those who will use them spiritually. They lack the desire to be individuals and are more comfortable in a Group Think environment. Finally, there are those Seekers who step onto the Path alone. They may join in groups for a short time, listen to many teachers, and continue on becasue the real goal is to seek companionship with the One Creator. They do not allow others to tell them how to work with or interpert the One Creator but seek within for that connection always measuring those who proclaim themselves as experts, spiritual, or teachers against the still small voice within that connects them directly to Spirit. When someone in the final category talks to those in the first category...their words might sound like nonsense. If I put the book The Path of the Kabbalah into the hands of a strict church going Christian they would not be able to comprehend even a tenth of that book. I struggled to understsand parts of that book but it was only through knowing my own experiences with Spirit that I understood what the author meant which makes it ring as authentic to me. There is a certain point where the Work of becoming a Seeker becomes so abstract and so based on feelings as well as very personal messages...that it fails to have a general application or even the need to be said with human words which are so limiting. That might be why any attempt to make a generalized spiritual system fails...because each of us is unique and our path to the One Creator is unique...it is never the same as anyone else. Also, you come to know that most people aren't aware that they are sleeping and disturbing them from their slumber will just generally upset them. I hae learned that Spirit only allows people to comprehend wisdom on the level they have chosen to operate. If they come upon information that is not within the realm of what they have worked towars spiritually they will fail to comprhend it. There is no judgement in any of these categories. These are just the ways the people I tend to interact behave. The Troubel With Teaching You learn to trust Spirit. At first, when I started to gain insight and have all of these awesome Peak Experiences I wanted to share them with everyone...especially those who were suffering. I wanted to help everyone to learn how to suffer less! I wanted to tell them how I did it in the hopes we would have a mutual experience. However, like Moses on the mount who came down to find that the people had resumed their normal activities...you find people are slow to change. In fact, in Psychology you'll find that people will only change when they want to change and usually it's because their pain has become so acute they have no other option but to reach out to a Higher Power. Even then, they may change just enough to alleviat their suffering to a more tolerable level. You could perform amazing feats for people...but then some would try to tear you down as a fake, perhaps even kill you for blasphmey, and others would elevate you as existing at a level above themselves and still won't reach out to have the experience for themselves, so what would be the point? Spirit is working through all of the categories of people I have mentioned above to various degrees. Spirit does not intrude when it is not welcomed- which is mostly in the first and second categories. Spirit is gentle, paitient, kind and loving...it doesn't intrude but waits to be acknowledged. Why Is There Suffering? One of the things the media uses to their advantage to make more money is the explotation of Suffering. Why, do they say, do some people suffer and some do not? Shouldn't we try to eliminate the suffering of other people? Shouldn't we take care of everyone else? Isn't that the loving human family thing to do? If I saw my brother break a family heirloom would I volunteer that I broke it so that he didn't receive the correction for it? Would I be helping my brother by accepting his responsibility? The answer to that is no. No, it is not the neighborly or loving thing to suffer in the place of someone who has made a mistake. This material reality and the souls that exist within it, for all intents and purposes no matter what obscure religion that you may study, is always the result of a 'mistake.' Call this reality an illusion (Hindu, Buddhist) or the Fall (Judaic, Christianity, Muslim) it amounts to the same thing...there was a mistake at the start of this part of the creation and all of us are working towards correcting that original mistake in perception. One of the funniest statements in The Path of the Kabbalah is the idea that the people who have smooth lives and obtain everything they want...are those who are not called by the One Creator. You might sit there and think, why do I want to be called if it meansing Suffering? A materially minded person would laugh at that and not even try. Well, suffering is how you are pushed to make the adjustments to your belief systems and your ideas. That's how you are pushed to grow. At first it seems rough because you're more aware of why you are suffering and you're trying to figure out how to stop it somehow...and because of certain genrally accepted beliefs you may feel you're being punished for some reason or attacked by some outside force. Suffering is not punishment, setbacks are not punishment from some outer force...it's instruction from a Higher Power. If we just accepted that in the general population there would be a lot less suffering. Further, one cannot correct ones self and then try to transfer it to another person. No one can do the work for you (unlike what the churches would like you to believe). Grace is something you have to earn and ask for...it is not just given, although, it is always at hand should you ask. You have to make the corrections for yourself because it is an adjustment of your perspective that needs to change. Not neccesairly behavior. Behavior changes only after the perspective of the individual changes. That's why, much to my horror at first, when I hear someone else is suffering I don't feel sorry for them. I have realized that each person is the cause of their own suffering and even if I can try to shoulder their burden it's not my place because I would be interferring with their development. I don't try to take on their pain or solve their problems. I will offer advice and encouragment but if they demonstrate they are not intrested in changing their ways I stop. I trust Spirit. The right people are guided to this blog. There is such a beauty in that and it is so wonderful to see how just reaching out to others in love by being an example you can watch people transform themselves. I have seen miracles. I have seen people that were on a self-destructive path pull themselves out and transform their lives. Free Will The Buddhists call it Detachment. That's not like the Psychological bad concept of Detachment where you can't form relationships and you're detached from reality because you're unable to deal with the pain. What it is, is not being attached to material goals, material outcomes or material gains. Most of us are born into this world with a Will of our own. We try to force our will on our parents, on our environment, and on others. Of course, it's not healthy to try and control others. As we grow up we learn to use our Will in a more constructive way. We use it to learn how to draw, paint, make lattes, fix cars or any other amount of things that humans have applied to their mind to and created. Some people suffer something traumatic, then they go out form an organization and try to change the world. While that is applauded in our modern world...it is not a good thing. The outer world, other people, cannot be changed or controlled deep within their being just because they heard a story of heart break. Those people, who have a little bit more insight into human suffering, didn't learn compassion from it...they became warriors trying to force their will on others, but of course, they would argue...for a good cause. They became attached to an unrealistic outcome that they will be able to change everyone...when that traumatic experience was only meant as a personal wake up call to them. The Promise The other easier option is to let go of your Will to be Archtect of your Universe. To turn that over to the One Creator or whatever Higher Power you are comfortable believing in...and then just going with the flow. The promise has always been that once you surrender to that perfect Archetect that knows what's best for everyone is that what you will need will be poured out upon you. There is no effort but it is not without an exchange. By practicing and providing that loving compassionate example to other people the opportunities to positively affect others lives come to you naturally. You develop discernment about what to give, to who and when to give. The other people around you don't have to accept or change their behavior because of your example...although, it is guranteed they will be affected on some level by it. Hardly anyone can deny that their has been a transformation. Their is a confdiene and a gravitos about people who are working with the Divine Will insetad of trying to enforce their own Will upon others. Yet, once Spirit has seen that you have surrendered the path becomes smooth. Things fall into place and the people you need to encounter simply appear on cue. Communication with Spirit is slippery and abstract. Somtimes you get clear answers once you comprhend the language...and sometimes your left on your own because Spirit knows you've got this handled. There are many tests as though Spirit is asking, "Do you really understand? Are you really faithful?" Yet, the clues just continue to add up, things continue to fall into place, the seemingly unlikely or impossible happens...until it's undeniable that a Higher Power does exist and wants a very personal relationshp with you. Conclusion Well, I think I went a little off topic. Hopefully, though, this gives you a little bit of an insight into the Abstract quality of the Path. How much of a leap it is for us to trust but how big the rewards can be...I mean what is a sweeter reward then Inner Peace and A Knowingness that everything is exactly as it should be? The Egyptians describe our world as, "Upside Down." What that means is that we are in great error...that we believe that is false is true. We have created this false material world and we want to declare, "This is All-That-IS!" Yet, the rest of creation, including the One Creator, is sitting there waiting ever ready for us to invite them to join us...but not until we can learn how to play nice and not force our Will onto the rest of Creation. I'm sorry, last week and this week have been rough. So, I fell behind on making YouTube videos and on blog posts. Next week, I'm hopeful to get the YouTube video out. This week will primarily just be blogs. I will probably do a personal update on Monday as I have my doctors appointment to check up on the baby (crosses fingers).
Originally, this post was about comprhending the abstract. However, I wanted to include the explaination about not taking things literally. Early on the path you'll probably start off taking everything literally. That's ok, that's how hour brains our wired to think but eventually you'll free yourself of that concept. Taking The Bible Literally As a Christian I was raised to believe that everything in the bible. Even the Noah's Ark saga which really stretchedt he imagination was said to have happened. Now, for those of you who choose to believe that everything in the bible literally happened I'm not saying I know anything 100% for certain. However, I do know that in Jewish Mysticisim, the Kabbalah, they have come to see the Torah in a very different way. They see the stories as an allegory. This is one of the reason that Jewish tradition has been able to put aside ritual animal sacrifices and evolve. Of course, it's unknown if such practices would begin again if the Temple were reubilt in Jerusalem but that's unlikely to happen. Visions and Revelations Of The Bible Especially when it comes to the visions in the Bible we run into problems when we take it all so literally. Especially symbols. Dreams and visions are all symbolic. Symbols, whether from a vision or dream are always very personal to the individual who experienced them. This is why there are 'mystery schools.' Not everyone wanted to study this stuff and once you reach a certain point what you describe to people who do not have peak experiences sounds like nonsnese to their literal minds. Visions and Revelations, just don't really translate into literal truths or predictions very often. Yes, there is a caveat there because I've had dreams that come true but they often do not take the exact form of the dream or what the dream symbols represented were only understood after the event. Take for example, the dream I took to mean that my Daughter Lilith-Ann would be born healthy. The dream involved Pirates of the Caribbean...it's only later that I realized that ride at Disneyland represetned death to me or a journey to the "underworld." I remember reading the Left Behind Christian books. I would read the part of Revelation that it was supposed to be describing or fulfilling in the books. Sure, it starts off strong but then the symbolisim really becomes muddy. Some of Revelation just does not translate literally and the authors struggled to come up with what a literal event would be like and it dissolved into an impossible soap opera. Now, I know, I know. We grew up in churches with people who preached fire and brimstone. To teach that they would quote the book of Revelation. You only have one life. If you don't live this life in fear of God and his commandments you will burn in hell eternally...which is based on the one small part of Revelation that mentions a lake of fire. At the end of the day, how many times does Jesus tell anyone in the New Testament that they bettter get right with him or they're going to Hell? Jesus never did. He taught something very different from those who read revelation and see the destruction of this planet prior to Jesus bringing a new Kingdom to them. I've watched the Doomsday Christian Theorists who believe in the Illumaniti (fearing them and giving them more power then they give God) and it's disheartening to see thousands of other people viewing them. When you watch those videos they misinterpert symbols everywhere. They assign their own personal meanings to them and they are all fear based. Everything is Satanic that's not Christian. Even the Triangle (which represents the trinity in church artwork?) is Satanic. You finish watching those videos and if your sensitive to the energy they put out you feel anxious at best, scared to say the least, and at the worst paranoid. I litearlly tried to watch one a few days ago and it was such a low vibration I wanted to puke aferward and I promised myself I will not contaminate this baby with that negativity. I felt much the same way after reading the Left Behind books. What good is it to imagine end of the world scenarios? Espeially if you think you're the special one who will be raptured (which is not a concept that's actually is used by the church to describe a phenomenon in Revelations but isn't called that in Revelations)? If you think your part of the elite who cares what happens to the rest unless you are holding a grudge against most of humanity and want to see them punished? Most people who seem focused on the Doomsday Apocaplypse seem to hold a grudge against the world. I'm thinking the person who said, "Love yoru neighbor as you love yourself," wouldn't recongnize that thinking. Living in fear wasn't something that Jesus seemed to do or teach his followers...let alone *ANY* of the prophets. They said get right with God or you'll be punished...and sometimes people paid attention and saved the kingdom or the they ignored it leading their society to ruin including the nation of Israel. Fear, as even Star Wars points out, turns into resentment, which turns into hate...and turns you to the Dark Side. That's actually basic psychology. You only have grudges against people you fear or those who've hurt you. The Law And Commandments. Yes, you can sit there and talk about the literal Law and Commandments in the bible...but what blew my mind is in the Kabbalah that's just guidance to the unitiated who don't know the deeper mysteries. Once you are initiated and study the deeper mysteries you won't see any reason to break those commandments...they are common sense. You would never want to hurt anyone because hurting them is like cutting off your big toe for fun. The law and commandments, then, were created for people who were not wise. This was the knowledge that would help them foster a communtiy that would thrive and survive the dark ages of humanity (hint, hint, we're not out of them yet but we're getting close) but that was never where society was meant to stop their instruction. I think of it like learning your ABC's but then never bothering to learn how to read. You know those are letters on sign, a paper, or a book. You can identify the letters...but you can't string them together to form a word let alone use them to convey a concept. That's how law and commandments are used in our society. Laws have gotten out of control to the point in California where in one year 900 laws can be passed. No one can possibly know all of those laws...the attorneys have to look them up but it's doubtful even the lawmakers know all of the laws in the state. At some point when your passing hundreds of laws every year and hardly ever eliminating them...they cease to have an affect on the general population. The laws are only followed when asking for permission to do something from the state to build or create a business. We should take spiritual Laws and the commandments in the bible seriously but even if we memorize every page of Leviticus...it's doubtful we'll be any wiser in our day to day activities with other people. All The Same Stories Negates Them When you take the Bible and the Sumerian tales...or any of the other tales you find something fascinating. In a a Comparitve Religion class you might walk away thinking that, "Hey, it's all the same thing. Everyone stole the same ideas from everyone else or they were all inspired by Mother Nature." So, taking the way the stories evolved literally can mean you loose faith. The issue with that is there is plenty of evidence that the reason why certain stories evolved in a particular way was because it was easier for the teacher to relay to the student. Only upon further questions (which is how it worked for all of the shamanic practices of ancient tribes and of mystery schools) would the stories be filled in and the person would undrstand how the metaphoric journey relates to them and their place in the cosmos. Take the sacred Dogon Granary that Laird Scranton is always talking about. Everyone knows about the granary in the community. But the granaries they use are not exactly what they are taught. What they are taught is not practical and applicable...this hints that it relates to a wider and deeper symbolic meaning that has to do with a big picture of the cosmos. A curious person would ask, "Why is what we build not what we are taught..." and thus their initiation into the mystery religion would begin. A good deal of the people aren't curious and only focus on the practical application. Yet, you could dismiss it as a tribe that doesn't understand architecture passing on flawed information. Never mind that they literally describe how stars form and how the cells of the human fetus multiply during conception. What if all of these stories have come from the same source that was tring to convey a message to us? What if at the start of the current human civilization we could only think literally because there was a fall of intellect due to a spiritual fall? Beings that came from outside our material reality (in spirit or other dimensions) could understand metaphor and these deeper processes of the universe would try to relate the concepts as best they could through symbol and metaphor...so they would try to descirbe literal symbols the people understood but could only unlock the deeper meaning when thinking deeply on it and with a little scientific knowledge. The Annunaki Then we have the phenomemon of the Aunnunaki. When you take someone who's literal but a believer...we end up with this theory. That the God's of old were actual beings but Aliens portraying themselves as Gods. That they came to Earth and we were (or still are) slaves. Since certain goddesses always represent the same concepts- they're all one Long Lived Alien playing the role of each in each culture. So, Isis, Ishtar, Inanna, Diana, Aphrodite...are the same alien being interfering with human life. Then certain people are reprsented by their personal symbols whenever that symbol pops up in a stroy it means that Alien Being passing themselves off as God was there in the flesh. I fell for it, I admit, for a bit. I love Zachiriah Stitchin's books but it never felt completely right to me...instead, it always felt like a good science fiction novel. Yet, he weaved religions together in such a blend that it was almost believeable that there was this great conspiracy hidden with the depths of ancient myth and religion. When I really started to undrstand how Myth/Symbols/Visions/Dreams work...I realized it was all complete bunk. Maybe, aliens were involved on some level of our creation but the deeper stories of those myths...the abstract allegories...are the same and speak to the same human inner conditions we all have. No alien or being has control over our spiritual development...not even a government has control over that because no one needs to know your studying it. There are so many tools and so much information out there to help people the only person hindering anyone...is ourselves. Yet, if it helps people to see that all myth and all religion are just the same reflection of the One Thing or the One Creator...it does help humanitie's spiritual evolution so I can't hate it totally. However, the Annunaki Theory is only plausible to someone who takes everyting literally and has never had Peak Experienecs of their own. Until you have your own Peak Experiences you will never understand them because it's like being introdued to an invisible world that was always there but you couldn't perceive. Conclusion Symbols are completely subjective. They can be interperted multiple ways. All religions and myths are based on symbols. They have an internal personal meaning to the individual who experiences them and they are not meant to be applied to the outer world. As you spiritually progress you will start out thinking literally. That's how the human brain is naturally evolved to find patterns and relate them to the physical world which think is All-That-Is. However, when you develop your imagination the world of Spirit becomes more accessable. The Chakra system is entirely imaginative/abstract. If you cut someone up you will not find different colored lotus's along their spine. Yet, it has been proven to work. Yes, perhaps it is the power of 'faith' at work because the person puts faith into the idea...but if that were true then imagination should work to heal most maladies. Visions are the same way. When we encounter a symbol, to understand it we have to think about how we personally relate to the symbol and how we would generally desribe it to others. Then we can conceive what Spirit meant to convey by showing us the symbol. Spirit is non-material but our conscious minds cannot and have never been...able to conceive of 'non-materiality.' So, spirit shows us symbols we can meditate on to communicate. All myths, visions, and religions are the communciation of Spirit speaking on the behalf of The One Creator. We will cover that more in depth in the Next Markers On The Path post on Friday. A lot of us are raised thinking our emotions and sexual urges are bad. When we have an emotional reaciton to something our parents usually get upset and tell us it's not right. In the United States we live in a society that has frozen emotions for a long time. People would prefer to be a robot to being an emotional or sexual human being. All of those emotions have to go somewhere and so they go into the Shadow. This is a mental construct that we start building of our disowned aspects as a child and add to throughout adulthood unless we become cionsciously aware of it. The shadow is a concept that Carl Jung coined. He said that each person creaetes a dark palce within themselves. That dark place is where the send all of their undesired pieces. All of the undesired urges or feelings or thoughts or behaviors. Here is a direct quote from Carl Jung: "The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. ... One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious." What Happens When You Disown The Shadow? By casting out all of these ideas, concepts, urges and thoughts into this shadow we disown them. Then they take on a life of their own. We denial our emotional heirtage as human beings. We become less human and more robotic or Zombie like. This is why I call people who are not awake Zombies. They go about controlled by urges they do not comprehend. The reason they don't comprehend where the emotions come from is because they have shoved that part of themselves into their shadow so deeply they no longer reconize it as being a part of themselves. Anyone who has problems with rage and depression knows how the Shadow can hold onto them. How it seems to control them. They may resort to the idea that 'demons' are plaguing them or someone has 'cursed' them. This is not true at all...in fact, it allows the person to distance themselves even further from the aspect of themselves that they wish to disown. The people in such states are not dealing with the Repressed feelings within the Shadow...and so become controlled by them. Their fear of dealing withi that repressed item causes them to go to great lengths to deny that it occurs. Starts In Childhood Now, this process starts when your a child. Your parents say don't do this and don't do that. That's not nice, etc. All of the experiences that brought you pain or sadness are usually sent to the shadow. If you have a horrible experience you don't understand in child hood...it goes into the shadow. That aspect needs to be healed but few people are courageous enough to return to that memory and heal it. They try to ignore it, they bury it and they may forget about it...but there it is in the shadow waiting for the individual to reach out and look at it with a new filter...a new perspctive (which is the greatest form of healing). Emotions in particular are usualy sent to the shadow because most parents tell their kids not to cry or be angry which are natural important reactions to stimulus. They are very approrpiate at times. They are very powerful tools in transformation. All of the things your parents say you shouldn't think or do goes straight to the shadow where it is forgotten because you think that having those feelings, urges, questions or ideas will harm you. As An Adult As an adult you continue to operate under the belief that these concepts are not acceptable and you may add to them with experience. I've encountered many people who were at odds with themselves. They knew they had a part of themselves that they did not understand...that they denied...but they didn't have the right filter to comprhend it and their suffering was immeasurable. All of this goes into the subconscious and you are not aware of where the urges come from to do certain things. In fact, it controls your entire state of mind resulting in either anger issues or depression. This can lead to extreme schizophrenia as the human being literally rejects their humanity and reality. For me, at one point even trying to do something was hard because I always felt defeated. As though no matter how I tried things never worked out so why bother? I felt this huge weight. I was frozen in life because I felt that no matter what I would do it would be a huge uphill battle. A lot of people who've created a big shadow don't even understand the urges that they have or why the behave a certain way. Any form of release from the presence of the shadow...whether its drugs or alcohol. Embracing The Shadow Don't hide from your emotions. Dig deeply into them and meditate on them. If you like to write have a journal. When you experience an uncomfortable emotion write about it. Usually, it will come out when you disowned a reaction to a situation. Just this week on Peter Woodbury's personal Facebook there was a huge discussion. He posted this Meme: If you prefer to talk it out and you have a good friend that will listen without offering advice or trying to 'fix' the situation then call them up. If you don't have a friend capable of that support try finding a therapist.
Once you can identify the emotion you can feel it. Describe how it feels in your body. Don't fight it. Describe what it makes you think. Does it remind you of a memory? Does it remind you of a person? This is where you develop the Heart of Compassion. Yes, sometimes, it feels like this process can be endless. You're constantly discovering a new aspect of yourself that you had hidden or buried and integrating it. However, this process is so crucial to your development because it brings everything into your consciousness. Depression, manic behavior and anger issues disappear. You've identified where they come from and released them. This awareness brings an amazing amount of freedom and a depth to life that one cannot experience until they allow themselves to Feel the full range of their emotions. Conclusion While this process can be really long sometimes it is immensely rewarding. If we do not Embrace our Shadow and integrate it back into ourselves, forgiving ourselves for those feelings, emotions and urges that we froze out because they did not feel safe...we are forever trapped in the past. The energy of the Past is with us and we have urges that we don't feel we can control. We are not completely conscious of ourselves and that lids to a lot of disease. This is the first step of accepting and loving ourselves. When we find the ability to forgive ourselves and realize all of those emotions or urges were natural we can forgive them in others. This results in one of the deeper healings a person can achieve on their path to Wholeness. On my spiritual path the subject of Enlightenment has really surprised me. If you had asked me years ago, when I was a teenager, to describe Enlightenment to you I would describe that concept as someone who had become more than human. I would have said that it was a person who is always loving, caring, slow to anger and wise.
I thought Enlightenment meant that certain base emotions- primarily Fear and Anger- had been eliminated in the person. I also believed that these were people who could not fail at anything and held a knowledge most people do not. What I have learned is that concept of Enlightenment is completely wrong. Enlightened people are those who embrace themselves as fully human. They know the human experience so deeply and intimately that they can relate to anyone through knowledge of their own fears, failures, traumas, pains and anger. In fact, I have learned that we suffer more when we are in denial of our faliable human nature than when we embrace those traits in ourselves that exist in every human being.Not comprehending that universal concept can lead to an inability to communicate or conduct ourselves socially. Integration One of the first major steps towards Enlightenment is integration. The mere fact that we have to go about picking up all of the parts of ourselves that are universal in nature is a major step to Enlightnement is important. This is where we realize that fear has a very real and valid place in our life. That it's a messenger we might have dismissed because our parents taught us that fear is not ok. Yet, there are many situations where fear is the first indicator we shouldn't be there...we shouldn't be involvd in whatever is going on. If we ignore that fear we can end up in a dangerous situation. The hardest for me to integrate was understanding that if the circumstances were right...all of us could be murderers. That all of us have that potential. That most murderers actually think they did the right thing by murdering the other person. Whether it was gang related and someone from a rival gang was on their turf or it was an accidental case of poisoning. Whatever the situation might be...there is a potential in all of us that if were raised in the exact same circumstances and environment as that person we might have ended up a murderer like them. This doesn't mean we can't condemn that behavior. This does not mean in any way shape or form that we should say that it is acceptable. Yet, it does mean that we can forgive them because perhaps if they had access to spiritual tools and understood their relationship with the One Creator the would not have made that error. A big part of integaration is learning that everything that exists in other people- whether its a team you oppose the Reps, the Libs, The Dems, The Russians, The Arabs or the Israelites- exists within you. Once you have fully integrated all of those things that you rejected in yourself...that you also reject in others there is no longer a barrier there. There is no longer a desire to seperate into teams and feel you are different or superior to others. Clearly part of that process is accepting your flaws. Knowing your own failures intimately and knowing that they are part of the process of reachings a higher state of mind. Not neccesairly a superior state of mind to others but a different state of mind. Challenges To Peacefulness The peacefulness that's found once all of the parts are integrated and accepting is profound. As I stated, about my own life, you can fall off into old conditioned responses when certain things happen but once you reach that state of peaefulness and healthy perspective it's easy to catch that you've fallen off. With my morning sickness and the fear of what happened with my last pregnancy...believe me the last week has been a challenge to keep my balance on the middle path. Add to that fact that this week I worked nine days straight, which long and strenuous on anyone, and I had an irate customer who decided to take her angs out on me over twenty cents...keeping balanced was tough. Even though I've tasted this state of peacefulness consistantly for months in such situations it's hard to maintain that peace. Finding forgiveness can be difficult. However, when situations like this arises there are some basic rules I've learned. 1). Take it easy. Do not be hard on yourself. If your in an extreme situation don't expect to get everything done. If you don't feel like cooking dinner...don't cook dinner. Heat something up or grab a bite to eat out. In times of stress it's best that we nurture and indulge ourselves instead of punishing ourselves further. 2.) Ask for help. This is probably my biggest life lesson in this life...ask for help. I'm not just talking about our physical companions, friends, family, spouses and co-workers. I'm talking about asking for spiritual help as well. I have a vertiable army I call upon in times of need. I always start off with Archangel Michael, Archangel Raphael, all of my family members that have crossed over, Jesus, Buddha and the One Creator. Whether in a nightmare while asleep or in a real life situation thinking of those you love and asking for help brings me instant peace. I usually get goosebumps. Being an Individual I have gone over this so many times. However, in the current book I'm reading on the Kaballah (The Path of Kabbalah by Rav Michael Latiman) it is such a huge component I think it's improtant to mention it again. Part of what we are doing by being reincarnated is becoming a unique individual. We fall off the path when we try to conform to a group and become lost in it (Group Think). As Edgar Cacye said the whole purpose is to, "Know yourself as yourself and yet one with the Creator." We learn here through the path of Opposites. We learn what we are not by learning what we do not like. Yet, other souls may like that and it becomes integrated into who they are as a soul. Each soul has their unique journey through materiality and their unique interperation of it and of themselves based on that. That's part of what we are developing here. We can get stuck on certain lessons but it is so important not to become part of a group and lose our identity. That important phrase I use at the start of every video, Know Thyself, is such a huge concept of both Integration and becoming an Individual. Conclusion I'm not sure I'm enlightened. I'd say that's the state I'm working towards. Yet, I know, that I am hands and shoulders in a better mental space then most people and that I can bring myself back into balance as needed. The most amazing part of this path is that it makes you more human. There is less desire to be something more then human. Being human is more then enough and I've realized I have all the tools I need to accomplish whatever it is that I wish to accomplish. You feel copassion whenever you come across someone who is suffering. At the same time there is no desire to correct that suffering for them. In fact, through my own suffering I've learned that it is not evil. Suffering is a major way spirit teaches us about ourselves and an opportunity to wake up. I would never try to prevent someone else from suffering because I would be robbing them of a spiritual lesson. Suffering is an integral part of the human expereince until we learn to interpert life and events in a way that does not bring about suffering. At the start, everyone starts off suffering. To be human, is to suffer because we are caught off from the One Creator and no socieal justice warrior can fix that. Only an internal choice to build a relationship with the One Creator (which is an aspect of ourselves) can bring understanding and end our suffering. So, as I read more about the sayings of the Buddha and the Kabbalah that are in exact alignment with my own conclusions on my own path...it just occured to me how Enligthenment isn't gainitng super powers...it's about becoming more human then the typical person. Then carrying water and cutting wood becomes bliss because we understand the purpose behind it and so so willingly instead of seeing it as a burden. Most people are zombies that are completely out of touch with themselves. They go through their 9-5 routine and reject what others offer. They cut themselves off from the human experience by hiding behind phones or other distractions. They focus only on their desires, wants and needs at the expense of everyone else. They are quick to attack others whenever their desires, wants or needs are challenged like cornered animals. A great deal of those people who are zombies who only live to consume...they won't wake up and have no desire to do so...and while that is sad it is their choice. If anything, trying to force them awake is a violation of their Free Will. So, to a person who is a little bit further on the path it's not desireable in any form. There is one way, and only one way, I determine if someone is psychologically mature.
When they talk about something that was traumatic for them in their life- Do they take responsibiity? Anyone who automatically takes a victim stance in a situation is on the same level as a five year old. They are not psychologically mature. Even the random things that happen in our life...in some way are our responsibility. As I included in my video on Self- Actualization, Abraham Maslow said that every time that someone takes responsibility they are taking a step towards self-actualizing. To deny responsibility for where we are at in our lives, is to take a step back from becoming self-actualized, fully healed, or whole. Edgar Cacye put's it another way: "Would that each soul would but understand that those hardships which are accredited so much to others are caused by self." Reading 845-4 Recurring Situations If there is a situation that happens over and over in your life...you are not a victim. You are making that happen. The first way to fix the problem is to take responsibility. The second step is to take action to prevent that situation from happening again. Come up with an alternative reaction to a familar situation. Often, when we react differently we get a different response and whatever the reoccuring event was...ends. The less has been learned, we've passed the test, and we go on with our life. Sometimes, a pop quiz will come up later to see if we really did change our reaction or if it was just superficial. When that happens it can be easy to fall into the old repetitive reaction...but with a little practice we can get back into the frame of the conscious mental reaction we want to create. Two Sides To Every Story This one will seem strange in our Western Culture where we believe there's only one truth and deny Subjective Reality. I've argued that Subjective Reality is a fact for several years. The simple realization of that concept when I was earning my Bachelors in Psychology was tremendous and gave value to that education. I remember having long, deep, multiple hour conversations with my husband on the subject. Yet, life becomes a little bit more complicated when you realizet that each person interperts reality differently. That means- you and I can be sharing the same moment and have two totally different experiences. That guy who went in to rob the gas station? Well, maybe he has really screwed up his life with drugs and alcohol to the point where he can't get a job so hes' desperat to feed his daughter. You never know what extreme stituations people have created in their life which makes them think extreme actions are neccesary. That that guy, the extreme of robbing someone makes more sense then giving his daughter up for adoption. That doesn't mean that the guy should be completely let off the hook- clearly, he needs help so he can heal and reintegrate into being a helpful member of society. Yet, if you took sides in the experience- you'd easily side with and emphathsize with the gas station employee who just showed up for his job. Even though, he too has responsibility as does the owner of the establishment. Gas stations and liquor stores, especially in bad neighborhoods, are known to get robbed often. So, by opening the location at all or choosing to work at the location the risk was known. Why?! Now, an obtuse person who has not sat down and really meditated on this subject would just jump to the unfeasible and basic reply to the entire situation, "Well, that should't happen in this world!" My reply to that is wow, your mommy and daddy was super over protective weren't they? Again, we have to take responsibility for what we are...we are Human. As Maslow pointed out, the psychologically sick individual has built up defenses against being human. What does it mean to be human? To be vulnerable. Our human bodies not only come with an expriation date but they are also very prone to injury. We lead a very temporary fragile existence. To work together. If humanity had never banded together as tribe and communities they would never have succeded as a species on ths planet. One hungry bear could pick off the individuals...but it can't take on the entire tribe. Those two things are at the heart of being human...to be vulnerable and fragile on our own but our tribe makes us stronger. Those are the two main lessons I think every stubborn soul on Earth has to learn. Since we are vulnerable in this form a lot of suffering can come from that idea. This is a great deal of fear of death. Since we are a social species that can be a cause for suffering. Group Think is extremely dangerous, in particular, and can be damaging to the developing human being. Conclusion We have to take responsibility to walk the Path of the Seeker and see results. As we recover all of the disowned aspects of ourselves inevitably- accepting the fragile temporary existence that is a humean life and comprehending the complex social situation we are in....is a major component of that experience. A lot of the issues I discoered were tied to those two concepts. I have written a lot about Victim Mentality and how it doesn't get anyone anywhere. Taking Responsibility, as Maslow pointed out and as the 12 Step Programs always state...is the first step towards unleashing all our fullest potential and making a better world for everyone around us. I've decided to write a series of blogs of the Markers on the Path that most people seem to experience.
Really, these were the Markers that were really important on *My* Path. No two paths are the same. They are as unique as the individual who walks them. As such, I wanted to clairfy a few concepts and then give you examples of them and examples of other people who have had a similar experience. Letting Go Of Expectations This was the most liberating of all of the stages that I went through. True, this was inspired mostly by Bashar's Formula. (Channeld by Daryl Anka). The way I see it, most of us are so focused on the 'I' in life...we sit here and say..."I want this," "I expect to be treated this way," and "I wouldn't do it that way." We live our whole lives ways waiting for other people, places, and things to be exactly as we expect them to be...but life would be very disppaointing and not very exciting if it was that way. We've had authority figures tells us what they expect out of us. Our parents, our teachers and our bosses all have expectations they expect us to fill. We feel that when we don't live up to those expectations we let the people we love most down. Religion has the highest expectations out of us. They don't expect us to be humans. Teachers are the only ones who punish us when we fail. There is a lot of suffering because of expectations. There is no wonder why we are so used to them. We expect that we should have the American Dream. Some people who have struggled to attain the American Dream for themselves would like to see it taken away from people they see as less deserving. The rich don't deserive their privelage. The poor don't deserve to live in homes they haven't earned. Our lives are formed of expectations based on a system that's not written down. Most often that system is pleasing other people we like or admire and attacking others who perceive as attaicking or taking from us first. Most often we have material expecations in life: to own a car, to own a house, etc. We have expecations of others including of what love should look like. Releasing Expectations Brings Freedom Expectations is one of the boundaries that we experience in our lives. When we hold onto expectations about ourselves, things we want, other people and our future it limits the opportunities that may come to us. Further, when we hold onto expectations we are living in a fantasy world. We are living in the future which does not exist or onto the past that not longer exists. We are not present. We are not here or now. When we live in this way we limit the structure of that future. There is the idea of Manifestation on the Spiritual Path. People have been able to manifest a lot of things and they usually focus on physical results and money. However, if you sit down and release all forms of expectations you will find a sense of freedom. You're no longer limiting your life. Usually, there are a few things that preceed this stage. I'm still learning how to practice it but it is the most applicable to most ordinary life. Yet, it can be a little tricky because it is so different then what we are taught. The key here is to release expectations...because most of the time these expectations never belonged to you in the first place. They pollute your energy diverting it to areas where you won't see progress and it keeps you from living in this moment. In this moment you can plant the seeds for a better tomorrow but only if you are fully present. Ultimately, when you release all expectations you experience the ultimate freedom. You live in the Now. You live in a pure state of possibility. This is a very brave action. How Do I Let Go Of Expectations? Well, you identify them first. You can list everything you expect in life in a journal of every aspect of your life. If your letting go of expectations from a specific person in your life (eventually, you need to let go of all expectations for all of the people in your life) write down all of the expectations that you had for them. If it's a goal that you have held onto for dear life but just hasn't panned out (probably because it was only meant to be a stepping stone to what you really are supposed to be doing) then write out every expectations and reason you had that goal. If you can, identify where they come from and why you have it. Identify how those expectation makes you feel right now in this present moment. Then release the expectation. If it helps, you can envision them taking the form of a bird that you release. The bird flies away taking your expectations with them. Eventually, you won't need these tools. You'll catch yourself setting expectations, reminding yourself that you do not need them and letting them go. This is a form of meditation. This will become easier and easier. This is very similar to how I learned to meditate. I would have a thought and release it. I would have an emotion, feel it deeply, and release it. This is the same practice just applied on a different level. You do not reject or deny. You embrace it fully, experience it fully as thought it were a foregin object you never encountered before and let it go on it's own way. Different Quotes Here are some quotes on Letting Go: This is from the Wisdom of Avalon Oracle Set From Collette Baron Reid: "Releasing attachments, expectations, and desires yet unfulfilled- these are some of the aspects of this card. When you receive this marker on your path, you're required to relinquish control and allow the Mystery to act as the will to weavelife together as it is meant to be, according to the laws of the cosmos. You cannot force something to come, or remain, if it is true place is elsewhere. Remember that what is yours can never be taken away. Allowing is the key to this marker, for what is yours will come to you. The same applies to the past: This is the time to let go of old hurts, resentments, and unresolved anger, for they're no longer welcome burdens on the path ahead. Old and outmoded ideas about life, how you see others, who you are, based on who you were- these must also be left behind. Then you can move forward, unencumbered, stepping into the magic of the new present that leads into the best possible future." Bashar Channeled By Daryl Anka Provides This Formula 1. Take Action On The Opportunity that Contains The Highest Excitement 2. Act on The Excitment To the Best of Your Ability 3. Act On The Ecitement With Absolutely Zero Insistence Or Assumption With Respect To The Outcome. *Undestand that insistence on a specific outcome, manifestation or pathmay actually prevent a better maniffestation then you can imagine. *The thing itself that excites you may not come to fruition. It may only excite you to get you to take action in order to create the state of being in which the thing that actually needs to manifest may do so. You can find the full document here: http://bashar.org/handouts/TheFormula.pdf There is more to it then what I provided here but I wanted to emphasize the part I'm talking about in this blog. So, when it comes to number three you can re-word that as Letting Go of All Expectations of The Outcome. The reason being is when you visualize an exact outcome it can prevent what you really need from coming to you. If your focused on only one thing...one thing at all cost...and the universe has deemed this is harmful for you...you'll just spin your wheels. Letting go of expecations means you don't know the outcome, you don't know what will serve your higher purpose but you have faith that something bigger then you does. Of course, a Peak Eperience or Trascendental moment here and ther emight help you believe in something bigger...but even the biggest cycnics and critics have experienced them but in their Subjective Reality cling to explainations they are comfortable with...even seeing a UFO won't convince them. Just like the recent disclosure in the New York Times didn't affect anyone () You may not be capable of imagining what you really need...but Spirit does know and will provide...if you let go of the expectations. Pema Chodron When Everything Falls Apart "A teacher visited me during this time, and I remember her saying to me, "When you have made good friend with yourself, your situation will be more friendly too. I had learned this lesson before, and I knew what it was the only way to go. I used to have a sign pinned up on my wall that read: 'Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annhilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.' Somehow, even before I heard the Buddhiste teachings, I knew that his was the spirit of true awakening. It was all about letting go of everything." pg. 7 Purge Negative Traits I watched a you tube video by Cindy Griffith of the Edgar Cacye A.R.E. and I realized that she was talking about Letting Go. She used far harsher terms but she's made this her 'life's work' which it probably will be her entire life revisiting this idea over and over again until she 'gets it' because she's excluded so much else that might give her a broader view of the topic. She was marking out how four mystics had said that they obtained Oneness (the Sacred marriage). She outlined it as containing these steps in no particular order: Purge Negative Traits and Take on Positive traits. Sense of Passionlessnes (peacefulness) Prayer, Meditation and Contemplation These three things were the major steps and she said these lead to Spiritual Maturiy or Spiritual Union (the Sacred Marriage). I think it's really importat that we choose our words carefully when we are talking about these subjects. Saying that there is a need to Let Go of Expectations is so much more approachable then saying something has to be purged. When we purge something we repress it...we think, "This is bad and this is not something I should have." Yet, if it were not natural and necesary in the moment we would not experience it. So, although her concept is correct in some ways it is harsh and may lead to discomfort in some. Conclusion Well, I was inspired to share this because it is such a touchy subject. I fall back on the Buddhist path and what Bashar says in some things because they are gentle teachings. There is no particular order in how you go about the Path of the Seeker but I do want to lay out these Markers so other people can see them. To me, it's common sense, but I'm aware that it's been obscured through time by those who don't understand who are trying to interpert the concepts. Partly inspired by Collette Baron Reid's markers in her Wisdom of Avalonn Oracle Card set I want to share some markers a person can use to be more self-aware on the Path of the Seeker.
The first major sign marker on the Path of the Seeker is the choice to seek in the first place. There are a few layers to choosing to seek knoweldge, whether it's 'the truth' or 'God' or just learning to know ourselves. As you progress along this path you'll learn that these three concepts merge with one another. I want to cover the three basic tools everyone on the Path of the Seeker needs to develop when they first head out. So, enjoy this little bit of the hard won lessons I've learned on this path. Intention While it is not entirely neccesary to have an intention when heading out on the Path of the Seeker it is important to know what ever intention that you have will affect the information that you come across. If you set out only focusiong on having a relationship with 'God' the idea that you set out with might strongly affect the information that you uncoveron that Path. If you are set on finding out 'the truth' it might get a little bit confusing but there are so many people with so many truths thta are unique to them. If you set out only to learn more about yourself you could end up in a an endless cycle of reading self-help books. In the end, all of these intentions interwoven for The Path of the Seeker. If you focus on one it is hard not to exclude the others. Since, as I have explained before, we live in a Subjective Reality (here is a YouTube video on the topic that I made:https://youtu.be/dZ08GrkEnbI) there are a lot of versions of reality out there and the most important thing is to find what's true to you. Having an intention is not a bad thing. But maybe go for trying to answer the question, "Why am I here? What ist he purpose of life?" and always keep in mind none of us have complete knoweldge of this question, but there are answerse out there. An Open Mind I've made an argument for why I am Inclusve when it comes to all perspectives on a matter instead of being eclusive here: https://bridgetkorns.weebly.com/blog/inclusive-vs-exclusive. For me, it was very important to include all takes on religions and all perspectives of spirituality to reach the sort of mental fusion I currently hold. You can see this based on the maps of the Psyche videos I'm doing where I explain that Literature Proffessor Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, Psychologist Abraham Maslow's Self-Actualization, The Hindu Chakra System, The Jewish Kabbalah System, The Tarot and Native American Jamie Sam's 7 Paths of Human Transformation...all share the same map of the same path of the Seeker. Heck, I may throw in Laird Scranton's outline about the Dogon process of Creation. By looking at each perspective I was able to integrate it to the point where I had the puzzle pieces in place. Then I started to see a picture of the whole and how each are talking about the same experience but in different terms based on their culture or personal experiencest. I don't pick teams. I don't think one group is better then the other. Each is perfeclty correct in their own way and applies to the whole experience each of us have. A Flexible Mind A big part of the Path of the Seeker is being able to go, "Well, I see the error in this thinking. Now it's time to let that go and accept this." This has been a big process. There for a bit the Annunaki was huge in my mind. I was absolutely fascinated by the story by Zachariah Stitchin. I think the obssession with the Annunaki is a bad thing. They don't hold all of the answers (only you hold all of the answers in your reality) but it allowed for something wonderful. It allowed me to think outside of the Christian concepts of God. It allowed me to see that concept a little differently. My view of God before that, or the One Creator, was so one dimensional and rigid that when I tried to look at other beleif systems they looked like gobbly gook. It was until I came across the Annunaki and that concept that my mind became flexible on the concept until I've reached a bit of an abstract concept of The One Creator and The Divine Personality of which we are all a part. I dont think I could have made the dramatic cahnge in a human looking God that I had originally thought was normal to believe in to this completely abstract concept that I now old if it hadn't been for the concept of the Annunaki between there. Knowing It's Okay To Be Wrong As I said, I was wrong about the Annunaki. Yet, it led to wonderful things so I can't be upset about that. We will get things wrong on this process. For example, in a group that I belong to that's a bucn of Empaths people post pictures wanting readings. I don't give them only the stuff they want to here. I give them a full range of information and tips on how to heal. Of course, I'm usually drawn to those who are suffering. Yet, that opportunity for people to try to read, and develop that skill, is worth it's weight and gold. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. You will. That's true learning though. Trying, failing. Then trying again until you get it right. You get an infinite amount of attempts to get it right. The test isn't timed like in school. No one will criticize you because the only one keeping score is you. That said don't bother trying to convery other people to your version of reality. No matter how appicable it may be to others it is not *their* reality. What may be true to you will not be true to them. This is a personal growing process and it's not something that is shared easily. There is no one answer...but as many answers as there are people in the cosmos. So, respect others, give them just as much space for them to be wrong, and if you can agree on something that's awesome! This is also why I havent go through and delted any posts from my past that might seem a bit off. I know I was unbalanced. I was close to the truth but just not hitting the mark. Yes, that can cause all sorts of chaos in a persons life and other peoples lives to some degree when you're both a little unbalanced and experiencing odd stuff that can be interperted in a way to make people scared. That's probably why I reach out to the people who are afraid more then I do people who are curious who want some sort of teacher (in a way I'm a teacher but I highly recommend you do not follow just one teacher and you'll find many teachers along the way that will teach you many things when you need to know them they will just appear...whether as a series of YouTube videos or a book or whatever way they can to influence your life). |
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Brave Soul! May Your Journey On The Path Of The Seeker Bring You Joy and Peace! I'm currently posting every Saturday. With a new addition the family I have pre-scheduled most posts through December 2022. Full Moon Posts will contain up-to-date content when I can get to them. Thank you so much for your support and understanding! This is a place where you can encounter new spiritual ideas that have helped me develop as an Individual On The Path of the Seeker. Take or Leave this information as you see fit. Archives
April 2024
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