Recognizing guidance

There are inflection points in life where individuals become aware of the many messages of support and guidance that the Universe sends them. Those messages are always there. What makes them stand out in one's experience is that they seem responsive to the internal questioning that is rising closer to the surface of consciousness. Uncertainty and meditation in combination attract guidance. This is an interactive phenomenon between the individual consciousness and Spirit. Since individual consciousness is only an imperfect manifestation of Spirit, one could see this as Spirit refining consciousness to be more in alignment with itself. Uncertainty is only a surface condition; the Spirit within always knows the correct course to follow. What is necessary is to bring this knowledge to the light of everyday awareness so that it can guide action. When the clouds of uncertainty begin to dispel, like the calming of ripples on the surface of a clear pool, the Spirit within recognizes its manifestation on the other side of the looking glass and draws to itself the guidance it has formulated for itself in the words of other individuals. Spirit knows just which guidance to pick out of the stream of information flowing around and above it. So it is when you read something that speaks directly to your present condition: it seems as though the Universe has sent this guidance to you, when in fact it is Spirit within that has recognized the concrete truth that crystallizes its own inchoate longing. This is the formula: meditate, wait patiently, examine all the guidance that is offered, recognize that which is right for this moment, and then act.

Spiritual growth

Our individual spiritual development is a continuous process. Religion, atheism, philosophy - these are not disconnected points between which we randomly jump. We are embedded in a continuum and each phase in our awareness prepares us for the next. Every belief system contains some learning, some truth that contributes to the emergence of the next. An atheist may believe she has completely rejected religion, but really she has rejected only the outer forms of religion. The internal seeking that led her to adopt religion is the same pattern that led her to reject it. 

Everyone has access to wisdom deep within.  Each of us is looking for a system that expresses that wisdom in a way that speaks to us. When we adopt a new set of beliefs, we are visualizing ourselves against a new background, but our fundamental nature doesn't change. Our perception evolves, but that which we seek to perceive is eternal and immutable. Truth is holographic, and the more perspectives we gain, the closer we come to understanding it holistically. Every experience of Spirit brings us closer to that perception, until eventually - for those who are aware - we see ourselves Incorporated in Truth and Truth embodied in us. 

Mothers Day

Today is a good day to celebrate the Divine Feminine principle, the current of Love that runs through our Universe and infuses it with purpose. Through this principle Spirit manifests as the loving energy that connects all beings in harmony. She is worshipped in many religions, as Devi, and Shakti, the Goddess, Kuan Yin, Mary, and under many other names. She embodies the highest aspirations of the human Spirit. As Mother, she is the giver of Life and the nurturer expressed in each of us at our best. As Sister, she is the source of power and of the energy that sustains and drives us. Without her our souls are drab and barren. As she manifests within beings of any gender, she completes us.

To meditate upon the Divine Feminine, chant a mantra or simply visualize  being suspended in the warmth and security of the loving womb of the Universe. 

Many mantras can be found on YouTube, including

Om Shakti and Namo Guan Shi Yin Pusa

Simplicity In Healing

I have always felt intuitively that one measure of the authenticity of a spiritual experience is its simplicity. Spontaneous Beauty wrote several years ago that "Spirituality is not complex. What could be simpler than Oneness? It is the elaborate visions constructed by Mind to distract Spirit that are complex."

Religions are good examples of this. Nearly every religion began when a simple person of faith experienced Oneness with God (or Spirit). That person sought to share the great gift with others, who became disciples. Eventually the message attracted so many followers that institutions arose, and those institutions promulgated dogmas that then had to be defended against heresy. As the institutions drifted away from their simple origins, egos stepped in to demand the elaboration of doctrines and rituals that were designed to concentrate and maintain power in those holding positions of control. Sadly, a religion is defined at least as much by the beliefs and practices that it rejects, as by those it accepts.

I am attracted to Reiki by its simplicity. Administering Reiki to a subject requires only that the practitioner accept their connection to the Source of all energies, and direct the flow of healing energy to the subject. No rituals, incense, crystals, or special music are required, although most practitioners do use one or more of those to facilitate the exercise of healing intention. There is no need to identify different grades or flavors of healing energy; Reiki is simply Reiki. Reiki does not come in colors or intensities. Nor does the practitioner need to direct the energy to the part of the subject's body that requires healing. Reiki will seek out and remedy any imperfections that have erroneously manifested in the body. There are no Reiki incantations or prayers, other than the simple invocation of Spirit to share its healing power. A Reiki practitioner does not even need to touch the body of the subject to infuse the healing energies. The sole element of Reiki that can be regarded as ritualized is the use of Reiki symbols, but I have never regarded the symbols as necessary or as anything more than helpful guides to express the healer's intention.

There are other schools of energy healing that do classify energies according to color, intensity, frequency, or the like. Many make extensive use of crystals, sage, incense, incantations, and other trappings. I believe that whatever assists the healer in focusing and directing healing energy is an appropriate part of the energy treatment. What practitioners need to be wary of, however, is assigning special powers to the trappings themselves. These can never be regarded as more than aids to the only essential elements of healing, which are the healer's sense of oneness with the Divine, and their intention to share that divinity with the subject. No crystal, no incantation, no incense, no color has power in and of itself. The only power in the Universe is Spirit, and Spirit does not allow its power to be limited in such a fashion as to be available only through this or that material device.

Consider the authentic healers of the past. Did Jesus pronounce incantations over those he healed? 

I don't discourage the use of symbols, chants, crystals, or other aids if they help healers to visualize their Divine connection or to pass that connection along to their subjects. However, to the extent the symbols, chants, and crystals themselves are ascribed special powers, the healer is putting separation between him or herself and Spirit. That separation cannot make the healing process more effective; by definition, it can only interfere with the healing action of Spirit. This is why I choose to use such material aids only sparingly, and only in full awareness, and furtherance, of the central role of a direct connection - a Oneness - among Spirit, the subject, and myself.

Spirit and Politics

An audio recording of this blog can be heard at this link.

As readers know, Spontaneous Beauty seeks to be in the world, but not of it.  When it comes to politics, this means to be mindful of current events, but not to be so absorbed in them as to lose touch with Spirit. If we have an earthly persona, we must set it aside when we enter this temple of the soul.  Here we speak only from the higher Self, interpreting as best we can the guidance that comes from Spirit through meditation and contemplation. 

To be frank, Spirit does not concern itself with politics. Spirit's only concerns are love and compassion. While the reader may believe this should tilt Spirit in favor of one political position or another, or one candidate or another, Spontaneous Beauty does not find  this to be the case. Spirit allows its love to flow into and through the entire Universe. Moreover, that flow is not hindered by obstacles in the form of individual personalities that do not consciously accept love or compassion. Spiritual love flows around these obstacles like boulders in the stream, all the while seeking to erode and undermine them until they succumb to its irresistible pressure. Spirit is patient, knowing that all beings come home to it in the end. 

Nor does Spirit find greater comfort in one form of government over another. We must be mindful that our mission in this physical universe is not to create Heaven on Earth, but to connect with Spirit at all times and in all places. Spirit is present in democracies and dictatorships, in freedom and oppression. Circumstances that bring out the worst in some, bring out the best in others. The power of Spirit is often demonstrated most brilliantly where it is challenged. Our task is to accept Spirit into our consciousness regardless of circumstances, but it seems sometimes that Spirit flourishes most in those who are subjected to merciless treatment at the hands of oppressive governments. This is not to say that we should seek out oppression, but only that we should be mindful of the lessons to be learned from it.

Does this mean that those who seek the path of Spirit should acquiesce to political trends that appear antithetical to love and compassion?  It does not. We are called upon to act lovingly in all aspects of our lives, and that includes the choices between political philosophies and candidates. But it does mean that we must follow the compassionate path consistently and without prejudice. Even if government becomes cold and selfish, we must remain loving and compassionate, even redoubling our efforts. We must maintain an attitude of love, not only for those whom society rejects, but for those who lead by appeals to selfishness or hatred.  In other words, we must not be corrupted by the politics of ego to behave in egoic ways.  One has only to think of the examples of Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King to understand the meaning of this.  We must not withhold our love and compassion from those who seem to have none, for they are the ones in greatest need.  At the same time, our devotion to Spirit may require us to refuse cooperation with, and to work to resist, negative powers.

Spirit is the only irresistible force in the Universe.  In adverse times it whispers to us, Everything will be alright in the end if you follow me. Assured of the eventual triumph of Spirit, we can endure the depredations of egoic forces even as we work to eliminate them. We can feel compassion for souls oppressed by ego even as we strive to free them from it. The more comfortable we are in that assurance - gained by communion with Spirit in meditation - the greater our equanimity in the face of turmoil. And it is that equanimity, in the end, that will deny ego the victory. Armed with love, we can give the lie to the belief in the power of selfishness and hatred; and a tidal wave of compassion can sweep away the ill-formed foundations of distrust and fear on which ego seeks to build its fortress. 

Spontaneous Beauty believes that even this testing ground of a universe is trending toward greater love and compassion, despite setbacks. It is possible to believe that it is the general, if gradual, increase in the vibrational level of the world that makes the appearance of negative, base vibrations so startling. As much power as hatred and fear wield in the world today, they wielded more in the past. Whether or not Heaven on Earth is attainable, it is still a worthy goal.

Healing Through Oneness

The question many people ask is, why are only some people healers if healing comes from Spirit?  This is a conundrum, but it's helpful to recognize that healing manifests spontaneously in the presence of a deep connection with Spirit.  This is why rishis such as Buddha, Jesus, and others were healers. Anyone who is aware of Spiritual connection can heal. Any disturbance of mind or body is merely the result of separation and misperception. A healer perceives the presence of Spirit at all times and in all places, including the mind and body of the subject. By cleansing both of the accretion of egoic beliefs in separation and illness, the healer removes the false perception and the subject perceives himself or herself as no longer ill.

In order to accept healing, the subject must rid himself or herself of attachments to illness. This is not as easy as it sounds, and all of us find something in illness to become attached to. Some use illness as an excuse, others use it to attract attention. Ego will fight bitterly to protect these privileges, against the notion that healing is merely the release of attachments and acceptance of Oneness.

How many times did Jesus say, "Your faith has made you well"?  By faith, he meant the unconditional acceptance of divine Love. Even he was only the catalyst, it was the subject who healed himself or herself. 

Eventually one has to do away altogether with the concept of the small self as an entity separate from Spirit.  This is what happens temporarily on a Spirit level when Love is accepted unconditionally. Healing is a manifestation of Oneness. In most people it is only momentary, and ego will fight back to re-establish separation. But the teachings say it grows easier with practice to remain in Oneness (samahdi) for longer periods.

Ending Xenophobia

Humans seem to have an innate distrust of others who are different. I believe this distrust - called xenophobia - is instinctive and has an evolutionary basis. I also believe that it is a threat to the survival of humanity, and can only be addressed by spiritual means.

Evolution consists of organisms finding new ways to survive and adapt to their environment. These methods are tested by competition, both between species and between members of the same species. Intra-species competition can be just as bloody and brutal as competition between species. For example, males of some species may fight to the death to secure the ability to mate with females. The stronger male will pass his DNA in this way to his offspring, ensuring that the traits that allowed him to defeat his opponent will be available to future generations. I have heard that a male lion who takes over a pride by battle will kill the male cubs sired by the opponent. This seems odd at first if we think of natural selection as occurring at the level of competition between species, but makes sense if evolution is seen as including a competition between individual DNA strains for dominance within a particular species.

Similarly, throughout human history and prehistory there has been war between different tribes or groups. It is no stretch to conclude that strangers - particularly groups of strangers - were seen in prehistoric times as threats to be expelled or destroyed. Xenophobia actually was a survival characteristic then, and it would be no surprise to find that a tendency to xenophobia is incorporated in our DNA as a tribal instinct. Moreover, it must be accepted as a possibility that the emergence of the thinking mind has permitted ego to bootstrap this instinct into a generalized fear and hatred of any people or groups that are different from those with which the individual identifies. This would help explain violence between adherents of different religions, for example.

The point of this discussion is that, whatever its origin, xenophobia is no longer a survival trait. Humanity has evolved beyond the ability to sustain tribalism, and survival is no longer tied to the ability to defend a narrow tract of ground. The instinct to attack and destroy others of our own species who look different, sound different, identify with different groups, or hold different beliefs, has become a liability. Our scientific knowledge has expanded far more rapidly than the spiritual tools that we need in order to use that knowledge responsibly. Our ability to destroy others (and ourselves in the process) has grown to the extent that there is a plausible argument that human intelligence will turn out to be a mistake of Nature, a self-destructive evolutionary dead end. 

It has become increasingly clear over the last several decades that humanity will not survive much longer as a species unless all of our disparate members are able to live peaceably together. It is doubtful that we will be able to rid ourselves of the xenophobic instinct by evolutionary processes in the amount of time remaining to us. This is why a spiritual shift is needed.

A necessary step in the move away from being ruled by outmoded instinct is to be mindful of its expression in our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. If you hear yourself express a xenophobic sentiment, examine your reaction: Does that sentiment really express what you believe? Or is it a knee-jerk emotional response to an imaginary danger? When a negative feeling is triggered by the presence or even the mention of another race, religion, or nationality, choose the appropriate response by reference to your well-thought-out values and principles, not to the visceral response of your animal brain. 

Few if any of us actually believe that every member of a different religion or social group is a threat to us or to our society. It is only because of the defensive reaction of our prehistoric DNA that we fear these differences. If we are mindful of what we say and think - take time to pause before speaking or acting - and examine our propensities in the light of what we know to be true, rather than the fears of our lizard brains, we will learn quickly to control our own xenophobic reactions. If we control the reactions, then disarming the fear that triggers them is a simple and inevitable next step.

Many spiritual leaders, including the Dalai Lama and Eckhart Tolle, to name only two, have called for children to be educated in mindfulness, meditation, and compassion. To take that a step further, those of us who are already adults must also train ourselves to be guided by principles of Love and compassion in every aspect of life. This does not mean we need to change the form of our society; compassionate principles are fully compatible with all forms of democratic societies. It does mean that we should act with due regard for the effects of our actions on others; and that we should realize that, in today's world, the good of one is the good of all. Humanity needs a sea change, if not overnight, then over the course of a generation. Each of us has the responsibility to initiate that change in our own lives, the lives of our children, and, by example, the lives of those around us. This is the new survival imperative.