The Teacher said,
Don't believe anything I tell you about God. Don't believe anything I say about energy, the Universe, or your own Spirit. I don't tell you these things so that you will believe them. My teachings are meant to show you what is possible for you to achieve by your own practice.
When I say to you, "God is Joy", it's no use for you to repeat that over and over unless you are able to experience it yourself. If you practice the meditations I have taught you, if you are able to still the mind for even a second without being distracted by a random thought, then you will know what I'm talking about. You will begin to sense the infinite peace that oneness with the Spirit of the Universe can bring.
When I say to you, "God is Love", you will not understand it unless you practice love and compassion. When you look every stranger in the eye and smile, when you pray sincerely and constantly for God's blessings to rain upon those you formerly called enemies, when every being's happiness is your own, then Joy will suffuse your soul and you will know the sweetest aspect of divinity.
And when I tell you that illness and dis-ease are only the result of separation from God, and that healing is no more than seeing the true light of God's perfection shining through and manifested in each of God's children; you will not know this until you have banished the clouds from your own sight and witnessed for yourself the cleansing power of your perfect Vision of Universal Truth.
And so I tell you again, do not believe in anything you have not yourself experienced. When you teach others, be sure to tell them the same. Knowledge of God cannot be distinguished from God itself. When you have God with you, you have no need of Teachers.
And so it is. Namaste.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Saturday, January 27, 2007
I am a sinless child of God
I am a sinless child of God
And I am perfect now.
Repeat this many times a day as a mantra. If you hear a voice in your head denying this, that voice is not you, and it is not God. Therefore, it does not exist, or rather it did not exist until you willed it into being. Although your will created it, you cannot silence this voice by willing it not to be. That would only create conflict and greater disturbance within you. Look deep within yourself until you find the place where it arises. Look deeper still and you will find the buried pain that gives it strength. By understanding this pain, releasing it, and forgiving yourself for any thoughts or deeds that preceded it, you will deny it the force that it needs in order to exist. You will cease to intend to suffer that pain and endure that voice, and they will be no more.
And I am perfect now.
Repeat this many times a day as a mantra. If you hear a voice in your head denying this, that voice is not you, and it is not God. Therefore, it does not exist, or rather it did not exist until you willed it into being. Although your will created it, you cannot silence this voice by willing it not to be. That would only create conflict and greater disturbance within you. Look deep within yourself until you find the place where it arises. Look deeper still and you will find the buried pain that gives it strength. By understanding this pain, releasing it, and forgiving yourself for any thoughts or deeds that preceded it, you will deny it the force that it needs in order to exist. You will cease to intend to suffer that pain and endure that voice, and they will be no more.
Joy and Truth
A student asked the Teacher, "How is it possible for one to feel happiness when other souls are suffering?"
The Teacher replied, "Compassion does not require that you take another's suffering unto yourself, for doing so does not relieve the other's pain, and simply increases the amount of pain in the Universe. Compassion consists entirely of recognizing and strengthening the connection between souls, and between each individual soul and Spirit. Those connections spontaneously create joy, or rather allow the joy that is always present in Spirit to suffuse throughout the network of souls."
"Therefore, in meditation, do not seek to take over another's pain, but to convey your joy to that other. Recall that pain is not real, but only the result of separation. This is why spiritual connection seems to create joy and remove pain."
"It is not possible for one person to create joy in isolation; for all joy derives ultimately from connection to Spirit, either in its universal undifferentiated form, or in its manifestation in Nature and in other beings. On the other hand, pain, being created by separation, cannot be shared. A person can make pain for himself, but any other person who accepts that pain as his own does so voluntarily and as a further act of separation."
"So-called selfish pleasures do not add joy, because they create or do not diminish separation. It is possible to experience transitory pleasure at the cost of another's pain, but ultimately the pain returns to its creator and negates the illusion of pleasure. Therefore, seek those pleasures that create joy and do not create pain."
"The love of partnered souls is such a pleasure. So are the joy that comes from acts of charity, and the ecstasy of uniting with Spirit in meditation. All these add to the shared joy of Universal Spirit."
The student then asked, "What if my pleasure makes my neighbor jealous, or angry? Is my pleasure still adding to the amount of joy in the Universe?"
The Teacher answered, "Those whose consciousness is overcome by separation -- by pain -- may indeed create more pain for themselves by failing to acknowledge or partake of their share of the joy that is there for them to experience, including the joy you offer them through your own pleasure. Rather than allowing your happiness to warm their souls, they may seek to freeze it out by deepening the separation between you. This is pain acting to protect itself. But you did not create that pain; on the contrary, you offered your neighbor the gift of your joy."
"If he is so distracted by pain as to refuse the gift, do not respond with resentment and create pain for yourself. Allow the warmth of your soul's joy to continue to shine upon him, and wait patiently for the icy shell to melt. Love the Spirit within, and ignore the illusion that has temporarily encased it. In this way the pain he creates will not pollute the joy that you contribute to the Universe, and will eventually lose the ability to perpetuate itself."
"The source of joy in Spirit is infinite. Joy must ultimately overcome pain, because joy is the truth, while pain is falsehood. Even the soul that is dominated by pain throughout a mortal lifetime must return to the unfettered joy of Spirit when that lifetime ends. Knowing that joy, love and truth are one will allow you to maintain an attitude of compassionate openness towards all other souls, particularly toward those whose sense of separation and need for compassionate connection is greatest."
The Teacher replied, "Compassion does not require that you take another's suffering unto yourself, for doing so does not relieve the other's pain, and simply increases the amount of pain in the Universe. Compassion consists entirely of recognizing and strengthening the connection between souls, and between each individual soul and Spirit. Those connections spontaneously create joy, or rather allow the joy that is always present in Spirit to suffuse throughout the network of souls."
"Therefore, in meditation, do not seek to take over another's pain, but to convey your joy to that other. Recall that pain is not real, but only the result of separation. This is why spiritual connection seems to create joy and remove pain."
"It is not possible for one person to create joy in isolation; for all joy derives ultimately from connection to Spirit, either in its universal undifferentiated form, or in its manifestation in Nature and in other beings. On the other hand, pain, being created by separation, cannot be shared. A person can make pain for himself, but any other person who accepts that pain as his own does so voluntarily and as a further act of separation."
"So-called selfish pleasures do not add joy, because they create or do not diminish separation. It is possible to experience transitory pleasure at the cost of another's pain, but ultimately the pain returns to its creator and negates the illusion of pleasure. Therefore, seek those pleasures that create joy and do not create pain."
"The love of partnered souls is such a pleasure. So are the joy that comes from acts of charity, and the ecstasy of uniting with Spirit in meditation. All these add to the shared joy of Universal Spirit."
The student then asked, "What if my pleasure makes my neighbor jealous, or angry? Is my pleasure still adding to the amount of joy in the Universe?"
The Teacher answered, "Those whose consciousness is overcome by separation -- by pain -- may indeed create more pain for themselves by failing to acknowledge or partake of their share of the joy that is there for them to experience, including the joy you offer them through your own pleasure. Rather than allowing your happiness to warm their souls, they may seek to freeze it out by deepening the separation between you. This is pain acting to protect itself. But you did not create that pain; on the contrary, you offered your neighbor the gift of your joy."
"If he is so distracted by pain as to refuse the gift, do not respond with resentment and create pain for yourself. Allow the warmth of your soul's joy to continue to shine upon him, and wait patiently for the icy shell to melt. Love the Spirit within, and ignore the illusion that has temporarily encased it. In this way the pain he creates will not pollute the joy that you contribute to the Universe, and will eventually lose the ability to perpetuate itself."
"The source of joy in Spirit is infinite. Joy must ultimately overcome pain, because joy is the truth, while pain is falsehood. Even the soul that is dominated by pain throughout a mortal lifetime must return to the unfettered joy of Spirit when that lifetime ends. Knowing that joy, love and truth are one will allow you to maintain an attitude of compassionate openness towards all other souls, particularly toward those whose sense of separation and need for compassionate connection is greatest."
Judging
Ernest Holmes wrote:
"It is only when we have completely forgiven others that we can get a clearance in our minds, for we are judged by the judgment with which we judge. If we criticize, condemn, and censure, these are the attitudes that occupy our thinking, and they will not only reflect themselves outwardly, they will also reflect themselves inwardly."
"If we want a complete clearance of forgiveness, we must give a complete clearance to everyone and everything. Whether we like it or not, this is one of the great truths of life. Not only should we forgive others, but we should equally forgive ourselves and not carry the mistakes of the past into the future."
The phrase, "judge not, lest ye be judged" appears to carry the implication that God reserves the power of judgment unto itself. However, I believe that God does not judge souls, any more than a soul aligned with Spirit judges other souls. I understand the phrase in the context of the power of intention. Judging means to label a thing as immutably "bad". By judging, I allow badness to become a part of my universe. If I create a world in which judging plays a part, then I must expect to be judged by others as much as I judge them. By excluding judgment from my experience and my intention, I can begin to create a non-judgmental universe around me, one that is pervaded only by goodness.
"The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile."
--Albert Einstein
The truth that Einstein did not reveal is that it is our choice.
Compassion For the Uncompassionate
A student came to the Teacher and asked, "How can I feel compassion for evildoers, and those who feel no compassion themselves?"
The Teacher replied, "There is no being that is not capable of compassion, though some appear to have nothing but hatred or lust in their hearts. Even the cruelest tyrant may behave quite differently with those he loves, such as his children. But that is not the reason for your compassion. Cruelty and avarice are signs of separation. Separation is painful, and the soul that has temporarily lost its ability to connect with Spirit is in a state of constant torment. In its suffering it turns upon itself and upon Spirit, as Spirit is manifested in other souls around it. Like an animal caught in a trap, that may chew off its own foot to escape, such a soul may seek even to destroy itself, but generally succeeds only in bringing itself to the point of maximum suffering. In a misguided attempt to lessen its pain, it drives itself even farther into chaos and dis-ease."
"How can you contemplate such agony and not feel compassion? If such a soul in torment is near you, it may try to hurt you. This is the only way it can see, in its blind state, to try to remove the separation and bring you closer to itself. Do not allow ego to make you react out of hurt or vengeance; for then you will be pulled into the trap. It is at such times that your compassion should be felt most strongly, for only with the force of love and compassionate connection can the vicious cycle be broken. Pray for the evildoer, and do not answer evil with more evil. Probe the defenses the misguided being hides behind; if not in this life, then perhaps the next, a crack will be found, the shell will be broken, and the perfect sinless soul within will be released into the light of compassion and love."
The student persisted, "But what of truly monstrous beings, such as Adolf Hitler or Osama Bin Laden? Surely they do not deserve our compassion?"
The Teacher rebuked the student, saying, "You are mistaken if you think compassion is a gift that you bestow upon others. Compassion is your obeisance to God, the recognition of the universal spirit that unites you with the other. If you lack compassion for any child of God you are choosing to separate yourself from God to that extent."
"Even those who seem to have come into this world only to cause pain and destruction are sinless children of God at the core of their being. Encrusted and bound as they are by the scars of past pain, the soul within still glows and yearns to be released. Osama's soul is like a man buried alive; his hatred is like a coffin blocking out all light and even air, and the weight of Separation bears down like tons of earth heaped upon him. Wrapped in ropes of pain, it struggles only to find itself held tighter. It will require much compassion and lovingkindness from others to free that soul from the crushing weight of all the pain its thrashing about has caused. But if Osama and the millions of others like him are ever to be deflected from their destructive course, it will be by the true force of love and compassion, which is Spirit, and not by the false and hollow means of further death and destruction."
"This lesson is of critical importance, and I urge you to include such souls especially in your lovingkindness meditation."
A Meditation For Rough Seas
I am a creature of energy. This ship is made of steel and its energy is tightly bound in material form. It has no choice but to resist the waves and fight its way through as best it can. As a result, the passive energy of the ship's hull and the active energy of its engines clash with the energy of the ocean, creating and magnifying disturbing forces.
As pure energy, however, I have the ability to merge synergistically and enthusiastically with the energy of the sea. In meditation, I seek to release all resistance to that energy and to abandon attachment to my rigid material form. I attune myself to the movement of the waves and flow with them, following the course that Spirit has chosen for me, rather than try to fight through on a course of my own choosing.
Like a dolphin riding a powerful ocean current, I add my own energy flow to that of the spiritual sea in which I am immersed. I visualize myself as an aquatic being in harmony with the living energy of the ocean, or sometimes as an aerial creature, soaring and diving in the currents of the atmosphere. When the waves rise, I allow myself to be borne upward, sensing the moment when the wave will carry me to its crest, the resting point where the potential energy is the greatest. Poised at the peak of the wave, I sense the direction of the next trough, and allow myself to begin to slide in that direction. Making the energy of the wave my own, I release the stored potential and accelerate downward, feeling the exhilarating rush of the ocean's power as it propels me smoothly forward, twisting and turning through the lesser transitory currents and eddies that are contained even in this powerful mountain of water.
As the speed of our descent diminishes, I feel the ocean gathering strength again to bear me skyward on another magnificent swell. Propelled and guided by enormous forces, I am yet powerful and free, for I am one with the Spirit that informs everything in the Universe, manifesting as wave and ocean, wind and sky, animate and inanimate, and all beings including myself. The forces of Nature are my forces, and I am theirs; knowing this allows me to exist in harmony with them. I am secure in the awareness that Spirit holds only love and that love is accessible to me at every time and in every place.
And so it is.
As pure energy, however, I have the ability to merge synergistically and enthusiastically with the energy of the sea. In meditation, I seek to release all resistance to that energy and to abandon attachment to my rigid material form. I attune myself to the movement of the waves and flow with them, following the course that Spirit has chosen for me, rather than try to fight through on a course of my own choosing.
Like a dolphin riding a powerful ocean current, I add my own energy flow to that of the spiritual sea in which I am immersed. I visualize myself as an aquatic being in harmony with the living energy of the ocean, or sometimes as an aerial creature, soaring and diving in the currents of the atmosphere. When the waves rise, I allow myself to be borne upward, sensing the moment when the wave will carry me to its crest, the resting point where the potential energy is the greatest. Poised at the peak of the wave, I sense the direction of the next trough, and allow myself to begin to slide in that direction. Making the energy of the wave my own, I release the stored potential and accelerate downward, feeling the exhilarating rush of the ocean's power as it propels me smoothly forward, twisting and turning through the lesser transitory currents and eddies that are contained even in this powerful mountain of water.
As the speed of our descent diminishes, I feel the ocean gathering strength again to bear me skyward on another magnificent swell. Propelled and guided by enormous forces, I am yet powerful and free, for I am one with the Spirit that informs everything in the Universe, manifesting as wave and ocean, wind and sky, animate and inanimate, and all beings including myself. The forces of Nature are my forces, and I am theirs; knowing this allows me to exist in harmony with them. I am secure in the awareness that Spirit holds only love and that love is accessible to me at every time and in every place.
And so it is.
Oldies
Sometimes when I hear music from my teenage years, or from my young adulthood, I feel sad. Why is that? The explanation that I have always given myself is that I am mourning past mistakes and lost opportunities. At some level I think of the possibilities that lay before me at that age. Something in the depths of my consciousness feels that I have failed, that I have not wound up in the place that I could have been, and that I might have been happier if I had acted differently.
These are false beliefs. At every moment, at every age, I did the best that I could at that time. No doubt I made mistakes, but every soul makes mistakes. I have caused pain, but I swear I never acted with the purpose to do so. I have caused disappointments, but it was not I who created the expectations that were not met. I have not achieved financial security, but that has never been my goal.
If I regret anything, it is that I lived fifty years and more out of touch with Life. Spirit was at hand all those years, and I turned away from it. Yet this too must have been because this is now the right time for me to make my peace with the Universe and to join the chorus of souls. What would have happened if I had turned this way rather than that at any given point in my journey is irrelevant, for Spirit guided me otherwise.
How many blessings have been bestowed on me in those years? It is impossible to count. Six children, academic honors, professional respect, experience in many places and cultures, the joy of music, millions of smiles exchanged, and a love to last forever -- these are things that Spirit has brought me. And as I write these words, love and peace fill my heart as I experience the sense of unity with all creation that waited for me to welcome it into my life.
And so I affirm that I am not the past, but the Now of limitless possibility. This is not the possibility of an uncertain future, but the blooming and unfolding of the eternal present. Within me and around me, the Universe reveals itself in ever greater detail and manifests beauty that I need only observe to appreciate. My heart fills to bursting with amazement and gratitude, as I am warmed by the Source of all warmth.
And so it is.
These are false beliefs. At every moment, at every age, I did the best that I could at that time. No doubt I made mistakes, but every soul makes mistakes. I have caused pain, but I swear I never acted with the purpose to do so. I have caused disappointments, but it was not I who created the expectations that were not met. I have not achieved financial security, but that has never been my goal.
If I regret anything, it is that I lived fifty years and more out of touch with Life. Spirit was at hand all those years, and I turned away from it. Yet this too must have been because this is now the right time for me to make my peace with the Universe and to join the chorus of souls. What would have happened if I had turned this way rather than that at any given point in my journey is irrelevant, for Spirit guided me otherwise.
How many blessings have been bestowed on me in those years? It is impossible to count. Six children, academic honors, professional respect, experience in many places and cultures, the joy of music, millions of smiles exchanged, and a love to last forever -- these are things that Spirit has brought me. And as I write these words, love and peace fill my heart as I experience the sense of unity with all creation that waited for me to welcome it into my life.
And so I affirm that I am not the past, but the Now of limitless possibility. This is not the possibility of an uncertain future, but the blooming and unfolding of the eternal present. Within me and around me, the Universe reveals itself in ever greater detail and manifests beauty that I need only observe to appreciate. My heart fills to bursting with amazement and gratitude, as I am warmed by the Source of all warmth.
And so it is.
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