Mourning Becomes Destructive

Mourning to excess is destructive. Many have stopped living themselves when a loved one has passed, literally hoping for their own end so they can “join” with them on the “other side.” When we have committed ourselves to living on the Spiritual Basis, death and all suffering come into true focus. Nothing truly dies. The flesh will fail for this is the nature of flesh, but the spark of the Divine; the ineffable power at the heart of everything that stands outside of time and our synthetic understanding of the universe, was never born and can never die. Mourn those who have passed beyond our limited sight by celebrating their life, this lesson learned, comforted in the knowledge of their translation from flesh back to true self, unbound and unencumbered by physical limitations.

 Death provides a clear ending point, but what of the sneaky things we mourn? Lamenting lost or missed opportunities, those “if I only would have” moments when we fantasize what our lives would have been like if we had acted or chosen differently. “If I was only (fill in the blank) years younger“, “If I didn’t have kids” (this doesn’t mean we don’t love our children or in any way wish they were gone). “What if” moments, we all have them, so when they come, let them pass with little notice, like a small wave lapping our feet at the waters edge. Do not under any circumstance comment out loud or engage in conversation regarding them. For if we do, what began as a seemingly benign chat will devolve into morbid reflection, pulling us out of the moment and into a destructive contemplation of the past. Profit from your experiences, use them as teaching instruments for you and more importantly others, but do not dwell on them, for any reason. “We do not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it” for one of life’s great truths is that “Pain is the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self.” 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

#The Secret, #Wayne Dyer, #Serenity, Enlightenment, #Zen, #Emmet Fox, #How To Be Happy, #Golden Key, #Pope Francis, #Chopra, #Jesus, #Einstein, #AA, McRaven,

The Rich Young Man Anchored By His Possessions

Have you inventoried your “great possessions”? We all have them and until we identify them and understand their roots they will act as invisible anchors, slowing our progress. Does this mean we have to strip away and discard all we own (physically and mentally) to grow spiritually? No, but we must discard our attachments. There is nothing spiritually hindering in possessions, unless we define ourselves by our possessions. We are not the house we live in or derive any real status (positive or negative) from its physical location. We are not the car we drive, wristwatch we wear or any other material possession for these things are all passing, mere ornaments of living, gifts to enjoy but of little spiritual value, destructive if they lull us into a false sense of  perceived entitlement.

As hindering as these may be they pale in significance when weighed against our mental possessions which plant the deepest and heaviest anchors. Once we close our mind to any new thinking or concept, in any area of life, we throw out another anchor, for nothing slows, even stops our spiritual growth quicker than a closed mind. To hold that any group or people are either favored by God or despised, plants another anchor. To place anyone or anything on a pedestal, a sacred cow, another anchor. To refuse to recognize the inherent dignity of anyone, regardless of their station, another anchor, there are many more. We are spiritual beings, the power that is within us, moves us is beyond measure; it is no less than the creative life force that animates the mayfly and powers the stars. As great as this power is, we can set enough anchors to slow our growth to the point of it being imperceptible. We must begin cutting away the anchors slowing our progress, for if we don’t, our fate will be the same as the Rich Young Man, who failed to demonstrate and …went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions (Matthew 19:22)

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

#The Secret, #Wayne Dyer, #Serenity, Enlightenment, #Zen, #Emmet Fox, #How To Be Happy, #Golden Key, #Pope Francis, #Chopra, #Jesus, #Einstein, #AA, McRaven,

 

The Poor In Spirit, Blessed? The Set Aside Prayer

 There is probably no more misunderstood passage in the Sermon on the Mount than “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). We all have known or know those who are “poor spirited” and blessed usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, when really considering this passage for the first time it is difficult not to think of those times when we have felt poor spirited; somewhat perplexing to the notion that if this is “blessed”, what is heaven really like? The “poor in spirit” Jesus refers too has nothing to do with being poor spirited. Being poor in spirit means we have let go of our preconceptions and self will. There is a prayer known as the set-aside or lay-aside prayer that speaks to this state of consciousness. There are a number of variations, this is one of the simplest forms: Dear God, please help me to set aside everything I think I know about you and this world, so I may have an open mind and a new experience. Please help me to see your Truth, Amen. Surrendering to win, setting aside our preconceived ideas and sacred cows. If we can achieve this raised state of consciousness,  remaining open minded and willing to learn, to change and honestly address our defects as well as our assets of character in their proper light, we would truly be “poor in spirit” and the kingdom of heaven ours.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

#The Secret, #Wayne Dyer, #Serenity, Enlightenment, #Zen, #Emmet Fox, #How To Be Happy, #Golden Key, #Pope Francis, #Chopra, #Jesus, #Einstein, #AA, McRaven,