The Art Of Life

How do we progress spiritually? Is it by studying every new book or teacher that comes along, casting aside yesterday’s book or teacher in hope that the new information or teacher is superior? Perhaps never even giving a particular teaching time to work because of jumping from one to another, and there is always another. The student of mathematics progresses logically forward, as do students of all secular studies. They learn the basics, building upon this foundation as their understanding advances. In mathematics every new theorem, every breakthrough from Pythagoras to Newton to Einstein to Hawking began with understanding 1+1. They all began with the basics, thoroughly understood and employed, which then lead in time to inspired new demonstrations.

The study of metaphysics requires not only the logical progression of thought as mathematics but the artists way as well. We can rub elbows with artists, visit the finest galleries, study countless books on art and though we may have a wonderful appreciation and even love of art, we will never be an artist until we place pencil to paper, brush to canvas, chisel to stone, etc. Our peace of mind, serenity, develops as we practice, demonstrate, what we have learned about spiritual principles, in our lives, daily. Knowledge is fine, but without demonstration possesses little power to change. As we practice what we know spiritually daily (the amount immaterial, remember 1+1) our heart and mind becomes more attuned with the spiritual basis, through this demonstration we grow in understanding by action, and there is no other way to truly learn how to Live on the Spiritual Basis.

Our lives are our canvas, the brush willingness, the paint our spiritual understanding, so we apply what we have learned of living spiritually and let God guide our hand. The emerging picture is truly miraculous, but requires a lifetime of diligent effort to complete. Oh, and art is messy, so don’t worry about the paint under your finger nails, on the floor, the walls or your clothes, the Great Artist understands and it puts a smile on His face.

Fresh Bread And Happiness

What makes you happy? We have all felt happiness in our lives, meeting him/her, wedding day, divorce day, birth of a child, landing “the” job, graduating, watching our child graduate, doing something nice for somebody and not getting caught, etc. The key here is that just as fresh bread is only fresh for a short time, these feelings of happiness fade.

So, what would provide long term, permanent happiness, permanently fresh bread if you will? Wealth? Good health? Satisfying career? Begs some consideration. Money is good, having had money and been broke, having money is better, but happiness? Some of the most miserable, unhappy people I have known had plenty of money, so money by itself clearly isn’t the answer. Perfect health is great, but since no one gets out alive, good health ultimately is terminal. Careers are important, but intrinsically suffers the same shortcomings as wealth.

If we make our happiness contingent on outer things, including people, we will never be truly happy. In truth, happiness can only be found within. Experience demonstrates those who have a deep and abiding spirituality have a sense of true happiness at their core.  Trouble still comes, as it does for all, but they meet calamity with serenity for they have a conscious contact with Source, and through prayer, meditation and service meet all of life’s downs and ups with faith, for only by faith in demonstration do we receive the divine guidance and strength that provides lasting inner peace, paving the way of true happiness, something to consider while enjoying freshly baked bread.

Matrix Of All Matter

        Everything is comprised of energy. Not just energized, but comprised of it. The chair you are sitting on. The monitor you are looking at or the paper you are reading this on. The air you are breathing, you, everything. Max Planck, winner of the Nobel Prize for physics wrote: “All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter.” In the last three decades science has observed what Max Planck could only postulate nearly a hundred years ago to be true. The importance of this so profound the largest machine ever constructed by man, the 17 mile long Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was built to investigate these particles.

         Living on the Spiritual Basis the intelligence that exists through out creation is accepted and understood by faith. Tools like the LHC for exploring the micro or the Hubble telescope the macro perhaps will help those who doubt the existence of a Power Greater Than Themselves to have a bit more of an open mind, but that is left to them. Having found the great reality deep within, Living on the Spiritual Basis the truth in living has become operative through demonstration. In those moments of fear and doubt that come for all, we have learned to quietly turn to Source for our salvation and answers, tapping into that power, the energy that exists all around us, within and without; to do what it knows is necessary to bring us to freedom. Living on the Spiritual Basis we have learned through experience to apply Infinite Power, the mind that is the matrix of all matter, in our lives, guarantying freedom and success from and over all difficulties.   

Great Is Diana

       The silversmith Demetrius made his living off making shrines to the goddess Diana. When the apostle Paul brought the Christ message to his town many began turning away from worshiping the goddess. Demetrius and his fellow businessmen found their livelihood at stake, for without Diana worship they were out of business, so he and his fellow craftsmen began shouting “Great is Diana” in an attempt to stem the tide embracing the new path. They took this action not out of any real spiritual belief, but belief in their pocketbooks, motivated by fear, not faith.

       Trusting in God is simple but not easy. We are consistently bombarded by hand-wringers and fear spreaders at every turn, the one thing they all share is the secular basis of living, not the spiritual. The silversmiths didn’t trust Diana to deliver them, and rightfully so for the only Diana readily known today is the late princess of Wales, a beautiful woman no doubt, but no goddess, so they felt they had to take matters into their own hands, trusting secular action over faith based demonstration. 

     The promise of Living on the Spiritual Basis is by trusting and relying on the one true source, God, all questions of living will be answered and we will be provided with everything we need to grow and prosper. God is either everything or else He is nothing, what is our choice to be?  So to be truly free, we must be about God’s business, demonstrating the infinite over the finite and resist the fear based urge to shout "Great is Diana."

The Spiritual Versus The Secular Life

        Secular success is typically measured by possessions, popularity, good looks, living the “good” life. Spiritually success however is measured by the peace, poise and serenity we demonstrate when difficulties arrive, a state we achieve by understanding the true nature of our being, realizing that appearances are illusionary, possessions temporary . Secular health it is about looking and feeling good at any price, taking and doing whatever to achieve that which is passing at best. Spiritual health is not about the body. Awake to the truth that this flesh is merely a vehicle, a conveyance for a time. This does not mean that we misuse it or ignore its care, but we are clear that we are not our body since all flesh fails, that we truly are a spark of the divine, eternal, existing before this flesh was conceived and existing beyond its return to the dust and ash from which it came. Secular: the opinions of others have power and color our choices and decisions. Spiritually: when we are right with God, all other relationships can and will fall into place.

      As we transition from living on the secular basis to Living on the Spiritual Basis our whole attitude about life and living changes. “That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.” “What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration becomes a working part of the mind.” Spiritual or secular, peace or tumult, the choice is ours. “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Living on the Spiritual Basis we are no longer of this world, but we are in it; life simplified for: “we have ceased fighting anything or anyone.”  “We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well.”

God Don't Row

    Einstein remarked, “The most important decision you will ever make is whether you live in a friendly or hostile universe.” Spiritually, if we live in a hostile universe, then no matter what we do, there really isn‘t any hope for us. The hostile universe is dominated by a “score keeper” God, holding that we are full of sin, so all we can do is the best we can, knowing that when this flesh fails the piper will be paid. Forgive the language but this lacks something without it: “Life is just one big shit sandwich, believing in God just means you get fries with it” pretty much sums up the hostile universe point of view.

     But what of the friendly universe? When the Carpenter delivered the Sermon On The Mount, he summed up our relationship with God simply with the words “Our Father.”  The friendly universe then builds on a basic criterion: we are all connected, equal in His eyes regardless of circumstance or station, “the realm of Heaven roomy, all inclusive, never exclusive or forbidding; open to all who earnestly seek.”

     We have all been touched by sin, however in the friendly universe we Live on the Spiritual Basis, knowing in our heart of hearts, that we are forgiven as soon as we ask. The key being that we truly wish to change and grow spiritually, so past transgressions no longer bedevil us or are repeated. Forgiveness is meaningless however if it is only sought as a means to avoid trouble. For forgiveness to be operative we must desire to change with all our heart, finally realizing that though willing, the flesh is weak, we must have help and that help comes from “Our Father.”

    Now, if we had to wait to be “pure” to become worthy of God’s love none of us would make the cut. To be clear: we are worthy right here right now; all that is required is a wholehearted commitment to seek a relationship with God. How is this done? Through prayer, service and meditation coupled with willingness and an open mind. When approached this way the path of our enlightenment naturally unfolds before us, but we must continue in the work. Visualize it this way: It is you and God in a rowboat and God don’t row. His hand is on the tiller and we row with our back to the direction traveled, our eyes fixed on Him, lest we become fearful and try to steer the boat by pulling a little harder on one oar or the other, resisting God’s guidance. If we ultimately lose faith and grab the tiller He will not fight us, but He will not row. Lacking our demonstration, our rowing, our little boat is left to the mercy of contrary currents and swirling eddies of self-centered fear, ultimately directionless even though our hand is on the tiller. The good news is as soon as we retake our seat and pick up the oars, He will resume the tiller and though we may be fearful and trembling, we grow by once again demonstrating trust in the infinite, rather than our finite selves. Oh, and He brings much better sandwiches.

Mountain Streams And Tennyson

     Closer is He than breathing; nearer than hands and feet.-Tennyson. And that is most near indeed. In truth: we are always in contact with source. Why? Because we are of source, we are not human beings in search of a spiritual connection; we are spiritual beings experiencing the human condition.

     The next time you find yourself looking at a small mountain stream take a moment to consider the waters journey. Every river and stream that empties into the ocean is connected to every other by an unbroken string of water molecules. Some of these molecules will travel to the deepest recesses of the ocean, only to rise up again to the surface and evaporate, returning to the clouds to fall as snow or rain once again, a journey repeated countless times, source constantly renewed.

     We are surrounded by wonder, the amazing complexity and interconnectedness of life in even the simplest things, if we will only take the time to consider. Though separated from one another by flesh, Spirit transcends all limitation and constraint. So when reaching out for source, for God, in prayer and meditation remember: Closer is He than breathing; nearer than hands and feet, so drink deeply, for He is most near indeed.

Is Prayer Inconsistent?

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). Having now Lived on the Spiritual Basis for a time we have seen the power of prayer in our and others lives. So the question isn’t whether or not prayer works/changes things but why it seems inconsistent, why some prayers are answered and others seemingly falling on deaf ears.

    To be crystal clear on this point: All prayers are answered and answered in the affirmative, but never at the expense of others. Prayer provides what we need, not necessarily want we want.

     When new to the path prayers are often a form of outlining, a request for some action we would like God to take on our behalf, thinking we know what’s best for us at the time. Having made the decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God it is clear why prayers of this type do not return the expected results, but God does answer these prayers in the affirmative, providing what we need though we cannot see it at the time with our fear limited consciousness.

     Instead of telling God how a problem, difficulty or fear should be addressed  we instead trust in Him to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves, standing ready to follow whatever path he lays out for us. Soon our lives begin change in incredible and marvelous ways for we now know I Can‘t, He Can and I Will Trust In Him.


     Then there are half hearted prayers, praying with a lurking notion in the back of our mind that we don’t really deserve His help or He is too busy to be bothered so we pray without any real expectation of receiving, and God responds in the manner we ask. We must keep in the forefront of our consciousness that God wants us, all of us, to be happy, joyous and free, this life an extension of, not separate from Him. So pray expecting to receive for all of creation is at our beck and call when we pray from the heart and trust in Him.

The One True Answer

        As we live and learn, practicing our new way of life; Living on the Spiritual Basis, not only our perspective but our actions begin to change naturally. We begin to act from love, from God. Less and less do we see the world through the prism of the carnal, secular mind. Viewing existence through a new pair of glasses, we have begun to experience life connected to Source instead of at odds with it. As our consciousness grows and expands the truth of the power of love becomes more apparent. Love is God, God is love and love is always the answer. Through the process of Living on the Spiritual Basis we have established a conscious contact with God, so when faced with any difficulty, problem or trouble the realization of God’s love and Divine presence will not only solve or correct the situation but remove it. Clearly this new way of living develops over time, so if our first thought is not always about God, do not be discouraged. When we become aware that we haven’t yet turned to God in a particular instance, we do so as soon as the awareness surfaces, and be gentle, under no circumstance do we allow our internal dialogue to turn negative. This is not a race, we are already in eternity and negative thoughts about our progress are always counter productive.

Responding To Trouble

          How do you respond to trouble? The typical response is to either square up and meet force with force or escape as rapidly as possible. Living on the Spiritual Basis provides a different path. As soon as we become aware; someone appears looking to pick a fight (physically or verbally), an argument begins (whether it concerns us or not), we witness a fender bender, someone does something inconsiderate or dangerous while driving, we are subjected to or are in the presence of rude behavior, etc immediately we turn to prayer, seeing the situation and all involved in Divine Presence, bathing them and the situation in God’s love and direction, relying on prayer and spiritual enlightenment for resolution. In this way we tap into unlimited power and potential, rejecting human limitation, for “When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.”

The Sky Is Falling, The Sky Is Falling!

         We are constantly bombarded with messages of doom and gloom. Right this minute a program is running on at least one if not multiple cable channels dealing with mankind’s demise at the hands of: super volcanoes, global warming, nuclear winter, asteroid or comet strikes, EMP blasts, any of a variety of pathogens from plague to flu (naturally occurring or man-made), the Earth’s magnetic field flipping, galactic alignment and of course the Mack daddy: Nostradamus, the Mayan’s (or is it the Aztecs, no no, it’s the Mayan’s) and others predicting the world will end on 12-21-2012 (thinking Feng Shui, wouldn‘t 12-21-2112 work better?).


       If you knew for certain that any of these calamities were about to happen, would it fundamentally change your way of living? If we answer yes, then we have missed the point of Living on the Spiritual Basis. To be clear: of course jobs and other secular pursuits would fall to irrelevance and our focus would naturally turn to the people and things that truly matter if the end of days was truly upon us, but what of our behavior, the way we live? Years ago a clean and sober friend commented in the most casual of ways that if something like this happened they would get a hold of the best booze and drugs they could lay their hands on and party like it was the end of the world, since it was. We all have a physical expiration date, the day we transcend the flesh and somersault into eternity, the only difference here being we would know the time, nothing else fundamentally changed.

     So, do we walk the way we talk? If we would cast aside the path we are on if circumstances changed, then we are not Living on the Spiritual Basis. So the good news is that if we would change our behavior if we knew our expiration date, we now know there is work to do, so we get down to the causes and conditions, with God’s help, and embrace Living on the Spiritual Basis in truth, stepping on to the road of happy destiny, leaving all other paths behind. Oh, and quit watching those programs.

The Price Too High

       Know anyone immortal? How about 200 years old? No? Hmmm…I guess its true then: no one gets out alive. Remember when you were a teenager and couldn’t wait to enjoy the fruits of adulthood, as a wise man said: youth is wasted on the young. So many truths of youth take on a different patina when viewed with experienced eyes. Who wouldn’t love to have the energy, the recuperative power, the abs and above all the knees of our youth? But at what price?

      Looking back at the younger me I was filled with self as only the young can be, I had all the answers and was quick to enlighten you and I was clueless to down right dismissive on spiritual matters. I placed worldly possessions, accomplishments and titles on the pedestal of success, relying on them for personal significance, holding these things as important, paramount, chasing the fleeting chimera of perceived entitlement, believing spiritual living was archaic, pointless in these modern times. So the query is: Would I surrender the work done to Live on the Spiritual Basis, the visible and invisible scars so well earned forgotten, to recapture youths glow and promise?

     I think not. The price too high where spiritual pride, self-righteousness and wallowing in self-love and hedonism, especially at the expense of others are on the bill. So I guess I’m stuck with these knees, afternoon naps and the memory of a 28 inch waist. It’s not so bad though, although I have to don reading glasses my vision has never been better, I see with the clarity that comes by trusting and relying upon infinite God, rather than my finite self. I have learned the hard lesson of not answering the unasked questions, having learned through bitter experience that as much as we may wish to help, that help is not welcomed if offered unbidden, for in truth, there is no price too great to live free of the bondage of self.

    So when the day comes, hopefully sometime from now, when I step into eternity my life will be measured not by the love I received or even earned, but by that which I gave freely, the blessings given anonymously without personal expectation. I really do miss those knees though. Cheers.

The Lion's Den Of Morbid Reflection

         Morbid reflection is the act of rehashing and/or rehearsing  the “story”  of some past negative event or occurrence over and over again. When employed this practice takes us out of the moment and transports us back to a time when either we did or said something objectionable or something objectionable was done or said to us. Typically it begins in the most nonchalant manner but quickly morphs into feelings of hurt, fear, loss, anger, resentment then graduating into condemnation of ourselves/them or both, finally leaving us depressed, feeling like crap (not the term a psychologist would use, but it does say it all).

      When we engage in morbid reflection it is akin to hanging a big steak around our neck and stepping into a lion’s den. Not really surprising then what happens next, yet unless we are vigilant in our minds eye we will find ourselves staring at that drooling lion regularly, wondering how we stumbled into the den again and where the hell did this steak come from. We do not allow morbid reflection to gain even the slightest foothold in our thinking, so when we become aware of the lion, we immediately turn to God and ask Him to guide our thoughts. If the lion has already got a hold, we keep our prayers simple but insistent: Please God, help me to keep my head where my hands are, thy will be done or the simple yet powerful Be still and know that I am God. Depending on how far the lion has progressed with its meal, we may have to repeat the prayer or prayers numerous times, but considering the outcome of the meal if we don’t, the price is cheap. So when the lion roars, agree quickly that you are in the den, the only way out being swift and consistent application of spiritual principles.    

Our Perfection Realized

      What is perfection? A child’s laugh, a spring day, the family gathered together for the holidays, a content cat, chocolate, all of these things and infinitely more may be perfect but only in the most subjective way; i.e. in the “eye of the beholder.” Forms of non-subjective perfection; a “perfect” game in baseball, a spade royal flush, prime numbers or scoring a “100” on a test come to mind. Descartes held “existence itself is perfection”, which extrapolated could lead one down the path of “everything” being perfect. So clearly perfection can be often perfectly obscure.

        So what then is “spiritual” perfection? And what flawed individual could ever hope to attain it? No one among us has lived or is living life perfectly. Spiritual perfection is not living perfectly but holding to the perfection of God. I can’t, but He can. Living on the Spiritual Basis we have learned that all are connected in spirit, the eternal spark of the divine existing in each of us regardless of station or circumstance, all equal in His eyes, Our Father’s love, perfect; beyond time and flesh. So by a wholehearted commitment, day by day, to grow in understanding and service to Our Father, we approach “perfection.” Though this flesh, this life, will never be perfect our pursuit and demonstration of faith, though trembling, can be.

Our Spiritual Garden

        When we first begin our spiritual journey in earnest specific and ritualized spiritual practices are important fundamentals. These set times and forms provide a foundation and the necessary discipline on which we build. In good time, as we become more adept, many of the simple guidelines and structure we began with will naturally fall away. This happens with no thought or conscious effort on our part. A simple guide: if you are asking yourself if it’s time to change your process, don’t. When it is time for change it will happen naturally, if we are asking the question, then we are attempting to hasten the process, which is not possible. Think of it this way: when we plant a garden would we expect the plants to grow and mature to our time table? Of course not, nor would we dream of harvesting the crop before it was ready. Water, sunlight, food, pests and the diligence of the gardener most of all, affect the health of the garden, the timing and size of the harvest.

     Our spiritual growth is just like all other natural growth in that it is affected by numerous factors. So we tend our spiritual garden diligently but refuse to concern ourselves with timing, focusing instead on the work before us this day. In time the fruits will present themselves at exactly the perfect moment of awakening.

    Our spiritual garden, unlike other gardens, is eternal and will continue to give forth nourishment unabated as long as we keep our eyes on God, the true source, avoiding the temptation to pull our crop up prematurely to check the roots for signs of progress. As time passes we find that our understanding and demonstration has reached new heights, our garden seemingly taking care of its self as we cultivate still greater faith and service, becoming closer, day by day in thought and deed to Our Father, the demonstration of our true coming of age spiritually.

Becoming Spiritually Superior

        The pitfall of self-righteousness has trapped and pulled down countless individuals. In most endeavors in life when we reach the top (think any Senator, sports star, billionaire, The President etc) there is a natural sense of awe surrounding the individual and their accomplishments. Accomplishments however do not elevate one spiritually “above” anyone else, regardless of how much money, power, fame or titles they garner. Additionally the destruction wrought by self-righteous entitlement thinking on those who were born into wealth and position would be cliché if its effects on them and those they touch were not so heartbreaking.

     The greatest and most damaging falls occur however when an individual garners a sense of superiority from the spiritual work they have done. Though they began with good motives, they succumbed to the trap. When we grow spiritually, unless we stay ever vigilant, we can lose ourselves in self and begin to “look down” on those seeking guidance from a self constructed tower of superiority to the point of even becoming unwilling to continue to experience new spiritual winds, losing sight of our role as messenger, our demonstration of spiritual principles the message, no one of greater import before God than any other. Entitlement thinking may be the dubious luxury of the rich and famous, with or without personal accomplishment, but spiritual entitlement thinking is deadly.

       Living on the Spiritual Basis we demonstrate the spiritual precepts we have learned in our daily life, for we cannot transmit that which we do not live ourselves. If we are attempting to teach a lesson we do not practice we will ultimately fail and fall victim to the dictum: “do as I say, not as I do” which is the golden gate of self-righteousness. We avoid this by staying vigilant and when spiritual entitlement thinking begins to make it’s self known, for it will, we turn to God and thank Him for knowing Him better, for keeping us “right” sized, our lives the demonstration of the new basis of living.

Your Inner Light

         Never turn away from anyone seeking help or guidance. Part of the progression in our spiritual growth is the rise in our natural or soul “luminescence” as we demonstrate over the issues of life. As we begin to Live on the Spiritual Basis, day by day, people will naturally become attracted. As your inner light shines ever brighter even complete strangers will be drawn to you, seeking something they cannot name but subconsciously know they need, feeling it, seeing it with their inner sight.  

       They won’t know why (and under no circumstance should we try to explain it) they are attracted, but they have questions and you appeal to their higher consciousness as someone with answers. We share openly and honestly our path with them, but under no circumstance do we evangelize. We answer the asked questions only and resist the urge to steer the conversation. Remember: real growth and understanding must begin within and though we have naturally grown into a guiding light, we must let them grow and learn at their own rate. We lead by example and teach by demonstration.

      Now the rub: many have reached this point in their development only to lose themselves in spiritual pride. This terrible trap has snared untold numbers over time. Remember: just as the light bulb is the focal point of the light, the demonstration, it is the invisible power electricity that lights it. We are the messenger, the shinning light; God is the message, the true source that powers our inner light. 

Spiritual Jell-O

          “The universe is run exactly on the lines of a cafeteria” Emmet Fox.  Just as at a self serve cafeteria, all of the gifts Our Father’s grace provides are laid out before us, but it is up to us to take the action to claim these gifts, for just as the cafeteria where we can sit waiting, watching others eating all around us, we remain hungry until we act. So we rise up, in spirit, and claim our spiritual nourishment through prayer and meditation, putting into action/demonstration the truths we have come to hold in our heart. We resist the alluring spiritual shortcuts arrayed before us that lead only to tears, for this would be akin to trying to exist on jell-o and desserts only. Though colorful, tasty and satisfying in the moment, it is ultimately spiritually deadly if we try to exist on these solely. Spiritual jell-o, you heard it here first, refunds available upon request.

Black Cats

           Step on a crack and break your mama’s back, three on a match, a dead man’s shoes, break a mirror, black cat crossing your path, spilled salt, anything 13, walking under a ladder, we have all heard these superstitions and many more. Many believe that life is influenced by seemingly random negative outside occurrences like these. When we begin to Live on the Spiritual Basis it becomes clear that life is filled with uncontrollable moments of broken mirrors, sidewalk cracks, black cats etc. and the only power they possess is that which we choose to give them. Living on the Spiritual Basis has taught us there is only one power, God as we understand Him. Superstitions, sacred cows and their ilk are all curious impediments to living happy, joyous and free, pulling us from the light and into self centered fear. Oh, in complete disclosure, I have two black cats, they made me tell you for God knows I wouldn‘t think of crossing them.

Becoming A Tyrant

          Living by spiritual principles is not easy, no news flash there, and unfortunately many that do disagree on the path. Constructive conversation in congenial tones, on any topic, should be sought; unfortunately many are incapable of this. Their beliefs fall into the “my way or the highway” school of judgment, raised to Sacred Cow status, which leaves no room whatsoever for conversation, let alone congeniality. Spiritually, the “either get it my way or burn” club are individuals who have fallen prey to the temptation to exercise personal power over others. To make them toe the line, even to use others to advance their personal agenda, all for the greater good of course, the indelicate machinations of politicians notwithstanding, history is rife with those who may have started out with noble ideals, who then began to believe their own press and (often unconsciously) placed themselves on the pedestal of “I know better” transforming from teacher to leader to tyrant.

Tyrant: 1. Absolute ruler: an absolute ruler who exercises power cruelly and unjustly 
2.  Authoritarian person: somebody who exercises authority unjustly and oppressively. 

      To avoid this temptation is simple but not easy. It begins, and ends, with the absolute truth that all are equal in God’s eyes. “Our Father” states without doubt our relationship with Him who has all knowledge and power, all equally loved, the opportunity to live on the Spiritual Basis open to all, the key to freedom from this ignoble sin. When we look down on or speak derisively to or about anyone we open the door to the tyranny of spirit, hiding behind the straw man sentiment of “it’s for their own good.” To be free, we must salute their innate spirituality, recognizing the nobility of their spirit even though they are incapable of reciprocation.

     We never shrink when confronted by tyrants, we stand firm, stating our belief with clarity and tact, resisting the temptation to reply in kind or worse, seek compromise using mollification of our belief as a method of avoiding the necessary confrontation. Tyrants only view this as weakness, our failure to stand strong in faith providing them license. An individuals demonstration belongs only to them, for all reap as they sow. Living on the Spiritual Basis we stand and deliver; without judgment or rancor, for flesh is ephemeral, the soul eternal. We will all fall short of this ideal, for such is the nature of being human, so we must always be gentle when dealing with ourselves, profiting from all experiences, sharing openly and honestly our highs and lows, successes and failures. Remember: liking or agreeing with someone is not a requisite for saluting their innate spirituality; it is our ultimate responsibility to one another as children of a loving God. In living this way we remain free of the temptation to exercise personal power over others.