Gremlins

We all know someone, might even be someone we see in the mirror daily, who has a shelf full of self help/spiritual books. Now, they probably have all been read, once, after which they took their place of pride in the collection. Being a spiritual guru, enlightened being, Zen master, world class pistol shot and just a peach of a guy, I will now impart to you one of the great grand secrets of the universe. Gremlins. Pick up any one of the books that touched you in the past, open it at random and start reading. Read a page or two. Go ahead, I’ll wait………………Pretty amazing huh. How could you have missed that the first time? Yup, gremlins. When we are not looking they move the words around to reflect our ever increasing level of spiritual understanding. The lesson is simple, stop looking for answers, you already have them. Study what you already know, what has touched you for it touched you for a reason. Study that which has sung to you in the past and you will be amazed that no matter how many times you have read it, those darn gremlins have got in there and with your expanded insight deeper meaning has surfaced. This isn’t to say that nothing new can come along, but first we set our foundation deep by focusing on basic truths, revisiting the roots of our belief regularly, observing how the gremlins have brought new luster to that which we thought we knew and understood. Aren’t secrets cool. Gremlins, who knew?

Metaphysical Truth and Prayer

What you think upon grows. The thoughts we dwell on will be out pictured in our lives. Period. When we dwell on lack, perceived injustice (real and imagined), resentment or any of the other hundred forms of fear clamoring for our attention, we attach them to our consciousness as surely as a barnacle to a pier piling. Though no one would say they wish to suffer, to believe we can think negatively but expect to receive the opposite is a subtle form of spiritual insanity.

Now, it would be a poor law indeed if it did not work in the reverse. When we dwell on the positive, on the Presence of God, on the truth of our relationship with the Divine, that all fear and negativity are false, God the giver of every good gift, will then be out pictured in our lives.

Prayer is causative, so always pray in the positive. Never begin a prayer with "I need" or "I want" for this only reinforces the perceived lack. Consider: Divine life brings well-being to every part of my body when our health is less than optimal. God is the giver of every good gift, ready to supply my every need when in need of greater prosperity. These examples are borrowed from Emmet Fox, the wording not nearly as important as the set of our heart as we say them, but they have served me well for many years, perhaps you as well.

Remember, be gentle with yourself when in prayer, pray with a feather. In the future when finding yourself starting a prayer with I need or I want, and you will, we all do from time to time when fear is upon us, laugh and thank God that you know Him better. Laughter in the face of fear is music to God's ears and the gentleness with which we treat ourselves in His name a demonstration in true faith.

Gremlins

Chances are you would not be reading this unless you have an affinity for spiritual writing and teachers. How many “spiritual” books are on your bookshelf, by how many different authors? Perhaps Chopra, Fox, Dyer, Gibran, maybe Schuler, Wilkerson, Grizone and Warren are a few of them? Then there are the heavy hitters, The Bible, Vedas, Torah, Bhagavad-Gita, Koran or the Book of Mormon. Let me apologize for leaving out any preferred authors or personal heavy hitters. Now this is going to be hard for some of you, so take a deep breath, perhaps get a glass of water before reading on. OK, ready: Reading spiritual books does nothing for our spiritual condition, any more than reading about diets results in weight loss. Sure, we know more about weight loss, perhaps more about nutrition, have read testimony from those who lost weight and have become inspired to take action. Now, in truth, we may be informed and inspired but nothing happens until we take action. Knowing when to stop seeking and start doing can be a difficult and often fearful transition.

When I wore a younger man’s clothes and was far more impressed with myself, I would look at my bookshelves loaded down with spiritual tomes with self-important satisfaction. Believing knowledge equaled demonstration, I had convinced myself that I not just talked the talk, but walked the walk. I could not have been more wrong. When the truth finally hit, it was devastating. I had a head full of knowledge but had put precious little of the “great truths” I would expound on into action, and what I had put into action was inconsistent and haphazard at best. I was the antithesis of spiritual truth, talking the talk but not walking the walk.

Today I “keep it simple.” Instead of looking for a new book or author, I regularly re-read a small group of books. It seems that having read these books and then put them down for a time, “gremlins” sneak in and add/change the text since the last reading! Some of these books I have read for decades, all of them numerous times and those darn gremlins never fail to do their work. Instead of looking for a new book or author, pick up a book that deeply touched you, it is right there on the shelf, and read it with the new pair of “glasses” your living experience has provided you, and say hello to the gremlins.

"Dead from the neck up!"

I can see Archie Bunker in my minds eye as he points at “meathead” with his thumb saying :dead from the neck up! Vintage TV aside, if you are not a student of history, become one. There truly is nothing new under the sun when it comes to human interaction. Read headlines from 70 years ago and if it was not for some archaic words and the names of the players, they are virtually indistinguishable from today’s. Peel back another 100 years and you will find the same. Articles and editorials on health care, immigration, taxes, war, political infighting, politicians attacking one another, protests in the streets, ads for all kinds “miracle” cures, medicines, and diets etc. We are destined to repeat the past when we fail to recognize it. Nothing changes if nothing changes. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

We all know or have met people with closed minds, essentially sleepwalking through life (we typically find them at family gatherings). They have little or no interest in any new information or considering a differing point of view. They are “set” in their ways, curiosity long dead. Living on the Spiritual Basis requires us to be open-minded, to be open to fresh winds of thought, considering all points of view dispassionately, curious to learn and grow, regardless of our chronological age or circumstances. To be clear: Living in the Light does not mean these fresh winds necessarily blow away our beliefs or change our opinions, though they may, it is a demonstration of open-mindedness, compassion for those we may disagree with, for they, like us, are children of the Most High. One of the measures of an individuals spiritual condition is how they treat their fellows, but of these how we treat those we find disagreeable is paramount.

Do not allow yourself to “fall asleep at the switch” mentally. Keep your consciousness switched on by praying and meditating daily to be shown God’s will and how you may be of service to your fellows. Keep your faith lively, your connection to the divine open, for by doing so we grow and gently prod those slumbering around us. Whether they choose to rouse themselves is their demonstration, ours is to serve as a consistent example of Living in the Light, regardless of any and all criticism.

Hypocrisy And Forrest Gump

“Handsome is as handsome does.” Sounds a bit Forrest Gump-ish but it fit’s the bill. Many wish to enjoy a certain reputation they know in their heart they don’t deserve. The ill-tempered person may indeed wish to be loved and favored but their very actions make it impossible. How often have we heard a friend or acquaintance (or even ourselves) attempt to sell the idea that even though someone is acting or has acted badly they really meant well, are basically nice people, having a heart of gold. Nonsense: Handsome is as handsome does. Living on the Spiritual Basis our serenity is measured by our actions. We must walk the way we talk or risk suffering mightily at the hands of hypocrisy. We can wish to be spiritual, we can wish for peace, we can wish to be happy, joyous and free but unless our actions match up with our wishes, we will never demonstrate our hearts desire.

I Don't Know

We have all had “miracles” happen in our lives. That time we needed money and the phone rang or a letter arrived and source was provided. We were thinking about someone and the phone rang and it was either them or someone who knew of them, bringing unprompted news or we turned a corner and there they were. We find ourselves facing a difficulty and it either fades away or turns into something positive.

Are these occurrences “an answer to a prayer” or simply “coincidence?” It matters little, for Coincidence is just God working anonymously. Perhaps the most difficult part of this is why sometimes it happens and other times not. Those times when the person remained an enigma or that which we deemed needed did not appear, a prayer seemingly unheard or worse ignored. In looking back on my life, inventorying the past with raised consciousness, many of the things I thought I needed in the moment turned out to be the last thing I needed, had I received them, my spiritual development would have been delayed or even derailed. As our consciousness rises, our spiritual vision corrects and clears, however even with corrected vision, some questions are beyond our limited sight, remaining unfathomable, at this time. Why does one child miraculously recover from a serious illness and another succumb? Or someone who worked hard all their lives, played by all of society’s rules only to find all they worked for gone through no fault of their own. I don’t know. Perhaps when this flesh fails and we are launched into eternity the answers will become known.

In Faith and Truth, God only brings good, He does not, cannot bring suffering or strife for God and Good are synonymous. Today my spiritual vision is longer and clearer than yesterday, if you prayed and meditated today so is yours. We see the world through a new pair of glasses, our understanding broadened, our empathy revealed, the path illuminated a little more. Even so, I still have no good answers in the moment for those experiencing seemingly inexplicable calamity, only a shoulder, a quiet ear and a silent prayer. Since flesh is ephemeral, perhaps that is the answer after all.

Enjoying The Ride With Kwai Chang Caine

Herbert Spencer stated that substance is “that which is not subject to discord or decay." Spirit is substance,  Spirit cannot die and was never born, and we are Spirit. Consider Buddhism, it teaches that what we see is illusion, impermanent, that Everything is Zen. When I first heard this years ago I had the mental picture of a young Kwai Chang Caine of Kung Fu fame listening to his Master, that puzzled look on his face not understanding. Unlike Caine however I didn't  have the luxury of jump cutting to where all is revealed. Years and a lot of living (i.e. pain) were required before I found the Spiritual Basis for Living which has  provided the answers. To borrow from Chuck Chamberlain, today I have A New Pair of Glasses to view life with. I know in my heart of hearts that I AM Spirit, as are you, as are all, all eternal, that only the distorted vision resulting from my human limitations drives my fears and difficulties. That I AM here to learn as long as this flesh lasts and when it ultimately fails, to take the lessons learned to the next destination wherever that may be, always moving forward in love and light. So struggle is pointless, everything really is Zen (God) and since no one gets out alive, we might as well enjoy the ride.

Wild Justice

         Wishing to get even, revenge, to balance the scales, to repay in kind are natural human sentiments, a wild justice, manifestations of living on the secular basis. Conversely, Living on the Spiritual Basis we have learned that “hatred ceases not with hatred.” Though the crimes and acts committed may be horrendous, even beyond the pale, we must take a higher road or we will forever be mired in limitation.

      We must turn to God, and though the guilty may have committed acts seemingly unforgivable, we must give them over to God root and branch otherwise we suffer along with the guilty. Remember it takes two to make a prisoner, the guilty and the jailer and is not the jailer as surely in prison as the guilty? The spiritual jailer having it worse than the prisoner, since they can leave the prison while the guilty are trapped, yet they chose to return of their own free will day after day, perpetuating resentment and condemnation in their hearts, effectively building an impenetrable barrier to spiritual freedom. Prison or freedom, light or dark, limitation or unlimited growth, the choice is always ours. “Let there be peace, and let it begin with me.”

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.    

Spiritual Bureaucrats

       Regularly unfortunate stories appear where someone has suffered because a simple clerical mistake occurred resulting in untold grief. If you have ever dealt with a bureaucrat, someone who quotes the “code” but seems bereft of common sense, you know how hard it can be to rectify what appears to be a simple mistake or for them to even consider a commonsensical approach that fails to meet the “letter” of the law.

      Living on the Spiritual Basis we have learned that Spirit (our relationship with Our Father) is what is important, the law (formal forms of worship) merely a tool to be utilized to assist us in Spirit. The law may and does change as our perceptions mature, but Spirit is eternal, inviolate. Unfortunately many individuals follow the letter of the law, spiritual bureaucrats if you will, at the expense of the Spirit, assuming the self actualizing moral high ground of self-righteousness and spiritual pride.

     To avoid the bureaucrat’s trap we keep our focus on Spirit, our demonstration of His love and guidance and utilize formal forms and rituals simply as aids to this end, never as a substitute. A simple prayer delivered from the heart has the power to move Heaven itself, where as rituals performed by rote, sans any true emotional content, is merely the exercise of religious bureaucracy. To be vital our faith must be lively, fluid, unbounded by secular thinking and limits. Additionally we must pray for the stultified spiritual bureaucrats of the world, for even though they trouble us, being children of the same Father, they need our compassion in Spirit.

GREMLINS

We all know someone, might even be someone we see in the mirror, who has a shelf full of self help/spiritual books. Most of them have probably been read, once, after which they took their place of pride in the collection. Now being a self appointed spiritual guru, enlightened being, Zen master and just a peach of a guy, I will now impart to you one of the grand secrets of the universe. Gremlins. Pick up any one of the books that touched you in the past, open it at random and start reading. Read a few pages. Go ahead, I’ll wait………………Pretty amazing huh. How could you have missed that the first time you read it? Yup, gremlins. When we get busy with life they move the words around to reflect our ever increasing level of spiritual understanding. The lesson is simple, stop looking for answers, you already have them. Study what you already know, what has already touched you for it touched you for a reason. Study that which has sung to you in the past, and you will be amazed that no matter how many times you have read it, those darn gremlins have got in there to reflect your increased insight. This isn’t to say that nothing new can come along, but first we dig our foundation deep by focusing on basic truths, revisiting the roots of our belief regularly, observing how the gremlins have brought new luster to that which we thought we knew and understood. Aren’t secrets cool.  

ILL Health, As A Way Of Life.

Emotion is your friend. Get overly emotional about everything. Be outraged not only at perceived slights directed at you but at everyone else as well, even strangers.

Drink lots of caffeine and energy drinks. So what if it makes it hard to sleep. Sleep and rest are overrated anyway. Besides you’ll get plenty of sleep when dead.

Eat anything that is quick and easy. Food is food and time is precious. What is more important, eating or working, texting, blogging, chatting, reality TV, online poker, partying etc? The body may be a temple, but it is your temple so decorate it anyway you want.

Vitamins are expensive, and some say they really don’t work anyway, so they must be a waste of money.

Stay busy. Even when “relaxing” do something constructive. God forbid you take any down time.

Avoid prayer and meditation, religiously.

Never walk if you can ride.

You will always have time to exercise later, when you have more time.

When you do get sick, make sure you research the condition at length. Speak of your malady with everyone (make sure you rehearse your speech, don’t want to leave anything out) and listen intently when they in turn share their experiences, especially the negative ones to see how they may apply to you.

Never follow a Doctor’s advice completely, it’s your body and who knows better what’s good for it than you.

And never, ever, turn to God in anything.

Selling Cars and God

A while back I had a conversation (berating more accurately) with an “adamant” Christian. You have probably met one, within the first few minutes of conversation they ask if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and if you don’t answer to their satisfaction the sales pitch begins. They state matter-of-factly that if you don’t buy their brand you are doomed for all eternity. In truth, there are thousands of churches based on the Christ teaching and many (if not most) state matter-of-factly that they are the only true path. Fortunately for all there are some things that God is not, and limited or exclusive is on the list.

Having had the occasion of falling into the cross hairs of an aggressive salesman, how did you enjoy the experience? Even if you purchased what they were selling, how did you feel? Would you then go out of your way to continue a relationship with this person? You may have even bought what they were selling just to get away from them. When we hammer someone, even with the truth, the result is usually the opposite of what we wished to achieve.

Having turned my will and life over to the care of God many years ago, I have never seen the “hard sell” approach work in the long run. To be clear: To have a spiritual awakening the desire must come from within. The best sermons are delivered with hands and feet, so we live our lives as a demonstration of the Word. We stand firm in faith and never shrink from flying our flag of belief but we deliver it with a smile and a gentle heart, considering how we would want to be approached if the roles were reversed, leaving the hard sell to used car salesmen.

Borrowed God

As a younger man I wore the coat of the agnostic. Having heard so many say that God was love but if you broke a certain rule you would suffer for all eternity, that the Devil battles with God and actually wins from time to time, never made any sense to me. I had always believed that there was “something”, some power or intelligence, but the idea of a punishing, score keeping, testing God that could lose battles just did not pass muster. As my life progressed, the one thing I did right was keep an open mind, continued to seek and learn. I studied and investigated everything from Catholicism to Islam, Dianetics to the Rosicrucian’s, learning much but never convinced. Finally I found myself in a position when I had to face the proposition of God not from an intellectual hilltop but from the depths of depression and pain. Nothing sharpens the mind, cutting away the superfluous like pain, for in the dark night of the soul esoteric knowledge and philosophical debating points lose all significance. Lost in pain and doubt I reached out and my plea was answered, lacking all ambiguity, I was convinced.

Though we are all connected in Spirit, each of us walks our own path. Our path of awakening dependent on the decisions based in self each of us make, for pain is the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self. Today I know in my heart of hearts that God desires all His children to be happy, joyous and free, that He will guide us through the process of enlightenment and we are forgiven in spirit as soon as we earnestly ask.

If you are struggling with the concept of a punishing score keeping God, please borrow mine. When I make a mistake, a daily occurrence, He directs me and shows me the correct action to take if I but ask. The only price is that I pray regularly, meditate daily, treat all in the manner I wish to be treated in, leaving the results to Him who has all knowledge and power. Please no pushing; there is plenty of Him to go around.

The Art Of Meditation, continued

Focused Meditation: Here we have a specific problem, difficulty or question we are seeking to understand. As before find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted and perform the cleansing breaths previously outlined. If asked, do not explain the specifics of the meditation to anyone, for in so doing you invite failure. Our time in meditation is the time we are in concert with Source, it is our time, not the other mans. In your mind’s eye, visualize the issue at hand. See it in all its aspects, all those involved, the places and possible outcomes without consciously outlining a solution. After you have thoroughly explored, without words, the issue, silently ask for the correct course of action to become evident. End the session thanking the Universe (God) that you now know it better, take a cleansing breath and go about your day. Again, do not tell anyone what you are doing.

Purpose: We are part of everything. Everything is connected and at the most basic level of existence, that which comprises everything, intelligence exists. Even hardened scientists grudgingly acknowledge this truth, though of course, for them, there must be a secular reason to explain it, if they could only find it. In focused meditation, we invite the Universal Mind to address our difficulty, without outlining the solution. In short order you will intuitively know what to do, the answers just come. We begin to rely on the infinite, all knowledgeable Source instead of our finite vision and fear-tinged solutions.

Chanting Meditation: Begin with cleansing breaths. You probably want to find an undisturbed quiet spot that is additionally out of the earshot of others. You will not be shouting, though you can if you like, but you will be speaking aloud. The chant can be anything really, however it is suggested that it have some spiritual significance for you. Keep it short and simple: God is great or There is only one God or Divine love drives me or be still and know that I am God you get the idea. Close your eyes and begin chanting until the transition. What is the transition? Trying to explain it is akin to standing blindfolded before Michelangelo’s David while a friend tries to describe it. The first time you transition it will scare the bejesus out of you. This is natural, for the transition is dipping down into the subconscious and touching our connection to the infinite.

Purpose: By staying focused on the chanting, the conscious mind loses its grip and the sub-conscious floats to the surface. We transition into a waking dream. With consistent effort and practice you will find yourself actually leaving the conscious realm entirely and walking the hidden world of the sub-conscious. Your body will continue to chant but you will lose awareness of it as you travel the astral planes (yep, there are more than one) in a waking trance. If you walk this path, make sure your body is left in a safe place for in a deep meditation, though connected to your body you will not feel it in any real sense.

I have outlined some simple methods of meditation, there are many others. In closing hold this truth evident: the purpose of meditation is not to become better at meditation, that will happen naturally in time, the purpose is simply to meditate. Be consistent, don't struggle and in short order this quiet time with the miraculous will become as natural as breathing.

The Art Of Meditation

Meditation is a topic that seems to cause much unnecessary grief and consternation. Many hold to the false belief that meditation is "quieting" the mind. Well, the mind will not be quieted! Our mind is like the shark that must always move forward, in motion, in order to live. Consider, right now your mind is regulating all of the various systems and organs in your body, making thousands of silent decisions about hormone levels, blood pressure, heart beat, breathing, digestion etc. All of this taking place without any conscious thought on our part. Therefore, to be clear, this side of the veil the mind is never quiet.

When a new student first begins meditating, they typically have a picture in their minds eye based on some actor’s portrayal. Even documentaries usually get it wrong since those doing the reporting usually have little or no personal experience with meditation. So, let us begin at a simpler level. First, lay aside your conceptions of what meditation is or is not. Meditation is a tool and there is more than one tool in the bag. Follows are some simple methods of meditation.

Reflective Meditation: Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for 15 minutes or so. Avoid if at all possible telling anyone what you are doing. Pick up any spiritual tome that appeals to you and read a few lines, never more than two paragraphs. Take three cleansing breaths: breathe in gently and deeply through the nose and then gently exhale through the mouth. Now, with eyes closed, reflect on what you just read in your minds eye. Consider every word along with the over all import of the passage. Do this for 15 minutes or so. When done perform another cleansing breath, thank the Source (God) for time spent and go about your day. If in the course of the meditation your mind begins to wander, gently bring it back to what you read. If it wanders again, take a cleansing breath, thank the Source (God) for time spent and go about your day. Note: Do not struggle or condemn yourself in any way if you are unable to go 15 minutes in the beginning. No marathon runner started out running marathons. Do not set a timer, wear a watch or have a clock in your field of vision. In time, this will not matter but when first starting out it is a distraction. Your body has a wonderful clock in it; allow it to do its job. Do be consistent. Spiritual exercise is the same as physical; we only reap the benefits if we are consistent.

The purpose: to give the conscious mind a break from the cacophony of thoughts and the information deluge we are subjected to daily. In time, a short time, you will begin to look forward to these quiet times (not quiet mind). You will begin to feel renewed and refreshed after these short sessions, your mind and thoughts more ordered, less energy expended needlessly.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

PROMISES FOR ALL

Living on the Spiritual Basis promises much: “We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past or wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace…That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear…Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic security will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us…When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands were better than anything we could have planned…As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His Presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter. We were reborn.”
      
          “Are these extravagant promises? We think not…They will always materialize if we work for them” (Alcoholics Anonymous).

 If this and more is promised to those suffering from addiction, could you expect anything less in your life? Place your will and life into His hands and this and so much more is yours, for it is the promise and God keeps all His promises.

A DAUNTING TASK

Want a daunting task; try tackling eternity and death in four to five hundred words. Let me know how I do. Having worked with many approaching the transition, typically most folks have given it some thought, but usually have kept the subject at arms length for obvious reasons. Remind you of anyone? A wise man said centuries ago that the first true step in enlightenment is when we embrace our own mortality.

Where were you before you were conceived? One moment there was no you, and then there was. In that single cell, the fertilized egg, everything about you was there: your eye color, the shape of your fingernails, hair color, final height, sex, your blueprint of freckles, everything that makes the physical you, all in a point of protoplasm so small as to be invisible to the naked eye, pretty amazing. Then you began to grow and nine months (give or take) later you made your appearance on the world stage. Fast forward a few decades and we arrive at another seminal moment in life, when the flesh fails. Where’d you go? Consider: Before you were born you were nowhere in flesh. You are born, and now you are now here. You die and you are nowhere again. Same word, just a little different spacing: no where to now here to no where again in the flesh. (Tip of the hat to Wayne Dyer, though I may have thought it, he said it very clearly and on point.)

In truth we have always been “here”, part of, connected to the Source, the flesh a tool, a conveyance for our eternal consciousness. We didn’t arrive from anywhere and we don’t go anywhere. Our birthday and death day are points on a relatively meaningless calendar, since God and our consciousness are eternal. Living on the Spiritual Basis we spend this life applying spiritual truth and understanding to everything in our lives to the best of our awareness at the time since our awakening is an ongoing process. In so doing the answers to the eternal questions come if we are diligent. So don’t concern yourself with what is on the other side of the line, for the line really is immaterial, for death waits for all men but waits on no man.  Keep your eyes and thoughts on today’s demonstrations and the morrow will take care of its self. In living this way we will approach the transition in peace, embracing the change, bidding farewell to the limitations of flesh, going nowhere, being here now, just in a different and altered consciousness.

GREMLINS

We all know someone, might even be someone we see in the mirror daily, who has a shelf full of self help/spiritual books. Now, they probably have all been read, once, after which they took their place of pride in the collection. Being a spiritual guru, enlightened being, Zen master, world class pistol shot and just a peach of a guy, I will now impart to you one of the great grand secrets of the universe. Gremlins. Pick up any one of the books that touched you in the past, open it at random and start reading. Read a page or two. Go ahead, I’ll wait………………Pretty amazing huh. How could you have missed that the first time? Yup, gremlins. When we are not looking they move the words around to reflect our ever increasing level of spiritual understanding. The lesson is simple, stop looking for answers, you already have them. Study what you already know, what has touched you for it touched you for a reason. Study that which has sung to you in the past and you will be amazed that no matter how many times you have read it, those darn gremlins have got in there and with your expanded insight deeper meaning has surfaced. This isn’t to say that nothing new can come along, but first we set our foundation deep by focusing on basic truths, revisiting the roots of our belief regularly, observing how the gremlins have brought new luster to that which we thought we knew and understood. Aren’t secrets cool. Gremlins, who knew?