The Golden Rule And Children Of Eternity

  “Treating all in the same manner we wish to be treated in.” If, for any reason, we can justify treating anyone in a manner we would find objectionable if that same treatment were visited upon us, we are wrong and have placed ourselves in conflict with the Spiritual Basis of Living. Period, 100% of the time.

Living on the Spiritual Basis our consciousness has risen. Today we look upon all as children of the Creator, possessing the spark of the divine, equal in his love and sight. So what separates us in demonstration is this: The Golden Rule, that we all reap as we sow so when we are denigrating or objectifying anyone for any reason the reward is clear, the consequences spiritually assured. Living at levels of raised consciousness we recognize this so we salute the divine in all with prayer, recognizing that pain is the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self. To be clear: on the surface, many appear to skirt this truth, living seemingly at odds with Divine truth and prospering. Death is the great equalizer, no one immune. At the moment of translation whom would you rather be, the individual who caused suffering and pain for pleasure and/or profit or the person who stood firm in faith and lived by the Golden Rule? Consider the words of Victor Frankl "We have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips."

The Golden Rule entreats us to demonstrate the same love, tolerance, kindness and patience we wish to know to all, regardless of circumstance, for we are all truly children of eternity.

ACIM, Alanon, Bible, Emmet Fox, Zen, The Secret, 

The Way Of The 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 but 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. The opening words of the Lord's Prayer,“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.

Blessed

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." (Matthew 5:1-12 KJV)

Blessed. All are equal in God’s eyes, what determines our demonstration is practicing the within, without. To believe in the word but fail to live by the word leads to suffering. When we fail to stand for what’s in our heart, the truth as we have come to know it, we will be reminded later by spiritual discomfort. It typically happens when we are afraid we are going to offend someone or fear coming across as some kind of “Holy Roller.” This discomfort is always self inflicted, God doesn’t do it. So, just for today, by His love and guidance, choose to stand for the truth, and those times when we have feet of clay, His love, guidance and unconditional forgiveness will set our feet back on the path, removing our pain, for we are all truly blessed.

Temptation Revealed

The Lord’s Prayer suggests that we can be lead into temptation, so the question is: Would God lead us into temptation? Having been taught and shown again and again that God is the giver of only good; God’s love for us greater than our love of our children, how could He? Since Living on the Spiritual Basis removes gray areas and contradictions from life, what does this clause really mean?

Living on the spiritual basis the temptations of lying, cheating, stealing, etc have become obvious, the price paid in serenity if we transgress clear. Having demonstrated over these base  temptations new temptations arise from spiritual pride. The natural desire is to bring the good news we have learned to those still suffering, a noble desire to be sure, but fraught with this new form of temptation. Write this upon your heart in capital letters: DO NOT ANSWER THE UNASKED QUESTION.

This is the temptation we are asking God in the Great Prayer to lead us away from. When speaking about spiritual principles we must ask ourselves if we are engaging in attraction or promotion. We will attract those who are ready to learn from our actions, our demonstration of Living on the Spiritual Basis. If we have to sell it, promote it; convince others that they should want what we have, than there is something wrong with our spiritual house. Attraction is the true path; promotion opens the door to the temptations of self glory, self aggrandizement, a sense of superiority and infallibility which are all aspects of spiritual pride. When we consider how many evils have been and are perpetrated by those promoting their beliefs to the extreme, the clause “lead us not into temptation” becomes crystal clear. We must remain ever diligent, and though it may break our heart, we never enter unbidden into another’s spiritual house.

 To be clear, the converse is true as well. When someone asks, we must be willing to stand and be counted in the face of any perceived earthly consequence, personal or otherwise, the temptation of self centered fear denied, whenever or wherever we are presented with an opportunity to share the Good News, for we have been put to the question and faith requires we must not shrink. 

Daily Bread

When the term “bread” is used in the Bible it represents all that we require to live, not just food. In the Lord’s Prayer we ask God to give us our daily bread. Once we have set our feet on the path of enlightenment, embracing the Spiritual Basis for Living, the source of everything becomes clear. Jobs, family, inheritance, investments and any of a hundred other channels are but ways that God employs to provide our daily “bread.” As we now know, once we begin living on the Spiritual Basis, relying on infinite God rather than our finite self, when one channel dries up another opens, God alone our source, the fountainhead of all our good.

When we place our trust in supply from anything or anyone other than God we are sure to be left wanting. There are many avenues that provide our supply, employers, a business, investments, if times are tough perhaps the government for a time, but all are simply temporary channels. In all our lives these channels alter and change over the course of living, but the headwaters, the true source remains constant. The Great Carpenter taught in the Lord’s Prayer that God would provide our “daily bread”, that our daily bread signifies the realization of the Presence of God-an actual sense that God exists not merely in a nominal way, but as the great reality for God “Our Father” is the only source.  

Outlining

Difficult problems (fear) seem to have a life of their own. Hard as we try, we work through them but the next thing we know they are back in the forefront of our consciousness, dominating our thoughts. One of the most insidious ways this happens is through outlining. The world teaches that we should think things through, weigh pros and cons, talk it out, but just as “the grouch and the brainstorm are the dubious luxury of normal men” so is outlining. It starts out innocently enough but in short order we begin outlining how a situation or trouble should work out, in essence telling the universe how to solve our problems, assuage our fears, on our terms of course. It doesn’t work, does it. It only succeeds in building up expectations and as a wise man said “the level of our serenity is directly proportional to our expectations of others.”

Living on the Spiritual Basis our expectations are placed in God’s hands, the burden on His shoulders, so when you find yourself outlining, stop as soon as you become aware and thank God for knowing Him better. Quiet the mind by repeating some simple set prayers: “Be still and know that I am God”, “There is no power greater than God” or simply “God is with me.”

When I ran the world I outlined constantly, for it needed my help. Living on the new basis, I leave the running of the world, and my life, in God’s hands for He does a much better job of it than I ever did, for today I know in my heart of hearts that “God is with me.”

The Original Self Help Guide

You could “Burn all the books, for the answers are all here.” The books written on how to become a different person, to change, to grow, to alter ones life could fill a library. The Sermon has been with us for 2000 years, yet how few really study it. Living on the Spiritual Basis studying this codification leads to the easier softer way, everything else a variation on its themes. Haven’t read the Sermon in a while? What a gorgeous day to revisit it.


Matthew 5-7:27 (King James Version)
Matthew 5

 1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
 13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
 21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
 27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
 31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
 33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 6
 1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
 11 Give us this day our daily bread.
 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
 16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 7
 1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
 12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

And when He ended, the people were astonished, for He taught as someone having the authority of these words, not merely as a teacher.

Prophets Of Doom And Gloom

“If you really believe in the existence of God you should be happy and cheerful.” So, if we are not (today) does that mean we don’t believe in God? Of course not, I really believe in God, really. But I am not happy and cheerful every moment of every day, hard to believe I know. There are pills that make for 24/7 happiness and joy but I don’t think that is a good long term strategy (tongue firmly in cheek). Some might even ask how anyone could be happy or cheerful in these trying times. By keeping SPIRITUAL perspective makes it possible.

Mankind’s history is replete with dozens upon dozens of boom and bust cycles. Additionally, there have been prophets of doom and gloom stating with absolute certainty the world was ending soon and we 1) are screwed and there is nothing we can do about it, or 2) better all pull together to save ourselves before it is too late. These joyless individuals have been around since man first started keeping records. The one thing they all have in common is their perfect batting average: 0. Every single one has been wrong, the world hasn‘t ended, their dire predictions not with standing. Today’s doom and gloomers are as wrong as those who stood in the center of Rome prophesying the end of days 2000 years ago. How do I know? I believe in God. As the Great Prayer states so clearly, He is “Our Father.” Would you allow your children to be exterminated if it was in your power to avoid it? So, just for today, when I feel the sadness and fear the secular world dishes out unremittingly I turn to the truth: We are all children of God, and God has all power, bringing only good, that negative conditions are but passing illusions that dissolve when the shutters of fear and doubt are thrown open and the sunlight of the Spirit streams in. Just for today, when the next “expert” delivers solemnly the latest prophecy of doom, I will smile because I really do believe in God.

Beyond The Flesh

Do you know of anyone who remembers the Gettysburg Address because they were there? How about Washington crossing the Delaware? No? Of course not. This flesh we inhabit will one day fail. No amount of money, resources, exercise or just plain “good living” will alter that. This truth raises the eternal question, am I this body or something more? Living on the Spiritual Basis the answer is clear: We are Spiritual beings experiencing the human condition, not Human beings in search of the spiritual. The spark of consciousness that is unique to us is timeless, was never born and will never die; has always been and always will be. To attempt to grow from without, change the consciousness by artifice only lasts as long as outer conditions remain unchanged, however life has taught us that outer conditions are forever changing. A glance in the mirror or at our investments should provide any further proof required. Lasting change only comes from within, within our consciousness. By raising our consciousness through prayer we effect  permanent change beyond the vagaries of this flesh, secular living and thinking. So our job, the only real task in this life, is too practice the Presence of God every day in every area, with everyone, to fully forgive all who have trespassed against us, to hold fast to the truth that the only aspect that translates from this life is our raised consciousness and the only universal measurement of our time here: how much love did we give away, unconditionally.  

Working Anonymously

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 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 sight, remaining unfathomable at this time. Why does one child miraculously recover and another succumb? Or someone who worked hard all their lives, played by all of society’s rules and find all they worked for gone? 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.  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. 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. Perhaps that is the answer after all. 

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

The concept of Heaven, as the Carpenter taught in the Lord‘s Prayer, manifests as we raise our consciousness through prayer, meditation and selfless service to others, unfolding around us. In truth, all spiritual action is predicated on our relationship with and to God, for God is Perfect Cause and expresses Himself by means of man, for He is the Father, and we are the children, divine by birth.

Before my heart began to beat, where was I? With God. As my heart began to beat, where was God? With me. When this heart ceases to beat, where will I be? With God. The purpose is the journey, the lessons immaculate, our relationship fixed, God the Father, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, only my perceptions of the relationship altered.

Living In The Past

“Live in today, and do not allow yourself to live in the past under any pretense. Living in the past means thinking about the past, rehearsing past events, especially if you do this with feeling…Train yourself to be a man or women who lives one day at a time. You’ll be surprised how rapidly conditions will change for the better when you approach this ideal.” Emmet Fox.

One of the truths of Living on the Spiritual Basis is the only time we can be present for God, the only time we can stand in the presence of God, the only time that we can demonstrate God’s love and guidance in our lives, is in the present moment. We may have a long history of Him demonstrating in our life, but our “forgetter” discounts it. Fear would have us believe that even though God was there in the past He won’t be there tomorrow.

NEVER LOOK BACK. Looking back generally begins innocently but invariably leads to morbid reflection. Think on how easy it is to dredge up memories of those times when we acted something less than spiritually or when we were hurt in some way. Yet it takes effort to bring to the forefront of memory those times when we acted in Spirit or life went our way. When the Great Carpenter taught, “let the dead bury the dead” he admonished us to leave the past in the past. We are forgiven as soon as we ask, the matter settled, yet so often we drag a past transgression into the present to cast it’s ashes about because even though God has forgiven us, we have not forgiven ourselves. Only by living in today and keeping our eyes fixed on the road ahead, regardless of how frightening it may seem, refusing to look back, can we demonstrate God’s love and power in our life, demonstrating acceptance of God‘s forgiveness, turning away from the adversary, fear.

GOD’S WILL & DROPPED PANTS

     The Seventh Commandment: You shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14). Pretty straightforward. The Old Testament lays out a pretty harsh penalty for those breaking this commandment: death. That would certainly clear the dockets in divorce court, but what does this mean to us today in the light of Living on the Spiritual Basis? The case can be made that shall not also means can not. Clearly married people are and have been “sleeping” with people other than their spouses since the institution of marriage became accepted. The can not applies to the inner self, the subconscious, our soul, were we always pay the price for our actions, all secular justification and rationalization meaningless. When a student has approached with a question about infidelity, to date it has always been after the fact. When someone begins to have the stirrings, considering an affair or fling, the last thing they want to do is talk about it before consummation. When I am approached the conversation usually begins with something like “it wasn’t planned, it just happened” “I don’t know what I was thinking” “I never wanted to hurt my wife/husband” or some such other nonsense.

     Don’t know what you were thinking? You were thinking about sex with someone other than your spouse. It wasn’t planned? Your pants just happened to drop, in a secluded place, and you figured what, must be God’s will? You never wanted to hurt your spouse? So, if circumstances were reversed, how would you feel? To be clear: If it is time for a marriage to end, then it should, divorce is not wrong or evil. People grow at different rates, develop new interests that take their lives in conflicting directions or even falling in love (before having sex) with another are all valid reasons to end a marriage, the lying (to our spouse and ourselves) and the false flags flown are the problem.

     We make a commitment to another when we wed. We owe them, ourselves, and God the truth. Many an otherwise good relationship has been irreparably damaged from a passing sexual infatuation, the union crippled because of dishonesty, for had they been honest about their feelings and intentions before the act, though still uncomfortable, the death penalty (death of the marriage) may have been avoided. The death penalty called out in the old testament today plays out as the death of trust, love, peace of mind, serenity, the turning our back on spiritual principles we have come to know, seemingly shutting us off from the sunlight of the spirit, the crippling of a piece of our soul. A high price indeed considering the long road of forgiveness we then have to travel to regain the peace of mind so, in hindsight, casually cast away.

    The truth will set you free. The price of rigorous honesty may be steep, even painful, but we must be willing to pay it if we expect to reap all of our inheritance as children of the Most High.

MURDER OR KILL?

        The Sixth Commandment: You shall not murder (NKJV Exodus 20:13). The original King James translation is: Thou shalt not kill. (The New King James Version does away with the archaic idioms of speech from early 1600 England; additionally the original Hebrew and Greek texts dating to the 5th century used for the original KJV have been compared to the Dead Sea scrolls to provide the most accurate translation to date.) Murder was understood at the time of the writing of the old testament as the unethical or immoral taking of a life, the punishment of which was typically killing or maiming the offender in the manner proscribed by law (for perspective, remember this was 3500 years ago when the world was much wilder, requiring hard law to be tamed).

        Living on the Spiritual Basis, we look to the deeper layers of this commandment. No one can assassinate, murder our character, peace of mind, reputation or connection to God without our assent. To be clear: the assent is in our heart, others will say and do as they will, we know, and by extension God knows the truth, for it is written on our heart, in our hand. Living on the new basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God, we stand in the light, fearless (though often trembling) of the world, for we are in, but no longer of this world, walking the road less traveled. Rejecting gossip, character assassination and condemnation of others sets us free, for we now know in our heart of hearts the truth of being: that we are all children of the Divine and all reap as they have sown, be it the whirlwind or serenity. Our job to be of service to all who earnestly seek and to pray in private for those struggling with truth, asking God to do for them what they cannot do for themselves, never answering the unasked question, but standing ready to help when asked, be it stranger, friend or even, and most importantly, someone who has demonstrated ill will.
      

INCONSISTENCIES MADE CLEAR

Years ago I came across a Far Side cartoon that depicted a group of anthropologists that find a single bone who then proceed to construct the most outrageous looking creature extrapolated from that single bone. We attempt to do the same thing with our lives. We get glimpses of the future as we grow spiritually and the natural inclination is to build on them, creating an image of our lives as we progress. This is like the nightly weatherperson on the local news forecasting what the weather will be like a month, a year, five years from now. Unless they limit their prognostication to that of George Carlin’s hippy dippy weatherman: today it will begin dark, followed by light then turning dark again, their chances of being accurate are about zero. In time as our consciousness grows and expands so will our perspective. That which seemed disconnected, prayers seemingly unanswered will take on a new clarity that only 20/20 spiritual hindsight can provide. Avoid the traps then of projecting into the future or morbid reflection on the past. Make plans but do so in a spiritual light, the light of God‘s guidance. Be a man or woman who lives one day at a time and all will become clear eventually, if we are about God’s business and not our own.

A.A. FOLKLORE

We just don’t drink, no mater what!
Really. So, how does that jive with powerlessness? If alcoholics could just not drink, why the hell would they need AA or anything else for that matter?

If you don’t go to meetings you will get drunk.
When the book Alcoholics Anonymous was written and published (1939) there were no AA meetings. The first “AA” meeting took place on May 11,1939 in Cleveland. Meetings are where the fellowship is found, sobriety comes by learning to live on the Spiritual Basis through the application of the steps in ones life. Staying sober through “osmosis” in meetings is not just a myth, but deadly.

There is no wrong way to work the Steps.
Really. Then why do folks who have “worked” the steps drink? Having been in the recovery community for over twenty years and worked with over a thousand individuals I have been approached by many for help who drank although they were “working” the program. In 30 seconds, literally, or less by asking a couple of questions it becomes obvious to all that they were not working the steps but only some of the steps. Ever bake a cake? Next time leave out an ingredient or two and see how it turns out. “Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path.” From my observations strike rarely and write never.

There is no wrong way to work the program.
See above.

Your program is unique to you.
Barbara Streisand. No where in the Big Book are options offered for working the steps. Your relationship with a power greater than yourself is unique to you, but the steps, the process are the same for all. I will never forget the time I heard a “old timer” (20+ years sober) proudly say “If you worked the program the way I work the program you would probably get drunk.” So true, unfortunately in the end it didn’t work for them either.

If you got up before me this morning you are sober longer than I am.
I understand the sentiment, but a horse whipping is too light a punishment for whoever came up with this chestnut, and I mean that with all love and tolerance. Completely discounts experience while trying to make the newcomer feel welcome. Which leads to…

The newcomer is the most important person in the room.
Why? And when does someone cross the line and become unimportant? And in whose eyes? God? I think not. Again I understand the sentiment but this is still more Barbara Streisand.

All of these sayings, and many others, originated from a good place. All of them rooted in someone’s desire to be helpful, but as with so many attempts to be helpful (think government) they are not thought through. Words have power. So remember, if it sounds too good to be true or offers a shortcut to Living on the Spiritual Basis, it probably is and the only shortcut is being consistent, honest, willing and open minded in adherence to the path. Please feel free to send your favorite pieces of folklore for a future article. Oh, and just don’t drink.