Let Go and Let God Part 2

 

                                                      

When we are in the grip of addiction, we are both the abused and the abuser for… “we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on (in) self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.” BB pg.62

Invariably: on every occasion: always.

 

“The devil's voice (the negative sense of self: ego) is logical, even plausible, but it's still deception, God's voice may seem delusional, but it speaks the truth beyond logic." C.S. Lewis

Delusional: a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary.

Psychotic: having trouble telling the difference between what’s real and what’s not: exhibiting mental or emotional unsoundness or instability. “…there was always the curious mental phenomenon that parallel with our sound reasoning there inevitably ran some insanely trivial excuse for taking the first drink. Our sound reasoning failed to hold us in check. The insane idea won out. Next day we would ask ourselves, in all earnestness and sincerity, how it could have happened.” BB pg. 37

Indisputable: unquestionable: beyond questioning.

 

“We can either be a hostage to our ego, or a host to God. The choice is always ours. Choose wisely.” Wayne Dyer

 

“Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid. It meant destruction of self-centeredness. I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all.” BB pg. 14

“We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.” BB pg. 30

Concede: to acknowledge grudgingly or hesitantly, to accept as true, valid, or accurate.

Delusion: something that is falsely believed or propagated.

 

“What is his basic trouble? Is he not really a self-seeker even when trying to be kind? Is he not a victim of the delusion that he can wrest satisfaction and happiness out of this world if he only manages well?” BB pg. 61

“Selfishness - self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate.” BB pg. 62

Root: an underlying support : basis : the essential core : the heart.

Basis: something considered as its foundation, the principal component of something.

Self-delusion: the act of deluding oneself or the state of being deluded especially concerning one's true nature, abilities, feelings, etc.                                                                                                                 Deluding: to mislead the mind or judgment of : deceive, trick oneself.

The next two paragraphs define the ALCOHOLIC DELUSION:

“The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.

Obsession: a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often-unreasonable idea or feeling.

Abnormal: deviating from the normal or average, unusual in an unwelcome or problematic way.

Persistence: continuing to exist despite interference or treatment.

Illusion: something that deceives or misleads intellectually, perception of something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature. “We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago ...” BB pg. 24

Astonishing: causing a feeling of great surprise or wonder.

“…in their hearts they really do not know why they do it. Once this malady has a real hold, they are a baffled lot. There is the obsession that somehow, someday, they will beat the game. But they often suspect they are down for the count.” BB pg. 23

Baffled: extremely confused or puzzled.

“We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.” BB pg. 30

Once again, Delusion: something that is falsely believed or propagated.

 

                                      SO:

 

“Burn the idea into the consciousness of every man that he can get well regardless of anyone. The only condition is that he trust in God and clean house.” BB pg. 98.

Regardless: despite everything or anyone.

“We cannot subscribe to the belief that this life is a vale of tears, though it once was just that for many of us. But it is clear that we made our own misery. God didn't do it. Avoid then, the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate His (God’s) omnipotence.” BB pg. 133

Omnipotence: an agency or force of unlimited power.                                                           

Unlimited: Boundless, Infinite, Unrestricted.

 

3 Advantages To Living on the Spiritual Basis

 

Living on the Spiritual Basis provides 3 Advantages: 

 

1) Disciple. "We are undisciplined. So, we let God discipline us...". "For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns."

 

2) Flow. (The best definition of this is Wu-Wei (Zen)) "Self-seeking will slip away." "We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.""...we have ceased fighting anything or anyone..." The only condition is that we trust in God and clean house. The "cleaning house" is doing the introspective work to truly know who and what we are (causes and conditions). Truly, the road less traveled.

 

3) Connection: EVERYTHING and EVERYONE are connected. There is no fate or coincidence, only synchronicity. No one stands above another, or below, though the World presents all manner of subjective (predominately self-centered) criterion to define us, none of which are valid. The process connects us with the truth if we choose to embrace it.

 

Having embarked on this journey of discovery we employ every tool, learn from all who cross our path for all have something to teach, letting go of all NEGATIVE judgements toward others and OURSELVES, for they, like us, are children of a Loving God, whether they believe it or not, and it is never our job or responsibility to answer unasked questions or give unsolicited advice, even if it is accurate and timely.

So, we are left with the 3 questions of true and ultimate value: Who am I? What am I? and Why am I? No book, teacher or philosophy can answer these questions for us fully, for the truth ultimately lies within. The answers can be found if we trust in God, release negative judgements, and demonstrate love, patience, tolerance, and kindliness toward all, but particularly the unlovely, to the best of our ability, every day. So, chop wood and carry water, study all that appeals to you, learn to listen with your heart, for this is where the truth is waiting. This is the way of being IN the world, but not of IT, the path of the peaceful warrior in Spirit, remembering always, it is another beautiful day in paradise.

Repentance And Morbid Reflection

The word repentance has a definite religious feel to it. Perhaps I have watched too many old movies but I can’t help but see in my minds eye a preacher screaming at someone or their congregation to REPENT or else. Living on the Spiritual Basis what does it mean to repent? First a definition:

Repent:
1. be sorry: to recognize the wrong in something you have done and be sorry about it
2. religion change ways: to feel regret about a sin or past actions and change your ways or habits (Encarta)

OK, to feel sorry about something done or said and to change our ways, how simple (to feel sorry), but not easy to do (truly change). Living on the new basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God requires action. A simple acceptance of past mistakes with a mumbled “sorry” won’t fit the bill at all. Living on the Spiritual Basis requires work on our part. One of the traps those new to the spiritual basis of living fall into is to rehash old hurts and mistakes which only serves to reinvigorate them, fill them with new life. To be clear: We do not shut the door on the past or wish to deny it, but we do not under any pretense engage in morbid reflection. To do so takes us out of the moment (in service) and we drift into remorse and negative self-reflection (bondage of self). Our past is a great tool, often the best, for helping those new to the process to progress, but we can be of little use if we are wallowing in self-pity or pointless remorse. On our own we are powerless to affect any real lasting change at our core, by relying on a Power Greater Than Ourselves real change is affected, the past put in proper perspective and its power over us removed and we are Free.


  ACIM, AA, al-anon, Baba Ram Dass, Buddha, Chuck Chamberlain, Emmet Fox, Golden Key, Law Of Attraction, NOTW, The Secret, Zen, Wayne Dyer,

Abiding In God

Today the definition of abide is to tolerate, to put up with something or someone. 150 years ago, it meant: to dwell: to live or reside in a place (Encarta). Living on the Spiritual Basis is a conscious decision. We choose to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God in a dynamic sense. We choose to live our lives, with all our defects of character and shortcomings, as demonstrations of His love, guidance and power. Knowing we will make mistakes, but stepping out in faith regardless; forgiven as soon as we ask, the transgression forgotten if we are sincere in our desire to grow. Therefore, to abide in God is to live through and of Him, trembling and fearful though we may be, one day at a time.

Zen, The Secret, Road Less Traveled, NOTW, metaphysics, Law Of Attraction, Language Of The Heart, Golden Key, Emmet Fox, ACIM, 

Your Stradivarius

Being loved is wonderful; it fills our heart and puts a smile on our face. Demonstrating love towards our children and friends is easy, but what of the “unlovely” whose actions we find objectionable? Those who have committed crimes beyond the pale, have acted in ways reprehensible? To be clear: Divine (unconditional) Love does not suggest acceptance of another’s sin. We cannot forgive another’s transgressions (only those who transgress against us) nor do their spiritual work. These are issues for the individuals directly involved to attend. Our course is to pray for them to find their way, never outlining what that is, and stand ready to be of service if called.

Outlining is an attempt to influence God’s will. Typically these attempts come from a genuine place of caring, but God does not need our help, thank you. What we need, what we all need, is God’s love and guidance, seeking to be an instrument of His will.

Consider: a Stradivarius violin is just an old piece of lacquered wood with strings until a master violinist places it to their shoulder and begins to play, transforming it from mere wood and strings to something magical, creating a sound without peer. As great as the violinist is, without the violin nothing happens. As exquisite an instrument as the violin may be, it only comes alive in the hands of a master.

We are imperfect beings, prone to error while God is perfection, error free. Living on the Spiritual Basis we fit ourselves to be the finest instrument possible. Living in the Light we are convinced that God wants us to be Happy, Joyous and Free, that Divine Love is freely given, but it is dependent on us to ask, to step out in faith. Just as the violin does not tune itself, we do not remove our shortcomings without help. When we are resentful, fearful, standing seemingly justified in anger or demonstrating any of the defects of character we are capable of, it is Divine Love that re-tunes our heart, brings us back to our right mind, restoring us to the sanity of true spirit, our notes, our lives, ringing clear and sweet. 


ACIM, Baba Ram Dass, Bible, Emmet Fox, Golden Key, Law Of Attraction, Zen, The Secret, Road Less Traveled, 

Heaven On Earth

Babel: n

1.  confused noise: especially the noise of loud unintelligible voices all talking at once 
2.  noisy place: a scene or place of noisy confusion (Encarta)

There are a few stories from the Old Testament that pretty much everyone has some knowledge of, Noah and the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, Cain and Abel, Moses and the Ten Commandments and the Tower of Babel. Considering the tower, what would the world look like if we all spoke the same language, had complete access to unfiltered information? Everyone on the “same” page, nothing lost in translation, language barriers unknown, what a different world it would be, the good and bad of it making for an interesting thought experiment.

The Good News is we do have access today to a common language and Living on the Spiritual Basis is the root, for when we practice the Presence of God in all our activities, the heart speaks, and when the heart speaks, hearts listen. Regardless of the language employed for secular communication, the Language of the Heart is universal. Be the words in Russian, French, Chinese or Urdu, if we begin each day asking in morning meditation to be shown the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love we speak as one. If we are asking throughout our day to be shown how we may be of service to God and our fellows, we speak with one voice. When we consistently place the welfare of others ahead of our own, we demonstrate the universal language of Divine Love. What would the world look like if everyone spoke this language, the language of the Heart? Heaven.

Zen, Wayne Dyer, The Secret, Power of Intention, metaphysics, Law Of Attraction, 

Our Long Strange Trip

Living on the Spiritual Basis moves us off the bench and onto the vehicle of our journey in Spirit. We all spend time on the bench, rationalizing and justifying why we are not taking the trip now, watching vehicle after vehicle stop and pick up travelers. Fear keeps us on the bench, a mustard seeds worth of faith gets us off it.

The fare for our journey is willingness, open-mindedness and honesty. Our ultimate destination salvation, serenity and freedom and our driver and guide, God. Yes, it will be a long strange trip fraught with fear, the only real adversary, regularly cajoling, suggesting even screaming for us to disembark for we really can't trust the driver. But if we can resist the adversary's clarion call and trust in God rather than fear our freedom is assured, the sights and vistas along the way  remarkable beyond words, our awakening in Spirit breathtaking. Whata trip!

 Wayne Dyer, The Secret, Road Less Traveled, prayer, NOTW, Law Of Attraction, Golden Key, ACIM, Alanon, 

Tour De France

What do you believe in? We believe in all sorts of things but typically fail to take the time to consider them. Everyone lives by a set of values, has a code, things they will and will not do but rarely stop and examine what they are. Living on the Spiritual Basis we choose to examine our beliefs, seeking clarity on our values and the code we live by. In so doing we build the structure of our mentality, our consciousness a metaphysical stone at a time. Our decision to live the examined life builds the fortress of our faith, provides sure footing in times of trouble, protection from the vagaries of random wild negative thoughts and raised ramparts to better view the landscape of our lives.

All structures require maintenance, lest they fall to ruin. Some years ago I began watching the Tour De France, more for the stunning beauty of France than for a bunch bicyclists. Much of the race is followed with helicopters showing panoramic views of famous structures in proximity to the race route. France is dotted with castles/fortresses, typically situated on a prominent high point overlooking a village or critical choke point along an invasion route. A few are still occupied, but most have been allowed to deteriorate, their walls crumbling, moats overgrown, testaments to a once vital defense, now merely reminders of what once was. Just as physical walls fail without care and maintenance, the fortress of our faith will suffer as well without spiritual maintenance performed with consistent prayer and meditation. If we fail to do this and rest on our laurels the seeds of fear will find their way into the stones, take root and eventually breach the walls. Having done the work in faith to build our fortress, we must remain ever vigilant watching for the beginning shoots of fear, negativity and depression and when they appear, for they will, address them immediately by reaffirming our faith and trust in God.


 ACIM, Zen, Wayne Dyer, The Secret, Road Less Traveled, Power of Intention, metaphysics, Golden Key, Golden Rule,

Politicians, Prostitutes And Promises

Some things in life are assured: taxes, death, corrupt politicians, less sleep and more bathroom trips after turning 50, at least one new diet a month that promises: better sex, drop 20 pounds in 20 days with no exercise, fewer bathroom trips and better sleep, etc. The newspaper/nightly news/internet will lead with a story depicting something horrific. 

The world (man) is always presenting some new and improved way to solve problems, to address the issues of living. All that is required is your vote and/or your money/credit card number and everything will change for the better. In truth, nothing in the news today is new. Politicians may not technically belong to the worlds oldest profession (I have my doubts) but if not they have been plying their trade as long. Additionally there was a time, and not that long ago, when leeches and blood letting where central to a patient’s care and most patent medicines would definitely make you feel better, considering they consisted mostly of alcohol and some form of opium, and little else.

We are asked to trust people and institutions, to place our faith in governments and “learned” experts. Yet the same problems that plagued the ancients still plague us today: healthcare, jobs, secure borders, taxes, immigration, elder care, safe and available food, education, road and bridge maintenance, etc. Studying the history of worldly assurances; both micro and macro, it becomes apparent that outer assurances have done little to fundamentally change the world.

What of spiritual assurances?  Living on the Spiritual Basis, we have found the timeless assurances of spiritual teachers becoming real for us once we stepped out in faith and wholeheartedly embraced the work. By placing our trust in the miraculous, turning from the outer to the within through prayer and meditation, trusting in infinite God rather than our finite self, we find peace and the ability to meet calamity with serenity. Our new reliance based on the work done in raising our consciousness, expanding our conscious contact with God, not the assurances of others. The promise of eternal life beyond the limitation of the flesh real, for we are now in the world but no longer of it. Now if I could just cut down on those bathroom trips in the middle of the night, maybe a new diet...

Zen, Wayne Dyer, ultimate truth, The Secret, Shema Yisrael, ACIM, Alanon, Baba Ram Dass, 

Moses?

Thought about Moses lately? Living on the Spiritual Basis the purpose of life has become clear: to establish and maintain a conscious contact with Our Father. Moses, according to the narrative, had a pretty stout conscious contact with God. The relationship was so deep, God chose him to receive the Ten Commandments, the new blueprint for living. Moses was not chosen at random, God chose him because of the strength, unwavering faith and belief he demonstrated in every area of life. His willingness to go to any extreme for a spiritual experience; taking some pretty unpopular stands against recognized spiritual authority along the way, demonstrating his love of, and faith in God. The Moses narrative happened around 3,500 years ago, give or take, and amazingly he holds a revered position in Judaism, Christianity and Islam; no small accomplishment, but what significance could this have for us today, in the “modern” world?

God was so moved He appeared to Moses in a physical form, at least twice! To be like Moses we must set aside prejudice and preconceived notions and study with our heart as well as our mind, standing ready to kick our sacred cows to the curb. The greatest barrier to spiritual growth is a closed mind. With our feet firmly planted on our chosen path we must keep an open mind and heart, listening and learning daily, praying and meditating with joy, never out of a sense of duty if we are to grow and prosper in the light. In so doing we become more like Moses, admit it, though it would scare the bejezus out of you, a speaking burning bush would be pretty cool, so to borrow from an old commercial tag line: Got Moses?


Zen, Wayne Dyer, The Secret, Source, Serenity Prayer, Road Less Traveled, Proverbs, Law Of Attraction, Bible, Baba Ram Dass, 

Our True Destiny

Living on the Spiritual Basis, we have turned our will and life over to the care of God. The basis of trusting and relying upon a power greater than ourselves for direction and a sense of purpose was our choice. We made it when we faced up to the truth of being: That any life run on self will can hardly be a success. Plagued by unremitting waves of fear and an inability to live with any lasting sense of peace we sought a better way. We now know that fear wears a hundred masks, is insidious and was a corrosive thread that weaved itself through every aspect of our being and try as we might we were powerless to eradicate it. The final crushing blow coming when we became convinced that self-knowledge availed us nothing, in fact, self-knowledge only intensified the discomfort, bringing home a sense of powerlessness that was nearly overwhelming.

From this seeming low point, we made a decision that opened the doors to a new way of living, to true freedom. Today we have come to rely on our connection to the miraculous for by our demonstrations in faith we came to believe. What used to be the hunch or occasional inspiration has now become a working part of the mind. Able to now meet calamity with serenity, we have come to know peace, our needs met for that is the promise of the new basis of living. We place the welfare of others ahead of our own, this contrary action the touch stone to true freedom of spirit. By relying on God to be the final authority in our lives, we have glimpsed our destiny, and that destiny is to be happy, joyous and free.


ACIM, al-anon, Bible, Emmet Fox, Law Of Attraction, NOTW, ODAAT, Zen, The Secret, 

Our Foundation

Everyone’s life is built on a foundation; many however will never take the time to inspect their foundation to see what it is really made of or even the ground on which it is built until it is too late. Living on the Spiritual Basis our work begins with inspecting our foundation, for without a strong foundation well placed no structure, however finely constructed otherwise, will stand against the inevitable storms to come.

Speaking in high terms and glowing assumptions is easy when the sun rides high, the river low and the breeze gentle. Why do hard things like building on high rock, which requires commitment and forethought, when there are easy things like building on loose soil close to water. But as the inevitable storm clouds of living gather, the rushing waters of fear rising and the winds of perceived loss and resentment begin to whip it becomes clear that a spiritual foundation built on sweet sounding rhetoric and little real action is unsound. As the storm intensifies and the structure begins to fail, the foundation crumbling in the ever-growing maelstrom, what do we do? We either seek solid spiritual high ground and shelter from the storm or we are swept away.

Had we first built on solid spiritual ground a great deal of suffering could have been avoided. When was the last time you inspected your spiritual foundation for materials and location? If work and relocation is required, it is much easier to accomplish on calm days than stormy so set to work while the sun shines so when the next storm comes, for there is always another, you will not only be prepared but you well be able to provide shelter to those who desperately need it.


Zen, Road Less Traveled, ODAAT, NOTW, metaphysics, Law Of Attraction, Emmet Fox, Alanon, ACIM, 

Embers In Consciousness

Living at raised levels of consciousness our harshest critic is always ourselves. As our awareness rises, we naturally hold ourselves to higher and higher levels of conduct, not only in demonstration but also in the very thoughts that surface in our mind! No one who steps, by choice, on the path of Living on the Spiritual Basis has control over the thoughts that float up into their awareness. No one. What we do have is a tool kit, a spiritual tool kit, so that when negative or destructive thoughts materialize in our minds eye we address them in the light of raised consciousness.

The mistake routinely made is one of comparison. Somehow, the thought is born that we should be further along the path, that these thoughts are in someway an indication of lack of progress on our part. Nonsense. A cloudy day is just a cloudy day unless we decide the clouds are an indicator of impending doom. 

A thought only has power if we choose to empower it. 

Self-condemnation empowers the negative, invites into our consciousness needless suffering and restricts, stifles growth. Do not let impatience drive you to despair, to needless wear and tear in your psyche. Life isn’t a race. When a “curious” thought surfaces do not waste time trying to figure out where it came from or why it appeared, for to do so opens the door to morbid reflection, which should be avoided like the plague. Upon becoming aware of the discordant thought, gently give it over to God in directed prayer. Later in meditation, if it resurfaces, remember the cloudy day and ask God if there is anything additional He would have you see. Do not go to any lengths whatsoever to document or remember these random thoughts. Most of them will just come and go with little notice if we are diligent in applying spiritual principles as soon as they surface.

Remember the lesson of the campfire ember: when a burning ember from the fire lands on our shirtsleeve if we brush it off immediately no harm will be done. If however we stop to contemplate on it the shirt will have a hole in it and a welt on our arm to mark it. The only embers we remember, the ones that caused damage, are the ones we “thought” about. With God’s help brush off those curious embers reflexively; remembering the sun is always shining behind the clouds.


 Zen, Wayne Dyer, The Secret, Source, ACIM, Alanon, Bible, Emmet Fox, 

A Wonderful Enfoldment

Death awaits all men but waits on no man. Everything, from may flies to the stars die. Death is the change that brings renewal. Sadness at the passing of a loved one is natural; they have left our sight and are absent from our lives. Difficulty arises though if we refuse to let go of the departed, to allow them to rest in peace. When we build shrines and visit them regularly, whether they are of stone or in our heart, we open ourselves to morbid reflection. Consider the pyramids. The Pharaohs spent most of their time and energy focused on death and their “final” resting place.  Millions of man hours spent erecting, countless lives lost, treasuries emptied and for what? None of them succeeded as inviolate temples to the afterlife, what could the ancients have accomplished had they channeled that energy and resources into the living?

There is no death in the sense of personal finality, for death is just an altering of consciousness, a change in condition. Living on the Spiritual Basis, in conscious contact with a Power Greater Than Ourselves, death is part of the wonderful enfoldment of divine love that marks our spiritual progression. How could it be anything else?

We do not seek death, for it will come in due course, but we no longer fear it either. We release those who have left the mortal coil with love, sad because they have temporarily left our sight, but excited for their translation into the miraculous. This flesh is a temporary conveyance, never conceived or designed to last for eternity. Our consciousness, the I AM that makes each of us unique in all existence is eternal, untouched by time, space or physical concerns, has always been and will always be.

We carry the departed, our loved ones, in our heart, since no other structure can truly hold them. When they drift up into the forefront of our thinking, as they are wont to do from time to time, we smile and say a silent blessing, sending love, and then get on with the business of living, for the dead will take care of themselves.

 Zen, Wayne Dyer, The Secret, Sober Living By The Sea, Road Less Traveled, NOTW, metaphysics, 

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.

  #Bible, #Emmet Fox, #NOTW, #The Secret, #Wayne Dyer, #Zen, Alanon, Power of Intention,