THE STRAIT GATE

Scott Peck in The Road Less Traveled states “Life is difficult.” Pretty much says it all doesn’t it. So what are we going to do about it? Most, unfortunately choose to go through life on self propulsion, rudderless, seemingly bounding from one situation, crisis to another, never taking the time to consider possible alternatives, different avenues of living. Living on the Spiritual Basis we have chosen the road less traveled, we made this choice out of pain. The pain of addiction, of one failed relationship after another, death and/or illness of loved ones or looking at the pain and suffering of the world and knowing there must be another way, our pain that of all humanity. The road less traveled was first described by Jesus when he said “Enter by the narrow (strait) gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
Because narrow (strait) is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV).
Living at ordinary levels of consciousness we take the broad way, seeking answers and peace by any means other than spiritual. We suffer and as a result the world suffers for everything is connected. When driven by enough pain and discontent we choose a road to travel, to either blot out the truth of existence by any of the methods secular society provides; today there is a pill for everything or a group to join that will cosign anything you wish to bury yourself in, or to look within for our spiritual connection. The former being the path most chosen since who wants to do hard things like seeking spiritual answers and truth when there are easy things like drugs and companions who live by the credo “misery loves company” to co-sign, justify or rationalize anything we choose to do.
Living at raised levels of consciousness is the strait or narrow gate. Living on a new basis, the basis of trusting and relying upon God, the Spiritual Basis we place our feet on the road less traveled. The good news is this road does not have a lot of traffic, the sights and sounds along the way remarkable, amazing, beyond the human minds true ability to comprehend. The bad news is the road does not have a lot of traffic. Often we will feel as if we are alone on this road, perhaps having made the wrong choice since it seems the work is so hard. Take heart, for we are the greatest adventure of all, the raising of our consciousness, which not only affects us for all eternity but improves the world, all mankind. Never rising above another, but becoming a light, a beacon to all who would seek shelter from the storm. Let there be peace, and let it begin with me.

THE GOLDEN RULE

“Treating all in the same manner we wish to be treated in.” If, for any reason, I can justify treating anyone in a manner I would find objectionable if that same treatment was visited upon me, I am wrong and have placed myself in conflict with the Spiritual Basis of Living. Period. 100% of the time. Living on the Spiritual Basis our consciousness has been raised. We look upon all as children of the Creator, all possessing the spark of the divine, just as we do. Do not confuse the Golden Rule with the false concept of avoiding judgment. We all reap as we sow and when one chooses to harm others or live in a manner that places them at odds with their fellows then their reward is assured, the consequences of their actions their responsibility. Living at levels of raised consciousness we recognize this, salute the divine within them with prayer, recognizing that pain is the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self, their suffering, their path. The Golden Rule entreats us to treat all with the same love, tolerance, kindness and patience we wish to be shown, whether we like or even know them well, for we are all children of eternity.

LARGESS UNLIMITED

What do you believe? Not intellectually, but in action. Thinking or saying something does not make it so. Only by our actions, our demonstrations in truth, do we show all what we really believe. Is the man who speaks of, espouses honesty an honest man if his actions are dishonest? Those who preach peace of mind but are the first to be offended at trifles, what aspect of living are they demonstrating? The road less traveled, Living on the Spiritual Basis, is not for the faint of heart. It requires all of us, complete commitment, body and soul to be successful. Fortunately God knows our fear and weakness, smoothing the way for us by asking us to place the burden on Him, to trust Him to carry us to freedom. What is required of us is to keep our eyes on Him; even as the world seemingly spins out of control around us, walking the way we talk in faith, with no regard for the chattering voices constantly trying to pull us from the path.

By trust and belief in a Power Greater than Ourselves, Our Father, we are promised freedom. By standing in faith, refusing fears ever clawing fingers, we demonstrate over negative conditions. What do you believe, really? “Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). What are you asking for? On what doors are you knocking? “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:8). The universe responds to our actions, for good and ill. The gifts of heaven are ours for the taking if we will only truly step out in faith, trust in God rather than our finite selves and live as the children of God, heirs to Our Father’s kingdom.

COMING OF AGE

Getting older is not all bad, which is good considering the alternative. When I wore a younger mans clothes I was much surer of things than I am today. If a scientist or leader made a statement, it must be true, for they had done the work and would never take a stand on an issue or make a scientific pronouncement without fully thinking it through, facts in hand, double-checked.

Years ago, I belonged to the World Future Society; I looked forward to their periodical The Futurist arrival in the mailbox, there was an author whose column I particularly looked forward to reading. My copy arrived and though I tried to restrain myself from going straight to my favorite author I was soon reading his piece. It was written with the usual flair and style I enjoyed but something left me unsettled. I dismissed it and decided to reread the piece later with fresh eyes. I did and it was still there, something was wrong. I couldn’t put my finger on it and decided that something must be lacking in my ability to understand the points being made since the author was a learned man twice my age and I “liked” him so it had to be me. In the article a number of government statistics were cited so I made the decision that I needed to further educate myself since clearly the problem was mine and not the authors, so off to the library I went.

Being a regular, yep, once a geek always a geek, I went straight to the reader/projector, plopped in my fifty cents and asked the librarian for the appropriate microfiche (how’s that for dating oneself). In just a few minutes the problem became clear, the author had transposed the statistics! I felt proud that I had caught it and sad at the same time for the poor schlub who had obviously provided the author with the bad information he had based his assumptions upon, the actual statistics proving his conclusion false. Feeling pretty good about myself, I surmised the next issue would address it and all would be right in the world.

Being a bimonthly, I had to wait a bit for the next issue. It arrived finally and lacking any pretext, I went straight to his column. Nothing. He had written on a completely different subject. I was stunned. Then the thought came to me that the article addressing the error probably was not ready in time for this issue since I was sure he was double checking everything himself, making sure he got it right. Satisfied I read the issue and pretty much forgot about it.

When the next issue arrived, I again went straight to his column. Well, I was right. He most certainly addressed it in no uncertain terms. The article was a particularly hard-edged attack at all the people who had questioned his facts! The entire article was a rant attacking anyone who questioned him. No retraction or comment from the editors was ever forthcoming. I did not renew my membership when it came due.

I did not realize it at the time but this moment was a coming of age. There have been many others since. Coming of age spiritually requires turning out our sacred cows and staying fresh for new experience and knowledge. Keep an open mind and heart, stay on the firing line of life and if something does not sound or feel quite right, keep an open mind, trust your instincts and do your own homework.

CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH

Either we are all children of God or none of us are. Let us not get caught up in terms. Many paths lead to the raising of our consciousness. When we limit God, believe “our” way or any way is the only avenue to enlightenment, God is not limited, we are. Having had the opportunity to learn from a variety of souls with raised consciousness, the only thing that is consistent from one path to another is the connection to the divine; however, when we take the time to study the various paths what becomes apparent is they have more in common than they differ at their core. What we need to concern ourselves with however is our consciousness, our demonstration. Much time has been wasted in debate about one path over another when that time could have been spent in raising our own. Resign your seat at the spiritual debate table, do not worry, someone will fill it quickly, and focus instead on your demonstration. Lay aside arguments, preconceived ideas about God, and put on a new pair of glasses. The starting point can be as simple as: God is Loving, Intelligent and Available. Loving: if not, than what is the point? Without love, none of us would be here. Doubts? Seek out a new parent and search their eyes, for there you will see unconditional love. If you are a parent revisit the feeling you had the first time you held your child in your arms and know that Our Father feels the same way about us, but infinitely more. Intelligent: the creative life force at the heart of everything, creation itself, kinda defines the term. Available: if our prayers and meditations go nowhere, accomplish nothing than all those whose lives have been changed by prayer, regardless of faith or belief, for all of recorded history are what? Deluded? Mistaken? Rather self-centered of us, to dismiss the testimony of millions isn’t it? Keep it simple. Live one day at a time in raised consciousness, leave argument and debate behind, concern yourself with your demonstration, walking the way you talk and remarkable things will happen. Serenity no longer merely a concept, but a way of life, the things which used to drive us powerless, not forgotten but powerless, for the first time we are truly free. On the other hand, you can sit in coffee shops and debate. The choice is always ours.

GUIDED WISDOM

Walking the way we talk. At some point in our lives, we have all received advice or direction, usually unsolicited, from someone, though well intentioned, who clearly needed it more than we did. The perennially broke fellow giving financial advice, the serial dater, never has been in a long-term relationship, giving marriage advice. An entire entertainment industry, the sitcom, has been built on this curious truth. Years ago during a difficult period in my life it seemed I was a magnet for unsolicited advice, and though well intentioned, those stepping up to share with me were something less than successful in this area of life themselves. I asked someone “who walked the way they talked” about unsolicited opinions and he replied, “Their opinion of your life is none of your business unless you ask.” Seek then those who are demonstrating what you wish to have in your life and seek their counsel.

Living on the Spiritual Basis the old saw about “leading a horse to water” becomes clear. So many say they desire to change their conditions of living but sabotage themselves for fear of the unknown. They stay in a job that is clearly not for them out of fear of change “at least I have a job, what if the next one is worse?” Stay in a relationship that is long past its expiration date out of fear of being alone or getting in an even worse one; the following was actually said to me by someone who had just finished lamenting about a relationship “it may be shit, but at least it’s my shit and it is warm and familiar, I know what to expect.” I am rarely at a loss for words, but that one left me speechless. Wisdom comes from learning from mistakes. Guided Wisdom is when we not only learn from our mistakes, but can truly learn from others. As our consciousness rises through the application of prayer, meditation and service it becomes clear that wisdom is a combination of experience, intelligence and love. Living on a different basis, the basis of trusting and relying upon God, as we understand Him, the true Source, we are convinced that to be Happy, Joyous and Free the only power that can keep us from our true state of being is to give into fear. As we live, day by day in the light, demonstrating the truth of being we become an attraction to those about us. By walking the way we talk, consistently willing to stand for truth, everything and everyone improves, for we are all connected. So never proffer the answer to the unasked question, but stand ready, your conduct the attraction, to share your wisdom with any who seek.

THE GOSPEL or TRANSCENDING KARMA

Having come to an understanding of the law of reaping and sowing or if you prefer the Law of Karma, does this mean the universe acts only reflexively, has been left to operate automatically, with no chance to alter a path or outcome once action has been taken? Yes and no. How’s that for fence straddling. Maybe I’ll run for office. Seriously, most go through life responding reflexively to situations and conditions as they occur, often speaking about God and prayer but relying on the secular basis of living to solve their problems, with the usual unsatisfactory results. Living on the Spiritual Basis cosmic laws remain as immutable as ever, but we have touched the source, connected with intention and now through prayer and meditation we do not skirt the law but reap and sow at increased levels of consciousness. By practicing the Presence of God in everything thing we do we rise above our limitations and transcend ordinary levels of consciousness. Do not make the mistake of thinking though that a perfunctory prayer will save of us from reaping the consequences of our actions, only by a sufficient raising of our consciousness do we transcend the error and free ourselves from the limitations of ordinary levels of living. Having raised our consciousness, having established a consciousness contact with God the path narrows. Even though the consequences of our actions if we stray come quicker and with more vigor, we give thanks for knowing Him better for we are indeed on the road less traveled, the only road worth traveling, for it is the only road that leads to ultimate freedom, the freedom from the bondage of self.

WITH WHAT MEASURE YE METE

“With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again”(Matthew 7:2). There is nothing new under the sun. The Secret (law of attraction) and The Power of Intention are two of the latest variations on the reaping and sowing truth. The Christ teaching codified the lesson but it was known long before Jesus changed the world. Through out the gospels the point is made a number of times in a variety of styles by the authors. This teaching comprises the whole of the law of being and once we have truly learned it the keys to the kingdom are in our hands.

To be respected, be respectful toward all. Especially those who may not deserve it, for it is our demonstration, our serenity at stake, not the other mans.

To experience God’s love, demonstrate love toward all. Love and like are not the same thing, and though we may strongly disagree with or find another’s actions beyond the pale, we must salute the spirit of the divine within them, for they are a child of God as well and we must stay willing to be of service when asked, like of no importance.

To be abundant, refuse all thoughts and talk of shortage or lack. Living on the Spiritual Basis we now know that words and thoughts are causative. The things we say and ruminate on will find outsourcing in our lives, so we only focus on what we wish to have in our lives, turning from the negative to the positive as soon as we become aware, for thoughts are elusive.

For peace to manifest in your life, you cannot speak or think of conflict. If you plot attacks you will find a reason to launch one. Nations war for many reasons, we cannot countenance conflict in our lives for any, if peace of soul and mind is desired.

Humility comes from being humble, for we are humbled by the realization of God’s grace.

If I treat you in a manner I would find objectionable if the same treatment was meted out to me, for any justification, I am wrong. For With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

RECIPROCAL JUDGMENT

There are a wide variety of laws. Traffic laws, tax laws, criminal laws to name a few classifications. There is one set of laws though that trump all others and are probably the least understood, cosmic laws. Unlike Man’s laws, cosmic laws are never amended or appealed. The law of gravity, the law of unintended consequence, the law of attraction and the law of retribution are some of these. They are totally impersonal and are impervious to all the methods man uses to avoid, evade, or change the laws we put on the books. The law of retribution comes into play when we pass judgment. Some teachers have postulated that all judgment is bad, actual bars to spiritual progress, judgment only identifying the person passing it as someone who needs to judge. This is only a half truth at best. Let’s play the “what if” game: 1.You are looking for a daycare for your child. You meet a seemingly kind and loving person who runs a daycare but when you arrive at their facility you are greeted by poorly maintained grounds. Entering you see children playing seemingly unsupervised, their faces and hands dirty and there is the unmistakable odor of dirty diapers in the air. 2. Your teenagers behavior has begun to change, and not for the better. New “friends” are showing up and their old friends, some lifelong, are no longer coming around. When you ask about them you are greeted at best by a clearly BS reply to an angry “it’s none of your business” “it’s my life” as they scurry away to the sanctity of their room, which is off limits to parents without invite. 3. Your spouse’s behavior has changed. They have become distant, spending more and more time away from home and when they are home they seem to be daydreaming, only partially present. They have little interest in doing things with you or the family.

Passing judgment is unavoidable, as is the law of retribution. Now, make no mistake here, the law cuts both ways. When we judge well we reap the benefits. Consider the oft misstated Christ teaching on judgment: “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). The teaching is not about avoiding judgment but to address our own shortcomings before we point out another’s. “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye”(Matthew 7:5). Living on the Spiritual Basis we address the planks in our eyes and our vision clears. Does this mean we are better or more advanced than anyone else? To believe so invites painful lessons into our lives. In the three examples above a judgment will be passed, action will be taken, for good or ill. Judge well and the universe responds, judge poorly and the universe responds. The choice is always ours, Living on the Spiritual Basis our choices are consistently better, for our consciousness has been raised, and on those occasions when we choose poorly we have a clear cut path for cleaning up and clearing out our mistakes, with love.

SELF-CONDEMNATION KEEPS US BACK

Living life at raised levels of consciousness our harshest critic is always ourselves. As we become more aware, 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 light of our 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 on your psyche. This isn’t a race. When a “curious” thought surfaces do not waste any time trying to figure out where it came from or why you have it, for to do so opens the door to morbid reflection that should be avoided like the plague (there is a visual for you). Upon recognizing the thought, gently give it over to God, thanking him for knowing Him better. Later in meditation, if you remember, ask God if there is anything 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 it even for a moment the shirt will have a hole in it and we may have a painful burn on our arm. The only embers we remember, the ones that caused damage, are the ones we “thought” about. With God’s help brush off those embers reflexively; remember the sun is always shining behind the clouds.

A THRILLING EXPERIMENT

Ready to step out in faith? Ready to take some concrete action? Cool. For the next 24 hours you are to act as if you really do believe in God. Relax, your belief is not in question, this is about raising our awareness, our consciousness. We begin by practicing faith in all our actions. Demonstrate patience, tolerance, kindness and love towards all and this area will be covered; piece of cake. Now for something a little harder, watching our words. Speak only in accordance with your belief in God. No negativity, gossip, sarcasm or cute cutting little remarks (regardless of how funny or clever they may be) when asked a question, whether it be from a loved one, friend, child or employer/employee frame the answer as if God was speaking through you. Finally, and the most difficult aspect, as if it wasn’t hard enough already, is to guard our thoughts. Stay ever vigilant of your thinking, measure each thought against the absolute truth of living life in His presence, at higher levels of consciousness. Pretty simple huh. Easy? Probably the hardest thing you have ever attempted, but the rewards are immense. You will not do this perfectly, far from it, but that does not mean you should attempt this with anything less than full commitment for half measures avail us nothing. It is easy to see why the experiment is only for 24 hours. Finally, if you can, keep a small note pad and write down your thoughts through out the day but don’t get caught doing it or tell anyone what your about. If there is a chance someone will see you writing, then don’t. Guard this experiment as if it was your most valuable asset, for in the end it will pay dividends that will last a lifetime, for once our consciousness is raised, we are changed forever.

HOW TO GET A DEMONSTRATION

Scientific prayer is how. Get quiet, do not try to control your thoughts, anyone who says they control the thoughts that float through their mind is selling a book or seminar. We do not control our thoughts, what we do control is our response/action when the thought surfaces in our consciousness. Turn your attention to God, contemplate on what you know about God, His Love, His Guidance, our connection to Him as Father to child etc. Do not under any pretext think about the issue you are treating. Read a short passage from any spiritual tome that appeals to you and then take a few moments in contemplative meditation to consider what was just read. The purpose of this is to center our thoughts in God, to place our attention there, to raise our consciousness. Now take two or three breaths, breathing in deeply through the nose, exhaling through the mouth. Now claim quietly that which you need or the situation or condition requiring a healing. Be very clear here: always ask in the affirmative. If we ask thusly: “I need” money, health, peace, serenity etc what we will demonstrate is more need. We will be affirming need, not abundance. If money or resources are lacking ask that your life be a demonstration of abundance. If it is employment, ask to be of service to God and your fellows, for the perfect position for your unique set of abilities. Health, in general, ask to demonstrate a healed and vital radiance, for a specific ill or condition ask for a healing, visualizing the body free of the condition. If the demonstration is to assist another, frame your words carefully so that only positive and affirming actions are employed. Remember, words have power but do not concern yourself with the notion that any prayer can bring harm, to ourselves or others. As you are making your demonstration see it from the end, as an accomplished fact and thank God for accomplishing it. Prayers of thanksgiving are the most powerful of all. Under no condition discuss the treatment with anyone, it is between God and you alone. When you find yourself drifting back into thinking about the difficulty stop as soon as you become aware and give it back to God with thanks.

It would be easy to end this teaching here, for the lesson is complete. However there is an elephant in the room. Everyone dies. Death comes from illness, accidents to just the wearing out in time of this physical conveyance. No matter how well we phrase our prayers, our how fervently we make them, loved ones, the young and the innocent will pass from our sight. It is not a case of God not hearing our plea or turning a blind eye, he feels our loss and pain even more acutely than we do. It is our lack of perspective, thinking of death as an ending, when in fact it is merely a change in consciousness, a change that comes for all, as certain as the setting of the sun, that brings the pain. Nothing can ameliorate the pain felt when a child or loved one is taken before we are ready. One of the saddest comments made by survivors of a major tragedy that resulted in loss of life is “it’s God’s will they survived.” Does this mean that those who perished were less somehow in God’s eyes? Of course not. No one can say exactly why one escapes death, temporarily, while another, perhaps sitting right next to them does not. The rain falls on the just and the unjust equally. God does not play favorites. Do not allow our limited perspective to instill the false belief that God does not hear our prayers or feel our pain.

SELF-ANALYSIS

No one but you and God know what is in your heart, nor can we ever truly know what is in the heart of another, for only God has that ability. We come to know the issues of someone’s heart by their actions, demonstrations, not their words. One of the most misunderstood teachings in the Christ message is the one on judgment. It is not that we are to avoid being judgmental, for that is impossible. In fact, we are instructed to employ righteous judgment, to judge based on action, not on words. However, we cannot judge rightly if our own house is not in order. Take an honest, fearless and thorough inventory of your life. Identify the things that have been blocking you from fully accepting God’s love and guidance. You will find they are all fear based in one manner or another, for fear has a thousand faces. We risk our serenity if we pass judgment on the speck in another's eye while we have a beam in our own. We clean up our side of the street first, sharpen our vision, and then we can speak to our brothers’ difficulties, if asked. Seeing the pitfalls and roadblocks in someone’s path is none of our business unless we are asked. Living on the Spiritual Basis, we never answer the unasked question. We practice patience and prayer, staying always ready to go to any lengths to be of service when called, remembering that although we have great power in changing ourselves, by our reliance on God in all things, we have little power in changing others since their desire must come from within.

AN INEXHAUSTIBLE SUPPLY

The Secret, the Power of Intention, the Bible, all religions and spiritual paths teach that there is an inexhaustible supply available to all, regardless of any or all present conditions or perceived limitations. The Source as unlimited as the ocean, we are only limited by the size of the vessel we choose, a tanker truck or a thimble. Are we not bombarded endlessly by talk of limited supply and dwindling resources, yet where is the real proof? We are promised, all of us, that God will provide if we are about His business. Living on the Spiritual Basis, we no longer rely on ourselves but upon the Divine, that Power Greater than Ourselves that is all knowing, all-powerful that only brings good into our lives for God and good are synonymous. So many, and I was one for longer than I care to remember, pay lip service to this but continue to act in secular ways to answer the questions of life. God is either everything or else He is nothing. No middle ground. What size vessel will you employ? Will you fill it to the brim? I say throw the vessel away, strip off the clothes of limitation that we are saddled with by secular living and dive in. Luxuriate in truth of being and shout to all that will listen, come on in, the waters fine.

A man had lived a full life and at the appointed time found himself standing at the gates with Saint Peter bidding him welcome. Presently Saint Peter began showing him around and he was awe struck, speechless from the beauty. In time they came upon a rather plain looking building that, anywhere else would pass without notice but here stood out starkly. The man asked, “What is that building?” Saint Peter responded that it was unimportant and the man should put it out of his mind. The tour continued each new vista more wonderful than the last but the man could not get that plain building out of his mind. He asked Saint Peter about it again, and again Saint Peter counseled him to put it out of his mind. Nevertheless, he could not. He persisted and finally Saint Peter relented. As they approached the building, Saint Peter tried one last time to dissuade the man from opening the door but curiosity had him. The doors opened and the man was greeted with seemingly endless rows of shelves with the most beautiful boxes sitting on them. As he drew closer, he could see that each box had a nametag on it and they where in alphabetical order. His excitement rose, turning to Saint Peter he asked if there was a box here with his name on it. “Yes” replied Saint Peter but added, “Please, let us leave.” The man hesitated for a second but there was no stopping him, just as there had been no stopping every other person who saw this building. He ran down the aisles like a child on Christmas morning until he found his row. Racing now he found his box, it was beautiful. He opened the box and his heart sank, for it contained all the blessings that God had for him that he missed in his life. He looked up and there stood Saint Peter, a tear in his eye.

YOUR OWN PLACE

“Do not die with your music in you.” That feeling of dissatisfaction, the sense of something missing in life is God quietly but insistently attempting to get your attention. Your Heart’s Desire will never cease trying to assert it’s self into the forefront of your consciousness. We will never be truly happy or fulfilled in this life until we listen. Refuse to listen to the negative voices, within and without, that speak of “being too old” “it’s too late” “I could never make a living doing it” “what will my family or friends think” “it will take too long” etc, etc, etc. To be clear: We are not human beings in search of a spiritual connection. We are spiritual beings experiencing the human condition. The spark of the Divine in all of us eternal, never having been born and death nonexistent, a human construct. There is a reason for each of us being here, now. Your Heart’s Desire is that reason.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

Emmet Fox teaches: “Your real problem-the only problem you have-is to find your true calling in life. Everything else will fall into place. You will be happy; and upon happiness, health will follow. You will have all the supply that you require to meet your needs, and this means that you will have perfect freedom; for poverty and freedom cannot go together.”
We all know what our heart’s desire is. The still quiet voice, God’s voice, in you has whispered it to you. That thing that you have never said out loud for fear of ridicule. The thing the fear based voice says: you’re too old, you’ll never make a living doing it, what would your friends and family think, what about my responsibilities, and a thousand other “reasons” to stay locked into the role you have decided society would have you play. The first step to freedom begins here. You must answer this question: Do you believe God wants you to be happy, joyous and free? If you hold this as true, then what power on earth could possibly stand in the way? Only our own fear. Dr. Fox ends this lesson with the following two paragraphs: “Remember that this call is the call of God, and when God calls you to His Service, He pays all the expenses in whatever kind of coin. …Whatever you may require to answer that call, God will provide. Money, opportunity, introductions, knowledge, training, freedom, leisure, strength, and courage-all will He furnish, if you be about His business and not your own.
Your Heart’s desire is the Voice of God, and that Voice must be obeyed sooner or later."
Today is July 3rd. Tomorrow is America’s independence day, make today the beginning of yours.

FIND MATURITY

Grow up. Whenever someone does or says something juvenile there is invariably an “adult” nearby to suggest this course of action. We have all probably been on either side of the “grow up” admonition at one time or another in our lives. Whoopee cushions, fart jokes or any Jack Black movie may be demonstrations of juvenile behavior (but who doesn’t like a good fart joke) but what about our spiritual maturity? Many who would be offended if it was suggested they were any thing less than a model of modern maturity have static spirituality. Having struck upon a “sensible” structured slate of activity and repetitive prayer at proscribed times they are “comfortable” and self-assured in their religiosity. Their sacred cows well cared for. I say GROW UP! Our spiritual lives, and there really is no other, demands constant fresh input to be vital. In truth spiritually we never stop growing, complacency and staidness clear demonstrations of spiritual immaturity. GROW UP! We keep our conscious contact with the Divine fresh and growing on a daily basis by keeping an open mind and heart. Ready to act and serve in whatever manner God would have us. Ready to go to any lengths, any extreme for the spiritual experience, constantly moving forward, sometimes quickly sometimes slowly but always growing. Never content to draw a line in the sand, plant our flag and say no further. One of the hallmarks of spiritual maturity is willingness. As a spiritual teacher said to me years ago: If God wants me to go shovel shit in Siberia I’m willing, the only questions I have are am I walking and do I need to bring my own shovel. See you along the road of happy destiny. I’ll bring the shovels.

KARMA

*Karma: n

1. Eastern religion Eastern philosophy: the Hindu and Buddhist philosophy according to which the quality of people’s current and future lives is determined by their behavior in this and in previous lives
2. Atmosphere: the atmosphere radiated by a place, situation, person, or object (informal)
3. Destiny: destiny or fate in general

The term karma became part of the general lexicon in the west during the 60’s. It certainly is cooler to say karma than “reap what you sow” yet it means exactly the same thing. This is a cosmic law, is never broken and there is no appeal. Think law of gravity. Same rules apply. The mistake many make when thinking on karma is that it is a form of punishment. Unlike gravity our actions determine our karma, reaping what we have sown. It’s been said millions of times by spiritual teachers for thousands of years: like attracts like, yet so many deny or just flatly ignore this cosmic law looking for something outside themselves to blame their troubles and difficulties on. The Law of Attraction works both ways. When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change. To be clear: everyone faces some trouble or difficulty in the course of their lives they did nothing to attract but these occasions are rare, if we are rigorously honest with ourselves it is clear that by the choices and decisions we made, especially before embracing the Spiritual way of living, we placed ourselves in a position to be hurt. We are blessed with free will, the ability to chose the path we walk, the choices we make determine the crop we reap. Avoid then the manufacture of misery and suffering, Living on the Spiritual Basis we walk the road less traveled, trusting and relying on a power greater than ourselves to solve all our problems.




*Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

OUR LONG SCHOOLING

We all know people who are set in their ways. You couldn’t move them with dynamite off a position or opinion long held. In politics they are known as broken glass republicans or democrats. They would crawl through broken glass to vote for their candidate. In sports they are “die hard” fans, think Cubs or Indians. Long held, settled beliefs about anything that have become sacred cows are all impediments to spiritual growth. Do not misunderstand, being a fan or having political beliefs or strongly held opinions is only trouble when we close our minds to any new information that may give us pause to reconsider a point of view. The current global warming discussion comes to mind. Keep an open mind, stay curious and slay your sacred cows. If you cannot argue the other persons point of view intelligently and dispassionately, then you have work to do, and if you can only argue your position passionately, damn those pesky facts, the only person who suffers here, is you. School, life, is always in session. Are you in class or out behind the bleachers smoking cigarettes?

INEVITABLE RECKONING

Nothing says inevitable reckoning like birthdays. As children birthdays were looked forward too with nearly as much anticipation as Christmas. Inextricably we cross an invisible line and much like the credit card bills Christmas represents for some, we begin to dread the upcoming date of our birth. I think it begins when that first “friend” says, “hey, you’re getting old.” Sets in for real when you start listening to music five years old or more, unable to get into the new stuff no matter how hard you try. The cop in the cruiser next to you at the light looks 18 years old. You get your first double digit reunion notice and think “where has the time gone?” catching yourself looking in the mirror with a critical eye, wondering how you will measure up against your classmates and if that gym membership is still active. The march of time does not take breaks and only moves in one direction, seemingly picking up steam the further down the path it gets. Then you look at one of your kids and they have a couple of gray hairs, their kids in high school. Reading glasses no longer an option, vanity be damned, a necessity. The box office attendant gives you the senior discount without asking and you are torn. It is nice getting a couple of bucks off but it still kinda pisses you off. So what is one to do? Live in the day. The only time we have is this moment. The only time we can be present is in the present moment, the only time we can be present for those about us is right now, the only time we can be present for God is in the present moment. Do not allow yourself to project into the future or dwell on the past. Live one day at a time and the tomorrows will take care of themselves if we are about God’s business, trusting and relying on Divine Love and Guidance. Oh, and then there is that day when your AARP card arrives. Me, I have changed my birthday to Feb.29 that way I only have to deal with it every four years and I am a teenager again. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. I think I will go punch that attendant though, because now they will have to try me as a minor.

REINCARNATION

Now here is a topic with “jump the shark” written all over it. For many years I struggled with the concept of once around the block and done. How could we possibly learn all the lessons required to be fully realized spiritually in a mere 70, 80 or 90 years? In the Old Testament, life spans of hundreds of years are noted, but that was some time ago and even if we did live hundreds of years there are many lessons requiring a fresh perspective. How can one person, even if diligent from day one, learn the lessons having lived as a king and a beggar, of the courageous and the coward? How can one person be a criminal and a righteous man in the same life? Live a life devoid of sin and live in sin? To know the joy, and heartbreak of children and a life lived chaste? To learn all this and so much more, from both perspectives, male and female, in one lifetime? Any man who says he understands giving birth is a fool and any woman who stands in judgment of the bond between warriors is unwise. Eternity is a long time, really. What sense would it make to limit our schooling to a single life since we are children of the Creator: “Our Father, who art in Heaven…”as the Great Rabbi taught.

We are all born into different circumstances. The child born in the slums of Calcutta will never know the life or have the opportunities as the child born to working class parents in America. When you begin extrapolating all the possible permutations of just the circumstances of birth, location, adoption, single parent, resources etc it quickly becomes apparent that one lifetime could not possibly encompass every lesson.

ALL GOD’S UNIVERSE

Cosmologically the “Big Bang” is the accepted starting point for our universe. The theory holds that at one time everything that exists today, all 125 billion galaxies, all 70 sextillion stars (that’s a 7 followed by 22 zeros or nearly 18 times the number of grains of sand on every beach on this planet) was locked in an infinitesimally small point called a singularity. Then, and no one knows why, the point began expanding very rapidly and some 13.7 billion years later, here we are. Simple huh. Gotta love the Science Channel. The numbers and vastness of the universe is clearly beyond my ability, or any other mere mortals ability, to truly comprehend. On the micro side science has discovered that at the smallest level of existence, that which comprises all we can see and touch, the particles behave in an intelligent manner. Oh, and did you know that in the last ten years science has determined that all those stars and galaxies, everything in the visible universe makes up less than 5% of the mass of the universe? That over 95% of the mass is invisible, comprised of roughly 25% dark matter and 70% dark energy? How cool is that. Ok, take a breath. Kinda gets the head spinning doesn’t it. The good news is we don’t have to figure (as if we could) it all out to have a relationship with, a conscious contact with a Power Greater Than Ourselves, God.

Perhaps the great metaphysician George Carlin said it best. To paraphrase: People talk about getting their shit together. As soon as they get their shit together they will be ready. Ready for what? If they got their shit together what would they do with it? Most people have a lot of shit, so it would be too heavy to carry around, so they would have to find a place keep their shit. I guess you could put the shit in storage. But how will anybody know you got your shit together if it is in storage? Kinda defeats the whole purpose of getting ones shit together doesn’t it? You gotta show your shit off or what’s the point? You could get a really big truck to haul your shit around with you, but that’s a lot of shit to find parking for. And what about the trouble makers? All those who haven’t been able to get their shit together will get shity when they see you with your shit together. Then there are those assholes who try to give you shit. It is their shit, but they try to pawn it off on you. Look, I know my shit, so don’t give me any shit. My shit is over here, your shit is over there. Don’t try to mix the shit just because you can’t get your shit together, shithead.

It is not required to have all the answers to have a relationship with the miraculous. Start at as simple a level as you need to begin. It can be as simple as: there is a God and I’m not it. Keep an open mind and from this mustard seed of faith a powerful spiritual experience can and will grow. No shit.

THERE IS NO DEATH

Death awaits all men but waits on no man. Everything, from the may fly to stars die. Death is the change that brings renewal. To be sad at the passing of a loved one or friend is natural; they have left our sight and are missed. Sadder still are those who refuse to let go of the departed, to allow them to rest in peace. Near my home is a large cemetery. A few years ago, the operators of the cemetery had to sue to stop families from erecting makeshift shrines on the graves of loved ones. The time, effort and expense expended on those shrines substantial, and pointless. No? Consider the occupants of the pyramids. There is no death in the sense of 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, nor do we fear it, so release those who have gone before 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. Carry the departed in your heart, since no other structure can truly hold them. When they drift up into the conscious mind, as they are wont to do from time to time, 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.

The number of skeptics is swelling everywhere.

WSJ.com - Opinion: The Climate Change Climate Change

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124597505076157449...

I don't know if global warming is real or not, but I do know an open mind is a terrible thing to waste.

THE WORLD IS A SCHOOL

We all know the man or woman who makes the same mistakes repeatedly. Perhaps you have seen them in the mirror. The alcoholic, who forever is swearing they will do better, yet is all lit up again. The smoker, who has talked about quitting for years, yet continues to smoke. The friend or loved one in an abusive relationship, but cannot leave it. Perhaps your own child who, even though they know the consequences, cannot seem to get their homework turned in on time. We have opportunities to learn daily, some days the lessons coming fast and furious. It is a curious thing that once we start showing up on time tardiness as an issue disappears. Fill the gas tank when the gauge dips below a quarter tank and never run out of gas again. When you start that last roll of toilet paper, make a note to go to the store and avoid that rather awkward moment, especially if you do not live alone. Spiritually, read that book on the table next to the bed or sitting in that stack of books “you are going to get around to.” Living on the Spiritual Basis meditation is not suggested, but required if we are to progress in any real way. If you are not meditating daily, why not? What could possibly be more important than spending a few minutes with God? The Source, that Power Greater than Ourselves, God is always quietly urging us to learn, to grow, to progress along the path enlightenment. The lessons we learn spiritually stay with us, once learned becoming part of us, part of the fabric of the whole cloth of our true self, eternal. So learn what is in front you today, let tomorrow take care of its self, spend a few minutes with that spiritual book by the bedside.

COMMUNICATION WITH THE “DEAD”

Psychics and mediums have been around forever, from the Oracle at Delphi to John Edwards. Houdini, Penn Gillette, Randy and others have made careers exposing them. Can Char or John Edwards really talk to the “other” side? Beats me. There is another form of communication with the dead however that many engage in daily, that is deadly spiritually, morbid reflection. If that segue gave you whiplash, I apologize. Living on the Spiritual Basis, we have learned to stay in the moment. Morbid reflection insidiously pulls us into the past, to rehash, even relive, those times when we were at our worst, when our lives were at their seemingly lowest ebb. It is like having a cut on the arm, then when it scabs over scratching at it until it bleeds anew. In this way, we keep the wound “fresh and alive” indefinitely, pointing it out, recounting what happened at every possible occasion, doing it with emotion. Living on the Spiritual Basis we do not hide from the past or deny it, we have learned to keep the past in its proper perspective through the application of spiritual principles, to use it as a tool to help those new to the path, turning a seeming negative into a positive. We can recount even the worst moments from our past, without fear of drifting into morbid reflection, if it will help the new man or woman gain a foothold in the new way of life, for we are living on a different basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God.

SELF-DESTRUCTION

SELF-DESTRUCTION


All destruction is caused by self, by the choices in action we take, whether it is a nation or individual. We are bombarded with a never ending barrage of bad news. Pick up any newspaper, listen to any news channel and the hammers of negativity begin doing their work on our psyche. Living on the Spiritual Basis is a choice, it is the road less traveled. Having chosen to apply spiritual truth to every area of life, it is curious and somewhat disconcerting how easy it is fall back on old thinking to solve problems and address issues in the same tired manner and repeatedly failed ways on the world stage. History is an invaluable tool that few truly employ. There is nothing in today’s headlines that has not happened before, many times. Nothing. Living on the Spiritual Basis we trust infinite God rather than our finite self. God is either everything or else He is nothing. We rely on prayer, meditation and service to grow spiritually, for in truth there is no other growth; in order to meet calamity with serenity, to solve all of life’s problems, yet somehow on the macro scale of human affairs this becomes secondary, if at all. “IN GOD WE TRUST” or do we?

“The world is not going to the dogs. The human race is not doomed. Civilization is not going to crash. The captain is on the bridge. Humanity is going through a difficult time, but humanity has gone through difficulties many times before in its long history, and has always come through, strengthened and purified.
Do not worry yourself about the universe collapsing. It is not going to collapse, and anyway that question is none of your business. The captain is on the bridge. If the survival of humanity depended upon you or me, it would be a poor lookout for the Great Enterprise, would it not?
The captain is on the bridge. God is still in business. All that you have to do is to realize the Presence of God where trouble seems to be, to do your nearest duty to the very best of your ability; and to keep an even mind until the storm is over.”

When Emmet Fox wrote this in the 1930’s the depression was in full swing, prohibition the law of the land, the heart of America gripped by a “black blizzard” of dust that displaced millions as political storm clouds were gathering in Europe as Hitler rose to power. Economic hardship, war on drugs, global warming, Iran, Iraq, North Korea. Sound familiar? Nothing changes if nothing changes.

THE LINK OF LOVE

There is another link as well, in many cases seemingly stronger than love, and that is resentment. When we think on those we love the sense is one of peace, calmness, brings a smile to the face. Conversely when thinking on resentment the blood pressure rises, the jaw tightens, the thoughts taking on a decidedly darker tone. To be free of resentment requires work on our part. Nothing will retard, even stop spiritual progress more than resentment. It is deadly. The person who passionately retells the story of a wrong, either real or imagined, has built a virtually impenetrable barrier to growth. Who’s story is sadder, the man imprisoned for crimes committed or the jailer who chooses to return to prison of their own free will? Spiritually the answer is clear. To be truly free, we must embrace radical forgiveness. Many confuse forgiveness with having to like the object of the resentment. Fortunately it is not required, not a bad thing, just not required. We do have to “love” them in the sense that we loose them from our heart (where all resentment resides) and give them “root and branch” over to God’s care. We do this by saying a definite and specific prayer giving over the resentment and all attached to it to God. Do this once and only once. When the resentment pops up again in the consciousness, and it most surely will, thank God for knowing Him better (many times as necessary) and under no circumstance retell the “story” ever again, even if prodded by another who may have shared in the resentment. Additionally do not volunteer any action or direction another should take unless asked specifically what you are doing. Never answer the unasked question. Never engage or participate in negative conversations for this invites trouble and opens the door for negativity and resentment to slither back into our consciousness. When negative thinking surfaces turn to God in silent prayer. Everyone is subject to negative thinking, where the thought came from of little importance, our action of paramount importance. When we live in this manner we break the links of resentment and negativity, strengthening the links of love, love being the most powerful tool in our spiritual tool chest. Initially this will feel cumbersome and a lot of work. In time however it will become second nature, the level of our serenity will increase dramatically, negative thinking still present but now we have a way out of trouble that works, and besides what could be more important? Improving our relationship with the Source or continuing to fan the embers of past transgressions? Amazing how many, once exposed to the truth, choose the fan.

LIFE AFTER DEATH

Here’s a daunting task, tackling eternity, reincarnation etc in four to five hundred words. Let me know how I do. Atheists: nothing. Fade to black, roll credits. Easy. Everybody else: oh boy. Having worked with many approaching the transition, typically most folks have given it a little thought, but usually have kept the subject at arms length for obvious reasons. Remind you of anyone? A wise man said many centuries ago that the first true step in enlightenment is when we embrace our own mortality. Ready? I am going to borrow from Wayne Dyer here because he said it as clear as any has. Where were you before you were conceived? One moment there was no you, and the next there was. In that single cell, the fertilized egg, everything about you was there. Your eye color, the shape of your fingernails, hair color, whether or not you will keep it, 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 it began to grow and nine months (give or take) later you made your appearance on the world stage. Fast forward 70, 80, 90 years and we arrive at another seminal moment in life, when the flesh fails. Where’d you go? To paraphrase Wayne: Before you were born you were nowhere. 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. You see, 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. Head spinning? Sorry. At some point that bit of protoplasm became aware, that timing unimportant for this discussion thankfully, the point of awareness leaving a little easier to discern. Living on the Spiritual Basis we spend our lives 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 to all if diligent. So don’t concern yourself with what is on the other side of the line for it will come soon enough. 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 it’s 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. Heaven and Hell? Not going there, wouldn’t be prudent. Shalom Alechem.

THROUGH DEATH TO LIFE

Death, now here is a topic guaranteed to let the air out of a room, a polite conversation killer. Yet we all have/will deal with it. First the death of those around us and finally, and I think you would agree the most important, our own. Get a chill down your spine? Want to quit reading huh? I understand, but try to stick around if you can. It is curious how differently cultures mark/celebrate a passing. Western culture typically tries to make the event a clean straightforward affair handled almost exclusively by professionals. Family and friends provided with a regimented schedule, body pick up, prep for interment, “viewing” or pay your respects time, religious/remembrance service and ultimately the final destination for the “remains.” Juxtaposition this with Tibet where the family and friends personally take care of the loved one, celebrating the life and transition in spirit of the departed. The body is then given over to monks who chop up the remains, feeding them to vultures, returning the departed to the sky. Kinda takes recycling that final step. Might be a little too green even for Al Gore. Death is inevitable. What happens to our physical remains after we have translated from this mortal coil matters little. What matters is everything that takes place right up to the moment we somersault into eternity. You are eternal. The spark of the divine, the connection to all that is, your consciousness, your soul has always existed. It was never born and will never die. It has always been and will always be. We are not human beings in search of the miraculous, we are spiritual beings experiencing the human condition, this flesh a conveyance. So mourn the passing of those you cared for, for they have passed from our sight for a time and we miss them, but celebrate their transition as well for it comes for all and is as natural as the rising/receding tide. Still not quite sold on the vulture thing though.

PEACE, THE MIRACLE WORKER

Reborn. An overused term to be sure, but the only one that accurately states the truth of Living on the Spiritual Basis. Before stepping in earnest on the path we lived of the world, relying on secular thought and solutions. Day by day, step by step as we develop spiritually the old “man” dies and the new emerges. As with all births it is messy and there is some pain and discomfort along the way, quickly forgotten as the fresh new face greets the light of our consciousness. For those of us blessed with children (occasionally hard to remember the blessing when they are teenagers) there is probably no more peaceful moment in our lives as when we first held that newborn in our hands. This same peace is visited upon us as our awareness and conscious contact with the source builds and grows, as we move from of this world to in this world, becoming a light of awareness and serenity. Is there any greater miracle?

STEP BY STEP

Anything that requires assembly comes with instructions. I purchased a teapot recently and inside were instructions. Now the instruction sheet for that Christmas morning bicycle was considerably longer, and I still maintain wrong, both the bike and teapot instruction sheets had numbered steps. The teapot two, the bicycle four hundred and fifty seven, in Latin. Spiritually there are steps as well. With the exception of some notable examples from history, we progress step by step, levels of awareness progressing as we demonstrate through service and Living on the Spiritual Basis, experience building upon experience. Habits of thinking and living do not change by simply assenting to them as needing to be changed, it requires action and perseverance on our part. To quote Wayne Dyer: “Habit is habit, and not to be flung out the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.” Probably those suffering from addiction are the most obvious example of this. Many who initially get sober, seemingly having cast the “habit” out the window, then relapse and are baffled as to why. They became alcoholics and addicts a step at a time. Any individual who drinks a quart of scotch, takes 20 or more oxycontin daily or shoots up $200 worth of heroin a day didn’t start out that way. Their addiction built up step by step. Let’s look at a different way. Most of my peers, including me, are a little rounder than they would like. The weight didn’t appear over night. I didn’t go to bed with a twenty year olds twenty eight inch waist and wake up with a fifty something’s thirty six. Yet when it comes to losing weight, typically if it can’t be dropped in a week or two we lose interest. Why do hard things like sticking to a diet (staying sober) when there are easy things like cheeseburgers (drinking/getting loaded). Our spiritual development is a mental diet, requiring vigilance, and though eating healthy is important, is of infinitely more consequence than waist size. Years of fuzzy thinking, false belief and fear driven action do not disappear in a twinkling, the process, once begun in earnest, continues for a lifetime, step by step, one day at a time.

RAISE THE SHADES

Ever board an airliner on a cloudy day? On the ground it is dark, possibly dank, shadow enveloping everything. Then the plane lifts off the runway and climbs through the clouds, for a time visibility zero, then suddenly the craft bursts through the clouds into bright sunshine. In truth the light was always there, only obscured by a temporary condition. When trouble comes into our lives it attempts to lower the shades on our consciousness and a false belief of permanence will attempt to establish itself. Behind the drawn shades the sun still shines, so we throw open the blinds and let the light fill our consciousness, banishing the false belief. If a cloud happens by to obscure the light for a time, there is no concern, for demonstration has taught us the light is always there, the cloud a temporary condition.

EVER-PRESENT HELP

The longest eighteen inches in the world is from the head to the heart. Intellect to faith. Talking about faith, about God, is easy. Standing in faith when every fiber of the carnal mind screams in opposition, isn’t. The back of every American dollar bill states “In God We Trust” but how few truly do. Building things has been a spiritual teaching device used for thousands of years. The Great Rabbi, being a carpenter, uses it to great effect. In Matthew he teaches that those who demonstrate faith by action build their spiritual house/consciousness “upon a rock” which will withstand the inevitable floods (trouble and difficulties of all stripes) while those who only pay lip service to Living on the Spiritual Basis build their “house” on sand “and great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:27)” It is easy to be spiritual, loving, gracious, etc when life is going well. You can build a structure on any ground as long as the sun is shining and the wind is nothing more than a breeze, but to do so in the belief that conditions will never change is a fools errand, yet many do this very thing spiritually and then are devastated when the rains come and the winds blow and their structure collapses. They typically compound the error by then blaming God for the storm. We chose the materials our house will be constructed of, the construction practices employed, how well we adhere to the blueprints, for it matters little the quality of the materials if they poorly installed, the blueprint ignored. The Good News is the greatest builder of all will step in at any point and He will set the project (our consciousness) right if we will only place our trust in His guidance, love and direction. By this simple reliance on a power greater than ourselves our structure is solid, well built, able to withstand any coming storm.

MENTAL ASSENT

As a man thinketh. What and how we think out pictures in our lives. To think that we can entertain certain thoughts; ones we wouldn’t say aloud, and not have them influence us is not only foolish but spiritually deadly. What we think on becomes part of the mix. Thoughts of vengeance, assenting to anyone’s suffering, reveling in schadenfreude all mark us. To be clear: This is not about casting a value judgment on criminal, destructive or harmful actions or behavior, only that we can not fool ourselves about the effect these thoughts carry with them. What we think on becomes part of the mix. Whatever ingredient we place in the mixing bowl will be in the finished cake. The lesson is to be aware of what we are thinking and saying, what we invite into our consciousness. No one does this perfectly, the key to freedom is awareness, so Living on the Spiritual Basis we cannot fool ourselves about the cost these thoughts carry with them and to never compare our insides to others outsides. Those who appear to get away with negative thinking and actions don’t. The mills of the God’s grind slowly but ever so fine. We all reap as we sow. To be free, we can no longer keep score for the world.

COMMON-SENSE VOCABULARY

Words have meaning. Sounds like a “duh” kinda thing to say but bear with me. Often when chatting with a student or in casual conversation with a friend or acquaintance a statement is tossed out that, though at first blush seems harmless, could be challenged. Word of caution here: pick your spots. Most conversations won’t stand up to close examination and if we start picking apart everything, soon it won’t be a problem because we will only be talking to ourselves, which could be a problem. There are times however when jumping the shark is required, typically when speaking about God. Typical comments are usually something like: “God is loving but uses pain to teach us” or “God isn’t interested in the small things in life” or “All prayers are answered, just sometimes the answer is no.” In order: God does not use or even authorize pain and suffering. Pain and suffering comes from either an action we have taken or we have been caught up in someone else’s drama, remember everything is connected. As we now understand “we reap as we sow.” Physical ailments and such are part of the wheel, this flesh in its current configuration wears out is a variety of ways, the soul eternal. The rain falls on the just and the unjust equally, remember natural law. Of course he is interested in the small things for He is “closer that hands and feet” and that is most close indeed. All prayers are answered in the affirmative. Period. The problem is in what we pray for given our limited spiritual vision and understanding. God will provide what we need, but never anything that will harm us. If your child asked for food would you give them a stone? A deadly snake for a toy? Poison instead of water? Is not the true relationship between man and God summed up in the first two words of the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father”? We consider what issues from our lips, do we really believe it or is it just something that sounds pleasant and perhaps is meant to be reassuring, just not thought through. When others speak exercise patience, tolerance, kindness and love before “correcting” or attempting to “explain” a spiritual concept they may be ill informed on. Most often these will be opportunities for us to exercise patience, tolerance and restraint of tongue, then to pray for them later when alone. Occasionally we will be called on to stand up and address a comment straight on, if that be the case always say a silent prayer before engaging tongue to be shown by divine wisdom what to say and how to say it, opening ourselves to be a channel of the truth, delivered with a feather, not a cudgel.

USE THAT BROOM!

People who have cast their lot to Living on the Spiritual basis by virtue of the 12 step program of action have a leg up on those not afflicted. Now don’t misunderstand and run out and buy a bottle of Jack and a case of Bud as a shortcut to spiritual awakening. The leg up is the lack of options or to paraphrase the “Big Book”: their only choices being death, insanity or jail if they don’t embrace the path. To be clear, the 12 step way of life works for all, but unlike regular folks the addict/alcoholic has only dark limited options if they fail to change. One of the fundamentals of the 12 step process is the personal house cleaning (of the things blocking us from a relationship with a power greater than ourselves) in the 4th step and the daily maintenance of keeping our side of the street clean found in the 10th and 11th steps. The book Alcoholics Anonymous was the first tome to not only spell out unambiguously the critical necessity of this initial and continual cleaning but how to do it with clear directions. “It works, it really does. Try it”(A.A. manuscript pg. 40). By substituting “life” for alcohol when studying the steps the process then becomes applicable to all. The beauty of the 12 step process is the directions are straightforward and have a long proven record of success. But as with all paths to enlightenment, a price has to be paid and that price is the surrendering of self, which the house cleaning is an integral part, for without that broom little of any lasting effect can be accomplished.

USE WHAT YOU HAVE

How do we progress spiritually? Is it by studying every new book or teacher that comes along? Willingly casting aside yesterdays book or teacher in hope that the new information or teacher is better? Perhaps never even taking the time to see if a particular teaching works because of jumping from one to another, and there is always another. The student of mathematics progresses logically forward, as do students of all secular studies. They learn the basics, building upon this foundation as their understanding of their field of study advances. Think about mathematics: every great mathematical theorem, every breakthrough from Pythagoras to Newton to Einstein to Hawking began with understanding 2+2. They all began with the basics, thoroughly understood and employed, to inspired new demonstrations. The study of metaphysics requires not only the logical progression of thought as mathematics but the artists way as well. We can attend the finest schools of art, rub elbows with accomplished artists, walk the finest galleries of art, and though we may have a wonderful appreciation and even love of art, we will never be an artist until we place pencil to paper, brush to canvas. Our peace of mind, serenity, develops as we practice, demonstrate, what we have learned about spiritual principles, in our lives, daily. Knowledge is fine, but without demonstration has little power to change. As we practice what we know spiritually daily (the amount matters little) our heart and mind become more attuned with the spiritual basis, through this demonstration we grow in understanding by action, and there is no other way to truly learn how to Live on the Spiritual Basis. Who is the artist? The individual who knows all about art, a head full of knowledge, who has never brushed a stroke or the individual who perhaps has had no real formal training but draws, paints and creates daily? Our lives are the canvas, a room full art supplies of little value unless used to create, so apply what you have learned and God will guide your hand, the picture emerging miraculous. Oh, and art is messy, so don’t worry about the paint under your finger nails, on the floor or your clothes, the Great Artist understands and it puts a smile on his face.

CASH THAT BILL!

Ever find a fiver or ten spot, maybe a twenty in a pocket of a pair of pants or jacket you haven’t worn in a while? Always puts a smile on your face doesn’t it. Ever consider ignoring it or even decide it really has no value? Of course not, that would be foolish. Yet so many do exactly that with the found riches of faith. Students, and not only new ones, of the path will be going along swimmingly for a time and then inexplicably take the reins of their lives back and then wonder why they are struggling. Having begun to Live on the Spiritual Basis and reap the riches of this new life for reasons yet obscure (probably fear) they resort to old ways of thinking and solutions, seemingly forgotten the pain that brought them to the path in the first place, the new solutions of value now valueless. Our path here is clear. When we become aware of old ways of thinking and actions creeping back in, stop immediately and spend that spiritual cash in our pocket on prayer, meditation and service. Oh, and the best part of this found cash is that there is always more, since God is the source, by placing our whole hearted attention on our relationship with Him, our pockets are always full.

CAN HAPPINESS BE FOUND?

First, what makes you happy? We have all felt happiness in our lives, meeting him/her, wedding day, divorce day, birth of a child, landing “the” job, graduating, watching a child graduate, doing something nice for somebody and not getting caught, etc. The key here is that just as fresh bread is only fresh for a short time, these feelings of happiness pass. What would provide long term, permanent happiness? Wealth? Good health? Satisfying career? Begs some consideration, yes. Money is good, having had money and been broke, having money is better. But happiness? Some of the most miserable, unhappy people we have known had plenty of money, so money by itself isn’t the answer. Perfect health is great, but does little to instill happiness if our loved ones are struggling and we are powerless to help or they refuse help. Careers are important, can be fulfilling but as a vehicle for happiness they are a poor source. If we make our happiness contingent on outside things and people we will never be truly happy, happiness as fleeting as fresh bread. In truth, happiness can only be found within. Experience demonstrates those who have a deep and abiding belief in a power greater than themselves, God, have true happiness at their core. Trouble still comes for them as it does for all, but they have the ability to meet calamity with serenity for they have a conscious contact with the Source, and through prayer and meditation meet all of life’s downs and ups with faith, for only by faith in demonstration do we receive the divine guidance and strength that provides lasting inner peace and happiness.

SPONSORSHIP

Sponsor: n
spon·sor [spónssər]
(plural spon·sors)
1. somebody responsible for another: somebody who undertakes responsibility for another, especially during a period of education, apprenticeship, or probation

The early members of Alcoholics Anonymous typically found the group by introduction from someone who had put themselves forward as willing to take responsibility for their welfare. Ebby (Bill Wilson’s “sponsor”) was taken under the wing of Rowland H. and Cebra G., they becoming his sponsor when he appeared before Cebra G’s father who was the judge charged with determining whether or not Ebby should be committed for alcoholic insanity. Rowland and Cebra sponsored Ebby in the cause of sobriety employing the tenants of Moral Rearmament (Oxford group), presenting Ebby with first century Christian principles as a way to stay sober. This was the message that Ebby then brought to Bill at his kitchen table a few months later. Many if not most of the early sponsors were not alcoholics themselves. From the first page of the early pamphlet A MANUAL for ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS published by the King School Group (1st AA group): “To the Sponsor: If you have never before brought anyone into A.A. the booklet attempts to tell you what your duties are by your ‘Baby,’ how you should conduct yourself while visiting patients, and other odd bits of information, some of which may be new to you.”
Sponsorship has always been an integral part of the A.A. way of life. Today sponsors are typically members who have worked the steps and have been invested in the process long enough to help those asking for their help over the inevitable rough spots in sobriety and their experience strength and hope as it relates to recovery from the disease of addiction.
The early members accepted sponsorship as a given. Because of this when the book Alcoholics Anonymous was penned, much to their later chagrin, the concept was not specifically touched on in the text (pages 1-164) of the “Big Book”. To their credit the decision was made not to rewrite the text to reflect this, instead relying on members accounts, both in the stories section of the book as well as one on one to make the point. Anyone who questions the concept of sponsorship need only take a few minutes and read the members accounts and any doubt as to the necessity of sponsorship for successful long term recovery will be dispelled.

THAT ILLOGICAL FELLOW

No one lives life perfectly. No one is at peace or serene persistently. No one is energized and at their best every minute. Just as the tides rise and fall so does our energy levels, our peace and serenity. We find trouble when we compare our insides with others outsides. All of the people you think are so much more, or doing better than you, have their moments, in private, just like everyone else. When the Pope stubs his toe it hurts. Granted he probably doesn’t utter the same expletive I do (and if he did it would be in Latin and everything sounds better in Latin) when it happens, but then again, the point being that everyone stubs their toe, having nothing to do with spiritual condition. Now if I blame someone else for putting or moving the table there or start in on the unfairness of the universe for bringing this calamity or better yet think that for some reason I deserved to stub my toe and the pain is the universes way of reminding me of my place, it then becomes a spiritual matter. When we are constantly looking for tea leaves to read, we will always find them and amazingly the news is routinely bad. The forecast dark with more dark and a chance of scattered crappiness later in the week. Usually a cloudy day is just a cloudy day, nothing more. The only lesson to be learned from stubbing ones toe (or any of the other trivialities that cross our path daily) is to watch where we are going, the universe is not out to get us. To be believe otherwise would be illogical in the light of what we now know from Living on the Spiritual Basis.

illogical [i lójjik’l]: adj

1. not following the rules of logic, or not following logically from a previous premise, statement, or action.

Everybody spends time in the barrel. The Pope, the Dalai Lama, everybody. Living on the Spiritual Basis we, along with the Pope and Dalai Lama, have a logical basis for living. The basis of trusting and relying on a power greater than ourselves. Stubbed toes and cloudy days notwithstanding. If we are constantly taking our temperature we are surely to find a fever, and in so doing we are demonstrating lack of faith. Living on the Spiritual Basis we have a logical path of direction to follow, keeping our eye on the ball, God, and doing the work He would have us do, we then meet calamity with serenity, with an occasional expletive, for God knows stubbed toes hurt.

TIDAL WATER HEALS

Without renewing energy stagnation results and there is probably no better demonstration of this than tidal pools. Here the demonstration is clear, the renewing energy of the waves keeps the pool fresh and supplied. If we consider our consciousness as a tidal pool, than our renewing waves are comprised of our willingness; an open mind, to turn to Source in all things. Trusting in God to wash over us in forgiveness, love and guidance, carrying away negative and fearful thoughts. Just as the oceans level rises and falls, leaving the pool seemingly without supply for a time, so does our awareness. A closed mind is like the pool of water blocked off the renewing energy of the sea. In time the water turns brackish and unhealthy, its energy and life draining away. Eventually if nothing fresh flows in it will evaporate, leaving only dust. In those times when fear tries to convince us that this time the waves of renewal will not return; closing our mind to truth, faith reminds us that the tide always rises and the waves always return. Stay willing and open minded, learn and listen and the renewing energy of Divine Intelligence will keep you fresh and alive, ready to demonstrate the power of God in every area of life.

YOU CAN’T, BUT GOD CAN

What more do we need to know? Not convinced? OK. Everything is comprised of energy. Not just energized, but comprised of. The chair you are sitting on. The monitor you are looking at or the paper you are reading this on. The air you are breathing, you. Everything. In 1918 Max Planck received the Nobel Prize for physics. In his acceptance speech he said in part: All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter. In the last two decades science has observed, what Quantum Physics postulated, to be true. The importance of this so profound we have built the largest machine ever outside of Geneva, the 17 mile long Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to explore what Max Planck knew over ninety years ago! Living on the Spiritual Basis things like the LHC or the continuing discoveries on the macro side of everything with tools like the Hubble telescope are interesting but have no weight to sway our belief, for we have found the great reality deep within. In the moments of fear and doubt that come for all, we quietly turn to the Source for our salvation and answers, tapping into the power that exists all around us, within and without, to do what it knows is necessary to bring us to freedom. Living on the Spiritual Basis we apply Infinite Power to our difficulties, guarantying freedom and success.

GREAT IS DIANA

Bible names are cool. The “Diana” lesson is found in Acts 19, some of the names are Tyrannus, Timotheus, Erastus, Demetrius, Gaius and Aristarchus. “Hi, my name is Gaius and I will be your server tonight.” “Mom, the plumber Erastus is here!” “Hall of Fame linebacker Tyrannus Jones…” “Dr. Demetrius will see you now.” “Senator Aristarchus of the great state of California.” Alright I’ll stop. I still think they are cool. My wife would only allow me to pick our daughters middle name: Anastasia, not very fair. Ok, now I’ll stop. The silversmith Demetrius made his living off silver shrines to the goddess Diana. Paul had brought the Christ message to town which many embraced, turning away from the Goddess Diana. Demetrius knew his livelihood was at stake for without Diana worship he was out of business, so he and his fellow craftsmen began shouting “Great is Diana” in an attempt to stem the tide embracing the new path, not out of any real belief other than the belief their pocketbooks would suffer. Today we shout Great is Diana in our own way when we speak of spiritual matters but fail to employ spiritual remedies or trust in God to solve our problems. The silversmiths didn’t trust Diana to deliver them, so they took matters into their own hands, for their own selfish ends. God is either everything or else He is nothing, what is your choice? The path Paul helped bring to the world has been providing answers to billions for two thousand years, yes I know not always as the carpenter intended, while if you ask someone about Diana they will probably comment on the late princess of Wales, a beautiful woman, but no goddess. Trusting in God is simple but not easy. We are bombarded by handwringers and fear spreaders at every turn, the one thing they all share is they live on the secular basis, not the spiritual. The promise of Living on the Spiritual Basis is by trusting and relying on the true source, God, all questions of living will be answered and we will be provided with what we need to grow and prosper, so be about God’s business and all other affairs will fall into place in due course. “ Top NASCAR driver Timotheus Erastus Martin wins Daytona!” Sorry.

ONLY YOUR OWN THOUGHTS

We have no control over the thoughts that float up into our consciousness. What we do have control of, and must exercise, is what we do when we become aware of the thought. No one knows what triggers the seemingly random thoughts that float into our consciousness, perhaps it is a smell, a taste, a song on the radio, a blue Volkswagen driving by, no one really knows and most importantly it matters little. What matters is the action taken when a discordant or negative thought surfaces. Dr. Fox uses the analogy of an ember from a campfire. If we are sitting by a campfire and a burning ember floats up and lands on our sleeve, if we brush it off immediately no real harm is done. However if we wait a moment to contemplate it, the shirt is ruined and have a painful welt on our arm to mark the decision. We must stay vigilant for those “burning ember” thoughts. As soon as we become aware of one, we turn immediately to God and ask Him to direct our thinking. The wording of the prayer is of course optional, but the timing isn’t. So many make the mistake of trying to figure out why the thought crossed their mind. Not only failing to brush it off with Divine help but nurturing and feeding it fuel by continuing to try to figure it out, as if knowing why will do anything to remove the discomfort and pain their ruminations are causing. Why is the booby prize.

boo·by prize : n
(plural boo·by priz·es)
loser’s prize: a prize given as a joke to the person or team coming last in a competition

If a small fire started in your home would you stand there watching the fire wondering why it started or would you act to put it out, before any serious damage was done? Yet we do this very thing in the only dwelling that really matters, our consciousness, when we entertain these destructive thoughts as our serenity and peace of mind burn in the fires of morbid reflection. Stay vigilant and let God be your fireman.

SEEKING AND FINDING

Reaping and sowing. What you seek you will find, what you plant and nurture will grow. Seems like a simple enough lesson, yet many ignore it. Parents who never had time for their kids while they were growing up, busy doing this and that, justifying it to themselves at the time with things like “I’m doing it for them” or “I’ll make up for it later” or “they would rather be with their friends anyway” and now being grown they never come around or call and the parents are surprised and hurt. Then there is the parent who orchestrates every aspect of their child’s life with little or no regard for the child’s preferences shocked when the child rebels at the first opportunity. The husband who spends all his time away from the family incredulous when served divorce papers. The philandering spouse angered when they discover their partner is carrying on in the same manner. So what are you planting, seeking by your actions? Do your actions mirror your words? Are you trying to impress others, believing that if they think you are okay, you are? Do you spend a lot of time “selling” your side of the story, leaving out any facts that may paint you in a bad light? Do you employ the concept of “guilty with an explanation” regularly? Are you surrounded by people who are quick to cosign whatever your selling, avoiding those who may ask uncomfortable questions or point out obvious truths? Living on the Spiritual Basis we now know that the unexamined life leads to futility and frustration. If you have placed your feet on the path, and many who are reading this have, be gentle with those around you who are still locked in the bondage of self. Never answer the unasked question but do share from the heart your struggles and the actions you have taken to progress. To quote Wayne Dyer: (my thoughts added) “Never underestimate your ability to change yourself (through the application of spiritual principles) and never overestimate your ability to change others.”

WHAT IS YOUR ACT?

“Handsome is as handsome does.” Sounds a bit Forrest Gump-ish but fits the bill. Many wish to enjoy a certain reputation they know in their heart they don’t deserve. The ill-tempered person may indeed want to be loved and favored but their very actions make it impossible. How often have you heard someone attempt to sell the idea that even though someone is acting or has acted badly they really mean well, are basically nice people, having a heart of gold. Nonsense. Loving people are loving towards all, the mistake here is that many believe they have to like everyone as well, which isn‘t required. Respectful people are respectable towards all, liking or agreeing with them irrelevant. 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.

YOUR DAILY VISIT WITH GOD OR SPIRITUALITY BY OSMOSIS

Students who find the path of Living on the Spiritual Basis through the 12 step process have an advantage, the advantage of clear cut directions. The directions found in the “Big Book”, Alcoholics Anonymous, are straight forward and concise. Even so I have had students relate all kinds of curious interpretations of the process laid out in the Big Book, based on what they heard someone say in an AA meeting. So, instead of actually reading and studying the book, they choose to base their recovery on people and meetings rather than on their own work and efforts. I understand, why do hard things; like studying the book and really working the steps, when there are easy things like going to meetings and sober activities, relying on others interpretations as gospel. Eventually spirituality by osmosis (lots of activity, little real work) wears thin and they find themselves faced with a crises they can no longer evade or postpone, that no amount of “sharing” in meetings will help; they wonder why God has abandoned them. They truly believe they have been “working” the steps, because their perception is based on what other osmosis alky’s share about, not the path laid out in the Big Book. In truth they have been working some of the steps, but not all. Kinda like making a cake and leaving a few ingredients out, then blaming the recipe because it is inedible. There may and usually are other areas, but the daily visit with God in prayer and meditation is typically their most glaring omission. Four times, pages 83, 87, 134 & 164 we are directed to morning meditation, yet it never ceases to amaze me when this is pointed out how few realize it. On pg 83 we are directed to begin each day by “asking in morning meditation that our Creator show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love”. Additionally we are directed to use the prayer “Thy will be done” when (when, not if) we become angry, frustrated or even excited. This is a wonderful barometer for how we are doing spiritually. If you can’t remember the last time you said this prayer, you may want to take a few minutes in quiet contemplation and study the 10th and 11th steps again. Just a suggestion. Nothing is more important than the time we spend in prayer and meditation. Nothing. No excuses. The good news is you can begin now and start reaping the benefits immediately. Kinda like going on a diet and losing five pounds just by deciding to do the work. Pretty cool. Oh, and you non-alky’s who stuck around, the Steps aren’t about not drinking, they are about Living on the Spiritual Basis, and if you have the willingness, they will solve your life problems too. Cheers.

THE MIDDLE WALL OF PARTITION

Most modern offices are comprised of large rooms divided into cubicles of various sizes using partition walls. Typically these walls of partition are head high and unlike permanent walls are easily moved. When we are frightened and feeling lost it is if a wall of impenetrable stone has risen between us and God. In truth the “wall” is nothing more than the flimsiest of partitions constructed of fear and false belief. It appears solid and robust at first blush, but just as the partition walls found in the office, with the right tools and a little effort it is easily removed. The tools? Prayer and meditation. The effort? Being of service to others. Prayer is pretty straight forward, though a thousand books could be written and only the surface scratched, meditation however seems shrouded in mystery and false expectation. If you aren’t meditating regularly, start. Keep it simple, begin by finding someplace where you can be undisturbed for fifteen minutes, if your living situation makes this difficult, take a walk. Yes, you can meditate while walking. Whether sitting (no need to fold yourself into a pretzel unless your into that sort of thing) or walking, be comfortable. Sit in a comfortable position or walk at a pace that does not effect your breathing. Now, think about nothing but God. Go over in your minds eye everything you know about God, gently, or if you prefer read a paragraph or two from a spiritual book or teaching and contemplate on it for your period of meditation. When your mind wanders, and it will, gently bring it back to the task at hand. Do not under any pretext speak to yourself negatively or condescendingly. Meditate daily. No excuses. The first purpose of meditation is to stop thinking about the problem and to think about God instead. If you are persistent, soon meditation will become such an integral part of living that when you find yourself caught in a situation where meditation is not practical (happens occasionally) you will miss it. Congratulations, you are now officially a meditator and yes, it really is that simple. There are many forms and styles of meditation, do not at this point go out and buy books on meditation or search the web. Keep it simple for a time, when it is time to investigate other forms, you will know and never forget, don’t concern yourself with becoming better at meditation, just do it.

Service work can take any number of forms. It can be as simple as dropping a coin in the random parking meter about to expire (I know, in some places this is illegal but a little civil disobedience is good for the soul) or even just picking up a piece of trash off the street or sidewalk and disposing of it to volunteering time and resources. The key here is just as with meditation is consistency. A kindly act once in awhile won’t fit the bill. You may have sensed a theme here. To remove the illusionary partition wall that fear and false belief raises between us and God, stop thinking about the trouble and think about God and spirituality instead, backing it up with unselfish, constructive action. Do not allow yourself to fall into the trap of thinking you need to do any of this perfectly or that anyone does. Avoid comparing your insides to others outsides.