JUDGMENT vs. JUDGMENTAL (The Heart of Pain)

        Probably no spiritual concept is more misunderstood than judgment. People who normally would never quote from scripture cite Jesus when they feel they are being judged unfairly, typically misquoting Him to the tune that passing any judgment is bad. Nothing could be further from the truth. To be clear: We all pass judgment on all sorts of things everyday. Every decision we make requires a judgment call. Paper or plastic, salad or pizza, fill the gas tank now or chance it, etc. Now, daily living judgment calls are one thing, but what about spiritually? The Carpenter taught that we should not, in fact can not in truth, point out the flaws in others when we are demonstrating the same or worse in our lives. To do so is gross hypocrisy and opens the individual to greater reciprocal judgment, reaping what they have sown. Consider the practicing alcoholic commenting on another’s drinking, the neighbor with waist high weeds criticizing another’s yard or the worker bemoaning the hard work of another because it makes them look bad in comparison.

     Conversely when we have begun to Live on the Spiritual Basis we place our feet on the road less traveled. Having constructively inventoried our lives and placed our finger on those things which were blocking us from Divine light, we honestly and ruthlessly (yep, that is the right word, check your dictionary) asked God to remove everything that has kept us from fully demonstrating His love and guidance in our lives. In this way we learn to view ourselves and our fellows with righteous judgment. Will we do this perfectly? Of course not, for the fear that lies at the heart of all our difficulties and shortcomings is a cunning foe, and though we make mistakes, we must persevere. In time we will learn to practice the same patience, kindness, love and tolerance that God shows us and take to heart the painful lesson of avoiding answering the unasked questions regarding the behavior of others. As our vision improves spiritually there are few things more painful than watching someone sinking and know there is nothing we can do for them, save silent prayer, if they remain unwilling, shut off for the truth of being. Change always begins within, uninvited outside pressure and advice, though it may be right on target, virtually always falls on deaf ears. Righteous Judgment is being willing to walk through the very gates of hell to carry the good news, to help any and all who suffer, but waiting for them to ask is the heart of pain, for their desire must come from within.

WICKED, BY THE NUMBERS

        In the 60’s and early 70’s wicked was a good thing. A car could be wicked fast, something could look wicked or an activity or action could be wicked (good). Used in this way today would be a faux pas on a par with using groovy in any way except when describing the ridges and valleys in a piece of wood. A hundred years ago had you used wicked in a sentence the response from the listener would have been very different. Drift back a little further and employing wicked in regards to a person could result in their facing an inquisition, possibly even losing their lives in a very horrific manner.

Wicked: adj

1.  very bad: very wrong or very bad 
2.  mischievous: liking to tease people playfully or cause them slight trouble, but without upsetting them seriously
 3.  mean: liking to say very unpleasant things to people
 4.  very good: very impressive or very skillful (slang)
      “He plays a wicked game of tennis.”
 5.  dangerous: capable of causing harm to somebody
        “A knife with a wicked blade.”
 6.  distressing: causing discomfort, distress, or disappointment (informal)
         “I’ve got a wicked headache.”
 7.  disgusting: tasting or smelling disgusting and repulsive 
 8. (archaic) bad people: people who do very bad things (Encarta)

      Wow, wicked really is a wicked (4) word. Those who have lived life in a wicked (1&3) way are going to approach life very differently from those whose lived (2) wickedly. I’m beginning to feel #6. Regardless of what type of wicked (1,3,5 or 7) we were, having chosen to live on a different basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God, we are now a #4, though we once may have been a #8, through God’s love, grace, forgiveness and guidance we leave behind our wicked (1,3,5,6 & 7) ways and grow in understanding and service not only to God but also to our fellows. Wicked (4). Whew. 

    

SPIRITUAL MARKETS

          Words have a way of morphing over time. When reading something from even as little as sixty or seventy years ago it really is necessary to have a period dictionary at hand to understand the authors prospective. Some words once in common usage seemingly disappearing or their meaning/application changing with time. Salvation is one of those words. Few, save those in the soul saving business, rarely use it. Many people if asked have only relate to it in regards to those kettles manned by that army in the curious uniforms outside malls and stores at Christmas.

Salvation : n

1.  act of saving from harm: the saving of somebody or something from harm, destruction, difficulty, or failure 
 2.  means of saving somebody or something: somebody or something that protects or delivers somebody or something else from harm, destruction, difficulty, or failure
3.  Christianity: deliverance from sin through Jesus Christ: in the Christian religion, deliverance from sin or the consequences of sin through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross
  4.  Christian Science philosophy of life: in the Christian Science religion, belief in the supremacy of life, truth, and love, and in their destruction of such illusions as sin, illness, and death (Encarta)

       Who hasn’t tried to employ the first definition with our children and those we love or the second with even strangers or new acquaintances by simply providing a phone number of a good mechanic or tax preparer. Every time you saved a lizard from the cat or stopped and waited for a mother duck and her brood to cross the road you engaged in an act of salvation. See, demonstrating salvation is not that hard. Sounds a lot more impressive when you can announce to the world you provided an act of salvation versus you let some baby ducks and their mom pass. On a more serious note when we embark on the new basis of living, the Spiritual Basis, salvation in demonstration becomes the norm, the very fabric of our existence.

       But what of definitions three and four? These are issues left for you and your consciousness, your relationship with God. What is required of those Living on the Spiritual Basis is to remain open minded, even when we do not completely agree with a particular approach to a relationship with God, there is still much for us to learn. At the very least, take the time to place yourself in the others shoes and, whether you agree with them or not, look through their eyes, for never lose sight of the ultimate truth that they are children of the Most Divine just as you are. “Be quick to see were religious people are right. Make use of what they offer.”  This does not mean you have to buy the whole cow, but if you can remain open-minded, open to Divine inspiration and intuition, you may stumble across a wonderful cut of spiritual meat in the most unlikely of markets. 

THE FEAR PROBLEM

        Fear drives us in hundreds of ways. From the doom and gloom of the daily headlines and nightly news to every time we watch our children walk out the door without us to protect them, fear is always lurking, for existential bubble wrap does not exist. When we try to avoid the inevitable sharp and hard things in life, we struggle just as Sisyphus, never reaching the illusionary safety that enough money, perfect health, secure employment, “perfect” children or any of the other secular things that are supposed to assuage our fears. The best investments can and have failed, though we should do all we can to guard our health, no one gets out alive, even the best companies suffer through downturns and try as we might to protect and teach them our children will walk their own path.

      Living on the Spiritual Basis, we place fear in its proper perspective. Life is unmanageable and we are ultimately powerless over it. Living on the new basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God, when faced with fear in its various guises we understand now that today is just one day in eternity, that prayer is always the answer even when we are unsure of the question and habitual meditation leads to peace of heart. The choice is always ours; trust the carnal mind, relying on our finite knowledge and resources to solve the fear problem or place ourselves unreservedly into the arms of infinite love, guidance and abundance. Choose wisely.

A BLESSING

          A gathering of geese is a gaggle. A brood of chickens is a clutch. A gathering of unicorns is known as a blessing. Unicorns hold a curious place in our consciousness. Virtually every other creature, whether real or mythical, has been depicted as either good or evil, depending on the point trying to be made, or the consciousness of the time. Cats were worshiped in ancient Egypt, and then nearly wiped out in Europe during the Middle Ages since many believed them to be the familiars of witches, which allowed the rat population to explode spreading the black plague. Lions, tigers, bears (oh my!), snakes, dragons, sharks, spiders, crocodiles, horses and dogs have spent time on either side of the street and though typically negative, even rats and cockroaches have found some to sing their praises. The unicorn however is always depicted in a positive, mystical light, never deadly or harmful directly or indirectly, the most negative depiction its supposed foolishness when called by Noah. I added, “Supposed” for if we had wings would we choose to cooped up?

      Spiritually the unicorn represents freedom and willingness. Living on the Spiritual Basis, we choose to ride the unicorn. Unlike a horse, which is bridled and controlled, the unicorn will not submit to saddle or bridle; it is not a beast of burden but a force of nature. To make the decision to turn ones life over to the care and guidance of a power greater than themselves, to ride the unicorn is a courageous act, even though it usually comes at a time of fear and discontent. The unicorn does not need my input on what direction to fly, for its vision is singular. The unicorn does not require my strength, for it draws its strength directly from Source. The unicorn does not fly around or above trouble and discontent; for trouble and discontent vanishes at its approach.

      The Adversary, fear will whisper to you to avoid the unicorn and walk like other men. Resist fears clarion call and jump on the unicorns back, grabbing it’s mane tight, digging your heels into its side, in so doing you demonstrate willingness, though fearful, to ride on, come what may. Soon you will find yourself surrounded by other unicorns, many unfortunately rider less, truly in the midst of a blessing.   

NO MORBID REFLECTING

It is deadly.

Morbid: adj

1.  interested in gruesome subjects: showing a strong interest in unpleasant or gloomy subjects such as death, murder, or accidents 
2.  grisly: inspiring disgust or horror (Encarta)

      When we engage in morbid reflection, we are engaging in is mental grave robbing. Resentments are powerful things, they are like horror movie zombies. No matter what you do, until they are dealt with permanently, they will keep coming back, inflicting more pain and just like the movie zombies, resentments move slowly but steadily. It starts when we begin rehashing an old hurt, infusing it with new life, often without even remembering how we started down this path of thought in the first place. Living on the Spiritual Basis means living in the present. This does not mean we shut the door on the past or ignore it. Living on the New Basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God, we place the past in it’s proper perspective, utilizing it when it can help others, the demonstration of God‘s love and forgiveness in our life. To be free we must forgive, in thought and deed, those who have trespassed against us and we have asked for and received forgiveness for all our trespasses, real and imagined.

      Mental grave robbing, morbid reflection, happens when we backtrack on forgiveness, our own or others, it matters not. When we do this, it is akin to scratching the scab off a wound to see how it is healing. The outcome is always the same, regardless of how old the injury is, fresh blood flows and the healing process must start over. As the Great Carpenter taught… let the dead bury the dead (Matthew 8:22), leave resentments and old hurts in the ground of forgiveness, lest you unearth a zombie and we all know how hard they are to evict once they take up residence.

CAN WE CHANGE?

        Left to our own devices, changing our nature or perhaps more accurately growing beyond it, is problematic. Consider the smoker who decides to quit, yet keeps a pack of cigarettes handy just in case the craving becomes too great or the alcoholic who swears off but continues to frequent their favorite watering hole because that is where their “friends” are. Now I am sure someone has quit smoking or drinking in this manner, but it is clear that this path is fraught with impediments to success and more smoking and drinking is usually the outcome. Why do something hard like riding out nicotine cravings when relief is a match away, and bars are pretty dreary places sober, especially when all your “friends” are having a “good” time.

      No person or circumstance can force anyone to permanently change from without. The desire to change must come from within, and it must be desired with fervor. So many desire change, yet sabotage themselves almost before they begin guaranteeing failure. We must be willing to go to any lengths to embrace the new way of living if we truly wish to change, to grow spirituality, our consciousness raised. Living on the Spiritual Basis, practicing a new set values and principles learned through the crucible of pain, we have been set free, free of the bondage of self, our essential nature changed, our consciousness raised, altered for all eternity.

THE CAPTAIN IS ON THE BRIDGE

       Certain teachings rise to the level of “sell all the books, everything needed is here.” Emmet Fox provides one of those with: The Captain Is On The Bridge (Around The Year With Emmet Fox pg. 248) for dealing with fear. Consider, when he said this America was gripped by the Great Depression, prohibition creating a whole new class of criminal, millions displaced from America’s dust choked heartland, the drums of war beating with Hitler’s rise to power in the east and Japan's in the west. Yet Dr Fox confidently stated that The Captain Is On The Bridge:

     “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 look out 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.”

        God doesn't need my help in running the Universe, let alone my life, but I certainly need His. Fortunately, The Captain Is (still) On The Bridge.

“Dead from the neck up.”

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

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

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

TO ABIDE IN GOD

      Today the definition of abide is to tolerate, to put up with something. 150 years ago, it meant: to dwell: to live or reside in a place (Encarta). Living on the Spiritual Basis is a conscious decision. We choose to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, not in the Polly Anna sense but in a dynamic sense. We choose to live our lives, with all our defects of character and shortcomings, as demonstrations of His love, guidance and power. Knowing we will make mistakes, but stepping out in faith regardless; forgiven as soon as we ask, the transgression forgotten if we are sincere in our desire to grow. Therefore, to abide in God is to live through and of Him, trembling and fearful though we may be, one day at a time.

ARE YOU NUTS?

         Are you praying and meditating daily? If not, what could possibly be of more importance? Living on the Spiritual Basis requires consistent effort, so pick up pen and paper right now and list the reasons why you have not been consistent in meditation and prayer. I’ll wait…Looking at them in black and white; they are pretty weak, aren’t they? Especially when you consider you have been choosing excuses over a closer relationship with God! If a rich benefactor approached you and the only requirement for consistent access to their fortune was exercising a few minutes every day, would you find excuses not to work out? Considering you get to decide when to exercise and how, intensity not the goal, just consistency and all your financial needs vanish, permanently, would you hesitate? If you met someone with this kind of arraignment who then started lamenting all the reasons (remember your list) why working out consistently was “hard”, how would you respond (see above)?

        The choice is always ours. We can live on the spiritual basis or visit it. To be clear: If we wait for trouble to come to pray, God will still hear our prayers and act to our benefit, the difference between living in the light and running to it in fear is the wear and tear we place on ourselves. Trouble comes for all, the rain falls on the just and unjust equally, and consistent prayer and meditation prepares us for those times, providing us with serenity to meet calamity. So what are you waiting for? Daily prayer and meditation demonstrates willingness, willingness the foot soldier of faith, faith the buffer that smooths the road, the road of Happy Destiny. 

BECOMING A STRADIVARIUS

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

        Outlining is an attempt to influence God’s will. Typically these attempts come from a genuine place of caring, but God does not need our help, thank you. What we need, what we all need, is God’s love and guidance, seeking to be an instrument of God’s will. A Stradivarius is just an old piece of lacquered wood with strings until a master violinist places it on their shoulder and begins to play, transforming it from mere wood and strings to something magical, creating a sound without peer. As great as the violinist is, without the violin nothing happens. As exquisite an instrument as the violin maybe, it only comes alive in the hands of a master.

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



        

COMFORTABLE ATTIRE

        The Tower of Babel story teaches some interesting lessons. Humankind was of a single language but when they spoke of God, they were faithless. So they came together on the plain of Shinar and began constructing a great city, a testament to man’s, not God’s greatness. At the heart of the city was the tower. This tower was constructed of “bricks like stone” for it was being built not only to last, but to reach Heaven itself. God, in His infinite wisdom reached down and scrambled their language, making it impossible for them to continue working together, so they scattered, leaving the tower and great city unfinished. Hubris aside, what else does this lesson teach?

       Consider the moments throughout history when men have come together in secular (though very often wrapping themselves in God) common cause. The resulting purges, revolutions, crusades, jihads, wars and persecutions lead to, arguably, more death and destruction than all “natural” disasters. The argument can, and accurately, be made that many of these things happened to stop or address a greater evil, that if arms were not taken up a greater injustice would have taken place, history, and God, being the final judge.

       Even so, clearly man has been employing the same secular answers (though often laying them at God’s feet) and reaping the same results since the days of Shinar. War has yet to stamp out war; Persecution leading only to new generations of persecutors and victims; Prejudice, of all stripes, teaching another generation to prejudge, to marginalize. We cannot get sick enough to cure one person. No amount of hate will ever create love or understanding. We cannot get poor enough (materially) to help those in need. 
      
      Living on the Spiritual Basis, we take a different tack. Today we choose to live on the basis of trusting and relying on God. To be clear: Does this mean that we bury our heads in the sand, oblivious to this world’s realities? To leave our homes unlocked, our children unprotected, offering our neck to any who would threaten us? Without equivocation, no. Continue to protect and stand for those who are incapable of protecting themselves, keep good locks on your doors, stay informed and involved in the issues of the secular world, for the rain falls on the just and the unjust equally. Living on the Spiritual Basis has nothing to do with a Polly Anna approach to living; in fact, it is the opposite. It is not the way of weakness, but is in fact the only true path of strength. The Great Carpenter said the meek shall inherit the Earth, so it must be true. Being meek before God is to honor Our Father, it does not mean that we become servile or scrapping. 

      Living on the Spiritual Basis, standing in the light, the world needs what you have to offer, in truth Practicing the Presence of God demands it of us. The truth will set you free. Wear your faith as a loose garment, but wear it all your days, demonstrating it in all your ways, the Adversary, fear, be damned.

HEAVEN ON EARTH

Babel: n

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

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

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

IN THE BEGINNING

Genesis: n

 beginning: the time or circumstances of something’s coming into being. (Encarta)


     New beginnings. We have had and will have many in our lives: moving out from our parent’s home, going away to school, first job, new job, marriage, divorce, becoming a parent, etc. Though all are remarkable, the greatest of these however is the day we choose to live on a different basis, the basis of trusting and relying on Power Greater Than Ourselves. This conscious decision to Live on the Spiritual Basis closes the chapters of our lives lived by self-propulsion and self will and opens the new, for we are in fact “reborn”. Our rebirth into the light is brought about in pain, just as our physical birth, made all the more difficult because we are fully conscious for all of it, unfortunately Pain is the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self. Is it any wonder this path is the road less traveled, the straight gate? Our carnal mind seeks and the secular world offers many “easy” alternatives to address our discomfort, a pill for every ill as well as book purveyor’s shelves and the airways chock full of “easier, softer ways”, all that is required is a few silver coins. Many pay the path lip service, few willing to pay the price required, a great sadness indeed. Pain is the touchstone of spiritual growth, we can wish it were not so with all our might, but in truth, without pain few, if any, would be moved to act, complacency one of the Adversaries sharpest tools.

     The Good News however is that once moved to act, we tap into the power of the miraculous, taking a partner in living who has all knowledge and power, the Source of all. The promise is that once we have embarked on this new beginning, if we remain willing and refuse to be turned by the Adversary, fear, life will take on new meaning. We will comprehend Serenity and we will know peace, no matter what our current circumstances. We are reborn.

   

THE WHITE HORSE

         The fourth horse of Revelation is the White Horse, the conquering horse. “Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity….” Words have power. To heal, to harm, to start a war or stop one, to spread love or condemn. Our words mark us and lay the foundation for the future, a future of either freedom or bondage. Am I willing to let others suffer, for any justification? Do I look down upon anyone for any reason? Do I believe in freedom for all? Do I trust God, Really? Am I willing to stand for truth, possibly at great personal risk or do I soft pedal it to save hurt feelings or myself?

        Living on the Spiritual Basis we no longer hide behind generalities. When I marginalize you, for any reason, I marginalize everyone. To ride the White Horse to freedom requires more courage than we are capable of on our own, but with God all things are possible. So abandon yourself to God, ask Him to remove any lingering prejudices or sacred cows still holding you back, grab the mane of the conquering horse as it speeds by and hold on with all your might. Do not try to rein him in or guide him for he will toss you off if you do. His vision is clear, his sights set, his destination the heart of God, for it is none other than God himself who sent him to you and He will give you the abiding strength to hold on to freedom, if you are willing.

HORSEMEN OF REVELATION

       The four biblical horsemen in Revelation are tied to the end times but I will leave those discussions to others. Yet on a personal level, there is much we can learn from these examples. Consider the first three horsemen from an individual spiritual perspective: The Pale Horse represents the physical body and its destruction through all forms of addiction, the negative as well as the seemingly positive. The Red Horse brings destruction by our emotions and feelings and The Black Horse destruction through intellect.

      To ride the Pale Horse means we have succumbed to addiction. Drugs and/or alcohol are obvious, but what of the person who is addicted to exercise or work or sex? The gym, running/biking trials or the office can become an escape from the world just as powerful as liquor or any chemical and equally spiritually destructive. The difference being the alcoholic or the drug addict has a difficult time “fitting” into polite society while the workaholic is often praised for their accomplishments, even as the other areas of their life and living are sacrificed in the name of success or “providing” for the family. The same family they are never present for, the estranged children seeking acknowledgment, often by acting out, the neglected spouse who files for divorce. Resulting in the workaholic’s lament, don’t they see I am doing it all for them?

     Physical activity and exercise in moderation is always a good idea, but when it crosses over into narcissism, it becomes as sure a block to growth as any drink or drug. Sex is part of our nature, so it cannot be bad, yet the stories of lives and families ruined from unchecked sexual desires are legion. The problems come when sex and obtaining sex becomes the singular focus, living only for sensual escape, having lost sight of the true purpose, that of two people sharing the most intimate of experiences, the touching of two souls in embrace, a shared act of love. To be clear, hard work, the occasional beer or glass of wine or enjoying sex with a partner are not the problem, we ride the Pale Horse when these things become dominate in our lives and we eschew honest relationships or facing personal truths, both secular and spiritual because they have taken over.

      The Red Horse represents destruction through emotions and feelings. How many lives have been lost or ruined when an individual or nation acted on overheated emotions or inflamed feelings? How many fights, confrontations and wars could have been avoided if cooler heads had prevailed? To be clear: We are emotional beings. Without emotion, this world would be a very drab place, bereft of music or art, possibly even love. It is when we are controlled, dominated by our emotions and feelings that we ride the Red Horse, and havoc, tumult and pain are the result.

      The Black Horse represents complete reliance on our human intelligence. Consider how many worship at the alter of intellect. They would never see it as worship, but is there really a whit of difference in commitment or passion between the minister preaching from the pulpit or the righteous professor/scientist/politician speaking from the dais? Consider the textbooks of  just 30 years ago, regardless of discipline, have had to be rewritten because of new discoveries or the proving of old theories wrong. History is very illustrative on this point, for every generation believes they have it right. A few hundred years ago, if you argued the Earth was not the center of the universe you could be put to death. A little over a hundred years ago, the scientific community believed man could never fly, and they had the data to prove it. Sixty years ago many of the most prominent scientific minds believed man would never survive a trip into space since crossing the Van Allen radiation belt would certainly be fatal. In the last forty years everything we thought we knew about dinosaurs has been turned on its head, while revelations in Quantum mechanics in the last twenty has shaken physics, the basic laws of everything, at its foundation. Is it not the height of hubris to think that “now” we have all the answers in any area of study or science?  We ride the Black Horse when we close our minds, stop questioning, and begin collecting and herding sacred cows, shutting ourselves off the fresh winds that drive our higher selves, dismissing any contrary thought or belief out of hand because just like Galileo‘s jailers, we have nothing left to learn.

THE HIDEOUS FOUR HORSEMEN

     Terror, bewilderment, frustration and despair. Terror: Does God exist? What if He doesn’t? Bewilderment: If He does, who or what is the path, and how can I ever hope to find it? Frustration: Is it Yahweh, Zeus, Jesus, Buddha, Mohammad, Zoroaster, Ganesha or some other deity or teacher that is the true path, how do I choose? Despair: If I choose wrong will I “burn” in hell as some strongly state, lost for all eternity, terrorized and tortured?

      Fortunately, there is good news for we found that "God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all-inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men." In my life, the saddest people I have known are those who insist that there is only one way to freedom, their way, and if you do not believe their way you will be “lost for eternity, oh, but God loves you.” The foundation of our true relationship to God is found in the opening two words of the Lord‘s Prayer: “OUR FATHER”. God is the Father of all, rich and poor, famous and infamous, believer or infidel and does not play favorites. All are provided with limitless opportunities to grow and learn, remember; we are not of this flesh but are as eternal as God for we are made in His likeness. Would a loving parent cast away a wayward child, forever, or would they continue to help in any positive way they could, forever? Would God, Our Father, do any less?

    Cast off the fetters of constrictive thinking and embrace the whole of His love and guidance. Be quick to see where religious people are right and make use of what they offer, praying to be shown the truth of being, meditating daily on how to be of service to God and your fellows, trusting in your connection to the Infinite and acting accordingly. Keep an open mind, remain willing to learn and grow for the unexamined life leads to the bondage of self, for when we live in this way the riders are unseated, their horses turned out to pasture and we are free.

OUTLET MALLS

        Happy, Joyous and Free OR generally content, feeling OK and somewhat unrestrained. Which would you rather be? Purchasing “seconds” at the outlet mall to save a few bucks is all well and good, but when it comes to our spiritual consciousness never settle for anything but the fullest expression of your inheritance as a Child of the Divine, to be Happy, Joyous and Free.

WHAT AN ORDER!

       Does God play favorites? Are some “chosen” for success while others for failure? Does God want us all to be “Happy, Joyous and Free”? Is He all “Our Father” or not? Living on the Spiritual Basis, we have chosen to live the examined life. Answering these questions defines what we really believe. When we were of the world, spiritual answers were of the bumper sticker or cotton candy variety. Short, easy to remember but lacking depth or sticky sweet with little nutritional value. Now being in the world but of God, by choice, we look beyond the easy vacuous greeting card answers to life and living and get down to causes and conditions. A price has to be paid and the price is the surrendering of self.

      We alter our lives by taking the road less traveled. Here difficulty arises since we often find ourselves seemingly traveling alone, encountering questions and challenges greater than we see others facing. To be clear: everyone faces the same questions and challenges, the form they take alters for each individual, but they are all rooted in the same bedrock and we will either seek answers or live in denial or induced oblivion when the pain of living becomes too great. Selfishness, self-centeredness, self-seeking, fear in all its guises are veritable roadblocks to spiritual freedom.

      A relationship with Source requires nothing and everything. There is no need to bring your wallet, but helping those in need, as you are able, is highly recommended. You do not have to join anything, but congregating with like-minded individuals is a plus. God is the same today as yesterday and promised to be in the future, yet living in the light we grow and change day by day, sometimes moment by moment. The path available to all, rich to poor, literate or illiterate, high born or born of the earth, the only impediment self centered fear exacerbating our separation from eternal truth. Everything needed to have a conscious contact with God is available to us now, if we are willing to go to any lengths for a spiritual awakening. Willing to go to any lengths, what an order, but in the light of truth, is there really any other choice?

ALWAYS RECORDING

           The price of continuing spiritual freedom is vigilance. Drifting into negative thinking and speech, typically happening without any conscious thought or plan on our part, is easy. The “good” natured gossip session with a friend or joining in(or worse, instigating) a bitch session about a disagreeable co-worker or boss, taking sides in any romantic or marital dispute or simply speaking about someone for any reason where we would be embarrassed if we discovered them standing behind us, we have strayed. If we are saying anything about anyone that we would be unwilling to say to them in person, we place ourselves at risk. Gossiping and tale telling rarely (if ever) embodies patience, tolerance, kindliness or love and those are some of the watchwords Living on the Spiritual Basis embodies. As far as taking sides in romantic squabbles, we have all probably done it only to become the enemy when they reconcile, so we have learned to be supportive but avoid engaging in character assassination, no matter how seemingly egregious their behavior appears to be. One of the great truths in life is there is always two sides to every story and they often only have a passing resemblance to one another.

        Everything we say, do or observe is recorded. Everything. Not by God, or some heavenly scribe watching our every move, but by us. It is written upon our heart, in our hand, recorded, by us, in our subconscious. Every crummy or negative thing we have ever said or done (as well as the good, but the good isn‘t the problem) is still with us and it seems the Devil himself drags these things up into the conscious mind in an attempt to hold us back, to fill us with fear and negativity. We are powerless to control which thoughts float up from the subconscious but we have complete control over what action to take when we become aware of them. Our course is simple, we turn from the lower to the higher in prayer and meditation. We turn the sunlight of the spirit upon these discordant thoughts and assert the truth in being, that we have been forgiven, completely and forever, that Our Father’s love is unconditional, negative thoughts specters, insubstantial, powerless in the face of His love and guidance. So remain vigilant and avoid negativity towards others but above all never wallow in morbid reflection for we are now living on a different basis, the basis of trusting and relying upon God.

A BUTTERFLY’S WINGS

         Everything is connected. Every word, every action, every thought. Nothing happens without consequence, without touching everything and everyone else. Consider the still pond. Toss a pebble into the center and concentric rings from the disturbance begin emanating on the surface towards the sides of the pond. Observe carefully and you will see the rings rebound back from the shore at oblique angles, eventually touching even the seemingly hidden shores of the pond. This is the observable part of the reaction, what of that which happens beyond our sight? As our pebble falls through the water on its journey to the bottom of the pond it continues to send out waves, though invisible to the eye, touching every part of the pond and every creature that calls the pond home.

        The effect of our pebble reverberating in the pond is akin to our thoughts, words and actions effect on our selves and the world about us. What we are reverberates throughout the world, mostly unseen or consciously noticed, but the effect is there nonetheless. The analogy of “a butterfly flaps its wings in Africa and a drought happens in China” has been used by climatologists to suggest that the smallest actions can influence major change is illustrative.

       Never doubt your importance or connection with the Divine. You are the literal son or daughter of the Most High. Regard yourself accordingly and assert your true place in thought and deed as the demonstration of God’s love and guidance and the world rejoices.

What are you waiting for?

      

          Living on the Spiritual Basis moves us off the bench and onto the bus. Everyone spends time on the bench, rationalizing and justifying why they are not taking the trip, watching bus after bus stop and pick up passengers. Fear keeps us on the bench, a mustard seeds worth of faith gets us moving.  The fare is willingness, open-mindedness and honesty, the destination salvation, serenity and freedom and the driver none other than God himself. Yes, it will be a long strange trip, oh but the sights and vistas along the way remarkable beyond words, breathtaking in the awakening, the driver providing pitch perfect commentary.

OUR SECRET ROOM

          When I truly began applying spiritual principles in my life, not just paying them lip service, I had to address my “secret room.” Employing rationalization and justification, I had sold myself a bill of goods to neatly lock away the things I was not proud of, poor choices, bad behavior, secret fears, resentments, etc out of sight. When the time came to ruthlessly face my past, the reasoning that locked these things away melted like a late spring snow. The process required placing them on paper and then saying them aloud to a trusted adviser. When this was completed, it felt as if an actual weight had been lifted from my shoulders, it was a stunning moment. This happened many years ago and in the intervening years I have watched the same transformation happen in hundreds of lives, the only requirement for successful consummation of the process being that they were thorough and honest in clearing out their secret room, for The truth will set you free.

        A few weeks after revealing the inventory of my secret room, I asked God to enter every nook and cranny of my life, to short circuit any false notion that there exists any aspect of my life that God does not know about. Looking back it seems foolish that I believed I could “hide” things from God, but I did. A wise teacher said to me many years ago “live your life as if it is being filmed, a permanent record available to any who would care to look.” In truth, no camera eye follows us around (thankfully), but the eye of God does (thankfully). Clear out your closet if you have not already, for God already knows what is in it. Tear the door of your secret place off its hinges, and live in the light, free of the fear that hides in the shadows.  

WHO HOLDS YOUR LIFELINE?

        “But honesty, open-mindedness and willingness are essential.” We triumph over life’s inevitable challenges not by the exercise of willpower and brute force but by tapping into the power of the universe. Many paths lead to our ultimate awakening, most, if not all begin with spiritual discomfort. Sickness (our own or a loved ones), addiction, financial stress, a failed relationship and death (a loved ones or contemplating our own) are all beginnings, for “the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self is pain.” The greatest gift we can give ourselves is a foundation in faith before the assault on self begins. The pain and discomfort of dealing with the ultimate questions of living will not be avoided, but we will have a clear-cut set of directions to follow out of the wilderness.

        “Be quick to see where religious people are right. Make use of what they offer.” Set aside any preconceived ideas and don a new pair of glasses. Listen and learn with your heart, for in the end, isn’t finding a way out more important than who provides it? If you were drowning and a rope appeared held by a long hated enemy would you refuse it? Put aside your prejudice against any spiritual path, make use of what they have to offer, take what you need and leave the rest (for this selfishness is God inspired) and join us as we “trudge the road of happy destiny.”

ASSURANCES

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

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

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

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

PROMISES

          Living on the Spiritual Basis promises much: “We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past or wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace…That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear…Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic security will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us…When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands were better than anything we could have planned…As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His Presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter. We were reborn.”
      
          “Are these extravagant promises? We think not…They will always materialize if we work for them” (Alcoholics Anonymous pg 63, 83, 84 & 100 respectively).

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

THANKS, BUT I GOT THIS. GOD

         Living on the Spiritual Basis we now trust and rely on God for guidance, strength and direction but it is up to us to demonstrate our belief. If we pray but do not really believe we deserve to receive or that somehow the difficulty we are in was delivered by God to “teach” us a lesson than our prayer is answered accordingly. What do you believe? Living in grace we are forgiven in spirit our transgressions as soon as we ask, the pain comes when after having our consciousness raised we choose to act in a manner we know in our heart is wrong. God does not punish us, we do. He does not keep score, we do. Everything we have ever done or said is written on our heart, in our hand, not God’s. God wants us to be happy, joyous and free, if I am not it is because I have taken back up the reins of my life and am running the show again for God is a gentleman and will always hand the reins back when I reach for them.

        Our deliverance comes from trust and demonstration. Trust in Him who has all knowledge and power and you will demonstrate the life you desire, continue outlining and attempting to run the show and you will demonstrate more of what you are praying to have removed! Avoid lending God a hand in the running of your life; He really doesn’t need your help.  

Tour De France

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

         All structures require maintenance, lest they fall into ruin. When Lance Armstrong began dominating the Tour De France I became interested in the race, one of the things that brings me back every year is the stunning pictures of France. Much of the race is followed with helicopters, showing panoramic shots of famous structures in proximity to the race route. France is dotted with castles/fortresses, typically situated on a prominent high point overlooking a village or critical choke point along an invasion route. A few are still occupied, but most have been allowed to deteriorate, their walls crumbling, moats overgrown, testaments to a once vital defense, now merely reminders of what once was. Just as physical walls fail without care, the fortress of our faith will suffer as well without consistent prayer and meditation. If we fail to do this and rest on our laurels the seeds of fear will find their way into the stones, take root and eventually breach the walls. Having done the work in faith to build your fortress, stay vigilant for the beginning shoots of fear, negativity and depression and when they appear, for they will, address them immediately reaffirming your faith and trust in God.

THE SUN IS ALWAYS SHINING

      When things are going well there is a natural tendency to slack off a touch in our spiritual work. The sun is shining, the clouds decorating a peaceful sky, perfect for watching lying on a soft bed of grass, peace immanent. Life is good. We enjoy these times but must remain wary of complacency. Like the athlete who trains daily for the occasional competitions, we pray and meditate daily to keep our connection to the Divine fresh and open for the inevitable storms that visit every life. Living on the Spiritual Basis we now understand the rain falls on the just and the unjust equally, we are not being punished. Living on the new basis, today when a storm comes we gently step back into the shadow and shelter of the Almighty, out of the wind and rain, continuing to pray and meditate until the storm passes and the sun returns. Having embraced eternity we understand the truth of being, that behind every cloud, the sun still shines.  

OUR FOREST

         Within as without. What we believe at our core always finds it way into the light. The thief, liar and cheat all eventually fly their colors and become known for what they are, in spite of their best attempts to stay hidden. As disconcerting to life as these individuals are, those who speak of God yet act godless are the saddest of all. They recognize the beauty and importance of a spiritual connection only from the viewpoint of exploiting it for their own gain. If there ever was a creature that deserved our pity, they qualify. They truly “miss the forest for all the trees”, their focus self-centered, the majesty of our connection to the author of all obscured.

       Only you know your heart. When our relationship with God is right, all other relationships can and will fall into place. The secret place of our consciousness is where we lay the foundation and place our order for the future. With God as our partner the foundation is sound, the future secure in the knowledge that we have tapped the universal mind for guidance and strength. Unfortunately the clamors of the world insistently attempt to invade our serenity, to infect our heart with fear, to turn us from the miraculous to the mundane. If your heart is troubled, turn off the news, put down the newspaper, switch off the radio and let the phone go to voice-mail. Pick up whatever spiritual tome is at hand or appeals to you and spend some time with it. Read a few lines and quietly reflect on what they mean to you. Continue doing this until it is time to stop, you will know. Your heart will be filled, peace re-established, perspective restored. This all happens in your secret place, your soul, your connection to the Divine cleansed, the forest in clear view, the beauty of the trees evident once again.

WHO IS YOUR PARTNER?

           How different would the fabric of the world look if all business embraced spiritual principles. All the justifications and rationalizations for poor in spirit decisions regarding layoffs, exorbitant salaries, pollution, leaving communities they have been a part of for decades just to improve the “bottom line”, etc would evaporate like morning dew on a desert flower. To be clear: change is natural. People who perform at exceptional levels should be compensated accordingly. If a business is not profitable and healthy, it should and must change. It is the manner and choices in change that matter. Hinduism taught over 3000 years before the Great Carpenter: “One should always treat others as they wish to be treated.” This simple, straightforward spiritual principle, the Golden Rule, is central to the spiritual path and, though first recorded over 5000 years ago, is routinely ignored. If business and governments employed just this single spiritual pillar, the world would be transformed overnight.

        If you have not invited God into your business, do not lose any more time. Living on the Spiritual Basis you have tapped a resource of unimaginable depth and power, yet many who adhere to spiritual principles in their personal life allow themselves to waver when it comes to business. The reasoning is simple, the competition does not employ these principles and the fear is that if we do we will lose out. Is it really any wonder then that spiritual principles like the Golden Rule are absent from “secular” business decisions? Once again, there is no secular. Everything and everyone is part of the Divine, everything and everyone connected in Spirit. All supposed divisions are merely convenient illusions to perpetuate the false belief that there are areas of our lives that God is not involved in or a party to. Seek then His guidance and love in the workplace as well. Whether we clean the executive washroom or rule the boardroom, deliver the mail or pass judgment from the highest court in the land, weigh every decision and choice in spiritual light, lean on the greatest partner you will ever have because In God We Trust is not situational, but the way of life.

“I am what I am and that’s all that I am.”

          Popeye could have saved himself a great deal of wear and tear had he embraced spiritual living. Living on the Spiritual Basis is about unlimited potential and growth, our connection with the infinite. Popeye chose limitation, that what he is is all he is and that is it. Living on the new basis the question must be asked why Popeye chose fear over freedom. Was he locked into a cycle of failure because of his overbearing father, Poopdeck Pappy, always trying to impress him but invariably falling short? Was it because he feared losing Olive Oyl if he flew his colors as a man of God? The condescending personal attacks from Bluto/Brutus if he announced his faith or his inability to say no to Wimpy’s endless requests for support of his burger habit a demonstration of his weakness, not trusting in God to provide? Or was it the fear that to truly live on the spiritual basis he would have to surrender his spinach addiction? Sadly, we may never know. But we can learn from Popeye’s suffering and choose to live an unlimited life. Trust in God and carry the good news of His love and light into all your affairs, your life a demonstration of the new basis, the basis of trusting and relying on Him who has all knowledge and power. The hope is Popeye in his final days, out of the limelight, his days of beating Bluto/Brutus senseless behind him, having released Poopdeck Pappy with love, finally free of the co-dependent relationship with Olive Oyl, no longer enabling Wimpy, free of the ravages of spinach, he found peace and serenity. Toot Toot.

GOD IS THE SOURCE

       The Tenth Commandment: You shall not covet…anything that is your neighbor’s (Exodus 20:17). From Encarta:

Covet v

1. Want somebody else’s property: to have a strong desire to possess something that belongs to somebody else. 
2.  Yearn to have: to want to have something very much.

       How many wars have started or crimes committed because of coveting? How many billions put to the sword because someone coveted their land and/or possessions? Alexander, Caesar, Genghis Khan, Hitler and Stalin all coveted the world. The purse-snatcher to the well-spoken individual draining the savings of thousands with outright lies all covet.

       Living on the new basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God, we now know the truth of coveting. To covet is to be in fear. Fear of lack, of not getting what we “deserve”, of failure. None of the “Great” conquerors died fulfilled. They all expired with plans on the table for further conquest, coveting still more. The thief, whether it be the few dollars in your pocket or billions in trusted investment, still covet more. They are like the damaged vessel, regardless of how much water is added is never full, the water draining away nearly as fast as it is added through the hole in its base.

       However, what of those who never act out to realize that which they covet? To covet is to allow fear to reign in our lives, whether we act on it or not, to countenance shortage and lack. Living on the Spiritual Basis lack and shortage are exposed in their true light, that God is the only source and all lack and shortage illusion. God is infinite supply and nothing is lacking or missing. When we covet, we place our finite selves ahead of infinite Source. To covet is to deny God’s “allness”, God is either everything, the true Source or else He is nothing, what is our choice to be?

GASOLINE CAKE

     The Ninth Commandment: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16). If we bear false witness, we will invariably reap as we sow. Dishonesty will infect every facet of living, the ultimate price being the inability to differentiate the true from the false at the most critical junctures of our lives. Many in modern society accept the concept of compartmentalizing, believing they can be ruthless, arrogant, even dishonest in business or career matters but then shift gears and be loving and gentle in the rest of their lives. This false belief is deadly to our spiritual growth. We are all the sum total of OUR ACTIONS, treating anyone for any reason in a manner we would find objectionable if it was visited upon us shuts us off from the sunlight of the Spirit.

      We would never pour gasoline into the cake batter and then be shocked when the finished cake, regardless of how well it is decorated, is unpalatable. By telling tales, even engaging in seemingly innocuous gossip, brands us accordingly, treating anyone poorly for any reason, any justification, demonstrates our true spiritual state. By our fruits, we shall be known or to quote Emerson: “What you are shouts so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”

NO THIEF CAN TOUCH IT

     The Eighth Commandment: You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15). The laws regarding material theft are well known. Little needs to said regarding the secular price paid if one steals physical goods, but what of spiritual theft?

     Can anyone steal your serenity, peace of mind or surety in Spirit? Only if we allow it.  Can anyone truly steal a reputation or a good name?  The difference between secular theft and spiritual is eternity. Even if someone succeeds in sullying another‘s name, in the end God knows the truth. To paraphrase the Great teacher: Where do wish to build your kingdom? Here, where it is subject to time and deterioration or in Heaven, which is eternal? No one gets out alive. This flesh will fail. The work we have done to raise our consciousness remains with us by spiritual right, forever. Our relationship with a Power Greater than Ourselves is forever, beyond the reach of any thief or the ravages of time.   

     Those who have tried to demonstrate a connection to God for the sake of secular success never succeed in the end. Personal wealth, possessions or false pride never pass beyond the grave. You cannot steal or fake a relationship with God

GOD’S WILL & DROPPED PANTS

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

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

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

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

MURDER OR KILL?

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

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

PARENTS

        The Fifth Commandment: Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you (Exodus 20:12). If raised in a loving, respectful, two parent home this commandment is pretty straightforward, at least on the surface, but what about those who were not? Does God expect us to honor an abusive or absent/missing parent? Yes, since they are children of God just as we are, but that does not mean we have to invite them into our lives. Living on the Spiritual Basis, we recognize their shortcomings, defects of character, and release them with love. Do not misunderstand: releasing someone with love does not wipe the slate clean, absolving them of the work they need to do. If they were emotionally and/or physically abusive and show no interest in changing, releasing them with love does not require us to place ourselves in a position to be harmed out of “honor.” Additionally the absent parent who suddenly appears, their only passport having been a sperm donor or 9 months in their womb, must be weighed accurately in spiritual light since our first inclination is to allow them emotional access in a way we would never grant a “stranger.”

      To be clear since emotions run very high on these issues: Exercising forgiveness and releasing with love does not mean we forget and blindly place ourselves in a position to be harmed. Loving all spiritually, in Source, does not mean we have to like them or sit across the table from them on Thanksgiving. We must release all with peace, visualizing God’s love and guidance for them in prayer and meditation. However, never lose sight of the truth that the leopard, no matter how much we may wish it, rarely changes its spots. “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.”

      In light of the good news the carpenter brought to the world, this commandment takes on a deeper meaning as well. The greatest teacher of all cleared up any ambiguity about our relationship with the Divine when he delivered the Sermon on the Mount 1500 years after Moses came down from Mt. Sinai. We are all children of God, literally, and by honoring Him, Our Father, placing our will and life in His hands, do we find true place, freedom and long life in  spirit as we trudge the road of Happy Destiny, eyes wide open.

EVERY DAY THE SABBATH

      The Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8). 3500 years ago when Moses first delivered this commandment, people rarely enjoyed a day “off” let alone one day a week devoted to spiritual pursuits. Most worked dawn to dusk, their life expectancy less than 30 years. This New Testament (it didn’t become “old” for around 1500 years) laid out rules and conditions for living and conduct that for the first time applied to all, regardless of station or current circumstances. The Sabbath wasn’t just for the priests to observe, but everyman was to stop and rest, to take time to contemplate god, the commandment making it spiritual law, superseding the secular.
       For 1500 years, this stood as the model for those who embraced the new covenant, the covenant of a single God. Then Jesus raised the consciousness of man again with his teaching/demonstration removing the last bastion of any supposed separation from God, our true Divine relationship being one of parent to child, not figuratively but literally.
       Living on the Spiritual Basis, we pray and meditate through out our day, every day the Sabbath, every moment sacred, the truth of our relationship with Our Father demonstrated. Turning our will and lives over to the care of God invites His love and direction into our lives 24/7. Living in a raised state of consciousness we carry the message into all of our activities, practicing spiritual principles in everything we do and with all we meet, the Sabbath not a day of the week but the living daily expression of our connection to the miraculous.

VANITY

    The Third Commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God in vain… (Exodus 20:7) Per Encarta:

Vain: adj 

1.  excessively proud: excessively proud, especially of your appearance 
2.  unsuccessful: failing to have or unlikely to have the intended or desired result
a vain attempt at persuading them
 3.  empty of substance: devoid of substance or meaning 

[14th century. Via Old French from Latin vanus “empty, without substance” (source of English evanescent and vanish).]


     We always demonstrate our beliefs by our actions. Someone who speaks of love but acts with cruelty, the individual who professes honesty yet lies and steals whenever it suits them is vain. Their words devoid of substance, employed only in an attempt to enjoy a reputation they know they do not deserve, a mere tool to further their selfish desires.
      History is replete with those who spoke of God, their love of God, even preaching about God, only to be unmasked as vain, using God simply as a vehicle to further their own selfish ends.
     Living on the Spiritual Basis, we understand the necessity of walking the way we talk. Talking about a power greater than our self but failing, even refusing to change our ways leads to pain and suffering, how could it not? Having placed ourselves at odds, by choice, with the creative intelligence of the universe, struggle is the natural outcome. 
      The good, no great news for us is that as soon as we turn our will and life over to the care and direction of God the scales begin to fall from our eyes, our relationship with the Divine taking on substance and meaning as the result of the new demonstration, vanity replaced with true purpose.

ONCE UPON A TIME…

The Second Commandment: You shall not make for yourself a carved (graven) image… (Exodus 20:4).The passage goes on to state that we must (shall) not bow down or serve them. We all have a friend, acquaintance or relative whom has been retelling the same story, recounting in passionate detail a lost love, opportunity, when they were wronged or a medical procedure/condition, seemingly forever. We have heard it so many times that when we think of them their “story” immediately pops into our mind, their lives defined by it. Instead of applying spiritual principles, they have crafted an image that is dragged out at any opportunity and displayed, the eternal search for a sympathetic (or just willing) ear, any solution or moving beyond his or her “story” of no real interest, only the telling since “no one really understands.” Their identity so intertwined with their story the fear of letting go, moving forward, so overwhelming that rehashing the past, with feeling, is preferable. Living on the Spiritual Basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God, we have turned out our sacred cows and given over our “stories” our carved images of resentment, ailments and anything else that stands between us and the sunlight of the spirit. Living in this way we transcend ordinary levels of consciousness, placing aches, pains, and secular living concerns in their proper perspective, choosing instead to focus on our relationship with God and how we may be of service to those about us seeking help and guidance. 

WHEN I REMEMBER

        The first of the Ten Commandments states: You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3). Everyone worships something. The atheist who reverentially, with deep conviction preaches the religion of non-belief, the Darwinist speaking from the mount of science, painting all who disagree with the taint of ignorance, the evidence of their position clearly incontrovertible. The preacher condemning all who do not share their interpretation of scripture, certain in their self-righteousness, worshiping at the altar of spiritual pride, their mind closed to any contrary deeply held beliefs. The executive who worships at the alter of profit and success, the hedonist lost in sensual desire and fulfilling of self. Everyone worships something. Living the examined life we come to terms with what we worship, for our eyes have been opened, our consciousness raised.

      Often a student in difficulty when asked about their prayer and meditation life answers “when I remember” or “if I can find the time.” When we place anything before our relationship with God, we reap the crop we have sown. Our actions demonstrate where our heart truly resides, what we worship. Let nothing take a more prominent position in your life, place your full attention on your conscious contact with Him who has all knowledge and power, and everything else will fall into place in due course.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

       For me the vision of Charlton Heston in flowing robes with long white hair and beard coming down Mount Sinai with two stone tablets in his arms will always pop to the forefront of my mind when I think of them. In a practical way though, how can something that dates to the pharaohs have a sensible application in life today? Certainly in the last 3500 years we have progressed beyond these simple rules of conduct, haven’t we?  The next 10 installments will address these laws of life in the light of Living on the Spiritual Basis, Oh, and if you would like to check them out, they are found in Exodus 20.

GOT MOSES?

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

      God was so moved He appeared to Moses in physical form! When we set aside prejudice and preconceived notions and study with our hearts as well as our mind, standing ready to kick sacred cows to the curb, we become more like Moses. The greatest barrier to spiritual growth is a closed mind. We must keep an open mind and heart, listen and learn daily, pray and meditate with joy, never out of a sense of duty if we are to grow and prosper in the light. In so doing we become more like Moses, admit it, though it would scare the bejezus out of you, a speaking burning bush would be pretty cool, so to borrow from a commercial tag line: Got Moses? 

SHINY NEW TOYS

           Often when someone is struggling, a “need to get back to basics” will be sighted as the solution.  I have searched high and low, mostly low, and have been unable to find the source of the direction to get away from basics in the first place, because if I could find the author I would administer a thorough pummeling. Here is a thought, if getting back to basics is such a good idea, than never getting away from them in the first place is even better! In truth, what happens to all students in pursuit of raised consciousness is the perceived (incorrectly) necessity of always seeking new information and paths to enlightenment, the search becoming the object, the destination of acquiring a consistent means of growth lost in the heat of the chase. “If it works, don’t fix it” should be our mantra regarding spiritual growth. Living on the Spiritual Basis, we have come to rely on a power greater than ourselves for guidance and inspiration, for intuitive thoughts.

*Intuitive: adj

1.  known automatically: known directly and instinctively, without being discovered or consciously perceived 
2.  knowing by instinct: knowing things instinctively 

        Intuitive thought is God thinking. Living on the new basis, the basis of trusting and relying upon God we trust infinite God rather than our finite selves, yet we have all occasionally strayed when a seemingly “new and improved” path or teaching grabbed our attention, just as a new toy grabs the attention of a child. I am going to let you in on a secret, all paths lead to the same destination, our job to identify the one that works for us and stick to it; for once you have settled on a method that sings to you, you have arrived. Spiritual growth requires effort, a lot of “chopping wood and carrying water” as we trudge the road of happy destiny. Whether an axe or penknife, bucket or teacup is employed, the work must be done if we are to know freedom. So pick a path or teacher and stick with it, if it is time to change we will know in our heart, the thought coming intuitively, our job to stop looking for shortcuts and do the work at hand.

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

EASY DOES IT (history)

          Today Easy Does It, along with One Day at a Time, First Things First, Live and Let Live and Think, Think, Think adorns the walls of AA meeting rooms and clubs around the globe. Few realize however, these concepts entered AA’s collective consciousness courtesy of Emmet Fox. The early members of what would become Alcoholics Anonymous* residing in New York attended Dr. Fox’s gatherings on Wednesday evenings. Emmet Fox held his Wednesday meetings and Saturday services in the largest enclosed public venues available in 1930’s New York, the ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria, Hippodrome, Steinway Hall even Madison Square Garden as attendance grew. This continued up to the start of World War II when large gatherings were suspended out of security concerns. The early AA members** who did not live in New York studied Dr Fox’s teaching through his two best sellers The Sermon on the Mount and Power Through Constructive Thinking (both still in print) and Sparks of Truth (out of print) a collection of teachings originally published as a series of 10 cent pamphlets in the 1930‘s. It is in these pamphlets that the mottoes later adopted by AA are found. Additionally in early pamphlets published by the first recognized AA group, King’s School in Akron, Sermon on the Mount is suggested reading.

*Though AA dates its birth from 6/10/35 the first AA meeting (the group broke from the Oxford Group (Moral Rearmament) and stood in singleness of purpose in helping those suffering from alcoholism) did not take place until 5/11/39 in Cleveland Ohio, the secretary Clarence Snyder, a few months after the Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous) was published. Source: Bill and Lois Wilson‘s personal correspondence in archives.

**Bill Wilson sponsored (helped sober up) Emmet Fox’s secretaries son, Al Steckman. Al would go on to be the first editor of the AA Grapevine and has been credited with coining the phrase “I am responsible” at the first AA convention. Source: Igor Sikorsky Jr. AA’s Godparents 1990

LAW OF SUBSTITUTION II

       How do we manifest clarity in our thinking when clearly we have no control over the thoughts that float up into our consciousness? Vigilance. There is no practical way of shutting down the flow of thoughts, so the course of action is to immediately recognize the negative and supplant it with the positive. Consider: If we decide not to think about elephants, we are in fact thinking about elephants, the subconscious then proceeds to remind us of elephants at every turn. The subconscious mind processes think (the action) and elephant (the subject) as the desired demonstration. Doubt this? Consider the last time a song or annoying jingle stuck in your mind. Try as we might every attempt to “not think about it fails,” it finally fading away when we become interested in something else, our attention diverted, the Law of Substitution in action.

       Now consider prayer. One of the eternal questions is why some prayers are seemingly ignored, yet we are promised that if “we knock, it will be answered, ask and we shall receive.” Now we have the key. Thought being causative (remember the jingle) if we pray but continue to place our interest, focus, on our lack, pain, discord, illness, the jingle etc is it any surprise that that which we place our focus on manifests? When we pray with joy, keeping our focus, our interest on the positive, we reap the positive. Simply put, any prayer that begins “I need” only reinforces the sense of need, not the hoped for solution. Wayne Dyer teaches this lesson when he asks us “to think from the end” so imagine what you will feel like when the prayer is answered and hold to that feeling. When negativity tries to worm its way back in, and it will, reinvigorate the positive feeling, expunging the negative immediately with the positive mental equivalent, like replacing that annoying jingle by substituting a tune you love, not fighting the negative, but replacing it with the positive demonstration we desire.
       

    

THE SECRET REALIZED

        Emmet Fox coined the term Mental Equivalent, explaining the practical application of the Law of Substitution. Simply, we take responsibility for the thoughts we dwell upon, understanding that whatever we entertain in our minds eye will be out pictured in our lives. This teaching is the core of The Secret. We place the order for what appears in our lives by our habitual thinking. When we focus on lack, failure, unhappiness and ill health, we attract them to us just as surely as a moth is drawn to flame, affirming the truth of the Law of Attraction. Does this mean we should simply adopt a Polly Anna attitude and just ignore conditions, essentially fiddling while Rome burns, affirming this and that, wistfully hoping for the best? Of course not. The Mental Equivalent involves focusing on what we desire in life, over writing the negative and destructive thoughts that lurk to hold us back, not ignoring conditions but operating at increased levels of consciousness. Living on the Spiritual Basis, we practice the Presence of God in all our activities, training ourselves to see His presence in everything and everyone, rejecting the negative, for we now hold the ultimate truth of existence in our heart: we are eternal beings, the conditions and challenges we face today merely opportunities to demonstrate His omnipotence.

       Through prayer and meditation, we have embraced a new basis of living, the basis of trusting and relying on God. In so doing our vision clears, our consciousness raised so we meet the inevitable challenges of living and life with a sense of serenity that only comes from having turned our will and lives over to the care of a Power Greater than Ourselves.  Focusing on, attracting what we desire in our lives by substituting negative thoughts and thinking with positive God centric focus and action, the secret realized.

TIMELESS JOURNEY

        Living on the Spiritual Basis our prayers take on a new flavor. Though all prayers are heard, we have come to know they are answered in the manner in which they are asked, putting faith in action. Trusting and relying on God, we expect to receive, for that is the promise, keeping in the forefront of our minds that “faith without works is dead.” If hungry, locking ones self in a closet and praying for a hotdog would be foolish, yet is that not exactly what many do in other areas of life? So we pray, but take whatever material steps indicated for the difficulty at hand as well, and if we are unsure on what steps to take, we ask God and they will become evident. The problem that plagues many, if not all, is the concept of time. We have a timeline in our minds eye for things to be done that is of no interest or concern to God. A Spiritual adviser years ago said to me “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” God provides exactly what is required at exactly the moment required, our difficulty arising because we have outlined a hoped for outcome and time frame (giving God a helping hand since we know how busy He is) and when our expectations are not met, we subject ourselves to needless emotional wear and tear. Hindsight being 20/20 we look back and see where God did for us what we could never have done for ourselves. Had we received what we thought we needed at the time we would have missed something wonderful, a valuable lesson that moved the story of our soul along its ever-upward timeless journey.