REINCARNATION

      Why is reincarnation necessary? Know anyone so set in their ways dynamite couldn’t move them off a position or opinion, whether it is a sports team, political party or issue? Most people by the time they have reached their 40’s have pretty much sorted out what they do or do not believe, are set in their ways, their mind effectively closed to contrary opinions or points of view, any new growth choked off by the weight of a “settled” mind, their character fixed.

     Our spiritual schooling involves the development of every aspect of character, for who can truly say they understand another until they have walked a mile in their shoes?

IGNORANCE: n

1.  lack of knowledge: lack of knowledge or education
2.  unawareness: unawareness of something, often of something important

   Some where in the sands of time the term ignorance transformed from a simply descriptive word to a pejorative, to be ignorant simply means we are unaware or lack knowledge.

   The lessons needed to learn to become spiritually complete are legion. To become a good leader first the lessons of humility and to resist the siren song of corruption absolute power sings is necessary, to live alone and be at peace and to live amongst many and learn to view all as equals, children of a loving God, regardless of how they may offend. To live childless and as a parent, to learn these things and so many others, and to do it from both the male and female perspective is a task far beyond the capacity of any single lifetime clearly, so our long spiritual schooling is not constrained by our limited understanding of time or the finality of this flesh. Our Father is eternal and so are His children.

   So our job now is not to concern ourselves with past lessons or those yet to come, but to reside in the moment, for though He has been there in the past and promises to be there in the future, He resides in today, with us, His children.

RIGHT NOW

         Nothing says inevitable reckoning like birthdays. As children we looked forward to them with nearly as much anticipation as Christmas. Then imperceptibly one day we cross an invisible line and much like the dread of January credit card bills Christmas represents for some, we view the upcoming date of our birth. I think it begins when the first “friend” jokingly says, “hey, you’re getting old.” Sets in for real when we realize we are listening to music five years old or more, unable to get into the new stuff no matter how hard we try. You receive your 20-year 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 we travel. So what is one to do? Live in the day, for the only time we have in truth is this moment. The only time we can be present for life is in the moment, the only time we can be present for God is right now. Do not allow yourself to project into the future or dwell on the past, for they lead us inexorably into morbid reflection, regardless of our original intent. Make plans and set goals of course, but we do not hang our happiness or peace of mind on whether or not our script is followed, we stand ready to change direction immediately if and when it is indicated.

     Live One Day At A Time, staying in the here and now and the tomorrows will take care of themselves. We must be about God’s business, trusting and relying on Divine Love and Guidance, for only in so doing is true peace, growth and serenity realized.

JUMPING THE SHARK

      Reincarnation, being Christian this topic can be a room clearer and one I have spent a great many hours wrestling. For many years I struggled in contemplation with the “inviolate” concept of once and done. My struggles centered on our eternal consciousness versus the finite nature of flesh. Why would our Father, who exists beyond the constraints of time, space and flesh, limit his children in this way? How could we possibly learn all the lessons required to learn 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 clean perspective. How can one person, even if diligent from day one, learn the lessons of having lived a lifetime as a king and a beggar, of the courageous and the coward, to live as a criminal and then as a righteous man in the same life, and what of the reverse? Live a life devoted to self-indulgence and denial? To know the joy, and heartbreak of children and a life lived chaste? Handicapped from birth or born healthy, to learn all this and so much more, from the perspectives of male and female, in one lifetime? Any man who says he understands childbirth is a fool and any woman who stands in judgment of the bond between warriors is unwise. Today I know from bitter experience that until I walk a mile in someone’s shoes, I truly cannot know their lessons and to think otherwise, for me, is hubris. Eternity is a long time, what sense would it make to limit our schooling to a single life since we are children of the Infinite: “Our Father, who art in Heaven….”

THE UNIVERSE

       Cosmologically the “Big Bang” is the generally accepted starting point of the universe we live in. 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 Earth) was locked in an infinitesimally small point, a singularity. Then, and no one really knows why, the point began expanding very rapidly and some 13.7 billion years later, here we are. The numbers and vastness of the universe is clearly beyond my ability, or any other mere mortals, to comprehend.

       Then there is the whole dark matter/energy curiosity. It seems that only a little less than 5% of the universe exists in the visible spectrum, over 95% of everything is invisible, comprised of roughly 25% dark matter and 70% dark energy, depending on who is doing the goesintas. OK, take a breath. Kinda gets the head spinning doesn’t it. The good news is we do not 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 or our shit together 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 am not it. Keep an open mind, 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 may flies to the stars die. Death is the change that brings renewal. Sadness at the passing of a loved one is natural; they have left our sight and are absent from our lives. Difficulty arises though if we refuse to let go of the departed, to allow them to rest in peace. When we build shrines and visit them regularly, whether they are of stone or in our heart, we open ourselves to morbid reflection. Consider the pyramids. The Pharaohs spent most of their time and energy focused on death and their “final” resting place.  Millions of man hours spent erecting, countless lives lost, treasuries emptied and for what? None of them succeeded as inviolate temples to the afterlife, what could the ancients have accomplished had they channeled that energy and resources into the living?

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

     We do not seek death, for it will come in due course, nor fear it. We 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 forefront of your thinking, 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.

LESSONS LEARNED

         We all know people who make 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 a bad relationship, but cannot leave, perhaps your own child who, even though they know the consequences, cannot seem to get their homework done on time or meet that curfew.

      It is a curious thing that once we begin profiting from these lessons life improves. Start showing up on time and tardiness as an issue disappears, fill the gas tank when the gauge dips below a quarter tank and never run out of gas again. Last roll of toilet paper, make a physical note to go to the store, putting it somewhere prominent, avoiding a rather awkward lesson later in supply and demand.

       The Source, that Power Greater than Ourselves, God is always quietly urging us to learn, to grow, to progress along the path of enlightenment. So revisit the book on the table next to the bed that meant so much to you the last time you read it or start that one in the “going to get around to” stack. Living on the Spiritual Basis meditation is required if we are to progress, to learn 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 spiritual lessons we learn today stay with us, becoming part of the fabric of the whole cloth of our eternal true self. Therefore, focus on what is in front you today, learn from what is at your fingertips now and let tomorrow take care of its self.

UNGRATEFUL PAST

     Living on the Spiritual Basis, we have learned to live in the moment. This does not mean that we do not make plans or look to the future, but we do keep our head where our hands are and do not allow fear to drive us. If we do the adversary, fear, leads us into morbid reflection. Morbid reflection insidiously pulls us into the past, to negatively rehash, even relive times when we were at our worst, when our lives were at their seemingly lowest ebb. Living this way is akin to having a cut on the arm, then as it begins to heal scratching at it until it bleeds anew. In this way, the wound stays “fresh and alive” indefinitely, then pointing it out, recounting the “story” at every possible occasion to anyone who will listen, and doing it with feeling, building into our consciousness an almost impenetrable barrier to serenity.

     Living on the Spiritual Basis we do not hide from the past or deny it, but we keep the past in proper perspective through the application of spiritual principles, turning a seeming negative into a positive, freeing us from the deadly dance of morbid reflection. Today 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 this new way of life, for we are living on a different basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God.

SAME OLD SOLUTIONS

       We live with a continuous barrage of bad news. Read any newspaper, watch 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. History is an invaluable tool that few truly employ. There is nothing in today’s headlines that has not happened before,  nothing.

        “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 in a “black blizzard” of dust that bankrupted and displaced millions, the storm clouds of war gathering in Europe as Hitler rose to power. Economic hardship, unemployment, war on drugs, global warming, Iran, Iraq, North Korea. Sound familiar? Politicians and leaders have been applying the same answers and solutions to mankind’s struggles for thousands of years, with the same predictable results. Nothing changes if nothing changes, but when we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change. Living on the Spiritual Basis we trust infinite God rather than our finite self or the world for salvation, for if we are ever to truly walk a different path as a people, the change must begin within each of us. Let there be peace, and let it begin with me.

POWERFUL LINKS

          There are many things that link us, one to another, the two most powerful being love and resentment, one we embrace, the other we must be free of. When we think on those we love we feel peace, calmness, brings a smile to the face. Conversely when thinking on resentment the blood pressure rises, the jaw tightens, our thoughts taking on a decidedly darker tone. To be free of resentment requires work, for nothing will retard, even stop spiritual progress more than resentment, and it is deadly.

       To be 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 (as many times as necessary) and under no circumstance retell the “story” ever again, even if prodded by another who may have been part of the “story” or shared in the resentment. Additionally do not volunteer any action or direction another should take in regard to resentment unless asked specifically what you are doing, never answer the unasked question.
     Moving forward avoid participating in negative conversations on any topic, 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 for Everyone is subject to negative thinking, where the thought came from of little importance, our response 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, in time however it will become second nature, the level of our serenity increasing dramatically and though negative thinking will raise its head from time to time, we now have a way out of trouble that works, if we are diligent.

BEYOND THE FLESH

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

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

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


    

ETERNAL TIDES

          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. It is curious how differently cultures mark/celebrate a passing. Westerners typically make the event a clean straightforward affair handled almost exclusively by professionals, family and friends provided with a regimented schedule of events leading to a final “farewell” usually all taking place in a weeks time. Other cultures leave the departed in their beds for a year or longer, the family handling everything, finally throwing a huge party where the departed are honored, cremating the remains at its conclusion, again all handled by loved ones.

     Death is inevitable. What happens to our physical remains after we have translated from the 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, our consciousness, our 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 mere conveyance. So we mourn the passing of those we 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.

IN BUT NOT OF

            Reborn is the only term that accurately states the truth of Living on the Spiritual Basis. Day by day, step by step as we develop spiritually the old “man” dies and the new emerges. As with all births there is pain and discomfort along the way, quickly forgotten as the fresh new face emerges into the light of our consciousness. For those blessed with children there is probably no more peaceful or powerful moment in our lives than when we first held our newborn child. This same peace is visited upon us as our awareness and conscious contact with Source builds and grows, as we move from being in the world to being of the world, moving from the finite to the infinite, becoming a light of awareness and serenity, a beacon of hope. Is there any greater miracle?

ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

        When we purchase something that requires assembly, it generally comes with instructions. I purchased a teapot recently and inside was instructions, for a teapot! Now the instruction sheet for that Christmas morning bicycle years ago was considerably longer, and I still maintain wrong, both the bike and teapot instruction sheets had numbered steps, the teapot two with the additional warning that hot water is, well, hot, the bicycle four hundred and fifty seven, in Latin.

      We assemble our consciousness as well; the question is what “instruction” sheet we follow. With the exception of some notable examples who were directly touched by the Divine, we build our consciousness, for good or ill, step by step, by the actions we take and the thoughts we entertain, our level of awareness and understanding waxing and waning dependent on what we say, do, consider and act upon, experience building upon experience, good and bad. 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 borrow from Wayne Dyer: “Habit is habit, and not to be flung out the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.”

     Consider those who suffer from addiction. Many who initially get sober, seemingly having cast their “habit” out the window, new instructions embraced, then relapse and are often baffled as to why. They are fooled by the delusion those years of thinking and living in the addiction will disappear in a twinkling because the alcohol and drugs are out of their system. In reality the “instruction” sheet they have been following for years is all about addiction and is well memorized. It will take years of contrary action and consistent vigilance of motive, of following a completely new set of directions to recover.

     Let’s look at a different way. Many of my peers, including myself, are a little rounder than they would like. Now 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 forty. Yet when it comes to losing weight, typically if it can’t be dropped in a week or two we lose interest and fall back into old habits, patterns of thinking. Diets are hard; require real long-term change and different thinking patterns, while cheeseburgers are easy, requiring only fries.

    We choose the path, the instruction sheet we follow. The choice is always ours.

    Our spiritual development is a mental diet, we choose the directions to follow, the nourishment we ingest, 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 overnight, the process continues for our lifetime and though our consciousness is eternal, assembly is required, what instruction sheet do you follow?

CLOUDY DAYS

       Ever start a plane trip on a cloudy day? On the ground it is dark, possibly dank, deep shadows evident. Then the plane lifts off the runway and climbs through the clouds, for a time visibility is zero, then suddenly the craft bursts through into bright sunshine, for the light was always there, it simply obscured by temporary conditions.

      When trouble comes into our lives the adversary, fear, works to cloud our consciousness, to instill a false belief in the permanence of temporary conditions. Living on the Spiritual Basis we drive out these shadows by raising our consciousness through prayer and meditation, banishing false belief. Every one occasionally has clouds obscure the light for a time, but Living on the Spiritual Basis there is no concern, for demonstration has taught us the light is always there, clouds a temporary condition.    

INEVITABLE STORMS

        The longest eighteen inches in the world lies between the head and the heart, intellect to faith. Speaking about God and spirituality, practicing faith when the weather is calm is easy. Standing in faith when every fiber of the carnal mind screams in opposition, isn’t. The back of every American dollar bill reads “In God We Trust” but do we? The Great Carpenter teaches that those who demonstrate faith in action build their spiritual house/consciousness “upon a rock” while those who are nominally Living on the Spiritual Basis build their “house” on sand “and great was the fall of it.”

       It is easy to be spiritual, loving, gracious, etc when life is going well. Just as you can build a structure on any ground as long as the sun is shining, the wind 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 with their spiritual house and then are devastated when the rains come and the winds blow and their structure collapses, compounding the error by then blaming God for the storm, forgetting storms come for all, rain falling on the just and unjust equally. We chose the materials our house is constructed of, the construction practices employed, how well we adhere to the blueprints, for it matters little the quality of the materials if they are poorly installed, the blueprint ignored. The Good News is the Master Builder, God, will step in at any point and set the project (our consciousness) right if we will only place our trust in His guidance and unconditional love. By this simple, but not easy, reliance on a power greater than ourselves our structure is solidly built and able to withstand the inevitable storms.  

DESTRUCTIVE THINKING

       As man thinks, what we think on out pictures in our lives. Write this on your heart in bold capital letters. To think we can entertain certain thoughts and not have them influence us in other areas is not only foolish but spiritually deadly. The concept of “compartmentalizing” portions of our lives or thinking is patently false and leads only to destruction. What we think on becomes part of the mix, always. Thoughts of vengeance, assenting to any suffering, reveling in schadenfreude all mark us, shutting out the sunlight of the Spirit. The baker would never add something to the mixing bowl he did not want in the finished cake, but unlike the baker, we have no control over the curious thoughts that float up or into our consciousness, but we do choose the path when they reach our awareness.

     The price of spiritual freedom is vigilance and our consistent response to negative and destructive thoughts and thinking. Living on the Spiritual Basis when these thoughts reach awareness we turn immediately in prayer and meditation back to Source, for we can no longer fool ourselves as too the cost these thoughts carry with them if we choose to contemplate on them. Those who appear to get away with negative thinking and actions don’t. The mills of the gods grind slowly but exceedingly fine, next to every mill is a mountain of sand. We all reap as we sow, so we must stand vigilant, weighing the thoughts seeking purchase in our consciousness on the scales of Divine guidance and love.

THE TRUTH, GENTLY

       Words have meaning. Sounds like a “duh” kinda thing to say but bear with me. Many speak of spirituality and God, of our connection to the “Father” and how God is everywhere, at all times, always available, wanting to and will solve all our problems if we will only trust in Him, immanent. Yet they live their lives at odds to these genuinely voiced beliefs, instead trusting in the world and man by their actions. Belief is only theory, a nice thought or sentiment, unless demonstrated by action and we cause ourselves much needless discomfort and pain when we fail to walk the way we talk.

      So we pray expecting to receive, banishing from our heart the idea that prayer is simply a tool employed to weather the storm, to buck up our spirits, but is in truth a direct plea to God. That our good thoughts and intentions are meaningless unless we are willing to step out in faith and fly our flag as believers for all to see, losing our fear of the negative judgments that will be cast our way, for it is always easier to criticize and denigrate, for who is without blemish, than to stand in the light and be counted, so many wish to breathe free but choose to remain stifled for fear of ridicule or to curry favor.

    Words have meaning, and we must mean the words we say, otherwise we suffer greatly at the hands of the adversary, free floating fear, the truth of our being becomes lost in polite sentiment, affirmations routinely recited with little feeling or honest belief, prayers said with no real expectation of relief. To thine ownself be true, pray from the heart, expect to receive a miracle for we live in an age of miracles, measure your words and strive to walk the way you talk. No one among us does this perfectly, and though perhaps trembling, what matters is that we do it to the best of our ability today, for today is truly all we have.

HOUSEKEEPING

       Everyone likes a clean house; no one enjoys doing the cleaning. In the physical realm a little dust on the shelves, a cobweb or two high in a corner or a carpet that could use a visit from the vacuum are one thing, but of much greater importance is our personal or spiritual housekeeping. When we allow the negative to accumulate in our consciousness the consequences are dire. In our homes when a glass breaks, an egg slips our grasp, the new kitten or puppy has an “accident,” these things are addressed immediately, in much the same way we get busy spiritually on the big problems of life. But just like the upper shelf that could use a dusting or the baseboard that could stand a little scrubbing, we put off addressing the little hurts and small fears and they accumulate in the corners of our consciousness. Left unattended they nibble away at our serenity, our peace of mind slips allowing the adversary, fear, to gain purchase in the forefront of our consciousness.

     Spiritually we must keep our house clean for the adversary is relentless. Where as a dusty shelf or a floor that could use a sweeping are distractions, small resentments and disregarded fears left to fester in our spiritual house have real power. So we address them as soon as they crop up and do not under any circumstance or pretext put off our cleaning. By employing daily prayer, meditation and selfless service, keeping the corners of our consciousness liberated from the corrosive destructive effects of the adversary, we remain free, serenity at play, peace of mind immanent.

MESSY ART

       How do we progress spiritually? Is it by studying every new book or teacher that comes along, casting aside yesterday’s book or teacher in hope that the new information or teacher is superior? 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 advances. In mathematics every new 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, which then lead in time 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 rub elbows with artists, visit the finest galleries, study countless books on 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 possesses little power to change. As we practice what we know spiritually daily (the amount immaterial, remember 2+2) our heart and mind becomes 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.

      Our lives are our canvas, the brush willingness, the paint our spiritual understanding, so we apply what we have learned of living spiritually and let God guide our hand. The emerging picture is truly miraculous, but requires a lifetime of diligent effort to complete. Oh, and art is messy, so don’t worry about the paint under your finger nails, on the floor, the walls or your clothes, the Great Artist understands and it puts a smile on His face.

EMPTY POCKETS

      Ever find some forgotten cash in the pocket of a pair of pants or jacket you haven’t worn in a while? Always puts a smile on the face doesn’t it. Ever consider ignoring it or even decide it really has no value? Of course not, that would be foolish, yet 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 the new life, for reasons yet obscure (probably fear) they fall back into the old ways of thinking and solutions, the pain that brought them to the path in the first place forgotten, the new solutions of value now seemingly valueless. The way back is simple if not easy, when we become aware of old ways of thinking and action creeping back in, we stop immediately and reengage with the prayer, meditation and service that had previously worked so well. By rejecting fear and acting in faith we find our pockets always contain exactly what we need, when we need it, in perfect measure.

FRESH BREAD

        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 our 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 fade.

       So, what would provide long term, permanent happiness? Wealth? Good health? Satisfying career? Begs some consideration. Money is good, having had money and been broke, having money is better, but happiness? Some of the most miserable, unhappy people have had plenty of money, so money by itself clearly isn’t the answer. Perfect health is great, but since no one gets out alive, good health ultimately is terminal. Careers are important, but intrinsically suffers the same shortcomings as wealth.

      If we make our happiness contingent on outer things, including people, we will never be truly happy. In truth, happiness can only be found within. Experience demonstrates those who have a deep and abiding spirituality have a sense of true happiness at their core.  Trouble still comes, as it does for all, but they meet calamity with serenity for they have a conscious contact with Source, and through prayer, meditation and service 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, paving the way of true happiness, something to consider when breathing in deeply at the bakery.

STUBBED TOES

         No one lives life perfectly. No one is at peace or serene constantly. No one is energized or at their best every minute. Just as the tides rise and fall so does our energy levels, our peace and serenity. Everyone has their moments; the question is what we do when we have them. Everyone stubs their toe, even the Pope. Granted he probably doesn’t utter an expletive (if he did it probably would be in Latin and everything sounds better in Latin) when it happens, the point being that everyone stubs their toe, having nothing to do with our spiritual condition. Now if we 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 we deserved to stub our toe and the pain is the universes way of reminding us of our place, it then becomes a spiritual matter. If 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 woe later in the week. In truth, usually a cloudy day is just a cloudy day, nothing more.

        Everyone takes a turn in the barrel, you, me, the Pope, Dalai Lama, everyone.  Living on the Spiritual Basis though we keep our eye on the ball, God, and by doing the work He would have us do, we meet calamity with serenity, with the occasional expletive, for God knows stubbed toes hurt. 

TIDAL WAVES

       Without renewing energy stagnation results, and there is probably no better demonstration of this than a tidal pool. The renewing energy of the waves keeps the pool fresh and supplied with renewed vigor. If we consider our consciousness as a tidal pool, our renewing waves are comprised of willingness, an open mind, of turning to Source in all things, trusting in God to wash over us in forgiveness, love and guidance, carrying away negative and fearful thoughts.

      A closed mind is like the tidal pool that has been blocked off the renewing energy of the sea. Soon the water turns brackish and unhealthy, the pools energy and life draining away. Eventually if nothing fresh flows in it will evaporate, leaving only death and dust. Self-centered fear tries to convince us that in times of trouble the waves of renewal will not return; closing our mind to truth, and faith begins to waver.

     Just as the oceans level rises and falls, leaving the pool seemingly without supply for a time, so does our awareness of our connection to Source. By standing in the light through the demonstration of consistent prayer, service and meditation, we know the tide will rise, the waves return. So 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, clean and renewed in Spirit.

HADRON COLLIDER AND GOD

        Everything is comprised of energy. Not just energized, but comprised of it. 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 three decades science has observed what Max Planck postulated nearly a hundred years ago to be true. The importance of this so profound the largest machine ever constructed by man lies underground outside of Geneva, the 17 mile long Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to investigate these particles.

         Living on the Spiritual Basis, the intelligence that exists through out creation is accepted and understood by faith. Tools like the LHC for exploring the micro or the Hubble telescope for the macro, perhaps will help those who doubt the existence of a Power Greater Than Themselves to have a bit more of an open mind, but that is left to them. Having found the great reality deep within, Living on the Spiritual Basis the truth in living has become operative through demonstration. In the moments of fear and doubt that come for all, we have learned to quietly turn to the Source for our salvation and answers, tapping into that 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 have learned through experience to apply Infinite Power, the mind that is the matrix of all matter, in our lives, guarantying freedom and success from and over all difficulties.   

DEMETRIUS DEMONSTRATING

       The silversmith Demetrius made his living off making shrines to the goddess Diana. When the apostle Paul brought the Christ message to his town many began turning away from worshiping the goddess. Demetrius and his fellow businessmen found their livelihood at stake, for without Diana worship they were 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. They took this action not out of any real spiritual belief, but belief in their pocketbooks, motivated by fear, not faith.

       Trusting in God is simple but not easy. We are consistently bombarded by hand-wringers and fear spreaders at every turn, the one thing they all share is the secular basis of living, not the spiritual. The silversmiths didn’t trust Diana to deliver them, and rightfully so for the only Diana readily known today is the late princess of Wales, a beautiful woman no doubt, but no goddess, so they felt they had to take matters into their own hands, trusting secular action over faith based demonstration. 

     The promise of Living on the Spiritual Basis is by trusting and relying on the one true source, God, all questions of living will be answered and we will be provided with everything we need to grow and prosper. God is either everything or else He is nothing, what is our choice to be?  So to be truly free, we must be about God’s business, demonstrating the infinite over the finite and resist the fear based urge to shout Great is Diana.

OUR FIREMAN

         Some destructive thoughts attack us head on, clothed in concern but actually fear of God’s abandonment the source, finances, health, etc. The deadliest however are the thoughts that creep in, with no apparent foreshadowing. We never know what triggers these seemingly random negative thoughts, 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 we take when we become aware of discordant or negative thinking, of morbid reflection rising. Consider the analogy of the campfire: If you are sitting by a campfire and a burning ember floats up and lands on your sleeve, if you brush it off immediately no real harm is done. However if we wait a moment to contemplate it, our shirt is ruined, a welt on our arm to mark the decision. We must stay ever vigilant for those “burning ember” thoughts and as soon as becoming aware, we turn immediately to God and ask Him to direct our thinking. The wording of our prayer is of course optional, but the timing isn’t. So many make the mistake of trying to figure out why the thought surfaced, not only failing to brush off “the ember” with Divine help, but nurturing and feeding it fuel by continuing to try to understand why it surfaced, as if knowing why will do anything to remove the discomfort and pain their ruminations are causing. Why is the booby prize. Why only prolongs the pain, intensifies it, while prayer addresses it, relieves and removes it.

boo·by prize : n  
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 by, watching the fire wondering why it started or would you act to put it out? Yet we do this very thing in the only dwelling that really matters, our consciousness, when we entertain these destructive thoughts, our serenity and peace of mind burning in the fire of morbid reflection. So we must stay ever vigilant, and at the first sign of an ember, we enlist God to be our fireman

ABILITY TO CHANGE

      What we seek we find, what we plant and nurture will grow. Seems like a simple enough lesson, yet many ignore it. Parents, whose only focus is working, “providing”, are surprised when they find they really don’t know their children at all, or conversely 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 spouse who spends all their 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. The alcoholic or addict who is going to straighten out, eventually.

     So what are you planting, seeking by your actions? Do your actions mirror your words? Are you trying to impress others, perhaps 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? Have you ever employed the concept of “guilty with an explanation?” Are you surrounded by people who are quick to cosign whatever you’re selling, avoiding those who may ask uncomfortable questions or point out obvious truths? Living on the Spiritual Basis we have learned that the unexamined life leads only to futility and frustration.

     Having placed our feet on the path we are gentle with those around us who are still locked in the bondage of self. We never answer the unasked question but do share from the heart our struggles and the actions we have taken to progress, regardless of personal consequences. In truth those about us will be far more impressed by a quiet demonstration of spiritual principles through our actions than by anything we will say. To borrow from 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.” To fundamentally change the desire must come from within, and no matter how badly we may desire to help those around us, ultimately we are responsible for the crops planted, their tending and the harvest reaped.

SUFFERING MIGHTILY

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

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 simple 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 they heard someone (often an old-timer) relate in an AA meeting. The problem is that many, instead of actually reading and studying the path, chooses to base their recovery on people and gatherings rather than on their own work and effort. Faith without works is dead. I understand, why do hard things; like studying the path and really working the steps, when there are easy things like going to meetings and sober activities, relying on others “easier softer way” interpretations as gospel. Eventually spirituality by osmosis (lots of activity, little real work) wears thin and they are faced with a crisis they can no longer evade or postpone, that no amount of “sharing” or talking about will help; they wonder why God has abandoned them. They truly believe they have been “working” the program, but this perception is based on wishful thinking, not the path laid out in the Big Book. In truth they have been working some of the steps, but not all, like making a cake and leaving a few ingredients out, then blaming the recipe because the cake is inedible.

     The good news is they can change their point of view 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. The Steps aren’t about not drinking, they are about Living on the Spiritual Basis, alcohol is but a symptom, the bottle only a symbol, and if you have the willingness, this path of enlightenment will solve all your life problems, but a price has to be paid, that price is the surrendering of self. Cheers.

PARTITION WALLS

        Many modern offices are comprised of large rooms divided into cubicles 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 an office, with the right tools and a little effort is easily removed. The tools: Prayer and meditation. The effort: Being of service to others.

      Prayer is pretty straight forward; 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 affect your breathing. Now, think about nothing but spiritual principles and truth, as you understand them at this point in your development, or if you prefer read a paragraph or two from a spiritual book or teaching and contemplate on it. 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. 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 internet. Keep it simple, when it is time to investigate other forms, you will know. Most importantly do not 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 serenity, we 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, the deadly trap of comparing our insides to others outsides.

FURNACE

          There is a story in the Old Testament concerning three men who refused to worship a golden image erected by King Nebuchadnezzar. The king was so incensed by their refusal he sentenced them to die in a fiery furnace. This furnace was so hot, the guards died in the process of casting the men in. As the King watched, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego (aren’t bible names cool) were joined in the furnace by a fourth man. Soon the three emerged from the furnace, unharmed, delivered because they had refused to sacrifice their belief, holding fast to God, the fourth presence in the furnace. The king was so moved he converted on the spot.

         We all face trials and difficulties in our lives, our “fiery furnace.” Having chosen to Live on the Spiritual Basis, by holding fast to a power greater than ourselves, the fourth man stands with us, keeping us unharmed, regardless of how intense the fire appears to be. 

ROUGH ROADS

      When we are in “it” our perception of our world becomes skewed, often to the extreme. A wise man said to me long ago “Everyone spends time in the barrel.” The problems start in earnest when we start to believe that the “barrel” or the rough patch we find ourselves in at the moment is permanent. “Seasons of dryness” happen to all, the reason why of little importance, the action we engage in when we become aware paramount. The typical response, and unfortunately direction given by many well intentioned but mistaken advisers, is to “redouble” ones efforts, when the opposite is true. When driving if we come upon a bad patch of road, one of the signs invariably directs us to “slow down.” We are never directed to speed up, drive harder or redouble our driving. The same holds for the spiritual road. We don’t struggle or try to fight our way through, we surrender, relax, for this too shall pass.

      To be clear, action is required, so we pray but keep it simple. In times of trouble simply “God is with me” is a powerful prayer, and is sufficient if it is all we can muster in the moment. What matters is our willingness to continue praying, placing the burden on God’s shoulders, for it is too much for us. By keeping our gaze focused on Him who has all knowledge and power, in time, just as with stretches of bad road the trouble will pass, the road smooths, the ride stabilizes and our gaze shifts from the roadbed back to the unlimited horizons before us.

LACKING FAITH

        You have probably heard the simile of the mustard seed, that all that is required to progress spiritually is a mustard seeds worth of faith. The mustard seed is one of smallest seeds in nature, yet a strong, resilient plant with amazing properties springs forth from this speck of creation. So it is with us as well. By simply considering or thinking on faith, we have enough faith to demonstrate. To concern ourselves with any supposed “lack” of faith is the adversary, self-centered fear, attempting to keep us locked in the bondage of self, so we pray to the best of our ability today, and that is all that is required of us to progress, for all prayer has power. In the grip of trouble the only prayer we may be able to utter is “God help me”, which is a powerful statement in faith, and is sufficient onto its self.

     If you are considering faith, you have the mustard seed in your hand. From this small beginning a powerful and vibrant relationship with the only true source will grow, the garden of our consciousness watered with prayer, tended with meditation and service, to the best of our current ability, for God will never ask more than we can deliver this day.

“ONE DAY AT A TIME”

“Live, one day at a time.” This simple saying popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous has become part of the daily consciousness, but what does it really mean? Living on the Spiritual Basis the meaning is simple and profound: The only time we can be present for God, the only time we can stand in the presence of God, the only time God can be present in our lives is in the present moment. So be present for God, for God is always present for us. Yesterday a memory, tomorrow a promise, today, this moment the only reality. Living on this basis, the Spiritual Basis, all the presents God has for us appear in our lives.

GROWING CONSCIOUSNESS

       To progress, to grow in consciousness we must do the work, for no one can do another’s spiritual lifting. Memorizing and reciting spiritual sayings, affirmations and prayers is a valuable tool, but to progress we must go much further. To have a lively faith we must remain open minded and willing to explore new spiritual experiences, in the light of prayer and meditation, and then demonstrate faith through our actions.

     Self-centered fear is a thief, lurking in the shadows, cunning and patient, waiting for the moment to strike, stealing peace of mind and serenity leaving anxiety and depression in its wake. So we ask God to remove from us the notion that any part of our lives or thinking, any shadows, is hidden from Him. Of course nothing is, but we need to say it in prayer, affirming it in meditation, so any lingering thoughts that anything exists outside His sight will be smashed. 

       We live in the light, for in truth the only darkness that exists are the shadows we cast when attempting to live on anything other than the Spiritual Basis. Living on the Spiritual Basis everything is illuminated, so when we err, for we all do, this simple reliance on God will take us to better things, forgiven as soon as we ask, our course of action clear, unmistakable. 

THE REAL BASIS

“Man is essentially spiritual, the image and likeness of God, and therefore he is made for the spiritual basis, and he cannot really succeed on any other.” Emmet Fox. Living on the Spiritual Basis requires focus and commitment. Half hearted demonstrations lead inevitably to struggle, for we wish to enjoy the reputation of someone who embraces spiritual principles without reservation, but know in our heart; the secret place of our consciousness, that we have one foot in the secular, one in the spiritual and as we have learned, the two minded individual is unstable in all their ways. So speak to Him in prayer unburdening yourself of the last vestiges of self-centered fear and stride wholeheartedly out on to the only real basis of living, the Spiritual Basis.

PRAYING FOR OURSELVES

          Do you pray for yourself? If not you should, regularly. Every conversation with God is a prayer and Living on the Spiritual Basis we do not filter our conversations. If we do, than we are relying on our limited consciousness to manage our relationship with the infinite, with God, rather vain of us, for in truth, God already knows the issues of our heart, the conversation/prayer demonstrating our willingness to be taken to better things, a higher consciousness. When our “eye is single” we understand that what we give our attention manifests in our lives, our perceptions changed, our consciousness raised. God will not, can not bring anything into our lives that will harm us or others, for good and God are synonymous, so never hesitate to speak to God on any subject, for in so doing our attention is focused on the only thing that truly matters, our relationship with “Our Father”.

TWO MASTERS

         Mind versus heart. Having an understanding of spiritual principles is important, a mind full of spiritual knowledge if you will. The curious thing about spiritual knowledge is many believe it is all they need, demonstration secondary. Having a great deal of medical knowledge doesn’t make someone a doctor, to truly become a doctor they must first acquire knowledge and then under careful supervision put that knowledge into action, turning it into experience, moving it from the theoretical to the real, from head to heart. This holds true in every area of life, but no area more important than our spiritual life, since everything in life finds its germination in God, yet so many fail to walk the way they talk. In pursuit of material and secular success individuals will go too tremendous lengths; often ignoring the spiritual imperative, their treasure being material possessions and accolades; their actions demonstrating their true hearts desire, speaking one way, but living at odds with the spiritual imperative. A head full of spiritual knowledge without the corresponding demonstration amounts to a half measure, and spiritually half measures avail us nothing. Only we know if “we walk the way we talk”, so, what treasure are you following with your heart?

PARADISE

            Typically when I’m asked how I’m doing I respond: “It’s another beautiful day in paradise.” Why? First, most really don’t want to know in any detail, since essentially all they are doing is saying hello and this lets them off the hook. Admit it, there have been times when you have used “How are you doing?” as a greeting and the person proceeded, in detail, to tell you exactly how they are doing, all the while your internal voice screaming “I was only saying hello!” 

         Secondly, and most importantly, when talking about the difficulties and challenges in life there needs to be a very good reason for the conversation, otherwise we may place ourselves in danger of stoking the fires of resentment, opening the doors of condemnation, looking for others to co-sign whatever were peddling, trying to feel better at the expense of others, reveling in morbid reflection. The concept that “talking” about something troubling us will make us feel better is only a half truth. It only has lasting value if the purpose of the conversation is to explore solutions, not to merely rant. We have all ranted at times in our lives, what happened? In the moments following the rant we did feel better, but just like the temporary relief felt when broke and a forgotten twenty turns up in the pocket of  pants worn last week, it fades as soon as we shift from the gratitude of finding the twenty  to “it’s only a twenty” thinking. Often I have had a student say they felt better after “getting something off their chest” but unless a definite course of action to address the problem or situation is entered into (i.e. prayer, meditation and service), all that was really accomplished was “letting off a little steam” which is fine in the short run but does nothing to address the continuing source of the heat.

        When we abstain from negative thinking and talk, from feeding the inner beast of self-pity and self-centered fear, instead turning our thoughts and heart to a Power Greater Than Ourselves that has all knowledge and power, the only real barrier to morbid reflection, we save ourselves from needless mental and spiritual wear and tear. So, how are you doing? It really is another beautiful day in paradise.

SIMPLIFIED LIVING

        The spiritual vs. the secular life. Secular: success is measured by possessions, popularity, good looks, living the “good” life. Spiritual: success is measured by the peace, poise and serenity demonstrated when difficulties arrive, a state achieved by understanding the true nature of being, realizing that appearances are illusionary. Health: secular it is about looking and feeling good at any price, taking and doing whatever to achieve this. Spiritual health is not about the body. Awake to the truth that this flesh is merely a vehicle, a conveyance for a time. This does not mean that we misuse it or ignore its care, but we are clear that we are not our body since all flesh fails, that we truly are a spark of the divine, eternal, existing before this flesh was conceived and existing beyond its return to the dust and ash from which it came. Secular: the opinions of others have power and color our choices and decisions. Spiritually: when we are right with God, all other relationships can and will fall into place.

      As we transition from living on the secular basis to Living on the Spiritual Basis our whole attitude about life and living changes. “That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.” “What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration becomes a working part of the mind.” Spiritual or secular, peace or tumult, the choice is ours. “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Living on the Spiritual Basis we are no longer of this world, but we are in it; life simplified for: “we have ceased fighting anything or anyone.”  “We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well.”

SPIRITUAL CON JOB

“He wants to enjoy a certain reputation, but knows in his heart he doesn’t deserve it” Con artists portray themselves in whatever manner necessary in order to achieve their goal: relieving the mark of their money. Whether it requires appearing down and out or worth millions, a good ole boy or foreign dignitary, sinner or saint, whatever it takes to get over on the unsuspecting victim. The con artist however doesn’t deceive themselves as to who they really are. As soon as the con is done, win or lose, they move on, shedding the portrayal like a pair of dirty socks.

    Spiritually, many con themselves unknowingly. Their spiritual lives are approached in much the same manner as the myriad of secular duties in their lives. Then trouble comes. It may be economic, family or health in nature. Being nominal students of the path, they feel abandoned, let down by God. But just as the con artist they had only worn the clothes of a believer, saying the right words at the correct time, doing and acting as a believer should, living under the false belief that by merely acting correctly they were doing the work. They are like the man who stashed away the seed for a great harvest but never planted the crop.

    Faith without works is dead, and work without faith is just work. We all reap as we sow and in the garden of our spiritual lives, for in truth there is no other, our crop must be planted with care and interest, watered with love and service, the weeds of discontent and fear removed as soon as we become aware of them. So, we pray with a feather, gently, considering our words, remember this is our time with God. When in a religious or spiritual setting we stay in the moment, leaving the world and its clamoring for our attention at the door, speaking to God in our consciousness, the “Secret” place of our heart, asking what He would have us see or learn on this occasion, remembering that often it is not about us, but how we can be of service, and if we are daydreaming or thinking of other things we may miss a wonderful opportunity.

     You “…cannot transmit something you haven’t got.”  So we quietly tend our garden in earnest, reaping peace and true purpose, being present for God in the moment, for it is only in this moment that we can be present for God, our lives, in truth, a series of moments strung together in faith.    

LIFE’S FLOWCHART

     “The most important decision you will ever make is whether you live in a friendly or hostile universe” Einstein. “Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate.” Consider a flowchart. At the top is a box connected to a descending cascade of boxes. The flowchart of being has two boxes at the top, fear and love, everything flows from these. In answering Einstein’s question we decide which box holds sway in our life. A hostile universe is dominated by fear and we react accordingly. The same is true of a friendly universe where love dominates. In a hostile universe we are always at odds with the world about us, focusing our time and attention watching our back, doing onto others before than can do onto us, believing that if we don’t do it, it won’t get done or done right, trusting in nothing but our finite selves, where God is a pitiless task master, treating us in much the same way a cruel child with a magnifying glass treats an ant pile, this existence chaotic, baffling and painful, the moments of peace and joy only there to exacerbate the pain.

      Conversely in a friendly universe the problems and difficulties that come into our lives are opportunities to demonstrate God’s omnipotence and love. Nothing can truly touch us but the hand of God, all pain and suffering signposts, touchstones of spiritual growth, where we decide the path to follow. In a friendly universe we know we are not of this body, in truth we are spiritual entities experiencing the human condition, not human beings in search of spirituality, for everything is spiritual, all connected. In a friendly universe, Living on the Spiritual Basis places us in the position: “…to comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace” and “Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.” 

      Friendly or hostile? The choice is ours, and if we find ourselves in a hostile universe, we can leave at anytime, for in a friendly universe "the Realm of the Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe to all..."

THE GRAVITY OF OPPORTUNITY

        There are many laws, secular and spiritual. Man’s laws fill untold volumes and are constantly being amended, added to, ignored and broken. But what of God’s “laws”; The Law of Retribution, the Law of Unintended Consequence, Reaping and Sowing and others? What sets these laws apart from man’s laws is they are totally impersonal in application, like the law of gravity. Rich or poor, famous or infamous, it makes no difference; if we fall we will continue falling until something breaks our fall. Whether it is 1 foot or ten thousand, it happens every single time, Hitler or Mother Teresa, the law of gravity plays no favorites, cannot be bribed or ignored. And just as gravity, no appeal ever suspends God’s laws, for if it could, than we would live in a chaos, not a universe.

     The Law of Opportunity is one of these laws. Living on the Spiritual Basis we now understand this life is but a moment in eternity, we existed before this flesh was conceived, and will exist beyond its return to the dust and ashes from whence it came. Our job, our only real job in this life is to learn and grow in effectiveness, so when a difficulty surfaces, an opportunity for demonstration, we choose the course of action. Living on the Spiritual Basis, in touch with source, we treat these occasions with prayer and meditation, knowing there is something to be learned that will improve and ultimately clarify our connection with God. By demonstrating over the problem by reliance on source, we demonstrate to others, by our actions, the truth of spiritual living.

     Theory is fine in the classroom, but demonstration is the measure, the attraction. The Law of Opportunity is one of God’s ways of providing us choice, to grow in understanding and expression, for we have free will. So what is our choice to be when opportunity knocks, reliance on the infinite, God, or the finite, ourselves? Choose wisely, I’ll get the door.

SANDWICHES

    Einstein remarked, “The most important decision you will ever make is whether you live in a friendly or hostile universe.” Spiritually, if we live in a hostile universe, then no matter what we do, there really isn‘t any hope for us. The hostile universe is dominated by a “score keeper” God, holding that we are full of sin, so all we can do is the best we can, knowing that when this flesh fails the piper will be paid. Forgive the language but this lacks something without it: “Life is just one big shit sandwich, believing in God just means you get fries with it” pretty much sums up the hostile universe point of view.

     But what of the friendly universe? When the Carpenter delivered the Sermon On The Mount, he summed up our relationship with God simply with the words “Our Father.”  The friendly universe then builds on a basic criterion: we are all connected, equal in His eyes regardless of circumstance or station, “the realm of Heaven roomy, all inclusive, never exclusive or forbidding; open to all who earnestly seek.”

     We have all been touched by sin, however in the friendly universe we Live on the Spiritual Basis, knowing in our heart of hearts, that we are forgiven as soon as we ask. The key being that we truly wish to change and grow spiritually, so past transgressions no longer bedevil us or are repeated. Forgiveness is meaningless however if it is only sought as a means to avoid trouble. For forgiveness to be operative we must desire to change with all our heart, finally realizing that though willing, the flesh is weak, we must have help and that help comes from “Our Father.”

    Now, if we had to wait to be “pure” to become worthy of God’s love none of us would make the cut. To be clear: we are worthy right here right now; all that is required is a wholehearted commitment to seek a relationship with God. How is this done? Through prayer, service and meditation coupled with willingness and an open mind. When approached this way the path of our enlightenment naturally unfolds before us, but we must continue in the work. Visualize it this way: It is you and God in a rowboat and God don’t row. His hand is on the tiller and we row with our back to the direction traveled, our eyes fixed on Him, lest we become fearful and try to steer the boat by pulling a little harder on one oar or the other, resisting God’s guidance. If we ultimately lose faith and grab the tiller He will not fight us, but He will not row. Lacking our demonstration, our rowing, our little boat is left to the mercy of contrary currents and swirling eddies of self-centered fear, ultimately directionless even though our hand is on the tiller. The good news is as soon as we retake our seat and pick up the oars, He will resume the tiller and though we may be fearful and trembling, we grow by once again demonstrating trust in the infinite, rather than our finite selves. Oh, and He brings much better sandwiches.

JUST CAUSE OF ANGER

       When we take offense at every trifling thing in life, becoming angry and outraged at clerks, customer service reps, waiters and waitresses, thoughtless drivers, oblivious sidewalk strollers or any of the other myriad daily annoyances that we come into contact with, we place ourselves in danger. Additionally when a friend, co-worker, loved one or family member fails to live up to “our” expectations and we demonstrate displeasure/anger towards them, we place ourselves at risk.

     So the real question is: At what price peace of mind? Is your serenity worth losing over slow service, waiting on hold, a poor lane change, parking ticket, an inconsequential bump, the blocking of a sidewalk, some failed expectation, hurt feeling or news report? Recently a man lost his life leaving a baseball game over a verbal slight on the ramp leading to the exit, a “trifle” in hindsight, a tragedy for all concerned in reality. Revenge, getting even, wishing to punish others, resentment and condemnation under any guise are all dangerous paths leading only to strife and suffering, blocking us from the source.

       So we must become slow to anger, to ask if the cause is “just” in spiritual light. When we do this, we soon find the just causes of anger are few indeed. Consider law enforcement, over ninety percent will never remove their weapon from its holster except at the firing range, so just as with those charged with enforcing secular law, if presented with “just” cause we must be willing to act, but we must direct our anger at the sin, praying for the sinner and those affected by the act, seeking ways to be of service to all who suffer.

       It would be taking the easy way out to end this piece without attempting to describe a “just” cause of anger. Just cause can be somewhat personal, but I think there are some we can agree on: Any innocent’s death at the hand of a tyrant, for profit or as a result of an alcohol or drug impaired individual. A child exploited for any reason. A companies or corporations callus disregard of health and/or safety concerns for the sake of profit. Leaders who only are concerned for themselves and not those they have been charged to represent. Chances are, unlike law enforcement, we will be powerless to act directly in any secular sense, but we can always act spiritually, keeping our anger in check, focusing on the solution rather than the cause.

     So on those occasions when just cause enters our consciousness we immediately turn to God seeking guidance and intuition, for we are living on a different basis, the basis of trusting and relying upon God, the Spiritual Basis.

WHAT PRICE INDIGNATION?

      “You can have either your demonstration or your indignation, but you cannot have both.”  We cannot look down our nose and salute the spark of divine simultaneously. We will never progress far on the path, Living on the Spiritual Basis, if we harbor resentment and condemnation of any kind, for any reason, in our consciousness. By whatever measure we limit or subjectively dismiss anything or anyone as being beyond the pale, we distance ourselves from the path.

     The maxim of “equal and opposite reaction” is as true spiritually as it is physically. The Great Carpenter taught on this point when he spoke on “righteous” judgment. Many have misconstrued this teaching as to mean that we should never be judgmental, which is incorrect.

     To be able to see our brothers and sisters clearly we must first address our own shortcomings and clean up our side of the street, only then can our “eye be single.”  Once we have done this we see everything in a new light, the true light, the light of spiritual awakening.

    We all naturally have opinions and viewpoints on all manner of subjects and things, some people we will welcome into our lives, others not so much, and some for valid reasons will be kept at a distance. The key is the steadfast refusal to engage in self-righteousness and of becoming a spiritual imperialist. We must stay ever vigilant for these things, and when they creep into the consciousness; for they are persistent, wolves in sheep’s clothing, always seeking a foothold, as soon as recognized we turn to God, gently, in prayer thanking Him for heightened awareness, asking Him to guide us on the path of patience, tolerance, kindness and love.

    Having strongly held opinions and viewpoints are never troublesome when filtered through Spiritual truth. The trouble arises when we fail to employ this filter, for this filter is the key to self-control, the bar against becoming self-righteous and manifesting deadly spiritual pride. So the choice is simple; God or indignation. Choose wisely.

PERFECTION REALIZED

      What is perfection? A child’s laugh, a spring day, the family gathered together for the holidays, a content cat, chocolate, all of these things and infinitely more may be perfect but only in the most subjective way; i.e. in the “eye of the beholder.” Forms of non-subjective perfection; a “perfect” game in baseball, a spade royal flush, prime numbers or scoring a “100” on a test come to mind. Descartes held “existence itself is perfection”, which extrapolated could lead one down the path of “everything” being perfect. So clearly perfection can be often perfectly obscure.

        So what then is “spiritual” perfection? And what flawed individual could ever hope to attain it? No one among us has lived or is living life perfectly. Spiritual perfection is not living perfectly but holding to the perfection of God. I can’t, but He can. Living on the Spiritual Basis we have learned that all are connected in spirit, the eternal spark of the divine existing in each of us regardless of station or circumstance, all equal in His eyes. Our Father’s love, perfect; beyond time and flesh. So, by a wholehearted commitment, day by day, to grow in understanding and service to Our Father, we approach “perfection.” Though this flesh, this life, will never be perfect our pursuit and demonstration of faith, though trembling, can be.

OUR GARDEN

        When we first begin our spiritual journey in earnest, specific and ritualized spiritual practices are important fundamentals. As we begin to grow, set times and forms provide a foundation, and the necessary discipline, on which we build. In good time, as we become more adept, many of the outer guidelines and structure we began with will naturally fall away. This happens with no thought or conscious effort on our part. A simple guide: if you are asking yourself if it’s time to change your process, don’t. When it is time for change it will happen naturally, if we are asking the question, then we are attempting to hasten the process, which is not possible. Think of it this way: when we plant a garden would we expect the plants to grow and mature to our time table? Of course not, nor would we dream of harvesting the crop before it was ready. Water, sunlight, food, pests and the diligence of the gardener most of all, affect the health of the garden, the timing and size of the harvest.

     Our spiritual growth is just like all other natural growth in that it is affected by numerous factors. So we tend our spiritual garden diligently but refuse to concern ourselves with timing, focusing instead on the work before us this day. In time the fruits will present themselves at exactly the perfect moment of awakening.

    Our spiritual garden, unlike our vegetable garden, is eternal and will continue to give forth nourishment unabated as long as we keep our eyes on God, the true source, avoiding the temptation to pull our crop up prematurely to check the roots for signs of progress. As time passes we find that our understanding and demonstration has reached new heights, our garden seemingly taking care of its self as we cultivate still greater faith and service, becoming closer, day by day in thought and deed to Our Father, the demonstration of our true coming of age spiritually. 

SPIRITUAL BUREAUCRATS

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

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

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

SUPERIOR, SPIRITUALLY

        The pitfall of self-righteousness has trapped and pulled down countless individuals. In most endeavors in life when we reach the top (think any Senator, sports star, billionaire, The President etc) there is a natural sense of awe surrounding the individual and their accomplishments. Accomplishments however do not elevate one spiritually “above” anyone else, regardless of how much money, power, fame or titles they garner. Additionally the destruction wrought by self-righteous entitlement thinking on those who were born into wealth and position would be cliché if its effects on them and those they touch were not so heartbreaking.

     The greatest and most damaging falls occur however when an individual garners a sense of superiority from the spiritual work they have done. Though they began with good motives, they succumbed to the trap. When we grow spiritually, unless we stay ever vigilant, we can lose ourselves in self and begin to “look down” on those seeking guidance or are unwilling to explore spiritual matters at all, losing sight of our role as a messenger, our demonstration of spiritual principles the message, no one of greater import before God than any other. Entitlement thinking may be the dubious luxury of the rich and famous, with or without personal accomplishment, but spiritual entitlement thinking is deadly.

       Living on the Spiritual Basis we demonstrate the spiritual precepts we have learned in our daily life, for we cannot transmit that which we do not live ourselves. If we are attempting to teach a lesson we do not practice we will ultimately fail and fall victim to the dictum: “do as I say, not as I do” which is the golden gate of self-righteousness. We avoid this by staying vigilant and when spiritual entitlement thinking begins to make it’s self known, for it will, we turn to God and thank Him for knowing Him better, for keeping us “right” sized, our lives the demonstration of the new basis of living.