Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Anchored in the Background
All of us live in what we think of as the foreground of life, but we are anchored in the background. This means we fully participate in the three dimensional world – that which we mostly navigate with our physical senses. But the template for that world exists in higher dimensions. We are walkers of both worlds and it is helpful to sense what it is that supports the physical world and act accordingly.
All that exists in the material world exists first in the higher dimensions. The blueprint of our physical body, for example, exists as an energetic template that makes its physical manifestation possible. Our body is simply an extension of the template that is vibrating at a much higher frequency than our body.
Quantum physics teaches that this is so for all dense matter. All that exists in the three dimensional world is simply energy that is vibrating at varying “rates of speed” or frequency. Our birthplace is in the realm of spirit … the domain of energy … the fields of light.
Science teaches us that matter and energy are expressions of the same source (Source). As such, they cannot be destroyed. They can simply change expression. Therefore, there is an eternal nature that accompanies all expression of matter and energy. The human cannot be destroyed … although, at the moment of physical death we change “shape.”
This has particular meaning for us as we move about our daily activities. To be absent of this awareness means that we have not remembered from whence we came. When this happens, we think only in temporal terms – that which is here today and gone tomorrow. There is little permanence, little reason to think toward the future and limited consequences for our actions.
To be cognizant of our birthright helps us to frame our thoughts in terms of infinity. A connection with infinity allows us to think “higher” thoughts that help us develop the ability to see the consequences of actions because we’re able to vision past the present. Said another way, we learn to live beyond the “rules” of the world because we can see beyond the world.
Be aware … to live beyond the world is sometimes a lonely proposition. Being anchored in the background of all that is means that you are attuned to higher spiritual energies that encourage you to walk in higher paths. This often means that you will take stands that run counter to popular opinion.
But you will not be like some who have no hope. You will not fear change or physical death. You will simply shapeshift into a new existence. And while you wait for that inevitable change, you will not be afraid to stand against popular opinion when connection with the Infinite tells you it is the right thing to do.
All that exists in the material world exists first in the higher dimensions. The blueprint of our physical body, for example, exists as an energetic template that makes its physical manifestation possible. Our body is simply an extension of the template that is vibrating at a much higher frequency than our body.
Quantum physics teaches that this is so for all dense matter. All that exists in the three dimensional world is simply energy that is vibrating at varying “rates of speed” or frequency. Our birthplace is in the realm of spirit … the domain of energy … the fields of light.
Science teaches us that matter and energy are expressions of the same source (Source). As such, they cannot be destroyed. They can simply change expression. Therefore, there is an eternal nature that accompanies all expression of matter and energy. The human cannot be destroyed … although, at the moment of physical death we change “shape.”
This has particular meaning for us as we move about our daily activities. To be absent of this awareness means that we have not remembered from whence we came. When this happens, we think only in temporal terms – that which is here today and gone tomorrow. There is little permanence, little reason to think toward the future and limited consequences for our actions.
To be cognizant of our birthright helps us to frame our thoughts in terms of infinity. A connection with infinity allows us to think “higher” thoughts that help us develop the ability to see the consequences of actions because we’re able to vision past the present. Said another way, we learn to live beyond the “rules” of the world because we can see beyond the world.
Be aware … to live beyond the world is sometimes a lonely proposition. Being anchored in the background of all that is means that you are attuned to higher spiritual energies that encourage you to walk in higher paths. This often means that you will take stands that run counter to popular opinion.
But you will not be like some who have no hope. You will not fear change or physical death. You will simply shapeshift into a new existence. And while you wait for that inevitable change, you will not be afraid to stand against popular opinion when connection with the Infinite tells you it is the right thing to do.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Wholeness
One of the most valuable lessons that a mentor teach is that of wholeness. World thought structures are largely predicated on the beliefs of fragmentation and separation. This sometimes makes the mentors job a difficult one because he must continually exert energetic pressure against prevalent combined mental mindsets.
In the field of medicine, for example, we have done a poor job of approaching health from a holistic perspective. We emphasize certain aspects of health over other equally valuable aspects. The western model of medicine is based largely on technologically based post interventionist stances. We emphasize surgery, drugs and radiation to treat disease that has already manifested. There is not enough emphasis on preventing disease and precious little emphasis on less invasive and more cost effective alternative treatments for many diseases. Although the fields of psychology and psychiatry give necessary attention to the mental aspects of disease, the field of mind/body/spirit (psychnoneuroimmunology) has not yet been integrated sufficiently into the medical mainstream to as to make a noticeable impact on national health statistics.
In the field of religion, we often emphasize the separation of man and God rather than their connections. Although the major spiritual figures throughout the centuries have taught that it is impossible to separate spiritual life from secular life, we continue to do so. Worship and meditation are largely relegated to the sanctuary and are absent from other aspects of our daily lives. Celebration of our connection with divinity is often obscured by our perceived divorce. We often do not feel capable of bridging the gap between ourselves and the heavens.
Our workplaces are filled with boxes that denote separation. Look at an organizational chart and you will see boxes filled with names and titles either above or below other boxes that are filled with other names and titles. They are, in turn, connected to other boxes by more lines. We have not yet evolved to the point where we can see that whenever you draw a line you create a separation.
The same is true of our world. We have a difficult time seeing ourselves as a global community. We have not fully grasped that the problems in Tibet create disturbances that are felt around the world. We do not understand that the earthquake in Japan is also owned by people in Argentina. We have not completely recognized that human rights violations in Nigeria affect people who live in Kansas.
The absence of a balanced and holistic view is not helpful because it represents a closed system that teaches the only way to win or to be right about something is at someone else’s expense. It is not a win-win; someone in the equation must lose.
The MD who practices from within the traditional western medical model may say that alternative medical practices have no value and cannot be integrated into the mainstream. He may benefit somewhat in a financial sense by sticking with reimbursable approaches. But, in a nation where healthcare costs and morbidity statistics remain a major concern, society and the individual may lose.
The person who criticizes another’s religion because it is not theirs drives the wedge of division further into the relationship. The “I’m right and you’re wrong” approach recognizes disparities rather than similarities. The healing of relationships must be based on tolerance and the recognition of existing parallelism. Countless millions have died in wars fomented over differing religious views. Wouldn’t the recognition of similarities and purpose be a better solution?
Boxes in organizations aren’t necessarily bad unless people cannot move outside them when necessary. Confinement in a box creates stagnation and frustrates solution making.
The mentor is a light in the darkness. Teaching holism places him squarely on the edge. He does not live by the existing world rules and is leading us into a new set of rules; one that is win-win and that recognizes it is in all of our best interests to recognize and use the best of all ways.
In the field of medicine, for example, we have done a poor job of approaching health from a holistic perspective. We emphasize certain aspects of health over other equally valuable aspects. The western model of medicine is based largely on technologically based post interventionist stances. We emphasize surgery, drugs and radiation to treat disease that has already manifested. There is not enough emphasis on preventing disease and precious little emphasis on less invasive and more cost effective alternative treatments for many diseases. Although the fields of psychology and psychiatry give necessary attention to the mental aspects of disease, the field of mind/body/spirit (psychnoneuroimmunology) has not yet been integrated sufficiently into the medical mainstream to as to make a noticeable impact on national health statistics.
In the field of religion, we often emphasize the separation of man and God rather than their connections. Although the major spiritual figures throughout the centuries have taught that it is impossible to separate spiritual life from secular life, we continue to do so. Worship and meditation are largely relegated to the sanctuary and are absent from other aspects of our daily lives. Celebration of our connection with divinity is often obscured by our perceived divorce. We often do not feel capable of bridging the gap between ourselves and the heavens.
Our workplaces are filled with boxes that denote separation. Look at an organizational chart and you will see boxes filled with names and titles either above or below other boxes that are filled with other names and titles. They are, in turn, connected to other boxes by more lines. We have not yet evolved to the point where we can see that whenever you draw a line you create a separation.
The same is true of our world. We have a difficult time seeing ourselves as a global community. We have not fully grasped that the problems in Tibet create disturbances that are felt around the world. We do not understand that the earthquake in Japan is also owned by people in Argentina. We have not completely recognized that human rights violations in Nigeria affect people who live in Kansas.
The absence of a balanced and holistic view is not helpful because it represents a closed system that teaches the only way to win or to be right about something is at someone else’s expense. It is not a win-win; someone in the equation must lose.
The MD who practices from within the traditional western medical model may say that alternative medical practices have no value and cannot be integrated into the mainstream. He may benefit somewhat in a financial sense by sticking with reimbursable approaches. But, in a nation where healthcare costs and morbidity statistics remain a major concern, society and the individual may lose.
The person who criticizes another’s religion because it is not theirs drives the wedge of division further into the relationship. The “I’m right and you’re wrong” approach recognizes disparities rather than similarities. The healing of relationships must be based on tolerance and the recognition of existing parallelism. Countless millions have died in wars fomented over differing religious views. Wouldn’t the recognition of similarities and purpose be a better solution?
Boxes in organizations aren’t necessarily bad unless people cannot move outside them when necessary. Confinement in a box creates stagnation and frustrates solution making.
The mentor is a light in the darkness. Teaching holism places him squarely on the edge. He does not live by the existing world rules and is leading us into a new set of rules; one that is win-win and that recognizes it is in all of our best interests to recognize and use the best of all ways.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Did I draw this circumstance to me?
There is a popular teaching circulating among students of spiritualism and religion and other seekers essentially stating that you have drawn into your life the circumstances that exist there. The basic premise of this teaching is that your soul knows what is in your best interests and in what areas you need development and magnetically attracts circumstances into your life that will teach you the lessons you need to know in order to fulfill your soul covenant.
Of course, this is part of the story. But only half. It is a little like telling a dying Christian that they are dying because they do not have the faith to be healed. Well, I suppose that at some level there’s an element of truth to that. But since most of us are busy wading through the daily muck of living on a fallen planet, it’s a bit disingenuous and cruel to suggest that it’s their fault that they’re not enlightened enough to be healed.
I always cringe when I hear someone say something like this to a person who is wounded in some way. It is not helpful and certainly not the complete picture. Half-truths are dangerous. They are like taking scripture out of context and using it for your own designs. Lucifer was very proficient at that, quoting scripture in his temptation of Christ.
While it may be true, at some level, that a person who is ill is not being healed because they have insufficient faith it may also be true that their life on earth is finished and it is their time to cross over.
It may be true, at some level, that a person who is experiencing turbulence in relationships may need to learn a lesson about better managing those relationships. Their soul may have attracted situations that “force” them to confront that fact and make them develop better skills in that regard. A person who needs a better work ethic may have to lose several jobs before they realize that they need to make changes within themselves.
On the other hand, it does not seem to me that children who have their hands cut off in front of their parents by rebels in Africa had that circumstance attracted into their lives by their souls. Or that children who were horribly scarred or killed in the bombing of Hiroshima had that circumstance attracted to them by their souls in order to learn some kind of lesson. Or that babies who are mutilated and killed in Third World civil wars had that circumstance attracted to them by their souls. It may be true and I may be oblivious to that truth. But it’s a stretch to me.
If the “soul attraction” or “soul resonance” theory were completely true as it is sometimes taught, i.e., if your soul frequency is high enough you will draw good and pleasant things into your life, it would be very difficult to explain why so many of this planet’s enlightened ones led such difficult lives. Christ himself was tortured and crucified and eleven of his apostles were killed with the remaining one thrown into exile. Good people of every cloth were horribly abused and killed in the heinous German concentration camps of WWII. Good people of every type who lived near Chernobyl had their lives torn asunder. Examples go on and on.
The fact of the matter is that we live on a fallen planet. Evil is present and causes collateral damage. It’s not just “the bad guys” who get hurt. It’s also “the good guys”. Though we all see “through a glass darkly”, unless we tell something closer to the whole truth, we can complicate what is already a very difficult situation for someone by increasing their feelings of guilt.
Sometimes you are affected by the collateral damage generated by a dark planet. Your only culpability is that you are here. Don’t blame yourself in those situations. Learn what you can, pray for strength and guidance and move on.
Of course, this is part of the story. But only half. It is a little like telling a dying Christian that they are dying because they do not have the faith to be healed. Well, I suppose that at some level there’s an element of truth to that. But since most of us are busy wading through the daily muck of living on a fallen planet, it’s a bit disingenuous and cruel to suggest that it’s their fault that they’re not enlightened enough to be healed.
I always cringe when I hear someone say something like this to a person who is wounded in some way. It is not helpful and certainly not the complete picture. Half-truths are dangerous. They are like taking scripture out of context and using it for your own designs. Lucifer was very proficient at that, quoting scripture in his temptation of Christ.
While it may be true, at some level, that a person who is ill is not being healed because they have insufficient faith it may also be true that their life on earth is finished and it is their time to cross over.
It may be true, at some level, that a person who is experiencing turbulence in relationships may need to learn a lesson about better managing those relationships. Their soul may have attracted situations that “force” them to confront that fact and make them develop better skills in that regard. A person who needs a better work ethic may have to lose several jobs before they realize that they need to make changes within themselves.
On the other hand, it does not seem to me that children who have their hands cut off in front of their parents by rebels in Africa had that circumstance attracted into their lives by their souls. Or that children who were horribly scarred or killed in the bombing of Hiroshima had that circumstance attracted to them by their souls in order to learn some kind of lesson. Or that babies who are mutilated and killed in Third World civil wars had that circumstance attracted to them by their souls. It may be true and I may be oblivious to that truth. But it’s a stretch to me.
If the “soul attraction” or “soul resonance” theory were completely true as it is sometimes taught, i.e., if your soul frequency is high enough you will draw good and pleasant things into your life, it would be very difficult to explain why so many of this planet’s enlightened ones led such difficult lives. Christ himself was tortured and crucified and eleven of his apostles were killed with the remaining one thrown into exile. Good people of every cloth were horribly abused and killed in the heinous German concentration camps of WWII. Good people of every type who lived near Chernobyl had their lives torn asunder. Examples go on and on.
The fact of the matter is that we live on a fallen planet. Evil is present and causes collateral damage. It’s not just “the bad guys” who get hurt. It’s also “the good guys”. Though we all see “through a glass darkly”, unless we tell something closer to the whole truth, we can complicate what is already a very difficult situation for someone by increasing their feelings of guilt.
Sometimes you are affected by the collateral damage generated by a dark planet. Your only culpability is that you are here. Don’t blame yourself in those situations. Learn what you can, pray for strength and guidance and move on.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Choices
“Choose you this day whom you will serve … as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
Joshua and his family once confronted one of those moments in life where a decision had to be made … a decision that could not be denied, delayed or postponed. It was a big decision, you might say … what universal force to align their lives with.
That decision is, perhaps, the primary decision that we must all face in some form or another. But there are also other choices that we must face.
When you serve someone or something the inference is that you become obedient to their direction. I suppose in a certain sense, you could say that you become a servant to it.
There are many examples. A person who has an addiction to alcohol or who misuses it becomes a slave to it. Some people’s anger controls them instead of the other way around. Workaholics become so absorbed in their jobs that there is little or no room for anything else in their lives. Worry and anxiety are cruel taskmasters, steering thoughts and emotions into damaging directions. By succumbing to these influences, we become servants to them.
So, you see, we all have choices to make about who (what) we are going to serve.
When I was a young adult I once confronted a particularly difficult personal situation … one that I saw no answer to. It ate me alive inside, consuming my thoughts and depleting my energy. I spent hours and hours thinking about it, praying about it and trying to formulate a solution. But I could see none. One day, at the end of my rope, I talked to an older, wiser person whom I trusted. Her counsel was essentially this … “It’s not the situation that’s the problem so much as how you think about it. You can choose to think about it this way or you can choose to think about it that way. You are never trapped. The choice is yours.”
At that point in my life those words didn’t mean much to me. I still felt trapped. I didn’t feel like I had a choice. And, because I’m somewhat of a pragmatist, I still don’t completely agree with her counsel. I still find myself dealing with situations in my life that seem irresolvable (at least in ways that I would find preferable) … circumstances that persist even though I have tried my utmost to settle them. And I find that extremely frustrating.
However, the seed thought planted by that wiser person so many years ago hasn’t completely withered. It’s grown into a modest little plant that begins to nudge my consciousness when I face these issues. It whispers to me that “It isn’t always about fixing something … some things can’t be fixed to your way of thinking. Sometimes it’s more about choosing a healthier way to think about the things you can’t fix.”
My personal rules about choice are few … only two. Here they are.
1) I choose to become as good a person as I can be … and to avoid excuses. That means choosing to confront my weaknesses, being honest with myself about myself and forgiving myself when I need to.
2) I can’t change everything … particularly how other people behave. Their lives aren’t mine to live and, yes, some of their decisions can touch my life. So I must choose the healthiest way to respond to those situations in a way that maintains their dignity, forgives them when necessary, respects their path and that minimizes fall-out to me.
Joshua and his family once confronted one of those moments in life where a decision had to be made … a decision that could not be denied, delayed or postponed. It was a big decision, you might say … what universal force to align their lives with.
That decision is, perhaps, the primary decision that we must all face in some form or another. But there are also other choices that we must face.
When you serve someone or something the inference is that you become obedient to their direction. I suppose in a certain sense, you could say that you become a servant to it.
There are many examples. A person who has an addiction to alcohol or who misuses it becomes a slave to it. Some people’s anger controls them instead of the other way around. Workaholics become so absorbed in their jobs that there is little or no room for anything else in their lives. Worry and anxiety are cruel taskmasters, steering thoughts and emotions into damaging directions. By succumbing to these influences, we become servants to them.
So, you see, we all have choices to make about who (what) we are going to serve.
When I was a young adult I once confronted a particularly difficult personal situation … one that I saw no answer to. It ate me alive inside, consuming my thoughts and depleting my energy. I spent hours and hours thinking about it, praying about it and trying to formulate a solution. But I could see none. One day, at the end of my rope, I talked to an older, wiser person whom I trusted. Her counsel was essentially this … “It’s not the situation that’s the problem so much as how you think about it. You can choose to think about it this way or you can choose to think about it that way. You are never trapped. The choice is yours.”
At that point in my life those words didn’t mean much to me. I still felt trapped. I didn’t feel like I had a choice. And, because I’m somewhat of a pragmatist, I still don’t completely agree with her counsel. I still find myself dealing with situations in my life that seem irresolvable (at least in ways that I would find preferable) … circumstances that persist even though I have tried my utmost to settle them. And I find that extremely frustrating.
However, the seed thought planted by that wiser person so many years ago hasn’t completely withered. It’s grown into a modest little plant that begins to nudge my consciousness when I face these issues. It whispers to me that “It isn’t always about fixing something … some things can’t be fixed to your way of thinking. Sometimes it’s more about choosing a healthier way to think about the things you can’t fix.”
My personal rules about choice are few … only two. Here they are.
1) I choose to become as good a person as I can be … and to avoid excuses. That means choosing to confront my weaknesses, being honest with myself about myself and forgiving myself when I need to.
2) I can’t change everything … particularly how other people behave. Their lives aren’t mine to live and, yes, some of their decisions can touch my life. So I must choose the healthiest way to respond to those situations in a way that maintains their dignity, forgives them when necessary, respects their path and that minimizes fall-out to me.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Bread on the waters
The universe is a system within a system within a system. Every living thing (and even what we consider to be inanimate objects have some form of consciousness) is inseparably connected to every other living thing. Each of us is a microcosm that functions as an integral part of the macrocosm. The earth and the cosmos that surrounds us is a spider web. Everything we do as individuals vibrates the web for the other life forms that share the web with us.
The universe is in constant motion and a primary characteristic of Source is abundant creative energy and unrestricted potentiality. There is an orchestrated movement, flow and energy throughout the cosmos. It is a grand dance … a constant exchange of lifeforce … a continual interaction between Source and lifeform, lifeform and Source, lifeform and lifeform.
Because of these interconnections, we can rest assured that what we “cast into the waters” will be returned to us. A good deed thrown into the waters of the cosmos passes through the heart of Source Itself and is returned to us magnified. It is never lost into nothingness.
The nature of the universe is creative expansion which is predicated on giving … Source gives of Itself in creating. A person who separates himself from the process of giving sets himself against the natural structure of the universe and detaches from its energy flow. Stagnation ensues.
A person who hoards wealth for himself or who does not develop his talents for the benefit of other or who does not share his feelings in a constructive way with others has unwittingly set himself against the natural flow of the universe. It is like paddling upstream in a swift river. In terms of the cosmic experience, he can expect to get nowhere fast.
On the other hand, a person who develops the talent for giving can expect to be blessed in return.
But it is not enough to give simply for the sake of receiving. We cannot manipulate the laws of the universe for our own advantage. This is interpreted by the universe as an act of greed and the consequences return to us in undesirable ways.
Giving does not have to be related to material goods. We can give of ourselves, of our time, of our talents. We can pick up the house for our spouse, wash the dishes, sit and talk with someone who is depressed, teach a child to read, organize a neighborhood health clinic, write a letter to a shut in, volunteer at a hospital. These are gifts of the heart that keep us connected with the flow of universal energy.
Practice the gift of giving each day. Offer a silent prayer for someone in need. Leave a note of encouragement on the desk of someone who is having a hard time at work. Call or write an old friend and tell them how much their relationship has meant to you. Make a donation to a worthwhile charity. Volunteer as a tutor at your local school or in some capacity at a local health clinic.
By giving what you need in your own life, you will draw it to you.
The universe is in constant motion and a primary characteristic of Source is abundant creative energy and unrestricted potentiality. There is an orchestrated movement, flow and energy throughout the cosmos. It is a grand dance … a constant exchange of lifeforce … a continual interaction between Source and lifeform, lifeform and Source, lifeform and lifeform.
Because of these interconnections, we can rest assured that what we “cast into the waters” will be returned to us. A good deed thrown into the waters of the cosmos passes through the heart of Source Itself and is returned to us magnified. It is never lost into nothingness.
The nature of the universe is creative expansion which is predicated on giving … Source gives of Itself in creating. A person who separates himself from the process of giving sets himself against the natural structure of the universe and detaches from its energy flow. Stagnation ensues.
A person who hoards wealth for himself or who does not develop his talents for the benefit of other or who does not share his feelings in a constructive way with others has unwittingly set himself against the natural flow of the universe. It is like paddling upstream in a swift river. In terms of the cosmic experience, he can expect to get nowhere fast.
On the other hand, a person who develops the talent for giving can expect to be blessed in return.
But it is not enough to give simply for the sake of receiving. We cannot manipulate the laws of the universe for our own advantage. This is interpreted by the universe as an act of greed and the consequences return to us in undesirable ways.
Giving does not have to be related to material goods. We can give of ourselves, of our time, of our talents. We can pick up the house for our spouse, wash the dishes, sit and talk with someone who is depressed, teach a child to read, organize a neighborhood health clinic, write a letter to a shut in, volunteer at a hospital. These are gifts of the heart that keep us connected with the flow of universal energy.
Practice the gift of giving each day. Offer a silent prayer for someone in need. Leave a note of encouragement on the desk of someone who is having a hard time at work. Call or write an old friend and tell them how much their relationship has meant to you. Make a donation to a worthwhile charity. Volunteer as a tutor at your local school or in some capacity at a local health clinic.
By giving what you need in your own life, you will draw it to you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
