The Seer

Q: If Being, or God, is the creative source of all energy and thoughts, and some thoughts from the ego are a negative form of energy, don’t these negative thoughts originate from Being? In other words, did God create evil?

A: That kind of question has been asked and talked about by many philosophers and it has remained a kind of stumbling block in the Christian religion. So let’s see what the intuitive answer is. In this sense-perceived universe, if you want to use anything here to compare God to, the most appropriate thing in this sense-perceived universe would be the sun.

The sun is the source of seemingly inexhaustible energy, and the giver of life. The very heat in your body comes from the sun indirectly. The sun of course is not eternal, but compared to the human life span it can be considered virtually eternal, it’s so much vaster. And it gives freely of itself, millions and millions of years of pouring out energy.

Now let’s say the sun is in a process of becoming conscious of itself, because my intuition is the Universe, or rather that which underlies the Universe, or the One behind the many, is in the process of becoming conscious of itself in the dimension of time. The One also exists in the timeless dimension, where there is no past and future.

So God, to use that word for a while, in the timeless, God is already complete and perfect. But it seems that in the realm of time, God is becoming conscious through all these life forms. Now if that were the sun, then in the process of becoming conscious, the sun continuously emits zillions of photons, light particles. Let’s say the individual photon is part of the process of becoming conscious for the sun.

Now in that process, the individual photon would undergo a change of consciousness arising. Temporarily, the individual photon, as it becomes together with the sun, as consciousness arises it mis-perceives itself as a separate entity. It no longer realizes its oneness with the sun. There’s a continuum, it never really loses connection with the sun. So temporarily, as part of the process of becoming conscious, it believes itself to be separate. It’s a temporary thing.

While it believes itself to be separate, it creates all kinds of illusions that reflect the basis illusion of separateness. That’s basically where we are at, where humanity is at. The human being is the photon, the sun particle, so to speak. The consciousness within is the consciousness of God, there’s only one consciousness. And that consciousness, in the process of the whole becoming conscious, mis-perceives itself temporarily. And that creates the illusion of separateness in the individual human.

That creates the illusion of the identification with form, which is the illusion of separateness. That’s seeing oneself as a separate entity. The stronger that illusion is, the more that gets reflected in its actions outside, which then become deluded. And that’s called evil.

Ultimately in evil, nothing is destroyed. The essence of all life forms is eternal. But on its own level, it’s not pleasant. From the point of view of the larger whole, it’s only a brief dream episode that takes place as the One is becoming conscious. So that is the answer to “Did God create evil?”

So the teachings that say that evil ultimately is not real, of course that is correct. But it’s a question of levels. If you look at it from one level, it has a certain reality. The fact that it ultimately is not real doesn’t mean that on this temporary level it appears very real. But it must be recognized as deluded.

Evil can be defined as complete identification with form — that is the illusion. The more an entity is identified with form, the more seemingly evil the entity creates, and the more suffering is created.

What’s the answer? The answer, of course, is why we’re here. We are the arising of the answer. The answer is not just the answer, it’s the end of the illusion of separateness and the end of so-called evil.

~ Eckhart Tolle www.eckhartteachings.com

What tempts you? When we answer that question we virtually always name something that’s outside us. It’s no real surprise that we see it this way, since even the dictionary tells us that temptation comes from something or someone outside us that entices, coaxes or lures us.

But fundamentally, temptation exists in two parts: 1. The being, action or object we desire. 2. Our own strength or weakness in confronting it. In both cases, temptation is internal, rather than external. What might surprise you is that many cultures had no concept of temptation as something primarily external until they came into contact with Christianity.

Temptation takes center stage in both the Bible’s Old and New Testaments where humans are not only tempted by people or objects, but have the additional burden of resisting the temptations offered by powerful evil forces. The ‘apocalyptic’ view is a theory that the Jewish people came up with to explain the misery they experienced even though they kept the laws they believed God had given them.

The book of Job is a symbolic explanation of the theory that tells us the misery we see on earth is the result of a cosmic war between good and evil, with humans in the middle of the struggle. Many of Jesus’ earliest followers shared this apocalyptic view and interpreted his teachings through this belief system. These ideas still permeate our culture, whether we’re believers or not, so it’s important that we see them for what they are.

Temptation began to take a starring role as early as the story of original sin found in Genesis as Eve is coaxed by a serpent to eat forbidden fruit. The story of Adam and Eve paints the picture of a fearful world where even in paradise, evil lurks. No wonder the famous “Lord’s prayer” includes the line, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

If we believe this line of thinking, the stakes have become far higher than our regret over eating an extra piece of cake or buying something we can’t afford; eternal salvation is involved. But is this true? What really is temptation, where does it come from and what can we do about it?

Most people who have some familiarity with the Bible are aware of an account that describes Jesus being tempted by an evil force, Satan the Devil, just before he begins his public teaching work (Luke 4:1-13).

Although these verses read like an historical narrative, there were no witnesses to the encounter that could have reported it. It’s far more likely that Jesus originally told the story himself as a parable filled with symbolic meaning. It’s interesting to note that a very similar story of temptation is told about Buddha that also takes place at the same stage of transition in his life.

The verses tell us that after Jesus was baptized he was “filled with Spirit” and led to the wilderness where he spent 40 days fasting. Because Jesus lived in and near desert areas, we take it for granted that the story is literal and takes place in a actual location, but the desert and wilderness were also used in the Bible to symbolize a place of revelation.

While a crowded urban area might be likened to a mind filled with preconceived notions, attachments and aversions, a vast open wilderness pictures the mind that has let go of social conditioning and is open and willing to experience the Divine. Like a “sea change” the desert experience also symbolizes a major transition or significant life change, which certainly took place in Jesus’ case.

Bible readers also take the 40 day fast that led up to the temptation literally, but there’s good reason to see this as another symbol. The number 40 is mentioned 146 times in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament: Noah’s flood lasted for 40 days and nights, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and Moses was on the mountain for 40 days.

Usually the number is associated with a difficult or trying situation and a transition. Although we’re not familiar with the symbolism Jesus used, we must remember that those who were listening to him were.

For people who believe Jesus was either a god or demi-god (half god, half man), a 40 day fast may seem possible, but most fasts of that duration, even with water, result in hallucinations, convulsions, irregular heartbeat, organ deterioration, the loss of extremities and very often death.

If Jesus was superhuman, there was really no point to the fast or any reason for a struggle between good and evil because he would be beyond temptation. If he was human, the fast would have rendered him unable to resist a bug, let alone a powerful evil force. Again, we must come to the conclusion that we are dealing with a symbolic parable meant to take us past the surface and teach a deeper truth.

In fact, Jesus later clarified the symbolic nature of this temptation story when he said, “What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts.” (Mark 7:20-23) So what can we learn from the story? Where does temptation really come from?

Jesus’ apocalyptic followers were unable to let go of their belief that the universe was locked in a cosmic struggle, so that is the slant they put on the parable. Their view took precedence and formed the foundation for the majority view of temptation down to our day. But a few of Jesus’ followers understood the universe in a very different way. They knew that the Oneness at the foundation of the universe is not a mixture of good and evil.

They also understood that our dualistic material universe is built on a very different foundation, one of polar opposites like good and evil. Our true identity remains in quantum Oneness, but as long as we continue to project duality, the positive will always be accompanied by the negative. The temptations that we feel and the evil that we see acted out in the world all originate in this dualistic mind set.

Let’s return to the parable to see what lay beneath the surface. (Keep in mind that the parable was written by early Christians who: 1. Held the apocalyptic view 2. Wrote their accounts years after Jesus’ death. 3. Did not know Jesus. So, it’s impossible to know how the parable was originally told.)

At the conclusion of Jesus’ 40 day fast, Satan showed up and tempted Jesus to turn a rock into bread. This first temptation was not really about food, but spiritual hunger. The inner temptation originating in Jesus’ own heart was to feed his spiritual hunger with something other than truth. He was tempted to return to the temple and fit in with the crowd instead of speaking the truth and making himself a target for those who feared truth.

The real question Jesus was asking himself was whether he would choose to satisfy his inner hunger with the things the world had to offer, or would he continue to choose nourishment that comes from a direct connection with the Divine?

Jesus’ second temptation is symbolized by Satan’s offer of rulership over all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus’ apocalyptic followers saw this as further proof that an evil force controlled the world, but if that were true, we would be forced to believe that God created an evil entity that had the strength to overpower God, or that good and evil were in partnership.

But let’s look at this from another direction. Since we are all pure consciousness that projects the material universe, each of us is already the master of all material existence. We have the ability to keep projecting it, or stop any time we wish. This is at the crux of Jesus’ inner struggle: would he continue to project the visible world, or would he stop?

In the last temptation, Satan again symbolizes Jesus’ own inner struggle, this time with doubt. Jesus is told to throw himself off the temple so God will save him from physical harm. Jesus had experienced the Divine, but in a moment of weakness before he commits to speaking publicly about what he knows, he wants a physical sign that will show him he’s doing the right thing.

Jesus’ three symbolic temptations were a conversation between the portion of his mind that had projected the material world of separation, and the One Mind we all share with the Divine. In the end, the True Mind prevailed, but we can all take heart that Jesus faced these struggles just as we do.

We each face the choices illustrated in Jesus’ parable. Will we listen to what the world tells us and try to fill our spiritual needs with junk food, or will we look within and discover what the Divine has to say? Will we continue to look for security in the material things the world has to offer, or will we realize we’ve traded away something far greater?

Will we be racked with doubts and look for signs, or will we acknowledge that our inner voice is telling us the truth? If we believe Jesus was superhuman, we may give up before we even start to ask these questions. When we know that Jesus was just like us, we realize that we too can stand up to our own inner temptations.

~ by Lee & Steven Hager in Why Does Suffering Exist www.thebeginningoffearlessness.com/

For anyone who has risen above the level of mere survival in day to day life, the sense of purpose and meaning become important. The less gripped you are by the need to survive — or simply the perception that you need to survive — you’re free, spiritually and psychologically speaking, to pursue purpose and even to be led by it.

Take a quick moment to evaluate your life on the basis of these descriptions:

• Do you feel consumed by the demands of your job or schoolwork (or both)?
• Does it seem at the end of each day that you have been running a race of time, frantically trying to do everything on some mental list of required accomplishments?
• Do you suffer from stress of any kind on a regular basis?
• Do you feel that you and your life are stagnant, the opposite of frantic running, wallowing instead in inaction, boredom, despair, negativity or depression?
• Or, if you’ve said no to all the above, do you feel that your life lacks a sense of meaning and purpose, that you don’t know how to find it?

If any of these descriptions apply to you, then consciously or unconsciously, something is blocking your connection to meaning and purpose. That something is most likely you. It may be that you’re still living in survival mode (which may be true if any of the first four descriptions applied to you).

If this is the case, then it’s very important that you take a good look at your priorities in life. Spend several days pondering this question throughout the day: “What am I making most important in my day right now?” You may be very surprised by what you find. Be honest with yourself and write down what you learn. Notice also how you feel about these ‘most important’ things you fill your days with.

How satisfying and fulfilling are they? How many unnecessary activities are unsatisfying to you? Take special note of those. They are the activities you can drop altogether. As you do, you will free up time and inner space from which you can begin to contact and develop your sense of purpose.

Your true purpose already exists, that’s the good news. You don’t have to create it and it’s not a matter of choosing it. Purpose is something you discover within yourself in the space of stillness. This is the only way you can find it, in your own stillness, not in a book or a workshop or in the analysis of your dreams. You must go within and be with yourself in stillness and there you will discover the purpose that has been waiting for you all along.

There’s no substitute in life for finding your true purpose. No amount of money, no degree of power, no activity will give you the satisfaction that a life of purpose provides you.

It’s important to know that your life has an inner purpose and an outer purpose. Your inner purpose is primary. It concerns Being. Your outer purpose is secondary and it concerns doing. Your inner purpose cannot be found on the outer level of life. It isn’t related to what you do but what you are. Your inner purpose, simply stated, is to awaken. This is the primary purpose of every person in the world.

Many people are very concerned with discovering their life’s purpose. They are normally referring to their outer purpose. Outer purpose can change over time and is unique for every person. Inner purpose can shed light on your outer purpose. Inner and outer purpose, ultimately, are intertwined and aligned. The more you are connected you are to your inner purpose, the more your outer purpose will come into focus.

Living in alignment with your inner purpose is the basis for fulfilling your outer purpose in the world and doing so successfully. Without this alignment, you will most likely struggle in your attempts to express your outer purpose. Without alignment to your inner purpose, there’s less joy in all of the activities in life.

Take time each day to reflect on your inner purpose of awakening. Do this by paying attention to your state of consciousness. Give yourself a daily discipline of practicing presence.

~ Eckhart Tolle EckhartTeachings.com

Whether you consider yourself a Christian or not, if you live in Western civilization you’re influenced by the teachings of Jesus. We listen to music celebrating his birth, we collectively hold values imparted from his teachings and even ‘non-believers’ draw inspiration and guidance from his words and actions.

He has, perhaps, influenced our lives more than any other person, yet very few people have really studied the history of Jesus or the sect that he joined called the Essenes. The story of how Jesus enlightened is fascinating, and gives us insight into his teachings. So let me take a moment to share with you a part of the story not often told or even known by most people.

You’ve all heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls that were discovered during World War II. The Dead Sea Scrolls are the oldest Bible ever discovered … by far, dating just prior to Jesus birth. The Dead Sea Scrolls were written by a sect of Jews called the Essenes who lived in Qumran, near the north end of the Dead Sea in Israel and the deep end of the Jordan River where John the Baptist baptized.

Whereas most Jews would wash themselves before entering the temple, only the Essene sect of Jews make a ritual baptism in water as a rite of initiation. John was an Essene, and Jesus taking baptism with John indicates Jesus’s affiliation with this Essene sect of Jews.

The Essenes believed we were spirit entrapped in a body and that we needed to discover or realize this Divine nature within. That’s why they lived away from the cities in the quiet of the desert; they spent their time in contemplation, meditation and prayer.

The Essene was seeking God-realization.

Moreover, there were many other gospels written and read in Israel in the first and second centuries that were not included in the New Testament. During the Council of Nicaea that took place in 325 AD, the Bishops of the Eastern churches decided not to include the writing being used by the Semitic Christians, since they had differing theologies. But those other gospels were the ones being used by the Apostles themselves and those who followed them.

If you read those other gospels, such as, Thomas, Mary, Philip and James, they all teach a similar message: to look within. In each of these forgotten gospels and in the Dead Sea Scrolls lies a message of looking within to find God.

Jesus was a Yogi. In Thomas, Jesus advises “come to know yourselves” and “the Kingdom of the father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it.” In the Book of Thomas, Jesus advises Thomas, “examine yourself and learn who you are, and in what way you exist.” In James, Jesus tells his Apostles, “I tell you this that you may know yourselves” and that those that listen will “be enlightened through me.”

In the Gospel of Philip Jesus says, “those who come to know themselves will enjoy their possessions (life)”, “know thy Self” and “we shall find the fruits of the truth within us.” In the Gospel of Mary Jesus says, “the Son of Man is within you. Follow after him! Those who seek him will find him.”

In the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Semitic Gospels and in the letters between the first churches that have been preserved we see, or hear, Jesus advising his followers to go within and realize the truth, the light or presence of God. As we launch out into 2012, let’s embark on an inner journey and discover this ’spark of Divinity’ within ourselves. Then we can celebrate enlightenment together.

~ Steven Sadlier SelfAwareness.com

The life and deeds of the man Jesus triggered off the immense Christian religion nearly two millennia ago, but his most sublime and profound teachings were either largely disregarded or strongly reshaped by the practical needs of the early Christian Church.

This old religious package, which still survives today, no longer satisfies the current wave of practicing Christians and others seekers who are searching for clear answers to their pressing spiritual questions: What is the purpose of my life, and of all life? Where did I come from? What will happen to me after I die? Who am I? Why is there such suffering in the world, and why doesn’t “God” do something about it? And so on.

Only a small collection of mystics and saints over the ages since have touched this deeper wisdom through their individual devotional and intuitive efforts. It’s time now to release these original teachings of Jesus from their doctrinal, legendary and religious package.

Let it not be misunderstood: the Christian religion which emerged from the early Church has been a unique and unquestionably powerful, effective and worthy social factor in Western man’s evolutionary development over the last two thousand years. Just like other major world religions it has spawned valuable scholarship, unified social values and laws and generated a huge legacy of architecture, literature, music and art. It drew people together into cooperative and collective enterprises more than had ever occurred before in human history.

While its political policies varied from benevolence to treachery, it insisted that every human, even a heavy sinner, is worthy and loved. It provided hope in the form of an idyllic heaven, immortality and forgiveness for sins. It gave Western man a set of metaphors and positive symbols to sustain him through his miseries, even though they were embodied in a questionable legend. But this is what legends are for: to hold symbolically in the form of beliefs whatever of value cannot be maintained over time in the form of literal history, principles, customs and social laws.

Despite its shortcomings and terrible misuses the Christian religion has driven and nourished the spiritual lives of hundreds of millions of people. It has inspired the thought and work of countless contributors to society in many lands and callings. Highly successful in overall human terms, it is today the most salient religious influence in the lives of more than a billion people, and a strong underlying force in modern secular society throughout the planet.

Our position here is not to tear down Christianity but rather to encourage its enhancement and enrichment through a better understanding of what Jesus was actually teaching. In this way its adherents can choose to apply this deeper understanding in their individuaI lives, group endeavors and large-scale societal activities.

This is not unlike the process we follow when we raise a child. We do not continually criticize and judge it for being immature, or discard it for its frequent learning mistakes. Rather, we value it, nurture il and support it as it maliures. We take pleasure in participating in its creative growth so it may someday become responsible, self-fulfilled and a positive force in the world.

This is the same charge before each one of us as he tries to work out his personal relationship with the behemoth of Christianity, and find his peace with it whether he be Christian or not.

Many saints, prophets and devoted practitioners over the ages have experienced the Christian life very deeply. Their contemplative devotions generated insightful interpretations, novel insights and the resolution of some of the shortcomings in the Biblical account of Jesus.

A few of these practitioners found “hidden” truths within the Gospels and were able to write about them for later generations. The Christian contribution to the Perennial Philosophy arose in just this way…. Thanks in large part to this small minority of

Christian explorers we are better enabled today to experience for ourselves Jesus’ finer teachings and his grander vision. They have given us a head start, so to speak. We may dig even more deeply on our own now by building upon this background.

Perhaps most important, we may come to accept Jesus’ master-claim that God is not to be found external to man — which has been tacitly assumed by most Christians for one hundred generations — but lies rather within every one of us. While he said this very clearly, this central message has been largely disregarded, obscured or ritualized in Christianity.

To reclaim it one need only recognize this grand presence within himself, relate to it and then draw upon it. Could there be a simpler path to greater compassion, higher wisdom and a new awakening? ….

What is hardest to understand is why so little has been done in the long evolution of Christianity to correct the large divergence between it and the central principles Jesus taught. Apparently the same human needs have persisted for a symbolic, dogmatized and ritualized religious institution, a personified God-man as figurehead, a personalized savior from sin and a lingering hope for salvation in an indefinite future. Indeed, these needs are still widespread in the Christian world today. They are even built into the Christian creed.

Individuals who no longer find this Church offering supportive tend to step out of Christianity and seek their own way in another religion, or as agnostics or atheists entirely outside of the domain of organized religion. Many have followed a solitary spiritual path and discovered all by themselves their inner God-nature and all it has to reveal to them.

We may conclude that Christianity has only partially followed the track Jesus originally offered. Its base of knowledge and practice is only weakly related to Jesus’ teachings. As an organized religious institution it is rooted instead on a manufactured and persuasive legend, not on the reliable historic facts and the central teachings of the man for whom it is named.

Even though the Jesus movement grew obliquely out of Jesus’ exemplary life and sayings twenty centuries ago, Christianity is not the only, and not necessarily the preferred and universal gateway to a deeper understanding of the deeper message Jesus taught. It is this deeper understanding that we seek in this book (and E-pistle).

~ From: A New Jesus: Rediscovering His Deeper Teachings Through Intuitive Inquiry pp 14-16, by William Kautz, iUniverse 2011. ISBN: 978-1-4502-6344-3 (pbk)

There are now some videos up on the Net based on the writings of Ilie Cioara. To me, the background music runs somewhat contrary to the spirit and intention of what he’s pointing to, but nevertheless they are there and you may like to view them.

The longest is entitled: The Silence of the Mind (11.39)

If the video doesn’t appear above, >>> Click Here

Others in the series are:

1. Perfectly Conscious (1.54)
2. How Can We Free Ourselves? (3.26)
3. Creation is Eternal Freshness (3.55)
4. The Power of Emptiness (1.39)
5. Listening and Watching (3.20)

Most religions promote humility as an essential quality necessary to gaining God’s favor. The Bible has at least 70 verses that refer to humility. For example, Luke 14:11 promises that those who humble themselves will be exalted and James 4:6 commands Christians to humble themselves before the Lord.

Although some in society still hold humility in high regard, its opposite, unabashed arrogance, has gained widespread acceptance over the last few decades. In fact, it often appears that those who indulge in the most narcissistic and conceited behavior are the most successful. Since “Godly humility” doesn’t appear to reap immediate rewards, but arrogance often does, many wonder if humility has any real value in our world. To answer that question, let’s take a closer look at what humility actually is.

The dictionary definition tells us humility consists of having a modest opinion of ourselves, our importance or our rank. A person who displays humility is thought by most to be meek, subdued, patient and long suffering. From the perspective of most societies, a humble person is one who may be highly accomplished, yet downgrades their accomplishments as insignificant.

The humble often refuse to accept well deserved praise or accolades, pointing out that others are far more deserving (whether they are or not). From a religious standpoint, the humble are expected to recognize their sinful state and consider themselves as nothing without the mercy of the Almighty.

When we look at these definitions, we cannot help but notice that humility often demands that we behave in an inconsistent (dishonest) manner. If we make an honest assessment, we may well feel that we’ve been very successful, but humility demands that we back off and degrade what we have done in the eyes of others. Sometimes this comes off as mock humility, just a backhanded way of tooting our own horn.

But when we believe we have no right to own our accomplishments and constantly downgrade what we’ve done in the eyes of others, it can also cause us to devalue ourselves. We become afraid to accept praise because others might think we’re arrogant, ignoring the fact that there is a wide rift between an honest self-appraisal and arrogance.

Arrogance makes much out of very little, relying on the willingness of others to accept the egotistical person’s own inflated sense of self. But there’s no need for us to be dishonest with ourselves or swing wildly on the pendulum of humility and arrogance.

Instead, we can learn much by discovering the spiritual view of humility.

Consider the words of Rumi: “Abandon all arrogance, all vanity, and acquire Majesty.”

At first glance, his statement makes no sense. How could we give up arrogance and vanity to gain majesty? We can understand if we stop looking at humility from the standpoint of separation and view it in terms of oneness. If you’ve read our blog before, you already know quantum research has demonstrated that we live in a universe of indivisible, interconnected oneness.

The human eye and brain limit us to ’seeing’ a world of separate forms. But material forms are a virtual reality that overlays the Reality of quantum oneness. More important, that oneness is made of, permeated with, and sustained by the Divine. Therefore, everything in existence is the Divine.

Here is where humility takes on new meaning. We are the Divine, but do we truly agree with that statement and live in accordance with it? Or, do we argue that we are either too sinful to be Divine, or refuse to associate ourselves with the Divine, claiming instead that we came about by some cosmic accident?

Making either of these claims is vain and arrogant. After all, who has the right to tell us what we are? We can make all the claims we want to make, but the only valid assessment of who and what we are is the truth of our reality that emanates from the Divine.

It’s impossible for us to be more than we actually are, but it’s equally impossible for us to be less. When we consider that everything is the Divine, how can we see ourselves as either less or more than anything else in existence?

How can our talents, abilities and accomplishments be either less or more than an indivisible part of Divine oneness? Enjoy them, but see all talents, accomplishments and abilities from the standpoint of oneness. When we do that, we can work in unity for the highest good of all without being caught up in either arrogance or mock humility.

Of course in oneness, there is no place for sin and no need of salvation. All we need do is wake up to our Divine oneness. In oneness, humble worship becomes a ridiculous concept. Awe at the magnificence of All That Is, is reasonable, but so is the recognition that you are that magnificence.

From a spiritual standpoint, humility is the recognition and acceptance of Divine oneness, to see that oneness in everything in existence, and the sincere attempt to live in accord with that knowledge. Be humble; claim your majesty.

• One matter, one energy, one Light, one Light-mind, endlessly emanating all things—Rumi
• God is not external to anyone or anything, but exists in everyone and is in all things—Plotinus
• The Lord of Love is the one Self of all. Realize the Self hidden in the heart and cut asunder the knot of ignorance here and now—Mundaka Upanishad
• You are within God and God is within you. You could not be where God is not—Peace Pilgrim
• I am the Self in the heart of every creature—Bhagavad Gita
• At the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and this center is everywhere, it is within each of us—Black Elk
• God is one; and he himself does not … exist outside the world, but in it … being wholly present … the animating soul of the universe—Pythagoras
• I saw my lord with the eye of my heart and I said, “Who art thou?” And he said, “Thou.”—Al-Hallaj
• God’s kingdom is inside you and outside you.—Jesus, Gospel of Thomas

~ by Lee & Steven Hager TheBeginningofFearlessness.com

Love all and hate none.
Mere talk of peace will avail you naught.
Mere talk of God and religion will not take you far.
Bring out all the latent powers of your being
and reveal the full magnificence of your immortal self.
Be overflowing with peace and joy,
and scatter them wherever you are
and wherever you go.
Be a blazing fire of truth,
be a beauteous blossom of love
and be a soothing balm of peace.
With your spiritual light,
dispel the darkness of ignorance;
dissolve the clouds of discord and war
and spread goodwill, peace, and harmony among the people.
Never seek any help, charity, or favors
from anybody except God.
Never go the court of kings,
but never refuse to bless and help the needy and the poor,
the widow, and the orphan, if they come to your door.¨
This is your mission, to serve the people…..
Carry it out dutifully and courageously,
so that I, as your Pir-o-Murshid,
may not be ashamed of any shortcomings on your part
before the Almighty God and our holy predecessors
in the Silsila [lineage] on the Day of Judgment.

~ The final discourse of the Sufi master, Khwaja Mu’inuddin Chishti, to his students, one month before his death. From: Sayings of Hazrat Khwaja Mu’inuddin Hasan Chishti

There is a plan (you get to choose whether you believe that or not), but it isn’t a given that we’ll fulfill it or fulfill it in a way that was intended. What can interfere with that plan are our beliefs — about ourselves, others, and life. Our beliefs are often limiting because most of them come from the ego and take us in the ego’s direction instead of Essence’s, or the higher plan’s. Without our beliefs, we can find our way much more easily to where we’re meant to go.

Isn’t it ironic that beliefs, which seem so true and valuable, are actually what can be most limiting? This is because most beliefs aren’t actually very true (or not the whole truth anyway) because beliefs are just conditioning. Conditioning is useful, but it doesn’t hold the key to how to live your life or fulfill your destiny.

Conditioning is meant to help us function, and some of it does that, but much of it just gets in the way of living life as the beautiful Being that we are. Many of our beliefs get in the way of being happy, which hopefully we can all agree is a worthwhile goal.

We all have a lot of false and useless conditioning. Our conditioning makes us think of ourselves in certain ways that can be limiting: “I’m not smart enough to succeed at that,” “My mother would have a fit if I became an artist,” “Girls cant do science,” “Making money is more important than doing what you want to do,” “You should carry on the family business.”

We have so many ideas about what we should do and what our life should look like, but are they true, and where did they come from? Is the source of these ideas trustworthy? What are we trusting when we trust our ideas? What happens when your ideas are in conflict with another sense of what seems true — with your Heart, with what you’d love to do? Then, what do you trust? What is more trustworthy?

People suffer when their ideas — their conditioning — are at odds with their Heart. This conflict can feel almost life threatening because often these ideas are ones we received from people we care about and are or were dependent on, from parents and others close to us. To not agree with these ideas feels like disagreeing with the truth, with the voice of God, with what’s right, with your parents!

Such ideas are not necessarily the truth even though others believe they are and questioning them feels dangerous. They are just what ot others believe and taught us and what we picked up along the way. They aren’t tailor-made for us. They are one-size-fits-all: They are supposed to fit everyone, but they don’t. And they certainly don’t fit all occasions.

When ideas that others close to us believe feel like they don’t fit for us, we often feel guilty, afraid, and even ashamed, like there’s something wrong with us or bad about us.

So what do you trust? Do you trust other people’s ideas and beliefs and your conditioning, or do you trust that little voice inside you that tells you something else? There seem to be two selves here: the conditioned self (the ego) that believes in following ideas and conditioning and another Self that feels differently.

Isn’t it funny how everyone knows what the ‘little voice inside’ is? We’re born with an awareness of something other than our thoughts that is at times in conflict with our thoughts or other people’s ideas. Even though this voice may go against our conditioning, we’re often encouraged when we’re young to pay attention to this voice. And if we didn’t learn to do this as a child or we don’t pay attention to this voice, we rather quickly learn that this voice does have something valuable to say! It can even save our life.

What is this voice? Well, it’s not actually a voice but a knowing, a nudging, sometimes an uncomfortable feeling when we go against it. It is our intuition, our Heart, the ’still, small voice within.’ We all know it, but we don’t always listen to it because there’s often a lot of pressure from others and even from ourselves in the form of fear and guilt to follow our conditioning and other people’s ideas instead. However, people usually end up quite unhappy when they let their conditioning and other people’s ideas determine their choices.

Unhappiness is not a good sign, although it’s a common state. Unhappiness is usually a sign that we’re not aligned with our personal truth — with what’s true for us. We’re not listening to our Heart. Understanding why we’re unhappy is complicated by the fact that the ego is often unhappy and discontent even in the best of circumstances and possibly even when we are aligned with our plan.

The ego complains about anything and everything. It’s an ongoing voice of discontentment — the grass is always greener somewhere else. If we pay a lot of attention to the voice in our head, we’re bound to be unhappy much of the time. So there is the usual unhappiness that’s characteristic of the egoic state of consciousness, and there’s the unhappiness that is a sign we aren’t listening to our Heart or that we’re out of step with our higher plan.

The unhappiness that indicates we aren’t aligned with our plan is a deeper variety, a sense of our soul longing for something else, something more meaningful or more in tune with who we really are. This deeper unhappiness is often experienced as depression and often indicates that our life structures don’t fit our plan.

The cure generally calls for making different choices and possibly creating different life structures: changing our job or career, changing our relationship, moving, including something new in our life, developing an overlooked or a buried talent, or making some other important but possibly difficult change. This deeper unhappiness or depression is the ’stick’ that is attempting to get our attention and move us in another direction.

Joy is the ‘carrot’ that says, “Go this way!” What a beautiful setup it is that joy is the sign that something is part of our higher plan! Do you want to know what your plan is? What do you love? Where is your joy, your juice, your excitement right now? The things that give you joy right now are part of your plan right now, not something that gave you joy in the past or something you think will give you joy in the future, but what gives you joy right now? All we can ever really know of our plan is what is true right now.

The fact that following our joy and doing what we love brings happiness and fulfillment is evidence that love and goodness are behind life. When joy and love are motivating us, the result is happiness, love, and goodness, not just for us as individuals, but for the Whole. Joy and love align us with our higher plan and with the Whole, and that can only be good for everyone.

Think about it: Has following your joy ever led to evil or harming someone? It just doesn’t. Other people might not approve of what you love to do, but you aren’t harming them by doing that, even if that’s what they believe. On the other hand, negative emotions, especially fear, lead to all sorts of addictions and harm. But love is the opposite. Following love and joy leads to happiness and more love and joy, not just for you but ultimately for others too. If what you’re doing is in your highest good, then it must be in everyone’s highest good — in the highest good of the Whole.

What a great formula for life this is! Life is prodding us to follow our joy and love by rewarding us when we do that. This is very kind of Life. In providing us with this guidance system, Life is being very loving. You could conclude that Life loves love and joy.

You could conclude that love and joy are behind life. This Intelligence that has a plan loves and celebrates love! What’s not to trust about that?

~ by Gina Lake, From her book: Trusting Life: Overcoming the Fear and Beliefs that Block Peace and Happiness

Until you actually awaken to deeper levels of freedom, it’s inevitable that you will try to hold onto a story — some thought, belief, concept, or philosophy — which gives you the flavor and feeling of the freedom you seek. This is okay up to a point, but eventually it will become clear to you that even the words and philosophies, no matter how accurate or succinct they may be, have to be released.

One of the last public talks I attended with Jean Klein was in a church hall in Sausalito, California. There were fifty or sixty people in the room, waiting patiently for Jean to come in and take his seat at the front. When he arrived, he had to be helped to his chair. He seemed very old, thin, and frail, yet his gracious European bearing was still very much in evidence, and he was dressed as elegantly as ever.

He sat down with some difficulty and smiled at us. A beautiful, clear light emanated from his eyes. We sat in silence for a while, and then he began to speak. He talked of the need to see through the “person” so we could come to our real presence, our true being. There were some questions, and subsequent dialogue.

About half-way through the evening, a serious-looking young woman in a business suit raised her hand. When Jean acknowledged her, she stood up. She looked like a banker, or a stockbroker. “Dr. Klein,” she asked, “what is your philosophy of life?”

There was a long silence. Then Jean beamed one of those disarming smiles of his. “Madame, I have no philosophy … That is why I am a happy man.”

Laughter rippled throughout the room. The young woman smiled rather self-consciously, and then sat down.

For months after the exchange, I found myself thinking about Jean’s words. It was so simple. Forget the philosophies, the stories, the beliefs, the theories and just abide in the openness and freedom of our true nature. Then we really will be happy. We’ll live out of wholeness, with wisdom and compassion, and we’ll do what needs to be done — without fuss, without bother.

But if we hold onto a philosophy, a belief system, or an agenda of any kind, we create a barrier to the unfolding of something deeper, something more authentic, fresh, and alive. When our beliefs reinforce the idea of being a separate “self,” a lonely wave on the ocean of life, it is that separation that breeds feelings of isolation, insecurity, and fear.

But when we let go of all philosophies, all stories, and just be, happiness is ours.

~ Jim Dreaver, author of End Your Story, Begin Your Life.

~ Jim, originally from Auckland and now living in Los Angeles, is coming to Australia this month! He’ll be leading a workshop in Perth Fri. Nov 18 (free) Sat. Nov. 19 & Sun. Nov. 20. To book, see:
Jim’s Website or contact Pete on 08 9336 4737 or via: peter@peterspearls.com.au