Category Archives: developing awareness

There Is No Way Out

Posted on by under developing awareness, higher education, understanding life struggles

Spirit tells me that a person in Third Grade
is not necessarily a third grade person.
We each are where we each are, for whatever
reason.

Wherever we each might be at any given time,
and in whatever given situation does not,
in itself express our individual potential
to reach higher and more expanded levels
of awareness, strengths, and success
in whatever our natural and unique potentials
have destined us to reach towards.

Even people who seem to be stuck where they are,
or who now might be resistant to change for
whatever reason, are exactly where they must be
at this stage of their development; spiritual,
emotional, intellectual, or physical.

We each have role models who may have helped us
stay stuck, or inspired us to move on.

And become increasingly aware that we are
influenced by certain other people?

Or situations.

Can situations serve as role models?

Situations themselves are never unique,
except as individually expressed in
particular ways.

Then situations develop or are influenced
by other situations?

Or as mirror images of other situations.

Or as a reaction or response to …?

Yes.

But, people are part of or are affected by
any existing situation.

People contribute to the preconditions or
causes and consequences or affects of
any existing personal or group situation,
large or small.

That isn’t where you’re going, though.

Where am I going?

You’re going to scold us all …

Not scold for its own sake.

Then, to dare us to expand our awareness
of potential consequences of human
reluctance to accept responsibility for
the world we live in?

Yes. And to encourage awareness of
the human tendency to blame others for
situations that we helped to create,
and then to do battle with those others.

What you say seems to be so, but how to
get out of this endless loop?

There is no way out.

ed.

We Can Only Teach What We Know

Posted on by under developing awareness, higher education, Spirit shares words of wisdom, We teach what we are

Spirit asks me if I know who He is.

You are my teacher; my guru.

And who is my teacher? My guru?

My guru’s guru?

Yes.

Do you have one?

No.

Then, you have more than one?

Yes and no.

In that each teacher has studied under
other teachers in order to learn and then
to share what she or he has learned?

Why do we care to share?

Because we must?

Yes, but why?

Perhaps it’s in our nature to …

You included yourself …

Not as a teacher.

Then, as what?

I don’t know.

We each teach and learn from everyone
in our life. It is unavoidable.

Intentionally or not?

Yes.

What we learn may not be what we
were being taught.

Exactly. We teach what we are, simply
by being what we are, and we learn
to recognize discrepancies, if they exist,
and they usually do, between what others
would express through their actions and
their words.

Saying it doesn’t make it so?

Yes.

But, what if we want to teach or share
ideal attitudes, even though we have not
yet mastered them ourselves?

Exactly.

What does that mean?

We can only teach what we know, but, if
we are aware of and accept our limitations,
we can encourage those who would learn
from us to reach beyond our grasp.

The lesson?

Don’t wait until you have all the answers
before you share the ones you now possess.

How to Live in Such a World

Posted on by under a sense of community, developing awareness, Finding our unique way

Spirit tells me that when anything moves, and something
is always moving, then everything moves.
It is a law of Life

Life moves in every imaginable way, and also in ways
that human imagination is yet to discover.

Life moves and everything is life.

Does this refer to energy systems or forms?

All forms contain energy systems.

And all energy systems …

Yes. There is nothing in life without form, or
without potential form.

What spiritual lesson is involved in all of this?

All of this?

Within the discussion of life as energy.

What form does spirituality take?

Thoughts, emotions, and actions?

In what order?

Emotions, thoughts, and then actions?

To what end?

For what purpose?

Yes.

If everything moves …

And it does.

Then our choices would be variables?

No.

Then, what?

Everything is a variable except Life.

Then, how to live in such a world?

Yes.

How?

Yes.

Beneath The Surface of Doing and Thinking

Posted on by under developing awareness, Finding our unique way, higher education, self-transcendence, Spirit shares words of wisdom

Spirit asks me if I am conscious.

Of what?

Of anything.

I’m conscious of being asked if I’m conscious.

That’s not the same thing.

The same thing as what?

Of being conscious.

As in being aware?

Of what?

Then, to be conscious is to be aware?

Of what?

Of whatever.

Of whatever what?

Of whatever is happening that I’m conscious or aware of.

Yes.

What does that mean?

It means that you use two words to mean the same thing.

Why not?

When you use awareness or consciousness, why do you
give awareness a higher social status position
in your spiritual reading, writing, and thinking?

Perhaps they don’t mean exactly the same thing as
each other.

In what way?

You would know …

Yes, but do you?

I think so.

So?

Consciousness is possession of at least some capacity
to be aware of and understand what is happening
around me, while awareness is intentionally
conscious of what is happening, and attempting to
understand why my dear Spirit Teacher has chosen
to focus my attention on the difference or
differences between the meanings of consciousness
and awareness.

Do you think I have a purpose?

I know you have a purpose.

How do you know?

You always have a purpose.

Yes, but do you?

Is it possible to do or think about anything without
a purpose for doing so?

Why just do or think?

Without including emotions?

Yes.

I don’t know. Perhaps they’re somewhere beneath
the surface of everything we do or think.

Yes.

Who Is, or Are, Our Own Kind?

Posted on by under developing awareness

Spirit tells me that everyone resonates with everyone else
in a very personal style. Our individual energy systems
are magnetically attracted to other energy systems,
or they are not. But, no two relationships are or can be
identical.

We each are as a different person to every other person,
animal, or whatever we relate to in any way. Even within
families, each member relates in his or her unique way
to each other family member, pet, visitor, or friend,
as well as to strangers.

We may develop, and we cannot easily avoid doing so,
socially conditioned relationships to the world
we live in. However, this is an unnatural form of
a shared thought system. It does not change
our individual energy vibrations, except, perhaps,
to suppress them, at least to some degree.

Social conditioning does not, and cannot,
totally suppress our natural curiosity to the
world we live in, or our natural tendencies to be
individually attracted to, or repulsed by other
ways of life than those of our own culture.

But, surely, social conditioning is necessary
to ensure the survival of any culture, and
to teach its members to respect, learn, and express
the knowledge and values that have been developed
over many generations. Each culture surely has
its own way of life, its own myths and beliefs.

Problems arise for the elders and leaders of
individual societies, who are dedicated to the
preservation of traditions, as well as for those
who fear losing a position of control over
younger members who might be naturally attracted
to and curious about new, to them, ideas and ways
of life in other communities.

Then, social conditioning has to develop a sense
of exclusion to discourage members from being
tempted to learn more about other ways of life?

Exactly.

Would the elders and leaders within different
societies necessarily know themselves that
individuals possess …

Not possess; are unique energy systems. And,
the result would be the same. Leaders would still
develop taboos to discourage close association
outside of their own society.

Wouldn’t most people in most societies feel
more comfortable and at home within their own
society without needing to be conditioned
to live close to their own kind?

Who is, or are, our own kind?

I don’t know.

Yes.

There is Room in One World for Many Religions

Posted on by under developing awareness, simple spiritual insights, The essence of all is within us

Spirit tells me that to everything there is a season
and purpose.Of course I’ve heard that before,
in the Church of my childhood.

Perhaps every religion has its own history that is
taught to honour the wise prophets
of that particular tradition.

They are all one tradition in different forms.

Why would one come in different disguises?

Never in disguise.

Then, why are they each seemingly designed …

Not seemingly. They are each and every one designed
to fit the needs of individual cultures, at a
specific time in their formation and development.

But, why are they each a part of specific cultures?

To express the essence and potential of each
specific culture.

Then, the Universe contributes to the …

The Universe more than contributes to individual
expression. It designs each individual expression,
at least the essence of that expression.

But, its expression is in form.

Yes, and form requires …

What?

What do you think?

Form is the expression of essence?

Not necessarily.

How can it not be?

Form can be distorted and misused.

Perhaps every religion is guilty of that.

None are.

Please explain.

Religions in themselves are all pure,
as reflections of a vision provided to a
particular culture, through saints and
prophets. It is never the religion that
becomes tainted.

However, some individuals are and always
have been tempted to distort and contaminate
its pure essence, and to use and abuse
the flock they were entrusted to serve and care
for, to benefit themselves, alone.

But, if all religions have always ..

No

Then if some …

All religions, in essence have been designed
to serve us all. But, all religious leaders
have been tempted, and some have surrendered
their souls to that temptation.

So, what is the answer?

To what?

If all religions have been designed to serve us
well and yet can become contaminated by human greed,
how can individuals who seem to need to belong to
a religious community with a structural centre that
symbolizes their particular faith, ever know
the original messages of the founders of their faith?

The essence is within us and can never be distorted.

Then, what is this essence?

A sense of oneness of community,within a larger
community within an even larger ….

Then, there is room in one world for many religions?

Is there room in one body for more than one organ,
or for more than one cell within each organ?

The individual body components are designed to serve
both themselves and all others, each in its own way?

Yes.

The Price of Expanded Awareness

Posted on by under developing awareness, Finding our unique way, self-transcendence

Spirit tells me that whenever the sudden
sense of awareness of an expanded
so-called reality seems to have blown
our mind, it is helpful to ask ourselves
just where has it blown our mind?

We are now beyond where we had been,
or, more truthfully, we are now beyond
being able to ever again be where we
previously had been.

It is not a matter of choosing to be
less directly engaged with other
characters and situations in the play,
or game of Life, than we once were,
and can honestly be no more.

How to recover from sudden removal
from the close-up action, even though
we may now see it all from a certain
distance as more-or-less meaningless
activity?

That would be an easy-out.

Then, how to respond?

To what?

To the awareness of not being
in the action.

Are you physically removed from it?

Not completely.

Then, what?

I seem to have been recast,
as a member of the audience, but
an audience that influences
the activity on the stage.

Yes. We are never totally disconnected
from either the play or the players.

That’s it.

What is it?

My character is still there, at least
in form. But I now know that I
acted as that character. So, am I
an actor?

Yes and no.

I want to be real.

What would real look like?

I’m not sure. I can see what is
happening, from a distance, as well as
from close-up.

Are you now more or less engaged
in the play?

I seem to be more aware of
the potential for expansion in
the value of the play.

Yes, and that expanded awareness comes
with a price you must pay.

Expanded responsibility?

Yes.

Note: Dear Reader, Spirit suggests that we each spend
a few minutes at the beginning and again at the ending
of each day, reflecting on the seemingly nonsensical
world we live in, and then to smile with awareness
of the incredible potential, locked within all that
seems to make no sense, waiting to be activated.
Jean

Caring for Community and Relationships is Personal

Posted on by under developing awareness, Finding our unique way, higher education, self-transcendence, simple spiritual insights

Spirit asks me if I practice caring for my home.

I don’t need to practice. I know how to do that.

Do you do it?

Yes.

How well do you do it?

As well as I can, all things considered.

What things?

The time available, my energy level, and
my interest in doing so at any particular
time.

So, caring for your home is a job?

Not as a paid job. It is a duty.

A duty to whom?

To myself.

Why?

I enjoy living in a clean and well
cared for home.

Yes.

Where is this line of questioning going?

To your community and to your relationships.

Caring wise or duty wise?

Yes.

As with my home, I do what I can.

All things considered?

Yes.

What things?

Is this a second verse or round two?

No.

Then, what?

With personal possessions we have
a personal interest to care for them.

Surely we also have a personal interest
to care for our community and
relationships.

Yes.

I walked into that one.

Yes.

Unconditional Love is Always and Never Personal

Posted on by under developing awareness, unconditional love, understanding life struggles

Spirit tells me that unconditional love
is always and never personal.

Does that mean that to love anyone
unconditionally …

Yes. You must, at the same time,
be required to love everyone
and everything in the same, or
rather, to that same degree.

Wouldn’t it all become blah?

Blah?

Yes, as in nothing special.

Unconditional love is a very special
quality of love.

Would you want me to relate to you
in such a way?

Not at this time.

Why wouldn’t unconditional Love
be appropriate at all times?

It would not be either possible
or appropriate.

Please explain.

What? Unconditional love?

No. I think I understand what
that means.

What is your understanding of
the meaning of unconditional love?

Unconditional love is to love
without conditions required
to receive my love.

Required by whom or what?

How can it go beyond people?

How can that be a condition?

Then our environment is
and must be included in
my unconditional love?

Yes.

Then, the fallen petals or leaves
must be as loved as when
they were …

No. Unconditional loves does not
have a past or future.

It is always in the present?

Yes, an inclusive present.

How can the present include
past and future?

There are no boundaries of time
and place for unconditional love.

Then, unconditional love is always
or never?

Yes.

But, what if I have developed, and
even now am developing, a deeper
sense of the meaning of
unconditional love?

That is as it should be.

But, I didn’t always understand …

Unconditional love does not depend
upon your understanding.

It just is?

Yes.

Note: Dear Readers, This discussion with Spirit
only seems to skim the surface of the topic
of unconditional love, and yet I could feel
myself stepping into intellectual and emotional
waters over my head, for now. If any of you
have thoughts or questions I could present to Spirit
on the subject, then please help me.

Relationships and Furniture

Posted on by under developing awareness, higher education, simple spiritual insights, Spirit shares words of wisdom

Spirit tells me that relationships are not
usually as solid as is furniture, and
cannot, or should not be measured in the
same way, relative to each other or to
oneself.

Relationships and furniture?

Relationships as furniture.

As in possessions?

Yes.

Okay.

What does that mean?

I can see furniture …

Yes.

You interrupted …

You had completed a thought, or at least
had completed expressing a thought.

I can see furniture.

Yes, but you cannot see relationships
in the same way, at least not until
you learn to see in a different way
with a different sense.

Not with physical eyes?

Not with physical eyes alone.

Then, physical sense are an outer form?

They are more than form. They are as
radar in that they pick up signals.

And inner senses decode these signals?

Yes.

Transformation?

No.

Then what?

Translating and transcending. However,
there are potentially unlimited degrees
of understanding the messages our
outer senses pick up.

All that glitters …

Is not gold.

The lesson?

Accept the messages that you feel
seem real, while they do.

And then let them go when a deeper
awareness suggests …

Yes.