Compassion Expresses Care

A spirit teacher tells me that, at a grass-roots level,
compassion is as sophisticated a way as any to express
genuine care.

Gentle words of love and caring serve a need, both to
the giver and to the one receiving; but only when the
words are supported by caring deeds can they, at least
be seen to be genuine expressions.

Compassion is a beautiful word that expresses a deep but
simple emotion; genuine care for someone or something.
But, saying it is never enough. We need to support our
caring words with caring actions.

I could still be pretending.

Yes.

Acceptance and Contentment

Spirit shares His understanding of timeless wisdom.
He tells me that acceptance is contentment.

How can I feel content about accepting something
that I can’t change?

What else would you feel?

Defeated.

In losing a battle you know or believe that you
never could win?

What else could I feel?

Satisfied with yourself that you did, if you did,
everything you could do to win.

And satisfaction is contentment?

In this case, yes.

Are we referring to a specific case?

Yes and no.

As particular and general?

Yes.

We Share Our Life

Spirit tells me that we each share our life
with all who know us, to the depth that
they know us.

Or think they do?

No.

Please explain.

Much of what we think we know is no more
than programming from sources outside of
our own mind.

But, at least some of what we learn
from outside sources, such as teachers …

And so-called news reporters and
advertising?

Surely, nobody believes everything
she hears.

Is believing the same as knowing?

How can we know anything that we
don’t believe?

How can we believe anything that we
don’t know?

Then, believing is not knowing?

Yes. Knowing does not require believing.

But, believing requires thinking
that we know?

No.

Then, what?

We believe what we know that we do
not know, but trust that it is so.

We trust our outside source of information?

Yes.

But, information is not necessarily
knowledge?

Yes.

But, surely we must believe before we can
know.

Why?

It’s easier than simply accepting that
we do not know, yet.

Yes.

So, what*s the answer?

To what;?

The problem of not possibly knowing
everything and yet needing to believe
that we do know something.

Acceptance and intention.

Acceptance that we don’t know what we
don’t know but intention to learn
what we can and care to?

Yes.

The Middle Way is Narrow or Wide

Spirit tells me that the middle way is as narrow
or wide as the mind who walks it is.

Then, the middle way for some might be considered
as an extreme by some others who travel on either
side of that so-called middle way?

There is no so-called middle way. Anyone who
travels her or his own middle way is travelling
the middle way.

Regardless of how it might appear to some others?

We do not sincerely travel the middle way, our
middle way, to impress others, unless we are
travelling a road designed by others.

Then, we design our own middle way?

Yes.

How is that possible?

How is it not possible?

How can we know?

What?

What our own middle way should look like.

Look like?

I need to be able to visualize.

Yes.

What does that mean?

We can only know our own middle way
by also knowing our own extremes;
our individual potential for living
high or low.

I thought the middle way was moving
upward.

It is.

But, if the path we each travel is
between a low way and a high way ..

And it is.

Please explain.

To walk the middle way is to live as
you now live, moving through time,
while you are experiencing physical form

Your thoughts and emotions have power
to pull you high or low. Your unique
middle way harmonizes equally with
both extremes.

Then, some might have …

Not some; all do have a unique outlook
on life – within and without.

Then, no two middle ways will necessarily
be as the other?

Exactly.

Then, how can I learn to recognize my own
middle way?

Self-awareness. Know thyself.

More meditation?

Yes, but intentional meditation.

Spirituality as a Coping Strategy

Spirit tells me that spirituality is a coping
strategy. Spiritual people do not escape from
the challenges that human life requires them
to face and cope with.

However, spirituality provides an understanding
of how difficult situations develop and offers
an opportunity to learn ways and means of moving
around, over, under, or through difficult
situations.

Spirituality is not separate from intelligence.
It is a quality of intelligence, as is emotion.
Actually, intelligence itself is wisdom wearing
an academic cloak.

Intelligence is highly valued in human society.

What field of intelligence?

High Tech.

Yes, technological progress, as it is called,
has served to connect people in a way that would
have been considered as magical a few generations
before your current lifetime.

But, the quality of our global communication ….

Technology is a tool. People use tools to do
what they would do without them, if they could.

So, technology does not improve intelligence?

No.

So what does?

Intelligence is intelligence.

To some degree, more or less?

Yes.

What about spiritual intelligence?

What about it?

How do we develop it?

We cannot develop anything that we do not
already possess the potential to develop.

So, everyone possesses or is …

Is what?

Spiritually intelligent?

Yes.

Wow!!

Yes, we each are potentially spiritual
beings.

The breatharian mantra claims that “I am
a spiritual being sustained by the breath
of life.

Saying it doesn’t make it so. We are each
forms of energy with unique potentialities.

We each possess potential to become
spiritual?

To become more spiritual.

More than what?

More than what we now are.

But, if we were potentially …

Potential spiritual intelligence cannot
be considered as more than only …

Then, potential spiritual intelligence
is a necessary prerequisite to developing
any spiritual intelligence?

Yes.

How does spirituality become a coping skill?

Spirituality is a coping skill.

How to use it?

How do you use anything?

By first learning what it can do.

Yes.

How to learn what spirituality can do?

By living and reflecting on lived experience.

We Can Only Teach What We Know

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.

Beneath The Surface of Doing and Thinking

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.

Relationships and Furniture

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.

Transcendence as Sacred, or Is It?

Spirit tells me that when we intend
to learn more about life, or anything
else, as if there were anything
unrelated to life, then we intend
to transcend what we now know,
or think we know.

Or now believe?

No. Belief is an end point.

Until we doubt?

Yes.

Back to transcendence.

Transcendence doesn’t go back.

I thought the term transcendence
was spiritual.

It is, but not exclusively.

Isn’t there a danger in …

Using a word to express what it
was designed to express?

Then, to rise above could refer
to moving up a material ladder
from a lower to a higher level?

Yes, or to intentionally integrate
thoughts and emotions, and then
to transcend that integration
by physically or mentally
acting on the outcome.

Then, action, any action, is
an intentional expression of
a blend of thought and emotion?

Yes.

Regardless of the quality of the
blend or the resulting action?

Yes.

Then, where is the beauty and
magnificence that transcendence
suggests, more than suggests; it
seems to inspire awe and devotion.

A word can do that?

For me, yes. At least it did
until you …

Until I what?

You removed the shine and reflection
of a higher light.

Did I remove the light?

No.

Then, what?

I was using the word to replace
the light?

Yes.

Idol worship?

Yes.

Enlightenment is Different To Different People

Spirit tells me that the way of enlightenment
is different things to different people,
if only in their different minds, and even
so-called different minds are not really
different at all.

Then, how can we agree on the way to go?

Where?

To enlightenment.

There is no way.

No way to enlightenment or no way to agree?

Yes.

Please explain.

We are each and always have been
in the process of becoming.

Becoming what?

Some call it becoming enlightened.

What do you call it?

What it is.

Then, what is it?

Then, now, and forever the same
process.

What process?

Not what process of becoming?

No.

Why?

It would be an intellectual trap.

Would be, or might be?

Would be.

Yes.

Please explain the process of
enlightenment.

Before I explain enlightenment?

Yes.

Why?

I need to bring it all together.

Yes.