Tag Archives: awareness

Stay Between Doubt and Belief

Posted on by under A spirit guide shares a precious gift, developing awareness, higher education, intelligent spirituality

My Spirit Teacher shares gems of wisdom with me, but

It isn’t always easy for me to tell a gem from a rock.

I’m almost persuaded, a thousand times or more, that

He’s leading me on; setting me up to believe something

Is so because it seems to be so.

And then, as a master trickster might, almost without my

Noticing how, He reveals a fatal flaw in my thinking.

My mind’s comfort zone of smug awareness is suddenly

Shattered; my physical, intellectual, emotional, and even

My  spiritual worlds collapse together into a state that,

As some might say, you could peel me off the floor.

How does He do it? I don’t know, but He does, and yet,

Somehow I always seem to recover, after limping  as

From a field of battle, licking my wounds as an injured

Dog might, into solitude.

And, then, when I almost don’t care to ever believe in

Anything again, I seem to slip back into thinking certain

About something.

And then, once again; surely I would have learned by now,

That Spirit is watching and waiting, and almost luring me

On, fully prepared to set into motion; to launch yet

Another attack on my vulnerability to believe in  absolutes.

To Tolerate Ignorance is Disrespectful

Posted on by under A spirit guide shares a precious gift, Attitudes can be seen, developing awareness, intelligent spirituality

A spirit teacher shares gems of wisdom with me, and I share
some of what He shares with me, with you. No charge.

He tells me that to tolerate ignorance, and other base
qualities in oneself or in others is disrespectful of those
others and oneself.

It is counter-productive as it slows spiritual development,
and so is also disrespectful of our future.

Then, how to respond?

Compassion is the answer and is the only way to achieve
peace of mind. Pity is arrogance pretending to be
justifiably superior.

If I pity the wretched conditions of others, then I am
not one of them, and, Spirit claims, to be with them and
not of them is impossible, as there are no faults of others
that we, ourselves, do not, at least potentially possess,
if only hidden at some level of our soul or psyche. How else
could we recognize the qualities of others without awareness
of them?

I know you, He tells me, because I know myself.

Any and All Relationships Express a Way of Life

Posted on by under a sense of community, A spirit guide shares a precious gift, intelligent spirituality, Life-long learning continues, self-transcendence

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of timeless wisdom.

He tells me that our dreams are worlds of parallel reality to
our so-called awake world, and are designed to teach us of
potential for illusion in our everyday experiences.

While dreaming, the dream world seems real, even though it
may not be in many or any ways similar to the world we live
in, upon awakening.

How can it seem real if it isn’t?

One thing we are aware of during a dream is our own existence,
even if it is experienced as no more than an observer. We
Relate to the drama. It seems to make sense to us, at the time.
We don’t stop to question its authenticity.

So, the dream could be telling me something totally unrelated to
the scenario in the dream itself?

Yes.

Then, how do I make sense of it?

When?

After I wake up.

Do you wake up?

What do you mean?

To wake up is to become aware that human existence itself is
an illusion.

But, I’m living a human existence.

Yes

Why?

To develop awareness of the power of relationship.

Singular?

Yes.

In that any and all express a way of Life?

Yes, the only Way.

To Know Requires Faith

Posted on by under A spirit guide shares a precious gift, developing awareness, Life-long learning continues, simple spiritual insights

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of timeless wisdom.
He tells me that knowing is not a matter of faith, and yet
there can be no knowing without faith.

What has faith to do with knowing?

How do we learn?

Through experience.

Yes, but not through experience alone.

We reflect on past experiences and use what we
have learned from them as foundations for future …

Future what?

To guide us in our responses to future challenges.

And if what experience has taught you differs from
what others would claim to be the way to live?

This is developing beyond intellectual concepts.

Yes.

Then please explain.

Knowing is awareness.

Awareness of what?

Awareness of what seems to be true, for us, if for
no other.

Where does faith come in?

We each, in time, develop faith in our own knowing,
or awareness; of our own truth.

A Personal History Book

Posted on by under A spirit teacher tells me that, developing awareness, Finding our unique way, intelligent spirituality, Life-long learning continues

Spirit shares words of wisdom with me that seem so deep and yet expressed in words simple enough even for me, a simple seeker
and slow learner, to almost understand.

He tells me that knowing is not a matter of faith. We know
that wounds hurt for we have experienced their pain, both
physical and emotional wounds.

Physical pain is felt through our physical senses while
emotional pain is a mental state and is often learned and
developed through habit.

How do we learn emotional pain?

It’s a socially acquired skill.

If you offend me and I feel distressed, then I have learned
to feel distressed, and you’re not the cause?

Yes.

Who taught me?

You taught yourself.

Then, everyone would feel offended for the same reason?

Not necessarily.

Why?

You couldn’t offend me.

Perhaps you’ve developed immunity to offence.

There are other labels.

Such as?

Tolerance, patience, understanding, compassion, …
The list goes on.

You didn’t include awareness.

Yes.

Why?

The examples I provided each require a certain depth
of awareness.

The problem with that approach, or at least one problem,
is that it would seem to require a certain detachment
from the emotional state of the offender, as well as
from oneself.

Why would that be a problem?

It would suggest a certain lack of sensitivity.

Not necessarily so.

Please explain.

As we become increasingly aware of the path, then we can
listen to what some might call offence, calmly, and feel
compassion for the distress of the other. As Confucius
might say, “No blame”.

How is that possible?

As we develop an ever more clear vision, we can see in many
more directions than one.The present arrived from the
past and we each are as a personal history book that
those who have eyes to see can read, and we all can and
will develop eyes that see, sooner or later, and from
a unique perspective.

I’m not ready for that quality of insight, yet.

Yes.
aught me? urs

Reason Does Not Express Itself

Posted on by under A spirit guide shares a precious gift, developing awareness, Finding our unique way, higher education

I may never know why Spirit chooses to share His understanding
of spiritual philosophy with me, but I hope I will be eternally
grateful to Him for helping me to understand His deep thoughts
in a form simple enough for me to learn.

The wisdom He shares with me is not His, alone, He tells me.
He claims that all that He has learned has been shared with
Him, as it was with those who taught Him what He now shares
with me. It belongs to everyone who cares to claim it.

Problems arise, He tells me, when the knowledge we each absorb
from whomever or whatever source is filtered through and
modified by our unique understanding, that has necessarily
developed through personal experience.

How can what is necessary be a problem?

Not in itself.

How, then?

The problem arises when we seek to share what we know
or think we know, with others.

But, surely we need to share …

Yes, we need to share our unique understanding, at least
with those who seem to be aware of …

Can awareness be shared?

In the story of Buddha and the rose, the rose expressed
something to the teacher that he wished to share with
his followers …

And only one student responded with a smile at the beauty
of the flower.

Yes. Th others were all aware that it was a beautiful rose,
but were …

Trying to rationalize what message it was meant to teach.

Yes, appreciation of beauty for its own sake requires
emotional maturity.

Beauty express itself and reason does not?

Yes.

velops when we seek to share what we know

Crossing the Bridge from Ego to Awareness

Posted on by under A spirit guide shares a precious gift, developing awareness, Finding our unique way, higher education

Where are you? Spirit asks me.

You know where I am.

Yes, but do you?

Somewhere along The Way.

Then He tells me that I’m crossing a bridge
from Ego to Awareness.

Have I reached midway?

There is no midway.

Then, how could I possible know where I am?

You could glance back.

How far back?

As far as you can, or as far as you care to.

I’ve come a long way I confidently tell Him.

Relative to what?

Or to whom?

No.

Why not?

We can never know exactly where anyone else is
along The Way.

Wouldn’t it show?

In what way?

Behaviour-wise. Surely their actions would express
where they were.

How can anyone know why anyone else does what she
or he does or seems to be doing?

Then, how could I choose whom to travel with?

Would you choose by actions that please or
displease you?

How else?

You might choose your companion by what they say.

How could I ever know that they were saying
what they believed was so?

Actions and words as possibly being for effect?

Yes.

Yes.

Then, how can I know?

How can you relate to me?

Our energies seem to harmonize, more or less.

Yes.

w

Awareness, Courage, and Faith in Self

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

Spirit tells me that we each know what we know,
even though what we know may not be so.

How can we ever really know anything?

Experience helps.

But, we can’t possibly experience everything.

That isn’t necessary.

Then, what is?

Awareness.

Of what?

Of what we are experiencing, when we are.

How can we not be aware?

We are always aware of what we are experiencing,
at least to some extent.

Then, to develop a deeper awareness?

Yes, and an ever-more expanded experience
of awareness.

So, awareness itself is an experience.

Yes. Awareness must necessarily be experienced.

How to experience awareness?

Of what?

Of awareness.

Meditation and quiet reflection.

Perhaps some of us do all that now, and do
experience awareness of being aware of the
complexity of our personal and social existence,
but are unable to do anything about them.

In what way?

To change them.

Awareness is not designed to change anything.

Then, what is?

Courage, and faith in self.

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.

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.