Reason Does Not Express Itself

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

Awareness of Reality is Progress

Spirit reads I Ching 53 – Gradual Progress.

 

Gradual Progress develops from Mountain (53) and moves toward

Marrying (54).

 

Spirit explains:  Mountains can seem to be as barriers, challenges,

Or as just part of the environment. They can be as beauty, in the eye

Of the beholder, and a pleasure to climb, or as an obstruction

To ignore, if possible.

 

How we see anything or anyone determines, or at least influences,

To some extent, our relationship with it or with them.

 

Awareness of this reality is progress along the way of enlightenment.

 

Where does Marrying fit into this picture?

 

We commit ourselves to Life, or we do not. It’s as simple as that.

 

If that is simple.

 

Yes.

 

Beauty and Pleasure express Spiritual Values

Spirit tells me to release my hold on the heavy but

Seductive energies of material values. For me, that

Position is neither desirable nor possible.

 

I tell Spirit that material comforts surely express

Spiritual values of beauty and pleasure, and that

Perhaps we each must find our own comfort zone

Where our own, individual spiritual and material

Values co-exist in harmony with each other,

Each expressing the other.

 

Yes, He agrees, as if He expected my response and

Intended to provoke it.

 

Perhaps, He suggests, I will learn to relax my hold

Without releasing it. Over-simplicity, for the sake of

Simplicity, He tells me, is a trap of false pride.

 

The middle way is a personal way and, as such is

A different path for every individual.

 

 

 

Spiritualism and Matrialism Co-exist

Spirit tells me that spiritual and material values co-exist.

And, in reality, neither can exist exclusive of the other.

They are as essence and form.

 

The concept of spiritual and material as being mutually

Exclusive is common in seekers of so-called enlightenment.

 

Rejection or fear of either one suggests lack of awareness

Of their interdependency. Living a spiritual life does not

Necessarily require one to reject physical or material comforts.

 

Creation and all the beauty within it is expressed in form.

We each possess creative energy. We each are creative

Energy. Some of us are inspired to create whatever with

A greater emphasis on beauty than on practical

Application, while others concentrate more on structure

Than on style.

 

The secret, He tells me, is to discover my own values.