Tag Archives: need

The Middle Way is Narrow or Wide

Posted on by under Finding our unique way, intelligent spirituality, Spirit shares words of wisdom, spiritual intelligence, The only middle way

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.

It Serves us Well to Remember

Posted on by under developing awareness, simple spiritual insights, understanding life struggles

Spirit tells me that it serves us well
to remember the horror of tragic events
that might never have happened if …

If what?

If violence was not socially acceptable.

By whom?

By those who commit acts of violence.

How is that possible? Surely, for
whatever reason or reasons, surprise
attacks on thousands of unsuspecting
and unarmed people, as happened
on a day like today, not many years
ago, must have made sense to someone.

The attackers?

Perhaps they were persuaded by some
evil genius that what they were asked
to do was of value to a cause
that justified mass murder.

Yes.

Then, how can we create a world community
wherein such thinking is unthinkable?

We can only create such a community
with individuals who learn to care
for all other individuals.

Surely that is impossible.

Why?

We seem to need to come together
in small groups of people wherein
we each contribute our unique skills
for the benefit of the whole
community; our chosen community.

How would such a small community
be chosen?

Shared values.

And, how would you develop
shared values?

Education?

Yes, but education is never enough.

Then, what else?

This world, and every community,
large and small, within it, needs
individual role models, mentors,
teachers, care givers, and leaders
who understand why they were chosen
to lead.

Is it possible to create such
a world community?

Yes.

Constraints as Challenging Bars

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

Spirit shares ageless wisdom with me, but
it seems to require never-ending development.

I obviously don’t have what it takes.
I struggle, as many others surely do,
to live within constraints not of my own
choosing.

Spirit claims that I do choose and am
trying to avoid accepting responsibility
for choices I freely make.

But, how free are we to make choices
when the choice I seem to need to make
is the lesser of two or more otherwise
unacceptable choices? Spirit is unimpressed
with my whimpering. It doesn’t move him.

Constraints, He tells me, are necessary to future
progress in any discipline or area of human
development, including spiritual, intellectual,
or material, in that they provide challenges to
our present level of skill, as well as serving to
soften our ego’s otherwise smug sense of
satisfaction in the moment of victory.

Challenges that we have faced and overcome
seem to whisper to our inner ear,
perhaps we should raise the bar.

All ways are one way

Posted on by under developing awareness, grass-roots ethics

Spirit tells me that I need to learn to live in community in a mutually satisfactory way, with all others who are also living, or trying to live within the same conditions.

How is that possible where I am?

Where are you?

Below ground level, it seems, in the mud of a bog, entangled within roots of weeds, as well as those of more respected but stronger plants, who are also striving to live their life, their way.

All ways are one way.

Which is?

Reaching for the light.

I need to learn not to know

Posted on by under developing awareness, grass-roots ethics, Spirit shares words of wisdom, Uncategorized

Spirit tells me that I need to learn not to know, in the sense that I can

Accept and understand that there is no absolute knowledge beyond

Which there is nothing more to learn about whatever.

 

Science serves us well in reaching beyond the limits of our present

Understanding and providing us with ever-more insights into

Whatever.

 

But, even scientists know there is more that can be and will be learned

About whatever.

 

That’s fine for scientists, but I seem to need to believe in something.

 

Do you believe in me?

 

Yes.

 

That’s something.

 

 

 

We are what we seem to be

Posted on by under developing awareness, seeking the middle way, Uncategorized

Spirit tells me that we each seem to need to be, or

To pretend to be, what we need to be.

 

And, we each seem to need to become something other than

What we are, now, or something that we do not yet believe

We are, but desire to become.

 

If we would allow ourselves to relax and let go of our tight hold on

Needing to be what we are not, and allow ourselves to become

What it is we believe we are destined to become, then we might

Discover; then we would discover that we are now what we seem

To be and that it feels comfortable just being what we are, if

We like what we seem to be.

 

It sounds confusing to me.

We need to wallow in self-pity

Posted on by under developing awareness, seeking the middle way, Uncategorized

Spirit tells me that none of my many (too many to count)

Closed doors of relationships that once seemed destined

To last forever, ever existed to close.

 

How then can I tell illusion from reality?

 

They are one and the same.

 

But, I have cried rivers of tears.

 

Where are they now?

 

I don’t know.

 

They’ve been recycled for others to shed.

 

What purpose did they serve me?

 

You needed to wallow in self-pity to ease the pain of

Losing another illusion.

 

 

 

Learning to Understand Life

Posted on by under developing awareness, seeking the middle way, simple spiritual insights, Uncategorized

Spirit asks me if I would wish anyone else to share

Such a relationship as we seem to.

 

The answer to that one is easy, and simple.. No.

I would not wish for anyone the stress of the strugggle

I experience, with no end in sight.

 

Why do you continue?

 

I’m not aware of any option. Besides, I seem to

Need to hold on as long as I can.

 

Why?

 

There could be some reward, and perhaps

Learning is its own reward.

 

What are you learning?

 

To understand life.

 

What have you learned so far?

 

That it’s still a mystery, to me.

 

Yes.

 

 

 

Closing doors

Posted on by under developing awareness, seeking the middle way, Uncategorized

Who closes the doors that close

On our life and that leave the

Past behind, but in a way that

Doesn’t really let us cope with

Why the doors had to close?

It wasn’t my idea, or was it?

I was totally unaware, or was I,

Of the Price I would be paying,

Perhaps until the end of time,

To follow Spirit. How could I,

How can I explain that

I really had no choice, that

It seemed to be my destiny, and

Though not knowing what the price

Would be, I must have always

Known that, whatever it was,

I would pay. Perhaps not gladly,

But, I would pay.

 

Spirit tells me, gently,

Aware of my pain, that

The doors that seem to be

Closing, were never open,

For me, and that I somehow

Needed to believe that

They were, while knowing

In my soul, that I was just

Pretending, because

I needed to believe,

For whatever reason.

 

 

All choices are based on outcome expectations

Posted on by under developing awareness

Spirit tells me that

We make choices based on

Outcome expectations and

A cost-benefit analysis,

When we are conscious of

The choices we make.

 

When our choices are

Based on habit,

Even these habitual choices

Have to have had

A beginning, conscious choice

That seemed to have had

Satisfied us, more or less,

At the time.

At least enough for us

To choose that same behaviour

Again and again, until, perhaps

We forgot that

In the beginning,

It was a choice,

Not intended to

Necessarily apply to

Future situations,

And to replace the need

To choose according to

Particular situations.

 

As conscious shoppers know,

One size of shoe does not

Fit all feet.