Tag Archives: reason

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

We Each Have a Reason For Being Whom We Are

Posted on by under developing awareness, Finding our unique way

Spirit tells me that the purpose of unconditional
love is …

Does unconditional love have a purpose?

Everything has a purpose.

And everyone?

And every one what?

Does everyone have a purpose?

As in a reason?

Yes, I guess.

Yes, you guess what?

I guess I mean to ask if everyone
has a reason, but …

But what?

I suspect you will then ask me
to complete my sentence.

Yes.

Do we each have a reason for being
whom we are?

Yes.

What reason do I have for being
whom I am?

What reason would you have for being
anyone else?

I lose?

Yes.

We play by rules we choose

Posted on by under developing awareness, grass-roots ethics, Spirit teaches I Ching wisdom, Uncategorized

Spirit Teaches I Ching Wisdom.

 

Today’s I Ching is 7 – The Army.

 

Spirit explains: As today follows yesterday into the past, so The Army

Follows Contention (6); and, as today reaches toward tomorrow, so does

The Army reach toward Closeness (8).

 

I can understand The Army and Contention acting on each other, but,

What relationship can The Army have with Closeness?

 

When reason alone fails to solve contention then power is a necessary

Organizing force. It serves a good purpose if it can bring together

Contentious groups. It can contribute to a sense of closeness.

 

Okay, I can accept that, but how does it relate to me?

 

Who is contentious?

 

Perhaps I am, at times.

 

Who is The Army?

 

I don’t know.

 

Is the army as a referee in this instance?

 

That’s possible, but not all referees play by the same rules.

 

What rules do I play by?

 

Perhaps rules of your own choosing.

 

Yes, and so do you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Usually suggests exceptions

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

Spirit tells me that there are many more ways than one

To climb a mountain, and that straight up is not one of them.

 

Dedicating oneself to a steep climb can prove to be a

Solitary journey. But, there is no ideal way for all people.

 

More flexibility will encourage others to join us, and

There is usually no reason to hurry.

 

Usually suggests exceptions.

 

Yes.

 

Such as?

 

When the path we have chosen is self or other destructive.

 

Then what?

 

Change paths. It’s as simple as that.

 

 

 

Alone or in a Crowd

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

Spirit tells me that individuality does not necessarily mean

Exclusion from oneness.

 

We each are as we each are, alone or in a crowd. We can

Never not be what we are, but we can pretend, for

Whatever reason or reasons.

 

However, the danger of pretending to be what we

Know we are not arises when we forget that we are

Pretending.

 

Our response to any experience is a very individual one,

Regardless of how many others may share that

Experience with us. Our personal response changes us,

Sometimes at a very deep level of our existence, our

Being, our essence.

 

This, Spirit tells me, is the purpose of experience:

To help us become aware of who and what we are,

As individuals and as one with Life.

 

 

 

Coming in Seventh

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

Spirit tells me that coming in Seventh is usually

Out of the limelight. Medals of Gold, Silver, and

Bronze have already been won. Even glory

May not be awarded to a Seventh place contestant.

 

So, He asks me, Why do we strive to do and to be

All that we can do and be, when we suspect that

There are those who can and will, or might do

Much better?

 

Because we are not contestants and because we must

Do and be what we can, for whatever reason?

 

Yes, and more. We seem to know that we contribute to

The glory of those who win it. We help them do and be

Better than they might otherwise do and be, simply

Because they know we are close behind them.