Tag Archives: relationship

Independence is Never Disconnection

Posted on by under a sense of community, A spirit guide shares a precious gift, developing awareness, intelligent spirituality

Spirit tells me that, once, when we were young,
we praised the concept of independence and that
now we are aware of the unavoidable reality of
connection.

How to resolve the problem?

What problem?

The need to be in relationship and still
feel independent of that relationship?

It isn’t possible.

Why?

Relationships require a degree of overlap
of personal interests, desires, or goals.

Is a relationship a midway point between
independence and connection?

A relationship is a connection.

In what way?

In our attitude toward whatever or
whomever we feel related to.

Isn’t it possible to feel neither for
nor against someone or something?

No.

What about a middle way?

There is no middle way.

Then why did the ancient wisdom teachers
speak of a middle way?

To lure their people from extremes.

Then, independence and connection are as
yang and yin?

In what way?

In that neither can exist independently
from the other except in degrees of
separation?

Yes. Each contains the other and
continuously moves either toward
or away from being completely absorbed
by the other.

The incoming tide becomes the outgoing
tide?

Yes, just as the full moon seems to
continuously empty and refill itself.

There is only one shape to the moon,
even though it appears to be shaped
differently at different times?

Yes.

Does that suggest that independence
and connection are as different sides
of the same coin?

Yes.

Relationships and Furniture

Posted on by under developing awareness, higher education, simple spiritual insights, Spirit shares words of wisdom

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.

The only way.

Posted on by under developing awareness, self-transcendence, simple spiritual insights, Spirit shares words of wisdom

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

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

How can it seem real, if it is not?

One thing we are aware of during our dream is our own
existence, even if it is experienced no more than as an
observer. We relate to the drama. It seems to make sense
to us, at the time. We never 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 am 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.

The non-dual nature of reality

Posted on by under developing awareness, simple spiritual insights, Spirit shares words of wisdom

Spirit shares gems of wisdom.

Spirit tells me that serving life is not an option and that
we each and every one do serve; some more, some less.

Whether we know it or not?

At some level of awareness, we know it. But, we may be
too grounded in physical and material illusion
to consciously consider, or very much care about,
our degree of impact on those with whom we share
our environment, or, possibly, the environment itself.

Many of us fail to see that we may be part of
the environment, from the perspective of some others,
if they are even aware enough to notice us at all.

What about personal relationships?

What about them?

Are they no more or less than a part of our awareness?

Outside of oneself?

Yes.

No.

I hesitate to ask about what seems to be suggested.

The non-dual nature of reality?

Yes.

Why hesitate?

I’m not ready to deal with it.

Yes.

Discover where you belong

Posted on by under developing awareness, grass-roots ethics

Spirit tells me that there are some people in my life
whom I would best serve by stepping away from.

Life, He tells me is about relationships: to oneself,
to loved ones, to community, to neighbours, to
fellow workers, to our environment, and to Life itself.

We are each as living pieces of a cosmic puzzle and
we each need to discover where and near whom we fit
most comfortably and appropriately.

Stepping away from a close association with those
with whom you do not share values with allows them
to also possibly discover where they belong.

At this time, neither of you are where you belong.
You both are holding each other back from
meaningful spiritual development.

When Chaos Rules

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

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of timeless wisdom.

He tells me that there was a time, not very distant into the past, when children everywhere learned to understand and to speak
a particular language at a very young age, and the language they learned to understand and speak became their language, and more, much more.

From a child’s perspective, language is a means for sharing his or her world with other people, their people.

Also, many of us learned to believe in a particular religion
at a very young age. Whether we were aware of it or not, we also learned social rules specific to that religion, as separate from legal or traffic rules. The religious rules we learned served as a social code, to guide the way we would learn to live.

Many of us no longer live in a community where we all understand and speak the same language, or accept the same religion and the specific social rules that specific religions teach. 

Perhaps even the same traffic rules may not apply to all communities?

Yes.

When does chaos rule?.

Chaos never rules except as a transitional force between one set of rules and another, or between individuals or groups of individuals adjusting to the larger realities of life, and learning to understand that no rules are necessarily acceptable to all people in all places, or for all time unless they serve and make sense to all people.

All languages and all religious social customs or rules serve, or did serve a purpose, when societies lived separate from each other. They provide or did provide a sense of community.

Today, for many of us, it is the language, religion, or social customs of others, not our own, that contribute to disharmony and conflict in our relationships within a world community.

Our attitudes may invite Chaos to rule, when simple respect
would serve to unite us.

udes invite Chaos to rule, w would unite us.

Relationships are self-confirming

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

Spirit asks me where confirmation of our relationship could come from

In a world of form?

 

His words, He tells me, can speak for themselves, to those who have

Ears to hear.

 

He shares words of wisdom with me and tells me that we will share them

With others. He speaks with power of conviction, with both strength and

Gentility. Nobody but myself seems to be able to hear him but, perhaps

He prefers it that way, for now.

 

Our relationship is self-confirming, even as it is changing.

 

How is it changing?

 

You are becoming more comfortable with it.

 

Is acceptance comfort?

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awareness expands beyond individuality

Posted on by under developing awareness, grass-roots ethics, Uncategorized

Spirit tells me that reality may seem to be different things to different people

But it only appears to be that way when we view Life from different

Perspectives; from top or bottom, from one side or another, from near or

Far, as well as, and more importantly, from our personal relationship to

The reality in question.

 

How can we live in such a world?

 

We do.

 

How?

 

We learn to play the game. Even love seems to bring happiness to some

And deep emotional pain to others. Everything is exactly as it seems to be

To whomever, at any particular time, even when it is an illusion.

 

Wouldn’t it be stressful..?

 

Yes, and no, depending …

 

On how seriously we take the game?

 

The game of Life is designed to be taken seriously..

 

For what purpose?

 

To develop an awareness that expands beyond our own individuality.

 

 

 

 

Spirit’s I Ching 58 – Pleasing

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

A Spirit Teacher explains I Ching 58 – Pleasing.

 Yin and Yang symbolize the possible extremes of relationships between

Emotion and thought, or their blending together in harmony.

 

Lake over Lake represents emotional instability. Pleasing follows Wind and

Is moving toward Dispersal, and is now more or less midway between the two.

But, is The Way of Life we have chosen to follow today, narrow and focused, or<

Is it tending to bee too inflexible, or too wavering?

 The Narrow Way, in the Wisdom Tradition, refers to a chosen path, not a

Rigid one. Also, any situation expressed in the I Ching,  is whatever

Situation is presenting itself now, to the reader, or to the one for whom

The reading is given. 

We each are, at any given time, part way between what was and what

May yet be. But, have we moved well ahead of where we were, or

Barely moved at all? Our progress, and our choices, will determine

How near or far we are from what was and what yet may be happening

In our lives.

 That is fascinating insight but what does it have to do with Pleasing? 

We please ourselves and pay the price.

 

What price? 

Whatever, and we can never know what future price we will be

Required to pay. 

So we need to consider carefully … 

Yes.