CHAPTER THIRTEEN

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE: FOR BEGINNERS



Our understanding of the lessons we encounter on a daily basis is limited in the material world by an ethereal sensory veil because, if we were empowered with the knowledge regarding our true nature, we would rest in that assurance and not seek the need to hope or to dream and hence fail to recognize reward as the incentive foundation of faith. Believing precedes the acceptance of faith, subsequent to the ostensibly trial and error experiences leading our free will through the choices of what to believe. Having then chosen something we can relate to or identify with, we unconsciously endeavor to build on a belief system that demonstrates consistency, if only to be taken more seriously on every level of activity. As an initiate, exercising behavior that attracts others with similar interests is beneficial to every aspect of socialization, all of which our “original instinct” has a vested interest in actively participating with, by helping us recognize and asserting decisions that favor the choices most likely to guarantee a continued, if not improved, qualitative survival. With experience forming a basis on which to build that belief system, room for analogous ideas is made available for possible embracement, while the door of our receptivity slowly closes on contradictions. Once the choices have been narrowed to reveal a pattern we have reason to believe in, and if in the execution of that archetype principle there is an allowance for hope, then one may take on the vestment of a believer. From there, with some expectation from the dividend of reward, hope accrues into an account from which we draw faith. Growth in faith reintroduces The Truth of at-one-ment. It was in choosing our course of free will that relinquished our grasp on that state of unity in the first place, resulting with the inception of our recurrent carnal manifestations. Emotions, inherently the main challenge of physicality, must be humbled before the surrendering of free will––letting go––allows our return to Divine Will––letting God––, which once totally and independently acquiesced, draws the seeker’s latest cycle of reincarnations toward completeness. Until that cessation of time is realized by returning our individuality to its origins, we are ordained to growing through the perplexities implicit to encumbered physical experiences, remaining thoroughly unaware with regard to every effect our Divine Path has on that edification, or vice versa.

Only in the absence of that eternal awareness, can we find the firmament on which to rebuild our lost faith. After all, having relinquished it for free will, it may be reengaged solely by that selfsame consent. Once having chosen however––without coercion and little more than a promise of a lifestyle we can not yet conceive of––do we begin reaffirming all those physical qualities, whose dedicated practice over countless incarnations, connecting the conferment of Truth to the devotee on a need to know premise. Bearing that in mind then, it is with a certain degree of trepidation, and in spite of outward appearances (i.e., human sacrifice) that by faith and faith alone we begin approaching and accepting the understanding that; all in corporeality is driven by what can only be Divine Guidance, toward an outcome we can neither behold nor deny. Despite our zealous exercise of free will at every turn, and choices that at best, only delay the inevitable, the end of our path remains the same. Clearly, though our object lesson is the reality of “at-one-ment”, its scope transcends the comprehension of material criteria. Because the physical senses are attuned to the stimulation of the world in which they abide, as tools for our personal aggrandizement, their focus is always wrapped in the constraints placed on them by both emotions and the illusion of time, compelling them to ponder the most immediate challenge first, even perhaps to the exclusion of the end goal itself.

To put it another way, it’s from inside the “box” called space and time that we are first taken to task making ourselves aware of, then familiar with, everything outside the “box” or, eternity. In fact, our “true self”, the spiritual being whose advancement relies on these physical experiences, is the only commonality between those two dioramas, but since the physical vehicle we take up to transverse the environs of the “box” during our carnal immersion is piloted by ego, we more often than not fly blind, denying true self and choosing free will for guidance. On the other hand, the “navigation instruments” faith provides, with proper practice in patience and commitment, takes the guess work of trial and error out of the scenario and as soon as we become inclined to surrender what we perceive to be the control of our daily affairs, we’re introduced to the “automatic pilot” that determines the most expedient course on our way to maximizing the benefits of every objective. Fortunately our true self can influence the actions and thoughts of the mundane enough to sway intent toward a more understanding attitude irrespective of ego driven personal choices. Our belief in possibilities isn’t a prerequisite for their realization. Good things happen with or without faith because, Divine Guidance is active in directing the course of every path. If that weren’t the case, we would be forever condemned to an ignorance totally void of hopes and dreams, unaware of our individuality, separated from our past and oblivious to any future. True self, abetting Divine Guidance so to speak, meticulously motivates in ways that if made obvious, would seem to be a contradiction to the warranted and preferred position of the terrestrial and wholly carnal mission ego sets before itself. Carnality does not keep us from reaping the benefits of true self'’s influence however, even when we aren’t prepared to be aware of it.

That being the case, the rudiments of this prompting, when they are glimpsed, appear so out of context in this worldly manner of “winner take all”, they’re usually dismissed as counter productive anyhow. Furthermore, just the concept of accepting that another's point of view might possibly bear some relevance to our personal agenda, could be construed as a weakness in our own persona. Only after persistent Divine intimation, along with the afore mentioned carnal desperation, would we begin to take into consideration, that the oft rejected yet subtle feelings of intuition, might be something more than nagging doubt. Once we suspect a connection between thoughts of foreknowledge and a seemingly reciprocal result––good or bad––a door of expectation opens, if only slightly, through which a thread of hope introduces itself into the pattern that makes up the tapestry of our evolving mindset and belief system. Before hope’s anticipation is able to make too strong an impact on our “rational” thought, we must endure the suffering and confusion indigenous to the newly discovered land where choices have suddenly moved beyond advantage or disadvantage, to include the way we feel, and why! Denial would be the preferred course, but when weighed against the agony of decisions based on the uncertainty of unfamiliar territories, feelings such as conscience and intuition inserted an additional thread of mystery into the weave of who we were becoming, tempting us to explore directions we wouldn’t have considered when social interaction was purely instinctive. Once a reason for hope had been established, through the promotion of favorable outcomes we had no claim in bringing about ourselves, expectation whet the appetite for gain by reward and took a step toward curiosity, instilling exploration as a necessary mode of advancement, provisionally within the physical parameters of the “box” of course, but only in preparation for the eventual consideration of everything else. Quite simply, since the demands of our ego are centered inside the “box”, in the here and now, we can’t perceive of anything outside the “box”, until we can release the guidance of our daily affairs into the hands of someone else. Getting beyond ego centered motivation to Divine motivation epitomizes our encounter with physical tribulation because it shifts our attention from the physical path, and the confusion incumbent with it, to the Truth revealing light of the spiritual path––from inside the box, to outside the box.

The key to unlocking the door through which we take that step, is believing in the shared or common element of those two perspectives. There is but one entity that can exist in both realms, that part of us that, by virtue of our repeated physical encumbrances realizes the return to “at-one-ment”; the essence of our true self, the seed through which God acts and moves, that part of Him He loved enough to give up with the act of Creation. That leap of faith is so all consuming because it is imperative for us to hear, over the clamor of ego’s attention-getting strategies, the heeding of our true self, offering the guidance needed in the physical to do what’s best for everyone but ourselves, and let our own well being be the product of that giving. The seeming contradiction of that spiritual reality, that giving (without expectations, i.e.; no “strings attached”) precedes receiving, and then that the reckoning be only of equal measure, is also the essential factor representing Divine Balance as the only true and final judgment. More to the point, if you’re not getting what you expect, you need to give more. Its physical application is a simple and common element of good behavior asserted in endless different contexts, from appeasing false idols to avowing the deepest emotional attachments. Initiating the acceptance of its eternal translation and moving forward with it in the faith that all is just as it should be (regardless of outward appearances), requires a concerted effort through countless challenges to determine which of the cues offered are of Divine origin, aimed at serving the optimum outcome for the whole, and which are ego driven self-serving delusions. Consequently, the emotion filled, sensory gratifying carnal world offers the perfect venue of competing stimuli, to ensure the practice of seeking out and realizing Divine Will is of our own free will, thereby closing the circle that opened when ego characterized separation from at-one-ment with the awareness of individuality. Until the advent of that closure however, ego is in the pilots seat and we’re flying by instinctual, sensory actuated innuendoes that may or may not guide us to a resolution or positive outcome, without additional information––which in itself may prove little more than cursory. In that way our course can only be charted by physical signs or hints whose accuracy is dependent on choices and experiences of others. In our quest there’s nothing wrong with accepting the advise of a learned few who might share some insights into what’s ahead, but by definition, the experience must be our own. Only in that way can we come to rely on the guidance being offered from the One who knows the path awaiting us.

In the light of Truth, tuning our awareness to any prompting that assures a more fruitful advancement, by bringing us to the places we need to be in order to touch those who intersect our path or share a common goal, has its own reward which eventually make the temporal temptations vying for our attention, less impetuous. Focusing in ways that allow Divine Guidance to manifest expressions of unconditional love through us, can become increasingly fluent, as would any new form of communication if routinely applied, even in the midst of our material agendas. For instance, among those who teach a second language, it’s widely accepted that acquired knowledge with regard to its usage, is preferred over the less interactive practice of memorizing vocabulary and phraseology. The former requiring the novice to think of terms of the subject at hand, while the latter retains the redundancy of translation, inhibiting fluency. With that analogy in mind we might suggest that understanding or recognizing the clues necessary to express forward thinking, love-embracing choices, amid the confusion inherent to carnal lifestyles is, at the risk of sounding simplistic, reliant on little more than “listening to your heart”. Because of our true self, we are, but by our own will, inseparable from that eternal “heart felt” Truth. So the concept of thinking in the language of Divine Love is fully grasped when the Will of the One is allowed to overcome one’s free will. The acquired fluency accompanying the practice of this very personal communion may be enriched through the study of allegories in the written text. By no means however, should that erudition––or anyone's interpretation of it––be expected to supplant the experience garnered by living out the Divinely Guided itinerary of our carnal journey. Conjugation is no substitute for cogitation. Once conscience displaces guilt and emotions makes room for intuition, we become initiates, voluntary or otherwise, of a belief system that holds at its core, the fundamental differences between right and wrong. Exercising choices that display a discernment between those extremes suggests we’ve reached a point on our path where conduct is held to a higher level of expectation, and accordingly, the view from the confines of our “box” find a more enlightened perspective.

Advances on our spiritual path, pass through phases of increasingly responsible attitudes and discernment much the same way, and for the same reasons, our physical embodiment grows throughout the course of an average life span. Nothing manifests in the physical, without first being established in the spiritual. Relevant instances of that parallelism can be be found while observing any life form’s growth pattern under nominal circumstances, but isn’t obvious without a firm grasp of eternal principalities. One example of this Truism we should be able to relate to was ego’s initial self awareness in conjunction with the onset of free will, that at the time, manifested the physical behavior of exploring the limitations of its individuality, separate from the clan or troupe. Since the establishment of that “archetype” for self awareness, the same behavior is now predictably reenacted in every adolescent’s attempt, at or near puberty, to establish an identity apart from that of the family, which up until that point he or she had turned to for support and approval about all manner of conduct. Of course, this shift in attitude is neither the conscious decision nor the devious rebellion it sometimes is made out to be, by the selective memory or insecurity of adult family members, but a necessary adjustment of the spirit’s perspective in preparation for what lay ahead on its path––while in concert with the timely physical changes of an ingenuous pubescent youngster––and a real test of the love and compassion of all who find themselves in proximity to that adjustment’s juncture.

Additionally, and very much in that same vein, it may be said and supported through discernment that; any phase of development falling within the parameters of growing and adjusting on the physical plain, is a reflection of or response to a significant impetus on the path of our Divinely Directed spiritual unfoldment. Throughout the numerous incarnations imperative in realizing our return to at-one-ment, Divine Guidance manifests all experiences by acting in advance of and in preparation for––but in no way limited to––various levels of growth and times of adjustment that are exhibited throughout the due course of an average life span. That is not to say that in those instances when a life seems far too brief, or in every special circumstance not meeting the criteria of “average”, Divine Attention is excluded. On the contrary, it is precisely those cases that offer the deepest emotional tests and farthest reaching impact of all our physical opportunities to love, understand, grow and hence; advance spiritually. Each and every life, however long or short, however robust or challenged, is a gift of love from the Source of All, to all who may be influenced by that indwelling spirit’s time among us, regardless of its manifestation. Conspicuously, the more striking or “heartfelt” the example employed, the more long term or immutable our benefit from the experience. In that way, the positive and negative dynamics of earlier actions (including those of former incarnations) are reintroduced, after having the proper influences and protagonists come together again, to either pick up where a goal––or even a specific object lesson––was left incomplete or to reap a beneficial “karmic” harvest, because the invested quality represented an ongoing and particularly widespread benevolence.