THE HIGH WATCH

BY WAY OF AN INTRODUCTION

2006-11-04T08:47:00.000-06:00

A Dissemination of The Truth,
as reasonable an account as may be considered
from the limiting physical perspective.

Many of you have no doubt heard the phrase; “we are spiritual beings, having physical experiences.” This takes some “out-side-the-box” thinking for most, even if they’ve heard it before, even if they think they understand it. The difficulty we have with grasping the depth of this truism lies in the fact we rely almost exclusively on our physical senses to provide all the information we need to form an opinion or view point about the world and the people around us. Additionally, we’ve been raised to think of “numero uno”. Look out for number one first. Not that this common refrain is entirely misplaced, for it did have a valid place in our survival for a hundred-thousand years or more. For the last two-thousand or so however, many have been trying to conform their way of thinking and behaving to the example and teaching of the Christ Spirit as manifested in Jesus. In fact, every culture of the world has a predominant theology suited to their general and specific spiritual goals and expectations. Each of these varied World Religions follow a “way-shower/savior” whose doctrines and tenets, teachings and examples mirror those of Christ, or visa versa since some predate the advent of Christianity.

The correlation evidenced between diverse peoples with no related histories should come as no surprise to any who embrace the fundamental truth of; One God. Particularly, the occultist.

The primary reason followers of any faith and in this example, those who call themselves Christians, don’t just adopt or become what is believed to be the ideal behavior––the embodiment of unconditional love and the inclusiveness that defines “unconditional”––as lived and taught by Christ Jesus, is because we can’t break the habit of putting ourselves––number one––first!

If it were easy to be “Christ-like” we, as the spiritual beings we are, would have no reason to go through the physical experiences provided us through reincarnation. We would not need to confine ourselves in the physical vehicles we put on each time we leave the freedom our realm of spirituality represents to reenter the restrictions imposed by the world of material thought. By way of our repeated embodiments at widely disparate times throughout history, under vastly different circumstances and cultures, in both male and female roles we learn the invaluable lessons only found in the material/physical world.

It is that very experience, and all the combined variables that it includes, which give us every opportunity to grow, advance as it were, spiritually, toward that ideal which will return us, as spiritual beings, back to the at-one-ment that identifies us as one with God!

We’ve got to drop the “what’s in it for me?” attitude and accept one of selfless service. Again, if it were easy, we wouldn’t need to be here. What’s stopping us from doing the right thing, from putting everyone else first, from not thinking of our own needs? US, of course.

We are so fixated on our physical or worldly accomplishments, possessions, comforts, deeds and needs that we haven’t taken the steps necessary to cultivate the insight that would show us the true nature of our spiritual origins.

More importantly, why we’re going from where we’re at on our spiritual journey, to the point where we no longer need to return to the unnatural confinement of space and time in the physical world, will become more focused once our origins and spiritual goals are clear. How do we––as spiritual beings––get from here, to there?

Ready or not, that's next.

On July 31, 2005 I inaugurated a blog (http://thehighwatch9.blogspot.com/) for the release of a manuscript named; "THE HIGH WATCH, a View of God’s Unfolding Divine Plan".

Over a period of nearly ten years before that, the 66,000+ words of THE HIGH WATCH spilled from the ends of my fingers (mostly just two of them) at the speed of a glacier.

On August 27, the Preface, Table of Contents and first chapter of THE HIGH WATCH was posted on that blog. The plan was, every twenty-seven days thereafter an additional chapter will be posted. That promise held true through the remaining four chapters that completed PART I. However……

… Jan. 8th, 2006, on what should have been the posting date for Chapter 6 and the beginning of PART II, that promise fell by the wayside and thereafter remained broken. As of 5:41 p.m. EST on that date, in the interest continuity, every chapter of "THE HIGH WATCH, a View of God's Unfolding Divine Plan" was made available by way of its side bar and footer links.

Since October, 2006, as is evident in the side bar link; “CLICK HERE:……”, the book has been available as a single, 207 page 512 KB, PDF document free for the asking.

Having asked, consider yourself the one who's been waiting for its release.

PREFACE

2005-09-04T00:36:00.000-05:00

PREFACE

I am an observer. My purpose is to chronicle, not to interact. This requires a sense of detachment that removes or minimizes the possibility of my contaminating the course of interaction being witnessed. Involving myself in any situation I’m chronicling would influence its direction of development, the significance of which is widely misunderstood by any who aren’t aware of the role an observer plays in life’s proceedings. Even some who are “trained professionals” in the observation of human nature and behavior, may not be in a position to recognize an observer whose perspective is not so limited by time and physical parameters as theirs, consequently judging them as unproductive or lacking communication skills, when––by eternal standards of measure––judgment is not theirs, nor mine, to make. I struggle, as do many of us, not to pre-judge, so when acting in the role of the observer, I do not engage, I record.

The temptation to participate, to interact, to interject, is second nature. Suppressing that instinct may appear as indifference, when in fact the natural scheme of events is being allowed to proceed, to the mutual benefit of everyone under the umbrella of influence produced as a result of the exchange. Watching the various details develop between participants is essential in regards to understanding the tenor each has assumed for themselves, while mutually playing the roles of both teacher and student in the lesson at hand.

The clarity of every observation is limited by Time, because the entirety of its representation can not be wholly appreciated from within that frame of reference. It should go without saying, but all the turns on every path that have led each party to the current interaction they share, as well as the infinite repercussions that interaction creates, can not be documented by a single observer while in Time. It does serve to emphasize however, that those Time imposed limitations in no way diminishes the significant benefits everyone reaps as a result of their involvement in any given event, only the complete and accurate chronicling of it.

Time is unique to the physical world. Everything physical is changing, varying if you will, from what it was (in the past) to what it will be (in the future). Our point of reference or focus is the present or, the “Now”. The physical documentation of physical activities, is by necessity achieved in the “Now”. This extremely narrow perspective demands that the observer take nothing for granted and remain unbiased, regardless of the content of subject matter at hand, or the context in which it is witnessed. We can’t afford to assume anything. Our understanding of what’s going on around us depends on that. The only means of improving our comprehension of the observed––and thus our relating it to others (as you will find herein)––is to alter our personal perspective. Learning as much as possible about the events leading up to what is being witnessed in this “Now” affords the observer their clearest available understanding, not only to its documentation, but additionally, the possible directions all resulting consequences might consider attractive. Such projections, if based solely on physical evidence, are of little value given the infinite variables the physical world constantly entertains. Accuracy may be demonstrated though, through revelations whose origins are from a point outside the physical, in the timelessness of eternity where past, present and future are one! While in the physical experience however, such inspirations are fleeting, and their accuracy is invariably open to interpretation. As one observer, this is mine. I present it to you, the reader, to use or not, to what ever degree and purpose you will.

2005-09-04T00:29:00.000-05:00

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

PART I: SOCIALIZATION

Chapter
One: THEN; EGO’S AWAKENING
Two: SOCIALIZATION; THE ROOTS
Three: SOCIALIZATION FOR BEGINNERS
Four: INTERMEDIATE SOCIALIZATION
Five: ADVANCED SOCIALIZATION

PART II: FAITH

Chapter
Six: NOW; WE ARE NOT ALONE
Seven: FAITH; THE ROOTS
Eight: FAITH FOR BEGINNERS
Nine: INTERMEDIATE FAITH
Ten: ADVANCED FAITH

PART III: UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

Chapter
Eleven: NEXT; AT-ONE-MENT
Twelve: UNCONDITIONAL LOVE; THE ROOTS
Thirteen: UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR BEGINNERS
Fourteen: INTERMEDIATE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Fifteen: ADVANCED UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

PART IV: TRUTH

Chapter
Sixteen: FINALLY; UNDERSTANDING
Seventeen: TRUTH; THE ROOTS
Eighteen: TRUTH FOR BEGINNERS
Nineteen: INTERMEDIATE TRUTH
Twenty: ADVANCED TRUTH

Epilogue

PART I: CHAPTER ONE

2005-09-04T00:26:00.000-05:00

- PART I -
SOCIALIZATION

- CHAPTER ONE -
“ THEN ”
EGOS’ AWAKENING

The recording of activities is an age old custom whose earliest examples may be cave drawings relating to hunting and foraging techniques and locations. Valuable lessons if a family or clan were expected to flourish from season to season or, for that matter, generation to generation. We might imagine that the one among them who proved best at comprehensively recording such information was an honored member of the group, regarded with some degree of reverence, perhaps even considered in possession of qualities so incomprehensible to his peers that they seem magical. From the humble beginnings of an ability to diagram a day’s or season’s activities so all could understand what accounted for their successes and mistakes, evolved a talent capable of becoming the clan’s keeper of their history or lore. An individual with the vision to transcribe a three dimensional object into a two dimensional likeness displays a capacity of abstract thought necessary to make the vital connections witnessed in the day to day habits of creatures sharing their range of habitat. The behavioral instincts of wildlife surely would have piqued the curiosity of these primitives, influencing every aspect of the relationship they had with their surroundings.

Instinct still ruled however and for good reason. Those were the days, after all, where brute strength and reaction time, spelled the difference between hunting and being hunted. It would still be tens of thousands of years before our ancestors amounted to little more than prey themselves in that now long extinct food chain. That same “survival instinct” told them to hold on to what they had. Additionally, if they saw something they wanted, they took it if they could, setting the stage for what would come to be called “pecking order”. Its continuation from pack or herd, to clan was seamless because it still served the same purpose. Simply put, it worked. Before rules and laws, the strongest was the leader who had the most of everything, and did so until being usurped by the next strongest leader wannabe. The clan in the neighboring valley, by the way, was surviving by the same possession oriented mind-set, making the sudden appearance of any stranger a matter of immediate concern and suspicion.

Longevity speaks to the success of any practice and so we see that the order of authority is virtually unchanged in most species of animal today including, sadly, ourselves. The oldest habits are the most difficult to gain freedom from. Instinct laid the foundation for many of the behaviors, positive and negative, practiced still. Too often we act no more civilized than did the first branches on our family tree with regard to the feeling of being threatened, and its associated fear, when interacting with someone who appears different than we are. Masking our fear with expressions of disdain and mounting a defense by way of character assassination, we’re in denial about the “problem” being our own insecurity and opt for a “solution” framed in anything from gossip to outright bigotry. While such scrutiny, and more, might have had a basis in protecting the hard fought for and carefully guarded stores relied upon by a closely knit clan twenty-thousand years ago, there is, despite its wide spread continued practice, no place for it in a world community. Its origins, however, are so deeply rooted in instinct we may not be entirely out from under the spectre it represents, for another twenty-thousand years.

As the embryonic imagination began to supplant instinct in that brutish excuse for a brain, it took ever so long for any evidence of its “head-way” to manifest in the lifestyle of these primitives. The trickle of original thought that would one day flow from so many creative minds into every corner of our lives, started its sojourn into the niches of our psyche at a rate that made glaciation seem supersonic. Still, advance it did from what must have been its earliest expression, vocalizations.

We witness an infinite variety of communication behaviors among most species of animals. Be assured all communicate, those we are unable to witness are simply outside our capacity to perceive in a physical sense. The most obvious of course are the songs, calls, chirps, rattles, growls and snorts, not to mention the elaborate vocabularies of body language, or posturing, we’ve come to accept as part of our rich natural surroundings. It seems the vast majority, perhaps as much as ninety-nine percent, of these examples of social intercourse are instinctive and no doubt survival based. Then, there are the exceptions. It’s increasingly apparent that more than a few families of creatures demonstrate communication skills that can only be considered learned and in some cases, original! Whales, for instance, teach their calves “songs” with connotations and dialects peculiar to their pod or family. Primates identify objects, places and each other with sounds clearly understood by members of their family group and, lest we forget; the very real success they’ve had in learning the basics of American Sign Language. If accurate, this in particular could represent the first evidence of true communication between species. Additionally, the subjects involved in these efforts are alleged to have taught others of their kind the same things without being prompted to do so! The totality of this behavior, alluded to herein by but a few examples, increases at the same rate as our ability to understand it, which could lead us to the inference that; the probability of its commonality exceeds our understanding and is only realized as our comprehension of it improves.

Is what we’re seeing in this something of ourselves, when the first seed of imagination germinated? To be sure, the conduct we are only beginning to grasp in others has been playing some part in the nature of things long before we were players ourselves. If the primal utterances that stemmed from our beginnings led to a higher path, it’s because creative thought and the inroads it made on our neural network, helped each small successive step viable. Supported by the roots of everything that came before us, a terminal node on that seedling sprouted a branch that flourished into what would be called Ego. From that point on our ancestral tree, a new central and primary trunk diverged from what had been and grew toward recognizing Self! The world would never be the same! Imagination empowered Ego to separate us from the whole. We were no longer a part of, but apart from the family unit we had always been identified with.

Ego gave us personal choices we didn’t have before. This precursor, as it were, to independent thought and action was no doubt most confusing to these brutish minds largely because it meant exploring unfamiliar changes in themselves, not the least of which were emotions. Instinct had always satisfied what ever circumstances arose in their world, but its involuntariness started to get fuzzy around the edges when feelings got in the way. Life was no longer cut and dry. Shades of grey began clouding what was once purely black and white. The need to make decisions kept popping up. Survival for these “hunter / gatherers” was complex enough when the only requirements were to to eat and procreate. The stirrings that the onset of imagination were responsible for caused members of the clan, who were accustomed to following blindly, to question or, at least try to inject a suggestion of their own now and then.

As should be expected, an individualistic ego was commonly met with the wrath of his peers, who might not have yet experienced the same stirrings offered so selectively as an alternative to instinct. Most threatened perhaps would be the leader who was quick to interpret otherwise unexplainable actions, i.e. behavior out of character or hesitations to act, as a play for his position in the group. If the strongest one among them caught himself acting, instead of reacting instinctually, he too might be startled at the degree to which his anger could be provoked, now generated by feelings instead of being an expected measured reaction to circumstances. Should his authority be threatened, it may not be just the younger, healthier males doing so anymore. The autocracy of his command might slowly require more and more of his attention to suppress the curious confusion seeming to well up, with increasing frequency, at every turn. He might sense something wrong with his family, as well as himself. He wasn’t comfortable with this new uncertainty and lashed out at any provocateur so as not to appear weak under the increasing scrutiny of those followers whose eyes once avoided his, out of respect for his position.

As leader, his fledgling ego sated its growing appetite––while holding uncertainty and its telltale hesitancy at bay––on the fear he saw in the eyes of all who now dared challenge him. Experience was demonstrating, that of those emotions clouding his once clear, single minded view, fear could be his ally. He too knew its grip personally, for all had occasion to have been threatened by predators. The notion that others might exhibit the same response toward him, as they would when in mortal danger, endowed him with a sense of power enabling his role as leader to be set apart from his followers in a very different way than had been the custom. Having then enjoyed the taste of being the object of fear, and with no concept of what lay ahead or reason to contemplate beyond his “now”, the “Leader Ego” set about cultivating that strength into an advantage capable of overcoming any future confrontations his limited imagination could foster. Once the use of, or more accurately, the abuse of fear was recognized and energized as a control, the path that leadership––or anyone else obsessing about their personal agenda––would choose, far more often than not, has since been forged as a “means to an end” throughout every page of history.

The shifting centers of consciousness, from the clan oriented “group spirit” to the soul that manifested as Ego, meant, from the physical perspective, going from a sense of belonging and the security inherent with being a part of the whole, to what must have felt like, for the first time, being alone. That was exactly, after all, the physical manifestation of the spiritual event that separated us from the “Oneness” of our Creator’s Unconditional Love, to become the innocent child empowered by His Grace, so that we may find our way back, through the choices exercised of our own free will. While in the physical and focused on the “now” though, the onset of that free will overwhelmed us with feelings of being different from those who once seemed so familiar. Consequently and seemingly contrary to the freedom our increasingly independent thought pattern should represent, we subconsciously made every effort to offset our initial sensation of isolation, by seeking out others who were experiencing similar disorientation––if only in the increments suggestive of trail and error––in order to fashion a fresh foundation from which to come to terms with the confusion wrought by all the self doubt our awakening had brought to bear. From this “seeking out” then, as in any commonality or need to belong, grew a social behavior in people heretofore isolated––first in their “oneness” as a group, then in their freedom as individuals––by exploring the irony of Ego, using its recently realized freedom of choice, to establish relationships so soon after giving up the most intimate relationship of all, that of being “One”, and thus proving; freedom lies not in the longing to be apart from, nor in belonging to a part of, but in the choice to do so.

The apparent contradiction of giving up the unity of a group spirit (which all flora and fauna have in common with every other member of their specific species) for belonging to a unified group of individual spirits, only emphasized that the path to spiritual advancement had to navigate through the emotional experiences unique to Ego. It is this transmigration of identity from group spirit to soul, initiating self-actualization through the exercise of free will, that commenced our personal spiritual quest. A journey of discovery and disappointment, ecstasy and heartbreak, expectation and fear, love and hate. Lessons in living, giving, caring and sharing. Growing and learning as an individual through the opportunities that are not available to the blindly led members of a group who don’t possess free will. Life experienced as an Ego would, out of necessity, lead us down paths that are not open to those living by instinct alone.

CHAPTER TWO

2005-09-04T00:24:00.000-05:00

SOCIALIZATION: THE ROOTS

Given the suspicions instinct had instilled, we can imagine the difficulty in accepting a stranger as someone we might have something in common with. Those initial, crude social exchanges however, demonstrated a willingness to lower some long held barriers, if guardedly and briefly at first, to exercise interactions of mutual benefit. As is obvious to this day, trading did not––nor should we believe it was meant to––replace the practice of just taking what you wanted, but did represent a considerable improvement in the life span of those willing to forego hostilities as the only rule of encounter. These interactions, as we will see, eventually lead to more wide spread trade as well as the expansion of the clan / group unit, into tribes of families with shared interests and beliefs. Sharing in fact, was an integral part of these early efforts at socialization.

During their seasonal migrations our nomadic forebears would find ample opportunity to be suspicious of, but also learn from and share with, people that don’t act the same way or speak the same language they do. The tribulations of coming to terms with that was at once both challenging and transforming. First encounters would be entered upon at different levels of intensity depending on the desired or expected outcome. For instance, if it seemed reasonable and beneficial to dominate or control the situation, that stance was quickly assumed, if necessary, fought for and either won or lost. This would result in, of course, a “pecking order” whose observation would be expected at any future meeting of the same two groups, unless otherwise challenged. On the other hand, meeting a group of apparent equal size and strength, might afford an opportunity to awkwardly explore the possibility of a “level playing field”. If those encountered felt the same, fair exchanges might ensue, unless the precarious balance be upset by some infraction of behavior, intended or otherwise, that made one or the other feel slighted in front of his followers, in which case; “all bets were off” while they proceeded to clear up any perceived misconception about a weakness in the other’s camp. If for no other reason, following this prescribed path of growth opened doors that would promote, if not demand, putting values on things, motivating these earliest travelers to look at their way of life differently than ever before.

Our sphere of influence was expanding. As a result, our behavior adapted to a degree of flexibility that might better meet the needs of a rapidly changing world. Everything we knew, and assumed was static, would take on new meaning––and value––when viewed through the eyes of those who were not only unfamiliar with it, but by not taking it for granted, might find it strangely curious or even desirable. While possessions were still regarded largely as status, the notion that trading was less hazardous than fighting was beginning to gain a broader acceptance. Sadly, as is obvious, bartering never has deposed stealing and / or fighting altogether because now, as it was then, if the stakes are high enough “any means necessary” remained the rule. Limited though its first tentative steps were, this harbinger of commerce set the stage for the next leap of the imagination.

Remember, to begin with, the lifestyle of our bedouin-like ancestors, especially those first to embark on that life changing path, imposed limits on how much could be carried to support their daily needs of food and shelter. Trade opportunities among the tribes who followed the migrations and seasonal changes of the varied food sources they relied on were, early on, infrequent at best. Although experience had made the random encounters of these wandering hunters something to be anticipated, one could not know with any certainty when paths might cross and the next opportunity present itself. Trading goods and material were proving more beneficial than any could have possibly guessed. It would appear, with the 20 / 20 vision of hindsight, that solutions to dilemmas follow very closely behind the need, however, the fact has always been, (this Truism’s basis will be made all too obvious sooner than later) that when a need arises, it does so because the solution that will benefit it most, is already at hand. So it was that almost concurrently, two widely separate but accepted aspects of their lifestyle, took on added meaning when viewed as solutions to the singular need of carrying a surplus of provisions to trade and barter with, if given the chance.

The routines of our forebear’s day to day lifestyle, as with any other common behavior, represented generations of trial and error shaping, adapting and influence whose origins stretched back beyond tribal memory. Though ever in a state of flux, because adaptation is ongoing, the practices that might be accepted as the norm, at any given time, rarely resemble or for that matter serve the same purpose as, the thoughts and actions of which they are only a remote vestige of. For example, aside from the comfortable companionship of the long familiar canines we welcomed into our midst millennia earlier, our relationship with the animals we hunted, or competed with for prey, was based solely on survival; i.e. food and shelter. Somewhere in antiquity however, tribes would have found themselves approaching, even collecting and holding, the more docile members of the herds they followed in order to keep their supply closer at hand, hence less trouble and hazardous to take advantage of when needed. Of those numbers, some would come to accept a degree of familiarity from humans, akin perhaps to a dominant male of their own kind. Many of these “live stock” proved an additional benefit by providing various forms of sustenance, i.e. milk and milk products, or in harder times food and clothing. Collectively this precursor to husbandry would come to be called domestication. Who’s to say how agonizingly long it must have taken, during the chore of shepherding their assembled acquisition, until a tribal member lifted the load they had been personally responsible for carrying most of their life, onto the back of one of those animals? Voila´, beasts of burden. A leap of imagination or an act of desperation? Divine inspiration is not accountable to its manifestation, only vice versa. Suddenly, many more things could be acquired and carried. They could take advantage of this curious new act of trading heretofore only dabbled in, for lack of supply. They could move faster and farther. Life as they knew it, had ceased to exist! They had turned a corner on their path. Many new doors of options and opportunities opened ahead of them.

Another behavior whose origins are every bit as obscure, and no doubt older still than domesticating animals, also found its influence and popularity enhanced by the travel and trade, eventually afforded by pack animals. Keeping in mind the priority that instinct placed on procreation, it’s not surprising that personal adornment developed so early and found such varied expression. Witnessing the world around them as they must have, obviously influenced these early progenitors about how the nature of things, especially attracting a suitable mate, demonstrated improved odds if the object of their desire’s attention could be caught and held, captivated if you will, long enough for them to cast their “spell”. All those who were seen to be successful in doing so, stood out among their peers for one or more reasons. The most relied upon method of being more attractive began simply enough by exaggerating existing attributes. For example, using objects fought for, such as relics of a kill, to create pieces to be worn as a statement of prowess, was a practice of the hunter or warrior. This was evidence of a good provider and protector, enough so to make him desirable. Since the males always seemed to be preoccupied with dominance or (in the case of those who couldn’t dominate) exaggeration, it would take some creative imagination to get their attention onto more desirous paths. Personal ornamentation was the perfect fit for everyone who, on the surface anyhow, lacked attributes to exaggerate. That is to say, women––as potential child bearers––proved themselves, by the demands made upon them daily, to have the strength and stamina to be worthy of that task. In order to set themselves apart and be noticed however, a practice of ornamentation developed, probably starting with the accenting of facial features by pigmentation or piercing. With a reasonable degree of certainty, it can be said that articles collected in their immediate environment were used, once they passed the test of effectiveness, individually and in increasingly elaborate combinations. A supply of those things deemed most successful would acquire an intrinsic value based on its availability. (Sound familiar?), the fifty-thousand year old roots of supply and demand.

If a people should discover a source for a particularly sought after object or material, let’s say something that possessed rare beauty as well as durability and portability, they would have good reason to keep its location to themselves. The obvious advantage of such knowledge placed its keeper in a position of leverage when trading encounters presented themselves. Any number of items could meet the criteria, only a few however were small enough to be carried in quantity and still be of a desirable quality. Desirability of course is relevant so an added value would be assessed if the object in question had a wider range of applications than the initial, but still most important, ornamentation. We were, after all, answering that call by instinct to attract attention to ourselves and were just beginning to realize the power of visual incentives to that end. The brighter or more colorful the adornment it seemed, the greater likelihood of the desired outcome. Some things never change.

Whether relying on a few unusual or even uniquely alluring items, or capitalizing on the evolving talents and abilities of fellow tribesmen and what their increased creativity could fashion into marketable resources, trade was translating into a volume of commerce that could not have happened without the advent of domesticating pack animals.

This leap forward not only accommodated our increasing curiosity regarding new and different objects, both utilitarian and fanciful, but enhanced opportunities to hone our social skills by interacting with people of diverse backgrounds. Under the circumstances of a common interest promoted by the acts of trading and bartering, our Ego-centered free will was obliged to at least consider the possibility that, although we were different from everyone else, everyone else might have something to offer. Such a breach of instinct, though rewarding on many levels and a product of our spiritual growth, was not in any way a conscious consideration because suspicions still prevailed, proving the onset of sociability to be nothing less than hard work. If it wasn’t for the “what’s in it for me?” mind-set, attributed to the increasingly “high-maintenance” Ego, we might not have ever approached or accepted interaction outside our own clan, insofar as it involved a level of tolerance and restraint not all were ready to perform at. Continued exposure helped of course, but as we would grudgingly acknowledge, it came easier to some than others. Our still formative personalities were just beginning to diversify toward what would one day be the currently familiar and more accepted character models. Niches were being carved out and occupied even before society took on any form we would recognize today. The “pecking order” hadn’t given up its tenacious grasp, but was at least beginning to allow for layers of agenda, perhaps harbingers to real responsibility, to become more and more identifiable.

So as not to be confused between the purely upbeat pattern representative of spiritual growth and the physical manifestation of our spiritual infancy in the “now” of prehistory, let’s remember to keep things in perspective. In reality, that is, from the Eternal point of view, there is no negative growth. Seeing the positive in the physical world however, could not be expected of the aboriginal tribes from which we’ve evolved. They survived, or not, in a landscape without rules or laws by making it through trial and error, mostly error. Experience had only begun to displace instinct in the most rudimentary ways. The “lessons” learned at the behest of “doors” opening along their “path”, is an adequate physical interpretation of how Divine Guidance, through Eternity, accrues the experience that is the object of our reincarnations and although it may be the common thread in this soliloquy, its relevance to the daily struggles of these primitives will remain beyond the grasp of all but a few, for many countless generations. By definition, “advancement” is positive, and an improvement in the physical lifestyle, but the resulting improvements usually bears little relationship to the reasons that motivated those choices we deem responsible for that advancement to begin with. As is true in either one lifetime, or in the evolution of a race, everything we’ve done, has put us where we are and made us who we are and in turn, prepared us for what ever there is to do next. Experience is the result of transforming our spiritual growth into physical animation and the key to our physical animation being transformed into spiritual growth.

Just as some ancients benefited from their experiences and talents to appropriate the means to make their lives a little easier or more interesting, others who were not so industrious nevertheless found the same assets equally appealing, but on a different level. The “any means necessary” rule of acquisition found fresh fodder along the increasingly popular, if fragmented, trade routes. Improving resources made the stakes worth the risks for those carving out the “unscrupulous” niche. For them, the emerging Ego was floundering on the unsteady legs of its newly realized free will. Wrestling with both “self identity” and the gaining of material things that would set them apart from their peers, made status a priority without regard to any consequences of their actions. In short, conscience had not emerged from among the many unfamiliar emotions they were trying to cope with for the first time. Activities of this nature were common and wide spread making life more challenging, strangers more suspicious and travel perilous. When the rule of the land was spelled “anarchy”, people sought out the means of feeling more secure which, as will be seen, made the next leap of the imagination seem more a natural progression.

The migrating herds of prey animals nomads relied on for nearly every aspect of their sustenance, from food and clothing to tools and weapons, were also a primary source of education, if only by observation. Directly or indirectly, cues were taken from the behavior of these remarkably clever creatures. Millions of years of instinctual migration produced nearly fail proof results when needing to find food and fresh water, even in the harshest of times where prolonged drought might have left the land barren. During periods of extreme geologic and climatic fluctuations however, the instincts that had sustained many species prevented them from adapting and entire populations of those, especially nearer polar latitudes, were lost. Man’s curiosity, emboldened by the issuance of free will, proved anything if adaptable and so, along with some of the most robust herds managed to eke out an existence through even the most challenging of times while being Divinely led to the opportunities presented by these extreme conditions, i.e. land bridges exposed by lower sea levels, to populate virgin territories on nearly every continent.

Despite our penchant for adaptability and moving in concert with lessons gleaned through prudent observation, the early practice of trade was indeed a challenge worthy of the proof that Divine Guidance is, in fact, an Eternal Truth beyond dispute. So many things we take for granted in our “now” are mere echoes of countless trials from far beyond our oldest race memories. Incidents and activities still fresh in the Eternal have been blurred and long removed in the physical so that we might move on instead of dwelling on things we can’t change. For example, the prerequisite and then freshman years, as it were, to socialization were bloody, crippling, instinct driven horrendous encounters whose survival was the only measurable success. That being said only to make the point that behavior evolved, as did every other aspect of the natural world, and its earliest manifestations, though not memorable, at least served as a base against which experience had clearly defined reasons to consider alternatives! The eventual acceptance that people who are different may not only have something to offer but that it may be something of value, laid the foundation for encounters that displayed the promise of being mutually beneficial. Once that possibility began to bare fruit, each subsequent meeting, with the same people anyhow, was anticipated with a common hope of gain rather than as a threat. Being comfortable during such events has never been assured, even now, but having overcome at least the initial instinctual suspicions long enough to establish a neutral posture on common ground, as if by Divine Appointment, trading and social interaction could commence. In addition to the natural and fashioned material and tools, fast becoming a staple at these exchanges, this remote point in time found the roots of tradition growing deep in pre-societal proprieties. Property traded included a “commodity” who had no say so with regards to their demise or future. Females, related and otherwise, were included as bargaining chips because of the control males had over the tribe, and though women were considered valuable, their worth lay in what they could do rather who they were. Their status did not allow them to own anything, so the only position open to them was to be owned. The newly realized Ego gave the male aggressor fresh avenues along which to animate his self-serving nature where as the female, with a nurturing instinct to begin with, was too easily shaped into servitude.

There were many reasons to linger at such encampments, even after each had benefited from whatever exchanges brought them together. Although bartering was a pastime many property holders were interested in pursuing to proficiency, it was realized that wouldn’t happen until their degree of understanding each other improved incrementally. These occasions then proved fertile ground for experimenting in language, not consciously mind you because that sort of asserted focus would have required a depth of imagination that was not yet theirs. So, it was a daunting task as people came together, each with their own unique word-age or symbols regarding shared ideas or materials. In order to accomplish the desired results in any transaction it was imperative the parties understand clearly the conditions expected and what it would take to see them through to their satisfactory conclusion. There’s no doubt though that self promotion played a key role in seeing this through to a working, if not perfect solution, especially since it wasn’t long before the value of embellishment was seen to add to an item’s interest. Each were moving toward creating a niche for their own agenda, which when practiced in common, represented the forerunner of real commerce.

Communication, of course, required more than language skills. As a result our behavior had to become flexible enough to embrace restraint and control which meant inhibiting those ever present instinctive urges. Individuals who enjoyed an early measure of success with this were likely more observant than their peers and, on a subconscious level, took into account the subtle body language that belied exhibited expectations. Though probably unaware of underlying concerns or agendas this faculty was a guide to problem solving for them. It could be said with some certainty, people of this inclination may have, in fact, had something to do with the demonstration of a behavior that assumes to be the groundwork for rules by which to practice the exchange of goods and services. In hindsight, out of those tentative casual meetings and simple agreements evolved, not just rules of fair trade but everything they have come to represent, from a code of conduct or gentlemen's agreement up to and including that fine line between right and wrong defined as conscience. All of these of course, and the diligent exercise of them, heralded the first laws (if still unwritten) in a lawless world. If that seems a stretch of the imagination, it’s not, it’s a leap, albeit a slow one.

Discerning the right and wrong of social behavior on the other hand, proved even slower and more elusive. Still, attempts at conforming, by all who perceived the gain therein, bore witness to the importance placed on it. There seemed to be an urgency to come to terms with socializing peacefully during the interactions at trading places. Though the resistance to accepting others as peers was instinctive, the relationships formed through trading experiences exemplified our innate need to be included, which in turn personified what was already the basis for rules that seemingly added structure to, and addressed a void in, the lives of the emotionally bereft who were holding out for some promise of its application to their confusion. Those conducting the business affairs did not attend these gatherings alone you see, but were naturally accompanied by their families if not an entire clan. Among those members of participating groups who were not active in the trade, that is to say as neither a trader or commodity, might have been a few who felt left out, or worse. Once old enough to be included yet denied any part in the activity, bewildered non-participants wandered the outskirts of these occasions, looking for some form of inclusiveness that they could translate into being needed. Many of those found places outside the “order of business” to exercise their Ego’s growing sense of self in a way that tested other’s acceptance of them. The expression of our individual identities however, conflicted with our desires to be included, but as a part of something else and perhaps lacking the conviction of assurance, we allowed our concern with how others saw us shape the way we felt about ourselves. It was still quite early in the formative generation of personality niches and our speed along the path of social graces barely lifted the needle off the pin that represented “zero rpm”, largely because we didn’t know any better than to expect acceptance, without expending any reciprocal accepting gesture and possibly for the first time wonder, the now universal refrain, “what’s wrong with me?”.

One of the most obvious habits to surface as a result of free will and as demonstrated through the active pursuit of being accepted, is the change in the habits of procreation, no longer a seasonal event but one of opportunity. It can be said without too much argument, that the desire to be wanted was strong enough to prompt the emotionally disparate into giving of themselves, in return for what they thought they needed. What they found was a one way street to a detour for those willing to be used, quickly filing through a niche occupied by users. So in the background of events that were shaping the future of marketing, however haphazardly, some of the non-players who were convinced to think of themselves as less than a commodity, carved out a place to be needed on their detour where fair consideration of what they had to offer might find some recompense, blurring the boundary between used and user, while creating a niche of their own.

Also looking for their due consideration, and adopting a modicum of tolerance for their distaste of crowds in the process, were contributors from distant lands not in proximity of a migratory route and thus lacking all but the most infrequent opportunities of trade. The more stressful circumstances of having traveled much longer and thus usually into more unfamiliar territories, defined what each attendee in general encountered, if to a lesser degree, in referencing their desire to participate outweighing the degree of difficulty inherent with making it happen. So the need to get along with each other while conducting business, increased in proportion to the dangers and hardships they experienced collectively during their individual travels, in support of this common purpose. The cost of travel was, under the best of conditions, paid in both time and pain. Too often the cost was so great that family members died enroute, usually in defense of the very property they rested their entire future on. Is it any wonder then that many, particularly those losing so much they were left defenseless or without anything to defend, resisted moving away from the relative safety in numbers this respite offered, just to return to the daily routine of known and unknown threats that now, in their weakened state, foreboded an almost certain death sentence. From that perspective it should go without saying, the semi-structured manner of each gathering seemed safe haven compared to the lawlessness found so prevalent outside its perimeter. Given attitudes growing conducive to accepting and practicing a change in behavior and a willingness to cling to the perception of security found around the encampments fostering this new penchant, it’s easy to understand why remaining in one place seemed attractive to some when weighed against the physical hardships of the alternative. Relative security, safety in numbers. The next leap forward was at hand and once again, the parties involved were prepared by all that had come before them in their experience.

It’s likely many rudimentary settlements were contrived from this premise. There were those, after all, who had no more to lose and others who had a lot to offer by abandoning the nomadic lifestyle of their forebears. For example, the feeble who no longer traveled easily, as well as any who had lost all means of travel, in addition to those whose imagination had been led to produce goods marketable from raw materials readily available around the area in question. Collectively they either found a need to stay or realized an opportunity to fill a demand with what they had to offer. Regardless of the reasons or backgrounds manifested as choices or experiences, the paths each had been so intricately led along during so many incarnations already, brought them all to this door through which lay advancements they could not have been prepared for in any other way except by Divine Guidance. Accordingly, adapting to this semblance of permanence suited an extreme variety of souls to a T. Actually, our spiritual growth was ripe for this, as evidenced by more and more members of tribes far and wide having long been trying to express the unique independent identities their adolescent Egos were grooming in preparation for just such an opportunity to separate themselves from the unit or group they and their ancestors had been associated with for countless generations. Whether serendipitously parallel or being commonly guided, the millennia long span of time during which temporary trading camps transitioned into collections of more or less permanent dwellings provided seekers, according to their readiness, ample niches to begin establishing themselves independently or, if guided to be outcasts, into new sources of dependance. For the doubters of the Divinely Guided scenario, they’ll still have to agree, one (permanent settlement), could not have happened without the other, (individuals of some independence, outside the clan mindset and tradition). In the tired and overplayed “chicken before the egg” refrain, nay-sayers will always plead ignorance and perpetuate the notion; we don’t need to know everything. In the light of Truth however, those of that ilk have yet to reach the point on their path where the clarity of Eternal perspective outshines the before and after of the “now”.

CHAPTER THREE

2005-09-04T00:22:00.000-05:00

SOCIALIZATION: FOR BEGINNERS

Once set in motion, the intent of permanence took relatively few generations to be actualized. The pervading challenges found in these pre-village environs fostered a supply and demand approach to nearly every need and was soon met with a rate of expansion toward satisfying that cause with a response not witnessed before. Even in the beginning, location was everything. It was no accident, even from the narrow perspective the “now”, that these settlements should spring up near bodies of fresh water. Besides the obvious use for personal and livestock demands, its proximity enhanced the chances of a successful hunt and provided fertile ground for the wild grass seeds collected for the consideration of cultivation. All the vital steps along the path of socialization, including the continued enhancement of trade, would require the utilization of water, more to the point, fresh moving water such as a river or tributary system. Finding themselves dependent on the resources available in the region they’ve settled, challenged their adaptive qualities daily in a way that, in time, established routines that would evolve into standards identifiable as indigenous to those people, of that area. Being independent of the familiarity and wisdom of a clan elder, summoned latent talents from the depths of souls that might not have been realized under less stressful circumstances. Imaginations were exercised to meet the most basic of needs. Group memories and time honored lore had to be recalled, sometimes in detail, when searching out remedies and potions for the protection or health of anyone who may fall victim to any one of a variety of potential illnesses waiting for a host to fulfill its own Divinely Guided life cycle. A few, we can be sure, creatively filled that dispensatory niche as medicinal requirements presented themselves, and moved ever slowly toward the initiation of one of the many manifestations pharmacology would assume, before sophistication and regimen usurped a long history of already proven successes.

Finding an identity as an individual, setting ones self apart from the rest came easily, especially for any who looked to prosper by doing whatever they did best. As in the case of the “neo-medicine men”, many brought with them a predilection to specific tasks that had benefited the clan they were disavowing themselves of. Whether it was tool or weapon making, hunting or trapping , no ability that justified a contribution was left untapped. In spite of expected overlapping in service oriented skills, little would be wasted. Competition for a share of any available resource, from its initial acquisition through its demonstration and application, was no doubt pivotal in keeping the population of these very earliest wannabe settlements from growing beyond the ability to supply the demand. Any who could contribute, that is to say provide anything that someone else needed, found a means by which to survive.

Before we get too far away from the first generation of our societal ancestry, let’s not forget that while the extended family of the tribe or clan represented many parts working as a unit toward their common long term survival, any real progress or success relied on individuals of that unit, whose most prominent talent was finding ways to make everything done by the group easier, as well as realizing new uses for things already at hand. It can only be assumed, it was these more imaginative souls who first sensed the attraction of leaving the comfort zone of a close knit clan environment, for the uncertainty of unrealized opportunities waiting at the “entry level position” of an untested but possibly promising type of a very “un-clan-ish” unit. As averred to repeatedly then; “the Ego’s need to express itself was the driving force behind leaving a relationship in which it was part of a unit”, to one, in this case, in which it could be recognized as standing on its own––if still part of a group––providing for itself and those it chose to take responsibility for. This need, of course, manifested itself in countless ways, many of which will be addressed herein because it was at this point on the “now” time line that history, as academia has come to accept it, is considered to have moved out of “pre-history”. Would-be villagers had little else in mind except personal gain or the desire, consciously or otherwise, to be in control of their own future in more or less stable surroundings. The ability to provide a product or service in trade to travelers or fellow settlers whose talents may lay elsewhere––and vice versa––, though very rudimentary at first, is called commerce and represented a huge step, indeed a leap, away from doing everything yourself. Specialization brought, through Divine Guidance, a myriad of talents to the surface of those souls yearning for an expression of individuality. The doors on the paths leading into socialization were standing wide open, each offering countless unrealized opportunities for these pioneers of domestication.

The birth or origin of community, with all the contractions and labor pains inherent to any birth, was a totally unique exercise for all who chose to engage it. Life for those intrepid vanguards would never, ever be the same. For example, though consciously appropriating a radical change in life style for the sake of independence, they were unconsciously exchanging one social group for another. In effect, their efforts to realize individual identities, would necessarily set them among others who wanted the same thing, hence a commonality for individuality, giving rise to the false impression that being different meant leaving common goals behind, when actually, the new commonality of community relied on individuals who all wanted the same thing.

Among other things, the undertaking of this shift in our perception of the world around us was not only necessary but justified, with regard to the narrowing of our field of vision. Justified, because the awakening Ego needed to focus on “self” in order to begin the quest its manifestation was born to, that of discovering who we are and why we are, even if those questions are still thousands of generations away from being asked for the first time.

So, we may beg to ask, this question, here; was this a step forward on some unseen path or should it be considered a natural physical anomaly, that could have been expected to happen at any time and having done so, be nothing more than progress? The answer, of course, is; Yes and Yes! First of all, advancement must be encountered of our own free will, not as a flock that has been led without learning by experience, and secondly, forward is the only direction there is. To any who have not lived it, the end of the path may not appear any different than the beginning. Consequently, only through self-awareness is it revealed that the path represents growth affected through experience.

To put it another way, the difference between “unit” and “unity” is the “why?”. In this analogy to the path “unit” is the race group spirit (or beginning) out of which the Ego evolved and “unity” is the consummate spirituality (or end) denoting our “at- one-ness” with God, wholly dependent on our discarding of Ego. So, why?, Ego is the vehicle carrying the soul through the physical experiences of our spiritual growth. We are after all, “spiritual beings having physical experiences”, not physical beings having spiritual experiences as most have come to accept and believe. The levels of awareness in that regard, that is while in the physical, are as varied and complex as we might find around any specific event where there are a multitude of eye witness accounts. No two are going to be alike and in many cases they would contradict each other. Although the goal, or end of the path, and the attitudes necessary to reach it might be agreed upon in broad generalities, the line separating right from wrong remains incongruous for most. It’s because of this lack of focus, even among spiritual beings who know better, that The Truth be reiterated through tribulation in the physical. So why shouldn’t that vital step seen as community, be anything less than the contraction of “common” and “unity”?

In case it’s not already obvious, it may prove valuable at this point to underscore the fact that; spiritual insight prompts physical advancement only after all the proper requirements have been met to assure the unimpeded period of growth necessary to manifest the essence of the revelation into its physical form. Taking advantage of that revelation and allowing ourselves to be guided by its impetus, spiritual insight, in order to fulfill the manifestation we have been selected to reveal, is a choice we make every day, big and small, but rest assured there will never be a test put upon us we are unable to perform. Divine Guidance, in all its omniscience, born out of the perspective unique to eternity, injects into our physical experience every resource, every piece of the puzzle we need, long before we’re aware of the approaching challenge itself. There are, therefore, an infinite number of paths to The Truth we all seek. Community, eventually unfolds on everyone's path. Those occasional gatherings that began to gel into degrees of permanence did so for different people at different times and in accordance with their individual spiritual maturation. Consequently, and concurrent to the wide spread development of village communities, the clan / tribe group way of life has continued to this day, in its many forms, to serve a diverse spectrum of the growing population’s spirituality as it contributes its own age-old perspective to the world consciousness.

The relevance or benefits of such contributing factors are real, but can only be measured by the degree to which we understand our own place, in relation to where we’ve been and the direction in which we’re going. That degree of understanding, as the reader may only now be approaching, comes more readily after giving up some of what we’ve been taught to believe by the most well intentioned and learned influences in our lives. In-sight, does not come from the out-side. It isn’t taught, it’s experienced and once recognized, more familiar with each encounter. Its source is not carnal, but eternal. Turning our focus from outward to inward opens the venue where insight awaits to share the understanding that, through diligent practice, reveals the eternal Truths expediting our return to at-one-ment. Understanding leads to the essentials that will enable us to accept all things for what they are and what they mean to us with regard to the Divinely Guided plan unfolding for everyone. That’s where understanding is taking us, individually and collectively.

To appreciate it to the fullest we must return, as we will often do, to its roots when fledgling villagers were struggling with the concept of, or more accurately for them, the practice of cooperation. Examining the process, as best we can imagine it, of developing the graces of social behavior, required, first of all, the extreme desire to make what they were trying to do, work. Now, the rules of engagement, so to speak, were probably on a much more subtle level; i.e., you either conducted yourself in a certain way or you weren’t included. It can be very simple, and likely was, when need be. These patterns of behavior were not new to the communal pioneers, but their practice with strangers and/or prospective neighbors, added a factor of reservation not necessary on a daily basis among the family groups of their nomadic past. Interaction was in its formative stages and no doubt relied more on reaction, to an anticipated action, to maintain the upper hand on any given encounter. Body language always played a major role in how people treated each other, you’re either put at ease or on edge by the way someone acts, especially on your first impression. This seeming intuition was in fact little more than a slightly evolved pecking order. The tempering of our ancient suspicions were barely perceptible as we made an effort to approach every new challenge with as open a mind as our primitive emotions would permit. All who wanted to get along well enough to make this fresh start work soon grasped the obvious. The rewards of a fair trade increased the desire to enjoy the relative comfort it afforded, and combined with the increased health benefits of not being contentious or acting out rivalries, dissidence began taking a back seat to acceptance, cooperation, equality and even patience, although the latter two left a bad taste, more often than not. In any case, the ground work was being laid so that anyone, who so chose, could live by a code of conduct that involved giving up something (compromise), in order to coexist in relative harmony.

It might be noted at this point that it speaks volumes to the length ego will go in its search for independence, by alienating itself from family only to seek acceptance from strangers. Oddly, if this were a conscious emotional choice, it seems we would give up more to get less and still consider ourselves ahead of the game. Not only did this happen during the adolescence of our spirituality, but it remains the bench mark of every adolescent, everywhere, since. As far as our spiritual growth is concerned however, what on the surface appears to be a personal sacrifice, and very risky, sets the tone as a prerequisite on our Divinely Guided path for transitioning from clan to village life. If that advance, like many on our path, relied on our cognizant choosing to do so, far fewer would have been ready to commit to such a demanding undertaking. Everything was so different from the life they knew before. Additionally, behavior is a learned trait so, it would have been much less stressful to remain in that comfort zone of being a nomad among peers whose notions were so familiar you collectively acted as one, instead of taking the chance of failing as an individual. These ancient ancestors were explorers in as much as they were embarking into unfamiliar, uncharted territories. They abandoned the daily routine of making and breaking camp in order to follow the migrating herds or seasons along trails they grew up on, just as did countless generations before them. The ritual chores tended to without thought from one dawn to the next and governed only by the phases of the moon and sun, were largely left by the way side, while the customary was given up, for trade with the customer. Relinquishing long held traditions, to impress upon strangers their need for your services and products offered in exchange. Anyone who considered this radical shift in thought and behavior patterns to be worth the risk, necessary or even attractive––and pursued it to any degree of success––were the “point men” of truly independent thought. They had exhibited perhaps for the first time, forethought, by demonstrating the ability, albeit undeveloped, to lay plans that would affect their desired results in order to achieve a long range goal. Mankind was stepping out of their day to day subsistence into living for a future that, with forethought, realized promise.

“The best laid plans” are, at best, a physical compilation of our worldly considerations regarding the future outcome of some material goal we expect to conform to a specified criteria, not only of our own design but by our own time table. Such is the illusion we live by, given the narrowest of perspectives afforded in the “now”. Little wonder we refuse to accept that the most brilliant designs are fraught with every imaginable impedance fully intended to discourage and undermine any who aren’t ready for the responsibility of being unique. Clearly, most who last long enough to overcome the obstacles inherent with blazing a trail, were unique in and of themselves to be begin with, and by the nature of their mindset enhanced, during those trying times, qualities like perseverance and patience. Change, by definition is unsettling, even when one has some idea of what to expect, and has prepared accordingly. To be among the very first to commit everything you call your own toward something that wont even exist until you, by sheer will, bring it into being, doesn’t just set you apart from your peers, it deems you worthy of being followed.

The vast majority who fit that mold and lead in that manner don’t do so with the consciousness or appreciation that Divine Guidance has paved their way. Our focus is too limited by the desire to be recognized as responsible for all we lay claim to, to even entertain the possibility that; the only means by which any opportunity manifests itself in the physical, is that all the requirements to do so had first been met spiritually and entirely devoid of any personal input on our part. Nothing happens without, that hasn’t first happened within. Every illustration of blind faith––stepping out without any guarantee of the outcome––when in concert with Divine Direction demonstrates itself as imaginative resourcefulness, in ways dreamers could be reassured they were not only on the right track, but that it was taking them somewhere no one had gone before. By the same token, every attempt to produce results outside the framework of any Divine support, inexplicably fails to meet any and all aspirations. Spiritually, though unwittingly, those at this juncture of their path are surrendering to the Ego’s free will and its tendency to move away from anything that wants to control it; i.e. the clan / tribe patriarch. In truth, their actions weren’t by choice as much as they were integral to their introduction of awareness. The souls positioned at this threshold of advancement were exposed to levels of consciousness mankind had no memory of. The guidance offered from this point on the path would, for the most part, indulge all emotional extremes, in every imaginable capacity social interaction would bring to bear, from the loathsome dregs to demeanors of the highest measure of integrity.

This was, in every sense, the beginning of the ego’s education and our first assignment was to deceive ourselves into believing we were in control of it all! Our being thoroughly immersed in that delusion has been carried to extremes of its own, by the characterizations we’ve imagined ourselves fitting into. We had to allow the charade to continue long enough, even into modern times, until our repertoire included those God-like qualities of passing judgment on others, deciding who would be permitted to live or die––and under what circumstances––, “creating” new life forms unsupported by any spiritual frame work, thus unable to reproduce. Once having put ourselves on such lofty pedestals, we certainly couldn’t be expected to answer to anyone. Rising to be equal to God, would be the apex from which we had to fall, through our travails with emotion, in order to be “one” with God. At long last, it would be from these ancient origins, perhaps at the behest of our fading memory of each incarnation’s experience, that we would forevermore look back at and wonder, “where did this ego trip we’re on, get started?”. “How did we ever get ourselves into this mess?”. Well, the trip isn’t so much about our hat size or our finding a way out of a dilemma, as it is a quest for The Truth of our being. Even though everything that’s happened since that very first tenuous step has led irrevocably toward that Truth, we have been allowed but the briefest of glimpses regarding the Divine Plan behind any of it and then, only on a need to know basis. Knowing it when we do see it, furthermore, has been a serious matter of contention among even like-minded souls through time immemorial and deserves a thorough consideration of its own at a more appropriate point in this discourse.

CHAPTER FOUR

2005-09-04T00:20:00.000-05:00

INTERMEDIATE SOCIALIZATION

Not in spite of, but by virtue of, the absence of self-discipline and the incognizance of self-divinity, we floundered into our “entry level” positions of relationship experiences, the whole of which would constitute our paths curriculum throughout the remainder of our physical incarnations. Having now examined some of the framework (from the eternal perspective), we can return once again to what is manifest and witness that each day brought a host of challenges for the newly settled former nomads to overcome, and since adaptation was the rule of thumb applied to lifestyle choices during these formative years, the reasons for doing anything one way or another weren’t so much conscious decisions as they were following the physical path of least resistance. In this manner, our behavior varied widely depending on our surroundings and availability of resources, especially food and shelter. It’s obvious that when people came together in locations where all the necessary supplies were not plentiful year around, they would learn to rely on their trade-ability with each other, and travelers passing through, to fill the larder with essentials not found locally. The inclination toward compromise––to adapt rather than aggrieve, to include instead of preclude––made the wannabe villagers the exception to that chaos the rest of humanity was struggling to survive. Case in point, those ancients who had advanced the characteristics that enabled tolerance, no doubt the most beneficial position––considering all the possible circumstances––at that time, were counted among the very few in a population whose normal level of civility was otherwise quite barbaric. The next “best” of us were still savages. Where vast “virgin” areas of the globe harbored an abundance of everything needed to thrive, the clan / tribe group populations could swell into the thousands before becoming so innumerable that a division of its members might be considered a reasonable solution logistically, if nothing else. The diversity of sheer numbers satisfied the ego identity that individuals sought by disassociating from the family size clan group. Not too surprisingly though, when groups did split––for whatever reason––whether obvious or underlying, trivial or paramount, such dispersals were often the result of personal differences anyhow, rather than a lack of natural resources. Subsequent and ongoing divergence fostered wide dispersion of common languages and practices into loosely knit and borderless nations of related people. This too was neither by design of mere mortals or accidental, but simply another path along which opportunities for The Truth would be realized. In the tribal scenario, and from the worldly view of it, the occasional divarication often seemed little more than a knee jerk reaction to a personal affront when actually, and naturally, ego’s independence was being exercised in those personalities who were growing comfortable with making decisions. Additionally, and as might be expected, the standouts among their peers had and would continue to gain a following of all who were practicing in the least resistance mode, creating the “leader / follower” niche that would evolve into something more resembling a team while moving away from the otherwise strictly adhered to pecking order. Groups large and small, in whatever guise, eventually discovered the opportunities and means to span continents, cross temporary land bridges and even venture into open water to populate every corner of our planet.

These two widely disparate means of defining mankind's future produced, or perhaps themselves were defined by, habits of thought or aspiration that a more complex society, imbued with the delusion to do so, might label logical and abstract. The first, as we’ve seen, were those who adapted, for all intents and purposes, to remaining in one place––settling down––and preferring the company of strangers (or at least grow comfortable with the efforts of making new relationships). They would by the nature of their behavior create positions that out of necessity evolved into structured layers of social classes. The simple lack of provision made trading the only long term choice “settlers” had. Practicing the required forethought and planning to organize communities, set these individuals on the road to logic. Imagine, if you can, some of the challenges confronting our ancestors as they struggled to give meaning to every action, so that at some point there might be a consistency in reaction, allowing for a growing reliability of expectations. Planning was critical, but without knowing what to expect, impossible. Consistency beget rules, rules beget all that has happened since, including rule makers and rule enforcers. The emerging mindset of settlers attempting to find common ground on which to agree regarding fair trade, as a precursor to commerce, was indeed the fount from which Divine Guidance engendered organized behavior and logic into what we would one day be so bold to classify as; civility. To reiterate, these planners and thinkers were in a minority and their proclivity to logic, while being the fertile ground from which so much of our culture would grow, had little or no immediate advantage over the tribal pecking order that flourished in areas where abundance allowed self-sufficiency and unlimited growth.

In addition to the prevailing resources, a tribes viability and proliferation was more or less secure in the safety of numbers. Not the least of their concerns were confrontations––raids against, or in defense––from other groups, related or not, setting the tone for much of what shaped our views about people who are different than we are. Remember that even before we were cognizant, small family clans needed to hold on to what ever they could collectively hunt or gather and viewed with suspicion any stranger that could pose a threat to the security those supplies represented. This wasn’t paranoia (yet), it was a well placed instinct, called survival. There will be much more about instinct, especially “the original one”, when our focus falls on yet another “now” of the time line.

The tribal mindset, perpetuated from misty origins, was both a product of and accountable to the oral record whose chronicling of experiences and knowledge of times past, was considered to be the foundation for and the judge of a belief system against which they would measure all manner of behavior. The elders were the keepers of the lore and in the absence of written language, verbally passed on tribal history from one generation to the next. They were consulted on every aspect of daily life and routine, in many cases hardly a decision was made without their guidance. They were the rule makers among savages, still, few if any questioned them. The source of the power they enjoyed over their peers manifested as imagination. Souls incarnate as elders were the same ones that started out millennia earlier recording daily life on cave walls. So, the individual who rose to the role of “elder” chronologically, was indeed experienced with spiritual advancement as well, and as an “old soul” had much to share with regards to the path their tribe was on. They were spiritual enough to know inspiration and physical enough to see it all around them. It took the abstract mind, with imagination, to see its place in nature. By applying habits of behavior observed in the natural world around them they acquired knowledge, beneficial and otherwise, such as the nutritional and medicinal properties of plants and minerals at hand, or the cyclical migrations of bodies as varied as locust and stars. Healing the sick and divining the future made them a tribes most valuable asset and assured their place of prominence second only to the chieftain who, not surprisingly, also relied heavily on their judgment. Seeing nature for what it truly was, (something to be a part of, instead of apart from, something to use, instead of abuse), these ancients, each time they returned to the physical to resume their quest, would set a course others found good reason to follow. Their observation and recounting of particular physical behaviors and experiences would provide specific enough details––along with chronicling the movement of heavenly bodies––to establish relationships between those recurring celestial patterns and the natural world around them. So much so, by Divine Design, that eventually these patterns of star groups were assigned familiar figures whose known behavior characteristics could be attributed to, or at least identified with, witnessed worldly experiences. In this way historical lore took on a familiarity we could relate to and thus more easily share with subsequent generations.

CHAPTER FIVE

2005-09-04T00:18:00.000-05:00

ADVANCED SOCIALIZATION

Recognizing compatibility in the grand scheme of the world, believing and making real those things both seen and unseen, the abstract mind represented one side of a parallel track, followed for the most part by those conjoined with their surroundings, sustained by the abundance they found on their global wanderlust. The other side of that track, the logical mind, believing little else but what it could hold in its hands, labored with assigning meaning to the varied proceedings of daily social interaction and trade, for the sake of consistency, in communities where lack put an edge on planning. With such a narrow focus, the good fortune empowered by Divine Guidance became more ego-centric as we grew increasingly comfortable with the notion we were responsible for all positive results and more than happy to take the credit, further undermining and weakening Truth’s grip for most everyone caught up in the budding village agenda. This pair of track, parallel in the “now”, seemingly comes together at the horizon, but the horizon seems forever out of reach as humankind’s return to oneness is set in a pattern of diametrically opposed view points; abstract and logical. The horizon is not in the “now”, in the sense of where we’re at, but represents the future––where we’re going––and rest assured, Divine Guidance has unity––or a coming together––on our horizon, that is, in everyone's future.

In the “now” however, each path traveled––and there are as many and they are as diverse, as there are individuals––all share the common theme about The Truth, only to manifest as opposing view points for the benefit of exercising free will. Lessons are not learned unless there is a choice to be made and learned more readily, for all intents and purposes, when it’s the “wrong” choice! In the Divine Universe that is Creation, in which we are all one, there is no “wrong”! Our perception of what we call wrong, even the concept of it, is only another example, albeit the most popular one, of adverse views about the same event, or about anything, or about everything. Parallel tracks going to a single destination, by definition never coming together except at the illusory horizon. Every experience, real or imagined, has two definable sides that have come to be variously described as; pro and con, black and white, optimistic and pessimistic, positive and negative, etc., each at odds with itself, representing nothing more than the opportunity to choose. These choices, faced along each step of everyone’s path aren’t so much about direction as they are attitude. Regardless of how we proceed or how it appears we do, our direction is always forward, if rarely intentional. Divine inspiration moves us from one point to the next, encountering each enhancement or challenge as we are prepared to do so and not one modicum before. The decisions that accrue into experience are about our attitude, the way we choose to look at every chance for advancement. No situation has a light or dark side except what our discernment would have us believe is so. How we move through it depends on whether we’re positive or negative in our view of it. The more negative we are, the slower we move. Some of us are so negative, so much of the time about everything, it seems we’re standing still or even moving backward. Our spiritual growth is empowered by light (positive attitudes and optimism). Be assured each individual “will see the light” in his or her own time, for if it were possible to do so before we were ready, it would not be accompanied by comprehension. The Truth is already in us, seek not for outside demonstration.

Abstract and logical, whether as an approach to making choices or about how opportunities influence lifestyles, each in its own way allows for a purposeful basis from which its growing genre can extrapolate, or at least foresee, the directions that daily concerns might take. From this “square one” position, each way of thinking evolved along its own convoluted path and on the one hand, without intending to oversimplify or generalize, came to be populated by creative free-thinking souls, while on the other, saw regimented more disciplined types, who lived to control as many aspects of their life as needed, to justify their insistence on consistency in order to plan ahead effectively. Even though the means of approach described here fit neatly into what today has become distinct schools of thought, our historical view of them, as related to the savage mind, is represented only as embryonic attempts at establishing rational thought processes in spite of the chaos around them and the instinct for survival. From this womb of thought form, each took their direction from their surroundings and through their interactions, but unconsciously defined the ground rules that would forevermore classify otherwise perfectly normal beings by how they chose to view the obvious. Our selective witnessing and even more selective memory didn’t have selfish origins but simply was emblematic of how individuals––freedom seeking egos––can see exactly what they want in any situation regardless of the conclusions of others, who upon witnessing the same event, might recall the “facts” as something entirely different, because they too have seen it precisely the way it best suits them. More malleable than the witness, is their long-term memory. The further removed we are from the actual event, the longer we have to allow it to conform to our personal predilection, and what ever slant that assumes, the more self serving it becomes. Quite unintentionally, we shape the echoes of activities in our minds so as to pose the least objectionable image or record of what actually happened. This is a self defense mechanism that protects us against going stark raving mad by being overwhelmed with the emotions––which were new to our kind to begin with––invoked by the unimaginably inhumane characteristic behavior, of the barbarians we fondly refer to as our ancestors. From these earliest events and throughout all the millennia since, it’s been the differences in the way we see the same things that have kept us far enough apart to regard each other with suspicion, alienate those who refuse to think the way we do and wage war with any who try to impose their way of thinking on us. Not too surprisingly then, encounters between those of opposing views might find common ground elusive, or shaky at best, and easier to avoid rather than admit a possible error in judgment––sure to be perceived as a weakness––any compromise might suggest. So, the evolution of thought was well on its road to confusing the simple lives of our forebears and though tolerance and compromise itself would find an occasional respite among the confrontations loosely called social behavior, the chasm that separated these parallel tracks could never prove to be wide or deep enough to stunt anyone's spiritual growth.

All who survived, or even flourished, by living as if it were possible to be one with nature found fewer material or resource obstacles on their path, as long as emotions didn’t get in the way. Obviously they would though, and still do of course, because dismissing feelings is not only a lot to ask of savages, who relied entirely on prowess to gain and keep all property used to exemplify their status among peers, it’s unreasonable to expect of anyone who places too much emphasis on what other people think. Even so, the tribal lifestyle offered a means of appreciating our true nature, while in the confines of a village, those engrossed in defining cultural parameters to project their influence, were refining what might have been the first addiction, “greed”! In spite of distinct and innumerable differences, the common thread almost entirely unique to our species, is emotion. We can say; “almost entirely”, because the nurturing instinct witnessed in nature so closely resembles the purest of love, that we can’t entirely rule out the possibility it is. In any case, we can be sure love is the first emotion we experience (from our being nurtured) even if it’s the last we embrace with understanding. Our enunciation of free will added a lot more to our repertoire than the right to choose, because choices can’t be made without consequences, and although facing up to any responsibility inherent to that was beyond the scope of the average savage, it had to start somewhere. People who are open minded enough to know their way of thinking isn’t suitable for everybody and additionally, recognize those who do think differently as someone of worth, have the capacity to demonstrate respect, compassion and sympathy. “In the beginning”, these faculties found little favor however, because their practice could be interpreted as a weakness at a time in our history when every advantage was taken to dominate. No wonder then, what evolved from these beginnings was a belief system that thinks nothing of taking advantage of anyone who shows empathy toward another. As has become obvious, the older any belief system the more likely we are to accept it as fact, making it difficult to deny even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Because of the nurturing instinct and its apparent capacity for compassion and sympathy, women have long exhibited behavior that is interpreted as a weakness and thus are considered the weaker sex. This mind set is so old that many women themselves have come to think of it as true. These misguided notions have been promoted from the earliest of times by the physically dominant of our kind, when equating attributes of character with those of physical stature, at the same time learning that; if you tell someone something often enough, they’ll start believing it. It would seem the child bearing half of humanity has “enjoyed” the most familiarity with emotions––including and especially the positive ones; whereas it was expected of them to care for others––while coping with expressing the full spectrum of feelings that were overwhelming the senses of all newly free-thinking souls.

The confusion that these mixed feelings wrought on the otherwise deliberate behavior of our usually single minded primitives, was due largely to the fact that any consideration of each other, for any reason, was based solely on our impression of the physical characteristics relevant to the situation. That is to say, before we realized others might be wrestling with the same questions we had only recently become aware of ourselves, the outcomes of interactions relied on body language. Once it was clear we were not the only ones who knew things like fear, for example, and how it’s consequences felt, it was only a matter of time until we learned why not to show it and how to impart it to our advantage. Denial of what was going on inside was easy, since it wasn’t readily understood, and the associated visual clues from it were already interpreted as the body language part of the more comfortable and time tested physical stature judgments. That is to say, it wasn’t our habit to over think matters anyhow. For one thing, reaction time meant survival and since hesitation could bring about less than desirable outcomes under most circumstances, the “acting without thinking” pattern of instinct endured and, sadly, survives to modern times largely unchanged. Our struggle with emotions has been the silent revolution we’ve never made peace with and denial has done little more than relegate it to a level of convenience, with the proclamation of it’s prominence in women and nonexistence in men. Accordingly, countless labels and generalizations have served as invaluable fodder for the bravado of the non-child bearing half of humankind, who––by their denial––lacking emotional experience, aren’t secure enough to make the choice of equality.

As in every other circumstance, there are also exceptions to the stereotypical emotional development, or for that matter, the perceived weakness it engenders. Naturally there were men who didn’t think it at all odd to express their feelings or to understand, others had feelings too. By the same token, don’t underestimate the vehemence a woman can levy in defense of her offspring. In addition, jealousy knows no gender, and the many levels of emotional maturity or denial, as the case may be, aren’t always gender specific so much as they are gender preferred. One such partiality, if you will, is illustrated with the example that; the character qualities admired as bravery and gallantry throughout our history, are quickly and easily deposed by any who can’t bring themselves to that level of behavior, and instead adopt a false confidence or “ego trip”, typical vehicles of denial. The “female” emotional agenda, on the other hand, supports her maturing earlier, in a way that predisposes a mother’s nurturing to both sustain us and invoke whatever self-esteem we may need to feel loved––hence worthy––during the earliest and most formative years of our own physical and emotional development. To be sure, these broad comparisons serve only to construct a “norm” from which an infinite number of possible degrees of complexity evolve, along paths favoring more specific combinations of established behavior traits, dependent largely on the choices an individual is facing. By the clarity afforded us from eternity, if that were our milieu, we could see the continuation of development guiding us through the choices that will ultimately allow God’s Will to be embraced. So by the sum of our physical incarnations, we will have encountered every avenue of expression in order that we may fully comprehend our timely revelation of The Truth. These experiences, by necessity, run the gamut of emotional extremes, because spiritual development is not fulfilled until we have won the silent revolution by breaking the emotional bonds that are holding us hostage in the physical.

Having said that, it should be increasingly obvious that everyone grows at their own rate. Every incarnate soul comes to each challenge faced, fully able to deal with it. What happens from that point is a matter of choice. Those choices depend largely on the attitude at the time the challenge is offered. The degree to which we accept the opportunity to learn, or not, determines our individual pace. Remembering eternity is our true place of origin; the home from whence we’ve come in order to learn in the physical and to where we return at each lesson’s end, it remains clear that the apparent rate of advance along our path is of no particular consequence. There is no faster or slower way to grow back to the “oneness” of our true nature, represented as spiritual unity. With that in mind and as hard as that may be to believe, consider that from the vantage point of the observer everything happens exactly the way it’s supposed to!!

Admittedly, that’s a bitter pill for all those who have invested a large portion of their life in the pursuit of unrealistic expectations within a contrary time frame. These self-proclaimed “victims” of other’s inexpedience, manifest many adverse behaviors under the pretext of; running late, emergency, not enough time or, very simply, the attitude that equates; “the rules don’t apply to me”. Even though unsaid, this last one is the assertion of the over confident ego showing little or no patience for themselves or others who, “get in the way”. As important as patience is, there is a reason it’s among one of the last principals of Divine Truth revealed to us. We nearly all appreciate it’s significance, but for the most part have resigned ourselves into believing we lack enough of it to get, what is generally accepted to be, the most out of a given situation. Our full potential is seldom realized then, because we fail to see it through to the end. During an encounter we often glean what we perceive to be the allotted portion of our due, but too soon begin thinking about what’s coming next, so lacking both attention span and patience, we move on before finishing what we started. As if to punctuate that point of character, many of our challenges are revisited from a number of perspectives so as to reap the absolute greatest benefit. The very same lesson can return under totally unrelated circumstances and in a guise bearing no resemblance to any of it’s former or future wrappings, that we would recognize. The advancement along our individual path is chronicled in such a way that patience has little usage until we have reached a point where we are becoming aware of the “at-one-ment” that lies ahead. We’ve no reason really to even expect patience until we have a glimpse of that “big picture” where its meaning begins to fit its purpose. Actually, we practiced its premise long before we considered it or recognized it to be an asset to ones character. With that in mind, we have a pretty good idea of what it feels like, even if our abbreviated attention span only allows an occasional glance, and by the time we associate it’s cultivation as being beneficial, the adage “practice makes perfect”, can be a comfort rather than an annoying reminder. Attitude, of course, is the best beginning in making any choices that will get us where we want to go and when applied to the practice of patience, attitude can at least pass for a reasonable enough facsimile of it to derive, as stated, the benefit of an occasional hint at what the real thing feels like.

The best attitude most ancients could muster in difficult relationships was one of tolerance, at least when there was some incentive involved. Since survival had long been established as a top priority, both in the short term and long term scheme of things, any advantage could often be too precarious to rely on long enough to secure the desired result, whatever the objective. Consequently, and as a precursor to patience, toleration was assumed acceptable, at least while any hope remained that our relative position might be improved upon by the exercise of it. Not surprisingly, the need to observe tolerant behavior came up more often among people trying to establish villages where proximity and commerce emphasized getting along. Depending on each other further enhanced the probability that otherwise irritating characteristics would be tolerated in order to get the most out of what was hard times for all. They had a common interest in making it work, even when looking out for number one. The rules of conducting business were gaining acceptance, but also helped frame what would be tolerable behavior in general. As these environments expanded into permanent settlements, with all the necessary criterion to that end becoming manifest, a sense of long term commitment became more self-evident and no doubt engendered the qualities required to maintain order. Establishing rules of conduct is nothing but the defining of limits beyond which any act or deed is no longer tolerable. So with the rewards of tolerant attitudes coming on many levels, the presupposed incentive proved the practice had value often enough not to dismiss it outright. With tolerance as the seed of patience having now germinated in the fertile untilled soil of our emotional infancy, its roots would wind their way through the stubborn involvement of countless encounters and unrelated relationships, over thousands of generations and unmeasured incarnations, only rarely and briefly offering the desired fruit of understanding or taste of compassion long enough to remind us that an alternative to discourse does exist, and that its cultivation might one day lead to an increasingly civilized way of relating to one another.

By defining “incentive” as the hope of unrealized prosperity or additional abundance, it takes on a significance with universal qualities that qualify its usage beyond those reasons given for a tolerant attitude. The hope of reward that incentive implies, applies to every facet of human life and endeavor. Reward, in fact, structured our behavior millennia before we consciously used it to our advantage as a simple incentive or convoluted manipulation. What ever the application, it would become common to every culture and regardless of the apparent outcome desired by its implication, the lessons learned through the persistent practice of any skills inspired by incentives, could only affect us positively on the quest that is our path. So it is that after being influenced by the incentive / reward scenario that helped optimize the conclusions of countless encounters through myriad incarnations, does our physical recall begin to grasp the reality that reward might even embrace the concept of patience.

Well, it does, but the conceptual thinking that would allow such a leap belongs to the realm of the abstract and that school of thought, as alluded to earlier, registered the majority of its practitioners among the tribal “nations” that were spreading out to populate every land mass––from the smallest island to the largest continent––adapting their lifestyle to the unique challenges and abundance of each new land. Not blazing a trail for others to follow, but establishing a permanent and independent, if remote, presence where resources supported it. Learning how to fit in, becoming and living as one with the surroundings they considered their host, multiplying and dividing locally before setting out again on another spasm of expansion reaching ever further beyond the horizon. Patience among these peoples wasn’t something they strived toward even on the level of tolerance, after all, familial confrontations were simply a motive to move on, which in turn seemingly perpetuated their path’s directive. If there was an incentive / reward relationship it would be mutually understood and equally rewarding because they were a part of their surroundings. The natural rhythms and cycles they adopted had an indigenous patience no conscious effort could rival. The same seasonal, less hurried pace set the tone for a lifestyle that didn’t need the discipline or emotional extremes of the villagers who found it to their advantage when dealing with the uncooperative. Moreover, the hope as represented by incentive was a “given”, not because it was taken for granted, but that they were provided for in the abundance of their surroundings. In most cases, their need could not exceed their supply.

None of this is meant to imply that life was idyllic for the aboriginals, as populations spread for tens of thousands of years, enduring the harshest of extremes that natural forces could impose. Everything from generations-long drought to glaciation––both its advance and retreat––in addition to the inherent planet wide repercussions associated to it, would bear witness to the adaptability and stamina of this newest and only independently thinking addition to the kingdom of animals. Our survival as a species was enhanced, if not assured, by the individuality our free will represented. Everyone of our bipedal forebears, though some admittedly succeeded to the point of rudimentary tool making, were hindered by the very instincts that served them well throughout circumstances both predictable and unpredictable, but prevented them from adapting quickly enough to continue flourishing in the face of unexpected long term hardships. Our ability to recognize and pursue opportunities that might lend themselves to avoiding a calamity, significantly reduced the number and complexity of challenges and threats on our path. Such layered thinking patterns brought together actions and consequences in a way no other primate had a facility for. As a result, experiences accrued into a resource of their own, from which we could draw the details of related events making us less vulnerable and not as likely to find ourselves at the mercy of natures wrath, at least to the extent we couldn’t recover from an event, that might otherwise have doomed a less than able creature. The fossil record testifies to that evidence clearly.

Our adaptability also proved useful in shaping the immediate environment to suit our needs, either from the necessity of becoming an agrarian culture or as a territorial ritual that did little more than demonstrate control. In either or all cases for that matter, what began in us as a peerless physical characteristic came to fruition on another level when we were guided to manifest adaptability into our surroundings. As with any unique and entirely unaccustomed awareness, there are no pre-established rules of procedure. It was during our initial floundering expression of that unprecedented aptitude for adaptability, when the methodical rape of the landscape was dealt its first blow by neophyte villagers needing elbow room, clearing forests both for building materials and acreage on which to plant, diverting the flow of natural waterways for irrigation, not to mention the original instances of despoiling so many unrenewable resources whose limits at the time were far beyond our self-centered comprehension. Though indeed, the vastness of the wilderness precluded any concern regarding the economy of its use, the practices utilized in establishing our earliest centers of social life created a mind set of wasteful habits allowing an incubation of the delusion; that we would never run out of space or resources. It never entered our mind, therefore, to act any way but free wielding and unreserved, seeing the abundance found in these virgin territories as ours for the taking. On the other hand, those choosing to live as a part of what they increasingly perceived to be a world whose plant and animal populations maintained a tenuous balance, embarked on every endeavor so as to give back as much as they took and not take any more than to satisfy their immanent need, gaining an abiding respect for the richness that same abundance meant to them. These two approaches to husbandry, albeit caricatures of the most extreme examples, represented the fundamental abuse and use, respectively, of every available resource. Nonetheless, from the timeless eternal perspective, it’s clearly seen all manner of exploiting what was apparently inherently ours throughout that period of expanding consciousness and horizons, was not only entirely appropriate but expected behavior considering the spiritual to physical juncture we were navigating. Without benefit of previous experience and foreknowledge, that is by the narrowest possible physical viewpoint of the “now”, our day to day struggle to protect and survive life, seemed to hold nothing in its future but chronic divisiveness and hostility. After all, the “ego-centered” part of our path that dictates actions and reactions, especially with regards to personal agendas, is suitable for little else except to use what ever means necessary, to what ever end is desired. In other words, our choices are measured in accordance to the lesson at hand, as is always the case, and in the physical their validation rarely extends beyond that immediate challenge. That’s what was alluded to earlier when it was said; there are no wrong choices. Everything happens exactly the way it’s supposed to, regardless of what our notion about right and wrong is!

If there were a cognizant singularity that enabled adaptability, it would be our best effort at utilizing time to serve us, perseverance. The refusal to give up or be held down attests to the compelling force behind our single-minded will to live. Adaptability is the assurance life will go on, at any cost. At least a portion of that remittance is disbursed through the perseverance it takes to endure the trial and error pitfalls of discovering what works in more situations than not. In that way our mutability gleans clues regarding which way to adjust behavior to enhance survivability. It’s clear then, perseverance supports adaptation by the way it manages time. We would do well to remember however, we are referencing characteristics while not unique to, but for the purpose of this treatment, confined to the sentient. Though many things seem to act in ways that mimic perseverance, because of their tenacious or stubborn resistance to our will, it’s simply nature’s “original instinct”, or self defense, protecting those who would otherwise be overwhelmed. The awareness required to choose to persevere is accompanied by the requisite attention span thereby qualifying the choice as a viable option and not just a primordial defense mechanism. How much attention we’re willing to invest in our pursuit of any endeavor quantifies our value of said endeavor’s esteem. When an expected result holds no foreseeable value for us, the refrain is often overheard or spoken of ourselves; “I don’t have time for that” or “It’s not worth my time”. Rest assured however, when it comes to surviving, attention span, perseverance and adaptability are symbiotic and enduring.

If a conscious choice produced an adaptation showing enough promise to gain wider usage, we were quick to take credit for the innovation, especially in the event it should add to the quality of life, if only by increasing the odds of holding on to it a while longer. When, on the other hand, and in spite of attention span and perseverance, the outcome of a trial and error episode didn’t favor further consideration, we learned to take the attention off our party to it, by placing the blame elsewhere. No sooner had our ego set about to demarcate its individuality and highlight the positives, to feed its attention starved appetite, did we realize that not all forms of attention were healthy or desirable. Adapting to that revelation introduced “finger pointing”, which became popular as soon as we were “old enough” to decide the consequences of a bad choice were worse than making no choice. As we fine-tuned our capacity to dispute the obvious, from the earliest cowering denial postures to an increasingly sophisticated barrage of disparaging accusations intended to shift culpability, finger pointing became acceptable––by the accuser anyhow––as long as it was convincing enough to imbue what has come to be called “reasonable doubt” in the minds of those who hold to the belief our judgment is preeminent and final.

Somewhere between blindly giving into the wrath due the impugned and standing up for impunity we realized, without either clear intent or dubious means, that the environment we found so malleable to suit our needs, included each other. Many of the primitives who were out in front of the pack with the skills necessary in reshaping things to satisfy an agenda or specific purpose, also led the way in convincing others to bend according to their will. The practice of inciting conformity was not exclusive to the leader types however. All of us, some unintentionally, some otherwise, have tried changing those around us to accommodate our personal expectations. It’s our nature to presume, if a change must be made to improve our circumstances, then it has to come from someone or something other than ourselves. On the one hand, we have always been quick when taking responsibility for any adaptations that make life easier. On the other hand, our reticence regarding personal adaptability––including positive character changes––leaves us insensible to opportunities in overcoming challenges we face. That indifference concerning our own motivations invariably leaves the door open for others to enter and in turn shape our way of thinking for us, that is to say; change us to suit their need while convincing us our needs are being met, which then makes us the adaptable environment whose resources they are taking advantage of.

If any of what’s been said so far has been retained, then we’re well assured that in reality, the appearance of being used or taken advantage of, is not what it seems, but only another necessary step in the ongoing accrual of physical experiences benefiting all parties involved equally. No event has more meaning for one, than it does for another. Regardless of appearances, Divine Guidance is at work in all things, even though its varied manifestations are not always kind to the physical senses or fair by our measure of moral conduct.

PART II: CHAPTER SIX

2005-09-04T00:16:00.000-05:00

- PART II -
FAITH

- CHAPTER SIX -
“NOW”
WE ARE NOT ALONE

It must have been while exercising the potentiality of our imagination’s endow-ment––adjusting our surroundings and relationships that didn’t fit the way we thought they ought––when in spite of well invested perseverance, it occurred to us there were occasional unexplained results or phenomenon that had little or nothing to do with any forethought or effort on our part. Mysteries that refused to give up their secrets would often pique our curiosity until, after considerable scrutiny of many such examples as could be found relevant (or at our wit's end), we would grudgingly entertain the possibility that something might exist outside our field of observation or influence. Naturally, investigation at that time lacked any semblance of collected evidence and consisted, for the most part, of comparative lore and second or third hand accounts of hearsay, as well as the much relied upon, long established, indigenous common knowledge. So, any insight we may have fostered toward the unexplained simply added fuel to the imagination, not to mention the framework on which we were being guided to carefully construct superstition in preparation for the revelations its purposes served. For example, we had long since resigned ourselves to the fact there were objects beyond our grasp and subsequent control, the most obvious of course were the apparently physical bodies in the sky. These things were familiar however, in so much as they’ve been there long enough to have had our oldest imaginings prescribe “reasonable explanations” about their origins and purpose, individually and collectively. Back on earth, there were the more or less “normal” weather events we had come to accept pretty much for what they were. If not explainable at least predictable in the very short term, either used or avoided depending on the specific circumstances. Although not in our control, we could usually count on weather as being a benefit more often than being a threat, after all, it wasn’t such a stretch to see the connection between rain and harvest. Actually, it’s highly probable the second earliest example of adapting our environment was irrigation, predated only perhaps, by the capture and use of fire, both of which can be directly attributed to weather. We can see then, how readily something totally beyond our understanding and outside our ability to contain or change, can still be considered beneficial and used to sustain our most precious gift, life.

It would be the occasional weather related natural disaster that would briefly shatter the fragile relationship, which in our naiveté was represented as something approaching trust, we had cultivated toward an otherwise passive environment. It was just this kind of scenario, the life “taking” side of natural events, in addition to the rare but hauntingly memorable––never before witnessed––apparitions in the sky, that turned the finger pointers into fear mongers. Quick to capitalize on our inherent fear of the unknown, these merchants of upheaval played on our weaknesses like a savant, to their gain and the adaptation of those who would be led. As the Divine Plan unfolded, these adept individuals were each being guided along their path to manifest agendas prescribing the superimposition of superstition onto the super natural, as their brand of a logical diagnosis for symptoms that had no other explanation.

Those whose paths were on the other rail, as alluded to earlier, chose to see opportunity where others could only find disappointment or hardship, and didn’t change their attitude simply because an event or experience might be a mystery to them. Many, or at least the ones who had been on that path long enough, were comfortable with the unknown and only found a worthy challenge in each new mystery. For them, each incarnation brought its own set of answers waiting for the right questions. Solutions to enigmas not yet imagined. The eldest of these “old souls” were the shamans of their tribes. Their people were becoming followers, not because of tradition or pecking order, but out of a need they weren’t even aware of, whose time had come. The next leap forward was at hand. The varied paths of human kind were converging on a door of opportunity that offered a “belief” in something other than ones self, and while not quite ready to acknowledge things unseen, most eventually felt compelled to seek out those few who demonstrated a capacity to understand the “mysteries” of the world around them. In doing so, these followers were responding to a hope that those things beyond their influence, outside their control, were at least no threat to them. Their willingness to forgo their own understanding for someone else's predication of the unknown, was more than a statement about the elder’s position of esteem, it illustrated a readiness to accept a shift in their character; from being followers, to being believers.

Imaginations though, as we might expect among people who had so little experience with the abstract, were quick to be exercised every time a threat was perceived. Such compulsiveness usually resulted in complicating perfectly normal behavior, into tragic circumstances that would have otherwise worked themselves out in due course, had it not been for fear, bred of ignorance. Not too surprisingly, this was precisely the recipe; fear, ignorance and imagination, the now perennial finger pointers brewed to create entities of their own design––giving all things unexplained––something we could identify with, and as might be expected, not always with a positive spin. By assigning familiar characteristics and behaviors to events, situations and affairs we had absolutely no basis or history with which to understand, our ego surrendered a part of itself to a power it had never seen, heard or felt. However incremental that forfeiture of independence might have been for the controlling ego, its admission––or submission as the case may be––to the possible (if only occasional) force it had no recourse with, was representative in and of itself of the very first act that could be considered Faith!! Again, because of Divine Design, a return to spiritual unity must be the free will choice of an ego bent on individuality, and only after that ego has resisted making that choice long enough to realize; that no matter how much it wishes to be in control, it has to admit, it can’t go on alone. Then––and only then––at ropes end, can it ever know; it never has been!

CHAPTER SEVEN

2005-09-04T00:14:00.000-05:00

FAITH: THE ROOTS

Faith; the supposition of the existence of an empathetic and benevolent interloper without physical actuality. As an extension of the hope that clarified incentive / reward scenarios, faith was ready to assume its rightful place, at least by implication, in the growth of the manifest ego. Our paths now afforded us the opportunity to look outside ourselves for answers to questions we had yet to ask. This is timely only with respect to the fact; ego has to shed layers it has taken care to construct over the ages to protect and individualize itself, in order to become vulnerable enough to recognize its place in the larger scheme of things. Needless to say, the personal threat represented by allowing the influence of anything to arbitrarily conduct affairs on our behalf, was something that we––as mere infant egos––were unlikely to enter into voluntarily, or even consider as an option. That being the case, it’s clear just how much of an obstacle we can be to ourselves, when we hold ourselves above all else. When we refuse to let go of that shell we’ve put ourselves in, or the walls we’ve so carefully built to protect us, we forget that the very safeguards we rely on to keep out every imaginable threat, are just as affective against letting opportunities for growth in. In spite of having faith to lean on, for all the “end of the rope” scripts this theater we call life provides, we stubbornly continue to push aside most of the demonstrated benefits associated with accepting any other means to a particular end than our own, whatever the cost. The unspoken logic was of course; our ego trip had gotten us this far, why change now? Putting our trust in something not of our own making or control was alien to the pride, ego identity had fostered as a result of its separation from the clan identity. Understandable in its common sense, and entirely appropriate, in the world of no wrong turns. Nevertheless, and without cognizance, the time was approaching that would forevermore be defined as the threshold beyond which; faith began its appropriation of the age old territory occupied so robustly by pride. As an obvious requisite to spiritual growth, and especially in order to reestablish our eventual “at-one-ment”, displacing the prideful with the faithful would advance, if only from the perspective of the “now”, at a pace generously described as immeasurably lethargic. Not unexpectedly, given the tenor of original instinct, the only progress made in faith would be by example. Chipping away at the walls of pride, one example at a time, set the stage for the “mother of all” sieges. The possibility that reward might be a result or benefit of inaction, could only be discerned as a demonstration of faith––and its consequential prac-tice––if we found reason to believe; choosing not to act––or not do anything––was wiser than doing what every fiber of our being was urging us to do. The likelihood of a people whose very survival was threatened on a daily basis to adopt such a belief system, spoke clearly of the travail that lay ahead on our paths. Even so, faith would make methodical headway––in spite of all the efforts by the finger pointers to impose their spin as the one of choice––finding its place as a key ingredient in the spiritual recipe, forevermore tempting our growing appetite for answers to the questions our imaginations were only beginning to spring on us.

Opportunities, or more specifically, the recognizing of them, are always quicker on the uptake when the need for their implementation is at hand. To paraphrase; “necessity has always been the mother of invention”. Growing comfortable with its independence though, ego would resist the influence––or suggestion of any––that implied its choice of action should be relinquished in favor of “letting nature take its course”. Not always taking the initiative, is not to encourage an absence of action, but merely to suggest being more open to the ideas of others, especially since the manifestation Divine Guidance assumes usually comes from the most unlikely and unexpected sources. If we insist on being the first or taking the lead, with regards to expressing or defining a course of action without the input of others who would be equally affected, we are very likely to miss an obvious clue or directive whose inclusion will make the challenge less of an effort, as well as more beneficial and rewarding for all concerned. The road to The Truth is traveled at a speed appropriate to the revelations received only after relinquishing control. Natures course is Divinely Guided, how and when we fit in, is up to us. Our path continues to reveal the availability of options, even after their consideration is usually to no avail. Divine Guidance is unrelenting in that respect, presenting the same challenge as many times as necessary to promote the proper, most beneficial response.

Being in control has roots that run far deeper than conscious decisions. It began innocently enough as a defense mechanism against very real, daily threats in order to benefit ourselves and those we chose to take responsibility for. This instinct wasn’t the product of our newly realized emotions or any diabolical scheme, because the control thing we now have so much trouble getting past, holds a reference to innocence––predat-ing the infancy of actually practicing control––pointing all the way back to a time when the predominant purpose in doing so was to increase the odds of our genes becoming dominant in the local population. Naturally, or so it seems, control has been the instinctive goal of every reproductive act since fertilization became a mode of cell division. Almost from the onset of time itself, plants, insects and animals have found and when possible, controlled those of like kind in order to satiate their instinct to procreate. Considering the depth of the roots of this instinct in time, it should be no surprise that our awareness of “self”, as represented by the independence of ego, did little or nothing in suppressing the urge whose season instead quickened at that time, from an annual renewal to an impulsive lunar cycle. If anything, being a free thinking entity gave us every reason for more control, and lack of compassion for those suppressed, by adding that layer of rationalization called pride to the list of excuses for our behavior.

So if faith needed examples for its advocacy, instinct and pride proved more than adequate adversaries in dissuading the ease with which any reward might be realized. Opportunities for applying and nourishing faith––and its attributed qualities; i.e., promising results without committing ones own talent or time or energy or, for that matter, without being physically present––had always manifested themselves for the benefit of our growth on every level. We had, for instance, long accepted the occasional fortuitous outcome of an event we had in fact been unsuccessfully struggling with. So much so that when instinct failed us, our pride would find a rationalization appropriate enough to take credit for what surely seemed the “serendipitous” results of Divine Guidance. With this redundant self defense mechanism in place, surrendering to the uncertainty of not being directly involved in producing the best of all possible solutions was rarely if ever a behavioral option, especially early on our path. We are so blinded by fear and suspicion we would choose to act in the least responsible way and face disaster, even when the most obvious of benevolent gesture is offered in our behalf, rather than accept the possibility that a more favorable affect might be rendered by doing less. At any rate and in spite of us and our clumsy egos, faith would find the means of getting the attention it required with examples we could not ignore, for in times of desperation we attribute value to things we would otherwise take no notice of, and in doing so make adjustments––if only infinit-esimal––to our belief system.

Though determined to maintain every semblance of control in our world , with or without Divine Intervention, imagination found a slit in the fabric of our ego’s wardrobe offering faith an inroad, putting itself on the map of our spiritual path. The ensuing reality check, which amounted to an invasive maneuver into the stronghold of our comfort zone, needed to illustrate in the clearest terms possible; we are not in control of all aspects of our life and despite frequently blazon efforts, there are particular events we will never be able to influence the outcome of. The most obvious, serious and feared, because against which there was no defense, were the natural occurrences relating to climatic and geologic phenomenon, that with little or no warning, produced disasters capable of decimating entire populations. Any who witnessed and survived catastrophic events, suffered the foreboding spectre of that experience weighing heavily on their psyche interminably. Enough so, the fear of a recurrence offered our imagination the opportunity of choosing the direction we could take away from such an experience. We could either grow outward toward faith or inward toward obsessiveness. At that time in history those choices weren’t as opposed to each other as they might seem by current vernacular. While knowing full well these things were beyond our control, which only served to heighten the associated anxiety, imagination would fabricate manipulations designed to encourage the enlistment of our fledgling faith––to beseech on our behalf––our being spared should a similar calamity befall us again, or to prevent it from happening altogether. From this desperation borne by fear, we began considering faith as an active influence in the natural world and instead of being the passive victim, we focused the practiced our beliefs on things we could affect, in hopes of making a difference if and when the time came. That said, we could only emulate behaviors we were already familiar with. We knew, for instance, what pleased us––or improved our mood enough to be more conciliatory toward others––so offering some reward to induce favorable consideration from malevolent forces, even if they didn’t fit into a previously known category, was the logical extension of a common desire when it came time to appease an uncommon, perhaps threatening authority.

CHAPTER EIGHT

2005-09-04T00:12:00.000-05:00

FAITH: FOR BEGINNERS

Our early crude attempts at offering up a token that represented the intent we desired to impart to the forces whose favor we implored was, in large part, at the urging of the increasingly fluent finger-pointers, who saw the advantage in this opportunity to use our shared fears to further their evolving agenda, in the direction and for the purpose, of assigning identities and characterizations to the very entities we sought to pacify. The result of their handiwork not only defined images vivid enough for us to relate to, but ones that were intentionally fashioned to support and build on the already sinister auras we felt threatened by. In the balance of things, the niche they carved would become a way for any who had a penchant for relying on fear, to exploit others and enslave them to a specific belief system. We made it very easy for our way of thinking to be molded into what would serve them and their greed, by giving their explanations enough merit to fill in the blanks of our understanding. We needed someone to help us grasp those things outside our sphere of influence and they were all to willing to accommodate. From the perspective of the “now”, it seemed superstitious lore had always been a part of our culture when, in reality, each story had its beginning in fertile imaginations eager to embellish any rumor enough to make the person relating it, the center of attention. Since antiquity, we’ve all harbored a need to be listened to, as if we were the authority on something. It should come as no surprise then, that many would find a way to use our fear of the unknown in their formula for becoming what others may consider an agent of sorts, for little understood phenomenon. Some, so regarded, acquired large followings among people convinced they had a great deal to loose, to these increasingly tangible forces, if they didn’t make some effort at appeasement. The quasi-go-betweeners grew more adept at their self proclaimed gifts of understanding and influence with each prediction, because whatever the outcome, their interpretation would qualify their degree of success, and place the appropriate blame for any inaccuracy, squarely on the lack of commitment from the “believers”. Curiously, a byproduct of these jaded proclamations and finger pointing, which only served to distract from the facts that didn’t support their claims to begin with, our wannabe “seers” discovered the most prolific tool yet in their quest to control the way others thought and acted, GUILT!!

Our heretofore independent egos exposed a chink in the armor of instinct’s defenses that suggested; guilt, was a promising candidate for the honor of being the first “smart weapon”. Even though it was only effective against people who demonstrated remorse, they were the preferred target anyhow. Having exposed themselves as vulnerable, their unmanaged feelings were left open for exploitation, which only made it easier for their belief system to be customized. As insidious as this approach seems, Divine Guidance is at work and all is just as it should be. While appearances would support the claim that greedy and clever individuals are jumping at the chance to take advantage of unsuspecting victims for their own benefit and gratification, that would be a view limited to the “now” and lacking due consideration of the paths each party involved is following. In every experience, we both learn and teach. At this particular juncture on our paths the capacity to believe in anything other than ourselves was the essential lesson to be gained.

When an infant first focuses on the world beyond those curious fingers and toes that have occupied all its attention thus far, it awakens to something beyond its reach, separate from what it knows, that it can now touch and taste and come to rely on being there, in order that it might learn to believe in what amounts to––via its new perspective viewed from the still limited range of its current vantage point––an alternate reality. That shift in our focus, from the limits of cherished egocentric individuality, to the infinite possibilities offered by the rest of creation––both seen and unseen––is the single most important step toward a future where believing could evolve into a faith, and though it seems the only thing able get our attention off ourselves long enough to take that first step might be guilt, sufficient development of the emotions is a necessary precursor. Not to be confused with the maturing emotional attitude that takes into account the consideration of other’s needs as equals, but that of the demonstrative child who resists responsibility while testing the limits of its actions. Guilt therefore, is based on the knowledge of right and wrong––not the practice of it––and culpability is groundless without emotional reference points. In order to bring people into an attitude of obedience with regard to appeasing perceived threats from little understood forces, a petitioner would use the believer’s wish to be treated favorably by calling upon guilt and explaining benevolence was bestowed only on those who deserved it. By this time every “reasonable” person had something they could be convinced to feel guilty about, so for the agents of doom, it wasn’t a matter of being specific in their judgments, only ardent in their condemnation, thereby setting the stage for the first act; that of believing forces beyond our control could be affected by an offering of penance. Without acceptance of responsibility for our own actions however, there was no expectation for a need to change the way we behaved and our appeasement served only to improve our position and chances of favorable consideration.

Though seemingly coerced into the practice of propitiation through threats of reprisal with an emphasis toward exploiting our fear and guilt, it was of course Divine Guidance that so thoroughly subjugated us into the mindset of “believing”, by the only means that would have produced the desired results. Even though the objects of our attention were not what they claimed to be––and by every measure represented “false idols”––they did and do offer the emotionally arid, a starting point on which to base a necessarily long and convoluted journey to the commitment of real faith in personal spiritual advancement. The One God reality is millennium down the path from this all important first step, so upon consideration of the evidence surrounding this alleged subterfuge of mankind, we see everything that was given up weighed against what was gained and conclude, from the viewpoint of the “observer”, the path leading to faith has had its first stone laid in “belief”, and although it may appear filled with dead ends and false starts, each encounter adds valued experience to the store of knowledge each soul will eventually manifest as “at-one-ment”.

The ability to believe is not instinctive, because instincts are based on acts of self defense for the purpose of self preservation. The key to instinct is self, while the act of believing focuses our attention on something or someone outside ourselves. Being external, it’s a learned behavior requiring endless practice and affirmation, abetted by the support and positive input from people or groups with shared interests and goals, to enhance its establishment in our psyche. Externalizing focus in a way that releases our influence toward the outcome of daily affairs, especially the more important ones, is not only unnatural, it violates every rule of the “look out for number one” school that was the basis of our very survival up to that point on our path. Relying on another to provide for our welfare or to consider our best interests equal to their own, is to demonstrate a dependence on a need that flies in the face of all we have endeavored to overcome in our pursuit of independence. When that benevolent “other” is something we can’t yet define or ascribe an agenda to, we stretch the boundaries of rationality and suffer the rebuke of well meaning but less than supportive peers. Even so, these first tentative trials of what would one day be the forerunner of worship, had to start somewhere and for the purpose of practice––or reasons not obvious to any practitioner––a pattern of thought needed this groundwork laid, so there was a basis on which to build everything that was to come after. The predilection, though not instinctual, for having that “something” to fall back on, after more accepted behaviors failed to effect a satisfactory outcome, is as ancient a pattern as any that deals with the trial and error problem solving demanded by unfamiliar territories. The fact that this precursor to faith took on a mystique or quality bordering on the supernatural, is evidence in and of itself just how out of the ordinary the practice must have seemed to those who considered it as an alternative, even if only as a last resort. Drawing on unknown resources to induce beneficial results regarding something we found ourselves at a loss to deal with, required a surrender of self we were uncomfortable with on many levels. Not wanting to demonstrate any weakness and appear vulnerable, led most to practice their new beliefs in secrecy. It was under this cloak of anonymity that practitioners found the freedom to act in ways they would not otherwise consider acceptable behavior.

CHAPTER NINE

2005-09-04T00:10:00.000-05:00

- CHAPTER NINE -
INTERMEDIATE FAITH

Circumstances desperate enough to cry out for help invited opportunists of every ilk. The finger pointing fear monger niche of our evolving society grew stronger as followers were manipulated into deeper dependancy. Convinced personal efforts to make demands on any of the increasing cast of pseudo-gods would be fruitless, most had little choice but to seek out the services of an intercessor whose own requirements and authority varied just enough to suit the occasion and means of the seeker. The heightened tendency to believe in their abilities to intercede on someone's behalf, prompted these agents to bring their individual solicitors together, convincing them; more is better. This congregational format worked only if all agreed to the secrecy that gave each the assurance to seek help individually. The reasons for anonymity had not changed because of the “group” scenario. The fear of appearing weak or vulnerable was still very real.

A trust had to be constructed among those who shared the belief that deliverance from a perceived threat lay in the hands of benevolent powers greater than themselves, individually or collectively. This trust between relative strangers relied on the assumption; each had some “evidence” they could hold over every other member of their group, preventing any from telling outsiders why and where they met or what they did. The privacy of such proceedings were crucial for maintaining one’s public image while seeking dispensation from “otherworldly” sources regarding increased burdens and responsibilities, not to mention the ubiquitous natural calamities. The inability to handle certain aspects of our daily affairs without pursuing the support, guidance and council of someone outside our family or circle of peers, would prove evidence enough to keep the cloak of secrecy in place. Enough at least for the onset of these gatherings, because much more would be expected as the ceremonialism evolved in sophistication and elaboration. Even though a weakness of resolve toward worldly matters might seem insignificant, being considered unsure of oneself opened a door of vulnerability many would find to be grounds for incapacity and to declare property fair game or public domain. At best, hesitation would be an embarrassment, worst case scenario, loss of all standing in the community. These were unforgiving times, after all the rudimentary rules of acquisition had advanced little beyond take and hold whatever your strength allowed. With every “devotee” risking the real or imagined consequences of exposure, all could be sure of maintaining the requisite resolve of secrecy under the guise of trust. Additionally, those who claimed to facilitate the desired outcome of a proceeding accentuated the notion of privacy, as it applies to this precursor of worshipful behavior, because they didn’t need anyone second guessing their methods or motives. Their control and authority needed to be absolute and was assured by selective membership. Initially, and for a very long time, many seekers were among those who had acquired, by whatever means, some measure of affluence and so had every reason to fear “something to lose” if failing to offer an appropriate appeasement. It’s not so hard to imagine their patronage being sought out by neo-clerics then. It only stands to reason; if they had something to lose, they had something to offer.

So greed took the trappings of a seekers social position and fashioned a double edged sword, by first necessitating a reason to secure their holdings––even if that meant giving some of it away as an offering––and second, providing the leverage that would guarantee their silence, with regard to the proceedings they were becoming increasingly involved in. Practicing the belief that our well-being would be enhanced by sacrificing a personal possession to an object or idol we’ve been convinced represents a force of nature, is not in and of itself, illusory. From the “now” of that point in time, we could see that greed had only begun to evolve in its own right, after having a background based on a proprietary pecking order ruled by brute strength, it began taking on the many layers that would eventually prove impenetrable, by most who later attempted to unravel its origins. In that example of an early manifestation, we glimpse how as a seedling, its roots found footholds in the weakness of our insecurities, as represented by our attempts to project an image of being someone or something other than who we are. Our self defense instinct caused us to deny our fallibility and prompted the invention of deceptions designed to maintain the illusion of strength of character. The way we regarded, or were regarded by, our peers in an evolving social climate that replaced pecking order with a “have or have not” mentality, in an increasingly hubristic display of one-upmanship. Greed then, both foreshadowed by and building on the self defense instinct, found its birthing place in our immature ego.

From the observer’s viewpoint outside the “now”, the path leading to believing and faith is unfolding just as it should, individually and as a whole. So if our first attempts to solicit the beneficial influence of extrinsic entities were purely self serving and reward oriented, it could be ascribed in part, to the fact; material gain, or greed, was the only lure able to get ego’s attention off what was growing into an obsession for independence. Acting in much the same way as guilt does in our consideration of faith, so greed freed us to move away from ego-centered individuality toward ego-centric peer recognition, but more importantly, socially interactive behavior.

While it’s true, establishing an identity apart from the family / clan unit was the initial exercise of free will, the individual manifested as a result, was (and still is) necessary, only as a venue from which to practice Divinely Guided behavior, for the sole purpose of usurping and discarding instinct. The choices (and mistakes) are ours to make and learn from, because returning to divine, eternal, perfect oneness (“at-one-ment”) is where all our paths are leading and it can only be realized by overcoming instinct through acts of free will. Until our very last temptation, this will be our challenge with each step on that path and overcoming is an ongoing daily, even hourly vigilance of choosing to be in control of our choices, rather than allowing instincts to control us. If we only knew beforehand that choosing how we act, instead of instinctually reacting to every circumstance, would be measure enough of our resolve in overcoming any challenge that might slow us from fulfilling our part in the Divine Plan, then choices would come easily, instinct would be no more and vigilance unnecessary. However, given the condition of our ignorance about Divinity in general, let alone Its plan for us, it’s perplexing how even the smallest advancement could have been possible. That is to say, in light of the darkness shrouding our knowledge of any spiritual agenda, how is it we’ve survived long enough to consider any possibilities, beyond our own capabilities? None of it would have happened, or began for that matter, without the Divinely Orchestrated symphony to which all creation is tuned, and if our “instruments’” contribution isn’t clear enough to be appreciated yet, believe and have faith in this one absolute certainty; that’s why we’re here, to implement the free will choice of being a harmonious part of the whole, by discarding the discord of instinct.

CHAPTER TEN

2005-09-04T00:06:00.000-05:00

ADVANCED FAITH

Diligence in our vigilance against instinct in general is complicated by the proposition that “the original instinct” was, and remains; self defense. Our personal welfare has always been instinct’s bailiwick. By Divine Design we have relied on every aspect of instinct, in order that we may survive to the point in time when our experience and individual behavior could use free will to shape our activity and attitude, as best we’re able, to determine the course our path takes. To its credit, the energy invoked in the defense of self, may very well have been the impetus––The Divine Spark, if you will––prompting the earliest single cell organisms to divide, not just for the very first time (although it had to have started somewhere), but from that instant on to the present and for as long as the advancement of growth in the physical environment is needed. By the time those that survived that initial creative spark long enough to be in the majority, instinct was ingrained enough to appear genetic. With that in mind it’s much clearer, even from the “now”, how after countless eons down that path and as diversity permitted (or demanded), the complex recombining eventually to be understood as procreation, had its roots in self defense. Considering the depth and antiquity of instinct’s bane to our advancement, is it any wonder that after many ages of little or no distinct advantage over it, we would choose to disinherit it––consciously and subconsciously––giving it an identity apart from our own? Our attempts to alienate instinct have become so thorough that we no longer simply deny any relationship to it, but hold it responsible for all that takes place outside our definition of “good”. As a result, the narrower perspective of self lifted instinct out of the depths of our embryonic cell division to a plateau equal––in every way––to free will, imbuing it with powers worthy of an eternal struggle, largely because the choice to control our actions, instead of impulsively reacting, was not yet considered a behavioral option by the people of this pre-history juncture on the path.

We’re necessarily reminded that our apparent need to alleviate fears of vulnerability and doom seemed important to us at a point in time thousands of years ahead of our most rudimentary written language, when knowledge was passed on through story telling and the ”have nots” life was little more than a hand to mouth subsistence. Those oral recollections of course were subject to illumination by fervent imaginations and when one’s greatest concern centered on avoiding anything that might threaten their very survival till the next day, any moments of reflection that might have led to some semblance of insight were often short lived by the need to react in self defense, instinctively. Life resembled a submission to circumstances beyond control. The freedom of having a choice to be anything else went unrealized by the majority. Consequently, this ancient practice of appeasement through sacrificing eluded the attention of this wider audience, for having little to offer, they weren’t solicited to participate in the first place. It was only after generations of lore regarding the alleged benefits of such proceedings trickled down to them, did the less prosperous show any interest in following that path. Even so, the growth in their attendance was very slow because of the afore mentioned stigma and secrecy attached to the ceremonies, not to mention some cause for concern at what seemed to be mixed messages about demands made by the facilitators. The fact was, the only direct exposure for anyone otherwise excluded from participating was either as a guest, or a sacrifice. Guests were rare and chosen with the utmost scrutiny. Sacrifices, were another matter and could not be expected to “spread the word”.

Not surprisingly, those invocating on our behalf could see that the growing number of believers might put their desired degree of secrecy in jeopardy, if an offering of only simple possessions continued to be the measure of a follower’s commitment. Guilt needed fresh motivation to keep it from withering into the complacency that would threaten to expose their dominion. Greed made our selective deification more specific and urgent, creating unrealistic expectations for deliberate results, in turn, taking us to a new level of offering. Personal property included more than rare or precious commodities and livestock. Under the cloak of sacrifice, “giving” modified into “giving up” something we weren’t prepared to do without, so “original instinct” came to the rescue of our better judgment (guilt) to rationalize; no cost was too great in fostering an advancement of the material agenda (greed).

The gap between the “haves” and “have nots” was such that some who attended these mysterious ceremonies thought of themselves as “owners” of some those who didn’t. Servitude and slavery were increasingly familiar and a real, if not necessary, adjunct to social development. That is to say, since the advent of self awareness, variations of personality characteristics were becoming more clearly defined, assuming qualities that demonstrated commonality enough to share in developing traditions and moral value systems on which to base relationships with others similarly inclined. The chronic contention between our attempts to stand alone and our desire to belong, was just finding its stride as we sought out comfort zones where life suited our expectations as reasonably as was possible, under truly desperate physical circumstances.

What we previously viewed as pecking order continued to evolve into a social structure that on the surface could seem unfair and cruel, but in reality allowed the Divine Plan to unfold in its most fruitful manner because, as we’ve seen, every person has the same opportunity for growth. Our definition of the goals we set for ourselves between incarnations, pre-establish the point from which progress will proceed along the next portion of our physical experience. Seemingly random behavior, identifiable as physical life, actually connects to eternity through each and every experience or interaction, and is nothing more than a lesson that, once overcome, allows us to advance spiritually. In our return to “at-one-ment” there are no victims. Each of us are both students and teachers during this Divine enlightenment. Nothing happens that isn’t shared equally by all parties involved. Individual lessons or assignments differ according to each participant’s current path, but everyone benefits in accordance to their own advancement. The facility of our efforts are enhanced only through repeated tribulation, (“practice makes perfect”)!

The appearance of experiences in the context of the “now” are limited in scope for all the same reasons we are limited in our understanding of them. We cannot grasp the depth and beauty of an ocean by playing on its shores. To be told what eternity holds and how we personally fit in, without including all the decisions that provide the myriad opportunities of living it, is comparable to expecting a toddler to fully understand all the facets and responsibilities of being a mature compassionate adult, striving to live in and emulate the unconditional love of, that which represents graduation from this school called “life”. To grow, is to progress through phases of activity where the next step wont even present itself until a foundation has been laid for it during the previous one. If it were possible to see the rewards awaiting each of us after all of our lifetime’s efforts, before taking the very first step, most would wait to claim possession of what seemed rightfully theirs, without any participation in its manifestation, affectively neutralizing the free will that sets us apart from the rest of creation and superseding the original intent of the ego’s receiving enlightenment only through conscious choices.

The limits of our physical comprehension are framed in the “now”. The practice of being judgmental toward an event or behavior is to take it out of context from the body of reality, which is the embodiment of eternity. For example; we have occasion to observe fragments of evidence from past ages, but only as they appear to us in our “now”. Any speculation as to their origins or historical relationships to each other, remains firmly grounded in the present as long as our understanding is confined to the physical. No effort to reconcile clues, no matter how vast the pool from which they may be drawn, will ever result in absolutes, because the reality that makes the beginning as clear as the end is outside physical time, beyond the meager means afforded by any languages bound in the restrictions inherent to that frame of reference. Even so, society has long regarded the judgment of their own kind as an inalienable right, even though the vignettes used to emphasize specific behavior patterns lack sufficient information to satisfy an acceptable understanding of that behavior’s source or real purpose. Arriving at a point on our path where we can admit that a focus so narrow finds itself inadequate to judge any event, practice or person, is the epiphany that spells the end (or at least the beginning of it) for instinct.

Outside time’s limitations, perception expands to include the origins of our “judgment bias”, envisioning enough to clarify both its intent and depth, with regard to our psyche. (Its future, as a behavior pattern, is equally clear from Eternity's horizonless vista, but wont be addressed until doing so serves a purpose of its own). Predictably, a belief system that warrants the practice of judging others, also owes its inheritance to the “original instinct” alluded to earlier. In order to rationalize the cast of a disparaging eye on something different than oneself, one must be able to defend ones own merit if and when that should be questioned. Self defense, originally promulgated as a trigger for animation on the cellular level during life’s incubation, remained (by Divine Guidance) instinctual through the eons necessary for those earliest “seed” organisms to evolve into self awareness. Does awareness need defending? Case in point; our thought processes, in spite of the befuddlement that might have attended the uncertainty of their initial independence, began interrupting instinct’s automatic “knee jerk” reactions, causing our expression of “original instinct” to have its power of inducing actionability be supplanted by reason, thus engendering a requirement for an impetus of its own. After having been the impulse to action for so long, self defense the instinct, found it necessary to adapt by adopting the guise of a compulsion, looking for a means, a need, a provocation to be expressed. Although it wasn’t through molding our character, and we weren’t due to be rid of it yet; by definition, self defense will eventually be dominated and overcome by reason. As long as it remains a teaching tool however, it will be provided a rationalization, forestalling that eventual requiem, in the form of a trigger, an animator, a discerner for turning it on and off, as it were. Delaying the inevitable for this oldest of instincts, demands the knowing of when and when not it’s appropriate to act. So, that rationalization is awareness. Believe it or not, our first manifestation of our awareness, what became self defense’s animator, the trigger’s trigger, was; judgment! Does awareness need defending? No, defense––even in-stinctual––needs awareness.

However that might sound like a learned behavior, and indeed it was the result of a trial and error process spanning countless millions of years, the original instinct’s antiquity provided all other instincts the time to grow into a complex symbiotic layering of involuntary responses we have come to accept as human nature or intuition. It almost goes without saying that life as we recognize it in the physical world, would not exist except for the ability instinct developed in securing a basis from which cell growth could advance beyond the microscopic level. The remote headwater of this stream called life, would no doubt have met too many obstacles to allow its flow to continue without instinct’s abil-ity to allow life’s energy to increase in volume, until nothing could prevent it from becoming the torrent that has swelled to occupy every environment, those imaginable, as well as those we couldn’t have possibly imagined, in the physical world. By Divine Design alone, our survival was assured eons before any path recorded our first bipedal steps. Instinctual self defense and judgment prevailed often enough to promote the advancement of each and every step that preceded the awakening of ego. Before choices were made available by free will, every action was judged intuitively according to its benefit toward our survival. Being judgmental was the decisive role Divine Guidance played in our growth to minimize personal threats as well as maximize opportunities for the healthiest progeny, all but guaranteeing the future of a creature whose “race or group spirit” could advance toward an extrapolation of “self”.

Once awareness was imprinted, judgment was taken to a new level where consciously exercising choices meant examining multiple options, thus bringing into manifestation a mental process whose forebear had been purely involuntary. Is it possible the earliest differentiation imposed by one group of people on another, because of appearance or conduct, coincided with self awareness, when the ego first chose to choose rather than relying on instinct alone, as it had done for so many millions of years? Was our first contemplation, discrimination? With judgment as a rule, could our newly cognitive species be expected to do anything less than assume dominion over the rest of creation, including each other? Exercising this fresh advantage we had no reason to hesitate casting doubt on or demonstrating acceptance for, all else. From those tentative innocent origins, rose an axiom; any behavior bent on emphasizing a distinctness between groups or individuals, whatever the criteria, motive or resulting stigma, would come to be judged itself as narrow minded and discriminatory by all held captive in the tunnel vision of their own “now”. That is to say, we all continue to prejudge others without wit or, for that matter, serious consideration as to why, because we aren’t capable of comprehending motivations from within the physical experience. Our insensibility leaves few if any among those who find themselves in a position to act on a perceived dominance or authority over others willing to accept, even if they could be made aware, that their actions are anything but tangible benevolence. In the narrow view their eyes offer, slavery is providing for the welfare of people who otherwise are incapable of fending for themselves. From the broad perspective afforded the observer, however, its clear any rationalizations that expect obedience and submission in return for domination, does so in self defense! Being in control of those around them gives the authority an assurance, false or otherwise, of survival. The “ideal” scenario, if it can be called that, is that everyone survives, even under such restricting parameters. The “downtrodden” benefit from at least a minimal––if not materially equal existence––with the severe restrictions on their freedom of actions bent entirely toward being available to provide the obligatory needs to, and meet the incredulous demands of, their “benefactor”. As seems too often the example in the physical experience, the other extreme––or worst case scenario––in this infinitely diverse spectrum of social interaction, would be––by civilized standards––savagery; comprised entirely of circumstances too horrific to imagine when witnessed and judged solely from within the limits imposed by the “now”. Which only serves to remind us; our exile from eternity includes all manner of relations and emotions, from elation to debasement, none of which we can ascribe a basis to beyond how it makes us feel! Our feeling about any given experience is both, our motivation for it and our solution to it. It’s our feelings during that experience that determines how, not if, we will benefit from it. Once inaugurated, choices are relegated to our attitude only. Considering the inherent circumstances to each experience, its outcome, is as beneficial and positive as we choose to accept. Though consciously unaware, and in the only fashion sensitive enough to incur the desired influence, we are Divinely Guided by way of our feelings to and through every conceivable encounter, including the most abominable.

It’s not surprising then, that those who share very similar backgrounds, beliefs and aspirations would congregate in order to seek out comfort zones minimizing confrontational situations, thereby offsetting the day to day struggle of surviving judgment. This instinctual social tendency to associate with those whom we have something in common, is both expected and welcomed considering the discord anticipated among the alternatives. On a positive note, the societal customs that evolved out of this practice of communal segmentation was a reflection of the interdependence each group had for the other. Depending on our belief system or agenda, it’s our perception of said behavior that either condemns by judgment or condones by acceptance what is, in all other respects, a perfectly normal, healthy pattern of interaction among individuals in the infancy of societal growth. On the other hand, our preoccupation with labeling the way we act or look, especially when it seems judgmental, has been as much for convenience or categorizing, as it has been for differentiating or segregating and has survived as a practice into modern times because there are individuals who are only beginning their personal path of awareness and can not be expected to act like those who began many millennia ago. Although some of those monikers start out innocently representing a person’s or group’s most outstanding feature or asset, they more often than not result in a social distinction that, for better or worse, sets a standard of behavior that we come to expect of or identify with that particular individual or clique. Surprisingly, we may perceive a deviation from those expectations in behavior to be cause for suspicion, tending to make us uncomfortable enough that our own surroundings seem threatened and frankly, anything deemed a threat to our comfort zone, perceived or real, stimulates our infernal bane labeled herein “original instinct”, to assume its now predictable defense posture.

So, whether by attitude or action, we’ve all been allied with the intuitive judgment that isolates and contributes to a continued separation of social classes in the cultural “neo-pecking order”. This disparaging aspect of the human psyche is one of the most crucial obstacles on our path to at-one-ment. Instinct served us well during the period of our development when we could not think for ourselves. It was the only means by which we could be Divinely Guided through the darkness of incognizance. It lingers in the light of awareness only as a last resort, and until it is usurped by the truth of faith-filled insight, at which time we will respectfully declare our freedom from its familiar and tenacious grasp. As said before, discarding instinct is the primary objective of engaging the physical. That contention has, thus far, occupied every moment of this physical time line and will continue to do so in direct proportion to the life forms that require it. Those who grow into awareness and move toward enlightenment, however, demonstrate an ever decreasing degree of reliance on instinct until, each at their own fulfillment, deny its last vestige. The absence of instinct will not be realized until we can choose, of our own free will, to love unconditionally.

The commonality of social structuring was analogous to the ceremonial ritual of appeasing gods, in as much as; neither was limited by any geographic propensity and both manifested out of our spiritual advancement at nearly the same instant on the physical time line. Divinely Guided or instinct? After all, Divine Guidance is as valid a precept as intuition is, but because their comprehension suffers from the lack of articulation, they’re often believed to be one and the same. Don’t let such confusion deny that reacting instinctively is indeed the opposite extreme––on the behavioral spectrum––of our sensitivity to and the acting on, a Will outside our own.

Our return to the world of physical emotions and demonstrations is deemed necessary because of our misunderstanding of relationships to each other in the first place. We lose focus on The Truth and begin to take our reason for being “One”, for granted. In the eternity of timelessness, the fabric of unity (being One with God) requires renewing or strengthening to assure continued totality. Returning to a time line where physical expression, by its nature blurring The Truth, demands of us a commitment of faith, to overcome once again the obstacles ego and instinct represent. The overcoming enhances our focus. The devices or stratagem employed to provide the greatest benefit and the most far reaching results in any opportunity for growth, seldom if ever appear appropriate to the circumstances, and certainly would not be our choice, if choosing our path were left entirely up to us. Living in the “now” limits our choices to the more mundane, so awareness and reliance on the Divine must be encouraged and nurtured if we are to be expected to participate actively and willingly in our own spiritual growth. During the physical experience our eternal reality is blurred. With no conscious history of spiritual awareness, the method of introducing us to what will, “in time”, become our answer to all things profound, begins in increments indiscernible from the purely carnal surroundings in which we eke out our subsistence, hence the confusion between Divine Guidance and instinct. As far removed from each other as these two influences are, representing the two extremes of behavioral activity as they do, it’s the period during which the active is displacing the reactive, that represents the whole of our physical experience. The Guidance from “without” through those experiences manifests the displacement, promoting our advancement and return to at-one-ment. The practice of following that Guidance realizes our overcoming and actualizes being “at One”.

Being cognizant of the influence perpetuated by the The Divine however, is not a prerequisite to benefiting from Its grace. Opportunities are offered in ways unfathomable to the physical senses. We are led and directed to action, and inaction, through channels that seemingly have no relationship to the circumstances we’re immersed in. The narrowness of the physical “now” predisposes us to act in our “own best interest” first. Supported in that focus by the original instinct of self defense, it becomes clear even to the neophyte why faith had such innocuous beginnings. The introduction of any new way of thinking is always approached, by necessity, in those terms familiar to the old way. The rationalization that any change will be of benefit enough to warrant the shedding of accepted customs, must be preceded by an understanding that; what is to come, will be better than what is being given up. Risk represents a measure of discomfort that precludes action unless the anticipated gain is of greater significance than any reasonable outcome expected from the status quo. The longer circumstances are bereft of hope for improvement, the more receptive we are to suggestions for change. Out of that “end of the rope” desperation, are manifested the most qualified advancements. Until a genuine seeking is undertaken, by what ever motivation, these answers which are always there, remain indiscernible.

The quest representing a truth seekers walk, reveals what lies outside the “now”. With that in-sight comes the revelation that what was eluded to earlier, can be averred as fact; the “now” is but a snippet taken out of context from the whole of eternity. Can a millisecond of arc, when viewed alone, provide a full understanding of all that might contribute to the area of the circle, from whose circumference it was taken? No more so than the manifestation of an event in time can be justly represented by any one of its countless prerequisite participating influences. Considering then that “now”, by definition, is out of context; would the physical observation of an event, without knowing its eternal attributes or purpose, be complete enough to pass judgment on another for any benefit, except to contribute toward the completion of our own illumination? As spiritual beings having physical experiences, living in the “now” is the venue of choice where the practice of being spiritual affords the most opportunities for growth. Growth is the result of learning, and in the absence of role models or learned mentors, learning relapses into trial and error, explaining why––from a purely physical perspective anyhow––advances in our self tutelage are made at the expense of many mistakes. Don’t forget or despair; in the reality of eternity, there are no mistakes!

Furthermore, once we advance far enough to participate in the planning and placement of our own subsequent incarnations, we’re very likely to find ourselves in the company of a person, or indeed be the person, who has gained a sensitivity to a broader perspective, regardless of any “proper” entreaty. Among them, in every generation, are a few given to share their insights in ways that direct others to a personal epiphany, raising their own level of awareness as well. Until such advancement is realized, the majority of seekers are introduced to the prospects of finding life’s elusive solutions, albeit to the benefit of the whole, by relying on the nearest idolatrous ritual. Naturally, wannabe clerics voraciously seized upon the opportunities presented by these neophytes, who needed to be provided some degree of satisfaction from the frustration of not having all the answers. It was from that need, and the consequential provision evolving from it, that the facilitators successfully promoted the notion; sacrifice produces reward, which, if not palatable in the terms they inferred, found new meaning in the more civilized generations that followed, eventually justifying the axiom; giving is more precious than receiving.

With that in mind, it can’t be stressed strongly enough, and bears repeating often; every manner of arriving at The Truth has its own merit and significance, inherent only to the individual’s needs as determined by what point they may be at on their return to at-one-ment. Typically then, if too simply, we can say the sensitive look inward and the frustrated look outward, on different paths though they may be, they invariably arrive at the same end. One being guided in the silence, the other being compelled to change into something or someone they’re not. Some finding revelations in Truth, others finding confusion in mixed expectations. While an increasing number of practitioners enjoy the inner peace garnered from a very early awareness on their now “well worn” path, most seekers succumb to the lure of self serving opportunists offering, if nothing else, accommodation to what is at least, a means to the beginning of their path. Every journey, including the onset of each, is as important as its destination to the attendant individual, because all paths present the same opportunities, although the material circumstances may bear no resemblance, that lead everyone to The Truth, manifesting at-one-ment.

PART III; CHAPTER ELEVEN

2005-09-04T00:03:00.000-05:00

- PART III-
UNCONDITIONAL
LOVE

- CHAPTER ELEVEN -
“ NEXT ”
AT - ONE - MENT

Regardless of appearances to the contrary, the aboriginal practices instrumental in fashioning early worship, were integral pieces of the foundation that would support the structure of faith in every tradition that followed. Remember, trusting in an authority outside ourselves is, in its own right, a leap of faith. The hope involved in petitioning that authority to show favor on our circumstances, reinforced our sense of control––when it could otherwise seem to be slipping through our fingers––and nurtured real faith each time any improvement was imagined. Even if only as a last resort, and in order that we might satiate the intended deity, our offering was something of great personal value. We derived little solace in the rationalization that we had exhausted all avenues available to us personally, before donning the guise of the supplicant and thereby admitting, what amounted to, a failure on our own part. Additionally, we might here be reminded that, when faith is new, the thirst that first invites beneficent resolution, is as easily quenched by focusing on sources of culpability beyond our control, because the desire to acquire anonymous benefaction is equally ready to place blame, when anticipated results fail to manifest. Is it too much a stretch then to imagine finding oneself in such a desperate state of confusion, that we might act in a way that would otherwise seem out of character, in the hope––however remote––of regaining some semblance of control? It’s at this “end of the rope” scenario, where hope shrinks in the face of desperation and our undemonstrated faith gives new meaning to the term; sacrifice!

The capitulation demanded of the initiate, by the “facilitators of the Gods”, evolved from simple material possessions, when the incipient ritual itself was simple, through increasingly convoluted layers of expectations and restrictions designed not just to enhance both the surreptitious and esoteric nature of the maturing ceremony, but deepen the commitment of the believer without shedding too much light on the underlying agenda of these self appointed intermediaries. The despair prompting the solicitor’s petition in the first place, provided enough despondency that the agent’s instructions were compelled to resemble a discipline. What surely started out as insidious subterfuge survived by the wit of the prevaricator, preying on the innocence of the credulous, whose desperate gullibility and unformed beliefs could be shaped into whatever archetype assured the most prosperous future for those making the rules, some of which centered on the prayerful's dependence, producing results that nurtured their hope just enough to keep them coming back. Once that devotion was more or less engaged in, the imaginations of the would-be clerics would be fueled by greed to heights of rationalization securing resources that assured the continued fidelity of the seeker. After all, the risk of being identified as participating in something that most peers would consider of a suspicious nature, was a very real threat to the long term integrity of any congregation. Fortunately, for the idolater and the future of all worship, guilt had long since proven itself an affective lever, and was quickly used to advantage as the most convenient contrivance to affect a devotional attitude. Obviously, as long as we allow the opinions of others to impact the way we act, guilt will be used against us. Effecting the act of worshipful behavior, when first encountered on ones path, had no affect until we cared enough to feel guilty.

Those who have not yet acquired that quality of defining right from wrong, aren’t suitable for inclusion in faith building rituals, nor would they consider seeking them out. Ironically, even though the intended nature of the guilt and ceremony relationship would have been lost on them, the direction this early incarnation of commitment was taking would have been well served by their temperament. That is to say, those who knew remorse, exemplified their desperation by choosing to suffer the bizarre twists of the rising cost of faith. It was the unrighteous however, who would have been well suited to meet those costs and more, if faith were something that abetted their agenda. It was sacrifice on a new scale that promoted guilt in the initiates heart, to a measure that would insure the degree of discreetness sought by any intercessor, regarding the unorthodox directions the seeker’s penance would be expected to take. The mere suggestion of deliverance from some perceived inadequacy rededicated our resolve to solicit the appropriate idol whose avarice allegedly, and conveniently, grew in direct proportion to our anxiety. So as the price of being shown favor inflated, it took on the unscrupulous enigma of “at any cost” and if, in spite of the guilt, we lacked the kind of remorse that should have been evident from this steep a stipend, it’s because our psyche was muddled in its attempt to rationalize the direction our offering was taking; that sacrifice could be broadened to include human life.

In the “now”, (or if you prefer; “on the surface”), this newest and most personal assessment probably appeared to be a glorification of the “pseudo-gods”. Even if that were an accurate account of their motivation, carnal actions rarely if ever have any obvious connection to reality and their object lesson in Truth. Guided to that point on our path, as we are to every opportunity on the physical level, it served little more than to represent how far our self esteem had fallen––and before we could see ourselves so lacking of it––we had contributed to, not only the extinguishing of our own worth, but of our value of life in general.

Human sacrifice would come to be judged barbaric by “civilized” descendants who, appropriately self-serving enough, evolved far more expedient and palatable means of sacrificing life with equally zealous rationalizations, alluding to the latest worthy or noble agenda. Sacrifice had to reach this point, first in idolatry and then for “the higher cause”, before its lesson in Truth could manifest in our lives. In eternity of course, everything is “sacrificed” to be One with Unconditional Love, but only through the understanding gleaned from the relationships of our repeated incarnations. While physical life, and death (regardless of the form that demise might assume), have no bearing whatever in reality––our fullness in the absence of time––, the experience both offer is unique with regards to every aspect of first recognizing and then sacrificing; Self! For example, an especially critical nexus among everyone's experience in the physical, is developing the capacity to subjugate all those characteristics of individuality accrued since ego’s self awareness, in order that we may start over with a clean slate and move toward the faith necessary to rely on the power that is beyond measure, instead of on our own limited abilities.

Though original instinct defies our surrender of will, our eventual success in relinquishing it––both instinct and will, that is––creates a void of innocent vulnerability, a vacuum or repository meant to accommodate God’s Divine Will. It also leaves us open to every kind of influence (temptation)––some negative and abusive in the extreme––but none the less consequential, because it is “the innocence of a child”, if you will, that inoculates us from what otherwise would be an avalanche of guilt inherent with a humane people conducting themselves in unspeakably, depraved physical attempts at propitiation. That remorse being the accumulative results of desperate acts over millennia of idolatrous practices that escalated demands on our ego, through the guile of carefully orchestrated ceremonies, leaving us to believe we had no recourse but to act in the onerous manner prescribed by those who would benefit most from our continued capitulation. On the threshold of spiritual freedom, any compassionate seeker in the “now”––without the insight of the eternal perspective––would be overwhelmed by the knowledge of the extreme, though Divinely Guided, behavior of former incarnations. In that sense perhaps, “what we don’t know, wont hurt us”, or at least keep us from moving on until we’re prepared to receive our revelations in Truth.

Bear in mind, in reality (eternity), for a foundation of faith to be lain; our ego needed subordinating. In order to reach that place on our path, where the help we sought (by demonstrating faith), could exert a positive influence on our circumstances in the physical, and as mentioned, this isn’t something we would consciously condone, we first had to allow ourselves to be brought into the company of those most skillfully appointed to dupe us with guilt and greed to become, through Divinely Designed carnal intent, the most grievously, shameful, emotionally spent excuse of a human being, who would resort to anything as long as there were a hint of recompense. The only way to circumvent “original instincts’” defenses, was to justify that the reward would be far greater than the energy expended exercising our will to resist and in so doing allowed ourselves to become addicted to reward. So easily does our resolve relapse, when our appetite needs sated, but this is where we had to come to acquiesce on our inability to prevail alone. Only in the “now” oriented physical world could we have found this desperate state of low––or no––self esteem, where our only choice, our only salvation––if you will––was to ask ourselves that question that unlocked the door to real faith.

Worshipful behavior has little foundation and no expectation without faith. Faith is the light that illuminates the path of our return to at-one-ment. It should, by now, have become clearer that faith is the fruit of a learned attitude reinforcement, rooted in hope and grown in experience, nurtured by trust found only in the physical, narrow, emotional world of reward driven possibilities.

The first step of our quest into the maze whose solution points toward what will be faith, requires nothing more than to ask. Faith starts with a question, any question really, that releases us from the burden of having all the answers, solving every riddle, resolving every problem. Hope lives in the asking that opens the door to trusting alternative avenues of approach to varied experiences, rewarding us in the lessons whose overcoming is realized in the growth of our faith. The path to the Truth of Being, while indigenous to eternity, is marked by trials and degrees of awakening based on the illumination that results from our thoroughness of understanding each lesson at hand. That understanding in turn creates opportunities to proffer the right questions that assist in leading to the next level of awareness. The most critical crucibles in which our faith is tested are the tribulations of relating to one another, personal interaction, fostering the foundation of trust which matures into faith by accepting circumstances as positive, when all appearances are to the contrary. Our spiritually reinforced focus on the physical invites us to believe that despite everything coming against us, and although existing conditions are not in our control, all will none the less turn out favorably. Practicing that belief represents the oneness of hope, trust and faith, as it manifests in the physical equivalent of our spiritual path to form the “belief system” from which all attitudes (spiritual and otherwise) are based.

Even though our causal awareness of what seems to be protracted spiritual growth, is the farthest thing from our daily punctuation of coping, we are forevermore flawlessly guided through our personal and unique objectives in a way that can only be considered Divine Design. From the broadest possible spectrum eternity offers, the “end” of our path (at-one-ment) is as clear as its “beginning” (awakening of ego). From that perfect frame of reference, it’s obvious when, what and why each connection must take place in order to navigate, what would appear to our physical senses as random and chaotic experiences, from one incarnation to another––with individuals of varying relationships and histories––who are on their own equally convoluted journeys to the same destination. Our investment in the plan that manifests as our life in the physical world, increases with the experience of every incarnation or, more to the point; as our progress proceeds, that part of us that abides becomes increasingly involved in the Divine Direction that initiates each subsequent incarnation. To that end, individuals and groups form common threads through the passage of time, often returning to the physical in concert, building on relationships, albeit in diverse roles, conducive to shared development. The term “soul mate” is distinctly more than a euphemism of our vernacular. Reality reflects it as being the microcosmic precursor to the macrocosm of “at-one-ment”, emphasizing that such experiential links are conspicuous throughout all facets of behavior and are the expected norm––when applied to the balancing quality of restitution––as represented by Divine Judgment.

With that in mind, we must consider the human experience untested until a demonstration of faith regards everything in the physical, even the most dire conditions, as serving a positive purpose toward our spiritual maturity in eternity. As stated earlier, in spite of outward appearances, there are no mistakes concerning our spiritual advancement. The difficulty with understanding that simple Truism is, of course, because we can only see ourselves as physical Beings, who through guilt have been led to believe that we can be judged, and consequently, judge others for actions society warrants as unacceptable. It goes without saying there are copious examples of conditions and events in the narrow, emotionally charged view limited by our physical senses that seemingly make no sense, are grossly unfair or even tragic. Countless accounts abound of intractable malevolent behavior wrought upon innocents, devastating survivors, victimizing all who are unwitting witnesses. Heinous acts have been characteristic of human behavior since “original instinct” prompted us to control perceived threats through demonstrations that invoked fear. The more fearful the display, the more complete would be the command of the situation and those involved. Such authority, once tasted, equates itself with a strength of position from whose vantage point one could exhort one’s own will on others. That feeling induces a state of mind, in susceptible egos, that’s enough to reinforce the reward addiction by creating an appetite for it that grows increasingly insatiable. By that account it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine; what must have productively served as acts of self defense, countering a perceived threat with a threat, could expand into a vehicle for domination using fear through appalling and abhorrent viciousness. After all, this is “the nature of the beast”, the oldest part of our base instinct that Truth seekers, recognizing right from wrong (evidence of conscience), struggle to suppress every time they make the choice of being hopeful and positive instead of reacting emotionally to challenging circumstances.

For the most part, or at least until we as a people are able to free ourselves from the stigma of guilt and hence the misplaced role of judge, our response to horrific behavior will never be any more civilized than the behavior itself. A lifestyle involving choices promoting “clear conscience” is certainly the preferred practice for all, not only where the disentitlement of guilt and the freedom coincidental with the lifting of that burden is concerned, but also because it opens the door to a more compassionate outlook toward those still reacting emotionally. Additionally, until the role-playing of judge and juror is denuded from the human psyche, our path is bound to the presumptuous rules of punishment based on due process jurisprudence, rationalized as civilized but little more than an extension of a gang mind-set that qualifies vengeance as “just” and “fair”. To reiterate, our milieu is not to judge the actions of others, for we will never be in a position to fathom the eternal intrinsic reality of what manifests in the “now”, as crime. One of the reasons we are not afforded the clarity of relevance unique to the eternal point of view, is because; even though the perfect balance maintained by Divine Judgment is so complete and final, it would never satisfy the emotional gratification we claim in the physical, as our inherent right to vindication. Until we arrive at the place where faith’s fruition frees us from circumstances, our unpredictable emotional reactions will continue to be enabled by our narrow view of events, and our instincts, in turn motivating the decisions made about each challenge we face. Living anything less than “perfect”, however, does little but secure our continued return to the tribulations where by we acquire the body of knowledge offered exclusively in time––through uncountable personal interactions––for the cultivation of clues which lead to the enlightenment of Truth and thus the perfection of at-one-ment, that awaits at the end of all our paths.

Our greatest obstacle to that progress is “original instinct”. The walls thrown up in the guise of self defense also retard the interaction necessary for the understanding that precipitates growth. The rationalizing of motivation that instinct utilizes to dominate choices is equally effective in blurring the fact that, we have a choice. Hope, trust and now patience, are the choices that get us beyond the limiting affects of instinct. Accepting the possibility of a reward that allows us to have a glimmer of hope, sets in motion an expectation about our future, planting a seed of trust resulting in something akin to foresight. The patient practicing of such thought processes only adds to the strength of the roots between hope and trust, creating opportunities for faith to spring from beds held barren by instinct. Beyond this finite threshold of positive environments lies the incubator where faith flourishes to become the only fruitful avenue between the physical and eternal, allowing our familiarity with that timelessness and all it offers, to germinate and mature. This “key to the kingdom” eventuality, certain though it is, also represents every conceivable scenario with regards to our exercise of patience and the role that plays in the fruition of faith. Without the benefit of healthy doses of patience, our growing faith is stunted by the pests and weeds of negativism and insecurity that original instinct relies on to protect and insure the ego’s predominance.

By now it should be obvious; faith is not only the foundation for, but the only means by which we may achieve a worshipful attitude toward our spiritual reality. To that end, progress on our path necessitates a concerted cultivation of hope, trust and patience to assure faith prevails in spite of our limiting physical senses and the trepidation of original instinct. If it were possible to compare the incarnate experience’s apparent interminability, to the minute segment of it that represents our maturing faith, we could clearly see the prerequisite assimilation of physical experiences has a disproportionately larger measure imparted to it, than does the genuine commitment of surrendering one’s self to the freedom of a life over flowing in the prosperity of faith filled provision. We may also see, that by any measure in this frame of reference, we can and have only touched on the minimal acumen conducive to a life of faithful worship, but lest it’s forgotten how the precursor to faith was inaugurated to the journey that climaxes in the epiphany of Truth, we’ll digress.

Once illuminated with the clarity of Divine Design, the ceremonies that stretched the limits of personal sacrifice to begin with (throwing into doubt our value for life), can be examined as an extension of honest commitment, though it seemed inordinate in the “now”, translating a nexus from the path of our Spiritual advancement into the physical expression about which our forebears have been judged less than civilized by all who have followed, while themselves demonstrating attributes that are no more in evidence of enlightenment than those they condemn. If our self-serving attempts to impress our judgment and standards on others weren’t so fueled by emotions, instinct’s domination of ego would fade, bringing to light a much clearer attitude ready to concede, regardless of outward appearances, to a more progressive acceptance toward all behavior. Practicing the latitude fostered by an open mind leads, in time, to the leap of faith that regards all possible ramifications of circumstances in the physical, as the sole instruments in our Divinely Orchestrated Corporeal Soliloquy. Though not appearing to have any relation to what is in reality a normal consequence of Divine Judgment, those day to day interactions found to be uniquely bound to the temporal, are the only means by which the balance distinguishing that Universal Law is maintained.

Having now garnered an unrestrictive detachment about the associations that connect the avenues of physical expressions to their spiritual values, we accept that change happens as a circumstance of growth, not vice versa, and proceed in our observations toward the understanding; everything and everyone has a reason for being just the way it is. Perhaps because of our comfort zone in the status quo, we will from “time to time” indulge instinct to oppose attempts at growth, only compounding whatever discomfort might accompany the due course of that adjustment. Allowing for the paradox that change remains constant in its inconsistency, we must endeavor to resist the temptation to influence a change simply to fit our own personal agenda, remembering that; even the most trying periods, (in spite of related inconveniences which may vary in degree from troublesome to tragic), are none the less ongoing singular lessons incumbent to our incarnate term of physical functionary, confronted exclusively as a matter of our immersion in time. Any measure of progress in that confining environment is defined by the overcoming of trials, whose undertaking is both, supported by all that has come before and added to the framework of whatever lay ahead. In this regard, our faith may be exercised with the Truth that Divine Design has masterfully prepared us to face every “new” challenge. We are assured that no single family of people, or generation, or individual, or civilization, no one tribe or nation has been shown greater favor over any other, with respect to the benefits of this most perfect demonstration of eternal unconditional love, thereby guaranteeing all paths converge at “at-one-ment”, if not simultaneously, with absolute certainty.

CHAPTER TWELVE

2005-09-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE: THE ROOTS

Each step along our path has been prepared for us and in turn contributes to preparing us for the next one. This “Truism” is the most basic foundation stone upon which all development relies, including and prior to the instant we recognize as Creation. The “stuff” of everything that is, everything that ever has been, everything that ever will be, has always existed in one form or another. “Always”; transcends time, eclipsing its parameters, stretching beyond its investiture at Creation. The substance of our being, including all manifestations, traces its heritage to the only form that existed before time. Remember, time is a facility of the physical world, with no correlation in eternity. Everything outside, or before time, or after time, everything that is not measured by time, is Eternity! That is to say, while in the material confines of each embodiment, (going through the motions of a physical being), space and time are the only reference points we have, to diagram or identify anything. The engram our meager comprehension and inadequate lexicology vainly designates “eternity”, the source to which we all return, escapes our most educated attempts of analysis or denomination, except to allege its timelessness, its omnipresence. Out of that fount for all that is, manifests the restrictive physical experiences that the onset of time has provided a venue for since Creation. Any spiritual advancement on our path is preceded by and reliant on the choices we entertain during the course of our physical interactions.

Carnate forms change and grow increasingly complex (evolve) because of the layering that results from experience’s injection of adaptability into every level, but consciously, we remain ignorant of Divine Order’s influences, not to mention its reasons, issued to coax us through the physical appointments in which we find ourselves. For the most part, sentient beings go through the motions of dealing with daily responsibilities, fooling themselves into thinking the decisions made are actually of their own free will. From that narrowest possible point of view, our choices do seem to be of independent origin, based on intuition or past experience. These sources appear reliable, if not original, because in effect; they represent all the options available that will eventually serve as the conduit through which our burgeoning faith recognizes its spiritual connection between the influences of Divine Direction and the commensurate material provision.

At that point in the chronology of our incarnate edification, we lacked the insight or revelation to proceed with any more than “blind faith”, or the expectation that the desired outcome of a practiced action, had a predictable and acceptable percentage of odds in favor of ending just as it had, many times before. We’re frequently amazed though when the disappointment of unpredictability factors itself in, and while ready to accept kudos when things go “as planned”, we’re quick to blame shortfalls on anything but ourselves. By keeping undesired attention from focusing on a weakness, finding fault for shortsightedness recalls the common finger-pointing aspect of what we now recognize as original instinct’s attempt at self defense. When the unforeseeable bordered on the uncomprehendable, we sought out new levels of indictment that would conceal the depth of our ineptness, yet find firm ground on which to make a stand supporting what amounted to baseless expectations. Otherwise void of any actionable explanation, that shaky finger of accusation had no recourse except to point in the direction of whatever pseudo-god was imagined to hold authority over that particular aspect of our life and if initial fears could be allayed, a relationship with newly imagined super natural powers would center on; how we could best use its implied, unique expertise to our advantage. Relationships, after all, were infantile to say the least and hinged entirely on what we could gain from them, rather than on what we could contribute. With spiritual awareness desensitized by instinct’s interdiction, gods of every description represented little more than opportunities for us to impose some influence in areas where we had no experience, so nurturing a relationship with them was clearly to our benefit at a time when control was synonymous with survival.

Bear in mind, it was at this juncture of our Divine Path that every facet of physical interaction was converging on the aspirations of hope maturing into faith, if only by way of reward through sacrifice. Oblivious to the perfect guidance that constantly weaves the tapestry whose completion signifies our return to at-one-ment, we advance in ignorance by what can only be described as trial and error in the narrow one point perspective of ego-centered, self-serving behavior patterns. A status quo, or any level of mutually expected civility, had yet to be established, so the norm was a hostility mandating a daily struggle for survival. In this environment of one way relationships, any hope for improved standards of living were usually doused by set backs in current lifestyles, before appreciable advances could be realized.

As alluded to earlier however, the prevailing shroud of darkness separating us from The Truth, brought to light the talents of those few who were anointed to be the instruments of hope for the seekers, who otherwise lacked an audience with the myriad of idols whose favor might be sought. We were, quite without cognition, allowing ourselves to be manipulated to follow a path that would bring us under the influence of those anointed individuals, who avowed to provide a venue for the introduction of our personal relationship to the relevant pseudo-god. Returning now to that point of introduct-ion––which we deviated from to establish the pertinent connections between reality and the world confined by time––it may be seen with the clarity of that germaneness how sacrificing valued possessions in order to appease a god, was simply the logical and natural extension of the price we would pay in the hope of some benevolent reward pertaining to our specific beseechment. The practiced expectation of such results coming into fruition, is the kindling called hope, feeding the fire of faith, whose warmth both comforts and beckons us and whose Divine Guiding Light, in time, expels the darkness concealing Truth. With the reward incentive––that occasionally acceptable results of answered invocations offered––and the urging of those we were coming to rely on to facilitate the germinating relationship characterizing our idolatry, our immolation increased in direct proportion to the immediacy placed on the desired supplication. Now, in The Light of Truth, the relevance of our petition’s consideration to the offering made, has reached the ultimate observance applicable to the limits of carnality.

When last visited, it was implied that human sacrifice demonstrated an absence of value for life in general, but its practice actually represented something entirely different from the eternal perspective. It was the highest manifestation of love that could be invoked through our maturing physical relationships, at that point during our recurring incarnate experiences. As the level of veneration exceeded the heretofore prescribed penance, so our expected offering evolved to reflect a new degree of contrition. Sacrificing rose from propriety, through the tendering of proprietorship, to the eventual dispensing of our personal legacy altogether––in the manner of giving the ultimate endowment––the product of “our reason for being”; our own offspring! There is no greater display of love than to give up what we love most, believing that by doing so, the fulfillment of that object’s future will be more assured than it would be in our own care. In its own way a leap of faith, a human offering was seen as delivering the sacrificial life into the presence of the idol in question, to be ennobled as supernatural itself, perhaps perceived as everlasting or at least some semblance of whatever our narrow imagery allowed us to ponder as eternal. If, additionally, during this “sacrificial” soul’s most recent reappearance, however brief, it had served as an example to emulate, (i.e.; generating or evoking pure love), then that life had indeed fulfilled its immediate––and only necessary––attribution, and all who benefited could count themselves vastly richer for it. Even if the influence of a being who shares our path isn’t readily obvious on the temporal plain, the assimilation of its consequence into our eternal advancement is secured in ways that are immutable. That assimilation, the spiritual reward of a deep personal experience, escapes the “survivors’” esoteric discernment because of the emotionally clouded view of their “loss”.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

2005-09-03T23:54:00.000-05:00

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.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

2005-09-03T22:38:00.000-05:00

INTERMEDIATE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

The degree of difficulty assigned each tribulation ever faced, is in direct proportion to the importance placed on the outcome that motivated its necessity. By the same token, rest assured that every test of “overcoming” is no greater than our ability to do so. With that in mind we can see that our co-related physical and spiritual development, is promoted only as fast as each step has its “ground work” or foundation laid. Everything we do, prepares us for what ever is forthcoming, so that no advancement is realized until a frame exists to support it.

The instant fertilization brings the chromosomes of the ovum and spermatozoa together, The Divine Spark animates a new life, beginning with the first cell’s division, setting in motion a course that follows the combined parental genome’s blueprint, as cells become increasingly specialized by appropriating the information necessary to realize both their individual and combined potential. During this period of development, the organism’s physical future is characterized genetically. Every quality that will define individuality is mapped, including the potentiality, and in some cases absolute certainty, of when and what type physical challenges will be faced during its life-span.

With a clarity unique to the eternal perspective, the intended indwelling spirit monitors this pre-embrionic assimilation in the physical––with great care and vested interest––assuring itself all the parameters are in place so the onset of its next series of physical experiences can proceed with the greatest prospect of fulfilling, the broadest realm of beneficial outcomes, thereby advancing one step closer to its inevitable reward. As sometimes happens, especially once one is further along one’s path, many generations may pass in the physical before the suitable combination of genetics, geographic locations and soul mate attendancy, present themselves to encounter the exact challenges conducive to facilitating a specific spiritual advancement. Given those infinite number of variables, a projected embodiment may be rejected, aborted if you will, because some “free will” event changed one or more of the circumstances into which the returning spirit was to have been born, effectively “waving off” an incarnate involvement at that particular time and place. In the case of multiple births, soul mates returning en masse, the complexities of arrangements and timing are compounded and often result in one or more of the fetuses not being embodied. In that same vein, “still births” may be, but aren’t always the product of missed connections of the spirit or inappropriate circumstances in the physical. Consider the possibility that such a “tragic” event could simply be nothing more than a valuable lesson for all involved, whether directly or indirectly. The clarity of the eternal perspective isn’t discernible until we begin to associate our experiences outside the restrictions placed on us by emotions. Overcoming, moving on, forgiving, are all degrees of increasingly emotionless behavioral attitudes.

Actually, myriad opportunities assume forms wholly misunderstood by those around whom they manifest. It’s not at all uncommon for individuals and groups (i.e., families) to be faced with challenges that, by all reference points available in the “now”, make no sense whatsoever. For example, should we find our preferred lifestyle disrupted by an unexpected responsibility or “burden”, whether it’s in the care and nurturing of a challenged or disabled loved one or in their sudden and tragic loss, our inability to see any benefit or gift in conjunction with this situation, leaves an opening for emotion and original instinct to dictate our reacting to such “senseless” acts or circumstances as though we’ve been victimized, and send us on a wild goose chase for something we’ve called, in our ego driven world, “closure”. Rather than see a lesson, by which to grow and invest ourselves in the growth of others, we would sooner imagine such an opportunity as a personal assault and, then having found no recourse, choose grief or even trauma as an accommodating escape from dealing with what otherwise is simply another challenge we’re perfectly capable of overcoming, if it weren’t for the strategies of ego’s agenda. We’re so quick to place blame where none is warranted, in the Truth of Divine Design and Judgment (i.e.; no mistakes, everything is just as it should be), that we allow vengeance to administer hate in the name of love, which slows our progress to a crawl. Being so blind to a chance for growth isn’t a setback. It’s instinct’s self defense to maintain the status quo. The diligent and patient practice of faith promotes the awareness that recognizes growth opportunities for what they are, instead of the obstacles to our peace and happiness that “inside the box” thinking, suggests.

On still another level, lest we forget, in this current cycle of physical incarnations, the causal comparative relations of our combined spiritual and physical origins may be traced from the earliest incremental steps taken of the primal inanimate and then organic embodiments during spirit’s genesis, through to the form we recognize today as appropriate for the ordained awakening of spirit’s latent awareness. Referred to generally as evolution, the physical evidence of these coextended histories survives in each of us. By employing some of the recent advances in science, examples of the physical conformities enabling our continued spiritual growth may be witnessed throughout the period of our gestation, from the first cell division to live birth. Life forms manifested and utilized in the establishment of our current spiritual path are chronologically revisited during every fetal incubation––metamorphosis, if you will––providing evidence of the shared development from its primordial beginnings, through each character embodiment our spiritual advancement procured through the ages, connecting those prior to the need of cognitive capacities, to those of the most recent embryonic refinement, bipedalism. This leap in stature, a crux in physical maturation, resulted in an entirely new entity, versatile enough to swing wide the doors of possibilities increasing the variety of incarnate opportunities where one may continue one’s Divinely Guided erudition to its ordained conclusion. After all, our spiritual enlightenment is the sole reason for creation, so from first light to this present physical cycle of the ongoing eternal source of life, any and all manifestations serve no other purpose except to resolve Spiritual fragmentation through unity. The illusion of randomness inside our “box” is the expression of that fragmenting. Becoming “One”, returning to “at-one-ment”, is our only reason for being! Doing so of our own free will, is the only means by which the fulfillment of that reward is justified.

You see, being “one” was already ours to begin with. That is, “In the Beginning” Heaven and Earth were created. The educated secularist would call it the “Big Bang” theory, they’re not wrong, it’s just a different name for the same event. The fact that they’ve arrived at the same conclusion as the pious, thousands of years later, simply makes them enlightened in the only way they’re ready to accept. So, if all material that will ever exist, or ever has for that matter, formed at the instant of creation, then the question bodes; what was there before its formation? Every single atom making up what is considered the physical universe must have come from somewhere, and since nothing has been added or taken away from its total original mass during the ensuing passage of time, it should be safe to say; time has no measurable affect on the overall significance of things. What does then? What induces the apparent changes we witness that have brought us to the point of sophistication - or complexity - we find ourselves to be a part of today? Regardless of the perspective by which we choose to view our surroundings, there are few options from which to select, in consideration of the answer to these questions. The Spiritual option is; all those who attribute responsibility for everything that happens, to a source of influence outside our control, are ready to accept the notion, in theory at least, of a Creator. The image or name they may summon when beseeching favor can be either personal or based on established practice and roots of their own belief system. The view from that option then, and any others willing to take a leap of faith, clearly avers with devout––dare I say “zealous”––certainty that it can be believed; the only thing that existed before creation was the Creator! Given that, (if only in theory, for the doubtful) it is discerned the source of all that is and will ever be, is God! Since all physical substance manifested from something and the only something that existed before that manifestation was our God The Creator, everything we see, touch, hear and taste, everything beyond our limited senses yet to be revealed, is God! The physical universe is God manifest. It existed in spirit before its “birth”, just as every “change” in it continues to do. Each manifestation, existing or new, is no more than a reflection of the flow in spiritual continuity that must precede it.

Regarding this premise as Truth, let us now return to where we found ourselves when being “one” was our daily fare. All life, animate and otherwise, IS ONE! Everything is universally One with God! Creation is God manifest! Most aboriginal cultures base their belief systems on the assimilation of this Truth. They were able to do so, in large part, because of their isolation from outside influences who, upon “discovering” them, then felt compelled to “civilize” them. It was, in fact, during the pre-history of such cultures world wide, before ego changed migration into immigration, life was found to be flowing in balance with natural events. For the most part, the seasons and cycles varied gradually enough to allow adaptations to conditions, while limiting populations to the available provender, and vice versa, so as to avoid decimation. Natural phenomenon brought about occasional world wide climatic shifts manifesting evolutionary opportunities, or extinctions depending on your view, promoting spiritual advancement to the next level. It was in this Divinely ordered rhythm that “we” the group, “at One” with all, transformed into “I” the individual and no one has looked at anything the same way since! The acceptance of free will turned “one for all” into “me against them”!

The timely and necessary birth of ego has been decried as our “fall from Grace”. “Grace” is the manifestation of God’s Unconditional Love in our lives. We have not fallen outside the Love of God by the appropriation of our own will, because God is Love. We are always, very much a part of Him, since He is The Creator and we are part of that Creation. Basically, ego has done two things with its free will; made us ignorant of unconditional love and, as a result, changed the way we look at everything else. Ego’s awakening was necessary because; even though we were One, we were unaware of God’s Love while we were a part of it. We could not appreciate being the purist expression of that Love. In order to learn of its depth and the provision it represents, we had to change from being a part of it, to being apart from it. Witness then the enigma of our voluntary return to “at-one-ment”. Only by the activity of time can we, first become aware of our ignorance regarding God’s Unconditional Love and second, work through the choices necessary in overcoming that ignorance.

Ignorance makes us vulnerable to extremes. Once out from under the umbrella of being “One”, the choices free will offered opened doors that led to extremes we had no experience with, but were decidedly eager to explore. Our newly acquired and much tempted choice driven imagination, blurred the memory of “oneness” into an unfocused lore kept alive by the few who, through their own choices, stayed attuned to reality enough to become the story tellers, wise men and keepers of the oral history, of their people. For the vast majority however, disconnecting from Divine Guidance meant losing the defining characteristics of right, goodness and love in the muddled temptations of emotion’s intoxicating alternatives. Now free of God’s Will and anxious to sate the appetite of our attention starved immature ego, we allowed ourselves to follow paths into material possessiveness, feeding its accompanying suspicions with the extremes of wrong and hate, in order to assuage any existing positive position into every adverse situation possible, thereby inducing fear where we knew none before, and influencing not just behavior, but the newly forming belief systems of all those egos recently “freed” of God’s Love. The opposition that, in our ignorance we erroneously perceive as everything outside God’s Love, manifests as our day to day tribulation in a physical world where, by His design, every opportunity to experience all manner of physical and emotional dependancy is available to us. Creation has provided unlimited means by which we may practice our freedom of choice. To reiterate, that’s exactly why we’re here, to examine every conceivable alternative and eventually convince ourselves that no matter what pleasures and incumbent gratification lie at our disposal, that nothing surpasses the only Eternal Truth of our God’s Unconditional Love and enable ourselves to freely make the choice that our rightful place is “at one” with Him. The tests and coincident choices we take and make with each breath and thought, redefine and narrow the extremes we face into ever greater detail, honing or sharpening the image that we will recognize as the ideal balance we once had, but took for granted. Only by this rediscovery through experience and freedom of choice could we regain, and more importantly appreciate––by comparison to the varied alternatives––The Truth that erases the extremes of ignorance, permitting the return to “at-one-ment”. More succinctly, if too simply; “you don’t know how good you got it, until you know how bad it can get”!

Ignorance is deeply rooted and slow to eradicate. Though not a product of our original instinct (self defense), the two find comfortable associations on many levels. For example, while our curiosity explores the many pleasures offered by choice, the emotional extremes our immature ego’s self promotion opens up, leaves us susceptible to overwhelming negativeness that fosters greed, suspicion, jealousy and vanity, all of which are behaviors that allow fear of exposure and condemnation to apply the talents of “original instinct” in filling the void of ignorance, so any opposition to our misdirected ego can be met with one or more variations of the most negative expression available; hate! Ignorance induces defensiveness. It was this fear of being held responsible for one’s own acts and feelings––or better yet, the compulsion to extenuate the actions of others, so that all possible synonymity might be justified––that the convenience of misdirecting accountability evolved into what has proven to be a time-tested and now acceptable surrogate for the culpability of our own irrationality. Its timely refinement, found an anticipatory niche in our increasingly guilt ridden and seemingly pigeonholed self-image, by assigning a name and agenda to that most negative counterpoint of our perfectly positive Divine Creator.

In early times, for those moving in the direction of identifying themselves under the influence of Divine Guidance, the personification of Love and Grace was amplified and easier to appreciate if there were a nemesis threatening Divinitie’s hold on young believers. Our focus on the benefaction of faith was underscored every time we were reminded that any lack in that regard, left an opening for the manifestation of what was becoming the nightmare of the “un-divine”. Perfect love was conceptualized by our seminal belief system to justify the overwhelming goodness and generous provision received when patiently acting in faith, but not without the antithesis to “oneness”, the antipode to that perfect love, the equally overwhelming and enduring validation of wickedness. It seemed inevitable we could not accept one without the other. In our weakness (outside of faith), we utilize and depend on examples of opposites to reinforce each other. It was in this primitive mindset, on our Divinely Guided path toward what would one day be monotheism, that idolatry was introduced in conjunction with the rise of animism and nature worship. Imparting the values of that collaboration, (extreme though they may be), into “original instinct’s” association with ego’s conveniently misdirected object of culpability, evil, fully affiliating it into our, thus far, recondite idealism. Unable to accept love without its comparison to hate, punctuates our shortfall with faith more succinctly than the most illuminated confession. The ratification of “evil” as a given, only ascribes to how thoroughly abstruse esotericism can be made when unwilling to take responsibility for one’s own poor judgment, bad choices, emotional reactions and carnality in general. Iniquitousness was not an ingredient in the recipe for life until ego chose to proffer it as an excuse for all that we might otherwise be condemned for. Before we knew right from wrong, we created in our own psyche, (and in our stead) the perfect “fall guy”; satan! Supplanting this proxy for viciousness in our culture opened both the flood gates to irresponsibility and––as opposites would dictate––the road to the succor providing a direction toward which we could secure our return to Love.

At the threshold separating carnality and veneration, in the midst of mixed messages, it’s easier to follow someone into unfamiliar territories rather than lead or go alone. Unsure of our place or worth we surrender leadership to any who demonstrate, or even feign, some degree of authority germane to a direction we think we ought to take, in spite of the fact we’re often less concerned about where we’re going, than we are about getting away from where we are! Though shrouded in the confusion of our own self image and emotion, the finality of Truth is not weakened to any degree by the path taken. The fundamental reasons for, or more importantly, the outcomes of tribulations, aren’t altered in the least by the avenues traveled, nor by opportunities seized or missed. Each choice, every turn, all the doors on our path, lead to some new situation where by we gain insight into the meaning of our relationship with Truth. With innumerable opportunities to grow, the expansive range of fulfilled experiences required to wend our way to faith are assured of being sated. Whether we’re leading or following in the physical, is circumstantial to our being led in the spirit. With that in mind, it’s clearer how the meandering flow that is our spiritual growth cuts its course to the sea of unity despite the humble trickle of a beginning at its headwater, or the infinite number of obstacles along its path. As each individual rivulet joins or is joined by commonality, the flow of the whole increases in strength until nothing can impede its return to the sea of “oneness” from which it originally arose, gossamer like, to soar among the ethereal currents until called once again to fall into physicality, where new obstacles await the eternal perseverance and timely overcoming of our latest manifestation. Thus presented with a new panorama of unknowns and challenges to be met, we re-embark on yet another quest, vastly richer in experience and relationships from all that has been overcome before, moving closer each time to the unconditional surrender of our will, in order to realize the procurement of the purest expression of Divine Truth.

Once assured of our guidance in spirit, we may feel free to proceed with confidence, expecting positive results, even from situations whose circumstances seem otherwise, perhaps to the extreme. Living outside that awareness, on the other hand, especially when faced with any challenge considered beyond our “normal” day to day routine, is not only stressful but occasionally requires a leap of faith, or as some would perceive, an act of heroism, but not without results exhibiting spiritual growth for all concerned, however. It’s in this going through and overcoming that our advancement on the path is measured, remembering too that there are no losses to apathy or no falling back through error, because all consequences are a matter of gain and every action––or inaction––redeems a positive influence with regard to the totality of knowledge and spirit-led insight. For example; social interaction involves the splicing of an infinite array of variables, especially personal agendas, into what usually seems on the surface, a consensus of inclusion that satisfies most individuals while also providing beneficial results for the sum of the whole. Now of course, looks can be deceiving and although history appears to support the assertion that any given example of community combines the behavior of many, in order to complete arrangements and programs that would provide the majority with advantageous intent, as is the nature of carnality, all too often there are individuals who choose to exploit circumstances to their own gain. Much of what we witness or partake of may “feel” unfair when weighed against purely physical or emotional standards, but allowing Divine Insight to remind us; we are spiritual beings not held up to physical judgment, puts such events in perspective.

Each of us are found to be at a different point of our spiritual growth. Whether we’re living faithfilled lives or not, is of little or no immediate consequence except to define how far we’ve come. The fact is, those who are not, have only yet to reach the point where those who are, have, nothing more. Everyone arrives at that point when the adoption of faith is appropriate, according to what is ready to be accepted, but everything we do before and after that point is only another lesson in the school of Truth. No matter what our act, heroic or heinous, its origin is spiritually induced and its consequence is spiritual growth. So no matter who appears to be hurt or helped, or in what way, the intent is learning, or teaching, or both. Eternally, all movement on the Divine path is forward!

Additionally, those living in the absence of faith, can’t begin to grasp the relaxed confidence and real happiness their future revelations in Truth will grant them. Moving toward faith on the path, begins in the neighborhood of recognizing that ego’s gaining of the freedom to choose its own course, doesn’t extend to the manner in which said course proceeds or ends, any more than it did while we were an integral member of an interdependent group. The lack of control over activities however, can awaken an uneasiness that questions the foundation of our worthiness and is reinforced every time we fool ourselves into believing we’re in control of the part we play in any given situation, only to be disappointed when the outcome doesn’t measure up to our expectations. The ability to recognize the connection that assigns hope to reward comes only after many hard lessons and the bitterness that revisits the brink of rationality. Often we must see the worst of ourselves before accepting the help of others. Giving up is the least attractive option and rarely a consideration upon examining the alternatives to be found at an “end of the rope” plight. Overcoming the emotions that feed this kind of pride is the prime objective of these experiences that, to all appearances in the physical, bring us face to face with the acts of desperation that only dread can instill. Repeated tribulations and outright threats against those things we hold most valuable and dear, represent the least examples of the extreme episodes we must continue to encounter and endure, until left with no choice except the one to admit, we don’t have all the answers, whereby a seed of trust is seen to germinate in our psyche. As faith matures from the result of all that fertilization, our trials become more bearable, as well as, fewer and farther between. The provision that blesses the faithful, once realized, feeds the compulsion to stretch our faith to accept those revelations in Truths, poised just beyond our physical senses. Our perceptions and values are products of a belief system that evolves along with us as we grow, fitting neatly where we’re at, on our path. In that way, it’s actually a reflection of our spiritual development and in no manner can be judged wrong, or backward, or lacking, just because it’s different than someone else's might be!

Knowing the perfect proficiency of Divine Design and Guidance, make coping with otherwise intolerable circumstances less adversarial by imparting a more understanding and patient viewpoint. Awareness is by no means a cure-all, simply a dose of tolerance. The inoculation of “Truth serum” that growth in faith provides believers, is in the knowledge that; injustice, insincerity, immorality, indeed all manifestations of carnal-ity––even the most horrific––are no more than physical expressions (which are illusory at best) of Divinely Guided, reality based interactions, for the “soul” purpose of overcoming emotion and original instinct, so that we may be brought to the point of choosing to return to the at-one-ment we knew before ego’s self-awareness.

Those who will choose to think of themselves as victims or survivors, are reacting emotionally to some perceived affront perpetrated upon their person, or loved one, or belief system. That’s okay, in so far as the confusion of the material environment in which we’re predisposed to deal with such things. It’s understandable to take personally, sometimes to the point of being traumatized, an event whose physical characteristics have little relation to, but none the less are generated by, a spiritual motivation we are fully unprepared to be aware of. The ability to take hold of that underlying “unseen” factor, and acknowledge it as Divine Guidance, is the single most important obstacle we face during our physical incarnations. The narrow view of the “now” blinds us to the whole of reality that is otherwise so clear in the spirit. The reason for our Being is not to realize the spirit guided explanation at the root of every carnal thought or action, it’s to attain a level of faith whereby we can accept that guidance for everything that it is. Each insertion––or birth––into the physical time line is focused on a specific connection that will insure the interpersonal contacts to relatives, friends and foes needed to overcome the concurrent goals outlined to advance spiritually. Knowing that and accepting it as fact, gives us cause to go on, even under ominous circumstances. When seemingly all else has failed, spiritual understanding allows us to face what ever lies ahead, with the comfort of not being alone. Not knowing that (or ignorance) makes life seem hard!

In light of that difficulty, we spend many lifetimes struggling with the innate, contentious, behaviors of simply surviving by our own very limited skill and cunning. The constraints of time focus physical emotions and senses in a way that emphasizes everything we feel and encounter, so the expressions of pain, joy, hate, dread etc., are sharply heightened. Unable to see around or beyond the intensity of that focused emotion, we fail to realize an awareness of faith, not to mention its blessings that would serve to ease such hardships.

The intent of misfortune of course is; to bring us to the point of desperation, where after exhausting all possible physical avenues of coping with what ever we feel has befallen us, we seek the help unique to faith, as our only choice left. Though not privileged to the spirit led principles that manifest as brutality or calamity, be assured that all adversity has but one purpose; to lead us to faith. The opportunities for spiritual growth that result from the acquisition of an abiding faith, take us to the very roots of Truth. Revelations to that end, always perfectly coherent to us in the eternal, begin finding avenues of expression through our earthly affairs. Without the commitment necessary to live faithfully, we suffer at the hands of our own misjudged attitudes and trite attempts to justify them. Survival without insight is a constant juggling act of excuses and contradictions, aimed at gaining an edge over any we perceive to be a threat to our rights, inalienable or imagined. The struggles of our day to day routine present us with all the chal-lenges––“and more”––that we are Divinely led to overcome. Being unaware of that guidance promotes an attitude of drudgery. “The school of hard knocks” is a study in stress mismanagement and resistance, on a scale directly proportionate to the degree in which we believe ourselves to be in control. That belief permeates every detail of our daily lives and will no doubt be the final delusion we entertain before fully, and finally, relinquishing our will to that of Divinity. Imagining all positive changes in our behavior to be the result of our own effort, or claiming victory over the oppressiveness of a specific “vice”, and then referring to either as taking control of our life, only emphasizes how pride ensures our blindness to Divine Guidance. Every good and beneficial act––word and deed––every improved circumstance, all advances in the physical are directly related to the Creator working through us, for the benefit of all. Each negative, ill-timed, misstep, resulting in error minded thoughts, acts, reactions or judgments is us, bowing to original instinct and emotion while exercising free will choices! Most simply, all things come from Him. All things appearing “bad”, are our prideful attempts to “run the show”. There is no growth except through Him. The farther away we find ourselves from that point whereby we relinquish our individual will to that of the Creator, the more difficult our circumstances, in every case! That Truism may seem unreasonable or improbable, even unfair or impossible for many to conceive of, but mostly by those who are farthest away from making and taking advantage of that choice themselves. All who accept faith for what it is, do so because they remember and understand that their circumstances are not at all what they appear to be, and more over, are overcome by attitude––one of the few things we can con-trol––not wishful thinking or adroit gamesmanship. The “hard life” is a product of our own calculations, whose solution, equals surrender.

Furthermore, when any deeply personal loss or chronic illness becomes a part of our life, the newly faithful––and some very faithful––might question the basis of their beliefs. That’s the plan! Faith isn’t taken for granted. It’s not something you put on a shelf and have forever after. It’s a door, we must take upon ourselves to walk through, every minute, each day. It’s not a gift from “on high”. It comes from within and through its ongoing practice we receive the comfort and blessing of knowing; we are not alone in our circumstances, and thereby learn to trust that the means of overcoming will not only be provided, but already exists, simply awaiting our asking, discovery and application. Being led to that answer is expedited by the stifling of our emotions and the dispelling of our will long enough to hear and see the obvious. The world of carnal misconceptions in which we must move, and learn to associate ourselves with the myriad avenues of input and expression, leaves few opportunities for a revelation to fall on our ears, without our first seeking out a quite interval devoted to intercept and then entertain what is received. We are most open to Divine Direction and Insight when distractions are fewest. Often enough we follow a feeling that leads in a direction that may seem to be out of the way, only to find something we need, but haven’t necessarily been looking for. Such “serendipitous” encounters are commonly thought of as “luck”, or as accidental, or, in the cases of some confrontations we aren’t expecting, as “bad luck”. All are examples of Divinely Guided opportunities to apply another spiritual Truth. The nudges and coaxing that serve to influence our decisions and directions toward their most beneficial outcomes, with or without our awareness, have their source in the eternal, of course, where the end is as clear as the beginning.

So clear, it should be said, that guiding someone in the physical to the proper connections that facilitate advancement, hardly takes more than a genuine love and concern from someone, a loved one who has passed perhaps, in the spiritual, who is acting without a personal agenda and in harmony with Divine Guidance. Many who are in the timeless expanse between incarnate investitures and have by means of their own experiences advanced appropriately enough, anxiously make themselves available to assist in the Divine choreography acting itself out on the stage of worldly affairs. As might be expected, it’s much easier to conduct such guardianships when all parties involved have a history of interrelationship. For example, it’s not uncommon for us to share familial ties with another soul, or group of souls, time after time in the physical. As made clear enough earlier, many eternal relations like these can truly be called soul mates, while others are no more than repeated efforts to achieve a necessary degree of enlightenment on a specific and, judging from some evidence of redundancy, very stubborn point of view. Extrapolations of soul relations is always uplifting and positive, regardless of some appearances to the contrary. Certain situations are easily understood and readily characterized correctly; others, for what ever reason––usually emotions––escape that differentiation to the extreme, evoking the appearance that the participants are gluttons for punishment. In any case, or more to the point, in every case, our erudition is Divinely and deftly directed from the perspective of eternal wisdom, not only by those in the best possible position to do so, but increasingly, by those with whom we share a bond!

With that very important Truism in mind, we find ourselves in a position to better understand and appreciate (or at least begin to); that the “loss” of a loved one, by what ever means or how it may have manifested in and around our lives, and regardless of the impact it has on the “survivors”, is neither the end, nor the tragedy that custom has prescribed! Those who are no longer close physically, are simply revisiting a position much closer to us than was ever possible while they were “with” us! Many who are approaching an acceptance of this, can gain additional insight and solace, in the promise; loved ones may be “called home” because their service to the whole, their reason for “being”, at this time has been fulfilled and any additional individual protection or guidance their love may represent, can be more easily administered from the “other side”, rather than on the earthly plain where they can only be in one place at a time. Our emotional reaction to “passing on” has traditionally been one of purely self-centered suffering and grieving the loss of, without any regard to the atmosphere in which our loved ones find themselves entering into their next phase of growth. Just as when entering the physical, at birth, the shock of the change from one plain to the next is eased by serene attitudes of love and gratitude. Wailing, persistent “hanging on” (the “can’t let go” attitude), placing blame and guilt trips, benefit no one and are only disruptive, confusing and at best, counterproductive, especially at a time when the recently departed soul might tend to linger briefly, and be discomforted by such behavior, before transitioning. Clearly, anyone who has served out their ordained objectives while blessing us with their love and relations, however briefly it seems by our narrow, selfish frame of reference, deserves a change in our attitude toward the next phase of their ongoing spiritual growth. After all, they haven’t left, they’re not lost, they’re just too close to be seen!!

Admittedly, a shifting in attitude is definitely over do when concerning the overall view we have of our general circumstances, as well. We have seen how the way we think about a specific condition affects our behavior towards every other aspect of life. If we choose to think of ourselves as being persecuted for instance, we’re inclined to be suspicious of most people and encounters, leaving ourselves predisposed to missing opportunities to grow and share. Being either pessimistic or optimistic goes a long way in determining how we approach overcoming obstacles we face at each turn of the path, because of the temperament each attitude imbues. As might be expected for example, an optimist has an ideological predilection to a receptivity of the notion that leads to faith. Faith equals hope, promise, reward, provision and ordinarily from that frame of reference, an easier go of it. From that it might be suggested that; no faith equals a hard life. The “Plan”, after all, is to make the faithless so miserable they have no choice but to turn to faith. It’s a good plan! It works!

The second easiest way to lose sight of the objectives incumbent with living faith filled lives, is to be faced with the challenge of a chronic debilitating illness. Aside from the multitude of woes that could, in accordance with their severity, temporarily divert attention away from hope and a positive mindset, there’s also the loss of mobility and independence. The isolation associated with “permanent” disabilities can be overwhelming. It should come as no surprise, that coping with the frustration accompanying the change in lifestyles that such a prognosis indicates, can be less of a burden and conceivably a blessing, by attitude alone! In the void of “non-faith”, original instinct’s survival priority shuts down in resignation to our mortality, if indeed a diagnosis of “terminal” is proffered. Such a “all hope is lost” submission can result in a withdrawal into reclusiveness. It’s at this weakest point, where reaching out can bring the greatest reward, first of all because, in the face of original instinct “giving up” on its continued vigilance, the opportunity exists for faith to fill the void. Secondly, at the other extreme, there are those whose faith allows them to exhibit the capacity of choosing to turn the worst case scenarios, from paralysis to chronic excruciating pain, for instance, into opportunities to set examples that help others regain the hope in their lives and therefore not allow the distracting discomfort or distress of their affliction to control them. Choices and attitudes, we all have them and as a result, it’s not difficult to tell who’s growing toward a reliance on faith, regardless of their circumstances or possible outcomes, and whose using those same situations as excuses for hopelessness, about the way they perceive things to be in their lives.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

2005-09-03T22:35:00.000-05:00

ADVANCED UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

It bears repeating; faith is essential for our return to at-one-ment in as much as it’s the mainstay to our understanding the dissemination, through revelation, between eternity and all physical experience. That said, even those who continue to dwell in the confusion of their personal agenda are an important part of the Divine Plan, though they have yet to seek the peace faith brings, they are being of service––thereby advancing on their own path––by offering the faithful, avenues of serving and caring in ways that are unavailable otherwise. Besides, judgment isn’t part of our curriculum anyhow, it’s just another obstacle to be put behind us. So everyone, regardless of appearance, or behavior, or level of awareness, has a part in the eternal “oneness”. None are overlooked or left out. That’s what “unconditional” means. Furthermore, the unconditional love faith filled believers endeavor to manifest, is not lessened to any degree because of a disability or illness they may be living with, no matter how profound. These are conditions of the physical, opportunities placed on our path to overcome so that we may grow spiritually. We are, after all, spiritual beings having physical experiences (not physical beings having spiritual experiences as many still choose to believe) and the events incidental to each experience is purely for our astute eruditeness toward a higher spiritual life. No more, no less. The “hard life”, it would seem, drives us to keep making choices. Sooner or later, there’ll be enough “right ones” to start sowing the seeds of hope, and through reward, encourage the adoption of changes in our belief system that more closely resemble faith, in turn, increasing provision toward what will be, the “good life”; peace. We’re all moving toward the same goal, by way of the same impetus, at our own speed. It’s not a race, we’re all winners, unconditionally!

Every time we think we’ve reached a plateau of discernment, we’re reminded it’s only a step to the next level. There are challenges of acceptance and inclusion, that define; unconditional. We grow in our open-mindedness to recognize that people from all walks of life, no matter how diverse their ethnology, ideology, country of birth, or the name they use to adore The Creator. We all have but one point of origin and one destination, the at-one-ment of eternity. Becoming aware that the afore mentioned “symptoms” of physicality, and many more yet to be revealed, are no more than our assignments in the continuing education that is reincarnation, is a level of discernment making clearer what was eluded to much earlier; it is our nature to establish long lasting familial relationships. This has been the case since our ancestors, before ego’s emergence, moved and thought as one, under the umbrella of a clan spirit or pack mentality. This tendency, though blurred in the physical by ego’s “self”, and its attempts at independence, as well as judgmental carnality, persists in eternity as the legacy of our beginnings and manifests as what believers are coming to accept as “soul mates”. This connotation has both positive and negative impacts in the physical, depending on the level of faith in our maturing belief system. In reality, it simply means that two or more souls have established lingering ties of close association, whereby their incarnate experiences relate to each other time after time. The worldly proximity of that association may begin immediately upon birth, and last a lifetime, or be of an occasional nature of intermittent duration such as close friendships or distant family members, or perhaps just a single, yet life altering contact in passing. Naturally, we go through every incarnation with an infinite number of encounters similar to these that do not qualify as soul mates, but in the cases of those very rare and few that do, we recognize a familiarity, or comfort zone, that allows the parties involved to feel at ease in a way that seems safe and secure simply to be in each other’s company. It’s an immersing of the senses in an atmosphere of total acceptance and knowing that, all is well. We’re able to relax, be ourselves, let our guard down and feel right at home in the sanctuary of their nearness. Sharing thoughts and preferences as if “having known each other for ever”, often seeming so familiar, we know what the other is going to say almost before they utter a word, finishing each other’s thought or sentence. Such relationships are a welcome respite from the confusion of our daily routines and go a long way toward recuperation at the end of a particularly challenging period. Clearly, that rejuvenation applies whether the point of reference is one day in our life or the return to eternity between incarnations. A restoration of energy and reflective assimilation, is the objective in either instance. Consorting in the strifeless affinity and comfort of intimates, accomplishes that end most succinctly.

The pertinence of these kindred relations may vary so widely from one interaction to the next, the common beneficial experiences could appear to be reciprocal. For example, not uncommonly, roles may be reversed between family members from one incarnate experience to the next. That is to say, relations between members of a family unit who repeatedly return together, may be biologically different during one regeneration than they were the time before or than they will be the next time. In case it’s not quite clear enough yet, associates who are siblings during one manifestation may find themselves to be in the role of parent/offspring during the next, or vice versa, depending on the lessons whose overcoming have become priority on the interwoven paths of such cliquish souls. Likewise, again dependent on the challenges ahead, it’s not always appropriate to be the same gender during each and every embodiment. Such “cross training”, if you will, assures experiences of the widest possible range, in addition to offering unique demands in and of itself, as far as personal identity reversals can impact an individual’s self image. The broad understanding garnered from incarnate gender shifting is crucial in shaping a belief system that exhorts empathy, compassion and love. Considering all the alternative role designations available to group, or even a pair of soul mates––who have more than a few times shared much of what life’s experiences have to offer––it’s no small wonder that some of the couplings and mixes witnessed in the physical are widely judged (usually by those who should know better than to judge at all) to be something outside their narrow interpretation of ordinary or moral.

As if our sensibilities haven’t been engaged enough, consider this additional facet justifying reincarnation’s basis in the eternal Divine Design. The fidelity among family and friends seen to endure throughout repeated incarnations aren’t the only common threads eternally binding us. Vocations that fulfill a creative need and provide financial support are blessings we are all prescribed and guided to pursue. When the opportunity presents itself for us to find a specific task or past time particularly rewarding (however that might be translated), the tendency is to practice it more than other pursuits that don’t fulfill us in the same way. Consequently, our abilities in that area improve compared to those not receiving similar attention. The degree to which our enthusiasm is stimulated by being involved in an activity is proportionate to its perceived reward. When we’re interested enough to be preoccupied––particularly in the details––in that to which we aspire and to the extent it could be considered a “driving force” or priority in our life, then our focus becomes strong enough to carry that singular interest from one incarnation to the next. Additionally, if, by the right choices, it turns into a widely beneficial and productive pursuit, we will be Divinely Guided to opportunities promoting our further interest in its regard. Once this “talent” or “gift” represents a “calling” on our path, our reason for “being” grows increasingly vivid, occupying us with a passion that only creative expression can satiate, thereby allowing Divinity, through Its perfect demonstration, to utilize us for the benefit of all.

All that accrued personal ability, of course, would be perfectly clear from the perspective of eternity. Since such clarity isn’t a luxury afforded us in physicality, what’s perceived as a proclivity to exceptional talent, especially at an unexpectedly early age, confounds the materially rooted population because it often appears to materialize with little or no obvious formal training and, at times, seems to require only a minimum of attention before proficiency surpasses that of the instructor, unless student and instructor are mated through eternity. In either case, since the steps normally associated to the learning process have stretched over many embodiments, countless opportunities have presented themselves to hone any ability or prospective talent under every possible circumstance, adapting and refining techniques to suit every imaginable situation, becoming more sophisticated with each additional return to the physical. Many contemporaries may struggle through rigorous practice regimens daily and still fall far short of the same level of skill that seems to come with no effort to the one who was a master of it many lifetimes earlier!

The character trait described as a talent or gift applies to an aspect of the Divine Plan in our lives that permits, by our unselfish practice of it, an expression of The Creator God Himself to manifest an affect among the multitudes in ways that would find the most uplifting, positive, deeply moving and longest lasting results. Dancer, singer, actor or sports figure, painter, craftsperson or any of those among the infinite new disciplines of science and medicine that are expanding our horizons of understanding both outward and inward, finding ever more intricacy in the questions that are the solutions performing seemingly miraculous strides to improve our quality and duration of life, enhancing and empowering our physical experiences while we’re here, so that we may have even more chances to grow and advance spiritually. All those who soothe and heal us, who entertain us, who touch the depths of our being to enrich, enlighten and enable us, do so by the power of the most Divine working through them, using their longevity of experience and surrender of will, to touch us with perfect love. It would appear to some, and not incorrectly either, that the property of creativeness we define as gifted relegates all those souls, (who are sufficiently along their path to have surrendered a satisfactory portion of their will so the whole may be better served in the pursuit of “oneness”), with the designation “artist”, without regard to the manner in which their expression manifests. Whether seen as a virtuoso, a maestro, a record setting legend, a baron of the business world, a surgeon of unequaled skill; all represent, as far as our current lucidity is capable anyhow, the creativeness we call here “artistic”. Their grasp, their depth of understanding, their exclusive proficiency in their specifically chosen expression is personified in the format of inventiveness by excelling, not just beyond the established “norm” of their particular venue or medium, but to a degree that takes their already exemplary ministration outside that box, in turn, reshaping the rules with a creativeness that changes the way everyone still bound by that box, thinks and acts.

Not to forget the men and women who, by virtue of abandoning box-like thinking altogether, have reached the pinnacle, if you will, of adeptness at receiving guidance––al-beit without cognizance for the most part––from those of like interests (some family, some not) who have passed, bring onto the physical world objects and ideas that change our way of living, working and thinking, by leaps and bounds. Such inventors, many very prolific, have the “gift” of grasping seed thought from its eternal garden where it rests until “time” is ripe for its germination, at which point it is implanted in the mind of that individual for its nurturing and subsequent growth into a concept or product that will change the course of society in just exactly the way it needed.

It should be no surprise that artistic expression and soul mates find common purpose on the Divine Path. The familial bond is more often than not enhanced by the shared or related interests of its associates and is usually a part of their combined incarnate lifestyle. Whether a family business, following in the footsteps, career wise, or being gifted in the same specific course of action, it’s not at all difficult to imagine numerous examples around us meeting at least some of the criteria by which we can qualify a soul mate relationship.

So far what we’ve examined is that the love binding us on the material level extends to the eternal, when in essence it’s the other way around. Remember, after all, we are spiritual beings, having physical experiences, making everything in physicality supported by its spiritual framework. The carnate world would not exist except for eternity. Nothing comes to pass, or finds expression, without first being conceived of in the spiritual. So it is with life and love. The love we embrace as such a vital part of our well being is not related to our emotions or physical senses, it has nothing to do with gratification but everything to do with Divine Manipulation. Love is the eternal creative expression that animates the physical world. During our pursuit of the Truth, that spark of life (unique to God, Who Is Love) guides and protects us from our own self-delusions and free will culpability, as much as possible, in spite of our innate intent and in large part, ignorance of the Divine. Until––but not confined to––the point in time where our advancement empowers us to listen more than we act or react, there are protecting influences with a vested interest in our spiritual growth, such as members of our family unit not presently in the world, as well as others who perform as if shepherds to sheep, caring for us in ways exclusively suited to their perspective. Consequently, and thankfully, we are never alone and in that very real sense, always loved. Perhaps the most excellent aspect in all this perfectly orchestrated sympathetic symphony is; its melody is the eternal movement knowing no beginning or end and includes each and every one of us, whether we hear it or not! We don’t have to consciously participate, to benefit from its boundless provision. Our inclusion is unconditional!!

On the personal level of physical experiences, being included is paramount to our sense of acceptance. While in carnality, our emotions and self image place a heavy burden on those we choose to accept, to reciprocate. Knowing we can be accepted for who we are, within the guidelines of the “now”, leads to a more peaceful outlook and productive lifestyle. When we’re sure of ourselves, we don’t need to spend so much time trying to please others by meeting their unrealistic expectations. So mutual approval is comforting, welcome, sought after. This seemingly ultimate inclusion is important in any social or professional situation, but most crucial when it comes to intimate relations where communication and honesty are essential. All the attributes that make us seek out that comfort zone of acceptance, are the very same that define soul mate relationships.

For those of us shackled to the narrow perspective of the emotionally charged physical world, our ignorance of the Truth underlying such an important quest as finding our soul mate, escapes the underscoring irony; that its significance should take on the urgency justified, but only during our post pubescent years when the zest for such a search manifests as a frantic, hormonal driven, scavenger hunt, urged on by peer pressure and barren of any responsibility. Historically, our desire to be accepted outweighs our desire to be respected. Though occupying most of our waking hours during this phase of our social maturation, the approval we seek so desperately on this emotionally vested but spiritually subconscious quest, more often than not is initiated innocently by the eye contact that declares a hint of acknowledgment that, ideally, only the object of our search could reflect. Ideally, that is, because our personal agenda is rarely open to the kind of latitude that encourages spiritual advancement, especially at the emotional age when our every action is centered on establishing relationships that help define our individual identity and independence. Soul mates can literally run into each other at any place and time, under any circumstances and best of all; when we least expect it, but are most in need of it. In much the same way a revelation unfolds in our awareness, once we’ve ceased obsessing about and over-thinking all possible solutions for a given challenge, the appointed meeting of the one anointed to share our present incarnation with, not only should be, but usually is, better addressed at a time when one or the other of the pair is mature enough emotionally not to be caught up in the purely physical attraction which often rules as a prerequisite to relationships. That is not to say there can’t be sensuality and mutual satisfaction, when yielded to an evolving kinship that includes commitment to friendship and equality (or at least balance), in an eternal association, only that matters of a sexually intimate nature are of the physical experiences we, as spiritual beings, encounter and endeavor to suppress our emotional attachment to.

It’s been said every way imaginable, all through out history, and apparently accurately so; “the eyes are the windows of the soul”. It is in the eyes, that a person’s true feelings belie their superficial efforts to disguise characterizations analogous to their action’s intent or their reactions to the unexpected. What ever else empathetic believers may be coping with, with regard to their personal challenges, it is in the eyes of those who are fearful, anxious, suspicious, vulnerable and unsure of themselves, that the compassionate recognize a call to share a love, those in need may not be familiar with. In order to give them the hope necessary to advance in the direction of faith, those who are waiting for just the right impetus to turn that corner in their lives, will find the way they need to grow out of the dread they perceive themselves living in, to the rewards that faith offers, through the love of the many who have already lived through and overcome it. To be witness to such a transformation is yet another validation of our own strong belief system; that we are physical avenues for the eternal flow of that perfect love to manifest in the lives of all we come in contact with.

On the other hand, among the many relying on their emotions and instincts to survive in the world, are some who would take advantage of “reading” the eyes of others. The vulnerability and fearfulness people unwittingly display in the windows of their soul, can be used against them as easily as it can be seen as an opportunity to serve a need. Those who would ignore an obvious plea from one who imagines themselves lost and seek the advantage to serve their own purposes and desires, are the truly lost and not only the farthest from finding their way out, but the farthest from realizing it. Original instinct promotes their survival at all costs, including at the expense of others who, in extreme cases, can be seen as little more than a tool for gain, to be used and discarded. Even so, we have only to recall our definition of “unconditional”, to remind ourselves no one is out from under its umbrella and although the unscrupulous among us reject out right most of the “turn lanes” on their path, they are also being guided very patiently and with knowledge that they too will eventually see and accept The Truth, no matter how many incarnations it may take. Eternity always has the advantage. In that same light, any person placing themselves in a position to be used or abused, is doing so as part of their curriculum or task assignment, in their current embodiment. Every situation serves a purpose whose rules and possible outcomes have been delineated long before the protagonists reach the actual encounter. There are no victims or predators, no winners or losers on the Divine Path, but only in our perception of the world. It’s our perception of what we see around us that we must set aside, in order to reach out in faith toward what is unseen.

The unseen eludes us in the physical, because we rely entirely on our sensory input to tell us what, when and where to do everything. Instinct still chips in when we don’t think or act fast enough, but for the most part we perceive every aspect of our lives to be dependent on those things of the material world. To claim otherwise was long considered to be abnormal and the displaying of such behavior was shunned, or worse. So it was and has been throughout this period of materiality that our attention should be focused so narrowly, that when on the physical plain, we sense only those things comprised of the same substances we are. Getting beyond that, even convincing ourselves there’s a reason to try, is the first and arguably the biggest overcoming we face in relation to the rest of our path, because once the door to the consideration of any other possibility is open, the way is clear for considering all possibilities. To be sure, within the framework and constraints of time, the process of arriving at that point of exo-awareness can take many millennia, occupying what seems countless incarnations, but that’s just the beginning. When ego finally does decide, of its own free will, that it may not be the center of the universe after all, an impulse marking the onset of imagination is recorded and changes forever the way we look at things. Not that we are suddenly enamored with the beauty of life all around us, although some certainly are affected that way, but because with imagination comes fantasy, and to the developing ego, a run away imagination can pose as many threats as it does opportunities, which explains more than a few cases of neurosis. Many of us have enough trouble dealing with things we can grasp, our response to unknown or unexpected imaginings is often one of fear or self defense. Naturally, nothing changed about what we’re looking at, only our attitude or perception of it. The importance of that minute, almost imperceptible shift in awareness escapes us and isn’t genuinely appreciated until we stop being defensive in our comparison and judgment of what we see, by accepting others and circumstances for what they are, instead of for what they’re not. The revelation; “peace is the attitude we have about our surroundings and not about changing our surroundings to suit us”, isn’t gleaned until we’re prepared to accept accountability for our own behavior. For example, rather than blaming others and what they do, for how we feel or act, it becomes increasingly apparent through the experiences accrued during a myriad of embodiments that, we are the only ones who can control how we react to everything that happens to us. Consequently, the spiritual growth derived from peeling away the many layers of defense intended to insulate the fragile psyche from its perception that the actions of others could represent overwhelming personal threats, allows us to place the judgment our peers would wish to assume, back onto the Divinely Guided Path where it belongs.

The wonderful lessons in Truth whose discernment occupies every moment on the physical plain, can themselves seem overwhelming, especially when we struggle with apparent contradictions to their basis or benefit in relation to long held beliefs. Revelations aren’t always met with their deserved acceptance and gratitude because the belief system already in place often dismisses or ridicules them as flights of fancy or complete fiction. We insist in promoting the tireless precept, in light of all evidence to the contrary and in the most stubborn of ways, that we are in control of every aspect of our lives. Surprisingly, or not (depending on our perspective), it’s Divine Design denying us the clarity of Truth by way of our unwillingness to consider It until It fits a particular priority in our life. Even then, in what we perceive to be our own timing and only after we think It holds some meaning or value for us, do we offer any semblance of reverence and accept that a particular Truth might be worthy of our consideration. Hardly what could be defined a revelation, but that’s where most believers are. We’re so immersed in the human experiences of shallow and suspicious view points, when confronted with the simplest and clearest explanation or solution to a particular challenge, our posturing very often assumes the ubiquitous defensive position of folded arms and eye rolling skepticism. Rather than being grateful for the offer of an obvious answer to a dilemma, we focus on complicating our mind’s construction of the puzzle we face, to cushion any possibility of failure in the guise of “insurmountable odds”. Accepting failure as an option to begin with, inhibits the opportunities for reward that are already ours, but for the asking. Like so much of The Truth, receiving any benefit we haven’t fought tooth and nail for seems foreign to us, because we don’t understand how ethereal promises can be made and kept when weighed against what we “know” to expect from a given circumstance. If we have only to ask and it be done, it’s in the finding of no evidence of reward to the petitioned query that we unceremoniously dismiss it altogether. The possibility we simply don’t know how to compose the question properly would not occur to us, until our priorities began putting others ahead of ourselves. Part of The Truth that guides us so exactingly is the premise that we are not given any more than we are able to deal with. That applies to every activity and discourse, whether physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, but in particular, The Truth Itself ! First of all, that prevents us from being inundated from too much sensory input and secondly, it is an integral piece of our supporting spiritual framework that mandates we not receive further enlightenment, until what we already have at our disposal is being used to everyone's fullest possible advantage. In other words, we don’t get any more, until we completely appreciate what we already have; i.e. giving and sharing without expectation (no strings attached). Then, once having advanced in faith far enough to actually be a font through which others needs are Divinely realized, can we rest assured of our own continued prosperity and feel confident enough to know, it is ours for the asking.

It should go without saying, but for all those who spend more time on the receiving side of supply, even a bona fide “answer to prayer” certainly isn’t a statement of any preferred status (we’re all equal in the eyes of the Supplier) or, for that matter, any guarantee that we won’t continue to act exactly as we always have, after all, a blessing could be just a coincidence. Our suspicions and established mind sets aren’t so easily fooled as to accept at face value any old mumbo jumbo that comes along, we’re smarter than that! Because the prerequisite is faith and the antagonist is ego’s “original instinct”, witnessing an act of Truth is one thing, letting it become a force to change the way we live is quite another.

It may be said of those who peruse the depths and symbolism in any one of the widely accepted instruction manuals used to achieve some understanding of their spirituality, that more than a few come away confused, zealous, or so adversarial as to proffer; their interpretation is the only right one and any who dare disagree are doomed to an imagined eternal torture! George Santayana said, not too inaccurately: “Fanaticism consists of redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim”. Some of course, grasp the intended, if heavily veiled Truths therein, but without the facilitation of one whose faith has advanced their surrender of will to acknowledge Divine Guidance, The Truth whose milieu is any one of those respected tomes, can be lost to the uninitiated. It’s under these conditions of self imposed oppression, doubt, ignorance, self serving agendas and not the least, impunity, that the vast majority of us choose to struggle, virtually unaware of the peace and prosperity afforded by Divine Guidance on our behalf. Inspite of our blindness, which includes having witnessed the wonders of Divine Truth so often we take them for granted, we eventually arrive at a place on our path where they finally bear meaning for us personally, and give us pause to ponder; why, if right in front of us the whole time, it took us so long to see them for the promises they really are? The Truth? We were not ready, willing or able to discern “ the forest for the trees” until Divinely Guided to the door whose vista offered that epiphany. The clarity associated with an illuminating revelation manifests only after our eyes of “in-sight” have grown accustomed to the Divine Light. The further along our path, the more adept we become at recognizing insight’s prompting, which in the beginning of our discernment often proves difficult to differentiate from our own free will choices. This was especially true when we were perfectly willing to take full credit for all challenges overcome, before we realized there was anything other than our singular effort involved. So even without our cognizant participation, insight is a channel for Divine Guidance. Not until our repeated experience reaches a “saturation point” regarding a specific lesson at hand, do we achieve any degree of awareness about its significance to us personally. That is the intent, after all, of reincarnating in the first place. It can’t be until much later on our path then, and usually on an innermost, individual basis, that our denial finally submits to the obvious; something more than personal skill and ingenuity is at work in our lives.

Until saturated with irrefutable evidence to the contrary though, which is true of our approach to most epiphanies, we continue to resist any notion of insightful “other worldly” prompting and consequently accepted the timely introduction of a clever, convenient and new “result-justifying” mind set; “luck”. As might be expected, its original connotation was negative and utilized when there was no one to blame for our own bad choices. Luck wasn’t popularized as positive until, or unless, our peers knew us well enough not to give credence to an unreasonable claim of responsibility, while not ready to entertain the possibility of Divine Guidance, for any accomplishment or good fortune. By the same token, the timing for this newest in a growing arsenal of excuses was impeccable because those who would wish to validate our varied and valued abilities as being only as effective as our acknowledgment of their source, were quick to point out that; if relied on, our belief in luck, good or bad, would prove to avail itself for only so long, before becoming dependent on it often enough to produce dire and desperate circumstances. To them, luck was neither a panacea or placebo. It was a “crutch” to support the additional “crip-pling” of our narrow, now luck-induced mind set, which in their view, closed other more productive doors, in the short term anyhow. It wasn’t such a stretch for them then , by way of their judgment of those so afflicted, to reveal the “error of our ways” in the form of what we’re doing to those around us by not accepting responsibility, by denying our despairing circumstances altogether, by wasting a lifetime of opportunities to grow, by allowing a lack of common sense to dictate choices that should be our own, and finally, making the necessary amends to adjust that behavior to suit their perspective. That’s not too much to ask, except, expectations of that sort, like luck itself, also fail to acknowledge the “given” that is Divine Guidance.

It is not by our hand or demand, but by God’s command, that determines the course our journey seeks. Insight is our spiritual link to eternity and when we obtain the maturity that allows us to discern the degree to which our personal choices are riddled with tribulations, compared that is, to how smoothly the yielding to divine insight manifests prosperity in our lives, it becomes immanently clearer how our imaginings have little or none of the foresight that underlies insight, and gives us pause to seek an advent to those ways that may bring about a more insightful, Truth revealing lifestyle. No one can do that for us nor incite us to that for them. It is, after all, through insight that the Truth is revealed to free us from the bondage of the carnal world, expediting our return to at-one-ment. Additionally, our advance or growth is calibrated by the overcoming of those obstacles we’ve chosen to put on our path according to the lessons appropriate during our next embodiment. That overcoming is predicated by the degree to which we surrender our will to The Divine Creator; GOD, to most of us.

It is from the very substance of The Creator that the physical universe was made manifest, even if at first, inanimate. The Love that is Divine Guidance, is GOD’s animating spark that has been serving our interests eternally. During each and every creation event, the manifesting “God Stuff” congeals into various elemental inorganic materials forming mineral support systems around which their own chemical reactions support the evolution of increasingly complex and varied physiochemical compounds, some of whose components receive the spark of animation, resulting in the demonstration of separateness, separateness connotes awareness (albeit extrasensory). From that, awareness was guided to self-preservation. Self-preservation became “the” original instinct. Original instinct, among other things, justified procreation. Procreation required cell division. Cell division, in time, became specialized enough to to result in multi-cell organisms. Multi-cell organisms eventually responded with gender. Gender created competition. Competition brought on combativeness and ruthlessness. Ruthless acts became domination. Dominance led to leaders and followers. Leader and follower was the prerequisite to pecking order. Pecking order prefaced the advent of ego. Ego IS SELF-awareness. Self-awareness insists on free will. Free will opens the flood gates to dreams, desires and emotions, all of which inspire imagination. Imagination is the door to the unseen. The unseen advocates wonder and fear. Wonder and fear instill awe. Awe translates into adoration, adoration may become idolatry, one of idolatry's strengths is promise. Promise is supported by reward, reward promotes hope, hope grows into faith. Faith sheds the Divine Light of insight onto revelations of Truth. The Truth enables our return to the “at-one-ment” of God, The Creator. That’s the path each of us are on. Where are you?

Making the most positive of assumptions; if we’ve gotten this far in our elucidation of this humble tome, let’s claim a position somewhere on the path where our eyes are adjusting to that Divine Light and insight is coming into focus. Again, allowing that to be the case, by assumption alone of course, see if we can choose to take yet another leap of faith and conceptualize that path in its entire scope, “beginning to end”, as if in its entirety it represents just a single event in an eternally recurring string of Creation episodes, serving the same Divine eternal purpose as the one before it did and as the next one will. By that analogy alone and with our faith to sustain us, we may at least consider as fact the reality of ongoing, or successive, chronologically measured, Creation phenomena. That is to say; the fabric of at-one-ment, the perfect consummate Being, represented as The Only Divine Creator––GOD––is being constantly reinforced by our return, at each path’s end, with the additional unconditional love whose renewal is the object of our physical quest.

If still unclear, it’s because there’s no means by which to convey, in terms the physical senses can grasp, what actually transpires in the realm of spirituality. Those of us who are ready to discern or have revealed to us a Truth, realize only after having witnessed a revelation, how intricately yet perfectly complete our guidance to that point had been. Unaware of our approach to a crossroad, where we encounter the influences serving to shed Divine Light on “in-sight”, we’re always amazed and awed despite our expectations and willingness to be ready for it. Seemingly, the most inspiring epiphany always has a penchant for visitation upon us when we least expect it. Accordingly, those who remain bewildered by a lack of expression in their lives, be faithfully patient, enlightenment proceeds at our pace, but not at our choosing. More accurately, our enlightenment is guided by events (spiritual, eternal etc.) that we have absolutely no control over or foreknowledge of, while in the physical world. Being “faithfully patient” suggests only to live, as best we can, in a way that exemplifies unconditional love in all we do; i.e., giving ourselves freely, humbly and without strings attached in the service of our specific anointing; knowing that by doing so we will be provided for and Truths will be revealed to us, as necessary, to encourage our continued growth in faith and love.

In order that the reader be allowed to come full circle in this too brief a synopsis of what is little more than one humble attempt to unify many, often diverse, belief systems that aver the Truth about our reason for being, we must focus not on their diversity but on their commonality. Everything written by their various prophets, authors and scribes throughout the ages, represented as the history they attribute to their people individually and collectively, often sound as if they contradict each other when actually they share many of the most sacred and holy elements of their ascribed “individual” doctrine. Their geographic location or chronologic ascension not withstanding, their analogies speak volumes toward the unifying end to the means by which varying cultures walk parallel paths back to their indivisible origins. “The names have been changed to protect the innocent” is more than a cliché when regarding the correlations in question. The innocent are not the prophets or indeed the Deities who share such similar allegorical scripts, yet whose names vary in accordance with the social customs found throughout their specific liturgies, but the “innocent” or childlike impressionable side of the targeted laity or follower who need to be impressed by a specific creed as the ONE and ONLY true way to live and believe. As we know, there’s nothing wrong with that “indoctrination” when the new believer or neophyte is first establishing the fertile ground in which to sow a seed, not just for a life long belief system, but for one that will grow into every advancement along their path eternally. The innocence of a child, where there’s no room for doubts, suspicions or judgments, is the correct posture for any believer’s attitude toward the acceptance of real faith. Focusing on all the elements of a single specific theology, with its intrinsic convoluted layering of lore, tradition and esoteric ritual––combined with its historic timeline––is challenge enough for the novice to grasp, but must be fully navigated at some point, before the concept of inclusion, which itself flies in the face of conservative orthodoxy everywhere, can even be broached. Need we remind ourselves that inclusion is at the heart of unconditional?

Commonly as well, it’s expected and entirely appropriate to take some measure of pride––at least before the significance of humility is appreciated or before the True Source of all, is given Its due––in the belief that the disseminating of revelations is performing an abiding service. Most sectarianism however, value “salvation” above all else, with apparent disregard for the fundamentals of “unconditional”, and take its pursuit to task by witnessing the salvation of “nonbelievers”. Any who listen long enough, we suppose, might find cause in their own life to change the way they’ve done things, perhaps for a very long time and for a very good reason, in order they might be led in a different, more positive direction, not to mention saving their soul in the process. This tact, of course, presupposes the “loss” of a soul and rejects the balance, not to mention the singular inclusiveness, inherent to the Divine Plan to which we are all heir. Those bent on the heaven / hell “scare tactic” scenario used to bring the earliest neophyte practitioners into the “fold”, are perpetuating the age old rituals, in lieu of True Faith, that have not been relevant since the “way showers” we now strive to emulate, manifested the Truth of God’s Unconditional Love in the physical. Actually, it’s not so much a perpetuation on their part, because as neophytes themselves this promise / reward approach to spirituality suits this juncture on their path, but only if its near term (in the eternal frame of reference “near term” can mean from one to many incarnations) outcome looks more auspicious than circumstances otherwise expected. Expectations however, know no patience and without a robust faith, change––even for the positive––can be short lived. A remote feeling like; “things just don’t add up”, is often the refrain that sets The Truth seeker on the newest stretch of their path and while respecting other’s rights to believe as they wish, wonder why that courtesy isn’t more widely observed, especially by those who otherwise believe we are all children of God. In any case, everyone eventually explores the depths of their own traditions, until their patiently maturing faith, no matter its roots, offers an awareness for the unanswered questions, contradictions and incompleteness that a genuine seeking of The Truth uncovers to their satisfaction, or dissatisfaction and in spite of the scrutinizing of a closely followed dogma, or the dogging of a closely following, but well intentioned, “witness”. The One God, universal at-one-ment, all encompassing and inclusive theological precept, is remarkably easy to grasp by the light of transcending enlightenment that insight affords real faith, even without the prevalence and comparison of obvious cross-cultural similarities, but only after going through and having overcome the limited perspective of carnality.

In the event any part of this hasn’t been made clear enough; the central focus of everything revealed herein thus far is The Path each of us take so that we, as individuals and of our own free will, may reclaim the collective unity we made every effort to move away from with the advent of ego. Clearly, this does not happen in the span of one “life-time”. Incarnate experiences, are Divinely laid out to be apportioned into each embodiment at a rate dictated by and concurrent with our free will choices. The span of time for each sojourn into the physical is brought to a close when either; its pre established goals have been completed or, on rare occasions, by the accumulative result of a series of unproductive personal choices, in which case those goals left unattended will be revisited at the very next opportunity. Usually, even the most abhorrent behavior is only the manifestation of some balancing process in Divine Judgment and not the violation or evil our narrow view would have us label it. The reasons for the natural conclusion of any embodiment remain the same, whether it be at ninety years or ninety minutes of age, no matter how untimely or how premature it may seem to those who “survive” and in particular, regardless of the means by which it is ended, or when and why it did. Having accomplished or overcome what ever challenge or message was set before us, we’re then “called home”, so that in our reparation and preparation we may take up the next task refreshed and restored, for going through the physical is very difficult for a spiritual being. Having said that, it should be understood that our incumbent physical encumbrance lasts no longer than necessary and will resist any and all unnatural attempts at extension.

Parts One, Two and Three have addressed, albeit somewhat briefly, what amounts to the; When, What and Why, of “going through” our path. The “When” of Part One provided us with an understanding of the roots of our individuality. Before we branched off the path of the collective group spirit, we were identified in terms of a pecking order, instead of a social association, bound by the behavioral characteristics shared by every other member of our species and more closely, the “troop” we were born into. By way of an accelerated time scale and broad brush strokes we bore witness to the affects an awakening ego had on creatures whose time had come to see “self” as separate from the rest. That was, of course, “when” we stepped onto the path that was ours alone, where choices and attitude were different than those of others who were, one by one, finding similar confusion in their own unfamiliarity to decision making and social interaction.

The “What” of Part Two further defines the scope, from the physical point of view, of our spiritual journey in so much as it attempts to compare the progress of early socialization, from personal interaction to changing our environment to suit us, with our spiritual growth and advancement along the path, including reincarnation’s role in linking eternity to carnality. Part Two further explores our need to seek resources beyond our own abilities as we come to realize, albeit very reluctantly, we don’t have all the answers. Our ever so gradual consideration to accept there may be forces who can be convinced to show favor on our circumstances, if properly appeased, represents our initiation to worship and evolution of faith.

The “Why” of Part Three serves to emphasize the importance of worship and emulating the principals of Truth in everything we say and do. It makes clear the goal of at-one-ment and all the reasons we should strive to grow in that direction. It tells us why attitudes, emotion and instinct are among the challenges that must be met and overcome before our quest for the Truth is fully realized. The Chapters of Part Three explain “Why” it is worth regaining our place in eternity, by examining what we have (need to give up), as opposed to what we should have (enlightenment). The “Why” of our reason for “being” could not have been more thoroughly emblazoned than with the repeated emphasis on our origins in GOD and the reaffirming of His Unconditional Love in and through us, as our path back to one-ness in Him.

Part Four will occupy itself with the “overcoming” by offering an extrapolation of the “why”, because it can only be with a full understanding of the reward, that we are willing to move in its direction. Once motivated to overcome challenges, there will be a reemphasis on the single most important and often overlooked aspect of “HOW ”! With that Truth in hand, we will be reminded of the tribulations that make it so difficult in putting it to work to everyone's advantage and our advancement. Having integrated that perfect Truth into our purpose and being, at-one-ment would be ours, except for the “key” that opens that innermost chamber, allowing this most precious of all Truths to manifest in the lives of all we come in contact with. The revelation of accepting this “key” to eternity, not only represents the full expression of that last omnipresent Truth, but our final and greatest sacrifice. We know when we embarked on this path, we know what every aspect of the path is, spiritually and physically, we know why it is necessary to embrace every opportunity for advancement along our path. The “How” of Part Four, although manifested by faith, is the fruition of that necessity that the final leg of our journey is ultimately dependent upon, the sacrifice of all we know and care for.

Here’s HOW!

PART IV; CHAPTER SIXTEEN

2005-09-03T22:31:00.000-05:00

- PART IV -

TRUTH

- CHAPTER SIXTEEN -
“ FINALLY ”

UNDERSTANDING

Without the When, What and Why we would have no reason to know How! Or care. Unless there is an objective worthy of our effort we rest complaisantly and lack desire to grow. Too many are comfortable in this “rut”. Change is always an option but may go unconsidered until forced upon us. Incentive to voluntarily move forward must come from something we recognize as an improvement over and above the quality of our present circumstances. An improvement, by our standards, of our standards. All in all, HOW must begin with us thinking about, us! Obviously that isn’t much of a stretch for anyone, because living out the delusion of being in control of our lives, thinking about ourselves occupies most of our time anyhow. This has been the case since ego became aware of its individuality and began struggling for an identity separate from those peers or family members in close association. A uniqueness deemed ideal, accomplished by our effort to be set apart from those we might view as an embarrassment or beneath our consideration. So goes the birth of Self (a.k.a. egotism), whether at the very dawn of self awareness, or adolescence, the cause and effect are the same. Each of us experience changes in our personal perspective, relative to our relatives––or in general, any authority figure––as we grow toward the necessity of being independently resourceful, just as the human race shifted from a group or race spirit, to the soul centered Spirit, the essence of individuality so many millennia ago. We witness the obvious examples of the “group / species spirit” that make a horse have the same instincts and behavioral characteristics as every other horse and every dog or cat be what’s expected of them. These beatific entities are specifically led by Divine Guidance to meet the unique demands of the particular group they have an abiding affinity to. Regardless of the seemingly individual characteristics or talents of some of the more entertaining subgroups (i.e., animals who have been trained or bred throughout centuries of domestication to exhibit very specific tasks or attitudes) they are still bound by the rules that define their group. No single Being has emerged from them who demonstrates an awareness of Self in the same creative manner, in which the ego has for the human species. To be sure, there are examples among all vertebrates of recognition between related individuals as well as (in mammals especially) animated responses to, or “acts” of, compassion, remorse and “loss”. Much, if not all of this is instinct, original instinct, the survival mechanism manifested by Divine Guidance to galvanize the navigation of physical challenges typically faced prior to––and without the advantages gained through––self-awareness, when the advancement along our current personal path began. Our attempts to free ourselves of the burden original instinct now represents, in light of its restrictions on our further advancement, personifies the awareness we consider unique to Spirit. This is not to say; others are not growing spiritually, only that their growth is as a group that has not as yet been guided to a path of separation, according to our current capacity of discernment anyhow. All will in time, of course, just as we did when it was appropriate to do so. Our path since then, where it’s going and how to cooperate in our eventual dissemination to “oneness”, is the focus of the remaining address found herein.

Allowing that the newly discovered Self represented more of a priority than the clan identity we were distancing ourselves from, it’s not unreasonable to expect our attention to shift from one of accepting the stigmatized social ranking of the deep rooted pecking order, to asserting personal recognition and rights to possessions of our own. At first there was an implied value or worth placed on our claims to be different, but after spanning countless incarnations over a hundred millennia and enduring the persecution and resistance from all who would perceive our independent thinking to be a threat, that value of Self, became self evident as we were guided to put ourselves first so that the embryonic rules of interaction shaping early social behavior would evolve into laws with the most equitable interpretation of personal rights. Divine Guidance of course has proven flawless with providing insight into the shaping of “man made” laws. Their overall and far reaching original intent however, is often masked by the personal agendas of any who put themselves ahead of their peers, leaving a truly accurate manifestation to an enlightened future generation. Continuing revelations into universal Truths will, in time, raise the quality of our laws to the epitome of God’s unconditional Grace benefiting, without question or judgment, each and every person in precisely the manner befitting the cultivation of their own path.

The paradox; emphasizing the importance of Ego over all else, only for the purpose of surviving long enough to mature into the free thinking individual capable of making the choice to disregard Self in order that we may return to the unity of at-one-ment, is the conflict that defines the struggle we face in our continuing attempts to grasp some understanding of universal, eternal Truths! We’ve been exposed to the “look out for number one” belief system for so long, that when we reach the point in time where it’s taken us as far as it can and is no longer appropriate, our dependence on independence has become so ingrained that moving away from it, in order to advance further, would be among the last choices under consideration if a decision like that were ours to make. The “rut” we find comfort in, dulls our awareness and confuses us with contradictions that cloud any beginnings of insightfulness. Free will becomes more and more a stumbling block or obstacle, separating us from an abiding faith.

Advancing on our path, means voluntarily leaving the comfortable, known, behind in exchange for the unknown ahead, which in practice is the milieu of those independent explorer types who, though sure of their abilities to survive may not be ready to accept that their confidence is merely a reliance on primordial instinct, or that the dependence that reliance represents, is actually holding them back from the revelations in Truth that would, by comparison, relegate the personal gratification that motivates them, into insignificance.

Giving up independent thinking (free will) is the most difficult choice we face––but is exactly what it amounts to––when we surrender ourselves so completely to faith that we rely solely on God’s Grace for every provision. We don’t reach this most momentous leap of faith without first having exhausted every other avenue imagination could summon in our futile belief that; we’re in control of those events we set in motion and of the reaction we have to those we become a part of. Surrender goes against every grain of independence we so staunchly defend.

In the carnal frame of reference, many have died defending the freedoms that independence symbolizes. Many of those chose death over subjugation. Our history of striving for a more perfect or ever improving manifestation of freedom, imbues our vested interest with a great deal of pride in being a part of––or having a heritage to––its providence. It is, of course, original instinct motivating us in the name of “self” preservation, that keeps our focus so tight we fail to see or even consider the possibility; the perfect freedom we seek is not of our own making but is our Divine heritage, requiring nothing more than reclaiming it by our submission to God’s Will. The kind of faith required for total submission is, necessarily, the product of our entire worldly experiences, the distillation of uncountable acts of trust, realized hopes and dreams. Abiding faith, immutable and inviolate, represents the essence of every positive thing and thought, every selfless choice from all the encounters garnered throughout every incarnation contributing to the whole of our path.

Divine Guidance, in its perfect patronage, provides the specific obstacle, then delivers the ideal dose of encouragement and wisdom ably abetting the challenged in each confrontation. As said earlier, we are never faced with an obstacle we don’t already have the ability to overcome. The growth or advancement on our path is not dependent on miraculous outcomes against impossible odds. It’s dependent on our rejection of instincts, then acceptance of and finally reliance on the idea of something much greater than ourselves being in charge of every aspect of our lives. Therein lies the obvious reason why the path we find ourselves committed to, spans more than one incarnation. No one, none, has ever procured the faith needed to transcend physical life, in one lifetime. Those we recognize as master teachers and “way-showers”, manifestations of God Himself and His unconditional Love on earth, are experiencing the final incarnation on their path, as their return to at-one-ment is fully and gloriously realized. Their lives and behaviors, their every word is more than a reflection of God! They have each reached the culmination of their physical embodiments only after going through and overcoming all the same tribulations and temptations we find ourselves tested by daily. They are One with God and are among us for our seeking out as examples to emulate in our own lives!

Spiritual growth may be measured as only a few steps on our path throughout the span of an entire incarnation but, advancing by one step at a time the knowledge acquired is more permanently impressed into the store of experiences we take with us from one embodiment to the next. The time tested adage “practice makes perfect” appropriately applies to far more of our day to day routine than it has ever received credit for. It should also be considered, at least by any who are receptive to such Truths, to be a principle maxim best construed quite literally, not only in regard to our every thought and deed, but every positive experience that translates into advancement along our path, as well. The Master Teachers, who by their very existence confirm our place in the Creator’s Grand Plan, have achieved perfection practicing the lessons His Guidance has blessed us all with. Like Them, each of us in our own time, will reach our common goal of being At-One. As we move closer to living life as a font for His unconditional Love in the lives of all those we touch, that once seemingly elusive quality called “faith” , becomes our own personal wellspring on which we draw directly and willingly, from the one source of all. As the promises and assets of our inheritance, guaranteed us as His beloved children, begin manifesting in our lives, the likelihood of questioning His Will slips increasingly toward being an entirely moot point, until finally, the possibility of Self ever interfering again is a non issue. Granted, that’s a long way down the path for the vast majority of us, so any attempt to take license with an accurate description of our ultimate reward, only serves us humbly as an inadequate prelude to the perfection we will all be led to, “in time”.

The people benefiting from the incarnation that glorified each Master’s ascension to Their highest degree of perfection, had arrived at a juncture on their path, as a society or group, where the desperate acts of instinct were prevailing over free will. In every instance, their long held core belief system was contrived to lead them into desperate enough times by way of heinous and despicable acts upon each other, to consider possibilities where the interloping unction of Divine service could intercede and address, most effectively and acceptably, the long suffering, intricately gerrymandered, need at hand. At each such place and time, the Divinely orchestrated design warranted the intercession of a Teacher who would, by living among them, demonstrate a higher standard of behaviors and attitudes, as well as elucidate the “miraculous” results realized by following their example.

However, before revelations in Truth could sufficiently impress any would-be believers, it was necessary to distract them from a preoccupation with the very rituals and ceremonies of a belief system their deepest psyche had been so carefully imprinted with in the first place. Generations of discipline intended to represent nothing more than the foundation or basis of what was to come, because nothing was left to chance in preparation of those who were nearing the next leap forward on their path; accepting as Truth the messages provided through and by the arriving “way showing” Masters. Divine timing and purpose is eternally perfect. A shared epiphany is ripe for any who would choose to become followers, because the overcoming of tribulations during countless incarnations has opened a new door through which the light of insight assures a much brighter future.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

2005-09-03T22:30:00.000-05:00

TRUTH: THE ROOTS

Before that promise, and its deliverance by a worldly manifestation of The Father Himself––in the form of each way-shower’s embodiment in every religion––the most we dared expect of ourselves and our plight was to survive until the next dawn. Despera-tion––commensurate with relying on our own wits––and those who would use the cover of darkness to shroud the misdeeds of their own agendas, had engendered night time to become the milieu of evil and terror, the personal domain of the worst our imaginations could fabricate, or be convinced to obsess on. Too many had learned to take advantage of the weaknesses of others for their own gain and without the rule of established law, found little reason to waste time with any attempted cultivation of deceptions. Aside from the self-preservation of original instinct, personal survival had assumed few other forms, of those, less than a handful had evolved to resemble legitimate business practices. Before society became civilized (and whose to say it has yet earned that distinction), heralded in large part by our introduction to the options offered through the teachings delivered from incarnating Masters, carnality indwelled every facet of life, representing conditions void of any hope or, for that matter, any future. Every turn presented a new threat. Every hour of every day was rarely anything more (for the average person) than fleeing the prospect of being victimized, again!

During these earliest socially formative generations, people, especially those who were alone or members of small family groups unable to effectively defend themselves, migrated toward established centers of commerce, if at first only for the protection in numbers that favored the increased odds of not being singled out of a crowd. Survival, or what ever measure of security might have been gleaned by such anonymity––and in the interest of not becoming the quarry of every malevolence––had its own price; i.e. the loss of freedom inherent with maintaining of a low profile. Given the alternative––exposure and vulnerability––adapting to “city life” could at least be tolerated, and once undertaken with some commitment, could be further eased by the prospect of new associations formed through commonality. It has always seemed, whatever our surroundings and circumstances, we are drawn to others of like ilk. This of course is never a matter of chance, but Divinely scripted when it’s time for ego’s singularity to be broken––for the sake of reestablishing some semblance of group identity––in order to promote the kind of tolerance and patience that would, with diligence, grow into the nonjudgmental open mindedness borne only through social interaction.

Spiritual and physical growth is more easily groomed among people we have something in common with, hence the ennobled characteristic of raising our offspring “close to the breast” and their need for the prolonged nurturing uniquely instrumental in humankind's evolution. By Divine Design, our young are totally dependent and necessitate being raised in an atmosphere indulgent of sociability. Even if we tend to retaliate against that indulgence during our personal pubescent quest to “find ourselves”. Where better to do that, after all, but in the safety of those who love us? The real tests of tolerance though, come when we interact with one or more of the multitude with differing customs, practices or beliefs. Practicing a nonjudgmental open mind, avoids potentially hostile dialogue, while conveying an attitude of acceptance and inclusiveness. Our path continually offers a myriad of opportunities to grow in that attitude, but doing so always remains a choice and as we begin to recognize those opportunities as beneficial, when compared to the alternatives identified with strife, our choice becomes progressively clearer.

Very large clans, on the other hand, who had the numbers to translate into a defensive (or offensive) force, purposefully avoided affiliation with the growing attraction to settlements and their arbitrary rules of conduct, so were set upon a very different yet analogous path of social growth. Clan leaders forsake the nomadic lifestyle, staking claim to fertile land abundant in the wildlife needed to support their own growing numbers for generations to come. The traditional rules and pecking order of the “group spirit” quickly evolved into the class or caste system that proved equally effective in segregating the leader’s ruling family from those whose talents served to protect, or hunt, or raise food crops, not to mention any number of important services, the least of which would lend themselves to the continued function of the group as a whole and its leaders in particular. Being among established familial associations and knowing our place with regard to the whole, as it were, at least in the beginning, made acceptance and commitment a surrogate for the tolerance and patience prescribed for those whose path brought interactions with strangers. Additionally, the kinship common to this societal group made personal threats less of a concern. Even the victimization of the land-holder's collusion, in order to assure his needs were met first, was tempered by the fact that what ever remained as one’s due, was usually enough to sustain one’s needs. For the most part, the obligation to serve his liege in return for the protection that comes with being identified as part of the whole was, in reality, no more than an extension of the original pecking order anyhow.

The purely physical historical record is replete with examples that lands under claim eventually prove difficult to hold on to, giving rise to fortifications. Timber fences intended to protect from the occasional marauder, both four legged and two legged kinds, grew into ever higher and thicker walls designed to repel progressively sophisticated assaults, most often from like-minded land holders seeking to expand their holdings which, among other things, might include subjects of the realm, as well as a desire to eliminate competition for resources. The specialized task of assembling, outfitting and training a force capable of successfully defending against an assault, and when called to do so, “do unto others”, fell to the most experienced and tested of what had long been the clan leading “neo-land lord’s” personal guard.

Over the course of many generations, as circumstances dictate, the tendency of a free thinking culture is to seek a balance or equanimity, even when their bodies are subjugated. The higher the status of a ruling family, regardless of the standard of measurement, the less consideration given those whose labors served to provide every necessity, apart from a minimal portion of their production they were allowed to keep in the form of a stipend, that is. As should be expected, if not for the obvious reasons, the passage of time widened the gap between the lord of the land and his subjects. Initially by disassociation, because it only made sense for the farmer or the herdsman to live near the fields they worked or the flocks they tended, rather than within the protection of the walled community. Eventually that divisiveness assumed new dimensions among those who were finally recognizing their worth as individuals, freeing the ego to ideate, which in turn made much clearer whom was dependent on whom.

The same might have applied to the hunter whose prey grew scarcer, extending his forays into days and weeks, as the demand among his growing family, his peers and his “lord” rose, but his talents as a primary provider were undergoing a transformation of their own. With the exception of those families who had chosen to remain independent of the socialization represented in settlements of every description, hunting was becoming a sport of the ruling class, at least where domestication began supplanting the demand for meat. The hunters found themselves being mustered into the newest class of citizenry as a soldier / archer and from there, conscripted to defend the expanding holdings of the nobility. With that came some stability, if not improvement in their lifestyle, as well as a camaraderie that in time would give kinship––already associated with other social atmospheres as “like-minded”––a deeper and farther reaching intimacy. Intrinsically however, their new path was one of complete dependence, where ego had little encouragement to think of Self. It suited a wide variety of people whose lives might otherwise lack direction, especially any who had not yet reached the point on their path ascribed to breaking away from a group. The “pecking order tribal / clan mind-set”, is the precise formula for keeping the military machine so well oiled. Meanwhile the “kingdom” was stretching far and wide beyond the buttressed perimeter whose confines were becoming less accessible except by the privileged closest personal servants, advisors and elite guard, compelling the “royals” to grow unfamiliar with and hence furtively suspicious of the common culture. In contrast, that culture’s identities and relationships, whose refinement precluded separating from the “whole” of the clan mind-set, made the certainty of what was a pecking order or caste boundary obligation, blur into social systems relying more on business or trading relationships among peers.

As the permanence of settlement impacted every aspect of our lives, the most conspicuous had to be the increase in population. We were no longer required to pick up and move in conjunction with migrating herds or seasonal forage. Permanence, in concert with the onset of agriculture and domestication, gave us the foundation on which to build a history replete with roots we could relate a place-name to. Tradition and lore held more meaning and could be passed down because places and names would become proverbial for generations, instead of indistinct in their absence through the passage of time.

Where roots grow, so grows the tree, whether it’s an apple tree or a family tree. Essentially, of course, the first product from domesticating heretofore wild food sources, whether they be plant or animal, was offspring. Though the challenges inherent with animal and agricultural husbandry were usually less traumatic than their earlier incarna-tions––as gatherer-hunter nomads––they none the less had demands of their own, both unique to and resolved by the very parameters that have defined domestication since its earliest days. Under the new and comparatively stable surroundings proffered by settlements, crops and livestock were encouraged––as much as our limited experience could induce––to flourish. The same stability was also conducive to a flourishing population. No longer giving so much of their life to making and breaking encampments, loading and unloading pack animals, dealing with all the daily rigors of a nomadic subsistence, the attendant opportunities for intimacy afforded by staying in one place were not overlooked. Naturally, that led to more mouths to feed, but those mouths were often accompanied by hands that would soon enough prove useful in the fields, among the herds and on the trap lines, not just relied upon by the immediate family any longer––but given the inroads commerce was making as everyone adjusted to the practice of trade––the community at large. In those instances involving a land lord, imposed taxation met the demand for his share, in exchange for living in the shadow of his protection. Most importantly however, dimly reflected in this first flicker of prosperity––especially to a people who had little or no experience with it––was the visage of hope offered up by a reward garnered from being productive. For them, the prospects of what the future might hold, given the relatively agreeable security of seasonal and annual gainfulness, as opposed to the trepidation associated with eking out a daily subsistence, promoted the emergence of planning for the long term.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

2005-09-03T22:28:00.000-05:00

TRUTH: FOR BEGINNERS

With seeds of possibilities germinating on the fertile soil of imaginings––expedited by a new and healthy dose of planning––a point in time fast approached when the majority of the population were ready to take the next leap forward on their path, engaging in what a few––whose incarnate history had predisposed them to assume roles and positions requiring forethought––had already been moved to accept. That is to say, for the first time in many cases, thinking ahead offered unlimited possibilities in the way of personal growth, because when availed upon to think beyond our immediate daily needs, situations naturally arose in which relationships of every variety could be considered more than just brief, chance encounters. In turn, the way we conducted ourselves illustrated this new projected mind-set in as much as; we viewed those people we encountered each day with the same degree of thoughtfulness––or at least as close a proximity as our emerging interacting attitude could muster––as we would expect in return. With that in mind, it became increasingly clear, as individuals, having once separated ourselves spiritually and physically from the group identity (when ego became aware of “self”) Divine Will was gradually reintroducing us into settings that promoted social interaction. So essentially we had “traded up” from being a part to the complement of a mere group, to being an individual partaking in the compliments of a peer group.

To that end, planning further insured the continuation of settlements and our active participation in socialization. Although there have always been examples of individuals who choose to avoid contact with others, for what ever reason (and there are many), most will gravitate toward interaction when the opportunity presents itself (again, for many reasons, not the least of which may be disingenuous). In all cases however, Divine Guidance was luring people, who were now free thinking, free willed, ego-driven beings, back into situations where their personal differences would serve to create both friction and faction. Only by experiencing relationships of our choosing, which just as often includes being the object of non-mutual or someone else's choosing, can we begin to gain some fashion of insight into an understanding of what it means and takes, to get along. This by no measure assures our understanding of why people do what they do, only that we have some say so or choice in how we act and react––our “role” if you like––during social interaction. That revelation, as obvious as it may be to those in whom it abides, is one of the most illusive because; even once we’ve “found ‘real’ happiness”, despite all the foibles our initial enthusiasm either couldn’t possibly have been aware of at its onset, or somehow justified as temporary, hanging on to it depends on our accepting people––and things we can’t change––as they are, instead of expecting them to change into what would accommodate and assure our continued happiness. Yes, everything changes, including our hopes and dreams, our aspirations and lifestyles, our belief systems and social practices; that’s the point of growing spiritually toward an accepting, inclusive mind-set. These are changes we are responsible for making through free will choices to induce our own advancement, these are not changes we have any right to expect of others, just to suit our will or expectations. The changes everyone else incorporates into their life can not be of our choosing any more than our changes can be of their choosing, because they also have an indwelling free will. As over-simplistic as that sounds to all who live in faith, its Truth and logic continue to elude many whose personal agendas demonstrate some degree of controlling behavior. In spite of them however and otherwise civilized people who can’t or won’t accept responsibility (blaming others for the circumstances in their lives manifested by poor judgment and bad choices) or don’t know how to approach a relationship without unrealistic expectations (strings attached), their demographic is fast approaching minority status while Truth seekers are ever increasing in numbers.

With that in mind, it would be negligent to ignore this opportunity to point out that there is a wide spectrum of society, in what has been generously called “modern times”, whose various paths honor attitudes of inclusiveness––accepting others as they are––as simply fair and equal behavior, even if seemingly outside the influence of any faith oriented doctrine. Though recognizing the rights of others as inalienable isn’t exclusively denominational, it is none the less, Divinely Guided. Combined with those who have chosen to follow a specific theology and the examples of its way-shower, it is toward this end of unconditional inclusiveness that all paths wind, some much more meand-ering––bordering on vacillating––than others, but always into relationships that offer choices whose decisions measure our spiritual advancement. Every challenge set before us in the physical is a calculated, but risk free learning process that serves only to enlighten our thinking with regards to how we conduct ourselves during interactions under every possible circumstance. Considering the infinite variables capable of imbuing the simplest of acts or tasks, it can’t be seen or imagined with any degree of credulity how long it might take to partake of the fruits offered by all the experiences one soul must encount-er––and overcome––to move from the birth of awareness, through the discarding of all that individuality represents, before rejoining the oneness from which it originated.

The acquirement involved with this course of experiences, under the subject head; “socialization”, assigns a full complement of accomplishments through which we are deftly guided, while occupying the appropriate role (with relation to other participants), by dipping into the well of knowledge filled with all our prerequisite experiences, which in turn, persists in growing with the addition of each ongoing event, so that every experience that follows is equally benefited by those that preceded it. In spite of that, we spend millennia in the physical accruing the effects of our experiences in what outwardly appear to be trail and error episodes of awkward confrontations, in the name of and for the cause of spirituality. Most of the time, in the “now”, there is no clear evidence of achievement or coherence as far as long term relationships are concerned.

Ego’s awareness predisposes us to see “self” as separate and, dare I say, unique. We could not enter into the lessons that enable our spiritual growth, (i.e., sociability), while a part of the group. All members of a “group spirit” act predictably the same. In order to advance further on our eternal path, it was necessary to start behaving as individuals. As we’ve seen, that shift in perception inundated us with feelings and information we had no experience with. Overwhelmed and confused, we withdrew to the appropriate defensive position, self. Looking out for number one. By that Design, each of us has been groomed to love our self first, so that in turn we may have some inkling of what it is to be loved and then, to love another. We could not be expected to come to know, on any level, a complete stranger without first knowing the one we are most intimate with. How is it possible, we might ask ourselves, for a relationship to develop with someone so totally different from us, unless we first understood the relationship we were already inseparable from? No one we will ever encounter has any possibility of being more familiar to us, than us!! If we are unable to love the one and only person we know absolutely everything about, little hope is held out for our loving of others, about which we know comparatively nothing.

In the physical, our chronologic maturing both provides the time and takes into account, our necessity to become intimately familiar with all aspects of our own psyche. Myriad opportunities present themselves for us to glean some insight into why we feel or act in the ways we do. When Divinely called upon to do so and approached with a mentally healthy, brutally honest, soul searching inquiry such as meditation or prayer, we will gain an invaluable deeply personal knowledge about our self that will serve us well on our path to interpersonal socialization. Of course, the patience and honesty required to derive any benefit from soul-revealing meditation comes only after the revelation that those things needing changed are to be found inside, not outside. Obviously, many aren’t prepared to cross that threshold until their considerable spiritual advancement merits it; ergo, “when Divinely called upon”, or guided. Even so, certainly in most cases anyhow, those who do engage in that sort of reflective musing, don’t until their current carnal experiences recognize it as an option to begin with, and much to our chagrin, as well as a reminder of who’s really in charge, that doesn’t usually present itself until one is well beyond ones most confusing years (i.e., puberty)––when such rumination could have proved most beneficial and been put to its best use.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

2005-09-03T22:24:00.000-05:00

INTERMEDIATE TRUTH

Before that point on anyone's path is reached however, the prevailing tendency is to see only what we want in ourselves or the situations in which we’re immersed, then unconsciously––or if pressed––acrimoniously deny, equivocate and rationalize the remainder. It proves easier to accept our shortcomings, assuming any have been brought to our attention, as a direct result of other’s behavior. Most often, our nature is simply to take for granted that the dilemmas and dire circumstances we imagine ourselves bound by, are somehow, someone else's fault and responsibility. This delusion can be so ingrained as to disavow entirely what faith we might have been clinging to, averring; “what kind of God could let this happen?” Being oblivious to even the suggestion of a Divine Plan that Masterfully coordinates circumstances so that each moment’s lesson is realized to its fullest possible fruition, is part and parcel of the prideful ego relying on instinct. As long as we continue to expect some form of satisfaction; closure, reparation, etc., before we can “go on” with our lives, we’ll not know the peace and love of Truth. By the same token, we can’t be expected to perceive The Truth in the first place until our unrealistic externally oriented expectations are discarded so we may choose to change what amounts to; our self-centered, ego driven perspective of “what’s fair”. Only then can we begin coming to grips with the notion that; though there may very well be a reason for every action, our comfort level with not knowing the exact motivation behind each, has room for improvement, which constitutes growing more accepting with each encounter, the consequences of which lead to a rebuilding of lost faith.

As alluded to earlier, overcoming our instincts is prerequisite to surrendering our will to God’s Will. Before we can even approach that overcoming though, we will need to have acquired a measure of faith to rely upon in the absence of our dependence on instinct. The easiest way to replace a dependence or habit is with another, equally or more satisfying than the one we’re giving up. The only way to usurp the dead-end defensive posture of instinct then, is to believe the abundance that faith offers is far more rewarding. Let original instinct’s extinction begin here, with the exposure of both how shallow it is and how far removed we’ve become from the necessity of any reliance on it.

The foundation for our inclination to take the light of negative attention off ourselves originates with original instinct’s precept of self defense, which makes one thing perfectly clear; exactly how deep rooted our desire not to appear flawed or weak is. Vanity, bigotry, social bias, are but a few examples of the ego based judgmentalism, masking (or serving to defend) ones personally perceived vulnerabilities, whose innate “vital force” is original instinct.

Those character traits, and many others, sometimes manifest themselves as “pride”. It’s often said we’re too proud to admit we’re wrong or that, someone else's idea might be better than the one we’re promoting, but pride, in and of itself, is no more debilitating than we make it. One extreme on any level, is the prideful conviction; we’re better than anybody else! We can see that the manner of pride’s manifestation––whether to segregate or unite––, and that distinction can certainly be as divisive among its individual protagonists as any call to action can be, depends on the attitude we’ve adopted regarding our personal journey, or if you’d rather, the viewpoint we’ve chosen to represent the perception of our surroundings. Exceedingly few of these psychological overviews or behavioral tendencies are conscious choices to begin with. If anything, pride is little more than a subliminal environmental conditioning. For instance, as a member of a solidly united group choosing to believe in the dedication to a benevolent service, we take on a healthy pride of common cause. If doing so pridefully, however, we may segregate ourselves not only from a large portion of society, but from those who may benefit the most from our avowed cause. On the other hand, anyone considering themselves above the need of a bestowed benevolence, thereby initiating a self-imposed exile from God’s Love, exhibits unhealthy pride distinguished by a denial that masks an insecurity they perceive needs defending. Everyone is eligible to prosper from the experiences and benevolence of others, because all is Divinely offered in order that all benefit. Nothing or no one is exempt from God’s Grace. Putting it another way, to segregate oneself from negative validations, in order to avoid undesired influences (perceived or otherwise), may seem the more judicious choice rather than risk exposure to extremism, but actually is being equally judgmental in the face of what are, in reality, options that offer opportunities to grow and, in turn, demonstrate a teaching that is representative of the full measure of unconditionality.

In addition, separated by the thinnest line of objectivity, patriot or rebel, it’s especially difficult to interpret ones perception of accountability when one holds fast to the notion of National Pride. As individuals being Divinely Guided through an introduction to societal thinking and acting, it’s perfectly normal for us to include the means for a common connection to be associated with the inclusiveness of community pride. It is, after all, the very first and most basic step leading toward the “at-one-ment” our spiritual growth is aimed at. But in the steps that follow comes the revelation that pride, even in its most positive manifestations, limits our exposure to those who believe as we do, thereby distancing (segregating) ourselves from some portion of the whole who would be overlooked, in effect creating an obstacle to our goal of unconditional inclusiveness. Sooner or later, pridefullness in every guise, must be eliminated so that we may surrender our carnal will to that of The Divine Will. Only after total selflessness is manifest, will the return to at-one-ment be at hand.

To associate ourselves, as individuals, with a fair, worthy, just and truly benevolent cause, group, community or national interest, is in the best interest of all and does nothing but advance our personal cause of spiritual growth. The difference between the healthy pride of being part of a beneficent practice evoking unconditional love and the unhealthiness of self-promoting pride, is ego! As each of us near the time when it’s of our choosing to impugn those defensive days of “looking out for number one” and faithfully embrace opportunities to serve, we will truly be in a position to set our own course relative to expressing what needs to be done in order to fulfill the remaining prerequisite experiences that will hasten our return to at-ne-ment. Once consciously a participant in the exacting of that express behavior, totally in concert with Divine Guidance, God’s Will manifests through us in a way that can only be described as being one with and in Him. At the very core of Christian dogma is the allegory of the “second coming”, or return, of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The perfection that represented “The Christ” in Jesus manifests in each of us when we attain the fulfillment of our personal spiritual quest. Precisely the same spiritual beatitude is fundamental to every religion whose foundation was laid by the unconditional love of Divine Guidance. It is in fact, by any definition, the personal transition from being a purely physical entity to a being who is wholly at-one with the eternal and The Creator, just as each “way shower” was while exhibiting the fulfillment of their final incarnate episode.

Getting to that point for any of us requires the discarding of instinct, pride, the individuality of ego and free will, as well as guilt. Doing that suggests living outside the “box” that is our comfort zone. Taking a leap of faith!! Not surprisingly then, faith is the integral constituent of the means by which our return to at-one-ment is realized. No amount of Divinely directed choreography, by itself, can make us dance. Acting on our discernment of The Truth and demonstrating the consequences of that epiphany through our spirituality, has to be a faith-reinforced free will choice.

CHAPTER TWENTY

2005-09-03T22:17:00.000-05:00

ADVANCED TRUTH

Once faithfully led by Divine Guidance to the “door” marked “Unconditional Love”, we face, perhaps for one last time, the collective uncertainties confronted––and overcome––during the millennia of tribulations that were the road maps through our varied incarnate journeys. The “quintessence”, is at hand. The quest, nears the fullness of its glorious actualization. The “door” has but to open so that we may cross the threshold and claim our inheritance of being at-one with our Creator in eternity. But something’s missing. The “door” is not opening. It requires a “key” we have not, as yet, earned. One last revelation awaits our cognizance before we can totally assimilate the ubiquity, the pervasiveness, the omnipresence of Unconditional Love and, from the perspective of the “now”, be delivered from the self-sustained inequities of our mind, to the perfect eternal at-one-ment.

By far, the most difficult overcoming of all our physical encounters is this final one. As with each one that has preceded it, everything leading up to its confrontation has prepared us for the prodigious challenge it represents. We have all the experience necessary to spiritually transcend the physical contentiousness our fading ego’s departing salvo invests toward its fruitless efforts at surviving this; the decisive and conclusive obstacle on our path.

We have seen and lived the sobering episodes of physical incarnations that have brought us to and through every imaginable circumstance, trying, testing, challenging, the very fiber of what makes us different from (but still a part of) the rest of creation. Our perspective has been turned outward, then inward and finally outward again, as our attitude evolved through the Divine orchestration of the “Master Maestro”. The temporary, illusory physical “now” has become less of a concern, because our revelations borne of faith have afforded us glimpses of the eternal reality. We’ve grown strong enough in who we are to know where we’ve come from, so that consciously releasing our “self” to that source––when the time is right––is not only comfortable in the sense of “going home”, but as expected as any step toward a well defined and anticipated goal. “We’ve come a long way” is perhaps the most understated of colloquial locutions, in regard to our interminable cycle of embodiments, should it ever be submitted as a measure of our spiritual advancement. Considering how inadequate any physical expression is however, when attempting to correlate a commonality between two such diametrically diverse points of reference, (i.e., physical and eternal), the only translation without loss of meaning is from the eternal, the one True State of Reality where understanding literally goes without saying!! From that horizonless, timeless perspective, where the “beginning” and the “end” are separated only by awareness, rather than by time and space. Since our inquiry is from the physical perspective, looking for a physical label to frame what cannot be grasped in physical terms, let us then seek some solace in the knowledge that––at this juncture on our path––; understanding is not the goal, faith is. So it will be faith that buoys us up as the last pedal of awareness unfolds on the flower of our enlightenment.

To become aware of what is withholding the key we need to open the “door” of unconditional love, thus consummating our at-one-ment, we must revisit, however briefly, that physical place enabling us to see the part of the seed from which its roots have sprung in order that we may disengage the final vestige of its entanglement from our psyche. Once we had reason to move away from the assurances offered by a well adjusted and time tested discipline of the clan environs, in and of itself a comfort zone, the embryonic ego prompted urgings of what seemed like rebellious behavior in our otherwise submissive caricature of an age old lifestyle. Each “Group Spirit”, that leads every species on its own peculiar path, reaches a terminus when individuals of that species begin taking on characteristics heretofore wholly unknown, unpracticed, unexplained or unascertained to that group or its members. Physicality describes it as evolution, from eternity it’s the next step onto a more advanced path.

In reference to that advancement’s application on our path, it was necessary for us to express and motivate ourselves as individuals in order to personally experience all the variables that comprise a life of a “higher order”. We were no longer purely followers, unless by choice, relying on no one but ourselves to resolve the inequities of a lifestyle whose quality, as we would eventually come to grasp more fully, depended in large part on our patience and attitude. Our newfound independence came with a lot of baggage we weren’t accustomed to carrying. A full gamut of emotions that an instinctually oriented creature would never face, pressed heavily on our mind and, much later down that path of self-determination, on our hearts as we struggled to incorporate some understanding of them into our behavior, albeit without any precedent as an example.

Instinct’s means of dealing with any and all challenges was based entirely on self-preservation, as in the allusion to “original instinct”. It had gotten us to the point we no longer needed it, but it wasn’t about to let go without a fight. Our species had survived, by Divine Design, through the reflexes instinct offered in our defense against every threat. When we became the threat, as a result of ego’s awakening and consequential thrust to the fore, the emphasis of relying on instinct began to fade and be usurped with the decision making that would become characteristic of free will. Instinct is so deeply rooted in our inherent nature however––and we were so unfamiliar with our new “tools” of cop-ing––that an ambiguity was fostered due to the lack of reference points or clues that might aid us in distinguishing one from the other, even after conscience had been guided to a place of awareness. Hence, the onset of what would be universally recognized, or at least proffered by way of innumerable scenarios, as the “battle between good and evil”; the intensity of which is in direct proportion to the urgency of the specific facilitator’s dogma or perceived agenda.

“Good” is not as self-evident as one might think but “evil”, is even more illusory, largely because we refuse to take personal responsibility for our lack of good judgment and conscience.

As avowed earlier and now repeated here as a means of reemphasizing The One Fundamental Truth of Creation; everything in the physical universe is a manifestation of God, The Creator. Since all that is, ever was, or will ever be is of His creation, nothing save God Himself, existed before that most Divine production. That being a “given”, with or without a leap of faith, we can be assured that the “stuff” this universe is made from is “God Stuff”! He is Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent! Every component, of every cell, of every particle in every compound, that is a part of every world in every system of planets and stars, in every corner of the physical universe shares its origins with the only thing that existed before any of them came into being. It can’t possibly be stated any clearer; nothing exists that is apart from God! Also averred to earlier as a “given”; God is unconditional love, no ifs, ands or buts, no strings, no sometimes, no on again / off again, only and always total, unwavering, without condition, love! That’s God. Nothing is outside of God! Nothing exists that is not of God! God is absolute good! God is perfect love! That has been the message of every “way shower”. With this all too obvious, undeniable Truth in mind, we face the crux posed by the essence of theological dogma of every tenor; where is there room for the “evil” some seem to take such delight in ascribing credibility to? It should go without saying; there is none!

Many people’s behavior strikes fear into the hearts of others, intentionally or otherwise. Countless scenarios demonstrate activity that defy the “norm” of rationality. Most of us, if not all, have serious issues with the way the majority of society conduct themselves when pushed to the breaking point. A myriad of examples point to the clear cut evidence that supports the contention; evil is not only alive and well, but there is little or nothing we can do about it except find and identify it, contain it and punish it! Good will prevail. The light overpowers darkness, or some such thing.

We’ve been so indoctrinated in the mindset surrounding mankind’s iniquity, beginning with what we’re expected to believe as the “original sin” of “Adam’s fall from Grace”. Herein lies a perfect example of what would motivate a Truth seeker to start out on their own personal quest. Precisely this type of inconsistency predominates doctrine and still expects acceptance at face value. For instance, “Grace” is God’s unconditional love manifest in our lives. To “fall” from or out of Grace in contradictory to the premise of unconditional! There is no place, that is not God! There is no place to fall to, that is “out of” or, not a part of God! This particular allegory is simply the awakening of ego ascribed to throughout this humble account; i.e., we were defined by our group or species spirit (in the “Garden of Eden”) until ego’s awakening allowed the free will of individuality to consciously choose for itself (the “fall”). This was, and remains, Divinely Guided spiritual advancement, not “sin”. Naturally, the experiences that were necessary to promote growth could only be found in the carnal or physical world, much of which is regarded as “sinful” by fundamentalists of every persuasion, despite the omnipresence of Divine Guidance.

Therein lies the fundamental misrendering of “evil”. Until a believer, or Truth seeker has revealed to them personally, the depth of meaning that is the embodiment of unconditional love, our only appreciation of it is incomplete and comes by way of comparison to a quantitative opposite––as if there could be one. Many assume, wrongly of course, there cannot be one without the other. These are purely physical standards of balance that have no correspondence in the eternal, the source of unconditionality. Physical attempts to hold something as an ideal invariably gives its antipode equal credulity. A positive, or negative for that matter, cannot stand alone but must depend on each other for their individual merit, or lack thereof. Good, by that method of measure, must have the contrast of evil in order to have something to prevail over. All of this makes the supposition of the existence of evil most acceptable, unless one is obsessed with an abiding faith to the contrary.

Those who are still struggling to reach a level of faith that leads to the insight of revelations of Truth, have little choice but to accept what their physical senses are interpreting as evil. All their emotions are commanding responses and reactions that only serve to support what they’ve been led to believe from an early age by people they see as role models on which to emulate behavior of their own. No one who lives by this belief system is going to allow themselves to be convinced otherwise. The evidence is too overpowering. It assaults our senses on a daily basis, thanks to a ratings-hungry media who supply viewership with the kind of shock-appeal that assures them; their own life is at least tolerable, despite bouts with chronic disparity. We have every reason to fear for our lives, and those of our loved ones, with an “entertainment business” suffering from an obsessive compulsive disorder centered on the delivery of the most violent, heinous and unspeakable acts anyone’s imagination could possibly conjure. Our perception’s appetite is sated with the fodder of all who would benefit from our continued submission to the specter that evil casts. It is a constant part of our life because we believe in it and because we benefit from it, either vicariously or directly. Believing, allows it to control various aspects of our behavior. Benefiting, allows us some control over the behavior of others. Believing, assigns an interminable quality that all but provides it with a life of its own.

Having then given it permission to live, we name it, define it, analyze it, give it a history and a place it can call home. Furthermore we protect it, in so much as; if we let anything happen that might jeopardize its hold on us, we would no longer have our convenient provender of excuses. Without evil, life would be compassionate, benevolent, humble, selfless. If, some how, we could be held compulsorily accountable for everything we said or did, we would soon all choose a gentler, kinder path to follow and set an example to live by, but because our conduct is a choice of free will, the “look out for number one” mindset assures an interminably long and healthy existence for the sophistry of evil, that is, until each seeker individually relinquishes the hold it has for them personally. Doing that doesn’t prevent the actions of others from impacting our lives however, only our perception of its source and consequences.

Keeping in mind that nothing happens except through and by God’s Divine Guidance and that God’s Grace is the manifestation of His unconditional love in the physical world, allows the acceptance of everything that happens to us and those we love, as having a Divine purpose in the eternal plan of our, and their, spiritual path. There is a reason for everything, no matter how much it hurts, no matter how unfair or untimely it seems, no matter how confusing or scary. From the “now” in which we live and breath, we are not in a position to know or understand the motivations, processes or eventual outcomes of anyone’s behavior save our own, and then only most sparingly and after considerable spiritual elevation. That’s what “faith” has come to mean, believing in the best of all possible outcomes, despite all evidence to the contrary. We learn, through experience and revelations that we are not alone. We will not be abandoned. We have but to ask, in order to receive, remembering too that; any request must take the form of thankful, selfless inclusiveness and that whatever answer is delivered, anticipated or not, may not be in our timing.

The heretofore renunciation of evil’s tangibility might seem naive, even clueless to any who allow their emotions and perceptions to continue making baseless judgments for them. That statement in itself is not the harsh judgment it seems. For example, what else are we to think when we read or witness any one or more of the atrocities commonly dished up for our sensitivities to ingest every time we turn around. Statistics demonstrate, in spite of our own clear consciences, that we are engaged in a daily struggle, punctuated by increasing levels of vigilance, to avoid personal involvement in the nefarious agendas of others. Odds are that everyone, if not already a victim, can count on having their privacy invaded and violated on some level at least once during their lifetime and additionally, is sure to know someone who already has. The perception of evil thrives largely because it is so pervasive. It knows no bias or prejudices. It draws no line of exclusiveness. It’s universally observed and hence probably more popularized by way of its innumerable attributable embodiments and allegories than any of the very substantial, even omnipotent influences that not only contradict it, but by their very being totally disprove all predisposed concepts of evil.

Obviously, that degree of notoriety is difficult to dismiss, until that is, we each grow in faith enough to accept God’s Perfect Love for exactly what it is. That revelation manifests on an individual deeply personal basis, not to a nation or empire, not to a specific religion and certainly not to the world at large. It happens one believer at a time because of free will, because of interpretation and because of demonstration. Remember; faith is built in increments or levels, through the interpretation of a demonstrated reward received following any personal, and increasingly selfless, act or beseechment. Eventually, as unconditional love manifests through more and more individuals, its demonstration will become infectious, turning the tide, so to speak, that has favored the seemingly protracted fearfulness associated with the varied perceptions of evil.

One level of faith that contributes an invaluable dose of Truth toward our ability to understand why evil is not a living, viable entity, is relegated to the physical experiences we garner through our repeated incarnations. Being aware of how and why––to the limited extent we’re able––reincarnation appropriates the necessary knowledge that advances our spiritual path in concordance with Divinely Guided intent, goes a long way in availing the Truth regarding the nonexistence, the baselessness of evil, in any form. The physical world of sensory and emotional experience has been provided for the elucidation of the knowledge of who and why we are, as individuals, so that we may choose to procure perfect unity in our lives, in order to return to the at-one-ment that is our inheritance.

If we were already “at-one”, it might serve at this juncture to address any concern as to why we departed that seat of perfection to begin with? Our previous at-one-ment––being one with and of God––was dispelled with Creation as He became manifest into various material and chemical amalgams. Please keep foremost in mind, GOD IS LOVE. In order to be “actualized”, love must find expression. So He must create to “express” Himself. The physical world, we, are manifestations (expressions) of His love. If this seems too simple an explanation, that’s because it doesn’t measure up to our expectations. That doesn’t mean the explanation is not accurate, as best our inadequate attempts to explain something eternal in physical terms is, only that our emotional expectations are unrealistic.

Consider everything that’s been said over the course of this discourse while examining the following; Original instinct’s grip on us, is wholly and singularly responsible for every act of hatred and lashing out, every felonious and devious deed, every criminal act from high crimes and misdemeanors to the depths of war crime massacres and carnage. Original instinct is the villain, the antagonist, of every single incident we have ever ascribed to evil and by that attribution, abetted in the keeping alive of nothing more than a figment of our imagination!!!

Take great care not to confuse “original instinct” with the alleged “original sin”. As proffered early on, original instinct predates every activity including the first possible evidence we have of its influentiality, the initial formative division of the most rudimentary single cell organism––for the purpose of procreation (hence, self defense)––, in itself and by that act, conceiving the quintessential “self defense” maxim that instinct in general would come to represent.

The myriad examples we may call upon to support the accountability of original instinct, with regard to our behavioral interaction, does not belie our personal responsibility to any extent. On the contrary in fact, we are, after all, spiritual beings having physical experiences and any advancement along our path is measured in overcoming the challenges and obstacles faced during our repeated incarnations. In large part, the experiences we have the most difficulty with are societal. Our personal indoctrination into a social attitude and atmosphere is really the main reason we undertake and endure the endless variety and many levels of confrontations associated with the growing pains of expanding our comfort zone. That inherent pain, unique to the physical environs serves as nothing more than to act as a governor to our forward momentum. If we didn’t have the deep sensory input that pain provides we would be inclined to act without responsibility or any awareness of the consequences of those acts. Pain, in all its facets, either stops us in our tracks or slows our pace enough to reevaluate exactly what’s happened in a way that affords us an opportunity to choose how to proceed rationally instead of irrationally. A pain induced “time out”, so to speak, allowing for “cooler heads” to prevail. Original instinct is justifiably liable for our knee-jerk reaction to any threat stimuli, whether actual or perceived. To what degree we let instinct rule our behavior is our choice and responsibility. Pain, when viewed for what it is, makes that choice easier and our responsibility clearer.

For those who don’t yet recognize or associate responsibility for actions or their consequences, pain is viewed as reason to react. It may or may not slow down their reactions to what they perceive as a personal threat, giving instinct a free rein, which in turn invites the full spectrum of irrationality, from holding grudges and seeking vengeance to striking out because we only imagine a possible threat. This is instinct with no effort to control it, not evil! This is about people who care only that their actions affect others in a negative way, because they want them to feel the pain they choose to feel or live with. We all make bad choices from time to time. Intentionally or not, we all hurt others and are subject to be hurt. How we choose to behave as a result of such incidents determines who we are and how quickly we may advance along our spiritual path. Anyone choosing to ignore or deny personal attribution for their behavior, suggesting that any iniquity, implied or obvious, be assigned elsewhere is exhibiting a lack of spiritual maturity, nothing more, and most certainly, not evil! As long as inexperience dominates in our interaction, instinct will rule over rational thought. The more instinct is allowed to chart our course the more erratic our path.

Original instinct, the progenitor of self-defense, issues every irrational command we have considered––since our earliest comprehension––to be the embodiment of evil! Irrationality manifests in every venue of human activity, from the lowest dregs of the physical experience to the highest possible moral road, traveled by perhaps the least suspicious and most trusted of role models. Until faith occupies one hundred percent of an individual’s consciousness however, original instinct will find an avenue of expression. To be sure, as faith displaces instinct’s influence on our maturing social propriety, the temptation to deny our personal indictment, if justified, will abate, not only because of a higher standard of attribution, but also because the incidents of susceptibility toward blame will have begun their slide into obscurity, as our behavior’s choice selection is embraced by the enhancement of our growing spirituality.

Every incident of criminal behavior can be traced to an expression of original instinct exercising its inherent nature of self-defense, not evil!. Allowing its expression through us is where our culpability begins and ends. We, not evil, are responsible for our actions and their effects on others. None the less, the consequence of original instinct is interlaced throughout our conduct in the guise of antisocial methodology judged by all to be anything from mischievous to abhorrent. Every conceivable degree of misconduct is intrinsically not evil, but some variation of self defense.

In order to get a handle on what is essentially a view from outside the “box” of our traditional concepts of “evil”, we must move beyond everything we’ve been taught about what evil represents. Millennia of imagination has only served to reinforce the initial finger-pointing protocol meant to divert attention from the personal blame associated with violating another’s space, property, person, etc. In the absence of enlightenment it could only be expected that a person’s behavior might be judged by a standard void of compassion and ruled by the imagination’s eagerness to shape superstitions out of our developing beliefs in the supernatural, especially regarding the otherwise unexplained tendencies of some people to act out of character, or at least in ways that we would not expect. Remembering too, our earliest concepts of a God were supernatural, making it easier to understand that the necessarily comparative antithesis of that Godly concept, evil, would gain an equally supportive following on which to build its own variety of beliefs. Of course, at that time, we had no understanding of the fact that God is omnipresent unconditional love, which in turn leaves no room for any comparison, real or imagined.

As our spirituality advances, individually and collectively, the Truth about any superstitions surrounding archaic concepts of “unnatural” behavior can be brought into the light and seen for what they really are. For instance, when ego puts itself first, above and beyond everyone and everything else––either consciously or subconsciously––the feelings and well-being of others are automatically disregarded. So, when ego predominates in such a way, instinct is relied on to a greater degree than usual because our focus is on how events might affect us (not others), and not on how our reactions would affect unfolding circumstances. Therefore, left to its own devices, instinct behaves most efficiently in performing against any threat, imagined or obvious. Unfortunately, that very important distinction is up to us personally, but when we aren’t looking for the self-evident, our imagination plays as active a role as our physical senses and we are more likely to perceive situations inaccurately. With perception so impaired, the true nature of any activity in which we’re involved becomes blurred so as to fit our personal, ego-centered, agenda rather than the actual state of affairs. We see things as we want them to be, instead of how they actually are and proceed accordingly. Abetted by original instinct we become galvanized into a self-defensive posture so that any perceived threat would almost certainly invite a response less rational than it would be, had their consequences been foremost in our mind.

With that in mind, we must endeavor to usurp every nuance customarily attributed to evil with the genuine assurance of original instinct’s predilection for self-defense! An examination––albeit brief––of an assortment of possible incidents, taken from what is in effect an inexhaustible source of examples, we may witness some common relevance with regard to the enlightenment we’re seeking as we exercise our shift in perspective to a point outside the “box” we’ve taken great care in naming and justifying as; “evil”! From petty-theft and misdemeanors, all the way across the spectrum to the most vicious, heinous, mindless savagery ever to befall mankind, each and every event, literally no matter how small or great, is a direct consequence of some one individual being or feeling threatened by circumstances he or she is in fear of losing control over. The threat can be actual or just a matter of perception, the reaction is summarily self-defensive.

More specifically, if a person should find their loved ones lacking some particularly essential staple, especially something needed to ensure their basic health and well-being, and there appears no immediate hope of attaining it by any other means, one might resort to somewhat less than desirable conduct in order to satisfy that dire need. That’s not evil, that’s self-defense! That’s original instinct providing what’s necessary in order to survive! Now it could be argued this individual did not fully explore all the available options at his or her disposal, but that would be presuming rational behavior. We’re examining the irrationality of instinct. We’re not judging it, we’re simply viewing it for what it is. By the same token, if on a much different level, should a Head of State, a national leader perceive an inference that could constitute a threat to the welfare and best interests of their people, that is to say, against any provision that in their opinion and under the best case scenario could lead their country toward its ideal future, a dominating ego would rely on instinct to justify whatever means necessary to rebuke that threat, in the name of self-defense, not evil! Innumerable cases of just this kind of conflagration, national and international, has been chronicled and, thanks to modern news gathering technologies, continues to be the topic of our attention on a nearly daily basis. If, for instance - and as an example of the extreme - that leader’s name is Adolph Hitler (or any one of many equally infamous “evildoers”), in light of the “historic atrocities” imposed, self-defense is a bitter pill to swallow, but none the less accurate when viewed from outside the “box”, outside the “now”. As a direct result of their ego-centered view, he and followers of similar edicts perceive all those they eliminate as a threat to the “grand scheme” of how they think things should be. Despite all appearances, that is not evil! It’s original instinct manifesting a self-defensive behavior. Rational thought makes every effort to displace instinct. The irrationality of a purely ego-driven personality promotes conduct that can become anything from an irritating nuisance to grossly abhorrent.

Our perceptions can unravel years of otherwise rational coexistence when our pride and emotions are faced with something as simple, but as deeply personal as, disparaging aspersions on our––or our loved ones––character, or something as complex as a traumatic life altering event. Our emotional mind-set goes a long way in determining how well we deal with setbacks, big and small. A spiritually maturing individual has reason for optimism about what the future holds, and isn’t as likely to allow how others think of them to mitigate their behavior, at least for the most part, beyond the realm of common sense. Our emotions, however, are fragile, and if allowed to “emote” unchecked, our views or opinions concerning any circumstances, our future or our peers, are more anxious, less focused and at best borderline irrational.

There are literally millions of shades of grey between the meekest, most passive characterizations and the most disturbing, despicable displays of criminal behavior. Though not condoning any of it, neither are we here to judge it. That level of forbearance may be particularly difficult to observe when someone violates us personally and violently, and in fact, many a faithful believer questions a lifetime’s devotion to a God that can “let this happen”, even under circumstances that fall far short of “worst case scenarios”. On the other hand, once the revelation of Divinely Guided Unconditional Love has enlightened our perspective and abides in us, as to how and why physical experiences translate into spiritual growth, then we’ve advanced far enough to know that, for all intents and purposes, appearances rarely expose how the related eternal lesson is unfolding. As perfectly demonstrated by each “Way-shower”, faithfulness is enough to keep us focused on the reality that; regardless of outward appearances, God’s Divine Plan provides the best possible outcome for all, equally. Everything happens for a reason and in His timing, neither of which require our foreknowledge or judgment, only our faith. We also need to align ourselves with an insightful consideration of the fact that many, perhaps all incidents of alleged “evildoing”, especially the “worst case scenario”, only a couple of which are alluded to here as examples, are wholly representative of runaway instincts. In the complete absence of rational thought we have no control, no choice, no free will whatsoever of how we might act!! Those who are so deemed, are experiencing a mental impairment, an apparent physical chemical imbalance, that current medical science has only limited success with treating and only through an as yet inadequate drug therapy intervention, thereby allowing instinct to fully govern every act. Given this, not as an excuse, but as a further demonstration of how Divine Guidance brings all necessary participants and influences into contact with each other, including and despite any seemingly nonsensical aberrations, in order that the obstacles and challenges we need to overcome manifest at the specific and appropriate incarnate event. Even those we might view as having little or nothing to contribute, are as important––or more so––than those who may popularly be thought of as principals to any given event. It is the most innocent, the most gullible who are the easiest to blame for our own shortcomings, because they aren’t up to defending themselves. The judgment of others is not a benefit at our disposal, it’s a choice we’ve always assumed is ours to make, but in this regard we’ve always been wrong. Every circumstance, every event in the physical is masterfully coordinated to benefit everyone involved, directly and indirectly, to the most optimal outcome specific to each. Our attitudes, reactions and choices––free will––determine how much, or how little, we actually derive, as a result of any experience. No one thing or person is any better than any other thing or person! We are all equal, in spite of ourselves, as spiritual beings with a common origin and a common destiny; at-one-ment, unity, singularity, God!

From the “now”, advancements on our eternal path seem to manifest in challenges that impact our emotions most, not because our emotions are the objective––although they may very well be––of any given lesson, but because we respond to challenges so emotionally. We often use emotions to dictate our response and even though such decisions are usually more reasonable than instinct, they don’t represent the preferred choice and may appear just as irrational as instinct anyhow. Emotions and instinct participate to a similar degree in our socialization, or reintroduction as an individual, to the group entity and environment so relevant to the experiences aimed at expediting our eventual transition from ego to at-one-ment.

Even with the best of intentions we may not be in control of how instinct induces a reaction from us in every single case, (although under otherwise healthy circumstances we strive to usurp instinct’s interjections by the light of insight), but as far as emotions go, we can consciously gain an increasing advantage through the awareness afforded us by spiritual growth. Striving for a more rational mind-set than emotions alone would engender, doesn’t make us any less compassionate or any less sensitive to the needs of others, it doesn’t make us any more apathetic or any more unapproachable by those in need. It empowers us to be of more help to all, by being a more efficient conduit of God’s unconditional love.

Understanding how, as best we can––considering the restrictive perspective of the “now”––, the faculties that identify our individuality are overcome before we’re ready to take that final step on our spiritual path, is the “end treatment”, so to speak, of this most beautifully rendered symphony of experiences called “life”. Complete selflessness, rationally and faithfully arrived at through choices exercised of our own free will, opens the avenues of expression, that manifest God’s Love in the lives of everyone we encounter exactly to the degree they’re prepared to accept it. Being One in and with God transforms consciousness from one of a purely physical entity, to the purist of eternally aware spiritual entities. On the other hand, the eternal view of an individual between incarnations differs from at-one-ment as much as a raindrop differs from the oceans. When not in the physical experience we retain enough of our former and collective individual identity to generate the next series of physical experiences pertinent to our ongoing spiritual development. Once spirituality is total, the lessons are learned, the need for individuality no longer exists, identity acquiesces to God!

How? First, by accepting and embracing unconditional love! Everyone is equal in the eyes of God. No matter what–– NO MATTER WHAT––physical circumstances or events transpire to kindle or provoke our natural tendency to judge, everyone is equal, unconditionally, no strings, no exceptions. Accept that, embrace it, become it!

The illusiveness of our heart’s accepting the omnipresence of this affirmation is a product of the paradox we often construct to avoid facing that choice in the first place. In spite of all the ifs, ands or buts we insist on reminding ourselves of when confronted with such a choice, especially if a deeply personal involvement is manifested, faithfulness and its incumbent revelations will bring us into the light where there is no choice, where unconditional love is the only state of mind and heart. Secondly, the key that opens that final door separating us from the unconditional love we must become one with, and therefore our ultimate inclusiveness is; FORGIVENESS!, that’s how!

Many believers demonstrate a reluctance to embrace this Truth because they feel it would mean “dishonoring” their loved ones and their memory of them. Simply put, those who can’t forgive hold themselves to an unrealistic degree of personal responsibility that on the surface resembles revenge, meant to be exacted––often only figuratively––upon any they see fit to judge as culpable in a “wrongful” act perpetrated on their person or a loved one. Discharging that responsibility is considered an act of ongoing, if surrogate, love, in so much as the memory of the incident, and consequently the related pain, will be frequently revisited as a reminder of the guilt they perceive to be their legacy by default. With that mind-set, to Forgive would constitute a disavowment of everything they stand for. People of that ilk are instinctually and emotionally driven to promote the doctrine of “an eye for an eye”. They manifest a priority of vengefulness as reparation for a misplaced perception of being unable to prevent what ever happened. The guilt they suffer is, of course, self-imposed and blocks any attempt they, or anyone else on their behalf, might entertain to, “move on”. The instinctual form of “justice” they purport to seek for those things unforgivable, predates the written word and most probably, ego as well. We can be fairly certain however, the advent of individuality quickly brought all facets of vengeance to the fore, if for no other reason, but as a practice of administering, when necessary, the cardinal virtues of the societal mainstay of the time; pecking order.

The concept of forgiveness was nonexistent, with one glaring exception, until introduced for our edification by each “way-shower”, in conjunction with the love that exemplified their life. The prominent exception that stood apart from the total anarchy of ancient historical record, was that of the mother for her offspring. Maternal instinct, evident in any species that nurtures its young, is the physical archetype of unconditional love and forgiveness. So it was demonstrated, appropriately, that our God loved us, unconditionally, as only a mother or father could. His Love manifested through each religion’s “way-shower”, whose final embodiment was Divinely Directed to a specific time and place predominated by a population whose spiritual advancement had been prepared for their next leap of faith. From the paganism and idol worship designed only as a first step in our carnal journey to refocus attention away from ego––when spirituality was polytheistic and sacrificial, when the gods were to be feared as vengefully and tyrannically judgmental––to the level of Truth focused on an omnipresent loving monotheism and the sacrifice of self. Literally, God incarnate, each “way shower” would be given the name most appropriate to express that people’s highest aspirations. In every case they would represent salvation and, for reasons exclusive to the focusing of personal discipline, would be asserted by facilitators––and supported by that religion’s scriptures––to be their “One and Only Way” to paradise or heaven.

A long and convoluted path lay ahead of all who would follow. Open to both the loosest and strictest interpretations, any of the written record of the very lives we were expected to emulate, was subject not so much to the revelations of the various authors and scribes of the original letters and texts, although the allegories were specific to those times, but the translations and personal agendas from generations of “scholastic” treatments that, in many cases, have done more harm than good during the interim. The desire to shape dogma to conform with a modern view or, in more extreme cases an outright change of view, along with the microscopic cross-examination of every syllable from tablets of lost languages that we have no idea of how to begin understanding, have left a lot to be desired in the way of evidence that would confirm or deny the existence of any of what we’re expected to accept at face value. Not on faith, mind you, but on their say so. As we gain an ever more personal acuity through insight however, we see clearly, the sole advantage to accepting any single rigid doctrine as “the only means” of reaching the goal we know to be open to everyone, goes to those who promote it. And the seeming advantage retained by them, is an illusion of their own making, having nothing whatsoever to do with the Truth. The fundamentalist cleric who works outside spiritual awareness, regardless of their chosen religion, instead of endowing believers and Truth seekers with the resources enabling them to find answers for themselves, is doing little more than perpetuating the earliest practices of control over the laity they perceive as; unable to beseech a deity without their facilitation. The decreasing participation in “organized” religions speaks volumes to the spiritual advancements Truth seekers are being led to through the personal revelations of Divine Guidance. Although there are always “new” believers who gain comfort in the formal ceremonies, ritualism and liturgical mysteries offered in an effort to exact an expected regimen from them––and this “beginners atmosphere” can benefit where tightly controlled personal behavior promotes a mind-set preferred over one without managed guidance that was less fruitful, or even counterproductive––our march toward the fulfillment of our spiritual legacy brings an increasing number of seekers into the light of Truth, who can now regard their own circumscribed beginnings as both stepping stones on their spiritual path and obstacles overcome.

Absolute faith in the unconditional love of God, as manifest by His grace and through the physical embodiments of His “way-showers”, are the only examples anyone needs to pattern their life’s choices on, so that they may be led to and through a productively selfless, serving, loving, forgiving kind of existence that will serve as a conduit for the flow of God’s unconditional love into the lives of all those who are ready to acknowledge it, thereby fostering the Divinely given revelations and insight directing them to the at-one-ment we all seek. For Christians, it’s being “Christ-like”. Being led by and endeavoring to live as Christ did. That is to say, selflessly with the only personal ambition being one of teaching, to all who will listen, about the imeasurable benefits of realizing our kinship with our Father, God. Being one with The Creator and expressing ourselves only as He would; unconditionally loving all, believers and skeptics alike, knowing that by His Divine Guidance––despite free will choices that sometimes forestall the inevitable––all will eventually complete their individual spiritual paths and in effect, advance beyond the necessity of returning to the physical experience again.

Demonstrating the Truth of sacrificing self, allegorized by way of His crucifixion, instead of objects of material value or the lives of “innocents”, The Christ in Jesus was awakened to bring believers out of all the various sacrificial paganistic rituals prevalent in His day, to the concept of One God whose only expected sacrifice from us was that of self, or ego, so that we may live by His Will, not our own.

It seems far too simple a proposition when weighed against the reward, that is until we complicate it with layers of protective walls constructed by an original instinct dedicated to remaining vigilantly in control of its host’s welfare, rebuking threats it perceives separating it from its inalienable course of action. Self-defense. It’s not evil, it’s instinct. It’s the obstacles, the temptations that instincts and emotions pose that necessitate our returning to the physical experience, while their overcoming keeps our spiritual advancement on track, until we are no longer subject to their influence and the surrender of our will to that of Divine Will is realized. Simple, in hindsight or from the eternal point of reference, of course, but not during the going-through, the tribulations, the confusion of the “now”. We are no more than occasional, short-term transients in the physical world, conducting incursions away from our home base, the eternal. We are after all, spiritual beings and the physical experiences we are encumbered with are alien to our nature. Readapting to the constrictions imposed by an embodiment, each time we reincarnate, occupies a season during which we’re nurtured––giving most of us an ample opportunity to relearn how to move and act in an environment so different from our natural state of being, that––as babies, we always appear to be taking it up for the first time.

Many species whose group spirit relies entirely on instinct, bear offspring that, simply for the sake of survival, literally “hit the ground running”, or nearly so. Though some may depend on their parents for sustenance and protection for a short time, beyond pecking order, little else is imbued in the way of social graces. On the other hand, we might observe that the further advanced a group’s spirit is, even in the absence of ego, the greater the investment of time in raising their young. This seems so obvious an observation, once pointed out, that entertaining any hope of gaining further value herein by the consideration of additional examples––from the full spectrum of those available––is a moot point. However, taking into account the two extremes of common natal-care practices as observed in nature, it should be a simple matter to fill in, if desired, much of the vast field that makes up the full range of associated behavior we recognize by our experience. From the most primitive life forms––though still vital enough to influence the flow and balance of Divine Guidance––whose “seed” or young are released to the currents of their environment in such a quantity so as to insure survival by sheer numbers, to “land” where they may by pure chance; to the other extreme––one in which we should be able to identify with––where far more often than not, children are born one at a time to a parent or parents who, for the most part, take on the responsibility of nurturing and protecting it for many years, doing the best they know how, to teach this “new” individual to respect itself and others, how to use what natural abilities it might be endowed with and how to grow in those areas where he or she might be lacking. The investment of time, experience and unconditional love is the very least expected of any who choose to shepherd another spirit into the physical world, doing everything within their ability to enhance the opportunities, for the life that has been entrusted into their care and for the benefit of all concerned, to fulfill the eternal obligations it and Divine Guidance has set before it. Realizing the profundity of this most demanding obligation is not just the sole crux that delineates an individual’s cognizance from all other species who have yet to ideate or externalize awareness of self, but proof that the individual who has, does so with the thorough understanding of their commitment to fulfilling their own Divine Plan, as lain before them.

Raising our children to have aspirations of Godliness may be dutifully conspiring with another’s Divine Guidance, but isn’t necessarily the conscientious choice it may appear to be on the surface. For instance, it’s entirely possible we could do more to abate rather than abet, since we aren’t privy to the direction that guidance is likely to take anyhow. Any attempts on our part to control the aspirations of another, is being judgmental and very likely counterproductive to a plan we have no knowledge of. The most productive participation we can hope for is, in the vestal formation of a value and belief system that will serve them well in the choices they’re going to be facing for the remainder of their physical experience. Imbuing common sense and uncommon love is our most precious legacy to every spirit delivered into our midst, regardless of the form that introduction assumes.

Aside from finding food, there’s very little else the adult component of a group spirit could contribute toward their young’s future that wasn’t already included in their genes, so instinct goes a long way to assure the survival of offspring in a world that fav-ors––in the case of predators––the fastest, biggest, most aggressive posture, or in the case of prey, the quietest, least noticed (except during courtship rituals), mimicking or deceptive posture. As individuals however, comparatively aware of our place in the larger scheme of things, survival is given the best possible chance of success with an attitude of inclusiveness and forgiveness. These qualities are not instinctual and though they can be based on the influences of an upbringing in a loving environment, their maturation depends on the revelations of Truth accrued by facing and overcoming countless physical experiences during repeated embodiments, while faithfully serving our highest possible ideals. The motives behind the choices leading us to that mindset are reinforced through the demonstration of examples by those in our lives we look to for direction and who have been put to that task by His omnipotent wisdom. Teaching by example is the birthright of every reincarnation, but only after having relearned, each time with less reliance on instinct, what’s needed in order to navigate anew.

The lessons that shape us have no correlation to the positive idealistic manifestations that we would choose to prescribe for our, or if allowed, anyone else’s, behavior. As should be expected we learn a great deal more from making mistakes and examining examples of misbehavior than we do from “good advice”. As every parent knows all too well, their personal experience falls on deaf ears, when advocated as a directive to be followed without question. The examples we set by our belief system and the consequential social interaction it manifests, good or bad, is the first and often most indelible exposure our children will be subjected to during the earliest and extremely impressionable years of their life, when the roots of their own belief system are finding fertile ground in their receptiveness. With that core value to build on, the arduous process of adding layers of understanding begins by making mistakes, rather than living vicariously through someone else’s successes. Experience is such a personal thing, we have no right to tell someone else how to act or think, any more than we would allow them to dictate how we act or think. However, therein lies the common dilemma most parents face at some point during their child’s effort to be popular among their peers. Aside from the obvious conflicting signals of the biological and hormonal throes each pubescent person struggles to interpret, and the corroborating confusion visited upon the parents, they not only don’t do or act as they’re told (fully expecting to find their own way [who do they think they are, after all don’t they know who we are?] ) but then choose, however errantly, to adopt the characteristics or mannerisms of someone they see as receiving the attention they would wish for themselves, clinging to the belief; they’re finding their own identity. As parents and Truth seekers, we try to remember; after all, this is their personal awakening of ego (“loss of innocence”, analogous to our race spirit’s event so many eons ago), subsequent individuality and figuratively, we hope, the breaking of ties with the family identity. They’re not embarrassed by their family, they simply don’t wish to be associated with them at that time of their lives. They don’t know why and aren’t usually interested, but as loving parents, we should faithfully support who they are becoming and lead by example, more than rules. They are paying attention, when we’re not looking.

With a patient sharing of the love we have for them just the way they are––on any given day––an understanding begins to germinate that; if they have to change in order to be loved, then it’s not love being offered. On the other hand, change is in the offing during this very important phase of growth, but as long as they understand what qualifies love as true, regardless of (but not dependent on) where they are in their development, they shouldn’t fall into the expectation of what someone else wants them to be, because expectations of that genre can never be satisfied. With maturity comes a grasp, if not yet a firm understanding, of at least the direction that unconditional love moves in. If we can love others (all others) for who they are, that is to say; spiritual beings at some point of advancement on their eternal path––overcoming physical experiences, as we are––then we know that we too are worthy of love for who we are, at least by all who have reached or exceeded our current level of spirituality and that those who have not, need little else except the assurance that they too are included and have an example to follow so they may, in turn, include others in their expanding consciousness and set an example by their own behavior.

A simple proposition? Only through hindsight. The hard part is the day to day practice of living of it, which in turn, keeps us coming back. It’s the road rife with potholes of insecurities, uncertainties, double standards and outright deception, all of which are intended only as lessons for our overcoming and meant to be put behind us as quickly as we grow in the faith that nothing is unreachable or impossible, not because we believe in miracles, but because we know God is the source of all and we are in fact one with Him, as He manifests in and through us in the physical world.

As with all who may look to us as an example and see something in our behavior they themselves wish to know the nature of, we have but to look to our “way-showers”, made Divinely available as our example to follow.

As if in summation, His last lesson, if you will, from a life dedicated to teaching, delivers to all who would follow like a valedictory address on our graduation day, the Christian “way-shower” Christ in Jesus––before departing His final physical embodiment––presented the key to The Kingdom, that is to say; the means by which to living the life He had demonstrated, one of selfless, unconditional love for and through us––from The Father––to all we would touch in His behalf. The secret to The Truth of at-one-ment ––“FORGIVE THEM FATHER, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO”––crossed His lips for our edification and as some would have it; salvation. Having endured many scores of physical incarnations in order to rededicate our resolve to the eternal inclusiveness of being at-one in and of our Father, our salvation was never in doubt, but our eternal heritage, at-one-ment, remains beyond our reach without unconditional love, which in turn is unapproachable without forgiveness.

Thank you God! Amen

EPILOGUE

2005-09-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

Epilogue

In all cases, our paths converge with those souls we have been Divinely Guided to share experiences with––which can represent anything from life long relations to brief encounters––but remain in association only as long as it takes to facilitate, or overcome, or redeem any of the influences necessary for our mutual advancement and then; part ways to engage in the same sort of associations with others, in new directions and for reasons that vary only in the application, not in the goal, which is of course; to emmerse ourselves ever deeper in the complete understanding that being one with our Father means forgiving, so we may unconditionally love all, without exceptions, without strings, without judging, until the light of awareness reveals we are all at different places on paths that will bring us to at-one-ment. Meaning; no one is wrong, only demonstrating individuality while facing challenges and character traits, instincts and emotions, whose overcoming leads us back to the unity that, as children of God, is our inheritance, our home, our sanctuary, our natural state of being.

May you be lovingly embraced by the understanding that His love and grace manifests in and through you. Amen