Oh, how many problems there are in the world today! Let us count the ways: hunger, war, homelessness, drug-abuse... the recession, the budget crisis... foreclosure, divorce... gotta have that car, gotta have that painting, gotta have that girl / that guy, gotta lose weight... am I wearing the right outfit?... how's my hair look?... will I get into the club tonight?... is my car cool enough?... will I get that job?... will I find my soul mate?... will I make my parents proud?... will I? won't I? can I?... We could go on forever.
A Course in Miracles tells us in today's meditation that it would be impossible to solve all the varying problems we perceive in the world. What we must do is recognize that there is only one problem - that we believe we are separate from one another. Every other supposed problem stems from this incorrect line of thinking.
This afternoon I went to a Toso - a Buddhist gathering where a group of people chant with one another and discuss Buddhist topics. It's sort of like a prayer group. Everyone chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which literally translates to "I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law." For a much more in-depth analysis, visit http://www.sgi.org/meaning.html. Basically, in chanting this phrase, we pray for world peace.
Now, I don't consider myself a Buddhist, nor a Christian, nor do I classify myself under any other specific religious denomination. Nonetheless, my belief in God is evident. I also believe that we each have our own personal connection to God (even so-called non-believers). There are many pathways to enlightenment, yet they are all laid with the same stone. The core of all the great religious and spiritual beliefs is the same: Love. Love thy neighbor. Love thyself. Treat all of God's creations with care. Follow your bliss. Forgive, and you shall be blessed... We've all heard these or some variation thereof throughout our lives.
Love, in its highest form, is all-inclusive. Love does not exclude or divide. Only our egos can make us believe that we are separate from one another. We project our feelings of fear, anger, hurt, and guilt outward so that situations will present themselves to justify our separateness. Yet if we forgave, if we loved, if we smiled and blessed and brought joy to one another instead, we would no longer see ourselves as divided. The problems of this world and in our own individual lives would all disappear.
How wonderful it would be to have no more sickness, no more hunger, no more poverty, and no more war. What a relief it would be not to worry about what we are wearing or how much money we are making. What a joy it would be to see one another as One, to send one another good tidings and love, to forgive one another when we fall short... to recognize the Christ, the Buddha, the Light, and the Love in one another... to know that we are not alone, we are not apart - and nor could we ever be.
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Day 78: Let miracles replace all grievances.
Today's workbook lesson in A Course in Miracles tells us, "... each decision that you make is one between a grievance and a miracle." We are then asked in our two longer meditation periods for the day to think of someone who has been a target for our grievances, "Someone, perhaps, you fear and even hate." During the meditation - after considering all of this person's faults, all of the reasons why we so despise them, all of the ill feelings they have conjured within us - we are asked to look deeper at the light within. We are asked to see the Son of God in them. We are asked to accept this person as our savior today.
Let miracles replace all grievances.
The goal, today, is to train our minds to eventually see the light in every person we encounter, including our supposed enemies (or those whom we otherwise have not forgiven).
In the presence of Light, we are saved. And since it holds true that there is light within us all, all we must do is look past that which hides the light, and we will be saved - no matter whose presence we are in. Anything that pisses us off or stings our egos can only do so to the extent which we allow it. If we look at such behavior as a cry for help, a calling for love, we would not react from our egos. Our spirit cannot be bruised. To think it can is simply untrue. So we therefore have nothing to lose in offering our forgiveness to others. We have nothing to lose, and only salvation to gain.
So the next time someone hurts you or makes you angry, take a good look at them. Look past what they have done. Envision the hardened glare they hold peel away layer by layer, until all you see is the Son of God before you. This may appear differently to you than it does to me or the next person. You may see the Christ within your brother or sister. You may see Buddha. Or you may see a beautiful beam of light. Whichever manifestation the Son of God appears to you, welcome it. For each one of us is your brother and sister. Each one of us is your savior. Each one of us is a part of you. See the light within others, and you will see the light within yourself. Peace will accompany the Light, and your love will radiate outward so far and so wide that all the world will feel their spirits lift. Such is the power of miracles.
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
Let miracles replace all grievances.
The goal, today, is to train our minds to eventually see the light in every person we encounter, including our supposed enemies (or those whom we otherwise have not forgiven).
In the presence of Light, we are saved. And since it holds true that there is light within us all, all we must do is look past that which hides the light, and we will be saved - no matter whose presence we are in. Anything that pisses us off or stings our egos can only do so to the extent which we allow it. If we look at such behavior as a cry for help, a calling for love, we would not react from our egos. Our spirit cannot be bruised. To think it can is simply untrue. So we therefore have nothing to lose in offering our forgiveness to others. We have nothing to lose, and only salvation to gain.
So the next time someone hurts you or makes you angry, take a good look at them. Look past what they have done. Envision the hardened glare they hold peel away layer by layer, until all you see is the Son of God before you. This may appear differently to you than it does to me or the next person. You may see the Christ within your brother or sister. You may see Buddha. Or you may see a beautiful beam of light. Whichever manifestation the Son of God appears to you, welcome it. For each one of us is your brother and sister. Each one of us is your savior. Each one of us is a part of you. See the light within others, and you will see the light within yourself. Peace will accompany the Light, and your love will radiate outward so far and so wide that all the world will feel their spirits lift. Such is the power of miracles.
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Day 77: I am entitled to miracles.
Oftentimes, a sense of entitlement carries with it a negative connotation. It seems haughty, over-confident, or otherwise superior. Yet A Course in Miracles implies no such meaning in today's lesson:
I am entitled to miracles.
It is simply a statement of fact. As God's own creations, we are the vessels through which His Light may shine. As such, miracles are our birthright. It is anything but a conceited notion that we are entitled to miracles. It would actually be conceited to think we weren't, as that would suggest we operate outside of God's jurisdiction.
The Course defines miracles at great length in its first chapter. Marianne Williamson sums it up as such: "A miracle is a shift in perception from fear to love." This definition doesn't quite match our traditional meaning for the term, as we tend to define "miracle" as a wondrous or extraordinary event that seems to transcend physical laws. The Course's definition can certainly apply to this one, but it would also classify a simple act of kindness in the presence of fear as a miracle, too.
Semantics aside, miracles are good. They are stepping stones as we climb nearer and nearer to God's loving embrace along our path in the Atonement. Since the Atonement is our salvation, and our salvation is guaranteed, we can therefore conclude that we are indeed entitled to miracles.
This evening, I taught a theater workshop at a boys' probation camp. The kids there are juvenile offenders, typically arrested for crimes such as drug-dealing, theft, or gang activity. At this particular probation camp, the boys are offered a variety of different programs as a rehabilitative effort, to prevent them from returning once they are released.
Most of these boys grew up in very unstable homes. They've been told that they don't matter, that they'll never amount to anything, and that they are otherwise worthless. These are the people who really need to hear today's lesson. These kids need a miracle (and in this case, a shift in perception from fear to love would indeed be a wondrous and extraordinary event).
Though I couldn't exactly tell them, "Hey, you are entitled to miracles" and have them take me seriously, I did what felt I could do. I poured love in their direction. I told them what an amazing job they were doing, how talented I thought they were, and that they owe it to themselves to keep rehearsing because they have a great show. Will that amount to anything when stacked up against all the years these boys have spent living in fear? Maybe not, but there's always a chance. If just one of those kids has a miracle of his own and turns his mind from the dark to the Light, he could inspire the rest. He could realize his place as a miracle-worker here on earth.
The opportunities for miracles are all around us. And if we keep ourselves open to them, if we keep our channels clear from the disruptive illusions of fear, we will recognize them. Once we fully realize that we are entitled to miracles, we will continue to spot them in even the most seemingly insignificant situations in our lives. And as our perceptions continue to shift from fear to love, we will continue to step ever closer to a more miraculous way of being, until we ultimately are united, at last, with our Creator.
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
I am entitled to miracles.
It is simply a statement of fact. As God's own creations, we are the vessels through which His Light may shine. As such, miracles are our birthright. It is anything but a conceited notion that we are entitled to miracles. It would actually be conceited to think we weren't, as that would suggest we operate outside of God's jurisdiction.
The Course defines miracles at great length in its first chapter. Marianne Williamson sums it up as such: "A miracle is a shift in perception from fear to love." This definition doesn't quite match our traditional meaning for the term, as we tend to define "miracle" as a wondrous or extraordinary event that seems to transcend physical laws. The Course's definition can certainly apply to this one, but it would also classify a simple act of kindness in the presence of fear as a miracle, too.
Semantics aside, miracles are good. They are stepping stones as we climb nearer and nearer to God's loving embrace along our path in the Atonement. Since the Atonement is our salvation, and our salvation is guaranteed, we can therefore conclude that we are indeed entitled to miracles.
This evening, I taught a theater workshop at a boys' probation camp. The kids there are juvenile offenders, typically arrested for crimes such as drug-dealing, theft, or gang activity. At this particular probation camp, the boys are offered a variety of different programs as a rehabilitative effort, to prevent them from returning once they are released.
Most of these boys grew up in very unstable homes. They've been told that they don't matter, that they'll never amount to anything, and that they are otherwise worthless. These are the people who really need to hear today's lesson. These kids need a miracle (and in this case, a shift in perception from fear to love would indeed be a wondrous and extraordinary event).
Though I couldn't exactly tell them, "Hey, you are entitled to miracles" and have them take me seriously, I did what felt I could do. I poured love in their direction. I told them what an amazing job they were doing, how talented I thought they were, and that they owe it to themselves to keep rehearsing because they have a great show. Will that amount to anything when stacked up against all the years these boys have spent living in fear? Maybe not, but there's always a chance. If just one of those kids has a miracle of his own and turns his mind from the dark to the Light, he could inspire the rest. He could realize his place as a miracle-worker here on earth.
The opportunities for miracles are all around us. And if we keep ourselves open to them, if we keep our channels clear from the disruptive illusions of fear, we will recognize them. Once we fully realize that we are entitled to miracles, we will continue to spot them in even the most seemingly insignificant situations in our lives. And as our perceptions continue to shift from fear to love, we will continue to step ever closer to a more miraculous way of being, until we ultimately are united, at last, with our Creator.
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Day 76: I am under no laws but God's.
Think of the ridiculous rules and regulations we hold ourselves to. Who thought up the 40-hour work week, for instance? Taxes? I could certainly live without them. We wouldn't need government-supported programs if everyone were a little more charitable. How about the fact that roughly 15% of the world's population is hungry? (And it is fully within our resources right now to end that epidemic.) It's obvious that the laws we adhere to are completely upside-down. Now, with that in mind, consider the comfort of the following statement:
I am under no laws but God's.
In today's lesson of A Course in Miracles, we are asked to begin the process of relinquishing all the laws that we have, up to this point, held true. The Course smartly articulates our current way of being:
1. Anything created in the name of Love is permanent.
This makes perfect sense, as only what is created in line with our sole function - which is to love - can be real. We ourselves were created by the Love of God. And that which is real cannot be threatened, as the Course tells us in its introduction.
2. What you do unto others is done unto you.
It's the Golden Rule, restated. The very reason we should heed the words, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is because what we do to others is done to us. We are all the same person, reflected billions of different ways - in different shades, shapes and sizes - so much so that we actually seem to be separate people. But, as A Course in Miracles and one of its prominent teachers Marianne Williamson would say, "God has only one begotten Son - and we're all it."
3. Your salvation is guaranteed.
I'd heard this message once before, on Day 72. Indeed, the Course tells us that there is a limit to the amount of miscreating we can do. At some point, we can no longer sustain the dark illusions we have made, and must, at last, shift our sights to the Light. This is the promise of the Holy Spirit, who is our guide in returning and restoring us to our rightful place in Heaven.
These are but a few of God's laws, I am sure. But the peace that comes with them is palpable. In today's lesson, the Course gives us further insight into how God's laws operate:
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
I am under no laws but God's.
In today's lesson of A Course in Miracles, we are asked to begin the process of relinquishing all the laws that we have, up to this point, held true. The Course smartly articulates our current way of being:
Think of the freedom in the recognition that you are not bound by all the strange and twisted laws you have set up to save you. You really think that you would starve unless you have stacks of green paper strips and piles of metal discs. You really think a small round pellet or some fluid pushed into your veins through a sharpened needle will ward off disease and death. You really think you are alone unless another body is with you.So if this is the case, what are the laws of God? That is precisely what I asked in my meditation this morning. I received a few answers:
It is insanity that thinks these things. You call them laws, and put them under different names in a long catalogue of rituals that have no use and serve no purpose. You think you must obey the "laws" of medicine, of economics and of health. Protect the body, and you will be saved.
These are not laws, but madness.
1. Anything created in the name of Love is permanent.
This makes perfect sense, as only what is created in line with our sole function - which is to love - can be real. We ourselves were created by the Love of God. And that which is real cannot be threatened, as the Course tells us in its introduction.
2. What you do unto others is done unto you.
It's the Golden Rule, restated. The very reason we should heed the words, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is because what we do to others is done to us. We are all the same person, reflected billions of different ways - in different shades, shapes and sizes - so much so that we actually seem to be separate people. But, as A Course in Miracles and one of its prominent teachers Marianne Williamson would say, "God has only one begotten Son - and we're all it."
3. Your salvation is guaranteed.
I'd heard this message once before, on Day 72. Indeed, the Course tells us that there is a limit to the amount of miscreating we can do. At some point, we can no longer sustain the dark illusions we have made, and must, at last, shift our sights to the Light. This is the promise of the Holy Spirit, who is our guide in returning and restoring us to our rightful place in Heaven.
These are but a few of God's laws, I am sure. But the peace that comes with them is palpable. In today's lesson, the Course gives us further insight into how God's laws operate:
... there is no loss under the laws of God. Payment is neither given nor received. Exchange cannot be made; there are no substitutes; and nothing is replaced by something else. God's laws forever give and never take.What a far better construct for us to govern ourselves by! Let us rejoice in the knowledge, then, that we are well protected and well guided by a power far greater than the limits we impose upon ourselves here on earth. I am under no laws but God's, and that is a beautiful thing.
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Day 75: The light has come.
Today's the day we've been waiting for. Today's the day we acknowledge the progress we have made and accept God's will as done. Today's the day we open our eyes at last to the Light, and let the world be illuminated accordingly.
The light has come.
We have forgiven the world, so let us bask in the glory of all that God surrounds us. Let us see every situation for what it is - an opportunity to love and be joyous. Let us see the good in every seemingly bad situation and pour our forgiveness into it so that it may be altered.
Let us see every person we encounter as our brother or sister. Let us see ourselves reflected in them, and let that reflection show us Who We Really Are - a Divine Child of God.
On this day, we are reborn. We open our eyes to a world of light as we wake from the dark illusions of our former nightmare. Yet as we open our eyes and begin to see things as they really are, let us also recognize that the Light which we now allow to shed upon the world may illuminate that which is not pleasant. These are the residual illusions from our nightmare. Let us recognize them as such and look past the illusions at the infinite possibilities to transform them into God's good. We do this through our forgiveness. We sustain this through our love. We rejoice in this through our happiness.
Indeed, the light has come.
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
The light has come.
We have forgiven the world, so let us bask in the glory of all that God surrounds us. Let us see every situation for what it is - an opportunity to love and be joyous. Let us see the good in every seemingly bad situation and pour our forgiveness into it so that it may be altered.
Let us see every person we encounter as our brother or sister. Let us see ourselves reflected in them, and let that reflection show us Who We Really Are - a Divine Child of God.
On this day, we are reborn. We open our eyes to a world of light as we wake from the dark illusions of our former nightmare. Yet as we open our eyes and begin to see things as they really are, let us also recognize that the Light which we now allow to shed upon the world may illuminate that which is not pleasant. These are the residual illusions from our nightmare. Let us recognize them as such and look past the illusions at the infinite possibilities to transform them into God's good. We do this through our forgiveness. We sustain this through our love. We rejoice in this through our happiness.
Indeed, the light has come.
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
Monday, August 16, 2010
Day 74: There is no will but God's.
Today's lesson in the workbook of A Course in Miracles may at first appear to contradict our notion of free will:
There is no will but God's.
But if we take into consideration everything we have learned up to this point, we know that that anything made by our egos - that is, anything we think, do or experience outside of love, forgiveness and joy - is not real. The only real will is God's will.
The Course tells us that God gave us free will, and so He did. This is precisely why we can choose to ignore His will and follow the illusions our ego would otherwise have us believe. Yet ignoring God's will does not make it untrue. If we close our eyes and sleep, we are likely to believe whatever world presents itself in our dreams, yet it does not change the fact that in reality we are asleep with our eyes closed.
Such is precisely the case when we listen to the ego. We close our eyes to God and believe in the world of illusions that surrounds us. The reality remains that we are being held in trust with God, as He waits patiently for us to awake. It is only a matter of time.
Accepting that there is no will but God's does not deny us our free will, for God's will is free. God shares with us His free will so that we may enjoy the power to co-create with Him. As God's Divine Children, we have infinite possibilities of what we can create. However, only that which we create through Love is true. Anything outside of that is outside of God's will, and thus an illusion.
So it's up to you: Will you continue to dream with your eyes closed and believe in the illusions of the chaotic world around you? Or will you awake to look beyond the darkness and see the peaceful light that awaits?
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
There is no will but God's.
But if we take into consideration everything we have learned up to this point, we know that that anything made by our egos - that is, anything we think, do or experience outside of love, forgiveness and joy - is not real. The only real will is God's will.
The Course tells us that God gave us free will, and so He did. This is precisely why we can choose to ignore His will and follow the illusions our ego would otherwise have us believe. Yet ignoring God's will does not make it untrue. If we close our eyes and sleep, we are likely to believe whatever world presents itself in our dreams, yet it does not change the fact that in reality we are asleep with our eyes closed.
Such is precisely the case when we listen to the ego. We close our eyes to God and believe in the world of illusions that surrounds us. The reality remains that we are being held in trust with God, as He waits patiently for us to awake. It is only a matter of time.
Accepting that there is no will but God's does not deny us our free will, for God's will is free. God shares with us His free will so that we may enjoy the power to co-create with Him. As God's Divine Children, we have infinite possibilities of what we can create. However, only that which we create through Love is true. Anything outside of that is outside of God's will, and thus an illusion.
So it's up to you: Will you continue to dream with your eyes closed and believe in the illusions of the chaotic world around you? Or will you awake to look beyond the darkness and see the peaceful light that awaits?
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Day 73: I will there be light.
I will there be light.
Today's meditation reminds us that we must make the conscious choice to bring Light unto the world. Though God's plan is the only one that will deliver us (and the world) to salvation, it exists within us. It is our responsibility, then, to decide: We have the option to follow God's plan or to continue holding grievances and follow the ego's.
The ego's plan for salvation is doomed to fail, but we were given the free will by God to follow it, if we so elect. Choosing to do so is choosing to be a harbinger of darkness, which will only bring guilt, shame, blame, loneliness and all other derivatives of fear. The ego would have us believe that we are separate from everyone else, and most of all, separate from God. What else can we expect to feel but dark sentiments by choosing to follow the ego?
The other option, which is really the only sane option, is to become a Bringer of Light. That light is already within us, and God has ensured that it can never be extinguished, even amidst the dark clouds our ego tries to cloak around it. All we must do is acknowledge that light, proclaim our decision to bring it forth, and it shall be done. This is the will we share with God. This is the choice which will bring us infinite Love and Joy. This is the decision that will secure our salvation.
So let us all, each one of us, will that there be Light. And let the true beauty of the world unfold before our very eyes.
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
Today's meditation reminds us that we must make the conscious choice to bring Light unto the world. Though God's plan is the only one that will deliver us (and the world) to salvation, it exists within us. It is our responsibility, then, to decide: We have the option to follow God's plan or to continue holding grievances and follow the ego's.
The ego's plan for salvation is doomed to fail, but we were given the free will by God to follow it, if we so elect. Choosing to do so is choosing to be a harbinger of darkness, which will only bring guilt, shame, blame, loneliness and all other derivatives of fear. The ego would have us believe that we are separate from everyone else, and most of all, separate from God. What else can we expect to feel but dark sentiments by choosing to follow the ego?
The other option, which is really the only sane option, is to become a Bringer of Light. That light is already within us, and God has ensured that it can never be extinguished, even amidst the dark clouds our ego tries to cloak around it. All we must do is acknowledge that light, proclaim our decision to bring it forth, and it shall be done. This is the will we share with God. This is the choice which will bring us infinite Love and Joy. This is the decision that will secure our salvation.
So let us all, each one of us, will that there be Light. And let the true beauty of the world unfold before our very eyes.
Until tomorrow,
Journeyman
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