The Ethics of Awakening

It is, I believe, as Mencius, the grandson of Confucius, says, that just as water unobstructed will flow downhill, we, given the chance to be what we are, will extend ourselves in kindness.  So, the real and lasting practice for each of us is to remove what obstructs us so that we can be who we are, holding nothing back.  If we can work toward this kind of authenticity, then the living kindness--the water of compassion--will naturally flow.  We do not need discipline to be kind, just an open heart. 

-Mark Nepo - The Book of Awakening

As we enter the third week of our Essential Spirituality series we turn to the theme of "living ethically." At first blush, any discussion of ethics and morality would seem to be tainted from the start by subjectivity and relativism --so as to make it incompatible as a universal spiritual practice. I had to struggle to find the deeper vein of truth in this topic. Here's what came through.

In our post-modern world, ideas of right and wrong, and lofty principles of righteous living are summarily rejected by our radical insistence upon personal freedom in all matters of choice.  We value a plurality of viewpoints over a strict dictum. Anything that resembles a sweeping mandate, whether it's pointed at the way we think, feel, or act, is distrusted because we see fallacy in a one-size-fits-all moral code. This hyper need for independence is not all good for us (my moral judgment).  The downside is easily recognizable. Absent any foundation upon which to evaluate questions of right and wrong we are left hanging on legitimate ethical questions. An attitude of what's wrong for you may be right for me preserves personal choice but it ignores a fundamental fact that supersedes any man made code. What gets ignored is the interconnectedness of all life. 

Acting from personal preferences does not occur in a vacuum.  The ripples of our choices, our words, our silence, our actions and inactions reach and impact people, ecologies and economies.  Nature has not forgotten this fact. Unburdened by questions of right and wrong, nature operates according to an unspoken ethic of coexistence -  instinct without awareness. It needs no legislation or mandate - its innate wisdom conducts its affairs so as to support life - engender growth, diversity, harmony and abundance for everybody and  everything in the neighborhood.

Of course, we have that natural wisdom within us as well. Perhaps it's been clouded by free will taken to the point of hypervigilance in a post modern world. Yet this tendency that moved us into greater levels of independence perhaps is now turning back on itself by eroding the awareness of our intrinsic dependence on each other and our environment. We are a global tribe on a fragile homeland. Our shared humanity and the Life spirit is the golden thread that inextricably links us together.  This is a fundamental law of Life, not a choice. If we reject the Law, we will not find freedom - only more suffering. Only truth frees us.

Beyond, or perhaps beneath, the post modern impulse to do as we please, is an evolutionary impulse, that motivates us from a deeper awareness of who we truly are and our relationship to the whole of life. As the boundaries of me and you dissolve so will notions of separate interests. This is the basis for an evolved morality in which clear conscious understanding motivates clear and compelling right action. We can become more sensitive and recognize this thread of interconnectedness running though our lives and our relationships.  This alone might bring us to the height of ethical living - rooted not in external maxims but our own internal knowing. It will probably also be the day we are most free and most happy.

Transformative Spirituality

There within ourselves, we finally find the most profound, the most meaningful, and the most important discovery any human being can make. Within ourselves we find our deepest self, our true Self, and recognize that we are not only more than we imagined but more than we can imagine.  We see that we are creation of the sacred, intimately and eternally linked to the sacred, and forever graced and embraced by the sacred.

- Roger Walsh, from Essential Spirituality

Last Sunday evening UCOD hosted a screening of Dalai Lama Renaissance films, Pts I & II. The experience was more intimate and moving than I imagined it would be.  Even though I had seen the first film several times before I was nonetheless profoundly moved again, as I witnessed the transformative power of His Holiness' deep and resolute commitment to spiritual Truth.  

We live in a conflicted world where deeply embedded religious ideologies have become battle lines and radical fundamentalism stands against mutual respect, dialogue and human compassion. As I heard the Dalai Lama express his unwavering concern for the welfare of the Chinese people, the country responsible for the near destruction of the Tibetan culture and the death of thousands of monks, and his own exiled existence, I was awe struck by such amazing compassion.  In that moment I could see that such radical compassion rooted in the perennial perspective which recognizes the spiritual essence in every person on this planet, is the greatest and perhaps single hope of creating a world that works for all. It is that field that the Sufi poet, Rumi described as, "a field beyond ideas of right and wrong" where we could all meet. This field is a place in the heart where there are no walls to separate us. It is the single chambered heart of Oneness, where there is recognition of our common essential nature that harmony arises naturally and effortlessly.

This recognition of our deepest and truest Self, is the crown jewel of spiritual practice. It is not however necessarily the effect of religious ideas and practices, which are often rooted in beliefs and behaviors that are externally focused.  It remains however as the central message at the heart of every religion stemming from the mystical experience of its founder.

It is the greatest of discoveries because it is the one and only true satisfaction to all that we seek for and long for in our life. So how do we get there?

For the next seven weeks we are going to explore 7 spiritual practices at the heart of the world's spiritual disciplines as outlined in Roger Walsh's book, Essential Spirituality, The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind.  Our purpose will be eminently practical as we enter into the practices that can move us out of our seeking, craving, troubled minds into the realm of our true nature, (Christ or Buddha nature, or Atman selves).

Pray Knowing

No matter our religion or spiritual views, the longing to have an active relationship with something greater than ourselves is universal.  There are a thousand names for God and a thousand ways to pray yet beyond labels and forms of worship, we all share a yearning to know and be known by the Divine.

Because we are offspring of the Divine, we carry within us the imprint of our creator. We also carry the deep remembrance of our true nature that calls to us to heal the divide and restore our primary relationship with Life. The urgency of this calling and our response to it is often related to how well we are doing on our own. When our lives are relatively peaceful and to our liking, the call can be just a whisper in the background.  When our life "hits the fan," the volume and intensity of the call can be like a siren in our heart that brings us to our knees in surrender, to prayer, and perhaps most blessedly, to insight.

In Unity, our prayers are entirely self-directed.  There is no capricious God apart from us withholding our good. There is only the presence of God in its fullness at every point in space and time radiating its blessings in every direction.  This sweeping realization can both soothe us and trouble us.  We love the notion of an unconditional loving God that is always there for us.  The discomfort arises when we realize in those dark hours of our lives, that God has not left us, we have left God.  Like the prodigal, it is up to us to reverse our wayward search in order to find the loving parent who awaits our return home.

Prayer is our attempt to correct our perception of any separation between us and the Divine and see the answer in the midst of us, even as us.  Author, Eric Butterworth said it this way, "prayer is not a matter of conquering God's reluctance, but of attuning ourselves to God's eternal willingness."

Any words or practice or mantra that closes the gap in our awareness of the Infinite arms that constantly enfold us is useful to bringing us to a place of remembrance and comfort. As Buddha noted, "better than a meaningless story of a thousand words is a single word of deep meaning which, when heard, produces peace."

A simple phrase, such as God is here, God is now or Be Still and know repeated slowly and mindfully can calm the raging waters of our mind and soothe our aching hearts. Even a minimal choice, to pause momentarily in our busyness and take 3 conscious breaths can, in an instant, change our reality. In that simple practice we can suspend history and mystery, find a moment of timelessness, and let ourselves be enfolded by the One whose heart beats with ours.

This Sunday we have a dynamic and powerful presenter, Sheila Gautreaux-Lee offering a message to move us through the tough times, with a talk entitled, Praying Through A Storm. She will be joined by a passionate and soulful soloist, Bajan.  You will be lifted and inspired.

Who You Are, More or Less

Perhaps the journey to understanding ourselves is made easier as we get older simply because it is a process of subtraction.  While I don't claim to have "arrived" in full self awareness, I have made progress with the passing of time as I realize who I am not.

In youth we identify with our bodies; how we look and feel physically, and our ability to move and respond in physical ways with few limitations.  We find ourselves in relationship to our friends, and peers, and the music that validates and articulates our inner thoughts and feelings. I can also remember how important having the right car was for me in my early twenties.  (Yes, I had car issues back then too!) In romantic relationships I saw myself reflected in my current partner.  How I perceived my significant other was intertwined with my self-image.  Later in life as I moved from entry-level employment into positions of significant responsibility, I began to see myself as inseparable from my work and career. 

While a pattern of identifying with the people, places and things that made up my life shifted over time, it didn't evolve.  The way I saw myself only changed form and shape, as each external definition assumed a greater or lesser role in defining me.

While career, relationships, and our physical bodies are all aspects of who we are in the world, there is a steep price to pay when these facets become major support beams in our life.  When a job, or a relationship or level of health becomes a pillar of our self-image, our whole world can come crashing down when one of these is damaged, diminished or lost.  Perhaps you have experienced this sobering reality first hand.

In Marianne Williamson's book, The Age of Miracles, she relates her catharsis as she watched her body change with age. Upon reflection she finally came to the deeper questions: So who am I really? Am I the woman who has changed with age, or am I the changeless self within? Am I the woman encased in time or the being who dwells apart from it?

Such questions can lead us to a deeper appreciation of who we are, and make a profound difference in how we experience the changes which are sure to continue in this human journey.  In fact, it has been my experience that the more I can identify with the changeless spiritual essence that is my true self, the more gracefully I can navigate the world that is in constant motion beneath my feet. 

Every bud and emerging shoot that breaks forth in the spring landscape came through the requisite season of loss and dormancy without losing awareness of its ever-present life force. Seasons of change and loss do not deny or diminish this essential life force in us either. 

The Sufi poet, Rumi compared this process of subtraction, which leads to us to our essence, using the metaphor of a moth flying into a flame. The wings of the moth are consumed in the flame, which represent our ego sense of self. When who we think we are is burned off by the ravishes of time and change, we are left with a soulful identity, a treasured sense of love, and deep peace.  It's a new kind of math, we're working with these days.  Through a process of subtraction, we jettison the skin and discover the heart, stripped of externals our intrinsic self is revealed. We find we are more than the sum of our parts, much more than we ever thought we were. 

All is Well - With Your Soul

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

-          Hymnist - Horatio Spafford

Jesus referred to a level of faith that most of us still aspire to achieve, when he referred to those who have not seen and yet believe.  When the "facts" of our lives do not bear witness to an ever present heavenly Reality, we are challenged to discern spiritually what our eyes cannot see. Just as the disciples and all who heard Jesus message in his time failed to understand that the Kingdom is an inner dimension to be discovered and uncovered, we too must look away from life situations to behold the eternal verities within the tumult of our lives.  It is the great purpose and highest calling of our lives to know that despite the dramas unfolding in our life, that all is always well with our soul. 

The man who penned the words for the famous hymn, It Is Well with My Soul had every reason to abandon his faith after a series of great tragedies. Instead, in the midst of sorrow he drew from the depths of his Being, an awareness of the presence of Eternal goodness and well being.

Horatio Spafford endured uncommon grief. The first was the death of his only son in 1871 at the age of four; shortly followed by the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer). Then in 1873, he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the SS Ville du Havre, but sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sailing ship, and all four of Spafford's daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, "Saved alone." Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.

When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It has been said that a bad day for the ego is a good day for the soul. It takes great discernment to realize that what is Eternal cannot be diminished or lost. It is not just for an enlightened few but every one of us enjoys this immunity by way of the interminable essence of our true nature.  It is the same spiritual groundedness that allowed Jesus to walk through betrayal, torture, and bodily death and neither condemn or judge or resist anyone or anything. He knew that the Life Force could not be extinguished. He knew he could not be separated from God, and that his death would be a transition, and a transformation but not an ending --only one more step on the ever evolving continuum of life.

These stories bear witness to the indomitable Spirit that lies within every man and woman, and our universal ability to realize and demonstrate Life's resurrection principle. What is impossible for humans is possible with God. Let these stories of overcoming remind us of the power which lies latent within each of us as children, and therefore heirs to all that God is. Let us take heart in the midst of the storms, even before they pass, knowing that the Divine is seeking to reveal Itself through us in every situation that pushes our seeming limitations. Let us have the mind in us that was in Christ Jesus. Let us know that what seems to be against us is illusory, and that Life's only motivation is to lead us from glory to even greater glory. 

R&R

As I write this Denese and I are in beautiful Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina.  Denese is here to observe and support Rev. Cher Holton, her mentee in the Unity Minister Field Licensing Program. Rev. Cher and Bill were at UCOD this last June. 

I'm here to reconnect with a good friend who was my classmate during ministerial school and is now the senior minister of Unity Church of the Triangle in Raleigh.

This is a time of renewal and rest for me, and to get another glimpse of  a successful Unity ministry as a congregant/observer.  In my commitment to stay away from work and deadlines, I have not written an inspirational article this week.  However if you are in need of some inspiration you can find over 60 articles in our archive of past articles at our blog at http://ucoddiscuss.blogspot.com.  You'll find articles on a variety of spiritual topics--except perhaps rest and renewal.  I have not written much about R&R as a spiritual practice. I must live it first, then I can write that one.

You Can Get There From Here

Last Monday, I got a clear glimpse of the way I derail my own well being.   The revelation was at once disturbing and enlightening.

It was a particularly busy week, with a host of details and tasks that kept me humming and running all the way through Sunday afternoon.  I was looking forward to Monday, a day set apart from the busyness of life, and an opportunity to enjoy leisure activities.  I have an unfinished woodworking  project in our garage that continually beckons hands and tools to shape its final form. Throughout the work week, I give it sidewards glances with the thought that when time permits I'll be at it again.

So it was last Monday morning I was immersed in this enjoyable project when I realized that I needed some additional screws and fasteners in order to continue.  Though subtle, there arose in me a mild irritation. Nothing significant really but I didn't really deal with it. I just got in the car and began driving to a local hardware store.  As I came to stop at a traffic signal a block from the store, the feeling hit me again.  Maybe because I was slightly more aware of my internal experience than normal, I noticed that my body was slightly tense.  I thought how odd, that I would be feeling tense on my day off doing what I enjoy. I asked myself why I was feeling this uptightness. The answer came with a realization that I was ever-so-subtly contracting myself in resistance to the minor inconvenience of an interruption of a desirable activity. I was holding some resistance, suffused with mild resentment, generally refusing to accept my current situation.  

I was struck by the irony. While sitting in traffic I found myself in violation of a failure to yield. I paid the price for this mental infraction. Failure to yield to life will be penalized with inner conflict. Even mild opposition to the present moment boots us offline. In that realization I could see that I do this many moments throughout the day.  I suspect that many of us  hold ourselves in a nearly constant state of resistance. Resistance is a form of protection or defense against anything that is even slightly disagreeable. in my case,  I wanted to be back in my garage working on the project, not driving to the store!  How petty, how minor. Not really a problem you say? Exactly, but I made it a problem by refusing to be with the "new reality." As soon as I saw what I was doing, I yielded, throttled back my resistance, and brought my full self back into the present moment. From a state of embrace, I could allow my full appreciation for life to enfold and dissolve the irritation.  The good feelings returned. I discovered that I could take a detour from my preferences, without derailing Presence.

Presence is full awareness of our Being; our divine essence experienced through the portal of the present moment. The awareness of Presence will bring us back into the fold of equanimity for all manner of life's distractions. Small or great, for there are no levels of difficulty in the healing power of Presence. Presence is closer than hands or feet, more near than our breath. And that is the very irony of our default behavior which sends us backwards and forwards, hither and yon to find the place that is imminently close. Never mind that the past is gone, and we can't change it, and the future hasn't taken place, we nonetheless seek to dwell in those imagined places in mind, rather than occupying the only moment we do occupy - the moment that is now.

When we call off the search, stop resisting with mind and body, and bring our whole being into the fold of the present moment, we are back in the abode of wholeness and peace - even when life derails our plans. This is good news - we can get there from here. 

You and I are here for a reason. The reason is, to Be here. Being here is the clarion call of infinite Presence calling us back to life, to wholeness, to peace and harmonious relationship with all that is. The present moment is the portal to the life we have been seeking over there, someday and somewhere. That life has arrived. It is with us when we are getting what we want, and it is with us when we aren't getting what we want. But if we stay present with whatever arises, we will discover that Life is what we want...and it'll be there for us.