Out of the Mud, Into the Light

Rightly the lily is the flower of Easter. It lies buried in the ooze of pond or stream. There is nothing in the grave of the dead lily that appeals to nostril or eye. But silently the forces of life are working in the dark and the damp to prepare a glorious resurrection. A shaft of green shoots upward toward the sun. This is followed by a cluster of tiny buds. One day the sun smiles with special warmth upon the dank, black ooze, and there leaps into the light a creature of light and beauty; it is the lily, an angel of the earth, whose look is light.

- Author Unknown

 

Today is Good Friday, the day that recalls Jesus' crucifixion and death. From the mortal mind, it is hard to see any good in this event; rather it appears to be a monumental tragedy! How else could you see it? Jesus, the great messiah, this benevolent wise master of life, at the peak of his powerful ministry betrayed by his closest friends and followers leading to embarrassment, humiliation, degradation, enormous suffering and ultimately death. This great enlightened one, who offered immense hope to humanity, embodied unimaginable love, compassion, extraordinary healing prowess, the quintessence of a truly good leader that could lead the world out of darkness....snuffed out!

From the human perspective that looks at the facts, it is not a satisfying story. It leaves us yearning for an explanation, demanding an answer to make sense of this great loss. From this perspective, Jesus is seen as victim, and the world suffered a great loss that day in Golgotha.

This propensity to view life as tragic or at least unsatisfactory is our human tendency. Every one of us might look at our own lives, and say it is not satisfying; it didn't work out the way it should have; it's not the life we imagined, something failed, something went horribly wrong, it shouldn't have happened. This perspective, though an understandable human reaction at first, must give way to a greater truth, lest we remain in the tomb of sorrow and regret. So how do we find new life after loss?

There is another way to see life. The enlightened perspective never comes to those who look at life myopically. As Cervantes said, facts are the enemy of the truth. Jesus referred to this enlightened perspective as, "being born from above," and told the disciple, Peter that human sight sees only the flesh, and misses the Spirit. Just as Mary Magdalene was temporarily blinded by the facts of Jesus death until her eyes were opened to behold what an earthly tomb could not contain, the resurrected Christ.

Life situations are part of the changeable landscape of our lives; they are not the eternal Life we have in God. True Life cannot be created or destroyed. Therefore, we can lose every form of life, no matter how precious to us, and still have a life, even an abundant life, as Jesus promised and demonstrated.

There's life after divorce.

There's life after a major illness.

There's life after job loss or bankruptcy.

There's life after the death of a loved one.

Will it be difficult, or painful? Perhaps. Yet life continues, and offers us new opportunities to express the irrepressible life and love within us. Jesus legacy to us is to remember that we don't need to stay in the tomb. Through the power of Divine Love, forgiveness and an abiding faith in God's presence no matter what comes, or goes, we too can be lifted up, and we too can bear witness to the Christ spirit that lives on through it all!

Join us this Easter Sunday as we look with faith at this enlightened perspective with the message "Believing Is Seeing." We will illuminate the darkness that shrouds a deeper spiritual truth and reveal how human loss becomes spiritual victory. Be there for your faith lift!

Happy Easter.

Awake and Aware

...all mystics -Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion - are unanimous on one thing: that all is well, all is well. Though everything is a mess, all is well. Strange paradox, to be sure. But tragically, most people never get to see that all is well because they are asleep.  They are having a nightmare.-- (Anthony Demello, Awareness)

It is said that soon after his enlightenment the Buddha passed a man on the road who was struck by the Buddha's extraordinary radiance and peaceful presence. The man stopped and asked, "My friend, what are you? Are you a celestial being or a god?" "No, "said the Buddha."Well, then, are you some kind of magician or wizard?" Again, the Buddha answered, "No." "Well, my friend, then what are you?" The Buddha replied, "I am awake."

According to author and spiritual teacher, Anthony Demello, "Being awake means being aware."  Most of the time, you and I are not aware, meaning our eyes are not fully open to see what is really going on around us and within us.  “We have eyes, but we do not see,” as Jesus observed.  What we see is our conditioned and programmed version of reality, colored by faulty perceptions, prejudices, fears, judgments, concepts, and labels that taint the plain truth of what lies before us and within us.

Our awakening to a Divine reality is a sowing and reaping process; of more of this and less of that. We awaken by letting go of conditioned mind patterns and opening our hearts and minds to the Presence of Love along a grace lined path. This is what Jesus referred to as the need to "become as little children" in order to enter the kingdom. 

Because we are spiritual beings in a physical incarnation, we have the innate capacity to witness our reality in a present, aware state of mind.  We are in the world but not of it when our awareness of life takes precedence over our reactions to life.  When I can be the observer of my life experiences, I remain connected to the part of me that is spacious, changeless, and invulnerable. Then whether I gain (or lose) the whole world, I do not lose my soul sense.  I am not carried away by victory or upended by defeat.  I am able to stay centered in the big picture, able to recognize the interconnectedness of life, and awake to infinite possibilities. In this aware state, I am more likely to meet life situations with curiosity, resourcefulness, and creativity. I am more likely to conclude that despite all appearances, all is well.

Jesus obviously carried this spacious and faithful awareness as he entered Jerusalem at the beginning of the fateful week that would have him exalted in praise and condemned to death in the space of a few days. Jesus ultimately knew that a complete realization of his spiritual essence would need to stand up to all tests.  If love were the greatest power in the universe, it would not fail him even through this horrendous ordeal.  It was only in going through the most convincing illusion of separation from life and love, that Jesus could establish for himself (and all of us) that Life and Love are eternal and enduring truths of our being, through whatever, forever…Amen.

Let Go, Spring Forward

I love the Spring - it's a hopeful season evidenced by visible signs of new life. Buds appear on barren branches, flowers burst forth, and the lifeless land becomes verdant again. It’s a time of awakening, when winters dim and hush, give way to enthusiastic chirps and, and with each day, more light. It is the "added unto" season that we most readily embrace.

It is our sense orientation to life that yearns for more, never less, pushing us to acquire some imagined quantity of good in the landscape of our lives that would become the bounty of our fulfillment. Somehow that version of satisfaction is never realized. We get something that we've wanted in place, and then something else goes missing. We get one plate spinning in the right direction and then another plate starts to wobble.

The ego never tires of the maelstrom of thinking that forever orbits within our mind, reaching but never quite grasping the brass ring of enough. We would want a perpetual Spring, when the promise of more at once seduces and imprisons us in the wanting mind.

Nature reveals a deeper wisdom, as does the high way of spiritual understanding. Here we behold the value of the season of letting go; patience in waiting; the fertility of fallow fields. Wisdom recognizes that the new life of Spring depends upon releasing the old life of the Fall. To retain the seed of the blooming season would deny the new life that sprouts from the seed allowed to fall when vitality ebbs from the plant.

And so it is that you and I evolve into ever healthier and whole expressions of Life when we release what would stunt our growth. Who of us cannot track some advance in understanding or perspective that emerged through a crack in life, when an old identity steeped in circumstances or conditions, fell away and forced us to look deeper within for our true self. I have my list, notches in my consciousness that remind me of St. St. Francis words, that it is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.

Ancient religions took heed of this wisdom in extreme ways. Rituals of sacrifice were carried out in the belief that the giving over of an animal or something of great value would appease or coax favor from a reluctant God. One of the classic stories of faith from Judeo Christian scripture is the story of Abraham who is asked by God to sacrifice his only son, Isaac as proof of his unyielding faith in God.  While that story may offend some people who could not fathom a Loving God demanding sacrifice of a child to test one's faith, or for any reason, it is useful as a metaphor in understanding what faith asks of us. 

What beliefs do you cling to that might be barriers to knowing the Divine. This is a mind field rife with peril and promise. We cleave to our belief of what life should be, like it was our beloved child.  In a sense it is our offspring.  We conceived it, raised it up from a tiny idea, fed it similar ideas, and grew it into the full fledged ego child that it is.  It is this progeny of our delusion that a Loving God would ask us to sacrifice, to give up, to let go of, that we might be free of what keeps us from knowing God and Truth and Wholeness.

Embracing Our Humanity

Do you sometimes wonder if you are actually making real progress in your spiritual growth and development?  I certainly have my doubts at times and I’m guessing you’ve had moments when you doubted your own progress. For me, the moments when I am most likely to question my spiritual advancement are when I’ve burst forth with some raw emotional reaction. Like getting really frustrated, or ticked off, impatient, judgmental, insisting on winning a petty argument….shall I go on? You get the picture.

Even when we are assiduous in spiritual practice, it can happen.  I can come out of a beautiful meditation with such a spacious, generous view of life and in a moment of unconsciousness, I’m tripped up by an old resentment, upended by reaction, or fully hooked by some nagging fear.   When I find myself in these uncomfortable states of mind and heart, my initial reaction can be more frustration, resistance and battle readiness.  I impulsively take up arms against these invaders, like a spiritual warrior defending a castle of consciousness.  Wanting to get back to that place of peace, I assume that vigilant protection is what I need most. When I judge, rather than embrace the challenges of life, I never find the peace that I’m after.  My efforts to hold back the unwelcome guests are actually counterproductive to my goal.  Wisdom reverses logic and reveals that what I try to control, controls me, what I resist, persists.

“Of course”, you say, “I knew that!” Well so do I.  I authored our slogan that extols the virtue of embracing the human. But alas, I do forget! So in the rotating awareness in which I remember and forget, I must reclaim the ground of this truth and face life’s challenges with an embracing and spacious heart.

Love leaves nobody behind; excludes nothing from its compassionate embrace. Since it's all an expression of the One, it all belongs.  What we push away, distances us from God, and what we embrace brings us closer.  Being present with whatever is in front of us is a prerequisite of authentic spiritual practice.  If I cannot worship at the altar of this moment, regardless of what is here, then I have taken myself offline from the Divine.

Perhaps Rumi in his inimitable compelling poem will say it best for you:

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

~ Rumi ~

Rumi alludes to the secret of transformation. By embracing life challenges, even the adversarial stuff, welcoming them as great teachers, we might awaken to a deeper sense of who we are and enlarge our capacity to become conscious human beings. There is such great spiritual power hidden in difficulty when rightly seen. As Jesus told the disciples about the reason a man was born blind – not as a punishment, but so that God might be glorified through him.

May you find the capacity to embrace all of the guests in your household this week until they reveal the gifts they have brought you.

Beholding the Greater Good

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

What was your initial reaction when you read the above line? Read it again, and take note. Do you agree with that extraordinarily bold and positive assessment of life? If so, you are among the rare and fortunate among us who take a sanguine view of life.

For the rest of us, who may tend to see the glass as half empty, and default to noticing what's missing in our experience, we can take comfort in the knowledge that we come by it naturally. That is, our psyches are wired for a negative bias, meaning we are more likely to pay attention and retain memories of those situations that are harmful or disturbing than the positive and uplifting circumstances.  Brain science explains this phenomenon is a basic instinctual survival response. Stemming back to our earliest history on this planet, when our environment was more hostile, and the threat of attack was a realistic daily concern, it was essential that we be on the lookout for what could harm us.  Compared to noticing and storing the memories of the good and pleasant situations, our penchant for survival dictated that we be vigilant in awareness of the "bad" stuff that could hurt us. Psychologist and author, Rick Hanson, PhD says it this way, "We are Velcro for the negative, and Teflon for the positive."

Does that mean that we are doomed to negativity? Not at all. It's just an explanation of our human tendency. Thankfully, we are more than a body/mind! We are children of the Divine, and if children, then heirs to all that is Spirit.  Our spiritual nature is more essentially who we are than the mortal limitations, and dualistic perspectives of our human self. It is in this milieu of knowing ourselves and beholding life that we can find an essential goodness, a wholeness and peace that surpasses ordinary human perception and understanding.

While our essential and spiritual nature readily offers us a view of the good, the true and the beautiful, it remains latent and under the radar of our awareness unless we consciously intend to see it.  This is the consequence and criterion of free will. Much like the electricity that runs through the walls of your home, the light does not flood the room until you flip the switch. In parallel fashion, we must incline our minds toward the sacred view of life, which floods our world with the qualities of love, compassion, kindness and gratitude.  As much as we think we must get what we want to feel good, it is our intention that brings the enlightened perspective.  As poet Hafiz noted,

Ask the Friend for love, Ask Him again. For I have heard that whatever one's heart prays for the most, that's what one gets.

So frequently, our desire for life to be a certain way is only the revealed tip of a much greater need. If we are willing to probe, we may discover the deeper need that can become the focus of our prayer, our intention. For example, you may want somebody in your life to behave differently. You could pray for that outcome, hold out for that to happen. (Good luck and I hope you are eternally patient.)

Alternatively, you could ask yourself, what do I really want?  Such deep inquiry might lead you through several layers to a core need, which might be that you want a loving connection with that person. Now you are in God's domain of influence. Now you are answering the call "according to God's purpose." Intending for a loving connection will bring you back to your deepest nature, where love can be actualized in your experience.  Here you are shown how to restore the love that is your true yearning. This is the practice of the masters, which can reveal the presence of Good in every situation, for the deepest inquiry will always lead us back to our deepest self, where, in the company of Divine Presence we readily behold the good, the true and the beautiful. May it be so for you.

Another Drama or A Reality Show?

If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.

-Lao Tzu

 We live in tumultuous times, and with all the drama unfolding on the world stage it is all we can do to drag our attention away from the play of circumstances for even a moment.   It is our penchant for action that impels us to keep the camera rolling, rather than taking time out to review the footage and apply judicial edits to the stories we are telling about our lives. It is especially difficult for us to realize that we are filmmakers, and not the film that we see.  And, it is so easy for our surface minds to get hooked by the appearances of life, and confuse what is happening with who we are. When we confuse having and doing with being, we are mercilessly driven to do more or get more in order to fill an illusory hole in us.

Our errant way begins with thoughts. Of course, some of our thoughts are accurate maps or representations and point to things that are instructive and useful. However, many of our thoughts are on another channel that should come with the rating, "for (spiritually) mature audiences only."  Such streams of thought arise from our conditioned mind, and create a sense of separation from others, or tell us that we shouldn't be feeling the way we are, or that there is something wrong with us.  If we could observe these thoughts with detachment like one might watch a motion picture, then there would be no problem. However, we believe the thoughts, and become ensconced in a cocoon of thoughts we think is reality.  Thoughts stir up similar images and sound bites from our conditioned past and we believe the concluding story.  It's shabby tabloid reporting at best, but we frequently buy into it! As long as we are running these little stories of ourselves, we keep reinforcing a limited sense of who we are and we cannot open to the beauty and the sacredness of this being that we are.

So then, what is the answer? Where lies the way out of this maelstrom of thinking that deludes us? It is not, as some might believe, another thought, not even a positive one.  There is no thought that can lead you into experiencing your wholeness, your vastness, your sacred essence. The answer is awareness. Awareness is the larger context of our mind that allows us to observe our thoughts and feelings without getting lost in them.  It is pure consciousness that can witness all that arises in our world, or in our mind, and remain undisturbed.  It is the part of you that is eternal, infinite, unchanging, imperturbable consciousness. It's the essential you, beyond self image or any other limited thought forms.

When our goal is to become keenly aware, we are less interested in what is happening outside of us, and able to turn our attention inward as the observer of our internal process.  This is the process of being in the world, but not of it. We have the enlightened perspective, when we have, as Jesus said, eyes to see and ears to hear. We can be present and responsible to life events, yet keep enough distance to maintain objectivity in our perception; to not lose ourselves in the scenarios. For example, you have a body, but you are not your body.  Your body could be in pain, or diseased or wearing out, but the I am of you (your true self) has none of these limitations. When you maintain awareness of your I am self, you can be at peace no matter what crisis is appearing in your world.  

Looking for Space

And I'm looking for space

And to find out who I am

And I'm looking to know and understand

It's a sweet, sweet dream

Sometimes I'm almost there

Sometimes I fly like an eagle

And sometimes I'm deep in despair

 Looking For Space, by John Denver

Many of us are acquainted with the grace that comes from perspective.  Most of our human challenges do not maintain their grip on us against the diminishing effect of time and space. As we put space between our problem and us, or allow the passage of time to separate us from the immediacy of our challenge, we'll likely find our problem reduced in significance and effect.

Of course, there are exceptions. Diseases that progress with time, money that runs down like sand through an hourglass and other progressive conditions may not be outdistanced in a space-time continuum.  Such are the most vexing of life's problems that often bring us to edge of our human capacity to understand and cope with what seems hopeless. It is frequently in these kinds of desperate situations that many of us realize the limitations of the physical world's remedies. Such anxious moments can be a defining moment in our lives, when we stand at the edge of the cliff of appearances, having exhausted reason and human resource.  With nothing viable to fall back on, and an intense yearning to move into a hopeful future, we reach a level of receptivity to a deeper understanding and realization of perspective.

This often is the vital first step of an inner journey into the uncharted terrain that the slings and arrows of life have seemingly led us to discover.  What seemed to be a dead end, the end of the road of hope, becomes a vast and spacious field where definitive answers give way to limitless capacities for unconditional well-being.  Many of us stumbled into this realm after falling down, and despite our wits or wily ways, could not get ourselves on our feet, let alone find our way. You could say it is through a fault of our own that we discover this inner kingdom; where a crack in awareness allows the light to enter.

When Jesus advised against "judging by appearances" and encouraged us to use "righteous judgment," it came from understanding how frustrating and hopeless is life when lived from the surface perspective, from outside-in.. He knew how slim are our chances of finding the real answers to life's most vexing conundrums within the limited purview of the mortal mind.  He spoke of an inner realm where we coexist with the Divine in unity and love. He described this realm as an expansive dimension like yeast in dough; like the robust growth of a tiny mustard seed into an enormous plant. It is in this dimension of Life that we are to place our big problems, for it is in the context of this vast and ever expanding realm of Love and Peace that we are graced with Divine perspective.

As we expand our awareness of this greater dimension in which we "live, and move and have our very being," our challenges and our suffering become proportionately smaller. With practice and faith, we come to realize that we are so much more than our problems, and we cease to identify with them. We may have cancer in our experience, but a condition of the body does not define or limit a spiritual being. It is in consistently opening our awareness to the greater spiritual reality in which "stuff happens" that we can manage to find the "peace that passeth human understanding." This is the realm where we can find respite from life's great challenges, where as the Psalmist wrote, we no longer "fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day," for we have been lifted up on the wings of Truth, where we are lovingly held and eternally safe.