Any true revolution in consciousness must begin within the individual him/herself, and is a process that occurs within the spiritual body, or Soul, of the individual. It eventually transforms one’s existence into something untranscribable with words. Reincarnation, karma are spiritual facts that govern human existence, but there is a higher law, the Law of Love. The Law of Love will lead man out of the mire ( maya, or illusion ) of human existence, and eventually toward the greater realizations that every soul must one day experience, Self Realization followed by God Realization.
How do we experience these states? The emancipaton of Soul takes countless lifetimes, but it does not happen as the Persian poet Rumi, said, in his poem “Mountaintop Trough” by “straining one’s neck and looking up at the mountain”, ie; without effort. It takes dedication, commitment, sacrifice/discipline and mostly love, a love that we eventually become! How much are we prepared to give to achieve a transformation in consciousness? One minute a day? Ten minutes? An hour? Whatever we put into it, we will reap.
To take control of one’s life is the great spiritual adventure and rests/hinges on the principle, “Thy will be done”, ( not mine ). There’s a paradox in this statement, evidenced in the story of someone saying, “well, how can I be concerned with the question of God when I have not enough food to eat?” If one’s attention is on God, then God will see to it that we have enough to eat.
A very good way for the individual to start to bring about a concentration of his spiritual energies is to find a mantra, a spiritually uplifting saying, or phrase that inspires him/her, and begin working with that on a daily basis. One must also begin to spend a certain amount of time observing/experiencing his inner world. Initiative and creativity are of paramount importance, but also sincerity and love. HU is the best mantra or spiritually charged word, I’ve found. But OM, or AUM are excellent as well. Even the word God, or the name of one’s spiritual teacher. Prayers, spiritually uplifting inspiring verse etc. are very good too.
This is very much in line with the beliefs of philosopher/psychologist/biologist Jordan Peterson who was himself shaped by Jung and Nietzsche. A modern day treasure for souls like mine.
A very engaging speaker (or cunning linguist as my father would say) he has many youtube videos. I can recommend you start anywhere.
Compliments to Dimitar.
Yes Dimitar, life itself is a great paradox, we may find the correct answers or we may not ? meanwhile, as you say : “thy will be done”. You yourself are in search for that truth, as I am. The more deeper one enters in the waters of life, more and more things are coming to light, not always by our taste and reason. We are trying to uncover what is covert, to understand what we cannot comprehend, veils are everywhere, our life is a journey in unknown and in known at the same time, that’s a paradox. Thank you for your thoughts !
Arthur Leonard Griffiths, Rector of City Temple, London and of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Toronto had this to say:
“Satan tempts us at the point of our physical needs, not that we might gratify them to access but that we might think of nothing else and gratify them at the expense of our usefulness in this world.
Satan tempts us at the point of our ambitions not that we might engage is positive evil but simply accept the fact of evil, learn to live with it, come to terms with it and maintain a discreet silence in the presence of it.
Satan tempts us at the point of our religion not that we might disbelieve in God but that we might demand certainty. That kind of certainty of God that leaves nothing to faith, nothing to God Himself. These are the moral struggles that have reality for people such as we are. The subtle temptation to renounce our duty in favour of what is attractive, that insidious allourement to a kind of a half goodness which is the essence of everything bad and which is more productive of suffering, hatred, war and misery in this world than all the designs of wicked and greedy people combined.”
A beautifully written comment Dimitar. I sometimes wonder why loving God , which means following his commandments is so difficult for for the human race .
“I sometimes wonder why loving God, which means following his commandments, is so difficult for the human race.”
Hi Albert. This is a very good question, and does not have a simple answer. However, before we can love God, we need to love ourselves, to love that which is of God within ourselves. This then gives us a handle on the concept of loving our neighbour, because we sense/know that that which we are loving within ourselves is of God, and exists within all living creatures. We expand and grow by being receptive to this love, or charity, within.
The other thing is that earth is a school or training ground for Soul, for countless Souls, who have been ‘cast out of heaven’ in order to become educated in the ways of life and essentially to learn to give and receive love, before earning our way back. Our education lasts countless lifetimes because we need to experience everything that this world, or the worlds of duality ( the worlds of good and evil, of darkness and light, of action and reaction ) have to offer and this refines us to the point that we become earnest in our search for God and the riddle of life – what is our purpose here, begins to unravel/make sense.
The wonderful thing about the spiritual path is that the onus returns to us. A teacher may point the way, but it’s up to us to overcome the inertia of the human consciousness and walk the path ourselves. The vast majority of people are not ready to address the deeper issues and are wanting a God that takes care of one’s
welfare, gives us our heart’s desire etc. As the saying goes, God helps him who helps himself; ie; applies and lives the spiritual principles in his own life for no other reason than that it is our true nature to do so. We can see why God is not for the masses, then, but for the individual.
One more thing, being in harmony with life can be the easiest thing, yet also the hardest thing in the world. It depends on our makeup. In a spiritual sense, a great intellect has no advantage over a much simpler mind. We tend to move a few steps forward, a few back and so on. But we eventually overcome the lower self. Life works on our weaknesses like a laser point focusing on an area of our body, until we solve one problem, then move on to the next, etc. Regards, D.
Thanks for the reply Dimitar you wrote……. To love that which is of God within ourselves… this is fine if you are a saint like St Francis. but self love for ordinary humans who are sinners like myself …. can be dangerous, if we look at Matthew 22 … 34-46 . love your neighbor as yourself. he did not say love yourself, although some people think this is what he meant. love from God is greatest gift that can exist. but to me self love can bring pride,and less awareness of what is sinning. being humble is better.
Freud wasn’t around to label back then, what you refer to as ‘self love’ is greed…………well covered by Jesus.
When asked, ‘what is the greatest commandment’ Jesus said, “love God above all else” (there are no ‘human’ Gods) and the second, “love your neighbour, as you would love yourself “. Ever met someone who does not love themselves…………miserable lost souls?
And in following the Gospels of John, Paul, George and Ringo………….Love Love Love, All You Need Is, LOVE!
One loves that which is of God within one’s self, not the negative traits of the personality. This brings humility.
Even Forbes magazine has an article stating 17 reasons on why humility can make you more successful……… and St Thomas Aquinas wrote
”The law of divine love is the standard for all human actions” please read it all on the internet
the difficulty with love is trying to get past all of the sin, that is why for me nothing spells the end of the human race more than this one word from our Saviour:
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, Matthew 24:12
When love dies, the world dies period.
The way to know love is to love someone, or even something, be it our saviour/ master, wife, child, even pet unreservedly, more than ourselves, or “the little self” in this case, so as to be clear. The poem below is an edit/finalisation of a recent poem, which I feel captures something of the essence of love. At least as I experience it.
The One That Makes my Heart Sing
the one that makes my heart sing
has a bearing I can’t describe –
yet understand, and want
to follow to the ends of the earth,
to the end of my days
the one that makes my heart sing
has a way about him I can’t
quite put my finger on –
he sets my mind at ease and
lays my fears to rest
the one that makes my heart sing
knows the secret of the stars,
the radiant sun and moon –
yet is humbled by small
acts of kindness
the one that makes my heart sing
sings a song under his breath –
a song older than mountains
and the song the soul sang before
the beginning or end of time
the one that makes my heart sing
awakens the love within –
knowing that only love
is capable of bursting the
fetters of ignorance
when I steal a glance at
the one who makes my heart sing –
I forget everything I was doing and
want to follow to the ends of the earth,
to the end of my days!
Excellent choice thank you.
The Friend
For the moon, the sun.
The ocean, its shore.
For the eagle, wings
and the lion, a roar.
As night has day,
and sorrow an end –
As the flute is to the drum,
man is to the Friend.
For the tree, the earth
and the river, the sea.
For the heart, the soul
and an ancient decree.
As darkness has light
and wounds do mend –
So the voice has the song,
and man has the Friend.
For the infant, a mother
on which to depend,
then arrows and slings
that teach it to bend.
The Divine Dreamer dreams
ITs dreams to send;
As the child is to the parent,
man is to the Friend.
For the moon, the sun
and the ocean, a shore.
For the eagle, an eye
and the lion, a claw.
As night has day
and wisdom, no end –
As the breath is to the flute,
man is to the Friend.
07/2019
For the body, the soul
And an ancient decree.
“God’s Mills”
God’s mills grind slowly
but exceedingly fine.
They leave no trace
of the Sower’s Art.
A simple scar
that time will heal,
Is all that’s left
of a broken heart.
God’s ways are many
and mysterious, too.
They confound and elude
a restless mind.
The Universes are sustained
through sacrifice,
And Soul, ever more
and more, refined.
God’s creatures are many
under the sun;
There’s the eagle and lion,
the bear and ox.
But God’s law is hidden
and can only be known,
When cunning is of
no more use to the fox.
God made the Soul
and gave it a heart.
But Soul was ignorant
of Its own self-worth.
Seeing that It needed
to learn to love,
God barred It from heaven
and sent It to earth!
“Go now, and range
both far and wide!
Go now, and bend
that youthful back!
Go now and tread
the dusty roads,
With all your treasures
in a sack!”
“Go now and grind
the quern-stone love,
Go now, and earn
thy daily bread!
Go now and learn
the Sower’s Art…
And stand me
in good stead!”
God’s mills grind slowly
but exceedingly fine!
Old wounds have cooled
That once burned hot.
And simple scars
that time will heal,
Are all that’s left
to mark the spot…
On that note, I called my congressman’s office a few days ago and requested a Priest to gp in and perform a mass exorcism, since they hace all evidently neen posessed by the devil.
Lol…good luck with that.
Love’s ardency…
With You By My Side
Whatever may come,
Whatever may be;
I surely will bear
With you by my side.
But if you should leave,
I sorely would grieve –
And the tears that I cry
Would never subside!
Wherever I am,
Wherever I go;
It makes no difference
With you by my side.
But if we should part,
I know that my heart –
From that moment on,
Can’t hope to survive!
Whenever my time
Is finally at hand,
I gladly will go
With you by my side.
But if you’re not there,
What should I care;
If deep in the earth,
Forever I’ll bide?
Whatever may come,
Whatever may be;
I surely will bear
With you by my side.
And if you should stay,
We’ll cleave to the day;
What’er may betide,
We’ll take in our stride!
Silence is Gold
You used to carry a beggar’s bowl,
Living off crumbs, down in a hole.
Looking for something that can never be told;
Words are silver, but silence is gold.
You used to carry a calligrapher’s brush –
Elegance adorned the palace so lush!
The king would come by with his questions so bold;
Words are silver, but silence is gold.
You used to carry a sword of steel,
With matching armour from head to heel.
Dispatching traitors when secrets were sold,
Words are silver, but silence is gold.
You used to carry a wound so deep,
By day and by night you’d tremble and weep!
Some burdens you share yet others, withhold,
Words are silver, and silence is gold.
You used to carry a beggar’s bowl,
Wandering about in a blindfold.
Till the day you finally came in from the cold;
Words may be silver, but silence is gold!
08 02 2020
Final, final edit, Omg…!
You used to carry a beggar’s bowl,
Speaking in tongues, wearing blindfolds.
Till the day you finally came in from the cold…
Words may be silver, but silence is gold!
One can only love God when one is able to love one’s own, whole self which is much bigger than the small ego as it includes our dark side. This dark side, which we are usually not concious of C.G.Jung calls the shadow. The Self is the center of the whole personality. It is this divine part in us that relates to God
Erich Neumann, a student of C.G. Jung explains in one of his books “Deep Psychlogy and new Ethics” the meaning of the words of Jesus “Love your next one as you love yourself” in this way: “the next” here means that what is nearest to us, as it is within ourselves and a part of us, meaning our own darker side, i.e. our own shadow. (Neuman, being a German Jew fled Germany 1933 and settled in Tel Aviv.) According to him the problem is not mentioned in the Jewish tradition but by some leaders of the Chassidim living in Eastern Europe more then 200 years ago. In he verse “Love your next as you love yourself, I JHWH” – the word “your next” is replaced by the Hebrew word “your evil” which is pronounced the same – but written in a different way. The verse then reads: “Love your evil, as you do, I JHWH”. The interpretation would then be “as you act so do i, JHWH”, meaning: “l, JHWH, love your evil in the same way you love it. (Thorat Rabbi Nachman by S.A. Horodetzky)
The transformation of the negative was also the psychlogical problem of Alchemy as Jung writes in “Psychology and Alchemy”. The Alchemists themselves understood the transformation of lead, the worthless metall into gold, the most precious metall as a psychological tranformation. The alchemistic process was a projection of matter into the spirituel.
P.S. The goal is the integration of the personality. We need to become conscious of our dark side, which Jung calls the shadow. In the beginning our dark side is completely unknown to us, even strange and much like something not really belonging to us. This might cause fear but slowly it can be recognized, accepted and assimilated. In a long process the shadow is transformed from an unknown, negative, and often destructive part into a positive, creative and often helpful part of ourselves.
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