In the first of three posts, I discussed two of the most significant life lessons I've learned from the likes of Jesus, the Buddha, Lao-Tzu and many current spiritual masters or practitioners of higher states of consciousness, such as Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle, Ram Dass, Thich Nhat Hanh, Deepak Chopra and the Dalai Lama.
Here are three additional lessons I've learned.
1. I question everything.
The Buddha said, "Do not believe anything simply because it is spoken or rumored by many ...found written in your religious books. ... Do not believe in traditions just because they've been handed down to you ... but, after observation and analysis, when you find anything that agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it."
Good advice, although just the opposite of what I was taught, which was to question nothing. To question things was too often regarded as a breach of faith. I know now, however, until you question your faith, you have no faith. You might have beliefs. But, as Deepak Chopra has rightly noted, "Beliefs are just a cover-up for insecurity; you only believe in the things you're not certain about" ("Why Is God Laughing?").
There are two things I question religiously: 1) The things my religion says are true and 2) The things that come to my mind. I think it was Wayne Dyer I first heard discuss the thousands of thoughts that invade your consciousness each day -- something like 64,000. I found such a thought staggering, to say the least. When you pay attention to these mostly random thoughts, you discover two things distinguish them: They are repetitive in nature, and, most often, they are just plain wrong -- or, at a minimum, suspect. What I've discovered over the years is that my own thinking has often acted as a deterrent to my happiness and inner peace. So, today, I make it my practice to observe my thoughts, as well as to question them when they arise. In other words, I catch myself thinking.
Yes, you guessed it, there are at least two people inside my head, perhaps more. There's what Eckhart Tolle calls "the egoic self or mind," the endlessly chattering one. And there's a deeper self that many spiritual traditions refer to as the soul. This deeper "me" or soul, for want of a better description, is what easterners sometimes call "the witnessing presence." This presence has the capacity of observing the stream of thinking. As it does, there is created within you a space of stillness and peace. I've learned, as I practice catching myself thinking, as well as questioning the thoughts that arise, I become instantly more peaceful. Try this and see what happens in you.
2. I do unto myself as I would have myself do unto me.
A little different twist on Jesus' Golden Rule, which appears, by the way, in some form in virtually every spiritual tradition. I turned the words around, however, because I've learned that you only ever do to others what you do to yourself. And, conversely, you do to yourself what you do to others. I think it was the Buddhist, Pema Chodron, who first taught me this. So I can't help but wonder, when a nation like the U.S. goes to war and kills others, there's perhaps a sense in which we kill something within ourselves in the process. Which is probably why the Chinese say, "Before seeking vengeance, better dig two graves."
3. I look for the life lesson hidden like a pearl in a oyster shell in every life experience.
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross was one of the first to help us understand the stages of grief. She once said, "There are no mistakes in life; all events are blessings given for our edification -- our learning."
I think she's right. What's unquestionably certain for me, however, is that when I began looking for the lesson in life's experiences, my reactions toward life, particularly the tougher parts, took a dramatic turn for the better. I'm not suggesting you and I should lay down and just let life roll over us. And neither am I suggesting you gloss over evil and injustice as if it's necessary for the service of some grander purpose. I'm only suggesting that you join me in the practice of acceptance. We are taught to resist what is. Discontent is the ego's twin sister. Learning the art of acceptance, however, is a learned skill. And inner peace is its reward.
On the day my father unexpectedly died, for example, I was devastated. During the dark days that followed, had someone suggested to me that his death was "God's will," I probably would have punched them out. But, as I relate in my book, in the mystery that is Life, his unexpected death turned out to be the occasion of my unplanned but welcomed rediscovery of the sacred self.
In retrospect, how could I be anything but happy? Whatever else the nightmare taught me, one thing is clear: At the moment of a crisis, you and I usually "see through a glass darkly," as Saint Paul put it (1 Corinthians 13:12). But know this: the day will come when you look back and see that what appeared as a puzzling jigsaw of unwanted pain and confusion has given way to the beautiful tapestry that is your life.
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Will we see ourselves and others as victims and get stuck there - as so many do? Or can we simply surrender to whatever it is and TRUST that there are many reasons for things happening that are outside our limited consciousness - a consciousness that can perceive things only in terms of cause and effect while in the midst of what may actually be a field of unlimited potentialities manifested through intention - the specific reasons for which are way beyond our comprehension?
Will we recognize and ACCEPT that there are lessons in everything that happens, and that seemingly negative things do happen for the purpose of providing us with powerful lessons through which we can learn and evolve?
Reaction may satisfy the demands of the ego. Reflection, surrender, trust, and acceptance can go a long way toward satisfying the needs of the soul, and help to establish a bridge to one's higher self. Either way, it all boils down to the choices we make.
For me the dawn of awakening was as a senior in high school in Tehran when we were told to participate in a national competition by writing an essay entitled, "Why we should love Iran?" No choice!
It was an agonizing experience writing and rewriting what I had written and then there was light and I was ecstatic. I decided to change the title to "In what case we should love Iran?", and the essence of what I wrote had to do with love being a two way street and giving examples of other creatures migrating from one place to another more suitable to their needs.
It so happened that my instructor called my name on the day the composition was due to read what I had written in front of the class then asked me to stay after class wanting to know if I had heard of SAVAK, Shah's dreaded national security system set up few years earlier with the help of the CIA. I told him I had.
Another great awakening occurred after the 1979 revolution by questioning two tenets of the Shiite sect I was born into and that I could no longer believed in: the realization that the Shiite sect of Islam is indeed a cult of personalities for believing that Prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatimah, and the 12 Shiite Imams were infallible and that the succession to Muhammad should have been based on blood relationships.
makes man’s alone and loneliness, forever gone.
Life elucidated by the soul’s throne light,
becomes divine love happiness, everlasting Christ.
------------------
Knoweth the divine meaning of “your will be done,” clear,
and this life’s transcendent boat, is set on divine steer.
Plenty the teachers, one the true life,
one divine love, one cosmic strife.
Many claim transformation by the divine hearth,
one is man’s sure prospect, to transcend death.
OK... done. Seems reasonable.
Anyone who knows this is based on natural principles keeps making the effort to habitually respect natural law. Ironically, relative system thinking seems to offer the individual everything, but actually offers nothing. Absolute system thinking seems to offer nothing but offers everything.
love Deepak's:
"Beliefs are just a cover-up for insecurity; you only believe in the things you're not certain about"
My mother died 5 days after I was born - my journey has revealed much!
Ed
Ever lost a kid?..
Thought not,
BTW, I didn't read anything here that indicated that anyone is saying that things do happen for a reason, though people have said as much to me here in the 3-D world.
Thomas
keep blogging mate!
Cheers,
Ed
1. I question everything: My granddad said believe nothing of what you hear and 1/2 of what you see
2. 2. I do unto myself as I would have myself do unto me. I agree with every killing by the USA the earth is less whole. I pray that Nation State Karma applies only to those who support or comit the negatie Karma.
3. I look for the life lesson hidden like a pearl in a oyster shell in every life experience: Birth and Death are Life. There is no Death only Change -Yogananda
but always a but. I did not find anyone questioning the teachings which is common when following a guru.
their gardens in southern california open to the public overlooking the ocean is the best of the best in beauty. his book the autobio of a yogi is a must read for all sincere seekers.
And I have never read Auto Biography of a Yogi, except as mentioned in the lesson of SRF. Never seen he physical maerial beauty of his Ashram. Of course what he teach is the infinite beauty of what you experience and the full measure of any question you may have. At least for me. But there are others to follow. To me there was no one else to his direct line to the Spirit of GOD through Christ, Buddha and Krishna
Thank for the acknowledgment. I would strongly recommend SRF Lesson and techniques for any seeker of truth, light and energy of the universe even if you have other teaching and guru. The book of course was the WHAT and SRF lessons and methods are the HOW and transendence of the EGO to Spirit (Samadhi, Nervanna and Revelation). His Second Coming of Christ does give more of the WHAT of his lessons. I even have yet to do Kriya as a testimony of his teaching energy and light. I can read Wisper of Eternity and touch GOD or simply look up at the 3rd Eye and say OM
maybe when we are in a deep meditation or trance state a spirit be it guide or teacher can come throught to us. probably not while we are texting. :-)
silence is often golden. maybe for a reason.
My friend did the text equivalent of a gasp and told me that she was taught in her old church to never question, that it denoted a lack of faith. Baffled, I responded that I couldn't imagine faith being faith unless it's questioned. And I see this a lot - I guess it's where the sterotype that "religion is where people check their brains at the door" was born, but, my experience was different, so it baffles me a little. In hindsight, maybe it was the Theistic Evolutionist in our congregation that told me questions are good. In any case, you remind me that my life-experience has not been normal.
I'm also left thinking "ONLY 64,000 thoughts in a day?" I was sure an estimate would be higher. Then again, I do have bipolar disorder, which makes me prone to racing thoughts, so I don't think like perfectly sane people do, anyway.
Shrines should only reflex the sexless soul because it is what is done and not who does it.
Masculine aspect . . .