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A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING

 

A New Awareness

As with any journey of discovery, there comes a time when you must leave the comfort of what you know as a light-hearted view of life to explore the true nature of your reality. With this in mind comes the realization that this newsletter must now begin to evolve to present more in-depth information so that you can further your own journey of discovery and kindle within the curiosity to explore your own spiritual truths and path.

Relationships - Forgiveness

Forgiveness

What a strange, frightening and yet wonderful word Forgiveness is. But it is just such a word that will cause people to become angry, dogmatic, unforgiving, fearful, relentless in the pursuit of "justice," callus, cruel, vindictive and can even lead us into something called "justified violence" before we can envision its true meaning.

Yet .... it is a word of Hope!

A hope that, even taken at its smallest measure, can send the soul flying to new heights, allow a deep inner calm and peace to take root, to heal the wounds of unrequited love, to bring the ultimate in inner peace and release us from the drudgery of worry, pain and illness.

So what is Forgiveness? Is an unfaltering embrace? Is it a full loving embrace of those who have hurt us? Is it a total release of pride and ego? Is it a total release of self and path to God/Goddess/Source? Is it respect of self or others? Is it respect of choice or lack of choice? Is it perception? Or is it all of these things yet none in reality? At what point can we be open to forgiveness? Is it sudden and total? Or is it a journey of discovery of form, script, soul and self? How do we find it? How do we experience it? As we search and talk of forgiveness fear grows, not just for what we perceive we might loose but what we perceive as our new responsibility. The desire to know grows and we allow fear to eat away at our own state of readiness when we wish to learn about true forgiveness. For so long society and we have defined ourselves by our pain and suffering; we use it to denote who we are by what we have experienced but the only way to escape this trap and to heal is to learn to forgive.

Forgiveness is a process, like all other spiritual growth. Its complexity can be overwhelming and learning to fight the programming of ego and form does not lend itself to a simple or easy "Just do it." It has to be built on in small steps and some of them not always facing outward. For as much as we don't mind sharing blame, sharing forgiveness can be daunting. For accepting a sharing state for forgiveness leads us into a self-examination of motive, hidden guilt and recriminations. However all of these emotions and fears must be faced to be able to forgive and release so that healing can take place.

So what are the benefits of forgiveness? I can tell you that finding and practicing true forgiveness can give you release from worry, from pain, from guilt. It can help you to separate yourself from the conditioning of "need" and "want" to allow bounty and joy into your life. It can help you to find joy and beauty in everything and in everyone. It will give you a sense of ultimate inner peace that nothing can penetrate or disrupt. The journey is long and hard but the benefits of this type of soul-work can and will be all encompassing, life changing and ultimately freeing. It will change how you view the world and how you view yourself. We must remember this isn't about right or wrong. It isn't about what society deems justice or injustice nor about what would be considered righteous or criminal.

So how do we start? Simple, we start small. We can either begin with forgiving the event or the person involved. Once we have obtained a sense of forgiveness about one the other usually follows in the natural course of time if we remember to apply the same points to it. What we have to remember is that once we reach a point of forgiveness, we cannot allow ourselves to pick it back up and hold on to it. Once forgiven it is gone and we must remember to leave it. Picking it up and scratching the surface of it only brings it back into us and traps us once again. To release it is to find joy; joy that isn't defined by anyone but by God/Goddess/Source.

You must remember that during these exercises you have the power and the ability to control yourself and your feelings. Let's pick an old, ancient hurt that you have nurtured and kept close to your heart for a very long time. Only you know the truth behind this event but you must remember that not all the facts are known from your point of view. The smaller the hurt, the easier to start with. Bring it forward into your consciousness but before it can run rampant with accusations, stop it in its tracks. Now is the time for true and honest evaluation, not just from your perspective but also from the perspective of those who were involved, those who witnessed it and those who only felt the recercussions. Put your emotions around this event away; for now they'll only cloud the process and encourage you to hold on to the hurt. Let's really examine why you hold this event in a state of unforgiveness.

  • Was this done out of maliciousness? Not from your point of view ... could the other person involved have honestly meant for something better to happen or for things to stay the same?
  • How do you think this impacted them? It's important to really control the snippity little voice inside when considering this one.
  • How did this event impact those around to witness it? Who sided with who ... or did they? Were they silent out of fear or misinformation? Not everyone handles trouble, pain or injustice the same.
  • What were the ramifications for family, friends, business partners and so on? This did not just effect you; there will be people you don't even know that will be impacted by this.

The points above will start you on the process but you must be honest and non-judgemental when examining the situation. Now for the hard part .. your role in this and why you are unwilling to release it.

  • Have you thought about doing something similar to someone else? Out of spite, just for an instant in time ... this is hidden guilt.
  • Have you caused hurt to someone in a similar situation without thought or realization?
  • Have you used guilt to have people side with you?
  • Do you know all of the facts and the impacts they carry? Or is this a guess?
  • Are you using this to define who you are or how society sees you? Martyerdom doesn't serve anyone's path to forgiveness.

Again these are but starting points. They take a lot of practice to get it right and to find release. Here is a situation that may help you in changing and understanding different perceptions. If you have suffered a loss this way, I do not mean to make light or dismiss your pain. My goal is to help you heal your heart, your mind and open the door to forgiveness and peace.

Let's take the situation of a drunk driver fatality; whether the people in one car or in both cars passed away during this event. The driver of car A is impaired and is aware that they shouldn't be driving. They decide to take it easy and slow. The driver in car B isn't impaired. The cars collide and everyone that knows these people suffer through the event. The police do what they can but they only have so much information; blame is laid and life goes on as best it can for those remaining, most of the time in a state of unforgiveness out of pain and a sense of loss.

So now I'd like to offer a few extenuating circumstances that are never mentioned and that may never come to light. Do we know the state of the people in either car? No. We can say the driver in Car A is drunk; that 's what the tests show. But what about Car B? Do we know if the driver is in a state to be driving? Have they had a fight with a loved one and stormed out, have they had their relationship fall apart before they're very eyes? Would you want to be the one to tell the police that you had, had a fight with the driver of Car B and they had driven off in pain or anger? Do we know if they are rushing to see a sick or dying relative? Do we know if they are multi-tasking and drop their phone or coffee? Are there distractions of friends, music and general inattentiveness within Car B? Do we know if an animal has distracted the driver? All these points can be applied to either driver and each scenario.

By bringing in these other possibilities it allows us to view the incident in a way that we can either begin to forgive the driver or forgive the event. If we don't know all of the points that impact the situation, we can't judge it. If we can't judge it, we can't lay blame on any one factor. If we can't lay blame on any one factor, we can't lay blame on the event. If we can't lay blame on the event, we have no choice but to start to let it go and give it God/Goddess/Source. It doesn't diminish the pain, not initially but it does allow you to bring in an opening that will allow you to bring forth the good times to ease the pain and change your perception of the event and the people involved.

Now for your part in this. You may be wondering what you could have to do with this event. So I ask you to consider the following.

Have you ever driven after having a drink or two or more and thought you were fine or thought you'd be fine if to took it real slow driving? Have you let a friend leave a party drunk when you knew they were in no state to drive? Have you wittingly or unwittingly upset someone to have them storm off knowing full well you should stop them but can't for the moment think how? Or are you maybe suffering in your own blind pain and don't see it? Have you rushed to get somewhere or to see a sick or dying relative and thought "how did I get here?" Or did you in a moment of inattentiveness or distraction, drop your coffee, your phone and end up on the other side of the road? There are so many possibilities and we must remember we aren't privy to all of them but we are privy to our experiences and how we dealt with them.

Forgiveness is a many sided sword and used properly it will dispell fear and hurt and allow you to heal the wounds of the heart and carry on with your life as it is supposed to be; surrounded by love and light from those who remain here, from those who have passed and from God/Goddess/Source. It will allow you to free yourself from the bonds that society holds over your attitude and will allow you grow to a place of peacefullness.

I bid you peace, hope, love and forgiveness this Christmas season.

 

CRYSTALS

Amazonite

Amazonite is a pale green stone that originates from the USA, Brazil, south-west Africa and the former USSR. Legend says that when explorers began exploring regions of the Amazon basin they were told by the natives that the stone came from the land of "women without men" the legendary Amazonians. Many cultures have adopted Amazonite for it was considered a stone of mystics and sages. The ancient Egyptians even considered the stone as a holy artifact.

The healing properties of Amazonite are many in nature. If placed under a pillow as a talisman it is said to impart a very restorative, restful sleep. Ultimately Amazonite works on the nervous system. It allows the body to calm its emotional state and thereby allows you to view your situation from all sides. It is an excellent stone to use when dealing with grief, heart trouble, and headaches.

When used with intellect and intuition, Amazonite becomes a powerful magnifier of insight. It has been a favourite of "fortune-tellers" and clairvoyants because it is able to open the lines of communication with guides. For those beginning to develop their on their spiritual path it can aid in being in touch with your spirit-guide, guardian angels and those that have passed on. These properties make it an excellent stone to hold during meditation or to use as a focal point.

To clean your Amazonite, hold it under warm running water and allow it to dry in sunlight for a couple of hours.

Amazonite

 

CHRISTMAS SEASON THOUGHTS & BLESSING

With the setting of the sun at the time of the solstice, it is a time to remember the works of the past year and put to rest those items which no longer serve a purpose in your life. It is a time of natural endings and as such it is an opportune time for us to reconcile our thoughts and emotions to releasing those cares and worries and to celebrate work well done. It is also a time to plant the seeds of hope and fruitfulness that will begin to ripen with the spring. Even though entering this time of the year can be a stressful and even unhappy time it is a time none the less to bring forth the Light of Divinity that shines within all of us. To extend a hand, a smile and even a little time and patience is to extend the hand and touch of God/Goddess/Source to those who feel lost and abandoned. It is a simple yet significant joy that is spread so easily but can be lost with one impatient word. I ask this Christmas season that you all extend the Light and find a simple joy that will bring to life and truth to this and every Christmas season from now on.

 

"Light of the Universe, Christ Consciousness, come forth this season,

Walk with us and hold in you hand a shining reminder of the Light within us,

Let us hear the voice for God for in hearing the voice we find hope, peace and truth.

Blessed be those who celebrate the Light within,

for within we find ourselves and the path that takes us home,

to God/Goddess/Source."

May your family, friends and yourself find and be blessed this Christmas season and may experience the love that is ever-lasting and all enduring. I bid you peace and joy for this season and for the coming new year.

NEW YEAR'S BLESSING

"Be a Light unto the World,

For thou art divine and

thy Light should be a beacon

for good in times of darkness and

of hope in times of sorrow. "

"Be Blessed and acknowledge thy blessings daily."

 

MONTHLY MEDITATION

"Christmas Meditation "

"All my thoughts are decorating the Christmas tree of meditation with the rare gifts of devotion, sealed with golden heart-prayers that Christ may come and receive my humble gifts.

I will mentally join in the worshiip in all mosques, churches, and temples; and perceive the birth of the universal Christ Consciousness as peace on the altar of all devotional hearts.

O Christ, may the birth of Thy love be felt in all hearts this Christmas and on all other days.

O Christ, bless Thy children that they inwardly cooperate with Thy laws. Make us realize that Thou art the best shelter from harm.

Teach us, O Christ, to be devoted to our Father as Thou art.

After waiting for me through many incarnations, Christ is being born anew in me. All the boundaries of my little mind are broken that the Christ-child may wake on the lap of my consciousness.

Christ Consciousness in me is the shepperd to lead my restless thoughts to my home of divine peace.

O Lord! make my heart big enough to hold Thee, that the throb with the Christ Consciousness in everything. Then shall I enjoy the festivity of Thy birth in my mind, my soul, and in oneness with every pulsing atom."

 

From Metaphysical Meditations by Paramahansa Yogananda