We are not meant to separate. We are meant to unite. Not just with other human beings but within all life.
The purpose of form is to realize the formless. The seemingly separate aspects and differences are the indicators for our path. The guideposts bringing us back to our original nature.
That of oneness within life. Not necessarily oneness “with” life.
“With” still implies separation. It requires at least two elements to be “with”. But “within” is a shift of perspective that is all inclusive. A subtle but massive shift that creates an environmental change. We have been conditioned by the us and them mentality. This mentality is what I call the fall from Grace. And it is not so.
I live by a lake. And each day the water in the lake looks completely different. Some days still, some days choppy. The waves on the lake do not change the original essence of the water. Each wave is seemingly separate from the other. The lifespan of the wave is a particular expression of the current environmental conditions. The expression is temporary. The waves come and go. But the water is constant.
In this way we can begin to realize our lifetime is like a wave. A fleeting expression of life. All that our lives contain is temporary. Pain, success, inspiration, depression… all this comes and goes. But our minds begin to convince us to identify with these elements as “my life”, “my pain”. We quickly forget the constant and focus all our attention on the temporary. This then builds a perception of fear, scarcity and defense. This is where we can get very, very lost.
Letting go of our story and even our quest to perfect the story becomes a practice in faith. We accept the waves and the environment knowing that all the conditions are but a temporary expression of life. It is not life itself.
As we do this, an amazing transition begins to cultivate in our lives. Spontaneity, flow, acceptance, love, and peace begin to shine through the blocks we had put up. These blockages were built from the paradigms of control and fear.
No one is wrong for having built this fortress of protection. It is part of our heritage. It was passed down through countless generations as survival. But I ask, “Survival of what?” We were given life freely. It required no attention on our part. Attention was indeed the gift.
A simple shift of this god-given attention from defensiveness to openness brings endless opportunity. Our lives begin to express the openness of creation rather than the limited reflection of fear.
Anyone and everyone is equally able. There is no religion that can own a monopoly on life. There is not a level of intellect that prevents or enhances it. One need not have a talent for it. And it costs nothing. It is our free will.
What is required however is the desire to shift the paradigm of fear. It takes some time and, yes practice to let go of our behaviors that built this fortress of division. For a time the mind will rebel! It will throw every tool it has into the scene. It will seem that peace is fleeting. But that too is used as a guidepost.
We will become more defined in our faith. We will cease to waiver. Because with each passing of the wave of separation we will remember the taste of freedom and of unity. We begin to develop resolve. We become devoted by the resolution of it all. We see more clearly and quicker how we are creating the illusion of separation. We see things differently.
We see all life from within and we no longer feel we are without.
This is the hero’s journey. And the only journey. It comes in many forms and many practices. Folks of all ages and social status are beginning to realize there is another way…
The way of inclusion.
~M~
If this blog resonates with you, please consider reading my book Perfect Practice. You can read an excerpt from the book HERE.
