understanding

To dip into spiritual and metaphysical ideas can seem relatively safe - but should their meaning dawn - it will be as if the world you thought real, had disappeared - even though its all still in your face. In this predicament, you may be tempted to believe insanity is external to you - if you cling onto the belief that your thinking is your sanity. For reality beyond your control is the context in which your thoughts have no currency.

But the realisation that it is your thinking that is insane is also the realisation that sanity is in you. This is an awakening to the natural order of mind. For you are responsible for your thought - and can change your mind about your mind - as your sanity reveals itself to your acceptance.

Jesus in the A Course in Miracles, advises familiarity with the Text - so as not to initiate a traumatic ego-alien adventure - instead of a beatific and awesome oneness, when the later Lessons of awakening unfold. This is also to say that a true grounding in life serves as a foundation for awakening - and wishful thinking is neither grounding, nor in real relationship to life.

The forceful intent to mentally understand life, brings one to stark insanity. Not because there aren't understandings that can be helpful, but because the intensity of will is applied from a basis that is actually insane or in fact impossible. The idea of separating in order to understand is such an absurd notion - yet is already in place as the basic belief that your separateness is your life, and is the basis of what we refer to as ego. Such analysis is sightless and mechanical and seeks to control life so as to maintain separateness of self; a sense of private judgement and control.
This intent ‘kills’ what it would ‘understand’ - and then dissects the parts for meanings it can acquire for itself.

To understand, we have to be without anything that separates us from that which we would know; defenceless and receptive - in an extension of trust. In such a natural state of rest, discernment feels the currents within the current and can easily navigate the pathways that serve the wholeness - of which it is one with.

The understandings that help are always relating to the heart's awakening - and serve to release blocks to loving. They are the by-product of putting oneself aside in favour of loving.

I have the sense that, with our willingness, our Holy Spirit reconfigures the mind - which in human experiential terms means the perception and experience of our self and world - as an integration of body, mind and feeling. Thought adjustment is the correction of a mind that was deceived in itself - such that its intent and thought are brought into alignment with truth.

Openings and insights inevitably initiate a search to integrate and understand in human terms and yet this is to put 'new wine into old bottles'. In this, as in all wilful endeavours, the contrasts are made clear in bold - so as to facilitate the understanding, that true understanding comes as a result of a larger process.

The understandings of the ego - even if correct in concept - do not stand in a crisis. They ‘fly out the window’ at the first sign of threat experienced. Fear ‘does it thing’ in fight or flight - (though beneath that is it simply keeping the curtain blind drawn).

The understanding in Spirit, is an abiding presence that communicates itself to your trust - even if seeming to use terms that are not ‘correct’ to your existing concept, and is one with the presence that abides in calm despite the 'call for fight or flight' - and which corrects the perception so as to dispel threat and enable practical steps that extend awakened sanity. Regardless of how this may appear to the mind that believes in fight or flight - this step is one of communication. Extending love.

To attempt to extend love from a place of separateness that says ‘on my terms’, must give way to a willingness to receive love on Thy terms. And the term ‘Thy’ indicates intimacy. Such willingness can be seen as surrender or self denial - but both are separation terms.

To acknowledge truth with all your heart is the grace of the truth’s intimacy with you.
When such an intimacy is embraced and accepted, one is not seeking for understanding - so much as allowing being found.

When things have served their purpose they can become encumbrances - yet never in themselves - but if seen in the habit of outmoded purpose. Awakening is to a be-ing ness that is always present and always giving of itself anew. Your receiving is the gift acknowledged and the extending is the joy and freedom to be - all that you are.

Words may initiate a glimpse. The glimpse is the opening of intuition within. An intimacy. Grow relationship with the Intimacy of your being. Don't get hung up on the words. But when you do - notice that you lose the Intimacy - and that using words - even correct in concept - does not open the heart.

Understand. And be silent.


In Peace

Brian