Conclusions Hinder Progress

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A Glimpse of Something Greater, The stumbling, fumbling, early steps along my path to spiritual enlightenment and unconditional Love . . .
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Conclusions Hinder Progress

I received an email some time ago from a man who had read and enjoyed my books Talking with Nature and Journey Into Nature. He commented that he now uses them as reference books, and gave me a list of things he had learned from them and from his life during the last year . . . plus much more. I decided that I would use his list as a catalyst on which to make comment, not to criticise, but to maybe differ in my view or to expand upon his. Personally, I think it is the list of a person who is clearly growing both in insight and wisdom. If I had one piece of advice for him it would be to never come it a conclusion; conclusions all too easily become dead ends. My replies are in italics:

“Everything is a reflection because of the way we perceive certain things. How we come to view things is really coming from us. Therefore it is a reflection of ourselves. Think about what people have done together, and as individuals, over so-called 'life times.' The world we have is obviously the one we created in a way we choose to view things.”
Yes, everything in life is reflecting our life to us. This is not because of the way we perceive it, for what we perceive is the way we live. Our relationship with Self is our relationship with life; this is how it works. The world we personally have, or live in, is not necessarily the world we share with other people. We each live our lives on a personal level, and life will reflect that level. A hoodlum will experience trauma, drama, stress and suffering, but another person living in the same neighbourhood could well experience a stress-free and fulfilling life. Each person's experience of life will always reflect their own state of consciousness.

“Everything is a choice. Sometimes we make good ones, other times we make unfortunate ones.”

Actually, it's not quite that simple. What you believe will shape and define your experience of life. Your beliefs create a box in which you live. This means that you can only choose from what is in your box with you. Every religion is a box. A Buddhist can only make Buddhist choices; a Muslim, or Catholic the same, on and on. Having the freedom to choose means all your beliefs and boxes must come to an end. Perversely, when you have the freedom to choose, you find that you made the paramount choice of life aeons ago.

“If I look at the way I show my love and what I love, then I know myself.”

As soon as you say, 'my love,' you are personalising love. Personalised love will certainly show you the person you are, but it will never show you the Self you are. Thus, you will never know yourself through personal love. When you experience universal/unconditional Love, it will be the experience of the Self you are, then you will know that you are Love.

“Love moves through the Universe and all around it.”

Everything is Love. The universe is Love. All so-called space is Love. Love is the creative factor of life. Life is the expression of Love. Generally we call this unfathomable immensity of Love . . . God. We then externalise God, separate so-called Him from us, and then live a life of illusion called 'separation from God/Love.' Our journey to God/Truth/Love is what we call life
“We are all part of 'Life.' Therefore we will always gain similar, if not the same results, no matter how different our approach is toward life.”

First of all, there is no 'part’ of life. We are a part of the Whole, we are the Whole in a part, so life is holistic. We are all an expression of life discovering itself. We do not all experience the same results in life because we are each a unique Being. If we were all an expression of sameness, we would probably all get the same results, but this is not how it is. As you live your uniqueness in life, so you see a unique and different world than the people around you. Certainly we share the same illusions; this is called a consensus reality, but only if we live in a consensus reality do we get the same results. I repeat, your experience of life will always reflect your own state of consciousness, not other people’s, so the results in life are not the same. Even the so-called end results will be different, but then again, a belief in endings and beginnings is all part of consensus reality.

“Change is one of many truths, because things never stop changing.”

I agree. Change is fundamental to the growth and expansion of consciousness. And consciousness draws to itself physical form through which to express life. Life is constant change . . . even the climate! Our alarm over climate change is alarming! If the climate became completely stable then we would have cause for concern. The basic problem is that people are addicted to 'more of the same.' We view change as something to resist, rather than embrace it and allow change full expression within us and our lives.

“Universal knowledge is simply information on how we should live in the physical world.”

This is close, but there is more. Universal knowledge that is shared and spoken is just as he says; information on how to live. However, if you live in a state of consciousness where you experience mystical cognition - I call this direct-knowing – you realise that knowledge is 'knowing' made static. Knowledge of something is a very different experience than the direct-knowing of it. Knowledge expands your mental and intellectual capacity, while direct-knowing expands your consciousness. I experience direct-knowing, and I am acutely aware of how this 'knowing' is diminished by the process of reducing it to a linear language. Direct-knowing is a direct and wholistic impression into your consciousness; after it has been mentally digested, and thus reduced and changed, it becomes knowledge.

“Power is measured by belief.”

I would say this differently. I would say that power is limited by belief. There is no measure for true power, for to measure it against anything would change it. And under those changed circumstances, I agree; power would be measured by belief. What we call power is mostly force, but there is a huge difference between power and force. Force comes from the physical world of applied pressure; thus we have the police force, the armed forces, and all the forces that force us into obedience and compliance according to the law. Nelson Mandela was forced to go to prison, but he retained his inner power of Self. His inner power triumphed over the outer forces that tried to force him to conform. Nothing and nobody can take your power from you, but most people abdicate from their own power. You cannot have your power and be fearful, for fear is the very antithesis of power. True power stands beyond all belief systems. It connects with direct-knowing.

“The physical world is the most influential because its effects are felt physically.”
The physical world is the only world that exists for most people, so in this case it most certainly influences them. Cause and effect is a great physical teacher, with often disastrous physical effects . . . but do we learn? When you consider that we are all metaphysical Beings, and that the metaphysical always precedes the physical, you begin to realise that all cause is metaphysical. So just how much do we learn from the physical effects of metaphysical cause? In our physical world reality, very, very little. However, I cannot disagree with his statement; I can only lament it's reality!

“Master yourself and you will master everything that enters your life.”

If you mean master 'yourself' as a person, then you have a lot of lessons ahead of you. If you mean master Self, actually meaning to Know Self as the Being you are, Self-realisation, then you will know that there is nothing outside of Self to master. This comes back to a previous statement; your relationship with Self is your relationship with life. There is nothing to master; there is only Love. When you Love Self you take dominion of your life. This is very different from mastery and all it implies. You do not master, you surrender. Surrender is not submission; it is a dynamic 'letting go' of control, of directly knowing that perfection is expressing in your life.

“The universe always works in opposites to create equals.”

A nice statement, so long as you realise that opposites are not opposition. Equality in the human viewpoint is a concept that implies there is another concept called superiority.

“Fear will often prevent progress and movement.”

Fear will always prevent progress and movement. Fear is the result of our negative experiences of the so-called past being projected into our so-called future. It dis-empowers us, causing us to live in a state of stress and suffering. People talk about 'my fear' as though they have claimed ownership of it. Not a good idea. Fear is always self-created by thoughts that are self-destructive and negative. A far better alternative to fear is trust. If you are truly trusting Self and life, fear is no longer within your consciousness.

“All souls/spirits will stay where they receive love, attention, or both. It is far more rare for a soul/spirit to stay where it is without these.”

Spirit is Love. Love is spirit. There cannot be any expression of spirit that is not expressing Love, although, of course, we can be unaware of this . . . as is usual. Soul is the developing individuality of a human Being; our physical body is the vehicle through which our soul-self is learning to discover that all the vast diversity of life is the consciousness of One, and that this One consciousness is Love.

“The universe just wants us to be happy.”

How I wish! Happy is no more than the polarity of unhappy, and while our thoughts entertain the concept of happy and unhappy, happiness will remain a sought-after illusion. The idea of the universe 'wanting' anything for us is just wishful thinking. We are immortal Beings discovering our powers of creativity; in this way we create the reality in which we live. We do this, not the universe!

“Because life never ends, the universe always works on results. Whatever happens IS the reason for it happening.”

This one is a puzzle. If life never ends, which is correct, how can there be results? If we are referring to our life, and we are the creator of our life/reality, we are responsible for what happens in our life. In effect, we are the reason for what is happening in our life. Where does life have any meaning if whatever happens is the reason for it happening?

“If you understand something you cannot fear it.”

Think further on this and you will see its flaws. If you are put in a cage with a hungry lion that you understand is a man-eater . . . no fear? I think what the writer means is this; if you understand the nature of reality you will realise that there is nothing to fear. However, understanding is based in the intellect and is quite superficial when compared with direct-knowing. Understanding something leaves plenty of room for fear, while directly knowing it means you are no longer in the reactive state from which you create fear.

“People have their own way of understanding there is no right, wrong, good or bad; these are simply opinions. Mind you, I share a lot of general opinions.”

I like the honesty. However, most people still steadfastly believe in right and wrong, good and bad; it is only the few who see beyond this. If you see that reality is as it is, you will realise that this is the outworking of cause and effect. If the out-working is unpleasant, we call it bad; if we enjoy it, then we call it good, and so on. Generally, right and wrong and good and bad are all based in our belief system and our conditioning. What we need to develop is insight without attachments.

“Be in the world, but not of it. Create your own reality.”

We never cease to create our own reality. However, to consciously create our own reality is something else again. And I know that this is what the writer means. But be aware of this; in every moment of your life you are creating the substance of every moment of your life. 'Be in the world, but not of it' has been said and written many times, but I suspect very few of those people really know what it means. As metaphysical Beings we live in a metaphysical world/reality of Love, and consciously living in this state is to live by Grace. To be of the world as the most of humanity experiences it is to be in a world of illusion.

“Everything we do now creates our future, so there is no point in thinking about it. If you think of the past, you miss what is happening right now.”

Everything we do now creates both our future and our past. Why? Because on a conscious level of creation, all time occupies the same space. Physically, we live in linear time, metaphysically we live in - what I call - spherical time. What we do physically has no affect on our future, but the consciousness in which we do it has a very powerful affect on our future . . . and our past. In Truth, we can and do change the past. This world of physicality in which we live reflects the physical effect of metaphysical cause. Although we are metaphysical Beings in either denial or ignorance, none of this changes the reality in which we live. By knowing Self, we know life, and how it works.

“Strength is patience. If you have this you can outlast anything.”
This is ambiguous, but I agree, patience is a power and a virtue.

“Always work with everything in life, never against it.”

I agree. Where you focus, energy flows. Moving the flow of energy in the direction you wish it to go is intelligent. Opposing it is not.

“Make your needs your wants, instead of your wants your needs.”

Definitely. Let go of all wants, focus lovingly on Self and life, and your needs are creatively met by your own creative focus. Desire creates wants, and desire is never satisfied. The more you meet your desires, the more you will desire.

“Love is infinite.”

Yes. You are an infinite Being. You are Love discovering infinity and giving it meaning, just as you are infinity discovering Love and expressing it in Self.

“In regards to 'the father, the son and the holy spirit' or 'earth, air, fire, water and spirit'. . . we are the spirit. That is people, nature, all life.”

I think I get your meaning. All life is an expression of Spirit . . . which is Love . . . which is Self . . . which is all life . . . which is infinity.

“We are all Spells, while life, itself, is Magic.”

I really like this. I could say we are all spellbound, not realising that we are, indeed, the very Magic of life . . . for we are life expressing itself.

“Even I have been blessed with a sense of 'knowing' in which everything just 'IS.' I believe at the end of the day everything just 'IS' because it needs to be, and everything has its own role in life.”

Yes, you could say that everything just IS. But let go of the ‘because!’ It needs no reason to be this way. Life . . . IS.

He finishes: "Anyway, I hope you enjoy this when you read it. I was hesitant about sending it, but I trust that the result from this becomes the reason for my sending it."

Thank you, sir. This resulting article is purely spontaneous. I realised that your statements could be a springboard to reach a wider audience, and I have also used it as a reply to you. Please do not read this in any way as a criticism of your words. I think your insights are creative and that you are clearly an expansive Being. Life is a process of continuous growth and inner expansion, releasing the old and outmoded, and embracing the new. Your insights are very worthy of respect. Sadly, it means you are one of the few. The many would read your comments and mine, ridiculing both.

In Love and Light . . . Michael