May you have peace!
To dearNo need to apologize, dear James, and you avatar is fine (actually, I can barely make it out, but "images" don't bother me, so...). I took no offense; I just didn’t understand why you weren't being totally honest. I always have a hard time when folks aren't. I can't read between the lines on my own and must rely on my Lord - usually, I am very surprised at what is revealed. I was in your case. Surprised, definitely. But certainly not upset.
I was wrong in too strongly pressing my point of view with you
But that's just it, dear James - I don't perceive that you strongly pressed any point, really, other than God (the Source) is unknowable. With which I vehemently disagree. You posed some questions… designed to get me to think about your point of view… but not designed to permit me to respond, not really. Well, not intended for me to respond, and certainly not expected. If that's a point of view... well, I got that...
and belittling your deities.
Have no fear; IF you belittled anything, you did so about what you do not know. Therefore, again, no offense taken; I forgive you (as I am sure my Lord has) for you did/do not know what you were doing.
In the end it is not the form or formlessness we choose to adore, but rather our earnestness and sincerity, which you, dear , have in spades.
I am not sure I can totally agree with,you here dear James, particular with regard to the "benefits" of earnestness and sincerity. Many religionists are earnest and sincere. Many who fight wars and kill innocents are earnest and sincere. All the earnestness and sincerity in the world may not be enough to justify such acts, however. But, yes, I know what you mean…
Thank you dear, for helping me see that my room for learning has in no way come to an end.
Has any of ours? I do not believe mine to be, not even close.
I have a single teacher; a teacher with many faces. One of those faces is a beautiful lady who I used to sit with years ago in her home in . She is what some people call "enlightened", in that she is continually aware of the boundless reality of being. One day I went to her with something I discovered within meditation that I felt was important. Rather than applaud me as I expected, she pooh-poohed it as if it was nothing. I acted as if I was OK with it and left shortly after thinking she did not notice my anger and hurt. The next time I visited her, she immediately starting laughing saying "Boy were you pissed last time you left here!" So much for my clever cover-up.
Now, I could say something trite like, "The truth hurts," or something like that. Instead, I will tell you that your lady was/is a brave woman, and perhaps "enlightened," for she spoke the truth to you, about what SHE saw although YOU believed it hidden. I have done the same thing: you did not intend or expect me to respond. That truth, and the fact that I said it, might be difficult for some here to receive. It does not seem to be so with you. Perhaps your prior experience helped in that.
She went on to say how glad she was that I became angry because it meant we were reaching areas of great significance; and she ask me what it was I was protecting that caused offense. (I no-longer remember what it was).
Funny, I would ask you the same thing. I did not become angry, but responded to your questions. Every one of them. I have asked the same of you; however, I have not been afforded the same consideration. Do I take offense? Nope. Do I belittle your current understanding? Nope. Why would I? Of what benefit would it be to me? To anyone here? None at all.
It's very important, she explained, to honestly and tenaciously investigate into our bag of things that cause psychological defenses to erupt, for it is these cherished objects or fragments which we build our false identity around and so become a big part of what blinds consciousness to the never-ending wholeness and purity of being.
And I agree with her. I do not think we can ever realize, reach our never-ending wholeness and PURITY of being, if we DON'T honestly and tenaciously review our "baggage." Unfortunately, some of us only want to look into the "make-up" bag; bringing ourselves to open that "undergarment" bag, however, is an entirely different thing. I had to learn this early on, dear one. My Lord taught me that before I could EVER look at anyone else, anything else, and into anyone or anything else, I had to look at… and into… myself. And certainly, if I wanted to peer into that which is purist in the non-physical universe, I had to peer into that which is purist in me. To do so, I had to learn to look at EVERYTHING… in order to look BEYOND everything. I have done that… and I continue to do that. And I look at… and see… it all: good, bad or indifferent.
I would state this a little differently: when the Truth discovers US… because we are no longer "hidden," by means of having revealed our TRUE selves to HIM… the good, the bad… the indifferent… then we become included IN HIM… and not only huge… vast… but boundless.
It's amazing the little things and beliefs we horde and cherish. Even things we feel are very good.
What we "feel" is "good," is an entirely different matter, dear James, and way too involved to get into here - LOLOLOLOL!
Yet, it is surrender of what is personal and special that opens our eyes to what is without end.
YES!! But… we are not yet in agreement regarding "surrender" to what. Or, rather, WHOM.
Few are willing to let go of what can be held on to.
I agree. Starting with the flesh… and all that is physical. That is the HARDEST. Why? Because we are PHYSICAL and so to let go, not only of beliefs and paradigms… but that which limits us and which we are limited to by means of our sensual being… is extremely difficult.
I give you an example: you love your horses, yes? Brushing and grooming them, etc. They are beautiful creatures! But while you love what you see, the beauty of a simple being such as a horse, I have learned to love what is INSIDE that what you see, that which cannot be seen with the physical eye - it's SPIRIT! I am not bounded by the fact that it has a coat, hooves, a body, etc., all of which will, at some point, return to the dust. I am not concerned that it needs to be fed, watered, sheltered, etc. I ask you, who feeds those horses that run free on the plains as they have since the founding of the world? S peak to me of what is WITHIN that vessel… the life that has no limit. Can it be defined? Indeed, it can. In fact, i t has a name, as does every living breathing thing. Do we know it? Not necessarily. Sure, w e know "Old Ben," or whatever moniker we have given that creature. But do we know its TRUE name? How can we unless we know the TRUE being? Can we? Yes, we can, if we do not allow our flesh to limit us. The worm dying on the path after a spring rain… was a life, dear James. With a name. I may not know it, you may not know it. But my Father knows it. And unlike us, they… know Him.
I have had much troubles with it as well. One of the things which I find offensive is when people seem to reduce the Divine down to a thing or personal deity which steals it away from all but some "deserving" ones.
I, too, am offended by such. Not by the fact that my Father IS a person, but that there are some who believe there are those who are "deserving." NONE, there are, dear James, who are deserving, save One. That's why it is called "mercy,"… or UN-deserved kindness. Anyone who tells you that they… or any others… are "deserving," are liars. And God shows mercy… to whomever He wishes to show mercy… from among the righteous… and the unrighteous.
It's time I got over it, and allowed the universe of diverse peoples to be .
And one of the features of my particularly "diversity" is that I can sing the praises of my Lord and my God, indeed, I am FREE to… without anyone else telling me that I can't... or shouldn't. And yet, I am not compelled to do so, but do it because I love the Ones I sing about! And I love them, because I KNOW them. Who are we to deny each other such JOY?
For in truth, none of us are separate or alienated from the boundless Source of all things.
Well, that is, unless we CHOOSE to be. The Source (JAH) does not leave or separate from us, dear one; we leave and separate from Him. Indeed, every time we "hate" our brother… our neighbor… our enemy… we move further and further away.
Except, for maybe, Unclebruce.
Okay, now you're talkin'!
May the undeserved kindness and mercy of my God and Father, the Most Holy One of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whose name is JAH of Armies, and the love and peace of His Son and Christ, my Lord, JAHESHUA MISCHAJAH, be upon you… you and your entire household… if you so wish it!
Your servant and a slave of Christ,
SJ